Rep. Jeff Hurd

Maddy summaryHCONRES 4 is a symbolic resolution expressing Congress's support for tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies (like mutual aid organizations). It recognizes these groups, which have over 7 million members nationwide, as historically and currently providing critical community benefits - including life/health insurance, charitable work, and volunteer services - valued at over $3.8 billion annually. The resolution affirms that their tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code remains beneficial and should continue to be promoted. This is a non-binding expression of congressional sentiment, not a policy change.

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.

Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act of 2025 or the 911 SAVES Act This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to categorize public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification system no later than 30 days after the enactment of this bill. (The Standard Occupational Classification system is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.)

Maddy summaryHR 551, the "Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025," would require U.S. border officials to apply the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) to all eligible asylum seekers at the southern border, rather than allowing discretion. The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to change the language from "may" to "shall" in Section 235(b)(2)(C), meaning officials must send asylum seekers back to Mexico to await their immigration hearings. This directly affects asylum seekers who would no longer have the option of remaining in the U.S. during processing. The key mechanism is a technical legal change to make the existing MPP policy mandatory for all applicable cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Antiquities Act to require Congress, not the president, to authorize the creation or expansion of national monuments. It directly affects presidents and federal agencies by ending the current practice of presidentially designating monuments under the Antiquities Act. The key provision replaces the existing authority with a requirement for explicit congressional approval for any new monument or extension. This would change the legal process for establishing protected public lands, shifting decision-making power from the executive branch to Congress.

Maddy summaryHR 404, the "Hearing Protection Act," reclassifies firearm silencers (devices that reduce gunfire noise) as firearms for federal tax and regulatory purposes. It imposes a 10% federal tax on silencers, requires the destruction of all existing federal silencer registration records within one year, and preempts state laws that tax or regulate silencers. The bill clarifies that silencers are treated as firearms under federal law, including for licensing and marking requirements, and defines "firearm silencer" to include specific components. Note: The bill’s title is misleading - it addresses firearm silencer regulation, not hearing protection for people.

Maddy summaryThe TRUST in Congress Act requires current and new Members of Congress, along with their spouses and dependent children, to place certain investments - such as stocks, commodities, and derivatives - into a blind trust within 90 to 180 days of taking office. It excludes U.S. Treasury securities and widely held mutual funds from this requirement and exempts investments tied to a spouse’s or dependent child’s primary job. Members must certify the trust’s setup to the House Clerk or Senate Secretary within 15 days, with these records posted publicly online. The act also prohibits dissolving such trusts until 180 days after a member leaves office.

Maddy summaryHR 132 amends the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) to change how certain water infrastructure funds are directed and repaid. It requires that project-specific water storage funds be directed to accounts other than the General Reclamation Fund, as specified by existing project laws. The bill also extends prepayment authority to include Section 4011 of the WIIN Act, streamlining repayment processes for specific water projects. This procedural adjustment primarily affects federal water infrastructure projects funded under the WIIN Act, ensuring funds follow established project-specific statutes.

Maddy summaryHR 137, the TCJA Permanency Act, makes permanent many tax provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It permanently increases the standard deduction for individual taxpayers, modifies income tax brackets, and makes permanent the child tax credit increase. The bill also permanently limits deductions for state and local taxes, mortgage interest, and miscellaneous itemized deductions. These changes affect most individual taxpayers who file federal income tax returns.