Rep. Debbie Lesko

Mercury 13 Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate the Mercury 13 in recognition of their accomplishments as part of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLATs) Program (a privately funded project testing women pilots for astronaut fitness in the 1960s), their work for gender equity, and their example of women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Maddy summaryHR 4615, the National Emergency Expenditure Reporting Transparency Act, requires federal agencies to provide detailed public reports on spending during national emergencies declared by the President. It mandates disclosure of specific data - including budget authority, obligations, unobligated balances, and spending by program activity and funding source - beginning six months after the bill's enactment. This applies to all national emergencies under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1621), directly affecting federal agencies managing emergency funds and increasing transparency for the public. The bill updates existing federal spending data standards to include unique identifiers for emergency-related funds, requiring agencies to report this information through the government’s public spending database.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits U.S. federal agencies from entering new contracts with companies that boycott Israel after January 1, 2024. Companies must certify they are not boycotting Israel at contract signing, and contracts must include this prohibition. It applies to federal contracts over $100,000 for services or IT with companies employing more than 10 people. If a company violates the boycott prohibition, the agency must terminate the contract after 30 days unless the company ends the boycott. The bill explicitly states it does not infringe on First Amendment rights or take sides on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Red Light Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to withhold all of a state's share of certain federal highway funds (specifically, funds for the National Highway Performance Program, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program) in FY2023 and thereafter if such state enacts a law to provide driver's licenses or other identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States.

Canadian Snowbird Visa Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to admit into the United States qualifying Canadian citizens as long-term nonimmigrant visitors. A qualifying Canadian citizen is an individual who (1) is at least 50 years old, (2) maintains a Canadian residence, (3) owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of the individual's stay, (4) is not inadmissible or deportable, (5) will not engage in employment or labor for hire in the United States other than for a non-U.S.-based person or entity by whom the Canadian citizen was employed in Canada or for whom the Canadian citizen performed services in Canada, and (6) will not seek certain forms of assistance or benefits. A qualified individual may be admitted for up to 240 days during any single 365-day period. The spouse of such an individual may be admitted under the same terms, except that the spouse is not required to separately satisfy the requirement for owning or renting a residence in the United States. An individual admitted into the United States under this bill shall have nonresident alien tax status.

Maddy summaryHR 4378, the SMART Energy Efficiency Standards Act, amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to change when efficiency standards apply to certain appliances. It shifts the compliance date from when a product is installed to when it is manufactured or imported into the U.S. This directly affects appliance manufacturers and importers of furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps. The bill ensures these products meet federal efficiency standards at the point of entry into the U.S. market, rather than when installed by consumers.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 100 North Taylor Lane in Patagonia, Arizona, as the "Jim Kolbe Memorial Post Office." It directly affects the postal facility by changing its official name to honor Jim Kolbe, a former Arizona congressman. The bill requires all future U.S. government references to this location to use the new name, but it does not alter postal services, funding, or operational policies.

Maddy summaryHJRES 44 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a 2021 rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The rule classified firearms with stabilizing braces as "short-barreled rifles," which would have required additional licensing and regulation. This resolution uses a specific legal process (under Title 5, U.S. Code) to formally disapprove the ATF rule, meaning the rule would no longer be in effect. It directly affects firearm owners, manufacturers, and dealers who would have been subject to the rule’s requirements.

Maddy summaryHRES 536 is a ceremonial resolution designating the week of June 18-24, 2023, as "National Women's Sports Week." It celebrates the anniversary of Title IX (passed June 23, 1972), which prohibits sex discrimination in education and athletics. The resolution urges the House to observe this week through programs highlighting female athletes, coaches, and parents, while emphasizing equal athletic opportunities for women. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies - it is a symbolic gesture to recognize Title IX's impact on women's sports participation.

Maddy summaryHR 4299, the "There are Two Sexes Act of 2023," prohibits the use of federal funds for creating or distributing any required federal form that offers gender options beyond "Male" or "Female." It directly affects federal agencies and programs that require individuals to provide gender information on official forms, such as benefit applications or enrollment documents. The bill bans federal funding for any such form starting October 1, 2024, ensuring only binary gender options are used on federally mandated paperwork. This policy change restricts how federal entities collect gender data but does not alter personal identification or state-level policies.