Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson

Maddy summaryHR 4579, the Fairness for Farm Workers Act, amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to establish phased overtime requirements for agricultural workers. Starting in 2024, most farm employers must pay overtime for hours worked beyond 55 per week (reducing to 50 in 2025, 45 in 2026, and 40 in 2027), with small farms (25 or fewer employees) getting a 3-year delay on the full 40-hour standard. The bill also removes existing exemptions that allowed some agricultural employers to avoid overtime pay for certain workers. This directly affects farm workers in agriculture and their employers, requiring compliance with standard overtime rules previously not applied to this sector.

Maddy summaryHR 4550 creates a federal grant program to help public elementary, secondary, and preschool schools recruit and retain paraprofessionals (school support staff like teaching assistants). The bill directs the Secretary of Education to fund state education agencies, which then distribute subgrants to schools - prioritizing those serving high numbers of low-income students - to support activities like mentoring programs, professional development, and wage increases or certification assistance (e.g., for special education or English learner support). States must report annually on wage baselines, paraprofessional numbers, and program outcomes. This bill directly affects schools and paraprofessionals, with funding authorized for fiscal years 2024-2028.

Maddy summaryHR 4515, the PRIME Act, provides competitive federal grants to qualifying colleges and universities to improve athletic facilities and equipment. It directly affects small-endowment institutions (with endowments under $900 million) that generate less than $20 million annually from athletic programs. Grants of at least $250,000 can be used to build or upgrade stadiums, gyms, fields, or purchase event-related materials like uniforms and equipment, following NCAA/NAIA guidelines. The bill targets schools with limited athletic revenue, aiming to support infrastructure without funding staff salaries or general operations.

Maddy summaryHR 4466 would rename the National School Lunch Program Act from "Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act" to "Jean E. Fairfax National School Lunch Act" to honor Jean E. Fairfax, a civil rights activist who advocated for equitable access to the program. The bill would update this name in the law and over 40 other federal statutes referencing the current title, but does not alter the program's operations, funding, or eligibility. It directly affects legal references in federal law without changing how the program serves students.

Maddy summaryHRES 574 is a commemorative resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the victims and survivors of the July 4, 2022, mass shooting at Highland Park, Illinois' Independence Day Parade. It specifically remembers the seven people killed - Katie Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Strauss, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo - and acknowledges the over 40 injured. The resolution expresses the House’s solidarity with Highland Park residents, emergency responders, and all affected by the tragedy, and supports the community’s healing process one year after the attack. As a non-binding resolution, it has no legal effect or policy changes - it solely serves as a symbolic gesture of remembrance.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQIA+ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation, sex characteristics, or gender identity.

Maddy summaryHRES 561 is a non-binding House resolution opposing state laws that criminalize access to essential health care. It specifically condemns using criminal penalties against people for pregnancy outcomes (such as miscarriages), seeking abortion or contraception, or receiving gender-affirming care, and disapproves of punishing health care providers or supporters for facilitating such care. The resolution affirms that patients deserve access to reproductive and gender-affirming health services without fear of prosecution or discrimination. It emphasizes that criminalizing these health care decisions violates patient rights and ethical provider obligations, without creating new legal requirements.

Maddy summaryThe Endowment Transparency Act (HR 4405) requires colleges receiving federal student aid (Title IV programs) to publicly report detailed information about their investment practices. Specifically, institutions must disclose, within one year of the law's enactment, data on assets managed by investment advisers - including whether those advisers are minority- or women-owned, broken down by gender and race, and the percentage of bond issuances underwritten by such firms. The bill mandates standardized reporting via the College Navigator website and directs the Minority Business Development Agency to analyze the data, issue biennial reports with recommendations to increase minority/women-owned firm participation, and host conferences to share best practices. This law directly affects over 4,000 Title IV colleges and aims to increase transparency in higher education investment decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to detect, identify, monitor, and mitigate drone threats to specific high-risk facilities including government buildings, airports, critical infrastructure, and locations hosting special events. It establishes a 5-year pilot program allowing state and local law enforcement agencies to use drone detection technology under federal oversight, with strict privacy protections requiring 180-day data retention limits and mandatory training for personnel. The bill requires coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to minimize impacts on air traffic and mandates regular congressional reporting on how these authorities are being used. It sets an expiration date of 7 years after enactment for these new authorities.

Maddy summaryHRES 551 is a non-binding House resolution (not a bill) introduced in June 2023 that calls for action to address U.S. child poverty. It recommends making permanent the expanded Child Tax Credit (which lifted nearly 3 million children out of poverty in 2021), establishing a federal council to coordinate child-focused policies, and increasing federal investment in children’s programs like early education and nutrition assistance. The resolution highlights that child poverty rebounded sharply after the 2021 tax credit expansion expired, affecting over 4 million children, and emphasizes the need for equitable access to benefits for immigrant families, children in Puerto Rico, and children with disabilities. It does not create new laws but urges Congress and federal agencies to prioritize these policy changes.