Rep. Grace Meng

Maddy summaryThe Captive Primate Safety Act prohibits the import, export, sale, transport, breeding, or possession of certain nonhuman primates - including chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, and their hybrids - in interstate or foreign commerce. It directly affects private owners, breeders, and commercial traders of these animals, with limited exceptions for pre-enactment animals (requiring registration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and restrictions on breeding/sale) and registered research facilities. The law amends the Lacey Act to add these primates to prohibited species lists, effective upon enactment, with regulations to be issued within 180 days. Enforcement remains active even if regulations are delayed, ensuring immediate prohibitions on commercial trade and possession.

Maddy summaryThis resolution symbolically recognizes April 11-17, 2024, as the seventh annual "Black Maternal Health Week." It highlights the disproportionately high maternal mortality and morbidity rates faced by Black women in the U.S., citing data showing Black women are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. The resolution emphasizes systemic racism, healthcare inequities, and barriers like limited access to care as key factors contributing to these disparities. It calls for policy action - including support for the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act - but does not create new laws or allocate funding.

Maddy summaryHR 8141, the Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act of 2024, requires the President to review whether 44 specific Azerbaijani officials meet criteria for U.S. sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act and related laws. The bill targets military commanders, judges, prosecutors, and security officials linked to alleged human rights violations, including torture of prisoners of war and suppression of political dissent. Within 180 days of enactment, the President must submit a detailed determination to Congress on whether sanctions should be imposed on these individuals. The review is based on findings of Azerbaijan’s alleged war crimes, arbitrary detentions, and failures to uphold international legal obligations. This bill focuses on procedural review, not immediate sanctions.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 288) urges the European Union to formally designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization under EU legal framework Common Position 931. It does not create new laws but requests the EU take this specific action, noting the EU has previously sanctioned IRGC individuals but not the organization as a whole. The resolution cites the IRGC's role in human rights abuses, support for proxy groups, and involvement in conflicts like Ukraine as context for the request. Introduced in April 2023 by 20+ House members, it is a non-binding expression of congressional preference.

Maddy summaryHR 3303, the Maternal Health for Veterans Act, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to annually report on maternity care coordination programs and maternal health outcomes for veterans receiving care through VA facilities or VA-contracted providers. The bill mandates the VA to collect data on maternal outcomes - including disparities affecting high-risk demographic groups - and submit recommendations to Congress by September 2028. It authorizes $15 million annually (2024-2028) for VA maternity care coordination programs, supplementing existing funding without reducing current resources. The law directly affects veterans using VA maternity services, aiming to improve care through data-driven strategies.

Maddy summaryHRES 1148 is a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that condemns the Iranian government for supporting terrorism, regional proxy conflicts, and internal suppression of dissent - including its crackdown on protests following Mahsa Amini's death in 2022. It specifically calls for maintaining sanctions against Iran, supporting the Iranian Resistance's Ten-Point Plan (which advocates for a democratic, secular, nonnuclear Iran), and protecting Iranian political refugees in Albania. The resolution also affirms the Iranian people's right to self-determination under international law and urges the U.S. to recognize their struggle for freedom. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but formally expresses congressional stance.

Maddy summaryHRES 1139 is a non-binding House resolution that formally acknowledges April 17, 2024, as the 500th anniversary of Giovanni da Verrazzano’s 1524 discovery of New York Bay. It recognizes Verrazzano’s role as the first European to map the East Coast of North America, which contributed to the later establishment of New York City and its development as a major economic hub. The resolution highlights historical connections, including Verrazzano’s influence on New York Bay’s exploration and existing commemorations like the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. It does not create new laws, allocate funds, or affect any specific group or policy. This is purely a ceremonial acknowledgment by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Maddy summaryHR 7921, the Countering Antisemitism Act, establishes a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism within the Executive Office of the President and creates an Interagency Task Force to coordinate federal efforts against antisemitism across multiple agencies. The bill requires federal agencies to report on implementing the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, mandates annual threat assessments of antisemitic violent extremism from the FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center, and addresses antisemitic discrimination in higher education through a designated Office for Civil Rights Designee. It also includes provisions for a study on Holocaust education by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, a study on online antisemitism with recommendations for Congress, and amendments to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to require public reporting on grant applications and awards.

Maddy summaryThe STAMP Act of 2024 bans state and local governments from taxing menstrual products. It prohibits taxes on items like pads, tampons, menstrual cups, discs, and period underwear that meet industry standards. The law directly affects consumers purchasing these products and state/local governments that previously imposed such taxes. It takes effect 120 days after enactment, removing tax burdens on menstrual products nationwide.

Maddy summaryHR 7866, the United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation Enhancement Act, increases funding for U.S.-Israel collaboration on anti-tunnel technology from $50 million to $80 million. The bill directly affects U.S. defense and homeland security agencies working with Israel to detect, map, and disrupt underground terror tunnels used by groups like Hamas. Key provisions include authorizing the higher funding level under existing law to enhance joint efforts against subterranean threats, such as tunnels used for attacks, weapon storage, and hostage holding beneath civilian areas in Gaza. This focuses on concrete policy changes to scale up bilateral cooperation on a specific security technology.