Rep. Joseph D. Morelle

Maddy summaryThe Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act of 2025 updates the National School Lunch Program's information clearinghouse to better support communities combating hunger. It requires the clearinghouse to provide new information about volunteer programs and resources for preventing hunger, expanding its existing role in sharing food assistance details. The bill also increases annual funding for the clearinghouse from $250,000 to $750,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2032. These changes directly affect schools, community organizations, and local governments using the clearinghouse to access resources for hunger prevention and food assistance programs.

Maddy summaryHR 6231 extends and enhances the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), a federal tax credit for employers hiring from specific target groups like veterans, SNAP recipients, and summer youth workers. The bill extends the program through 2030 (from 2025), increases the credit rate to 50% for certain wages (up from 40%), adds automatic inflation adjustments to the $6,000 wage cap, and expands eligibility to include military spouses and removes age limits for SNAP recipients. Key provisions also modify credit calculations for veterans, agricultural workers, and long-term assistance recipients, while requiring federal agencies to promote hiring from target groups in critical sectors like healthcare and construction. This bill directly affects employers who hire from these designated groups, making the tax credit more valuable and accessible.

Maddy summaryHR 6137 would create a new separate job code for "direct support professionals" (DSPs) within the federal Standard Occupational Classification system. This change aims to better recognize DSPs - who provide daily support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (like helping with daily living, community participation, and goal-setting) - as distinct from other roles like home health aides. The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to consider this revision during the next system update, without authorizing new funding. It addresses data gaps caused by high turnover rates (39% nationally) in DSP hiring and retention.

Maddy summaryHR 5894, the RESTRAIN Act, prohibits the United States from conducting any explosive testing of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosions. It directly affects U.S. nuclear weapons programs by banning such testing using federal funds for fiscal year 2026 and beyond. The bill's key mechanism is a funding restriction: no money authorized for fiscal year 2026 or later may be used for explosive nuclear testing or other nuclear explosions. However, it explicitly excludes subcritical nuclear tests (which do not sustain a chain reaction) from this prohibition. The law aims to enforce a permanent ban on nuclear detonations while preserving the ability to conduct certain non-explosive testing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires oil, gas, and geothermal companies to test nearby underground drinking water sources before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") operations. Companies must conduct testing at specified intervals (e.g., before starting, every 6 months during operations, annually for 5 years after) and submit results to the EPA within two weeks. The EPA will maintain a public database of all test results, making it searchable by ZIP code for community access. The requirement does not apply to sites with no accessible drinking water sources within one mile.

Maddy summaryThe CLEANER Act of 2025 requires the EPA to evaluate within one year whether drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes from oil, gas, and geothermal operations qualify as hazardous waste under federal law. If determined hazardous, the EPA must list these wastes and create tailored regulations for their handling, while also setting new safety standards for facilities managing non-hazardous waste from these sources. Key provisions include mandatory groundwater monitoring, location criteria for waste facilities, and financial assurance requirements to protect public health and the environment. This bill directly affects oil and gas producers, waste management facilities, and geothermal energy operations by imposing new regulatory obligations on their waste streams.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires oil and gas companies conducting hydraulic fracturing operations to disclose detailed chemical ingredients before starting and within 30 days after completing operations. Companies must provide full chemical names, CAS numbers, safety data sheets, and volumes to state or federal authorities, who then make this information publicly available online. The bill includes an exception allowing immediate disclosure of proprietary chemical formulas during medical emergencies, though companies can later request confidentiality agreements. It directly affects fracking operators in oil, gas, and geothermal production, amending the Safe Drinking Water Act to mandate transparency while maintaining trade secret protections outside emergency situations.

Closing Loopholes for Oil and other Sources of Emissions Act or the CLOSE Act This bill amends the Clean Air Act to revise requirements for hazardous air pollutants. Specifically, the bill allows (1) emissions from oil or gas exploration or production wells and emissions from pipeline compressors or pump stations to be aggregated with emissions from other similar sources and regulated as a major source of toxic air pollutants, (2) emissions from those wells to be aggregated for purposes of emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, and (3) emissions from oil or gas production wells to be regulated as an area source of toxic air pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency must (1) issue a final rule adding hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants; and (2) revise the list of air pollution sources within 365 days after issuing the rule to include categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources of hydrogen sulfide, including oil and gas wells.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands a tax credit for companies building facilities that manufacture semiconductors, semiconductor equipment, or semiconductor materials. It clarifies which materials count as qualifying (including direct materials like chip substrates and indirect materials like cleaning chemicals used in production) and extends the credit's deadline from 2026 to 2031. The changes directly affect semiconductor manufacturers investing in new facilities or equipment by making the tax credit more broadly applicable and longer-lasting.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes $500 million over 10 years (2026-2035) to combat invasive mussels in the Great Lakes. It directs the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, in coordination with federal agencies (like the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA), to develop and implement strategies targeting invasive mussel species. The funding is specifically for efforts under the Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 and must be used in addition to existing appropriations. This directly affects the Great Lakes ecosystem and the Commission's management of invasive species.