Rep. Mike Bost

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a one-time $40,000 payment to former Air America employees who served at least five years during 1950-1976, or to their survivors (widows/widowers, dependents, or children). Additional $8,000 payments are provided for each full year of service beyond five years. The total funding is capped at $60 million, with claims due within two years of regulations being finalized. It does not create ongoing benefits or change Air America’s legal status, and payments are issued as a single lump sum.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a previous exclusion that prevented temporary federal employees (including U.S. Postal Service staff and Members of Congress) from counting service after January 1, 1988, toward their retirement benefits. It allows these workers to have their post-1988 temporary service counted toward retirement eligibility if they pay a deposit to the retirement system. The change applies to anyone employed by the federal government on or after the bill's enactment date. The Office of Personnel Management must notify affected employees and create rules to implement this change.

Maddy summaryHR 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify that federal education funds cannot be used for certain weapons - but this restriction does not apply to archery, hunting, or other shooting sports training programs. The bill directly affects schools and educational programs seeking to use federal funds for these specific activities, such as archery clubs or hunting safety education. It adds an explicit exception to the existing prohibition, allowing funds to support "educational instruction or enrichment activities" in these sports under authorized programs. This change removes ambiguity about funding eligibility for such educational initiatives in K-12 schools.

Maddy summaryThe Servicemember Employment Protection Act of 2023 strengthens job protections for military members returning to civilian employment. It expands legal remedies by allowing courts to grant injunctions more easily, increasing financial penalties for employers who violate reemployment rights (including a $50,000 minimum penalty for knowing violations), and requiring employers to maintain performance ratings during military service. The bill mandates that courts award attorney fees to successful plaintiffs and repeals special immunity for certain federal agencies. It directly affects servicemembers seeking job restoration, civilian employers, and federal agencies, while adding reporting requirements for the Comptroller General to assess enforcement of these protections.

Maddy summaryHR 5831 establishes a one-year window for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to file a specific land claim under the 1805 Treaty of Grouseland with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, bypassing standard legal time limits. If filed within that year, the court will resolve the tribe's claim to Illinois land without considering usual statute of limitations or delay defenses. All other land claims by the tribe, its members, or descendants to land in Illinois are permanently extinguished under this bill. This directly affects the Miami Tribe's legal standing regarding historical land disputes in Illinois.

Maddy summaryHRES 739 is a House resolution disapproving of a September 11, 2023, sanctions waiver that would release $6 billion in Iranian assets held in South Korea. The resolution states this waiver weakens U.S. policy by allowing Iran access to funds that could support its nuclear program and terrorism, and criticizes the delayed notification to Congress. It specifically condemns the administration's nonenforcement of mandatory sanctions and the release of assets without proper congressional review. The resolution demands the administration submit any Iran nuclear agreement to Congress before further sanctions relief. This is a procedural disapproval, not a law altering sanctions.

Maddy summaryThis bill would criminalize the prescription, dispensing, distribution, or sale of chemical abortion drugs (mifepristone and misoprostol) for abortion purposes under federal law, with penalties up to 25 years in prison. It directly affects healthcare providers, pharmacists, and patients who use these drugs for abortion. Key exceptions include contraceptive use before pregnancy confirmation, treatment of miscarriage, and life-threatening pregnancy conditions certified by a physician. The bill defines "abortion" as intentionally ending a pregnancy with intent other than live birth or treating specific medical conditions, and explicitly prohibits prosecuting women who receive chemical abortions.

Maddy summaryHR 5791, the "Define the Mission Act," requires the President to submit a comprehensive strategy report to Congress within 30 days of the bill's enactment, detailing U.S. involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The report must define U.S. national interests in the conflict, set specific objectives with timelines, benchmarks, and resource estimates (including personnel and funding), list expected European NATO security contributions, and assess Russia’s natural gas market impact on resolving the conflict. It mandates the strategy must aim for a Russia-Ukraine cease-fire agreement and explicitly cannot depend on U.S. funding for Ukrainian reconstruction. The report must be unclassified but may include a classified annex for full transparency. This bill establishes a formal process for Congress to review and oversee U.S. policy toward Ukraine.

Maddy summaryHR 5641, the Pay Our Troops Act, ensures military personnel and their support staff continue receiving pay during fiscal year 2024 if Congress fails to pass regular budget appropriations. It appropriates existing Treasury funds to cover pay and allowances for active-duty troops, reserve components, and civilian employees or contractors supporting military operations. The bill automatically terminates on January 1, 2025, or earlier if Congress enacts a regular budget or continuing resolution. This provision directly affects service members, Department of Defense staff, and Coast Guard personnel (when not under the Navy) during budget implementation gaps.

Maddy summaryHR 5722 requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to update flood protection design standards for Upper Mississippi River levees and floodwalls every 20 years using the latest flood risk data, safety factors, and FEMA guidelines. It mandates public input during each update stage, including for base elevation and hydrological assumptions. The bill allows local sponsors (like cities or counties managing levees) to maintain existing flood protection levels without changing risk transfer to the federal government, and specifies that repairs must align with updated standards. This applies to federally authorized projects between Hamburg, Illinois, and Guttenberg, Iowa, covering rural, urban, and industrial areas protected to specific flood risk levels (2%, 1%, or 0.2% probability).