Rep. Darren Soto

Maddy summaryHR 1934 (ProTECT Act of 2025) prohibits trophy hunting and importing trophies of threatened wildlife species within the U.S. and into the U.S., extending protections currently limited to endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. It amends the law to ban taking (hunting) or importing trophies of species listed as threatened, and blocks permits for such activities, closing a loophole where threatened species lacked these safeguards. The bill defines "trophy" broadly to include recognizable animal parts or derivatives obtained under hunting authorization. This directly affects hunters, importers, and wildlife trade businesses dealing with threatened species.

Maddy summaryHR 1909 reauthorizes federal funding and updates programs to reduce maternal deaths. It requires maternal mortality review committees to include obstetricians/gynecologists and improves death certificate reporting by coordinating with death certifiers. The bill mandates the CDC to share annual best practices for preventing maternal mortality with hospitals, state health groups, and perinatal programs. It also increases annual funding from $58 million to $100 million for these initiatives, covering fiscal years 2025 through 2029. The law directly affects hospitals, state health agencies, and maternal health programs receiving these federal funds.

Maddy summaryHR 1954, the "Do No Harm Act," amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to clarify that RFRA does not override specific federal laws protecting against harm. It explicitly exempts provisions related to anti-discrimination (like the Civil Rights Act), workplace protections (wages, leave, collective activity), child safety, and healthcare access from RFRA's requirements. The bill ensures RFRA cannot be used to challenge government programs or contracts that provide these essential protections. It also clarifies that RFRA applies only to disputes involving government as a party, not private disputes between individuals. This change preserves existing legal safeguards while modifying RFRA's scope.

Maddy summaryHR 1901, the CHIPP Act, makes Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding permanent for all future fiscal years, removing previous expiration dates that required annual congressional renewal. This directly affects low-income children and families who rely on CHIP coverage and the states that administer these programs. The key mechanism is amending federal law to require "such sums as are necessary" for CHIP funding starting in fiscal year 2029 and beyond. Other provisions adjust funding for related programs like pediatric quality measures and outreach, but the primary change is CHIP’s permanent funding structure.

Maddy summaryThe LIONs Act of 2025 increases the maximum loan amounts available through two key Small Business Administration (SBA) programs. It raises the cap for standard 7(a) loans from $3.75 million to $7.5 million (with a $10 million ceiling), and doubles the maximum for development company loans from $5 million to $10 million. This bill directly affects small businesses seeking SBA financing for operations, expansion, or equipment, allowing them to access larger loans. The changes simplify access to capital by removing previous funding limits for qualifying businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from taking action against broadcasters - such as revoking licenses - based on the viewpoints they broadcast or the content they disseminate. It also bans the FCC from imposing viewpoint-related conditions when reviewing transactions like license transfers. The law explicitly preserves the FCC’s authority to act against illegal content (such as incitement, hate speech, or threats under existing federal law) but prevents political pressure from influencing regulatory decisions. It directly affects broadcasters and the FCC’s enforcement practices under the Communications Act of 1934.

Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act This bill prohibits political appointees and special government employees from accessing Social Security data systems that contain personally identifiable information about Social Security beneficiaries. Specifically, political appointees and special government employees may not access systems maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that issue or record Social Security account numbers, that are used to determine eligibility for or to pay Social Security benefits, or that otherwise contain personally identifiable information about individuals receiving or applying for benefits.  The bill also establishes a civil right of action for an individual whose information was negligently accessed or disclosed in violation of these provisions. The individual may bring suit against the United States if the violator was a U.S. employee or officer, or against the violator if they were not a U.S. employee or officer. Such a claim must be brought within two years of the affected individual’s discovery of the violation. Upon a finding of liability, defendants are liable for specified monetary damages.  If an individual is criminally charged or subject to proposed disciplinary or adverse action by a federal or state agency for having accessed or disclosed information in violation of these provisions, SSA must notify the individual whose information was accessed or disclosed of the violation as soon as practicable.  Finally, the bill requires the SSA Office of the Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized access to or disclosure of information in a beneficiary data system.

Maddy summaryHR 1876, the "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act," prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing, consolidating, or restricting access to its field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations for 180 days after enactment, with exceptions for emergencies. The bill requires the SSA Commissioner to submit a detailed report to Congress by January 2029, analyzing closure criteria, transportation burdens for elderly/disabled users, cost-benefit impacts, and plans to replace lost services. For future closures, it mandates 120 days of public notice, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress, while ensuring total office numbers don’t fall below 2025 levels. This directly affects SSA field offices, their users (including elderly and disabled individuals), and employees. The bill’s key mechanism is a procedural safeguard to ensure transparency and minimize disruption before any office changes take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by clarifying how to prove voting discrimination and expanding requirements for preclearance of voting changes. It establishes new standards for determining when voting practices dilute minority voting strength or deny/abridge voting rights, requiring plaintiffs to show specific conditions for vote dilution claims and including factors like historical discrimination and racial polarization in court analyses. The bill modifies the criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must seek preclearance for voting changes, and adds new transparency requirements for jurisdictions to publicly disclose changes to voting qualifications, polling locations, and election districts. It directly affects states and local governments that implement voting policies, particularly those with a history of voting rights violations or that make changes to voting qualifications, procedures, or district boundaries. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory voting practices by providing clearer standards for courts and requiring greater transparency in voting rule changes.

Maddy summaryThe Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 strengthens workers' organizing rights by making it an unfair labor practice for employers to threaten permanent replacement of striking workers, discriminate against workers who support unions, or require employees to attend employer campaigns unrelated to their job duties. It expands the definition of "employee" to make it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors and requires employers to post notices about workers' rights in conspicuous locations. The bill establishes a new electronic voting system for union elections, creates a 90-day bargaining period before mediation can be requested, and increases penalties for violations of labor laws. These changes are intended to make it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate better wages and working conditions.