Rep. Roger Williams

Maddy summaryHR 5585, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, creates new criminal penalties for individuals fleeing U.S. Border Patrol officers or assisting officers while operating a motor vehicle within 100 miles of the U.S. border. It imposes prison terms of up to 2 years for basic offenses, 5-20 years if serious injury occurs, and 10 years to life if death results. People unlawfully in the U.S. who commit this offense become permanently ineligible for any legal status, including asylum. The bill also requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports to Congress on prosecutions and penalties related to this new offense.

Maddy summaryHR 7092, the "Protecting Private Job Creators Act," exempts fixed-income securities from SEC Rule 15c2-11. This rule change specifically applies to securities like bonds, notes, debentures, and asset-backed securities used by businesses to raise capital. The bill codifies the SEC’s 2023 exemption of fixed-income securities sold under Rule 144A from Rule 15c2-11 requirements, which the SEC had previously applied without formal rulemaking. It directly affects businesses relying on fixed-income markets to access capital, ensuring they are not subject to the rule’s quotation disclosure requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 7074, the STOP Act, authorizes the State of Texas to implement its own border security measures - including physical barriers, increased patrols, and surveillance - along the southern border without federal approval. The bill directly affects Texas residents and state agencies, empowering the Governor to designate vulnerable border areas for security enhancements and directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to coordinate these efforts. Key provisions include state authority to construct barriers (like walls or fences) and seek reimbursement from the federal government for associated costs, following findings that federal inaction has led to over 6.7 million illegal crossings since 2021. The Act takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThe Border Security Reserve Fund Act establishes a new fund in the U.S. Treasury to support border security efforts. It directs money from confiscated illegal drugs seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to be deposited into this fund. The fund can be used by border states and the U.S. Border Patrol for security investments, but prohibits using these funds for sanctuary cities or migrant housing facilities. This creates a dedicated funding source tied to drug seizure proceeds, specifically targeting border security projects.

Maddy summaryThe Evaluating Financial Impacts of Illegal Immigration Act amends the Financial Stability Act of 2010 to require the Financial Stability Oversight Council to annually report on how illegal immigration affects financial stability and include specific steps to address these challenges. This change directly affects the Council’s annual reporting obligations under the existing law, adding illegal immigration as a required factor for analysis. The bill does not alter immigration policy, create new programs, or impose financial obligations - it only modifies the scope of the Council’s existing reporting requirements. The amendment ensures illegal immigration is formally assessed in financial stability reviews without changing immigration enforcement or funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThe Death Tax Repeal Act would eliminate the federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax for estates of people who die on or after the bill's enactment date, and for generation-skipping transfers made after that date. It would also establish a new $10 million lifetime gift tax exemption (adjusted annually for inflation) and replace the existing gift tax rate schedule with a revised structure. These changes would primarily affect high-net-worth individuals and their heirs, as the estate tax and gift tax typically apply to large estates or gifts exceeding the new exemption threshold. The bill's provisions would take effect on the date of enactment, with transitional rules for the year the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryH.J.Res. 92 seeks congressional disapproval of a 2022 rule from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) that updated how discrimination complaints are processed in federal nutrition programs (like SNAP) following the *Bostock v. Clayton County* Supreme Court decision. The bill aims to block the rule’s implementation, which would have required agencies to handle discrimination complaints under the expanded protections established by *Bostock* (covering LGBTQ+ individuals). If passed, the resolution would make the FNS policy update ineffective, maintaining the previous complaint processing approach. This affects how federal nutrition programs address discrimination claims but does not change the underlying anti-discrimination law.

Financial Stability Oversight Council Reform Act This bill subjects the budgets of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and the Office of Financial Research (OFR) to the annual appropriations process and establishes requirements for reports and a public notice and comment period. The budgets of the FSOC and the OFR are funded by assessments on financial institutions which are deposited into the Financial Research Fund and, under current law, are immediately available to be spent. This bill requires the funding from the Financial Research Fund to be made available by appropriations acts. The OFR must submit quarterly reports to Congress regarding its finances; workforce; and actions taken to achieve the goals, objectives, and performance measures of the office. The OFR must provide a public notice and comment period of at least 90 days before issuing any proposed report, rule, or regulation. The bill expands the duties of the OFR to include publishing an annual work plan; consulting with other federal departments and agencies with relevant expertise prior to preparing any public report with respect to a specified entity, class of entities, or financial product or service; and developing and implementing a cybersecurity plan. The Government Accountability Office must annually audit the cybersecurity plan and its implementation.

This bill allows creditors to consider an applicant’s immigration status for certain purposes when assessing an application for an extension of credit. In particular, considering an applicant’s U.S. immigration status for the purpose of determining the creditor's rights and remedies applicable to the particular extension of credit does not constitute discrimination.

Maddy summaryHR 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023, allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer whole milk as an option during lunch. It amends the school lunch law to explicitly permit schools to serve flavored and unflavored whole milk alongside reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free milk choices for students. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust meal regulations to account for saturated fat from whole milk, ensuring it doesn't count against meal fat limits. This change directly affects participating schools and the students who receive school lunches, expanding their milk beverage options.