Rep. Summer L. Lee

Maddy summaryThe BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act establishes a $50 billion annual grant program (2025-2034) to fund electrified transportation infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve transportation access. It prioritizes projects in frontline, vulnerable, or disadvantaged communities (requiring 40% of funds), with 30-40% allocated to rural areas and 60-70% to urban areas. The bill mandates recipients use 5% of grant funds for workforce training, pay a minimum wage of $17 per hour (increasing annually), and use renewable energy sources for project operations. Eligible projects include electric buses, rail systems, port infrastructure with EV charging, and micromobility initiatives that reduce emissions and improve transportation services.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $280 million in funding for the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for fiscal year 2024, with funds available through September 2025. The OCR investigates school discrimination complaints related to race, sex, disability, and other protected characteristics. This funding directly supports the OCR's ability to handle civil rights cases involving students and schools nationwide, without creating new student requirements or altering existing laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 101 South 8th Street in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, as the "Lieutenant William D. Lebo Post Office Building." It requires all federal references - including laws, maps, and documents - to use this new name for the location. The bill has no policy provisions or financial impact; it solely changes the facility's official name. It was passed by Congress and signed into law on May 7, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates grants to support mental and behavioral health graduate programs at minority-serving institutions like historically Black colleges, tribal colleges, and other institutions serving communities of color. It requires at least 5% of grant funds to provide scholarships for students from health professional shortage areas. The grants can help institutions establish or improve programs that train professionals to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed care. The goal is to increase the number of mental health professionals serving in underserved communities and diversify the mental health workforce.

Maddy summaryThe Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2023 reauthorizes and updates the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, focusing on improving weather forecasting capabilities across multiple domains. It authorizes annual funding for research and development in tornado, hurricane, and atmospheric river forecasting, with specific provisions for enhancing data collection from commercial sources and improving public communication of weather warnings. The bill establishes programs to improve data assimilation practices, support agricultural and water management applications, and enhance the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's computing resources for weather modeling. This legislation directly affects the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its partners in the weather enterprise, and the public who rely on weather forecasts and warnings for safety and planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 5-year research program at the Department of Energy to study abandoned oil and gas wells. It funds research on better methods to locate these wells, plug them safely, repurpose them for uses like geothermal energy, and understand their environmental impacts - including methane emissions and groundwater risks. The program will receive $30 million in fiscal year 2024, increasing to $35 million by 2028, with coordination required from universities, labs, and private companies. It directly affects the Department of Energy and state agencies tasked with implementing the research, but does not fund direct well cleanup.

Maddy summaryHRES 1186 is a non-binding House resolution recognizing the critical role of Guatemala's Indigenous communities - including Maya, Garifuna, and Xinka peoples - in defending democratic elections after the 2023 vote, despite systemic discrimination and marginalization. It highlights historical inequities (e.g., 75% Indigenous poverty vs. 36% non-Indigenous) and urges the Guatemalan government to honor commitments to represent all citizens equitably. The resolution specifically directs U.S. officials to encourage transparency in Guatemala, monitor corruption ties, and support Indigenous-led democracy efforts. It does not create new laws but formally expresses U.S. support for Indigenous rights and democratic processes in Guatemala. (HRES 1186, April 30, 2024)

Maddy summaryThe CROWN Act of 2024 prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or style commonly associated with race or national origin, such as braids, locs, cornrows, twists, or afros. It directly affects individuals - particularly people of African descent - who face workplace, school, housing, or public accommodation discrimination due to natural or protective hairstyles. The bill expands existing federal civil rights laws (like Title VI, the Fair Housing Act, and Title VII) to explicitly include hair-based discrimination, requiring compliance in federally funded programs, housing, employment, and public spaces. It clarifies that grooming policies targeting these hairstyles violate anti-discrimination protections without creating new legal standards.

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 8042, the Community Paramedicine Act of 2024, creates a federal grant program to fund community paramedicine programs that use specially trained paramedics to address health needs outside emergency settings. The program provides up to $25 million annually (2025-2029) for grants to eligible entities like local governments, emergency medical services agencies, and Tribal communities, with 15% reserved for Tribal programs. Funds can cover hiring staff, purchasing equipment, training, and public outreach to improve access to care for underserved populations while reducing unnecessary use of emergency resources. Grantees must report on program outcomes, and the Secretary must submit a report to Congress detailing cost-savings and best practices for rural and underserved communities.