Rep. Brittany Pettersen

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and federal employee leave rules to clarify that recovery from organ donation surgery qualifies as a "serious health condition." It directly affects private-sector workers covered by the FMLA and federal civil service employees. The key change adds "including recovery from surgery related to organ donation" to the definitions of serious health conditions in both the FMLA and federal leave statutes. This ensures eligible employees can use their existing family and medical leave benefits to recover after donating an organ, without requiring new leave entitlements.

Maddy summaryHR 3095 requires the U.S. Postal Service to assign a single, unique ZIP Code to 74 specific communities across 16 states (including Canyon Lake, CA; Castle Pines, CO; and Estero, FL) within 270 days of the bill's enactment. This addresses current issues where these communities share ZIP Codes with neighboring areas, causing mail delivery confusion. The bill directly affects residents and businesses in these designated locations by simplifying mail routing. It creates a concrete administrative change without altering broader postal policies or funding.

Maddy summaryHR 1522, the Federal Retirement Fairness Act, changes federal retirement rules to include temporary employees' service after January 1, 1988, in retirement benefit calculations. It directly affects temporary federal employees (including U.S. Postal Service workers) and Members of Congress who served after that date. The bill removes a previous cutoff date in retirement law, allowing their temporary service to count toward retirement eligibility. This means eligible temporary workers can now have their full service period considered when calculating retirement benefits.

Maddy summaryHR 672 directs the United States Postal Service to assign a single unique ZIP Code to 14 specific communities within 270 days of enactment. These communities include Eastvale (CA), Scotland (CT), Castle Pines and Silver Cliff (CO), Hollywood, Miami Lakes, and Ocoee (FL), Urbandale (IA), Franklin, Greenfield, Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, and Somers (WI), and Mills (WY). This change will update mail delivery systems and address identifiers for residents and businesses in these areas, streamlining postal operations.

Maddy summaryHR 4482, the Stop NOAA Closures Act, imposes a temporary moratorium on closing, suspending, or limiting access to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities, effective until a report is submitted to Congress by January 21, 2029. The bill requires NOAA and the General Services Administration to submit detailed reports to specific congressional committees before any future facility closure, suspension, lease termination, or consolidation - outlining cost-benefit analyses, service impacts, and justification. Exceptions apply only for emergencies posing immediate threats to personnel safety. This bill directly affects NOAA's facility management decisions and mandates congressional oversight for future closures.

Maddy summaryHR 4516, the Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act, prohibits the U.S. government or its aid partners from destroying food, medicine, vaccines, or other foreign assistance commodities before they expire, requiring these items to be redirected to intended beneficiaries instead. The bill mandates that agencies like USAID, State, and Agriculture must make every effort to donate or sell expired aid items to those in need before disposal. It also requires annual reports to Congress detailing any expired, spoiled, or destroyed aid items, including reasons for not redirecting them and associated costs. This directly affects U.S. foreign aid agencies and their global partners, ensuring aid reaches people facing hunger, disease, or health crises rather than being wasted.

Maddy summaryThe Gun Safety Incentive Act establishes voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage (e.g., in homes, vehicles, businesses) through the Attorney General, requiring public education and annual updates. It mandates that firearm manufacturers include a "SAFE STORAGE SAVES LIVES" notice with every handgun, rifle, or shotgun starting in 2027, directing consumers to a public website with storage guidance. The bill also creates a $10 million annual grant program for states and tribes to fund local safe storage device distribution programs and offers a tax credit (up to $400 per device) to manufacturers selling safe storage devices. These provisions directly affect firearm manufacturers, state/local governments, and safe storage device sellers, focusing on accessible storage education and financial incentives without restricting firearm ownership.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes federal worker heat protection standards to prevent heat-related illness and injury. It requires employers to provide a workplace free from heat stress hazards, including access to cool water, scheduled rest breaks, shaded cooling areas, and training on heat illness symptoms. The Secretary of Labor must create these standards within one year, incorporating evidence-based practices like engineering controls (e.g., ventilation), administrative measures (e.g., adjusted schedules), and employer-paid personal protective equipment. The law directly affects all employers in high-heat work environments - such as construction, agriculture, and manufacturing - and strengthens whistleblower protections for workers reporting safety violations.

Maddy summaryThe Child Care for Working Families Act creates a federal program to provide affordable, high-quality child care for working families with children under age 6. It would provide direct child care assistance through certificates or grants to parents, with no copayment required for families at or below 85% of state median income. The program requires states to implement quality standards for child care providers, including a tiered quality system and minimum wage requirements for staff (at least a living wage equivalent to elementary educators). The bill appropriates $20 billion for the program over five years, with additional funding for quality improvement initiatives and universal preschool services.

Maddy summaryThe Satellite-Based Agricultural Data Act amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act to explicitly include commercial weather data and tools as a priority area for funding under the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). This change directly affects researchers and institutions applying for AFRI grants by expanding eligible research topics to incorporate commercial weather services. The bill modifies existing grant criteria to require that AFRI proposals consider such data for agricultural research, without creating new funding. This is a procedural adjustment to how research proposals are evaluated under current law.