Rep. Joe Neguse

Maddy summaryThe Support our Firefighters Act establishes a new paid rest and recuperation leave program for federal wildland firefighters working for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. Under this law, these employees would receive paid time off immediately after completing a qualifying fire incident, with specific rules requiring a minimum number of rest days following periods of deployment. The bill also allows for the transfer of up to $5 million in funding from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior to help sustain salary increases for these workers. Additionally, the legislation updates existing overtime rules to remove specific year limits, ensuring that wildland firefighters can work extended hours without hitting caps in future years.

Maddy summaryThe Right to Vote Act establishes legal protections against government actions that make it more difficult for citizens to vote in federal elections. It prohibits any rule or practice that diminishes voting ability unless the government proves it is the least restrictive way to achieve an important interest, and it similarly blocks substantial impairments unless they significantly further a specific government goal. The bill creates a new legal pathway for voters to challenge these restrictions in federal court, requiring judges to expedite these cases and shifting the burden of proof to the government to justify any voting barriers. These protections apply to all U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia for elections occurring on or after September 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill redesignates the existing National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance on federal lands. It directs revenue from recreation fees and a portion of energy development income into the fund, which must be used primarily for repairing critical infrastructure like roads, trails, and buildings managed by agencies such as the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The legislation establishes strict rules requiring that most funds go toward non-transportation projects, mandates transparency through public dashboards tracking project status, and sets aside a small percentage for matching private donations. Additionally, the bill increases entrance fees for foreign visitors to ensure they contribute to the fund, while prohibiting the use of these specific funds for land acquisition or employee bonuses.

Maddy summaryThe VA Emergency Transportation Act expands the types of care the Department of Veterans Affairs can reimburse for veterans by formally including emergency transportation alongside emergency treatment. Specifically, the bill allows the VA to pay for ambulance or air ambulance rides provided by non-VA providers that transport a veteran to a facility for emergency care or from a non-VA facility to a VA or other federal facility. This change updates existing laws to ensure that transportation costs are covered when they are part of the necessary emergency services furnished to a veteran.

Maddy summaryThe No 9/11 Family Left Behind Act of 2026 provides an additional lump-sum payment to certain eligible families of victims of state-sponsored terrorism. This extra payment equals 5.8573 percent of the original judgment amount awarded to those who have not yet received a prior payment under the existing law. The bill requires the Special Master to notify eligible claimants within 90 days of the act's enactment and to process their claims for this additional amount within 90 days of receiving the necessary information. Funding for these payments will come from any unappropriated funds in the U.S. Treasury.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the government auditor (Comptroller General) to study how wildfire prevention programs operate across different land ownerships - including federal, state, tribal, and private lands. The study will examine current federal rules, funding access, and specific wildfire mitigation activities from the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act. It will identify barriers and opportunities to improve cross-boundary collaboration, with a report due to Congress within two years. The bill itself does not create new programs or funding, only requiring this analysis.

Maddy summaryThe Disaster Relief Integrity and Independence Act aims to prevent political bias in federal disaster aid and speed up the approval process for disaster declarations. It prohibits the President from making decisions about emergency funding or declaring major disasters based on the political affiliation of a state, territory, or locality. Additionally, the bill requires the President to respond to requests for major disaster declarations within 45 days, automatically approving any request that is not answered by that deadline. These changes directly affect state, tribal, and territorial governments by ensuring their disaster relief requests are handled fairly and without unnecessary delays.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes Temporary Protected Status for Iranian nationals currently in the United States who are unable to safely return home due to ongoing armed conflict and human rights abuses, while also addressing legal hardships caused by a government-imposed pause on processing their immigration applications. It defines eligible individuals as those lawfully present in the U.S. since December 2025 who have pending applications for status changes or work authorization that were delayed by this pause, excluding government officials or those with ties to the Iranian regime. Under the legislation, the Department of Homeland Security must grant these individuals temporary legal status and work authorization for an initial 18-month period, with automatic extensions if the processing delay continues, ensuring they do not accrue unlawful presence or face penalties for the government-caused backlog.

Maddy summaryHR 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act, requires employers to begin negotiating a first contract with a newly certified union within 10 days of written request. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the parties must seek mediation, and if unresolved after 30 days of mediation, the dispute moves to binding arbitration by a three-member panel. The arbitration decision, based on factors like employer finances, industry standards, and cost of living, becomes binding for two years. This bill directly affects newly certified unions and their employers during initial contract negotiations, aiming to reduce delays that currently average 465 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the federal Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program through 2031, updating its focus to integrate advanced technologies for more accurate snowpack measurement and water supply forecasting. It specifically requires the use of commercially available technologies like airborne laser altimetry, imaging spectroscopy, and physics-based modeling to provide real-time, spatially complete data. The program must now emphasize activities that improve forecasting responsiveness to changing conditions, integrate data with water management decisions (including interstate disputes), and build partner capacity in key river basins. The changes directly affect federal water management agencies and Western states relying on snowmelt for water supply planning.