Rep. August Pfluger

Maddy summaryHRES 363 is a resolution expressing support for recognizing National Police Week, an annual observance established by law to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. The resolution acknowledges 556 officers killed in the line of duty during 2022 and calls for ensuring law enforcement officers have necessary equipment, training, and resources to protect both themselves and the public. It encourages the American public to observe National Police Week by honoring law enforcement personnel and recognizing their essential mission in serving communities across the United States. This resolution does not create new law but formally expresses congressional support for an existing observance.

Maddy summaryHR 3256, the Preventing Executive Climate Overreach Act, would eliminate the legal effect of Executive Order 14096. This order, issued by the President to advance environmental justice in federal programs, would no longer be enforceable. The bill's key provision directly states that the executive order "shall have no force or effect." As a result, the administration would be unable to implement environmental justice policies based on that order.

Maddy summaryHRES 396 is a non-binding House resolution recognizing motherhood on Mother's Day. It expresses support for the term "mother" and criticizes language alternatives like "pregnant people" or "birthing person," while stating mothers are defined as women. The resolution contains no policy changes or concrete effects - it is purely symbolic, affirming traditional definitions of motherhood without altering laws or impacting any programs. It was introduced by multiple House members and referred to the Education and Workforce Committee.

This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to seek U.S. membership in the World Health Organization (WHO), or to make contributions to the WHO, until the Department of State makes certain certifications to Congress. Specifically, these prohibitions shall apply until the State Department certifies that the WHO has met certain conditions, including that the WHO (1) has adopted reforms to ensure that humanitarian assistance is not politicized; (2) is not under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is not involved in a cover-up of the CCP's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) has granted observer status to Taiwan; and (4) has ceased engagement on certain issues, such as climate change, access to abortion, and gender identity.

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.

Scope 3 Act This bill prohibits any securities law requirement that an issuer of securities must disclose the greenhouse gas emissions of its value chain (i.e., scope 3 emissions).

Maddy summaryHRES 90 is a resolution demanding the Chinese government immediately release Mark Swidan, a U.S. citizen from Texas who has been detained since 2012 on drug trafficking charges. The resolution cites the UN Human Rights Council Working Group finding his detention arbitrary, with no evidence of drug offenses, passport records showing he wasn’t in China during the alleged crimes, and China denying his family contact and medical care. It specifically condemns China for blocking U.S. diplomatic access and calls on the U.S. government to prioritize Swidan’s release through diplomatic channels. The resolution focuses on the case’s documented legal and humanitarian issues, not broader policy implications.

Farm Credit Administration Independent Authority Act This bill specifies that the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) is the sole regulator of the Farm Credit System (FCS) and establishes reporting requirements for FCS institutions. Specifically, the bill states that the FCA is the sole and independent regulator of the FCS and exempts entities that are supervised by the FCA from the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). (The bill addresses a proposed rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB] that would implement provisions of the ECOA by requiring covered financial institutions, including FCS lenders, to collect and report to the CFPB data on credit applications for small businesses, including the principal owner's race, sex, and ethnicity.) The bill also requires FCS institutions to (1) request that loan applicants and borrowers that are small farmers disclose information identifying their race, sex, and ethnicity; and (2) annually report the collected information to the FCA. If an FCS institution customer does not voluntarily report the requested information, the FCA may not require the institution to use other means to deduce the information.

Maddy summaryHR 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, amends Title IX to prohibit federally funded schools and athletic programs from allowing individuals assigned male at birth to participate in women's or girls' sports teams. The bill defines "sex" for this purpose as "reproductive biology and genetics at birth," making it a violation of federal law to permit such participation in designated women's or girls' programs. It allows males to train with women's teams only if no female is deprived of a roster spot, competition opportunity, scholarship, or other benefit tied to the team. This law directly affects public and private schools receiving federal financial assistance that operate athletic programs.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023 This bill requires the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to issue a strategy and implementation plan to improve CBP's hiring and retention of individuals in rural or remote areas. Until the strategy and implementation plan are issued, DHS must periodically brief Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on its progress. After receiving each DHS report, the GAO must submit to Congress an assessment of the effectiveness of the actions described in the DHS report.