Rep. Paul A. Gosar

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 8306, the SHUSH Act) changes federal law to treat firearm sound suppressors (often called "silencers") as firearms for regulatory purposes, removing them from specific federal restrictions. It preempts state laws that impose taxes, registration, or recordkeeping requirements on sound suppressors, meaning states cannot enforce such rules for suppressors used in interstate commerce. The bill also updates tax code and firearm definitions to align with this federal treatment, ensuring suppressor owners meeting federal requirements comply with existing National Firearms Act standards. It directly affects suppressor owners and state governments that previously regulated suppressors through taxes or registration.

Maddy summaryHJRES 98 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rule that defined how businesses are considered "joint employers" for labor law purposes. The bill targets the NLRB's October 2023 rule (88 Fed. Reg. 73946), which would have changed how companies like franchisors or staffing agencies are held responsible for workers' rights. If passed, this resolution would cancel the rule, directly affecting businesses managing multiple employer relationships and labor organizations enforcing workplace standards. The measure uses a standard process under federal law to disapprove an agency rule, not creating new policy but reversing an existing regulation.

Maddy summaryThe VA Abortion Transparency Act of 2024 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit quarterly reports to Congress detailing abortions facilitated by the VA. These reports must include the total number of abortions broken down by type (surgical vs. medication), location (VA facility vs. non-VA provider), patient category (veteran vs. dependent), gestational age, legal justification, and Veterans Integrated Service Network. The reports also must detail all related costs, including staff training, infrastructure, and funding sources (such as the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund), while excluding any patient identifiers. This bill directly affects the VA's reporting obligations to Congress regarding its abortion-related activities.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 1188) asks the President to issue an annual proclamation designating the month of May as "Fallen Heroes Memorial Month" to honor U.S. military members who died in service. It does not create new laws or benefits but requests the President to formally recognize this designation each year. The resolution urges Americans to reflect on the sacrifices of over 1.3 million fallen service members and their families, and to support veteran organizations. It is a symbolic gesture focused on commemoration, not policy change.

Maddy summaryHR 3397, the WEST Act of 2024, requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw its 2023 proposed rule titled "Conservation and Landscape Health" (published at 88 Fed. Reg. 19583). The bill mandates that the BLM Director must immediately withdraw this specific proposed rule and cannot take any action to finalize, implement, or enforce it or any substantially similar rule. This bill directly affects the BLM agency by halting the regulatory process for this conservation-focused rule. It is a procedural measure that prevents the rule from moving forward, without creating new policy or impacting other entities.

Maddy summaryHR 3195, the Superior National Forest Restoration Act, rescinds a 2023 land withdrawal order that restricted mining in Minnesota's Superior National Forest. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior or Agriculture to complete environmental reviews for existing mining plans within 18 months and reissue canceled mining leases on their original terms without allowing legal challenges. This directly affects mining operations seeking to resume activities on forest lands previously restricted by the withdrawn order. The law aims to restore prior mining rights and expedite permitting processes for existing applications within the designated forest area.

Maddy summaryHR 764, the "Trust the Science Act," requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a specific 2020 rule removing gray wolves from the endangered species list within 60 days of the bill's enactment. This directly affects gray wolf populations by changing their federal conservation status. The bill's key provision mandates that this reissuance cannot be challenged in court, eliminating judicial review of the decision. The bill focuses solely on procedural implementation of a prior rule, not broader scientific policy.

Maddy summaryHR 615, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2023, prevents federal agencies from banning lead ammunition or tackle on public lands and waters managed for hunting or fishing, except in specific cases. The bill allows exceptions only if a state wildlife department confirms lead use is harming local wildlife, and the federal action aligns with state law or state agency approval. It directly affects hunters and anglers using federal lands and waters, ensuring they can continue using lead products unless a state verifies a local wildlife issue requiring a ban. The law requires federal agencies to justify any exception with state data and policy compliance in official notices.

Maddy summaryHR 8147 repeals the Corporate Transparency Act, which required certain businesses (typically those with more than 20 employees) to report beneficial ownership details to the Treasury Department. This bill eliminates the requirement for companies to disclose who ultimately owns or controls them, directly affecting business owners and financial institutions that previously submitted this information. The bill also makes minor technical changes to Title 31 of the U.S. Code to remove references to the repealed provisions. The repeal would end the existing financial transparency reporting obligation for covered entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill would reform the U.S. patent system by reverting to a "first-to-invent" system (replacing the current "first-to-file" system), abolishing inter partes and post-grant review proceedings, and ending automatic publication of patent applications after 18 months. It would restore patents as private property rights with a presumption of validity, strengthen remedies for patent infringement including a presumption of irreparable harm for injunctions, and eliminate fee diversion to fully fund the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The bill aims to protect inventors' rights and encourage innovation by making the patent system more favorable to patent holders. It would also reverse several Supreme Court decisions that have limited patentability for software and scientific discoveries.