Rep. Clay Higgins

Maddy summaryThe SHORT Act (HR 2395) redefines federal firearm definitions to exclude antique and collector firearms from being classified as firearms, and removes distinctions between short-barreled rifles and shotguns in federal regulations. It prevents state laws from imposing taxes or registration requirements on short-barreled rifles and shotguns, requiring state rules to align with federal compliance instead. The bill also mandates the federal government to destroy specific records related to these firearms within one year of enactment.

Maddy summaryThe Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act (HR 2356) requires candidates for federal office who are citizens of a country other than the United States to disclose their foreign citizenship in their official statement of candidacy. This applies specifically to candidates running for the U.S. House, Senate, or presidency who hold dual citizenship. The bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to mandate this disclosure, including the name of the foreign country, as part of the candidate's required filing with the Federal Election Commission. The provision would take effect upon the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 2282, the Respect Parents' Childcare Choices Act, would require states to provide child care certificates (not grants or contracts) to parents receiving federal child care assistance, allowing these certificates to be used for relative caregivers (such as grandparents, aunts, uncles) and in-home child care providers. The bill modifies income eligibility requirements, setting different thresholds for unmarried parents versus married parents, and adds protections for religious child care providers to ensure they aren't subject to additional requirements compared to non-religious providers. It also includes provisions to prevent fraud in the child care assistance program and to identify and remove unnecessary barriers to relative caregiving. This legislation would directly affect low-income parents seeking child care assistance and child care providers, particularly those operating as religious organizations or in-home care.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Medicare's physician self-referral rules to improve access for rural communities. It creates a new exemption for "covered rural hospitals" (defined as facilities in rural areas more than 35 miles from another hospital or critical access hospital) from certain restrictions on physicians owning hospitals. The bill also removes a prohibition on expanding existing physician-owned hospitals, allowing such expansions after the law's enactment. These changes directly affect rural hospitals seeking Medicare participation and physicians who own or operate hospitals in underserved areas.

Maddy summaryThe FOCA Act of 2025 prohibits federal agencies from requiring or banning contractors from using union agreements in construction project bids or contracts. It directly affects federal agencies, contractors, and subcontractors working on federally funded or assisted construction projects (like buildings or infrastructure). The law requires bid documents to not favor or penalize contractors based on whether they have union agreements, aiming to promote open competition and prevent discrimination. This changes how agencies structure bids but does not affect union agreements themselves. The bill applies to all new contracts and subcontracts after enactment, with limited exemptions only for public health/safety emergencies or national security.

Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2025 or the HELPER Act of 2025 This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.

Maddy summaryHR 706, the DHS Biodetection Improvement Act, requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assess its current use of Department of Energy national laboratories for biodetection research and develop a formal strategy within 180 days. The strategy must identify effective biodetection technologies (based on DHS requirements and studies like the 2021 BioWatch network review), create a procurement plan for deploying these technologies to existing BioWatch systems, and establish processes for evaluating gaps and updating contingency plans. This bill directly affects DHS operations and the jurisdictions using BioWatch detection systems. It mandates annual updates to Congress on implementation progress and challenges, aiming to improve coordination with labs and ensure reliable biological threat detection capabilities.

Maddy summaryHR 2039, the Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2025, prevents the President and Health Secretary from using emergency declarations (under the National Emergencies Act or Public Health Service Act) to implement gun control measures. It amends disaster relief law to explicitly prohibit future rules that would ban firearm possession, sales, or accessories during emergencies. The bill directly affects federal agencies and future emergency declarations, blocking them from being used as a tool for gun regulation. It does not change existing gun laws but restricts how emergency powers can be applied to firearms policy.

Maddy summaryHR 1374, the Securing the Cities Improvement Act, amends the Homeland Security Act to reform the State and Local Security Grant Program (STC). It changes eligibility so cities qualify based on their actual preparedness capacity and threat vulnerability - not just being labeled "high-risk urban areas" - and requires the federal government to establish clear performance metrics for the program. The bill mandates that participating cities track progress against these metrics and report annually to Congress on program performance and future plans. This directly affects local governments receiving federal security funding by making eligibility and oversight more specific and data-driven.

Maddy summaryHR 708, the SHIELD Against CCP Act, establishes a DHS working group to coordinate efforts against security threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. The working group examines DHS programs targeting terrorism, cyber threats, border security, and transportation security, specifically focusing on the CCP's nontraditional tactics (like identity theft and visa exploitation), predatory economic practices, fentanyl trafficking, and illicit financial activity. It requires annual reports to Congress on these threats, identifies gaps in current responses, and ensures privacy compliance and coordination with federal and local partners. The working group expires seven years after its creation.