Rep. Sara Jacobs

Maddy summaryHR 3376 creates the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund, funded by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 24.5% starting in 2025, with annual funding capped at $35 billion or 1/20th of 20-year infrastructure needs. The bill allocates funds to clean water programs (42%), safe drinking water programs (42.5%), household water well systems (1%), colonias assistance (0.5%), and Indian health services (3%), requiring specific prioritization of low-income and minority communities for many programs. It mandates an EPA study on water affordability, discriminatory practices, and civil rights violations in water service, including data collection on service disconnections affecting vulnerable populations. The bill also includes provisions for lead service line replacement, PFAS contamination response, and job training grants for water system operators with specific requirements to prioritize low-income communities.

Maddy summaryHR 3243, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025, bans the provision of paid conversion therapy aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and prohibits advertising such therapy as effective, safe, or without risk. It directly affects LGBTQ+ individuals and their families who might be targeted by these practices, as professionals have determined conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful. The law treats violations as deceptive acts under consumer protection laws, empowering the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to enforce it through civil actions. It explicitly excludes legitimate gender transition support and non-discriminatory counseling from the ban.

Maddy summaryHR 3218, the Reproductive Data Privacy and Protection Act, requires law enforcement and government agencies to swear under oath that they will not use reproductive or sexual health information in investigations or legal proceedings. It amends federal wiretap laws (18 U.S.C. § 2518) and communication disclosure rules (18 U.S.C. § 2703) to mandate this protection. The bill defines "reproductive or sexual health information" broadly to include details about abortion, contraception, IVF, pregnancy, sexual health conditions, and related medical services. This directly affects law enforcement, courts, and service providers by legally restricting how sensitive health data can be used in investigations. The law aims to prevent government use of such data to target individuals seeking or providing reproductive care.

Maddy summaryHRES 383 is a symbolic resolution expressing congressional support for designating May 4-10, 2025, as Wildfire Preparedness Week. It aims to raise public awareness about wildfire safety and preparedness through educational initiatives, encouraging communities to adopt preventive measures like evacuation planning and reducing human-caused ignitions. The resolution does not create new laws, allocate funds, or directly affect any specific group - it solely promotes awareness of existing wildfire safety practices. It references wildfire statistics and safety strategies but only formally recognizes the week without implementing policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other deputized immigration officers to visibly identify themselves during enforcement actions. Specifically, it mandates that officers display a 12-inch by 6-inch agency identifier on their uniform front or back, ensuring it remains unobscured by armor or accessories. The requirement applies during all "time of action" activities, such as patrols, raids, arrests, or warrant service. The bill directly affects immigration enforcement personnel by standardizing their visible identification during interactions with the public.

Maddy summaryThe HAVEN Act (HR 3133) makes several key changes to federal housing assistance programs. It reduces the percentage used to calculate rental payments from 30% to 20% for several housing programs, increasing assistance for recipients. The bill expands the Housing Choice Voucher Program by adding 500,000 vouchers in 2026 and increasing by 500,000 each year through 2029. It also creates housing navigation grants to help families find housing, expands anti-discrimination protections to include "lawful source of income," and requires zip code-based fair market rents for housing vouchers starting in 2026.

Maddy summaryHRES 366 is a non-binding resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, known as Black April in Vietnamese history. It honors the Vietnamese American community - now over 2.3 million strong - who resettled in the U.S. after 1975 and have contributed to American society through diverse fields like public service and business. The resolution commemorates the service of U.S. and South Vietnamese military personnel during the Vietnam War and reaffirms U.S. support for democracy and human rights in Vietnam. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws but encourages public observance of this historical event and the community's resilience.

Maddy summaryHR 3112, the Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025, strengthens enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act by requiring dealers and exhibitors to hold valid licenses for animal sales or transport (Section 4). It expands enforcement authority by allowing the Attorney General to sue violators for up to $10,000 per day, seize animals, and seek injunctions (Section 20), while clarifying that courts can address violations of related rules and regulations. The bill directly affects animal dealers, exhibitors, the USDA, and the Department of Justice, creating clearer pathways for holding violators accountable. Key provisions include updating definitions, broadening inspection powers to cover all regulations, and directing penalty funds toward temporary animal care costs during legal proceedings.

Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.

Maddy summaryThe Equality Act (HR 15) amends federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, and jury service. It expands existing protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by adding sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics under sex discrimination prohibitions. The bill clarifies that discrimination against LGBTQ people is a form of sex discrimination, consistent with the Supreme Court's Bostock decision, and adds specific definitions for gender identity and sexual orientation. This legislation directly affects businesses, employers, housing providers, financial institutions, and government entities that serve the public. The bill creates a more comprehensive legal framework to address discrimination that LGBTQ people face in multiple aspects of daily life.