Rep. Josh Harder

Maddy summaryThe Neighborhood Homes Investment Act creates a new tax credit for developers who rehabilitate or build affordable homes in distressed communities. The credit is calculated based on the difference between rehabilitation costs and the sale price, with homes required to be sold at affordable prices to qualified homeowners with incomes up to 140% of the local median family income. The bill targets specific "qualified census tracts" defined by high poverty rates, low homeownership, and below-average home values. Developers must ensure homes are sold to qualified homeowners who use them as primary residences for at least five years, with additional safeguards to prevent program abuse and ensure fair housing practices.

Maddy summaryHR 3879, the Supporting Families through Addiction Act of 2023, provides federal grants to nonprofit organizations that support families with members struggling with substance use disorder. The bill authorizes $5 million annually (2024-2028) to fund community-based family support services, including education, stigma reduction, and connecting families to treatment resources. Grants cover up to 85% of costs and require organizations to be led by experts, including families with lived experience. This directly affects families navigating addiction in their households by expanding access to evidence-based support programs and improving provider knowledge about family impacts.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it is the policy of the United States to recognize and remember the Semele Massacre. The Semele Massacre was the 1933 killing of up to 3,000 unarmed Assyrian Christians by the armed forces of the government of Iraq.

Maddy summaryHR 698, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023, prohibits the sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of specific firearms and ammunition devices commonly referred to as "assault weapons" and "large capacity magazines" in interstate commerce. The bill defines "semiautomatic assault weapons" to include rifles like AR-15s and AK-47s, as well as firearms with specific features such as folding stocks, pistol grips, threaded barrels, and detachable magazines holding more than 15 rounds. It exempts law enforcement, military, antique firearms, and weapons already lawfully owned before the law's enactment (known as "grandfathered" weapons). The bill also requires new identification markings on these weapons and large capacity magazines, and adds background check requirements for transfers of grandfathered weapons.

Maddy summaryHR 3786, the Apprenticeships to College Act, creates a formal partnership between the Departments of Labor and Education to connect apprenticeship programs with colleges. It establishes a "college consortium" requiring participating institutions, employers, and apprenticeship sponsors to develop agreements that allow apprentices to earn college credit for on-the-job training and related instruction. Key provisions include aligning education records to track college enrollment/completion, providing guidance on using existing federal funding (like Pell Grants), and creating electronic transcripts for apprenticeship credentials. This directly affects apprentices, community colleges, four-year universities, and employers participating in the national apprenticeship system.

Maddy summaryThe Barriers to Suicide Act of 2023 establishes a federal grant program to fund evidence-based suicide deterrents on bridges. The Transportation Secretary will award competitive grants to states or local governments for installing proven safety measures like nets or barriers, prioritizing areas with high suicide rates, with federal funding covering up to 80% of project costs. The bill also mandates a study by the Comptroller General to assess effective deterrents for non-bridge structures (e.g., buildings) and report findings within one year. It authorizes $10 million annually for 2024-2028 to support these initiatives. The law directly affects bridge safety planning for state and local agencies seeking federal assistance.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a barrier for college students seeking food assistance by amending the SNAP program rules. It directly affects students enrolled at least half-time in recognized colleges or training programs, who were previously automatically ineligible unless they met separate requirements. The key change eliminates the prior restriction (in section 6(e)) that barred most higher education students from SNAP, allowing them to qualify under the new provision in section 3(m)(5)(F). The changes take effect January 2, 2024.

Maddy summaryHR 3713 creates federal grants to fund comprehensive school-based mental health programs for students in grades K-12, including those in Bureau of Indian Education schools. It requires partnerships between schools and community mental health providers to deliver trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services addressing suicide risk, grief, violence, and trauma exposure. The bill authorizes $300 million annually (2024-2027) for these programs, mandating privacy protections under HIPAA and FERPA, and requires annual reporting on program effectiveness.

Secure Testing Resources Instead of Prosecuting Act or the STRIP Act This bill exempts the possession, sale, or purchase of fentanyl drug testing equipment, including test strips, from criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act.

This resolution condemns all manifestations of expressions of racism and anti-Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander or ethnic intolerance. The resolution calls on federal law enforcement officials, working with state and local officials, to expeditiously and vigorously investigate all reports of hate crimes and threats against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States; work to improve the reporting of such hate crimes; and hold the perpetrators of those crimes, incidents, or threats accountable and bring the perpetrators to justice.