Rep. Julia Brownley

Maddy summaryThis bill would require federal firearms licensees to prohibit sales of specific high-capacity rifles and shotguns to people under 21. It targets semiautomatic centerfire rifles and shotguns capable of holding more than 5 rounds in their magazines, raising the age limit from 18 to 21 for these weapons. Exceptions apply for active military members and certain government employees authorized to carry firearms. The law directly affects gun retailers and individuals under 21 seeking to purchase these specific firearms. It modifies existing federal gun sale rules without changing age requirements for other firearms.

Maddy summaryHR 2366, the American Families United Act, amends immigration law to expand discretion for the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security regarding family-related cases. It allows them to halt removal proceedings or grant relief for spouses and children of U.S. citizens if removal would cause "hardship" (with family separation presumed to constitute hardship), including special provisions for widows/orphans of deceased citizens. The bill also permits waiving certain inadmissibility grounds and excludes cases involving serious violations like terrorism or criminal offenses. This policy change directly affects noncitizens facing removal proceedings who have U.S. citizen family members, without creating new benefits but modifying existing discretionary authority.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a provision of law governing eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs headstones, markers, and burial receptacles. It removes a requirement that a veteran must have died on or after November 11, 1998, to qualify for these burial benefits. By eliminating this date cutoff, the bill expands eligibility to veterans who died before that date. This change would directly affect veterans who died prior to November 11, 1998, and their families, allowing them to receive these burial benefits.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 21 is a symbolic House resolution recognizing the persistent gender wage gap in the U.S., where women earn significantly less than men for comparable work. It cites specific data showing women overall earn 75 cents and women of color earn even less (e.g., 58 cents for Latinas) per dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the economic impact of this disparity, including annual lost wages exceeding $994 million for full-time women workers. It also highlights designated Equal Pay Days for different demographic groups to underscore the varying timelines to close the gap.

Protecting Students with Disabilities Act This bill prohibits the use of appropriated funds to eliminate the Department of Education's (ED's) oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (The IDEA authorizes grant programs that support special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities. Currently, the IDEA is administered by the Office of Special Education Programs in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in ED.) Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of appropriated funds to eliminate, consolidate, or otherwise restructure any office within ED that administers or enforces programs under the IDEA. Further, appropriated funds may not be used to (1) terminate, reassign, or alter the responsibilities of any personnel of any such office; or (2) contract with, or delegate to, any entity outside of ED to administer or enforce IDEA programs. (On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities , calling for the closure of ED and giving authority over education to the states. Further, the Trump Administration has announced plans to transfer ED's oversight of services for students with disabilities to the Department of Health and Human Services.)

Brake for Kids Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to produce and distribute a national public safety campaign on the dangers of illegally passing stopped school buses. Specifically, the campaign must increase awareness and education about the issue through a variety of media, including television, radio, and social media advertising.  DOT must use Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to produce and distribute the campaign.

Maddy summaryThe Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens equal pay protections by expanding the definition of "sex" to include pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. It modifies employer defenses for pay disparities to require proof that any pay difference is job-related, not based on sex, and accounts for the entire pay gap. The bill prohibits employers from asking about salary history, enhances penalties for violations, and requires employers with 100+ employees to collect and report detailed pay data by race, sex, and job category. It also establishes training programs for employers on eliminating pay bias and creates a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to coordinate enforcement efforts. This legislation directly affects employers, particularly those with 100+ employees, and aims to address pay disparities impacting women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 80 would declare the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) part of the U.S. Constitution, asserting it has been ratified by 38 states (three-fourths of the states) despite the original 1972 deadline. If passed, this resolution would formally establish the ERA as a constitutional amendment, requiring all federal and state laws to align with its gender equality protections. The bill does not create new laws but confirms the ERA's status as part of the Constitution, affecting how laws are interpreted and enforced. It is a procedural step to resolve the legal dispute over the ERA's validity after decades of debate.

Maddy summaryHRES 238 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the House's position that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care during medical emergencies. It does not create new laws or alter existing regulations but formally states the House's view that abortion restrictions in emergencies endanger patients' health and lives. The resolution specifically highlights how current abortion bans put pregnant people at risk during life-threatening conditions like hemorrhage or infection, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, and low-income individuals. It serves as a symbolic statement opposing policies that restrict emergency reproductive care access.

Maddy summaryThe Don’t Penalize Victims Act amends the Stafford Act to prevent disaster victims from having their federal aid reduced or denied if they also receive assistance from other sources, such as state programs or private insurance. It directly affects individuals seeking disaster relief under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act, ensuring they can access full federal support without penalty for other aid. The key change removes the phrase "or any other source" from Section 312(a), eliminating a provision that previously restricted aid eligibility. This policy update applies to all federal disaster assistance programs administered under the Stafford Act.