Rep. Stephanie I. Bice

Maddy summaryHR 996 extends and enhances a tax credit for employers that provide paid family and medical leave to employees. The bill gives eligible employers two options for claiming the credit: either a percentage of wages paid to employees on leave or a percentage of premiums paid for an insurance policy covering such leave (calculated as if leave were always available). It clarifies that state or local government-paid leave counts toward an employer’s leave provision but not toward the credit amount, and prevents double benefits by disallowing deductions for expenses used to claim the credit. The Small Business Administration and Internal Revenue Service must conduct outreach to help employers understand and access this credit.

Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 This bill increases certain payment adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule for services furnished between April 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHR 833 creates a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations that contribute to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) providing scholarships for elementary and secondary education. The credit allows taxpayers to deduct up to 10% of their adjusted gross income or $5,000 (whichever is less) for contributions to SGOs serving students from households with income up to 300% of the area median income. The bill establishes a $10 billion annual cap on the tax credit program, requires SGOs to verify student eligibility and maintain separate accounts, and prohibits government control over SGOs or private schools. It ensures scholarships can be used at public, private, or religious schools without discrimination based on religious character. The tax credit would be available for contributions made after December 31, 2025, with annual volume cap increases based on usage.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases criminal penalties for individuals who re-enter the U.S. after being deported, removed, or excluded. It sets a maximum 5-year prison sentence for most cases, but adds up to 10 years for those with prior drug/crime convictions or multiple prior removals. For serious cases - such as aggravated felonies or two prior reentry convictions - it mandates a 5-20 year prison term. The law directly affects people who return without authorization after formal immigration removal proceedings.

Maddy summaryHR 801, the Charitable Act, creates a new tax deduction for individuals who do not itemize deductions on their federal tax returns. It allows these taxpayers to deduct up to one-third of their standard deduction amount for charitable contributions in 2026 and 2027. The bill directly affects non-itemizing individual taxpayers by providing a limited, direct deduction for charitable giving without requiring them to itemize. The deduction is capped at 1/3 of the standard deduction amount for those tax years, effective for returns filed in 2027 and 2028.

Maddy summaryHR 723, the Protect American Election Administration Act of 2025, prohibits states from accepting or using funds, property, or services from private entities for administering federal elections. This directly affects state election offices, which would no longer be allowed to take private donations for activities like voter education, outreach, or registration. The bill includes an exception allowing states to accept private donations of physical space for polling places or early voting sites. It amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to add this prohibition, effective for federal elections after the law's enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, requires medical staff at abortion facilities to provide the same immediate care and hospital admission to any infant born alive during an abortion as they would for any newborn. It mandates reporting failures to provide this care to law enforcement and imposes penalties of up to 5 years in prison for violations, with harsher penalties for intentional killing. The bill also allows women who undergo abortions to sue for civil damages, including triple the abortion cost, and provides for attorney fees. It defines "abortion" to exclude procedures performed after viability to preserve a live birth. This law directly affects healthcare providers at abortion facilities and creates new federal legal obligations for them.

Maddy summaryHRES 59 is a symbolic resolution expressing the House of Representatives' disapproval of a sermon delivered by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde at the National Prayer Service on January 21, 2025, at the National Cathedral. It declares the sermon "a display of political activism" and condemns its "distorted message," though it does not change any laws or policies. The resolution directly addresses the bishop's remarks during a nonpartisan religious event, making no concrete policy changes but reflecting the House's view on the content of that specific sermon. As a procedural resolution, it has no legal effect beyond expressing the House's stance.

Maddy summaryHR 715, the BNA Fairness Act, amends the tax code to exclude the basic needs allowance provided to members of the Armed Forces from taxable income. This allowance, paid for daily living expenses like food and housing, directly affects active-duty service members who receive it. The bill adds a specific provision clarifying that this allowance qualifies as a non-taxable "qualified military benefit" under existing tax law. The change takes effect for tax years after the bill becomes law, ensuring service members no longer pay income tax on this specific benefit.

Maddy summaryHR 703, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, makes a key tax deduction permanent for small business owners. It removes the temporary sunset provision (subsection (i)) from Section 199A of the tax code, ensuring the qualified business income deduction remains available for eligible small businesses. This change directly affects pass-through business owners (like S-corps, partnerships, and sole proprietorships) who currently qualify for this deduction. The permanent change takes effect for tax years starting after December 31, 2025.