President Donald Trump signed his landmark tax and spending cuts bill into law on July 4, notching the first major legislative achievement of his second term.
Congressional Republicans approved the president’s sweeping agenda bill on an ambitious timeline over the blanket opposition of Democrats, as well as some consternation within the GOP over its impact to the federal deficit and certain government programs.
Among its myriad provisions, the package makes permanent the 2017 tax cuts that were set to expire at year’s end and beefs up funding for defense, border control and immigration enforcement. It also enacts a historic reshaping of the nation’s safety net, particularly imposing steep cuts to Medicaid and food stamps.
Some of the measures take effect this year – for instance, the expiration of the electric vehicles tax credit and the temporary elimination of taxes on tips and overtime work. Other provisions don’t kick in for several years, notably, after the 2026 midterm elections.
Here’s a timeline of when key provisions from the president’s “big, beautiful bill” take effect:
Several student loan provisions in the bill will take effect next year. Additionally, one month before the midterm elections, a provision limiting Medicaid eligibility for immigrants will set in.
Key parts of the bill — including new work requirements and increased eligibility checks for Medicaid — are set to kick in in the lead up to the 2028 presidential election.
Still unclear is when two major changes to the food stamp program will take effect. The US Department of Agriculture said it will issue a memorandum to states about implementing the law, including expanding the work requirement to recipients ages 55 to 64 and to parents of children older than 13, as well as limiting the eligibility of certain legal immigrants.
Learn more about the bill provisions in our searchable table:
