Seth Magaziner (D-RI)
Advancing Commonsense Policies Act
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Advancing Commonsense Policies Act introduces several updates to retirement, employment, and national security regulations. It implements changes to retirement plan automatic enrollment, contribution limits, and provides new withdrawal options for victims of domestic abuse. The bill also focuses on supporting veterans through apprenticeship resources and entrepreneurship training via the "Boots to Business Program." Additionally, it addresses job security for injured federal employees and expands benefits for first responders like firefighters. Finally, the legislation includes measures to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain and increases penalties for certain crimes committed in school zones.
Yes· 3 of 23
- Scored +5
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill increases retirement savings opportunities and enhances the Saver's Credit.
- Scored +5
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides targeted apprenticeship information and entrepreneurship training through the Boots to Business Program.
- Scored +5
Does this cut taxes for small businesses?
It increases the credit percentage for small employer pension plan startup costs.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?
The bill imposes stricter prison sentences for crimes committed in school zones, such as human trafficking and coercion.
- Scored -2
Does this change how police departments operate?
The bill increases criminal penalties for human trafficking and coercion violations occurring in school zones.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for Veterans: The bill requires a user-friendly, searchable website to help veterans find information about apprenticeship programs, including costs and contact information. (Sec. 202)
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Entrepreneurship Training for Veterans: The "Boots to Business Program" provides training and tools to help military members, veterans, and their families start small businesses. (SEC. 501)
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Job Security for Injured Federal Employees: It establishes a sense of Congress that federal agencies should retain the expertise of employees injured on duty by reappointing them to suitable civil service positions with commensurate pay within the same agency or location. (Sec. 301)
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Retirement Protections for High-Risk Employees: The bill provides specific retirement treatment for individuals in "covered positions"—such as law enforcement, firefighters, and air traffic controllers—who become permanently unable to perform their duties due to an on-duty injury or illness. (Sec. 302)
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Protection for Firefighters and First Responders: The bill expands benefits and creates exclusions for disability-related retirement payments for first responders, including firefighters and paramedics. (SEC. 432, SEC. 433)
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Support for Domestic Abuse Victims: The bill allows for penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for victims of domestic abuse, providing essential financial resources. (SEC. 439)
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Increased Retirement Savings Incentives: It expands automatic enrollment requirements, mandates a minimum contribution percentage, and provides a 50 percent credit rate for the Saver's Credit. (Sec. 401, Sec. 404)
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Support for Student Debt Management: The bill allows employers to provide matching contributions to retirement plans based on an employee's qualified student loan payments. (Sec. 411)
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Financial Inclusion for Military Spouses: It creates a retirement plan eligibility credit specifically for small employers to support military spouses. (Sec. 413)
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Enhanced Financial Flexibility: Changes to retirement rules allow for easier hardship withdrawals and provide more flexibility for employers to increase benefit accruals. (SEC. 438, SEC. 441)
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Ease of Locating Lost Savings: An online "Retirement Savings Lost and Found" database will allow individuals to search for and locate administrators of previous plans to recover owed benefits. (Sec. 427)
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Preserving Cultural History: A commission will study the potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture to promote and preserve history and culture. (SEC. 701)
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Strengthening Economic Security: By focusing on the semiconductor supply chain and reviewing foreign ownership of ports, the bill seeks to protect the United States economy and national security. (SEC. 802, SEC. 1301)
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Administrative Burden on Employers: New requirements for automatic enrollment, such as specific contribution percentages and investment requirements, may impact how companies manage their plans. (Sec. 401)
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Mandatory Contributions: Under new automatic enrollment rules, employee contributions are set at a specific percentage (between 3 and 10 percent) unless the participant specifically elects otherwise. (Sec. 401)
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Potential Impact on Small Business Costs: Changes to how plans are managed could involve new administrative tasks for small employers. (Sec. 402)
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Increased Criminal Penalties: The bill imposes stricter prison sentences for human trafficking and coercion crimes committed within school zones or near institutions of higher education. (SEC. 601, SEC. 602)
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Increased Financial Burdens for Plans: Provisions regarding retirement plan corrections and adjustments may impact how plan assets and earnings are handled. (SEC. 430)
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill increases retirement savings opportunities and enhances the Saver's Credit. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides targeted apprenticeship information and entrepreneurship training through the Boots to Business Program. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The bill establishes a commission to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill provides tax credits for setting up pension plans and entrepreneurship training for starting small businesses. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill contains various improvements to retirement plan administration, automatic enrollment, and distribution rules. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill facilitates student loan debt management through retirement plan matching. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill expands the Saver's Credit and allows penalty-free withdrawals for victims of domestic abuse. Would women be better off under this? — The bill provides financial flexibility via penalty-free withdrawals for victims of domestic abuse.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill provides expanded tax credits for small employers to start pension plans and offers entrepreneurship training through the Boots to Business Program. Does this cut taxes for small businesses? — It increases the credit percentage for small employer pension plan startup costs. Does this cut taxes for middle-income families? — The bill enhances the Saver's Credit by increasing the rate to 50 percent. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill includes measures to boost foreign direct investment in the domestic semiconductor manufacturing sector to support economic stability. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill provides resources, apprenticeship information, and the Boots to Business Program to help veterans and others enter the workforce and start businesses.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill improves access to apprenticeship information and entrepreneurship training for veterans. Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill aims to secure the domestic semiconductor supply chain, which is essential to national security. Does this make trade with other countries easier? — The bill seeks to increase foreign direct investment in United States semiconductor-related manufacturing.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill allows employers to match contributions based on student loan payments, aiding debt management. Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill funds a commission to study the establishment of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The establishment of a 'Retirement Savings Lost and Found' database increases transparency for employee benefits. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill includes provisions to safeguard participant privacy in the new retirement savings database.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill provides funding for the Telehealth Resource Center to assist with rural health and nursing facility technology.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill facilitates easier access to lost retirement savings through a new searchable database. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill establishes a commission to study a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Does this shorten or soften prison sentences? — The bill imposes stricter prison sentences for crimes committed in school zones, such as human trafficking and coercion. Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill increases criminal penalties for human trafficking and coercion violations occurring in school zones.
- 5/20/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- 2/2/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs, Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Financial Services, Education and Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Small Business, Science, Space, and Technology, the Judiciary, Homeland Security, Intelligence (Permanent Select), House Administration, Rules, Ethics, the Budget, and Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.