Rep. Maxine Dexter

Maddy summaryHR 1330 establishes the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, authorizing its location within the National Mall's "Reserve" area. The bill requires the Smithsonian Board to coordinate with federal agencies managing potential museum sites, including notifying relevant congressional committees before land transfers. It mandates that the museum's exhibits and programs accurately represent the diverse cultures, histories, and viewpoints of Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S., seeking input from a broad range of community experts. The Smithsonian must also submit regular reports to Congress detailing compliance with these representation requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 1321, the "Ending DOGE Conflicts Act," requires special government employees (like officials overseeing federal contracts) who own, control, or lead companies doing business with the government to file financial disclosure reports with the Office of Government Ethics. These employees must now comply with the same financial disclosure rules as other government officials under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. Until their initial report is certified as compliant by the Office of Government Ethics, these employees are prohibited from performing any official duties related to federal contracting. The bill directly affects high-level government officials with direct financial ties to federal contractors.

Maddy summaryThe Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2025 would create a new office within the Department of Justice to coordinate federal efforts on reducing gun violence. The office, led by a Director appointed by the Attorney General, would integrate existing DOJ programs, evaluate data gaps, and develop evidence-based recommendations for Congress and the President. It would also establish an advisory council including survivors of gun violence, public health officials, and community representatives to guide its work. The office would produce annual reports detailing gun violence trends and policy proposals, while collaborating with agencies like Health and Human Services and the FBI.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment stating that only "natural persons" (living humans) have rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, explicitly denying constitutional rights to corporations, LLCs, and other artificial entities. It would require governments to regulate campaign contributions and spending to prevent money from influencing elections, banning the view that spending to influence elections constitutes protected speech under the First Amendment. The amendment would not affect the constitutional right to a free press. This change would directly impact how corporations and other non-human entities can legally challenge laws or regulations in court.

This resolution recognizes and celebrates the contributions of immigrants to the United States; condemns discrimination against immigrants; and supports comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the needs of the economy, strengthens communities, and reflects the values of compassion, fairness, and opportunity for all.

Maddy summaryHR 1269, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025, expands benefits for public safety officers (like police and firefighters) who develop certain cancers linked to their work. It adds 22 specific cancers - including lung, mesothelioma, and breast cancer - to the list of conditions presumed to be "exposure-related" and sustained in the line of duty. This presumption applies if the officer served at least 5 years, was diagnosed with the cancer within 15 years after last active duty, and the cancer directly caused death or permanent disability. The bill also establishes a process for adding new cancers every 3 years based on medical evidence from agencies like NIOSH, and allows claims to be filed within 3 years of the law's enactment.

Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act This bill creates and expands federal grant programs within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to increase capacity to provide emergency obstetric health services in rural areas or areas without practitioners or facilities specializing in obstetric services.  Specifically, HRSA must establish a program for providing grants to certain hospitals or consortiums that include hospitals in rural areas or areas with maternal health care professional shortages for training, developing a workforce, and purchasing equipment relating to obstetric emergencies. In addition, the bill requires HRSA’s Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Capacity program to provide grants for training on emergency obstetric services for practitioners in rural health care facilities without dedicated obstetric units. HRSA must also establish a pilot program to provide grants to government entities for developing or improving telehealth access programs to support urgent maternal health care in rural facilities without a dedicated obstetric unit.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 10% tax credit for businesses that modernize or replace freight railcars, directly affecting railcar owners and manufacturers. To qualify, railcars must meet an 8% improvement standard in capacity or fuel efficiency, be built or modernized after enactment, and replace two scrapped railcars. The credit is limited to 1,000 qualified railcars per business annually, with reporting requirements for the Treasury to track claimed credits, scrapped railcars, and new railcar production. The credit applies to railcars placed in service after December 2024, ending three years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts access to Treasury payment systems (including the Bureau of the Fiscal Service) to only Treasury employees with a "fully successful" performance rating and at least one year of civil service, or contractors/outsiders with security clearances, required privacy/cybersecurity training, ethics agreements, and no conflicts of interest. It treats non-government users accessing these systems as government employees for ethics rules and defines specific actions (like stopping payments) as "personal and substantial participation" in government matters. The Treasury Inspector General must investigate any unauthorized access within 30 days and report to Congress, detailing the breach, security risks, and any halted payments. The bill directly affects Treasury staff, contractors, and any external entities accessing federal payment systems.

Maddy summaryThe Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2025 would establish a new federal department within the executive branch dedicated to promoting peacebuilding, nonviolent conflict resolution, and violence prevention both domestically and internationally. The department would include seven specialized offices focused on peace education, domestic peacebuilding, international peacebuilding, technology for peace, arms control, research, and human rights. It would develop new policies to address violence in communities, create a Peace Academy for training peacebuilders, and establish grant programs for schools and community organizations to implement peacebuilding initiatives. The bill requires the department to consult with other federal agencies on matters related to conflict prevention and mandates that at least 85% of funds would support domestic peace programs. The department would also research and report on violence prevention metrics and develop peace education curricula for schools.