Rep. Ritchie Torres

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Federal Reserve to provide digital remittance providers access to its FedNow payment system within 90 days of enactment. It defines "affordable remittance providers" as non-bank companies primarily handling low-cost international money transfers, excluding traditional banks and requiring compliance with anti-money laundering rules and consumer protection regulation. The Federal Reserve must also publish annual reports tracking remittance cost trends. The bill aims to help digital providers reduce fees (currently averaging 6% globally) by enabling faster, cheaper transactions through FedNow access, without imposing new capital rules on these providers.

Maddy summaryThe Elder Abuse Prevention in Public Housing Act requires public housing agencies administering Section 8 federal housing assistance to provide annual staff training on recognizing and addressing abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly residents. Agencies must consult yearly with local elder abuse organizations, state agencies, and tribal groups when designing this training. The law uses existing definitions from the Social Security Act for terms like "elder person," "abuse," and "exploitation." This directly affects public housing agencies and elderly tenants living in federally assisted housing.

Maddy summaryHRES 1543 is a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives condemning Tucker Carlson for hosting Holocaust revisionist Darryl Cooper on his show, where Cooper promoted false claims about the Holocaust. The resolution states this platforming spreads harmful falsehoods, fosters antisemitism, and undermines efforts to combat hate and bigotry. It commits the House to raising awareness against antisemitism and honoring Holocaust survivors, while specifically rejecting Cooper's distortion of historical facts like the Nazi Hunger Plan. This symbolic resolution has no legal effect but expresses the House's stance against Holocaust denial.

Maddy summaryHRES 1537 is a non-binding House resolution condemning Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, including 7 Americans still held captive. It calls on Hamas to immediately surrender, cease attacks, and release all hostages unconditionally, while reaffirming Israel's right to self-defense. The resolution also urges international organizations to condemn Hamas' actions and address the global surge in antisemitism following the attacks. As a symbolic statement, it does not create new laws or alter policy but expresses congressional position. The bill specifically references the ongoing captivity of seven U.S. citizens: Edan Alexander, Itay Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Gadi Haggai, Judith Weinstein Haggai, Omer Neutra, and Keith Siegel.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Secret Service to use identical standards for determining protection levels for Presidents, Vice Presidents, and major presidential/vice presidential candidates. It requires the Secret Service Director to conduct a review within 180 days of enactment, reporting findings and recommendations to Congress on protection protocols for current and former leaders. The bill standardizes existing practices without increasing security resources, applying the same criteria currently used for sitting officials to candidates. It references the definition of "major candidates" from existing law (18 U.S.C. § 3056), ensuring consistency with current Secret Service procedures.

Maddy summaryThe ASAP Housing Act (HR 9856) amends tax code provisions to increase funding for affordable rental housing. It removes volume caps on tax-exempt bonds used to finance new or improved housing where 100% of units are affordable to low-income households, specifically for projects developed between 2025 and 2034. This change directly helps housing developers and low-income renters by making it easier to secure financing for qualifying projects. The bill coordinates with existing low-income housing tax credits but does not alter those programs themselves.

Maddy summaryThe No Foreign Gifts Act of 2024 prohibits colleges and universities receiving federal education funding under the Higher Education Act from accepting gifts from China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran, or from any country the Secretary of State determines has provided material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Institutions must report any offers of such gifts to the Secretary of Education to maintain eligibility for federal funds. The bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to add these restrictions, defining "material support" and "foreign terrorist organization" using existing legal terms without altering their current definitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires a government audit to study how federal agencies manage disaster recovery funds for Puerto Rico after hurricanes, earthquakes, and the pandemic. The audit will catalog all relevant grants, assess data tools used in the grant process, and identify gaps hindering effective aid delivery. Agencies managing these funds must provide timely information to complete the report within one year of the bill's passage. The study aims to improve data systems specifically for Puerto Rico's recovery efforts.

Maddy summaryThe SERVE Act expands eligibility for Veterans Affairs benefits to former service members discharged due to sexual orientation or gender identity (including gender dysphoria). It directly affects veterans who received entry-level separations, honorable discharges, or other-than-honorable discharges for these reasons, making them eligible for VA hospital care, mental health counseling at Vet Centers, national cemetery interment, education benefits, and housing loans. The bill amends existing VA benefit statutes to include this group by adding specific language to each relevant provision. It also requires the VA to conduct outreach to inform affected veterans and submit a report tracking benefit usage by demographic categories within 15 months of enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Defense to provide clear, annual information to TRICARE beneficiaries (military members, families, and retirees) about reproductive healthcare access under the military health system. It mandates details on covered care (including abortion), when care is available at military facilities, how to request leave/travel for out-of-state care, and how to find non-DoD providers. Military healthcare providers must also receive annual training on their obligation to offer covered reproductive care (abortion, contraception, fertility) regardless of state laws, and their legal protections. The information must be shared in person, in writing (including electronically), and posted in accessible areas at military medical facilities. This focuses on improving transparency and provider knowledge, not expanding coverage.