Rep. Josh Harder

Maddy summaryHR 1060 designates the United States Postal Service facility at 1663 East Date Place in San Bernardino, California, as the "Dr. Margaret B. Hill Post Office Building." The bill updates all federal references - such as in laws, maps, regulations, and official documents - to use this new name for the building. This is a procedural designation with no policy changes or direct impact on residents or services. The bill was passed by Congress and signed into law on November 25, 2024.

Maddy summaryThe Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act (HR 807) directs the U.S. Treasury to mint three types of commemorative coins honoring working dogs' service: $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins with specific weight and composition requirements. Each coin will carry a surcharge ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars) that will be paid directly to America's VetDogs to support their programs providing service dogs for veterans, the disabled, and others. The coins will be issued in 2027 with designs reflecting working dogs' roles in military, detection, therapy, and assistance work. The legislation specifies that all surcharge revenue must fund America's VetDogs' operations without creating new government programs. This is a commemorative measure focused on honoring working dogs' contributions through coin sales, with all surcharge funds going to a specific nonprofit organization.

Maddy summaryThis bill redesignates a United States Postal Service facility at 3500 West 6th Street, Suite 103 in Los Angeles, California, as the "Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Post Office." It directly affects the postal service location by changing its official name to honor Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, a Korean independence activist and community leader. The bill amends prior legislation to update references to the facility’s address and name in all federal records and documents. This is a ceremonial naming resolution with no policy changes to postal services or operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Truth and Healing Commission to investigate the history and impacts of U.S. Indian Boarding School policies on Native American communities, including cultural, emotional, and physical effects on survivors, descendants, and tribal communities. The Commission will document these impacts through research, public meetings, and testimony, working with two advisory committees focused on Native American perspectives and Federal agency coordination. The Commission will operate for six years, with annual reports to Congress and a final report containing recommendations for Federal action. The bill also includes provisions for managing burial sites related to boarding schools and ensures the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act applies to remains found on Federal lands related to these schools.

Maddy summaryThe VA COMPETES Act modifies compensation rules for VA physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists by establishing a "market pay" system that adjusts based on performance and local labor market conditions. It allows the VA Secretary to waive standard pay limits for recruitment and retention of critical healthcare staff, with a cap of 300 waivers annually and a 5-year termination date for this authority. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on pay evaluations, market adjustments, and waiver usage, including detailed information on affected specialties and facilities. It also includes retroactive compensation provisions for certain employees from 2006-2017 who were affected by previous pay caps.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends retirement credit to federal firefighters who had short breaks in service (up to 24 months total) before transitioning to supervisory roles. It specifically applies to firefighters who served at least 3 years in direct firefighting (both wildland and nonwildland) before moving to management, but were previously ineligible for full retirement credit due to service interruptions. To qualify, affected employees must submit a written election to their agency and pay back any additional retirement deductions they would have made under the new rules, plus interest. The bill retroactively applies to service performed between October 1, 2003, and the bill's enactment date. Agencies must also assist eligible employees in verifying their service credit and computing retirement benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how disability benefits are treated for homeless disabled veterans seeking housing assistance. It excludes certain disability payments (under Chapter 11 or 15 of Title 38, U.S. Code) from income calculations when determining eligibility for HUD-assisted housing programs, including the supported housing program under Section 8(o)(19) and housing on Department property. Specifically, it ensures these benefits are not counted toward income for housing eligibility, though they still count for "adjusted income" definitions. The bill directly affects disabled veterans applying for HUD housing assistance who receive these specific disability benefits. It makes a concrete change to income calculation rules without altering benefit amounts or creating new funding.

Maddy summaryHRES 1554 is a symbolic House resolution expressing U.S. support for recognizing and commemorating the 1984 Sikh genocide in India. It calls for official remembrance of the violence that killed over 30,000 Sikhs, destroyed communities, and involved state complicity. The resolution specifically urges the U.S. government to commemorate the genocide, demand accountability for perpetrators, and reject any denial of the event. This resolution does not create new laws or affect specific groups directly; it is a formal statement of the House's position on historical recognition.

Maddy summaryThe VA Employee Fairness Act of 2024 modifies collective bargaining rules for employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). It removes existing subsections (b), (c), and (d) from the law governing VHA employee bargaining and renumbers the remaining provision. This change streamlines the collective bargaining framework but does not alter the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' existing authorities over incentive pay and expedited hiring. The bill directly affects VHA employees by changing how their collective bargaining rights are structured under federal law. The law remains neutral, focusing solely on procedural adjustments to the existing bargaining framework.

Maddy summaryHR 9899, the Abandoned Vessel Prevention Act, makes sellers of decommissioned commercial vessels liable for cleanup and damage costs if the vessel sinks after being transferred for recreational use. It applies to sellers transferring vessels that were previously commercial (or converted recreational vessels), with exceptions for vessels under 35 feet, under 40 years old, or when the new owner has insurance covering these costs. Covered costs include vessel removal, pollution cleanup, and repairs to water intakes damaged by the sinking. The bill targets sellers of converted commercial vessels to prevent them from avoiding responsibility for environmental and infrastructure impacts.