Rep. Jared Moskowitz

Maddy summaryHRES 1473 is a non-binding resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that condemns racism, bigotry, and misinformation targeting Haitian people and their descendants. It celebrates the historical contributions of Haitian Americans to U.S. society, including founding cities (like Chicago via Jean Baptiste Point du Sable), advancing civil rights (W.E.B. Du Bois), and enriching healthcare, education, and culture. The resolution specifically calls on all Americans to reject racist tropes and misinformation, and urges elected officials to promote inclusivity and responsible communication. It was introduced in response to recent false claims that fueled threats against Haitian communities, such as the bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act to establish a fifth round of payments for eligible victims of state-sponsored terrorism, requiring all authorized payments to be distributed by December 31, 2024. It directs specific funds into the Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, including $898 million from the Binance case settlement and 50% of annual unobligated balances from DOJ and Treasury forfeiture funds starting December 1, 2024. The bill mandates annual payments beginning January 1, 2025, for eligible claimants and requires the Special Master to submit annual reports on fund activity to Congress, including detailed deposit and disbursement records. It directly affects victims of state-sponsored terrorism, the Special Master administering the fund, and federal agencies managing forfeiture funds.

Maddy summaryHR 6319 (the 911 SAVES Act of 2023) requires the Office of Management and Budget to reclassify public safety telecommunicators as "Protective Service Occupations" within 30 days of enactment. This change corrects their current misclassification in the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, which is used for statistical data on jobs. The bill directly affects how these professionals - critical in emergency calls involving missing children, active threats, and officer safety - are officially categorized in government workforce data. It does not create new benefits or funding but aims to better recognize their lifesaving role through accurate federal job classification.

Maddy summaryThe PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2024 reauthorizes and updates the 2008 PROTECT Our Children Act, primarily focusing on strengthening federal efforts to combat child exploitation. It requires the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention to be updated every four years instead of every two, with detailed provisions including trend analysis, resource estimates, and assessments of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces. The bill also modifies ICAC task force operations to include liability protections for prioritization decisions (unless misconduct occurs), expands coordination requirements with Tribal and military agencies, and increases funding to $70 million for 2025, $80 million for 2026, and $90 million for 2027. These changes directly affect federal agencies like the DOJ, FBI, and ICAC task forces, as well as state and local law enforcement partners working on child exploitation cases. The legislation aims to enhance data-driven coordination and resource allocation for preventing and prosecuting child exploitation crimes.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 1446) formally condemns Cuba's labor export program, which deploys medical personnel abroad under conditions described in the 2024 U.S. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report as involving forced labor and human trafficking. It directly affects Cuban medical workers deployed in 72 countries over five years, who reportedly have wages withheld, passports confiscated, and face restricted movement. The resolution urges host governments to pay medical workers directly (bypassing Cuba) and calls for U.S. visa revocations against officials from Cuba, Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, and the Pan American Health Organization involved in these programs. It cites the State Department’s finding that Cuba profits $6-8 billion annually from this system while failing to meet international labor standards.

Maddy summaryHRES 1432 designates September 10, 2024, as "National Firearm Suicide Prevention Day" to raise public awareness about firearm suicides and promote safe storage practices. The resolution encourages healthcare professionals to discuss safe firearm storage with patients and supports the day's goals of reducing firearm suicides through education. It directly affects the general public and healthcare providers by highlighting evidence that safe storage lowers suicide risk, referencing statistics like 54.6% of U.S. suicides in 2022 involving firearms. The bill is symbolic, with no new legal requirements, and aligns with existing awareness efforts like Firearm Suicide Prevention Day.

Maddy summaryThe SECURES Act of 2024 requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to propose new federal safety standards for seat belts on all new school buses within 180 days of the bill's enactment. It directs the Secretary to consider evidence showing lap/shoulder belts provide the highest passenger protection, including the National Transportation Safety Board's findings and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's prior stance. The rulemaking must also evaluate existing state requirements and innovative seat belt detection or reminder technologies. This bill directly affects manufacturers of new school buses and federal safety regulations, aiming to establish uniform seat belt standards for all new school buses nationwide.

Maddy summaryHR 9471, "Miranda's Law," creates a national system requiring states to automatically notify employers when school bus drivers (with commercial licenses) face license issues like suspensions, moving violations, or accidents. It directly affects school districts, schools, and private transportation companies that employ school bus drivers, mandating their participation in this notification service. The law requires the Transportation Secretary to establish the system within one year, ensuring employers receive immediate alerts about driver license changes instead of needing annual background checks. Schools and contracted transportation providers are both considered employers under this law, and drivers must also receive copies of these notifications.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires presidential library fundraising organizations to publicly report detailed donor information for contributions of $200 or more per quarter, including the contributor's name, address, occupation, and contribution amount. It applies to all such organizations (both existing and new) for contributions made after the law's enactment, ending only when the library is formally accepted by the National Archives or the president leaves office. Organizations must submit this data electronically within 15 days of each quarter's end, and the National Archives must publish it in a free, searchable database within 30 days. The law also prohibits false reporting or using another person's name for donations, with penalties mirroring existing federal fraud and campaign finance laws. It does not authorize new funding, requiring implementation with existing resources.

Maddy summaryHR 9441, the Student Loan Interest Cap Act, would cap the maximum interest rate for certain new federal student loans at 3% starting July 1, 2024. It directly affects borrowers receiving new Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, or Federal Direct PLUS Loans on or after that date. The bill also sets a 3% cap on interest rates for Federal Direct Consolidation Loans with applications received after July 1, 2024, regardless of the rates on the loans being consolidated. This policy change reduces the interest burden for new borrowers on these specific federal loan types.