Rep. Joe Neguse

Maddy summaryHR 4992, the FEMA Critical Staffing Act, requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reinstate employees who were involuntarily separated between January 20, 2025, and the bill’s enactment date, within 30 days of passage. It directly affects FEMA staff who lost their positions during that period and ensures continued support for communities relying on FEMA programs. The bill mandates reinstating two key programs: the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program (for state/local disaster preparedness) and the flood mitigation assistance program (for flood risk reduction projects), while prohibiting cuts to existing disaster resource access. These provisions aim to maintain FEMA’s workforce and program continuity amid increasing climate-driven disasters.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to restore full staffing levels within 30 days of enactment, including reinstating employees terminated between January 20, 2025, and the bill's passage. It mandates the immediate reinstatement of specific NOAA programs, including the discontinued "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters" product and two environmental databases tracking ocean currents and marine buoys. The bill allocates $6.756 billion in funding for NOAA's operations through fiscal year 2026 to support these staffing and program restorations. It directly affects NOAA employees, state/local emergency response efforts, and the public relying on NOAA's weather forecasting and disaster data for safety planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HJRES 115) terminates a presidential emergency declaration made on August 11, 2025, which claimed a "crime emergency" in Washington, D.C. It directly affects the District of Columbia by ending federal restrictions that prevented D.C. from using $1 billion in locally-raised funds for public safety, law enforcement, fire services, and schools. The resolution cites that the emergency declaration was legally flawed - section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act does not permit federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department - and notes that D.C. violent crime has reached a 30-year low. The bill formally ends the emergency under the DC Home Rule Act, restoring D.C.'s authority over its own budget and public safety resources.

Maddy summaryHR 4976, the Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act, requires the Environmental Protection Agency to commission the National Academies of Sciences to review existing policies protecting children from wildfire smoke in K-12 schools, childcare centers, and related activities like sports or camps. The review will assess current standards, identify research and policy gaps, and provide recommendations to Congress for better protection, especially in under-resourced settings. This bill does not create new regulations but mandates a formal evaluation of current approaches to safeguard children during smoke events. It directly affects children in educational and childcare environments across the U.S., particularly in communities frequently impacted by wildfires.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a permanent Rural Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program to help maintain affordable housing in rural areas. It provides mechanisms for loan restructuring, extends rental assistance contracts for up to 20 years, and streamlines application processing for housing assistance. The bill also adjusts rural housing voucher programs to better respond to tenant needs, including allowing for interim and annual reviews of voucher amounts based on income changes. These changes directly affect low-income rural residents living in federally assisted housing and the housing providers who manage these properties.

Maddy summaryHR 4965, the Counseling for Career Choice Act, requires schools to strengthen career guidance programs for students. It directly affects K-12 school counselors and students by mandating specific components, including identifying local job market trends with workforce agencies, providing financial aid awareness, and developing personalized career plans. Key provisions require schools to create systems for counselors to access workforce data, offer professional development, and connect students to apprenticeships, internships, dual enrollment, and job training programs. The law also encourages using technology like AI tools to support career counseling and evaluate student outcomes. This focuses on preparing students for college and careers through structured, data-informed school counseling services.

Maddy summaryHR 4933, the Research and Development Tax Credit Expansion Act of 2025, expands tax benefits for small businesses conducting research. It increases the refundable R&D credit rate to 20% (from 14%) for qualified small businesses, adjusts credit amounts for inflation annually, and allows the credit to be refunded against unemployment taxes instead of just income taxes. The bill broadens eligibility by raising the gross receipts threshold from $5 million to $10 million for "qualified small businesses" and modifies rules for calculating credits in early years of research activity. These changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, directly affecting qualifying small businesses with under $25 million in annual revenue.

Maddy summaryHR 4932 establishes the National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the Department of Commerce to advise the government on manufacturing issues. The council, composed of industry, labor, and academic representatives, must meet regularly to address workforce development, supply chain challenges, and technological impacts on manufacturing. It will produce an annual strategic plan with recommendations for federal policies to strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, including worker training, support for distressed areas, and strategies to prevent job losses from new technologies. The council replaces the existing U.S. Manufacturing Council and operates for five years, reporting directly to the Secretary of Commerce and congressional committees.

Maddy summaryHR 4945, the GO Ag Act, creates a $5 million grant program to fund new agricultural education programs in secondary schools. It provides competitive grants (max $100,000 per school) for schools to develop new programs focused on agriculture, including curriculum, equipment, and work-based learning. To qualify, schools must show programs are new, align with regional employer needs, and include sustainable funding beyond the grant. Grantees must track student progress (including special populations) and submit annual reports on program effectiveness through 2028.

Maddy summaryHR 4874 creates a federal grant program to fund supportive services for residents in affordable housing properties assisted by federal programs like low-income housing tax credits, Section 8 housing, and supportive housing for seniors or people with disabilities. Eligible non-profits managing such properties can receive 5-year grants to provide voluntary services including health access, educational programs, financial literacy, housing stability support, and assistance with public benefits. Grantees must use at least 25% of funds for staff salaries and training, while no more than 75% can cover direct resident services like mentoring or home modifications. The program aims to improve resident outcomes by connecting them to community resources without requiring participation in any service.