Rep. Mike Carey

National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Program. The bill further directs DOJ to award a grant under the program to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs operated by the of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and National Law Enforcement Museum.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the National Weather Service (NWS) to replace its outdated internal messaging system (NWSChat) with a commercial cloud-based solution to improve communication among staff. It mandates the NWS Director to implement this upgrade by 2027, using up to $3 million annually from existing NWS funding for fiscal years 2024-2027. The new system must support future growth and handle increased user demand. This directly affects NWS personnel who rely on internal communications for weather forecasting and public safety operations. The bill focuses solely on updating the technology infrastructure, not on new weather policies or public services.

Maddy summaryThe FIGHT Act (HR 2742) amends the Animal Welfare Act to specifically target animal fighting events, such as cockfighting, by defining "rooster" as any male chicken over six months old and banning the live broadcasting (simulcasting) of such events. It prohibits using the postal service or interstate transport to move roosters for animal fighting purposes and adds civil enforcement tools allowing citizens to sue violators after a 60-day notice period. Fines up to $5,000 per violation may be imposed, and property used in animal fighting ventures can be seized. These changes strengthen enforcement against animal fighting by expanding legal remedies for the public and authorities.

Maddy summaryThe PAST Act of 2023 amends the Horse Protection Act to ban specific devices used to cause pain (soring) in horses at shows, particularly affecting Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses. It defines prohibited "action devices" (like boots or chains causing friction) and requires licensed, conflict-free inspectors at events to enforce rules. The bill increases penalties for violations to up to $5,000 fines or 3 years in jail, and mandates longer disqualifications for repeat offenses (180 days → 1 year → 3 years). Horse show organizers, exhibitors, and participants must comply with these new inspection and penalty requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 3238, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023, updates the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to increase the availability of affordable housing across the United States. The bill makes several key changes including increasing state funding formulas, modifying tenant eligibility rules to better serve vulnerable populations (such as domestic violence victims and students), and expanding credit eligibility for projects in rural and Native American communities. Specific provisions raise the credit for properties serving extremely low-income households, clarify rules around tenant income increases, and require housing providers to protect victims of domestic violence. The bill also updates terminology from "low-income" to "affordable" throughout the tax code and enhances program transparency through data sharing requirements. These changes aim to make the LIHTC program more effective at creating and preserving affordable housing units for low-income households nationwide.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act allows states to retain 25% of funds recovered from fraudulent unemployment claims (for pandemic-related benefits) to improve fraud prevention systems. States can use these retained funds to modernize unemployment systems, hire fraud investigators, reimburse administrative costs, or conduct other fraud prevention activities. The bill requires states to use specific data matching systems like the National Directory of New Hires to detect fraud more effectively. It modifies federal rules to ensure states can use recovered funds without violating deposit requirements. This legislation aims to reduce unemployment fraud while protecting taxpayers and victims of fraud.

Maddy summaryHR 801, the Securing the Border for Public Health Act of 2023, gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to temporarily ban people and goods from specific countries. This can be done if the Secretary determines a serious risk of introducing communicable diseases or certain controlled substances (like fentanyl, narcotics, or opiates) into the U.S. The ban would apply to persons and property from designated countries for a time deemed necessary to protect public health. It directly affects travelers and importers from countries identified under this provision.

Maddy summaryHR 3179, the Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2023, provides federal grants to colleges offering construction and manufacturing apprenticeship programs. It funds two key initiatives: (1) Community Outreach Grants to help colleges recruit students and partner with employers, especially in rural areas and for underrepresented groups like first-generation, minority, and nontraditional students; and (2) Student Support Grants to improve retention through services like career advising, mental health resources, and childcare. The bill allocates $5 million annually (2024-2028) for these programs, with each college receiving up to $500,000 per grant. It directly affects apprenticeship colleges, their students, and local employers by expanding access to skilled trades careers.

This resolution urges transatlantic unity on a robust deterrence policy to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The resolution also (1) encourages NATO allies to work with their partners in the Indo-Pacific to address shared global security challenges; and (2) commends the people of Taiwan for their commitment to democracy, civil liberties, and human rights.

Catastrophic Risk Transfer Act of 2023 or the CART Act of 2023 This bill establishes a system for the taxation of catastrophic risk transfer companies and their security holders to ensure sufficient capital to cover catastrophic insurance losses. The bill defines catastrophic risk as a risk of loss that has a low likelihood of occurring but that would be large in amount. The bill defines catastrophic risk transfer company as any domestic corporation created and regulated under state law with the purpose of entering into one or more insurance or reinsurance agreements covering catastrophic risk.