Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis

Maddy summaryThe Educational Choice for Children Act creates tax credits for individuals and corporations that contribute to scholarship granting organizations providing education scholarships. Individuals can claim a credit up to $5,000 or 10% of their income, while corporations can claim up to 5% of taxable income. The scholarships are available to students from households with income up to 300% of the area median income, and can be used for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses at elementary and secondary schools. The bill includes strict requirements for scholarship organizations to verify income, conduct audits, and prevent misuse of funds, while also prohibiting government control over these organizations and protecting private and religious schools from discrimination in the program. It establishes a $10 billion annual cap on the total tax credits available.

This concurrent resolution calls on the President to abandon the One China policy in favor of one that recognizes Taiwan as an independent country that is not a part of China. The resolution also urges the President to bolster diplomatic and economic relations between the United States and Taiwan through specified means.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare providers to give the same medical care to infants born alive during abortions as they would to any newborn, and to immediately admit such infants to a hospital. It mandates reporting of non-compliance to law enforcement and imposes penalties including up to 5 years in prison for violations. Women who undergo abortions can file civil lawsuits seeking money damages for injuries, three times the abortion cost, and punitive damages if care standards are not met. The bill also clarifies that abortion includes intentionally killing an unborn child or terminating pregnancy without specific exceptions (e.g., after viability to preserve life or removing a dead fetus).

Maddy summaryHR 22, the *Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act*, blocks the U.S. government from selling petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to entities under Chinese Communist Party control or unless sellers guarantee the oil won’t be exported to China. It directly affects the Department of Energy’s management of the reserve and any foreign entities seeking to purchase reserve petroleum. The key mechanism requires the Secretary of Energy to prohibit sales to China-linked entities or impose strict export restrictions on any sale. This policy change aims to prevent strategic petroleum resources from reaching entities tied to China’s government.

Maddy summaryHR 175, the Heartbeat Protection Act of 2023, prohibits physicians from performing abortions without first checking for a detectable fetal heartbeat using standard medical practice and informing the patient of the results. It allows exceptions only for abortions necessary to save a mother’s life due to physical conditions (not psychological ones), or for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest against an adult or minor, which require specific documentation like counseling records or police reports. Physicians violating the law face up to five years in prison, while patients cannot be prosecuted. The bill defines "unborn child" as beginning at fertilization and mandates detailed medical documentation for all exceptions. It explicitly excludes psychological conditions from life-threatening exceptions and requires physicians to retain records per federal health privacy rules.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 3 is a non-binding congressional resolution expressing support for pro-life facilities, groups, and churches targeted by vandalism and threats following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. It condemns specific incidents like graffiti, window-smashing, and arson at pregnancy centers and churches (e.g., in Frederick, MD, and Portland, OR), while recognizing the role of these organizations in supporting pregnant women. The resolution calls on the Biden Administration to use law enforcement to protect these facilities but does not create new laws or policies. As a symbolic measure, it has no legal effect on the incidents described.

Maddy summaryThis bill blocks federal funding for colleges that operate or partner with campus health clinics providing abortion drugs or abortions to students or staff. It requires institutions receiving federal funds to annually certify that no such services are offered at their on-campus clinics. The law specifically excludes hospital-based clinics from coverage and defines "abortion drugs" as medications intended to terminate pregnancy (excluding specific medical exceptions). It directly affects public and private colleges receiving federal aid, as most institutions of higher education qualify for such funding.

Life at Conception Act This bill declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new federal crimes for killing or assaulting law enforcement officers, judges, and certain public safety officers (including firefighters) while they are on duty or for past duties, with penalties including minimum 10-year sentences for killing and varying assault penalties based on severity. It adds a new factor that would make the federal death penalty more likely for killing such officers, limits federal legal challenges for convictions related to these killings, and expands law enforcement officers' rights to carry firearms in certain circumstances. The bill also provides funding for grants to improve community-law enforcement relationships through transparency, accountability, and officer wellness programs. It directly affects law enforcement officers, judges, and public safety personnel across the country, establishing new federal protections and procedures for violence against these personnel.

Maddy summaryHR 297 requires the military Secretary to reinstate service members who were involuntarily separated solely for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine. It applies specifically to those separated only due to vaccine refusal, not other reasons. If a covered member chooses reinstatement, they must be returned to their previous rank and branch of service. The bill mandates this action without requiring the member to receive the vaccine.