Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Maddy summaryHR 9963 amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act to expand protections for workers and local communities facing plant closures or mass layoffs. It lowers the employee threshold triggering WARN requirements from 50 to 25 full-time or 75 total employees (including part-time), and adds coverage for shutdowns affecting multiple employers at a single site. The bill requires employers planning such closures to cover the cost of an economic impact study by local governments, assess financial viability, and pay affected communities for losses (via state funds or workforce systems) if the employer isn’t facing economic hardship. Local governments can also sue employers who fail to comply with these requirements. The law creates a new process for establishing "Impacted Workers Funds" to support workforce training and income assistance in affected areas.

Maddy summaryHR 9962 establishes a Gun Safety Board within the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct and fund research on reducing firearm violence. The board must create a grant program using at least half of the $5 million annual funding (increasing to $25 million yearly after two years) to support original research and public education about causes and solutions to gun violence. It will publish annual reports with policy recommendations, research priorities, and evaluations of existing laws on topics like school shootings, suicide prevention, and health care costs. The board, composed of 22 members including health experts, law enforcement, victims' advocates, and federal agency representatives, will operate independently without diverting funds from other federal gun violence research programs.

Maddy summaryHR 9982 creates a dedicated Office of Children’s Health Protection within the EPA to address environmental risks affecting children. The office, led by an EPA-appointed director, will assess health threats like pollution or chemicals that disproportionately impact infants, children, and adolescents, and coordinate federal efforts to reduce these risks through policy, research, and school health programs. It establishes a permanent advisory committee to guide the EPA and requires $7.8 million annually for the office plus $13.2 million for the committee through 2029. The bill directly affects children’s health by mandating EPA action on environmental hazards through specific programs, not by changing existing regulations or creating new taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a law to allow service members to file medical malpractice claims against the military for injuries or deaths occurring on specific naval vessels (aircraft carriers, landing helicopter assault ships, and landing helicopter dock ships) when not in combat. It creates a 90-day window after the bill's enactment for claims that accrued between October 1, 2016, and the bill's passage to be treated as timely filed. The change directly affects service members who experienced medical errors on those vessel types during the specified period. It modifies existing procedures to permit these claims to be processed under the same rules as other military medical malpractice cases.

Maddy summaryHR 9878, the No Shame at School Act of 2024, requires schools to automatically certify students from households with unpaid meal fees for free or reduced-price meals (instead of allowing discretion), and mandates retroactive reimbursement for past unpaid meals. It directly affects school districts and students in households owing meal fees by prohibiting stigmatizing practices like special tokens, public lists of names, or withholding grades due to unpaid fees. Key provisions ban schools from physically segregating students, using debt collectors, or taking food away from students who owe fees, while requiring clear communication to households about meal applications. The bill defines "covered child" as any student enrolled in a participating school meal program whose household owes fees or is eligible for free/reduced meals.

Maddy summaryHR 9835, the Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act, authorizes federal funding to provide emotional support services for individuals who have experienced sexual abuse while in detention. It creates three key mechanisms: (1) $10 million annually for grants to nonprofit providers collaborating with correctional facilities to deliver crisis counseling, safety planning, and resources; (2) $5 million annually for training grants to help correctional staff understand and support survivors; and (3) a $2 million annual national resource center to share best practices and training materials. The bill directly affects incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse and the facilities holding them, requiring services to be provided by specialized nonprofits with correctional experience. Funding is authorized for fiscal years 2024-2029, supplementing existing programs without replacing them.

Maddy summaryHR 9820, the Employee and Retiree Access to Justice Act of 2024, makes certain arbitration clauses and class action waivers unenforceable in ERISA-covered retirement and health plans. It prohibits employers from requiring employees or retirees to waive their right to pursue individual, class, or collective claims in court through mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements. For post-dispute agreements, the bill requires clear written disclosures, a 45-day waiting period, and explicit written consent without coercion. The law applies to disputes arising after enactment, ensuring employees and retirees can access courts for plan-related claims without being forced into binding arbitration.

Maddy summaryHR 9826, the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act of 2024, adds approximately 5,658 acres of land, marshes, tidal flats, and waterways in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano Counties, California, to the existing refuge. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire these lands through purchase or donation from willing sellers (not through eminent domain) and requires using funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for acquisitions. It directs the refuge to prioritize public uses like wildlife observation, fishing, and environmental education while following existing refuge management laws. The bill also mandates public input from local communities during planning and requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to make the boundary map publicly available.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 130 is a symbolic concurrent resolution commending state and local governments that treat reproductive rights as human rights following the *Dobbs* decision. It recognizes efforts by cities like Austin, Texas, and Montgomery County, Maryland, to expand abortion access and condemn criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. The resolution affirms that reproductive rights are human rights, urges states to repeal restrictive laws, and references U.S. obligations under international human rights treaties. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or alter existing policies.

Maddy summaryHRES 1499 is a symbolic resolution expressing concern about rising book bans in U.S. schools and libraries, citing PEN America data showing over 10,000 individual book bans in public schools between July 2023 and June 2024 - more than double the previous year. It highlights how bans disproportionately target books featuring LGBTQ+ themes, racial history, and marginalized voices (like *The Handmaid’s Tale*, *Maus*, and *Fry Bread*), while emphasizing students’ First Amendment rights to access diverse materials. The resolution calls on school districts and libraries to follow established best practices for handling book challenges and to protect students’ right to read widely, including works reflecting diverse perspectives. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new law but urges local education entities to uphold free expression.