Rep. Stephanie I. Bice

Maddy summaryHR 3773, the Stop Anti-Semitism on College Campuses Act, requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding to prohibit any event promoting antisemitism on campus. This includes not hosting, facilitating, funding, or supporting such events. The bill adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's 2016 definition of antisemitism - including contemporary examples - as the standard for determining prohibited conduct. The law directly affects all institutions covered by the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Maddy summaryThe HALT Fentanyl Act expands the definition of fentanyl-related substances in the Controlled Substances Act to include many structurally similar compounds, making it easier to regulate new fentanyl analogs without individual listing. It defines these substances based on specific chemical modifications to fentanyl, with limited exceptions for substances already controlled or listed elsewhere. The bill also streamlines research procedures for schedule I substances by creating expedited registration processes and allowing multiple studies under one registration, while requiring the Attorney General to publish a list of substances meeting the new definition.

Maddy summaryThis resolution changes the House of Representatives' internal structure by renaming the "Office of Diversity and Inclusion" to the "Office of Talent and Development" and transferring it to the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). It directs the new office to guide workforce recruitment, training, and retention across House offices and requires semi-annual reports to relevant committees. The change affects House staff and leadership, as current employees of the renamed office will transition to the new structure without disruption. This is a procedural adjustment to House administrative operations, not a policy affecting the public.

Access to Safe Contraception Act of 2023 This bill prohibits states from banning any form of contraception that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The bill does not preempt state laws that protect the right of any entity to opt out of providing contraception due to the entity's religious or moral beliefs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that AM radio receivers be included as standard equipment in all new motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks) sold in the United States, with a rule to be issued by the Department of Transportation within one year. The rule must ensure AM radio is easily accessible on the dashboard and allows manufacturers to use digital AM radio technology instead of traditional AM. During the one-year period between the bill's enactment and the rule's effective date, manufacturers must clearly label vehicles without AM radio. The bill also directs a study to evaluate whether an alternative system could deliver emergency alerts as reliably as AM radio across the country, especially during crises.

Maddy summaryHR 3337, the Fuels Parity Act, removes a prohibition that previously excluded corn starch ethanol from being counted as "advanced biofuel" under the Clean Air Act. This change directly affects corn-based ethanol producers by allowing corn starch ethanol to qualify under renewable fuel standards. The bill also requires the EPA to update its methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol and biomass-based diesel every five years, starting 90 days after enactment, with the first update mandating the use of the Argonne National Laboratory's GREET model. These provisions aim to standardize how emissions are assessed for these fuels under federal renewable fuel programs.

Maddy summaryHR 3515, the "Stop the Outlay of Payments Act," requires federal agencies to notify the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director within 120 days when suspending or terminating any portion of a federal grant due to non-compliance with grant terms, laws, or information requests. The OMB must then maintain a public list of all suspended entities (like nonprofits, universities, or local governments receiving federal grants) on its website. Agencies cannot award new grants or disburse funds to these suspended entities until the issue causing the suspension is resolved, with two exceptions: if the suspension resulted from a clerical error or if the entity has an agreement with the agency to resolve the issue. This bill changes the process for handling suspended grant recipients but does not create new funding or alter the reasons for suspension.

Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Justice to award grants to law enforcement and corrections agencies for behavioral health crisis response training.

Maddy summaryThe Stop TSP ESG Act (HR 3406) requires the Thrift Savings Fund (TSP) to delegate voting rights on securities to a qualified professional asset manager instead of its governing board. This amendment to Section 8438(f) of Title 5, U.S. Code, directly affects the TSP, which manages retirement savings for federal employees. The key mechanism mandates that voting on securities must be handled by an external professional manager, removing direct TSP Board control over investment decisions. The bill's title indicates it aims to prevent the TSP from incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors into its investment strategy.

Maddy summaryHR 3435, the Charitable Act, creates a temporary tax deduction for charitable contributions for individual taxpayers who do not itemize deductions. It allows these taxpayers to deduct up to one-third of their standard deduction amount for charitable gifts in 2023 and 2024. The bill directly affects millions of filers who typically take the standard deduction instead of itemizing, making charitable giving more tax-advantageous for them during these two years. The provision expires after 2024 and does not change the standard deduction amount itself.