Rep. Clay Higgins

Protecting Our Children from the CDC Act This bill prohibits the inclusion of any COVID-19 vaccine on the child and adolescent immunization schedule (which lists the vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice for those populations) unless all clinical data related to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine is published on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maddy summaryHRES 1484 is a ceremonial resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the 2022 World Series Champion Houston Astros baseball team, their manager Dusty Baker, and standout player Jeremy Peña. It formally recognizes their championship victory, Baker’s historic achievements as a manager, and Peña’s breakthrough season as a rookie World Series MVP. The resolution highlights the team’s resilience, community contributions (including post-Hurricane Harvey efforts), and embodies values like perseverance and teamwork. It does not create new laws or affect any policies - it is a symbolic expression of praise from Congress. The resolution was introduced by multiple Texas representatives and passed unanimously on November 17, 2022.

Homeland Security Fentanyl Enforcement Act This bill specifically allows Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations to enforce the Controlled Substances Act during their normal course of duties and to the same extent as the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act This bill addresses various issues related to border security. For example, the bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive reimbursement for the salaries of DHS employees providing training to foreign-vetted law enforcement or national security units under an agreement with the Department of Defense; authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide air and marine support to foreign governments for certain operations, such as an operation to stop illegal drugs from entering the United States; and makes it a crime to destroy or significantly damage physical or electronic devices (e.g., fences or cameras) used by the federal government to control a U.S. international border with the intent to achieve certain goals relating to securing financial gain and breaking federal laws.

Justified Action for Securing Our Nation Act or the JASON Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to suspend the entry of all non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) or any class of non-U.S. nationals for up to 60 days, if DHS determines that allowing the entry of such individuals would be detrimental to the United States. The bill also establishes that in certain situations, it shall be presumed to be detrimental to allow the entry of any non-U.S. national into the United States, such when the increase in the number of DHS apprehensions at land borders exceed certain thresholds.

Protecting Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act This bill establishes enhanced criminal penalties for certain federal drug offenses involving the manufacture or distribution of candy-flavored controlled substances or similar products for minors. Specifically, the bill imposes enhanced criminal penalties for a federal drug offense that involves manufacturing, creating, distributing, dispensing, or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance listed in schedule I or II that is combined with a candy or drink, marketed to appear similar to a candy or drink, or modified by flavoring or coloring to appear similar to a candy or drink. To be subject to an enhanced penalty, the individual must have knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance will be distributed, dispensed, or sold to an individual who is under 18 years of age.

Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or the GUARD VA Benefits Act This bill imposes criminal penalties and/or fines on individuals for directly or indirectly soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any unauthorized fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine or imprisonment.

Protect Children's Innocence Act This bill places restrictions on the provision of gender affirming care. Gender affirming care includes performing surgery, administering medication, or performing other procedures for the purpose of changing the body of an individual to correspond to a sex that differs from the individual's biological sex. Specifically, the bill makes it a felony to perform any gender affirming care on a minor and it permits a minor on whom such care is performed to bring a civil action against each individual who provided the care. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds for gender affirming care or for health insurance that covers such care. Such care may not be provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee. The bill also prohibits qualified health plans from including coverage for gender affirming care. Further, plans that include coverage for such care are not eligible for federal subsidies. Finally, the bill prohibits institutions of higher education from offering instruction in gender affirming care. It also makes any non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) who performs gender affirming care on a minor deportable and inadmissible to the United States. The restrictions under this bill do not apply to the provision of care under certain circumstances such as when an individual does not have normal sex chromosome structure, sex steroid hormone production, or sex steroid hormone action.

No IDs for Illegals Act This bill prohibits using federal funds to establish or otherwise support the Secure Docket Card Program of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Maddy summaryHR 8563, the Sunset Act of 2022, requires most federal agency rules to automatically expire 10 years after issuance unless Congress passes a specific extension. Agencies must submit reports to Congress 180 days before expiration and identify rules for annual review, with 10% of rules reviewed each year for 9 years. Congress can extend rules only through a joint resolution introduced within 3 days of receiving the agency report, requiring bipartisan leadership sponsorship. This law directly affects federal agencies (who create rules) and Congress (who must vote on extensions), changing how long regulations remain in effect without renewal.