Rep. Laura Gillen

Maddy summaryHR 887, the Lower Grocery Prices Act, directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study 20 years of food-at-home cost trends using the Consumer Price Index and other economic data. The GAO must submit a report to Congress within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, detailing its findings and recommendations for lowering grocery costs. This bill does not directly lower prices or change existing policies - it only mandates a study to inform potential future legislative action. The report will be shared with specific congressional committees focused on finance and commerce.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses the House of Representatives' position that Congress should take steps to prevent the privatization of the United States Postal Service (USPS), ensuring it remains a federal independent agency. It highlights USPS’s constitutional role, self-sustaining nature (relying on service revenue, not taxpayer funds), and critical functions - serving 168 million addresses daily, supporting rural communities, and underpinning e-commerce. The resolution opposes privatization, noting it would raise prices, reduce services, and harm the $1.9 trillion mailing industry. As a non-binding resolution, it reflects the House’s stance but does not create new law or policy.

Maddy summaryHR 768, the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act, requires the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Director to study how states and school districts currently teach about the Holocaust and antisemitism in K-12 schools. The study will examine curriculum requirements, teacher training, educational materials used, and assessment methods across all states and a representative sample of school districts and schools. It specifically aims to identify gaps, resources needed, and how schools address antisemitism and genocide prevention in their teaching. The Museum must submit a report to Congress within three years of the bill's enactment, detailing findings on current practices and challenges. This bill does not mandate new teaching requirements but seeks to understand existing approaches to Holocaust education.

Maddy summaryHR 628, the Honor Our Living Donors Act, amends federal law to protect living organ donors by changing how reimbursement grants operate. It prohibits grant recipients from considering the organ recipient's income when reimbursing donors and removes any expectation that organ recipients pay donors directly. The bill also requires the Secretary to submit an annual report detailing whether grants fully covered all donor expenses and estimating any funding gaps. This directly affects living organ donors participating in federal grant programs under the Public Health Service Act.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act of 2025 requires federal funding to provide training and containment devices for first responders, specifically to prevent exposure to fentanyl and other dangerous substances during emergencies. This bill directly affects police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel who face accidental exposure risks while responding to drug-related incidents. The key provision amends existing federal law to mandate both training resources and the purchase of specialized containment equipment for first responder use. The policy change aims to reduce health risks from secondary exposure without altering drug enforcement or criminal law.

Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 or the BEACH Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and expands an existing program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that awards grants to states and local governments to (1) monitor the water quality of coastal recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the public; and (2) notify the public, local governments, and the EPA when the water is not safe for recreational activities. Specifically, the bill expands the program to allow the EPA to award grants for identifying sources of contamination (i.e., pathogens) for coastal recreation waters. It also allows grants to be used for monitoring and notification of contamination in (1) shallow waters upstream from recreational waters, and (2) recreational waters on beaches.

Maddy summaryHR 477 (MACH Act) establishes a NASA program to facilitate commercial testing of hypersonic aircraft technology. It prohibits NASA from funding technology development (only enabling testing) and restricts partnerships with foreign entities or "entities of concern" per security definitions. NASA must coordinate with the Defense Department and FAA, develop a strategic plan within 60 days, and submit annual reports to Congress on testing activities. This directly affects commercial companies seeking to test hypersonic systems through NASA's framework.

This bill increases the annual limit on the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenses (also referred to as the short line railroad tax credit) and expands eligibility for claiming the credit. Under current law, the tax credit is limited each tax year to $3,500 multiplied by the sum of the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the taxpayer (miles owned or leased) and the number of railroad track miles assigned to the taxpayer by a Class II or III railroad (miles assigned). This bill increases the annual limit to $6,100 multiplied by the sum of miles owned or leased and miles assigned. The $6,100 amount used in the calculation of the tax credit limit is adjusted for inflation for tax years beginning after 2025. The bill also expands eligibility for the tax credit to include gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2024. Under current law, the tax credit is limited to gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2015.

Maddy summaryHR 488, the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act of 2025, requires the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of State to jointly assess how transnational criminal organizations use social media platforms and messaging services for recruitment and illicit activities near U.S. borders. Within 180 days of enactment, they must submit a report detailing such usage and current countermeasures. By one year after enactment, the agencies must develop a national strategy focused on improving interagency coordination, enhancing intelligence analysis, and conducting youth outreach in border communities to counter cartel recruitment. The strategy must include privacy and civil liberties protections, with annual progress reports to Congress for five years. The bill does not authorize new law enforcement powers or funding.

Maddy summaryHR 430, the SALT Deductibility Act, repeals the $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes (SALT) for federal income tax filers who itemize deductions. This change directly affects taxpayers in high-tax states who currently face the $10,000 limit on deducting their state income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove the specific deduction limit (Section 164(b)(6)), allowing these taxpayers to deduct their full state and local tax payments. The repeal applies to tax returns filed for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.