Rep. Mike Quigley

Maddy summaryHR 6181, the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act, prohibits child welfare agencies receiving federal funds from discriminating against children, youth, or prospective foster/adoptive parents based on religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or marital status. It directly affects LGBTQ youth in foster care - overrepresented at 30% of the system - who face higher risks of trauma, group home placements, and suicide attempts compared to non-LGBTQ peers. Key provisions require agencies to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, establish a National Resource Center for LGBTQ youth support, provide cultural competency training, and eliminate discriminatory practices. The law aims to improve safety, permanency, and placement stability by expanding access to family-based care and ensuring equitable services for all children in the system.

Maddy summaryHR 6172, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2025, prevents companies from requiring employees or consumers to use private arbitration to resolve race discrimination claims. It makes any pre-dispute arbitration agreement unenforceable for disputes involving alleged race, color, or national origin discrimination under federal, tribal, state, or local law. The bill ensures courts - not arbitrators - determine if this law applies to a case, giving people the choice to pursue claims in court instead of forced arbitration. It directly affects individuals alleging race discrimination who would otherwise be barred from court by such agreements. The law applies to claims arising on or after its enactment date.

Maddy summaryHR 6126 authorizes the minting of commemorative coins to mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service (established in 1924). It specifies three coin types: up to 50,000 $5 gold coins (90% gold), 400,000 $1 silver coins (90% silver), and 750,000 half-dollar coins, all to be sold during 2029. A surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar is added to the sale price, with all surcharge funds directed to the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training to support its diplomatic history preservation work. The coins must include standard inscriptions (e.g., "Liberty," "United States of America") and will be legal tender, but the bill does not create new policy or affect government operations.

Maddy summaryThe Global Respect Act (HR 6151) requires the U.S. President to publicly list foreign officials responsible for severe human rights violations against LGBTQI individuals, including torture, prolonged detention, or violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It mandates denying visas and entry to listed individuals and requires annual reports on the list's updates and impacts. The bill also directs the State Department to track global violence against LGBTQI people and update annual human rights reports to include discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. These provisions directly affect foreign government officials and entities implicated in such abuses, aiming to increase accountability through U.S. visa restrictions.

Maddy summaryThe EXPERTS Act of 2025 requires agencies to disclose funding sources and potential conflicts of interest for studies submitted during rulemaking, including who funded research and any financial relationships that might influence findings. It establishes an Office of the Public Advocate within the Office of Management and Budget to assist public participation in rulemaking, conduct social equity assessments, and improve outreach to underrepresented groups. The bill also mandates that agencies consider social equity impacts when creating rules and requires detailed explanations for withdrawing proposed regulations. These provisions aim to increase transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in the federal regulatory process.

Maddy summaryThe Water Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2025 amends federal water law to define and support "intelligent water infrastructure technology," including real-time monitoring systems, AI-driven wastewater optimization tools, leak detection sensors, and advanced metering for conservation. It directly affects municipal water systems and utilities by expanding eligible uses for federal grants - allowing funds for implementing these technologies (like predictive aquifer recharge systems) while prohibiting grants for planning or maintenance. The bill increases annual grant funding from $25 million to $50 million (starting in 2028) and requires annual reports to Congress on funded projects and their resiliency improvements. This creates a clear pathway for communities, especially disadvantaged ones, to access federal support for modernizing aging water infrastructure through data-driven solutions.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes and permanently funds the Wildlife Road Crossings Program through fiscal years 2026-2031, allocating $200 million annually for projects that build wildlife crossings (like overpasses or underpasses) to reduce animal-vehicle collisions. It directly affects state and tribal governments, local agencies, and conservation groups that design and build these crossings, with specific provisions ensuring 100% federal cost coverage for tribal projects. Key mechanisms include dedicated annual funding, streamlined application assistance for tribes, and rules allowing unobligated funds to roll over for future use. The bill removes "pilot" language from prior law, making the program permanent and expanding tribal participation.

Maddy summaryHR 5894, the RESTRAIN Act, prohibits the United States from conducting any explosive testing of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosions. It directly affects U.S. nuclear weapons programs by banning such testing using federal funds for fiscal year 2026 and beyond. The bill's key mechanism is a funding restriction: no money authorized for fiscal year 2026 or later may be used for explosive nuclear testing or other nuclear explosions. However, it explicitly excludes subcritical nuclear tests (which do not sustain a chain reaction) from this prohibition. The law aims to enforce a permanent ban on nuclear detonations while preserving the ability to conduct certain non-explosive testing.

Maddy summaryHR 1514 establishes the Mississippi River Basin Fishery Commission within the Department of the Interior to coordinate management of interjurisdictional fisheries across 31 U.S. states, two Canadian provinces, federal agencies, and tribal nations. The Commission oversees six sub-basin management plans, develops strategies to control invasive carp (like bighead and silver carp), and administers grant programs for conservation projects. It provides $30 million annually (2027-2029) and $50 million annually (2030-2032) to fund collaborative efforts, with grants prioritizing projects aligned with the existing MICRA Joint Strategic Plan. The Commission’s authority is nonbinding, requiring consensus among member entities but not overriding state or federal management laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 1983 of federal law (42 U.S.C. 1983) to explicitly allow lawsuits against federal officials who violate constitutional rights while acting under federal authority. It directly affects individuals whose constitutional rights were allegedly infringed by federal employees, such as law enforcement or agency staff. The key provision inserts "of the United States" before "of any State" in the statute, expanding the existing legal remedy for state officials to cover federal officials as well. This creates a clear, standalone legal path for citizens to seek redress for federal constitutional violations without relying on precedent.