Rep. Nellie Pou

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most employers to provide workers with earned paid sick leave. Employees would earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours per year, which can be used for their own illness, medical care, caring for family members (including children, parents, spouses, domestic partners, or other family-like relationships), or addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking situations. The bill prohibits employers from retaliating against workers who use this leave and requires employers to inform employees about their rights. It ensures that workers who leave and return to the same employer within a year can reinstate their unused sick leave. This law would not override more generous state or local paid leave policies.

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for various agencies and offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), except for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and management and oversight activities of the Office of the Secretary. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to DHS for  the Federal Protective Service, the Office of Inspector General, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and the Science and Technology Directorate. The bill does not provide appropriations for some agencies and activities that have been funded in prior DHS appropriations acts, including ICE, CBP, and management and oversight activities of the Office of the Secretary.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to visibly display license plates on all vehicles used for civil immigration enforcement activities, funded by federal money. It directly affects ICE and CBP operations by mandating that these vehicles show license plates at all times, making their presence more transparent to the public. The key provision ties federal funding for such vehicles to this transparency requirement, ensuring compliance with the rule. The bill aims to increase public awareness of enforcement vehicle locations during civil immigration activities.

Maddy summaryThe PART Act requires new vehicles to have catalytic converters marked with a unique identification number that links directly to the vehicle's identification number, stored in a law enforcement-accessible database. It establishes a $7 million grant program to help repair shops, dealers, law enforcement, and fleet owners purchase equipment for marking converters with visible, durable identifiers (using die or pin stamping and high-visibility paint). The bill also mandates that businesses buying catalytic converters keep detailed seller records (including vehicle information) for two years and use traceable payments, banning cash or cryptocurrency transactions. Additionally, it creates new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking in catalytic converters, with potential sentences of up to five years in prison.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the federal government to publicly disclose detailed information about grants awarded to nonprofit organizations for security improvements. It mandates two types of reports: (1) a pre-grant report 7 days before distributing funds, listing recipient names, addresses, grant amounts, and whether they're in high-risk urban areas; and (2) an annual report 90 days after each fiscal year, showing state-level application data, grant expenditures, and program operations. The reports are submitted to specific congressional committees and directly affect nonprofit organizations receiving these grants, as well as the federal administrators managing the program. The law focuses on making grant distribution more transparent by requiring specific, publicly available data points.

Maddy summaryHRES 1035 is a non-binding House resolution condemning recent and proposed workforce reductions at FEMA, which the resolution states endanger the agency's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. It specifically cites a 35% staffing shortage at FEMA (per GAO) and notes that over 2,000 permanent staff left FEMA in 2025, weakening disaster response during events like Hurricanes Helene and California wildfires. The resolution expresses concern that staffing cuts would delay aid, reduce assistance to vulnerable communities (including rural, coastal, and wildfire-prone areas), and undermine counterterrorism programs supporting first responders. It calls for a stable, adequately resourced FEMA workforce to ensure effective disaster management, without proposing new legislation or policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 6803) is a commemorative resolution that renames Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, as the "Donald M. Payne, Jr. Transit Center at Newark Penn Station." It does not create new policies or affect funding; it solely changes the official name of the transit station and all federal references to it. The designation honors Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr., who represented New Jersey's 10th District and advocated for transit infrastructure during his service. The bill has no direct impact on transportation operations, riders, or policy - it is purely a ceremonial renaming.

Maddy summaryHR 6635, the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act, requires new fixed-route buses over 30 feet long (with a 10+ year lifespan) purchased using federal transit funds to have physical barriers at the driver's workstation. These barriers must extend from floor to ceiling, fully enclose the workstation to block entry of people or objects, and not obstruct the driver's view. Transit agencies must install these barriers within two years of the law's enactment, unless the labor union representing bus drivers agrees to waive the requirement. The rule applies only to new buses bought with federal funds (excluding those from rural transportation programs) and directly affects transit agencies and bus drivers operating large fixed-route vehicles.

Maddy summaryHR 7268, the CLEAN-UP Act, streamlines the removal or remediation of contaminated sediment in waterways by requiring the Army Corps of Engineers (as "Secretary") to develop a joint plan with local partners. This plan must protect human health and the environment, detail work methods, disposal locations, roles, and funding sources, and undergo public review. The bill shields the Corps from liability under federal environmental law for cleanup activities conducted under this approved plan. It maintains existing requirements for the government to seek cost recovery from polluters responsible for the contamination. The law directly affects federal and local agencies managing sediment cleanup projects under existing water resources programs.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates July 6, 2025, as "A Day of Compassion" to commemorate the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama. It expresses congressional support for the Tibetan people's human rights, religious freedom, and cultural/linguistic protections. The resolution affirms that decisions about Tibetan Buddhist religious leadership - including the selection of a future Dalai Lama - must be made by Tibetan Buddhist authorities, not the Chinese government. It does not create new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic expression of support through congressional recognition.