Rep. Jill N. Tokuda

Maddy summaryHRES 200 is a non-binding House resolution condemning two mass shootings in California: 11 victims in Monterey Park (January 21, 2023) at a Lunar New Year celebration and 7 victims in Half Moon Bay (January 23, 2023) at a farm. It honors all victims - primarily Asian-American seniors and immigrant farmworkers - expresses condolences to their families, and reaffirms the House’s commitment to supporting Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. The resolution specifically addresses the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic and recognizes the vulnerability of immigrant communities. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or allocate funding but formally condemns the violence and affirms solidarity.

Equal Citizenship for Children Act of 2023 This bill expands the application of automatic acquisition of citizenship for certain children born outside of the United States. Specifically, the bill provides citizenship retroactively to such a child who, while under the age of 18, (1) resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident (or had a pending application for such status), and (2) was in the legal custody of the child's citizen parent. It also eliminates the physical custody requirement for the automatic acquisition of citizenship. The bill applies to a child meeting these requirements who was born after noon on January 9, 1941, but who turned 18 prior to February 27, 2001 (the effective date of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000).

Maddy summaryHR 1387, the Civics Learning Act of 2023, amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to strengthen civics education in public schools. It requires states to prioritize innovative civics teaching - including lessons on the Constitution, civil rights history, and community engagement - and allocates $70 million for grants to schools, with specific funding targets (30% for elementary, 30% for middle, max 40% for high school). The bill directly affects public elementary, middle, and high schools, particularly those serving high-need communities, by mandating new curriculum activities like service learning, student governance participation, and after-school programs. Grants must include reporting on how schools meet civics education goals, with the Department of Education required to submit annual progress reports to Congress.

This resolution calls for the federal government to establish a national biodiversity strategy, which must include a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters to protect biodiversity and address climate change by 2030 and other goals necessary to reduce the threats to biodiversity.

Patients' Right to Know Their Medication Act of 2023 This bill establishes requirements relating to the form, content, and distribution of patient safety labels for prescription drugs. Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration must issue regulations with requirements relating to the authorship, content, format, color, printing, and dissemination of such patient safety information. The regulations must require labels to include the drug's approved uses, known interactions with other drugs or substances, contact information for the drug's manufacturer, and other specified information relating to patient safety. The information must be in plain, neutral language and must be given in printed form with each prescription.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires airlines to train flight crews and maintenance staff on identifying and responding to cabin smoke/fume incidents, implement a standardized reporting system for such events, and install real-time air quality monitors to detect dangerous contaminants like carbon monoxide. It directly affects airline crews, maintenance technicians, and passengers by mandating new safety protocols and equipment on commercial flights. Key provisions include annual training on fume sources and health impacts, detailed incident reports covering flight details and symptoms, and public databases of reported events (with personal information redacted). The law also mandates aircraft manufacturers to include monitoring procedures in flight manuals and requires the FAA to investigate incidents involving health symptoms. These changes aim to improve cabin air safety through better detection, reporting, and response systems.

Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act This bill requires the Natural Resources Conservation Service within the Department of Agriculture to consider climate benefits, such as reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in reviews or revisions of its conservation practice standards. (These standards provide guidance and set out minimum quality criteria for implementing federally funded conservation practices.)

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the SNAP program to allow households with children under 18 who meet specific medical criteria to deduct their recurring medical expenses when calculating food assistance benefits. It expands the existing deduction for "elderly or disabled" members to include these medically vulnerable children, referencing criteria from the Social Security Act. The change simplifies the process for families seeking to reduce their SNAP income calculation by accounting for these medical costs. The policy takes effect October 1, 2023, directly benefiting low-income families caring for children with qualifying health conditions.

Maddy summaryHR 1284, the CEO Accountability and Responsibility Act, modifies corporate tax rates for publicly traded companies based on their CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio. It increases the tax rate for corporations where CEO pay exceeds median worker pay by more than 100:1, with higher ratios triggering larger tax adjustments (e.g., ratios over 400:1 increase taxes by 3 percentage points). The bill also penalizes companies that reduce U.S. full-time staff by over 10% while increasing contractors or foreign employees, raising the tax adjustment by 50%. Additionally, it gives federal procurement preference to companies with a pay ratio under 50:1 when bidding for government contracts. These provisions directly affect large corporations subject to U.S. corporate income tax and federal contractors.

Maddy summaryHR 1310 (SHARE Act) requires the FBI to share criminal history records with state licensing agencies when needed for professional licensing checks across state lines through existing interstate compacts. It directly affects state licensing boards (like those for nurses or contractors) and individuals applying for licenses in multiple states. The bill mandates that states use this data *only* for license applications and prohibits sharing it with other agencies or the public, while allowing a simple "pass/fail" notification to the compact’s governing body.