Rep. Celeste Maloy

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces local matching fund requirements by 50% for High-Density Public Land Counties (counties with under 100,000 people and over 50% federally owned land), their local governments, and Tribal governments within those counties for specific Transportation Department grant programs. It requires the Transportation Secretary to provide additional technical assistance to these applicants and give priority to their applications, especially for those without recent grant support. The bill also mandates special consideration for these applicants regarding rural set-asides and allows flexibility for barriers like complex applications or financial requirements that disproportionately affect small, isolated communities. These changes apply to major DOT grant programs including BUILD, INFRA, and airport/transportation safety initiatives.

Maddy summaryThe HYDRO Act of 2024 requires the Western Area Power Administration to reduce rates for project use and firm electric service customers of specific Bureau of Reclamation hydropower projects (Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects, Boulder Canyon Project, and Parker-Davis Project) when drought conditions predict annual energy production below set thresholds (4.9 million, 3.6 million, and 1.4 million megawatt-hours, respectively). Rate reductions apply monthly until production recovers to or above thresholds, are limited by unobligated project funds, and expire on December 31, 2031. The bill ensures no retroactive rate changes, maintains existing water rights, and uses existing funding without authorizing new appropriations. It directly affects Western U.S. customers of these hydropower projects during drought-related energy shortfalls.

Maddy summaryHR 6889, the True Cost Act, requires the federal government to include specific cost estimates in annual budget submissions. It mandates that when a budget projects a deficit, the administration must calculate and report the pro rata cost of that deficit per taxpayer who files an individual income tax return for the year ending during the fiscal year. The bill also requires annual estimates of the pro rata cost of the public debt for the same taxpayers. This procedural bill affects all individual income tax filers by adding these cost calculations to official budget documents, without changing tax rates or spending.

Maddy summaryThe Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act creates a new grant program providing financial aid to students enrolled in short-term, career-focused educational programs (150-600 clock hours, 8-15 weeks) that prepare students for high-demand jobs. To qualify, programs must meet specific standards including alignment with industry needs, minimum job placement rates of 70%, and median earnings that exceed local wage benchmarks. The bill requires institutions to collect and publicly report data on program outcomes including completion rates, job placement, and student earnings through the College Scorecard website. It also establishes new accreditation standards for agencies evaluating these workforce programs, with $40 million authorized for fiscal year 2025 and $30 million for each of the next four years.

Maddy summaryHR 6396, the Historic Roadways Protection Act, prohibits the use of federal funds to finalize or implement specific travel management plans in designated areas across Utah. It directly affects the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), blocking funding for new plans in 10 named travel management areas (like the San Rafael Swell and Nine Mile Canyon) and three additional plans (Indian Creek, San Rafael Desert, and Labyrinth/Gemini Bridges) during a defined period. The prohibition lasts until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that all R.S. 2477 court cases - legal disputes over historic rights-of-way - are resolved. This bill imposes a concrete funding restriction to delay certain land management decisions while related legal matters are pending.

Maddy summaryHR 6128, the Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act, amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to create a new exemption for certain outdoor recreation employees. It exempts employees primarily working for businesses that provide outdoor outfitting or guiding services if the business operates for no more than seven months annually or has seasonal revenue patterns (average receipts for six months not exceeding 33 1/3% of receipts for the other six months). This change directly affects seasonal outdoor recreation businesses and their employees, allowing them to be excluded from standard overtime and minimum wage requirements under the FLSA. The bill does not alter other labor protections but specifically targets seasonal operations in this industry.

Drone Research and Innovation for Law Enforcement Act of 2023 This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to study, and create an approval process for, nonlethal de-escalation unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones). Under the bill,  nonlethal de-escalation unmanned aircraft  means an unmanned aircraft that is equipped with one or more nonlethal weapons or devices and is used by law enforcement personnel in scenarios (1) that present significant risk to human life, and (2) in which the suspected criminal is in a position to potentially escalate the situation and expose human life to a high level of risk. Specifically, the FAA must initiate a pilot research program to study the potential use of nonlethal de-escalation unmanned aircraft by law enforcement agencies. As part of the study, the FAA must enter into interagency agreements with various federal, state, and local agencies. The FAA must submit a report on the results of the research program to Congress. The report must include a plan outlining a proposed FAA application process for law enforcement to seek permission to operate nonlethal de-escalation unmanned aircraft. Within 90 days of submitting the report, the FAA must initiate rulemaking to create a process through which the FAA may provide approval to operate these unmanned aircraft.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new program to incentivize SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients to purchase "naturally nutrient-rich dairy" like fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese at checkout. It allocates $10 million annually to fund competitive grants for state/local governments and nonprofits to implement projects that provide point-of-sale incentives for qualifying dairy products. Projects must use electronic systems to apply incentives only toward eligible dairy purchases and undergo independent evaluations using rigorous methods to measure impact on consumption. The program replaces an existing dairy incentive initiative under the 2018 farm bill, with a transition period ensuring no disruption to current projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends existing programs that provide payments to counties and states with federal land, primarily to support local schools and communities. It updates key deadlines, extending secure payments through 2026, special project authorities through 2029, and county fund expenditure authority through 2028. A new pilot program allows regional foresters to appoint resource advisory committee members directly, with this authority ending October 1, 2028. These changes directly affect rural counties and states managing federal lands, maintaining current funding mechanisms without altering eligibility or payment amounts.

Maddy summaryHR 4721, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, makes a permanent the 20% tax deduction for eligible small business owners under Section 199A of the tax code. This provision directly affects pass-through business owners (like S-corps, partnerships, and sole proprietorships) who qualify for the deduction. The bill achieves this by removing the temporary expiration language (subsection (i)) from the existing tax code provision. The key change is ending the need for annual congressional extensions of this deduction, providing long-term tax certainty for small businesses.