Rep. Josh Harder

Maddy summaryHR 4335, the VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2023, requires mortgage lenders to include specific information about VA home loan programs in standard mortgage disclosures. The bill amends the National Housing Act to mandate that lenders provide details on VA loans (guaranteed under Title 38) alongside other loan options, including assumptions about prevailing interest rates. This change directly affects lenders processing VA-guaranteed mortgages, ensuring borrowers receive clearer comparisons between VA loans and other financing. The law does not require lenders to verify borrower eligibility for VA loans, only to include the specified disclosure language.

Maddy summaryThe HERO Act establishes a national data system to track suicides among public safety officers, including firefighters, EMTs, police, and telecommunicators, collecting detailed statistics by age, gender, occupation, and employment status (career, volunteer, or retired). It mandates annual reports to Congress and public availability of findings to identify suicide trends and effective interventions. The bill also funds peer-support wellness programs for fire/EMS departments, behavioral health programs for healthcare providers, and resources to train mental health professionals on treating public safety personnel. All data collection and program provisions include strict privacy safeguards to protect confidentiality and prohibit using suicide data to deny survivor benefits.

Maddy summaryHR 4241, the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2023, prohibits transporting horses between states or territories in multi-level motor vehicles (like certain livestock trailers with stacked levels). This directly affects commercial horse transporters moving animals across state lines. The bill adds a civil penalty of $100-$500 per horse per violation for knowingly violating this rule, with separate penalties for each horse transported. It amends the Horse Protection Act to address safety concerns related to transporting horses in vehicles not designed for such travel.

Maddy summaryHR 3519, the Hot Foods Act of 2023, amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be used for hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption at participating retailers. This change directly affects SNAP recipients who purchase such hot foods and retailers that sell them. The key provision removes the previous exclusion of hot foods from SNAP eligibility, while adding a limit that no more than 50% of a retailer's total gross sales from SNAP can come from hot foods. The bill clarifies that hot foods can be purchased for home or immediate consumption, aligning SNAP rules with current retail practices for prepared foods.

Maddy summaryThe SAFE Act of 2023 extends a 2018 law that prohibits slaughtering animals for human consumption to include horses, donkeys, and other equine animals, such as ponies. It amends Section 12515 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 by updating the language to replace "dog or cat" with "dog, cat, or equine" in both the section title and the main prohibition. This change directly affects the livestock industry and slaughter facilities by banning the processing of equines for food. The bill modifies existing law without adding new enforcement mechanisms, closing a gap in animal protection.

Maddy summaryHR 3425 creates federal grants to community colleges and college consortia with agriculture programs, helping them expand workforce training, education, and research in farming and related fields. The bill prioritizes colleges partnering with local farms for hands-on student training and allows grant funds to cover equipment, faculty development, and apprenticeships. It authorizes $20 million annually from 2024-2029 for these programs and requires a 3-year evaluation report to Congress. The law directly affects community colleges offering agriculture-focused education, aiming to strengthen their capacity to serve students and the agricultural industry.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Forest Conservation Easement Program to protect forest land through conservation easements. It provides federal funding for two types of easements: forest land easements purchased by eligible entities (with federal cost-share assistance) and forest reserve easements acquired directly by the Secretary. The program sets aside 10% of annual funding ($100 million per year from 2024-2028) specifically for beginning, socially disadvantaged, veteran, and limited resource forest landowners. It incorporates existing contracts from the Healthy Forests Reserve Program into the new program without altering their terms.

Maddy summaryTim's Act establishes pay parity for federal wildland firefighters by creating special base pay rates that are higher than standard General Schedule rates, with specific percentage increases (ranging from 1.5% to 27%) for different grades. It also creates incident standby premium pay (50% of basic pay) for designated sleep/rest periods during wildfire incidents and requires rest and recuperation leave after qualifying incidents. The bill includes provisions for tracking chronic diseases through a new database, mental health support programs, and retirement benefits specifically for wildland firefighters. It directly affects federal wildland firefighters employed by the Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, and Tribal Firefighters who maintain specific qualifications for wildland fire management.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames the U.S. Food for Peace program after Peter O'Brien and makes key changes to how agricultural aid is delivered. It prohibits using cash, food vouchers, or foreign-sourced food for aid (section 2d), requires that at least 50% of annual funds be used for procuring U.S. agricultural commodities (section 2b(5)), and mandates annual reports to Congress on fund usage (section 2b(6)). These changes directly affect U.S. farmers supplying aid and international recipients of food assistance. The bill focuses on strengthening domestic agricultural exports within the Food for Peace program while adding transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 4247, the Flood Prevention and Snowpack Management Act, creates a 17-member federal-state task force to address California flood risks linked to snowpack. The task force, including California lawmakers, federal agencies (like FEMA and the Corps of Engineers), state water officials, and local community representatives, must meet when California's snowpack exceeds 150% of average. Within 90 days of its first meeting, the task force must develop a plan for flood mitigation, snowmelt management, and expediting water storage projects to capture meltwater. This plan will be submitted to California officials, federal agencies, and relevant congressional committees. The bill directly affects communities in California vulnerable to flooding and snowmelt-related disasters.