Rep. April McClain Delaney

Maddy summaryThe Feed Our Families Act of 2025 ensures SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits continue for 90 days during the first government funding lapse in a fiscal year. It appropriates emergency funds from the Treasury to cover SNAP operations for the initial 90 days of a lapse in discretionary appropriations for the program. These funds are held in reserve and can only be used to maintain SNAP program services during that period. The bill directly affects millions of low-income households relying on SNAP benefits by preventing immediate disruptions during early government shutdowns.

Maddy summaryHR 1902, the HERO Act, creates a national data system to track suicide rates among public safety officers (including firefighters, EMTs, police, and telecommunicators) and requires annual reports to Congress with detailed breakdowns by age, gender, occupation, and employment status (volunteer, career, etc.). The bill funds peer-support mental health programs for fire departments and EMS agencies, establishes confidential wellness services for healthcare providers, and develops resources to train mental health professionals on first responder-specific stressors and PTSD. It prohibits using suicide data to deny life insurance or benefits to survivors and mandates that all collected data be kept confidential and secure. This legislation directly affects all public safety officers nationwide by improving data collection, access to mental health resources, and evidence-based interventions to address suicide and trauma.

Maddy summaryHR 1918, the Farewell to Foam Act of 2025, prohibits the sale of most foam food containers, packaging peanuts, and foam coolers starting January 1, 2028. It directly affects restaurants, grocery stores, food vendors, manufacturers, and retailers who sell these items, excluding medical coolers used for drugs or medical products. The bill imposes escalating civil penalties for violations: $250 for the second offense, $500 for the third, and $1,000 for fourth or subsequent violations, with reduced penalties for small businesses under specific revenue thresholds. Enforcement is led by the EPA Administrator, with states allowed to enforce under federal guidelines.

Maddy summaryHR 1851 increases the minimum required fighter aircraft inventory for the Air Force and its reserve components to 1,900 total and 1,200 for the reserve by October 2030, up from current levels (Section 2). The bill allows temporary reductions below these totals for recapitalization, but only for up to two years and with a floor of 1,800 aircraft, requiring congressional notification (Section 2). It mandates quarterly reports to Congress detailing new aircraft acquisitions, assignments, retirements, and recapitalization plans for both active and Air National Guard units (Section 3). The bill specifically protects 25 existing Air National Guard fighter squadrons from fleet reductions until 2030 and requires new aircraft to be assigned to service-retained units at a 3:1 ratio with legacy aircraft retirements (Sections 5, 6).

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from taking action against broadcasters - such as revoking licenses - based on the viewpoints they broadcast or the content they disseminate. It also bans the FCC from imposing viewpoint-related conditions when reviewing transactions like license transfers. The law explicitly preserves the FCC’s authority to act against illegal content (such as incitement, hate speech, or threats under existing federal law) but prevents political pressure from influencing regulatory decisions. It directly affects broadcasters and the FCC’s enforcement practices under the Communications Act of 1934.

Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act This bill prohibits political appointees and special government employees from accessing Social Security data systems that contain personally identifiable information about Social Security beneficiaries. Specifically, political appointees and special government employees may not access systems maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that issue or record Social Security account numbers, that are used to determine eligibility for or to pay Social Security benefits, or that otherwise contain personally identifiable information about individuals receiving or applying for benefits.  The bill also establishes a civil right of action for an individual whose information was negligently accessed or disclosed in violation of these provisions. The individual may bring suit against the United States if the violator was a U.S. employee or officer, or against the violator if they were not a U.S. employee or officer. Such a claim must be brought within two years of the affected individual’s discovery of the violation. Upon a finding of liability, defendants are liable for specified monetary damages.  If an individual is criminally charged or subject to proposed disciplinary or adverse action by a federal or state agency for having accessed or disclosed information in violation of these provisions, SSA must notify the individual whose information was accessed or disclosed of the violation as soon as practicable.  Finally, the bill requires the SSA Office of the Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized access to or disclosure of information in a beneficiary data system.

Maddy summaryHR 1876, the "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act," prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing, consolidating, or restricting access to its field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations for 180 days after enactment, with exceptions for emergencies. The bill requires the SSA Commissioner to submit a detailed report to Congress by January 2029, analyzing closure criteria, transportation burdens for elderly/disabled users, cost-benefit impacts, and plans to replace lost services. For future closures, it mandates 120 days of public notice, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress, while ensuring total office numbers don’t fall below 2025 levels. This directly affects SSA field offices, their users (including elderly and disabled individuals), and employees. The bill’s key mechanism is a procedural safeguard to ensure transparency and minimize disruption before any office changes take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by clarifying how to prove voting discrimination and expanding requirements for preclearance of voting changes. It establishes new standards for determining when voting practices dilute minority voting strength or deny/abridge voting rights, requiring plaintiffs to show specific conditions for vote dilution claims and including factors like historical discrimination and racial polarization in court analyses. The bill modifies the criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must seek preclearance for voting changes, and adds new transparency requirements for jurisdictions to publicly disclose changes to voting qualifications, polling locations, and election districts. It directly affects states and local governments that implement voting policies, particularly those with a history of voting rights violations or that make changes to voting qualifications, procedures, or district boundaries. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory voting practices by providing clearer standards for courts and requiring greater transparency in voting rule changes.

Maddy summaryThe Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 strengthens workers' organizing rights by making it an unfair labor practice for employers to threaten permanent replacement of striking workers, discriminate against workers who support unions, or require employees to attend employer campaigns unrelated to their job duties. It expands the definition of "employee" to make it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors and requires employers to post notices about workers' rights in conspicuous locations. The bill establishes a new electronic voting system for union elections, creates a 90-day bargaining period before mediation can be requested, and increases penalties for violations of labor laws. These changes are intended to make it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate better wages and working conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the State Department to review restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to North Korea, particularly focusing on humanitarian visits for Americans with relatives there (estimated at 100,000 people). It requires the Secretary of State to submit a report within 180 days detailing how the U.S. will pursue a formal end to the Korean War through diplomatic negotiations with North and South Korea. The bill also mandates a separate report outlining a clear roadmap for achieving a binding peace agreement, including necessary negotiation steps and key stakeholders. These provisions aim to address the ongoing state of war, which the bill states prevents formal U.S.-North Korea relations and family reunifications.