Rep. James R. Baird

Maddy summaryHR 3256, the Preventing Executive Climate Overreach Act, would eliminate the legal effect of Executive Order 14096. This order, issued by the President to advance environmental justice in federal programs, would no longer be enforceable. The bill's key provision directly states that the executive order "shall have no force or effect." As a result, the administration would be unable to implement environmental justice policies based on that order.

Maddy summaryHRES 396 is a non-binding House resolution recognizing motherhood on Mother's Day. It expresses support for the term "mother" and criticizes language alternatives like "pregnant people" or "birthing person," while stating mothers are defined as women. The resolution contains no policy changes or concrete effects - it is purely symbolic, affirming traditional definitions of motherhood without altering laws or impacting any programs. It was introduced by multiple House members and referred to the Education and Workforce Committee.

Maddy summaryHR 3238, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023, updates the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to increase the availability of affordable housing across the United States. The bill makes several key changes including increasing state funding formulas, modifying tenant eligibility rules to better serve vulnerable populations (such as domestic violence victims and students), and expanding credit eligibility for projects in rural and Native American communities. Specific provisions raise the credit for properties serving extremely low-income households, clarify rules around tenant income increases, and require housing providers to protect victims of domestic violence. The bill also updates terminology from "low-income" to "affordable" throughout the tax code and enhances program transparency through data sharing requirements. These changes aim to make the LIHTC program more effective at creating and preserving affordable housing units for low-income households nationwide.

Maddy summaryThe Beagle Brigade Act of 2023 establishes a National Detector Dog Training Center to train dogs and handlers for detecting foreign pests and diseases threatening U.S. agriculture and natural resources. The Center will collaborate with agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection and state agriculture departments to safeguard farms and ecosystems. It requires annual funding for operations and mandates a congressional report within one year detailing pest threats, Center effectiveness, and recommendations for improving detection capabilities. The law directly affects agricultural protection efforts by enhancing canine-based prevention of invasive species.

Maddy summaryThe Invest to Protect Act of 2023 establishes a federal grant program for local law enforcement agencies with fewer than 200 officers (including counties, municipalities, and tribal governments) to fund training and support services. Grants cover de-escalation training, mental health resources, evidence-based safety training (such as handling domestic violence or mental health crises), and recruitment/retention incentives like signing bonuses, retention bonuses (up to 20% of salary), and stipends for graduate education in mental health or social work. The bill requires a streamlined grant application process (under two hours), public disclosure of bonus amounts, and annual audits to prevent misuse of funds.

Maddy summaryHR 1690 (ORDER Act) establishes a framework for U.S. diplomatic agreements with Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala to manage immigration flows in the Western Hemisphere. It requires Mexico to process asylum claims for migrants from other countries within Mexico and accept migrants waiting for U.S. asylum decisions, while also mandating Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala to process asylum claims for migrants in their territories. The bill commits the U.S. to accelerating asylum adjudications, supporting asylum capacity in partner countries, and conducting a feasibility study for a U.S. law enforcement center in southern Mexico to combat crime and reduce migration. These provisions directly affect migrants seeking asylum, the governments of the four partner nations, and U.S. immigration enforcement coordination.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects living organ donors from insurance discrimination by prohibiting life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums, or altering policy terms solely because someone donated an organ while alive. It also updates the Family and Medical Leave Act to include recovery from organ donation surgery as a qualifying health condition, allowing donors to take protected leave for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to update public educational materials about living donation benefits, risks, and insurance protections within six months of enactment. These changes directly affect living organ donors, insurers, employers, and healthcare systems by ensuring fair access to insurance and workplace leave.

Maddy summaryThe Employee Rights Act (HR 2700) amends key labor laws to strengthen employee rights in collective bargaining and privacy. It requires employers to use secret ballot elections for selecting bargaining representatives and to provide labor organizations with voter lists containing employee names and one form of contact information (chosen by the employee) within two business days of an election. The bill prohibits employers from using employee personal information for non-organizing purposes and mandates written authorization for using union dues on non-bargaining activities, with authorizations expiring after one year. Additionally, it clarifies joint employment standards to prevent misclassification and adds tribal sovereignty protections to labor law definitions.

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Labor final rule entitled Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for the Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in Non-Range Occupations in the United States and published on February 28, 2023. This rule makes changes to the methodology used to set adverse effect wage rates for H-2A workers (temporary agricultural workers), including by using Bureau of Labor Statistics wage surveys in certain instances. (Generally, the minimum wage for an H-2A worker is the highest of the adverse effect wage rate, the applicable minimum wage, the prevailing wage for that occupation in that area, or any agreed-upon collective bargaining wage.)

Maddy summaryHR 2845, the Enhancing K-12 Cybersecurity Act, creates a centralized School Cybersecurity Information Exchange website managed by CISA to provide K-12 schools, school districts, and state education agencies with tailored cybersecurity resources, best practices, and funding opportunities. It establishes a voluntary registry for schools to report cyber incidents (like ransomware attacks) and requires CISA to publish annual, anonymized reports on incident trends. The bill also funds a K-12 Cybersecurity Technology Improvement Program to deploy protective tools, offer training, and prevent threats, with $10 million authorized annually for 2024-2025. This directly supports schools in strengthening digital security for students and staff, focusing on practical, accessible solutions rather than legislative changes.