Rep. Max L. Miller

Maddy summaryHR 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, amends the Clean Air Act to restrict states from implementing vehicle emissions rules that limit the sale or use of new gasoline-powered cars. It directly affects states with stricter emissions standards (like California) by adding a new definition that blocks state rules "directly or indirectly" limiting internal combustion engine vehicles as defined in federal regulations as of January 1, 2023. The bill requires the EPA to revoke existing state emissions waivers granted between January 2022 and the bill’s enactment if they don’t comply with this new definition. This creates a concrete federal standard preventing states from advancing policies that could reduce demand for conventional vehicles.

Maddy summaryHR 3152, the "Fight CRIME Act," aims to maintain international restrictions on Iran's missile-related activities by requiring diplomatic efforts to extend these restrictions before they expire in October 2023. The bill mandates annual reports detailing U.S. diplomatic strategies, potential impacts of expiration, and measures to deter missile technology transfers to Iran. It establishes sanctions against foreign individuals or entities that knowingly support Iran's missile or drone programs, including asset freezes and visa restrictions. These sanctions apply regardless of whether UN restrictions remain in effect after their expiration, directly affecting foreign entities involved in these activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on its Warrior Training Advancement Course (WARTAC), tracking veteran participation rates, cost savings, and hiring outcomes for veterans completing the program. It also creates a 2-year pilot program under the Department of Agriculture to hire veterans transitioning from military service into vacant USDA positions related to agriculture, conservation, and nutrition. The pilot mandates reporting on the number of veterans hired, their transition to full-time federal roles, and program effectiveness. These provisions directly affect veterans using the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and federal agencies like the VA and USDA.

Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish within USDA a stand-alone competitive research and extension grant program to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops in the United States through the advancement and acceleration of mechanization and automation. Specialty crops are fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture). The bill provides specified funds for FY2024 and each succeeding year to carry out the program. The grant program includes projects that create or improve cost-effective technologies to reduce a specialty crop grower's manual labor requirements and increase the efficiency of crop production, resource management, harvesting, processing, post-harvest technologies, and packaging; increase adoption of mechanization and automation technologies; and accelerate automation and mechanization through prototype development, in-field trial testing, ongoing industry engagement, and rapid commercialization. Entities eligible for the grant program are federal agencies, national laboratories, colleges and universities, research institutions and organizations, private organizations and corporations, state agricultural experiment stations, individuals, and organizations representing specialty crop growers.

This bill requires various changes to the passport application process and addresses related issues. The bill requires all U.S. regular passports to contain a written notice advising travelers (1) to check travel.state.gov for updated travel warnings, (2) to register with the Department of State prior to overseas travel, (3) that many countries deny entry to travelers whose passport expires within six months, and (4) to renew their passports within at least one year of the expiration date.  Further, the bill makes permanent existing State Department authority to assess a surcharge on the passport application fee to cover the costs of increased demand prompted by certain legal requirements. This authority currently expires on September 30, 2026.  For three years starting from this bill's enactment, the State Department may use direct hire authority to expedite the hiring of individuals into Passport and Visa Examining positions (Series 0967). Finally, the bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress about passport processing wait times, agency plans for a public outreach campaign, and related information.

Maddy summaryHR 5073, titled the "Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act," is a tax code amendment affecting oil and gas companies. It changes how businesses calculate adjusted financial statement income by removing specific deductions related to intangible drilling and development costs from their financial reports. The bill requires companies to disregard depreciation and depletion expenses taken into account on their financial statements for these costs when computing taxable income. This applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, directly impacting oil and gas producers who use these accounting methods. The bill does not create new energy policies but alters tax accounting rules for the industry.

Maddy summaryHR 3904, the "Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act," increases federal crop insurance subsidies for beginning farmers and ranchers. It revises the definition of a "beginning farmer" from 5 to 10 crop years of experience, allowing more new operators to qualify. The bill also establishes a tiered subsidy system: new farmers receive 15 percentage points higher subsidies for their first two years, 13 points for the third year, 11 points for the fourth year, and 10 points for years five through ten. This directly affects new agricultural producers by making crop insurance more affordable during their early years of operation.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 57 is a non-binding concurrent resolution expressing Congress's support for Israel. It states three key points: (1) that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state, (2) that Congress rejects antisemitism and xenophobia, and (3) that the U.S. will remain a steadfast supporter of Israel. This resolution does not create new laws or alter policies - it simply records the expressed sentiment of Congress. It directly affects the U.S. government's public stance on Israel, with no legal effect on citizens or other entities.

This resolution condemns Iran for the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. It also urges the Biden Administration and U.S. allies to publicly condemn the massacre and to pressure Iran to provide information to the families of the victims.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a single, uniform definition for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that must be used across all U.S. aviation operations and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs. It requires SAF to meet specific ASTM standards, not be derived from palm oil or petroleum, and achieve at least a 50% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. The definition includes detailed technical requirements for feedstocks and certification processes. This standardization will directly affect airlines, fuel producers, and FAA programs by creating consistent criteria for qualifying fuels. The bill mandates the FAA to implement this definition within 60 days of enactment.