Rep. Stacey E. Plaskett

Maddy summaryHR 363, the Territorial Economic Recovery Act, modifies U.S. tax rules to exclude specific income from certain corporations operating in U.S. territories from "tested income" calculations under the Internal Revenue Code. It directly affects qualified corporations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that earn at least 80% of their gross income from territory sources and have 75% of that income effectively connected to territory business operations. The key provision creates a new tax exclusion for this territory-sourced income, reducing the tax burden for qualifying corporations. The changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023. This is a targeted tax policy change for businesses in U.S. territories.

Maddy summaryHR 362 would extend the existing visa waiver program to the U.S. Virgin Islands, allowing citizens from designated countries to visit for tourism or business without a visa for up to 45 days, similar to current rules for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. It requires the Department of Homeland Security to consult with territorial governors and consider security factors before granting waivers, and mandates regulations listing eligible countries (including Caribbean Community members) while allowing DHS to suspend waivers for security risks. The bill also adds a processing fee to cover administrative costs for these entries. This directly affects travelers from participating countries visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands and modifies existing immigration law to include the territory in the visa waiver framework.

Maddy summaryHR 367, the Territorial Tax Parity and Clarification Act, amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify tax rules for personal property sales in U.S. territories. It adds a new reference ("932") to Section 865(j)(3), which governs where such sales are taxed, directly affecting residents and businesses in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023, clarifying tax treatment for personal property transactions in these areas. This is a procedural tax code adjustment without new financial obligations or benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill redirects fuel tax revenue collected on Virgin Islands-produced fuel shipped to the U.S. to the Virgin Islands' own treasury instead of the U.S. Treasury. It directly affects the Virgin Islands government, which would receive these funds for local use. The key provision amends the Internal Revenue Code to require this redirection, effective after December 31, 2024.

Territorial Tax Equity and Economic Growth Act of 2025 This bill lowers the residency requirements and modifies the income sourcing rules related to taxation of income from U.S. territories. Currently, bona fide residents of a U.S. territory may exclude income sourced to the territory in calculating U.S. federal income tax. A bona fide resident of a territory is a person that, in part, is present in the territory for at least 183 days in a tax year. Income is sourced to a U.S. territory if it is not U.S.-sourced income or effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. This bill reduces the presence requirement to 122 days, specifies that income is U.S.-sourced income or effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business only if attributable to an office or fixed place of business in the United States, and specifies that income from U.S.-based activities that are preparatory or auxiliary may not be considered U.S.-sourced income. Currently, income from certain personal property sales from a fixed place of business in a U.S. territory by a U.S. resident may be U.S.-sourced income unless an income tax of at least 10% is paid to the U.S. territory. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may limit the 10% tax payment requirement related to income from personal property sales in Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. This bill expands the IRS’s authority to include limiting the tax requirement for personal property sales in the Virgin Islands.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases healthcare affordability for low- and middle-income people by expanding eligibility for premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. It removes the previous 400% of poverty level cap for subsidy eligibility and replaces it with a new sliding scale based on income tiers, ranging from 0% to 8.5% of household income for coverage costs. The scale adjusts linearly across income levels, with households earning 300-400% of poverty paying 6.0%-8.5% of income (up from the prior fixed 400% cap), while lower-income households pay progressively less. These changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, directly affecting individuals purchasing health insurance through marketplace plans.

Maddy summaryHR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain government workers. It eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which cuts spousal or survivor benefits for people with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like federal or state government roles), and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which lowers retirement benefits for those with similar pensions. The law takes effect for benefits paid after December 2023, requiring the Social Security Administration to adjust benefit calculations to remove these reductions. This change directly affects public-sector employees who previously had their Social Security benefits reduced due to their government pensions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 9322) is a naming resolution that officially renames a U.S. Postal Service facility at 675 Wolf Ledges Parkway in Akron, Ohio, as the "Judge James R. Williams Post Office Building." It does not change any policies, services, or funding - it only updates the building's official name in all federal records, maps, and documents. The bill directly affects USPS administrative records and public references to the Akron facility. It was passed by Congress in December 2024 and signed into law on January 4, 2025.

Maddy summaryThe FISHES Act (HR 5103) streamlines access to emergency disaster funds for fisheries by setting strict deadlines for federal review. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to review and provide notice on spend plans within 10 days of submission and mandates that funds be made available to grantees no later than 90 days after a complete spend plan is received. This directly affects fisheries that have received a formal "fishery resource disaster" determination, ensuring faster disbursement of funds for recovery efforts. The bill also prohibits the Office of Management and Budget from delaying these timelines during concurrent review. The law aims to reduce bureaucratic delays in post-disaster funding without altering the underlying disaster assistance program.

Maddy summaryHR 40 would establish a 15-member commission to study the legacy of slavery and systemic discrimination against African Americans in the United States, and develop proposals for reparations. The commission would examine historical and ongoing effects of slavery, discriminatory policies (including redlining and educational disparities), and recommend remedies through education and potential reparations. Composed of members appointed by the President, House Speaker, and Senate President pro tempore, the commission would have 18 months to submit a report to Congress, with $20 million authorized for its work. This legislation creates a study process but does not provide reparations directly.