Rep. Raul Ruiz

Maddy summaryThe Women's Health Protection Act of 2023 would protect access to abortion services by prohibiting states from imposing restrictions that are more burdensome than those for comparable medical procedures. The bill would ensure people can obtain abortion services before fetal viability without unnecessary limitations like mandatory waiting periods or biased counseling, and after viability when necessary to protect the patient's life or health. It would preempt state laws that conflict with these protections and allow for civil enforcement actions to challenge restrictive state laws. This bill directly affects people seeking abortion services (including transgender and nonbinary individuals who can become pregnant), health care providers, and states that have implemented abortion restrictions.

Maddy summaryHR 2524, the Public Service Spending Integrity Act, prohibits federal agencies from using public funds to buy goods or services from businesses owned or controlled by certain top government officials or their family members. Starting in fiscal year 2024, this ban applies to the President, Vice President, Cabinet secretaries, and other top officials, as well as their spouses, children, parents, or domestic partners. The law defines ownership broadly - covering businesses where an official or family member owns over 50% of voting shares, serves on the board, or controls a trust owning the business. Exceptions only apply for spending authorized under the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976. This directly affects federal contracting decisions made by agencies like the Department of Defense or Education.

Maddy summaryHR 2520, the Renewable Energy Jobs Act, creates a federal pilot program to fund training for workers seeking careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. The program awards competitive 3-year grants to eligible entities like employers, workforce boards, or training organizations to develop job training programs, with priority given to states having the highest installed renewable energy capacity (e.g., wind, solar, geothermal). Grant funds cover training costs, on-the-job training reimbursements, outreach to rural and tribal communities, and efforts to help participants earn recognized postsecondary credentials. The program requires annual reporting on participant employment in renewable energy jobs within six months of training completion. It is funded at $10 million annually from 2024-2027.

Maddy summaryThe NEST Act establishes scholarship programs to support Native American educators and those studying to work with Indian students. It provides financial assistance for education in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or school administration fields, requiring recipients to work in eligible schools for a period equal to their scholarship duration (minimum 3 years). The bill also creates loan forgiveness options for educators working in schools serving Indian students or for Indian educators themselves. Additionally, it funds professional development grants for schools serving Native communities and supports Native language teacher training programs at higher education institutions. The legislation directly affects Native American students, educators, and schools serving Indian communities by aiming to increase culturally competent educators in these settings.

Rewarding American Investments to Support Employees Act of 2023 or the RAISE Act of 2023 This bill allows employers a tax credit for 10% of the excess of the aggregate amount of wages paid to specified employees (i.e., continuously-employed employees whose earned wages do not exceed $75,000 in a calendar year) in a taxable year, over the aggregate amount of wages paid to such employees during the immediately preceding calendar year. The amount of such credit may not exceed $500,000 for any employer in any taxable year.

Maddy summaryHR 2529, the Public Service Transparency Act, requires presidential and vice presidential candidates, as well as nominees for Cabinet-level positions, to include their federal income tax returns for the current year and the previous two years when submitting required financial disclosure reports. This applies to reports filed under existing law for candidates seeking the presidency or vice presidency, and for nominees or holders of Cabinet-level roles. The bill mandates that these tax returns be submitted as part of standard disclosure processes, with a 30-day deadline if filed late with the IRS. The Office of Government Ethics is authorized to disclose these returns as required by the new provision.

Maddy summaryHR 2518, the "Reducing Exposure to Burn Pits Act," requires the Secretary of Defense to include a dedicated budget line item for incinerators and waste-to-energy disposal alternatives in the 2024 federal budget. This procedural bill directly affects Department of Defense budgeting processes by mandating specific funding for non-burn-pit waste disposal methods. It does not change existing waste disposal policies or create new programs, but ensures resources are formally allocated for alternatives to burn pits in the federal budget submission.

Maddy summaryThe Grandparent-Grandchild Medical Leave Act amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow eligible workers to take medical leave for a grandchild or grandparent, in addition to current covered family members like children, parents, and spouses. It defines "grandchild" as the son or daughter of an employee’s child and "grandparent" as a parent of an employee’s parent. The bill also expands the definition of "adult child" to include adult children as a covered family member under the FMLA. These changes apply to private-sector employees and federal workers covered by the FMLA and federal leave laws. As a result, workers can now take protected leave to care for these additional family members during serious health conditions.

Maddy summaryHR 2523, the "Coach-Only Airfare for Capitol Hill Act of 2023," requires Members of Congress and legislative branch employees to use only coach-class airfare for official travel starting in fiscal year 2024. The bill prohibits using federal funds for first-class or business-class travel, except where current federal travel regulations (41 CFR 301-10.121-10.125) permit higher classes for similar government employees. It defines "coach-class" as the lowest basic fare offered by airlines, including economy or tourist class. The law applies directly to all congressional staff and legislative branch employees traveling on official business.

Campaign Spending Integrity Act This bill prohibits a candidate for election to federal office from using campaign funds to make payments to vendors owned or controlled by the candidate or by an immediate family member of the candidate.