Rep. Danny K. Davis

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to prohibit children under 18 from having direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves on farms. It directly affects minors who might work on tobacco farms and tobacco farm employers who currently allow such employment. The key change adds tobacco farming to the list of occupations where children under 18 cannot work, closing a loophole that previously permitted this activity. This update explicitly excludes tobacco-related agriculture from exceptions allowing minors in certain farm jobs under federal law.

Maddy summaryHR 3376 creates the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund, funded by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 24.5% starting in 2025, with annual funding capped at $35 billion or 1/20th of 20-year infrastructure needs. The bill allocates funds to clean water programs (42%), safe drinking water programs (42.5%), household water well systems (1%), colonias assistance (0.5%), and Indian health services (3%), requiring specific prioritization of low-income and minority communities for many programs. It mandates an EPA study on water affordability, discriminatory practices, and civil rights violations in water service, including data collection on service disconnections affecting vulnerable populations. The bill also includes provisions for lead service line replacement, PFAS contamination response, and job training grants for water system operators with specific requirements to prioritize low-income communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how married couples filing jointly can deduct student loan interest on their federal taxes. Currently, the deduction limit of $2,500 applies to the household as a whole. The bill would amend the tax code to apply the $2,500 limit separately to each spouse, meaning both partners could each deduct up to $2,500 in interest. This directly affects married couples with student loans who file jointly, providing them with a larger potential tax benefit. The change takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to clarify eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). It corrects a technical wording error in the law that previously required borrowers to be *currently employed* in public service at the time of application. The change specifies that borrowers only need to have *completed* 10 years (120 payments) of qualifying public service employment to qualify. This directly affects federal student loan borrowers working in government or nonprofit roles who were previously disqualified due to the outdated wording. The amendment removes a barrier preventing eligible borrowers from receiving loan forgiveness they earned.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits corporal punishment in schools receiving federal funding, defining it as any physical force causing pain for discipline. It requires schools to notify parents within 24 hours of any corporal punishment incident and mandates states to submit school climate reports detailing efforts to reduce exclusionary discipline practices like suspensions and expulsions. The bill establishes a grant program to help schools implement positive behavioral interventions, such as restorative justice and trauma-informed care, while requiring staff training on these approaches. The bill applies to public schools and other schools receiving federal funds but does not affect private schools or home schools that don't receive federal funding.

Maddy summaryHR 3243, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025, bans the provision of paid conversion therapy aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and prohibits advertising such therapy as effective, safe, or without risk. It directly affects LGBTQ+ individuals and their families who might be targeted by these practices, as professionals have determined conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful. The law treats violations as deceptive acts under consumer protection laws, empowering the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to enforce it through civil actions. It explicitly excludes legitimate gender transition support and non-discriminatory counseling from the ban.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the tax code to change how small business owners calculate a deduction for pass-through business income. It caps the deduction at $25,000 annually for eligible small businesses (defined as those with qualified business income under $25,000), while raising the income threshold for phaseout to $200,000 ($400,000 for joint filers). The changes simplify rules around loss carryovers and wage calculations for this deduction. The bill takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies liability for payroll tax errors when third-party payroll services (like professional employer organizations) rely on employer certifications. It allows these services to depend on employer-provided information unless they knew or should have known of an error. If an error is discovered, the employer bears full liability unless the third party had "constructive knowledge" of the error, in which case liability is shared based on the portion of the error the third party knew about. The bill also prevents the IRS from delaying payroll tax credits or auditing employers solely because a third party relied on an erroneous certification from that employer. It directly affects third-party payroll services and the businesses that use their services for tax filings.

Maddy summaryHRES 380 is a symbolic resolution supporting the designation of May 5-9, 2025, as "Teacher Appreciation Week." It does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes teachers' contributions to education. The resolution affirms teachers' role in shaping students' futures and calls for including teachers in education policymaking at all levels. It highlights teacher survey data showing broad support for policies like equitable school funding and culturally responsive teaching, though the resolution itself only expresses support for the week's designation. This is a non-binding gesture with no direct impact on affected individuals or policies.

Community Services Block Grant Improvement Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program through FY2032 and makes certain changes to the program and associated eligibility requirements. The CSBG program supports various antipoverty activities, primarily through formula-based allotments to states, tribes, and territories, the majority of which must be made available in grants to eligible local entities.  Specifically, the bill permanently sets the measure of eligibility for services, assistance, or resources provided directly to individuals or families under the program at 200% of the poverty line. (Under current law, the eligibility measure is temporarily set at 200% of the poverty line, an increase from the previous measure of 125% of the poverty line.) The bill also makes certain changes to the permitted uses of funding, including by allowing CSBG funds to be used to facilitate low-income individuals’ and communities’ access to high-speed broadband, digital literacy training, technical support, and other services. States may also use certain funds allocated for training and technical assistance to assist eligible entities in responding to statewide and regional conditions that create economic insecurity, including emergency conditions.   The bill also expands requirements for the plans that states must submit to the Department of Health and Human Services in order to receive CSBG funds (e.g., transparency assurances), and sets deadlines by which states must make funds available to eligible entities. Finally, the bill repeals a provision that allowed states to use CSBG funds to offset revenue losses associated with state charity tax credits.