Email from Rep. Nehls Chairman Troy E. Nehls Gavels in Subcommittee on Aviation Hearing   Greetings! I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recap of what happened last week in Texas' 22nd District and the United States House of Representatives. This Week in Washington, D.C. Chairman Troy E. Nehls Gavels in Subcommittee on Aviation Hearing This week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing on counter-unmanned aircraft systems. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, are extremely popular among the American people. More than one million drones are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and this number is expected to grow in the coming years. Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs have proven to be a crucial tool for our nation's law enforcement officers. Furthermore, drones have the potential to transform the delivery of essential goods. However, the wide-scale integration of small drones into our airspace at low altitudes poses unique challenges both on the ground and in our nation’s airspace. With the increasing rate of drones expected to integrate into our airspace and the potential for their misuse by bad actors, now is the time to establish a properly scaled, well-balanced, and legally sound framework for counter-drone authorities and the corresponding technologies. Last Congress, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary worked to produce a comprehensive package to reform and reasonably expand the existing counter-drone authorities granted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Unfortunately, this bill did not make it across the finish line. As Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, I look forward to working with members of the subcommittee, stakeholders, and other House Committees to further improve the package. Watch my opening statement HERE. Watch my questioning of the witnesses HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Joins Mornings with Maria on Fox Business Watch my interview on Mornings with Maria HERE on Rumble. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes YES to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act In 2023, more than 107,000 people died of drug overdoses, with roughly 75,000 of whom died from synthetic opioids—largely illicit fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances. Sadly, illicit fentanyl poisonings are now the number one cause of death among adults 18-49—more than cancer, heart disease, and car accidents. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act. I proudly voted “YES” to advance this legislation the United States Senate. The HALT Fentanyl Act would make the temporary class-wide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances permanent. Schedule I drugs are substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, as defined by the Controlled Substances Act. This bill also ensures that law enforcement will have the tools they need to keep these extremely lethal and dangerous drugs off our streets. Furthermore, it ensures that practitioners can research fentanyl-related substances so we can better understand their overall effects on human health. Reps. Troy E. Nehls and Dina Titus Reintroduce Legislation to Cut Funds For Experiments on Animals Did you know that between 2011 and 2021, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded over $2 billion in taxpayer-funded grants to foreign laboratories? To combat this waste of taxpayer money, I, along with Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), reintroduced the Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act. The CARGO Act is a bipartisan bill that aims to halt the NIH funding for foreign laboratories that conduct experiments on animals using American taxpayer dollars. Further, this bill would redirect funds toward more effective, humane, and human-relevant research methods. America’s hard-earned taxpayer money should not be used to fund cruel experiments on animals overseas that do not contribute to advancing public health in our country. The fact that the NIH doles out over $2 billion in taxpayer money to foreign laboratories is unacceptable. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation to ensure that hard-earned tax dollars are not wasted or used to torture animals. Read more about the CARGO Act HERE in the Washington Examiner. Chairman Troy E. Nehls and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Members Receive Briefing from NTSB Chair Homendy on DCA Plane Crash As Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation and a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was briefed by the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy, alongside other committee members about the NTSB's ongoing investigation of the January 29th collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I appreciate the work of Chair Homendy and the entire NTSB as they tirelessly investigate the recent collision of the two aircraft in our nation's capital. Ensuring aviation safety is a top priority of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes YES to Pass the Protecting American Energy Production Act The United States House of Representatives passed the Protecting American Energy Production Act. I proudly voted “YES” to pass this legislation. The Protecting American Energy Production Act ensures that states maintain control over hydraulic fracturing regulation on state and private lands. Specifically, it prevents the executive branch from unilaterally imposing a ban on hydraulic fracturing without congressional approval, ensuring uninterrupted domestic energy production. Radical Democrats and the Biden Administration destroyed domestic energy production and increased costs for the American people. This is unacceptable. To combat this, I, along with House republicans, will work to restore energy dominance and create good-paying energy jobs. I proudly stand with my House republican colleagues in defending fracking, unleashing American energy, and lowering prices for families. This Week in Texas' 22nd District Rep. Troy E. Nehls' Fulshear District Office Hosts Service Academy Day My District Office is looking to host an Academy Day in the Spring of 2025. This event would allow all TX-22 to learn how to attend one of the United States Service Academies. One of the privileges of serving in the United States House of Representatives is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young people from the 22nd Congressional District of Texas to be considered for appointment to our nation’s service academies. Admission to a service academy is a two-tiered process. First, the candidate must apply and meet the minimum standards set by the individual academy. Second, the candidate must complete the congressional application to be considered for an interview with the nomination review board in our office. Please note that the ultimate selection of appointees rests solely with academy officials and is based on their competitive evaluation of all nominees. In addition to staff from my office, representatives from all five academies (U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy) and current academy cadets and midshipmen will be on hand to answer questions. Students, parents, and educators will be able to hear from and meet with representatives on a one-on-one basis to become informed about the excellent opportunities associated with attending these premier educational institutions and the careers they generate. This forum is free; however, pre-registration is required and can be found on my website HERE. It will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 31, 2025. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call my district office at (346) 762-660. Update on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expects more than 40 million individual tax returns for the tax year 2024 to be filed ahead of the Tuesday, April 15 deadline. Taxpayers residing in a federally declared disaster area may have additional time to file and pay federal taxes. Get free help preparing and filing taxes electronically. Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov to get answers to tax questions. IRS.gov is the quickest way for taxpayers to get help. The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to several tax law questions specific to individual circumstances. Free tax filing options. The IRS offers free online and in-person tax preparation options for eligible taxpayers through IRS Free File, IRS Direct File and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. Most refunds issued in less than 21 days: EITC refunds for many available by March 3. The easiest way to check a refund's status is by using “Where's My Refund?” on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app. Report taxable income; don’t file before receiving key documents. People should report all taxable income on their tax return and wait to file until they receive all of their income and informational documents. Choose a trusted tax professional. Taxpayers should review the tips for choosing a tax preparer and learn how to avoid unethical “ghost” return preparers who don’t sign or include a valid preparer tax identification number (PTIN) on every tax return they prepare. Be aware of tax scams. Be aware of scammers, who can become more active during tax season. They will attempt to mislead people about tax refunds, credits and payments. Know the signs of ID Theft. Check out the latest consumer alerts and read more about the most recent tax related scams identified by the IRS. More help is now available. The IRS also provides taxpayers help in-person at Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide. Some improvements taxpayers will see during the 2025 filing season are: IRS Individual Online Account. Individuals can create or access their IRS Online Account at Online account for individuals. New scam alert. There’s a new banner on the Online Account homepage that alerts taxpayers of potential scams and schemes, along with a link to their Digital Notices and Letters page to view correspondence from the IRS. Redesigned notices. The IRS redesigned 200 notices and an additional 84 redesigned notices are in line to be deployed in 2025. Mobile-adaptive tax forms. Taxpayers can now access 67 forms on cell phones and tablets. Virtual assistants to help with refunds and other questions. The IRS will offer voicebot services to all taxpayers calling the IRS for refund information. The voicebot is available in English and Spanish. Did you know my District office can help you with federal agencies, including the IRS?  YES 66.3% NO 33.7% Follow Us We Want to Hear From You I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE. Use this QR code to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and join my Newsletter for updates. It's an honor to represent you and the great state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. President Trump’s recent executive order limiting birthright citizenship is another step toward securing our nation’s borders and bolstering our legal immigration system. Do you support limiting birthright citizenship? Let me know below Yes No Sincerely, Troy E. Nehls Member of Congress By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls Rep. Nehls | 1104 Longworth House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice