Rep. Barbara Lee

Maddy summaryHR 3537 authorizes the minting of commemorative coins to mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service, established by the 1924 Rogers Act. The bill specifies three coin types ($5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad) with limited mintage (50,000 gold, 400,000 silver, 750,000 half-dollars) to be issued in 2025, featuring designs honoring diplomatic history. A surcharge on each coin sale ($35 for gold, $10 for silver, $5 for half-dollars) will fund the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) to support its oral history program and diplomatic preservation efforts. The coins will be legal tender, sold at cost-plus-surcharge, with all revenue directed to ADST per the bill's provisions.

This bill requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of State to report to Congress on the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. The report shall also be made available to the public on the State Department's website. (Abu Akleh was a U.S. citizen and journalist who was shot and killed in the city of Jenin in the West Bank in May 2022. At the time of her shooting, Israeli security forces and Palestinians were trading fire in the area.)

Maddy summaryThis bill changes federal tax rules to allow employees to receive tax-free benefits for bike commuting expenses. It repeals a suspension of tax exclusions and expands coverage to include reimbursement for qualified bike/scooter purchases, repairs, or rentals (like bikeshare), as long as the vehicle meets safety specs (e.g., e-bikes under 20mph or 750W, scooters under 100lbs). The benefit is capped at 30% of the monthly amount allowed for commuting expenses. It directly affects employees who regularly bike to work and employers offering these tax-free commuting benefits, effective for 2023 tax years.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 44 is a non-binding congressional resolution urging the creation of a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. It does not establish the commission itself but calls for its formation to acknowledge historical injustices against Black, Indigenous, and other people of color - including systemic discrimination in housing, Social Security, the GI Bill, and land policies - and to address ongoing racial inequities. The resolution emphasizes the need to dismantle the "belief in a hierarchy of human value" and promote racial healing as a national priority. It complements ongoing efforts like H.R. 40 (a bill to study reparations) but does not create new legal requirements or funding.

Maddy summaryThis resolution symbolically supports observing May 17 as the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). It urges federal, state, and local governments, schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ discrimination and create safer environments through educational activities. The resolution references global data on discrimination and health disparities but does not create new laws or funding. It aligns with international observances, such as the European Parliament’s recognition of IDAHOBIT.

This resolution recognizes the responsibility of the federal government to provide reparations and encourages the passage and implementation of the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act.

This resolution condemns the great replacement theory, which it describes as a white supremacist conspiracy theory that has been used to falsely justify racially motivated, violent acts of terrorism domestically and internationally.

Maddy summaryHR 3409, the Healthy Families Act, requires most employers to provide employees with paid sick leave. Employees earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 hours per year, which can be used for their own illness, caring for family members, or addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking situations. Smaller employers with fewer than 15 employees can provide unpaid sick leave instead of paid leave. The bill includes protections against retaliation for using sick leave and requires employers to inform employees about their rights under this law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public schools (K-12) to integrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history into their American history and civics curricula. It amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to mandate that all required history content "shall include" AANHPI history, updating existing standards for teachers, textbooks, and national assessments. The law directs the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center to provide educational resources for schools implementing this change. It directly affects school districts, educators, and curriculum developers by requiring concrete revisions to history instruction. The bill does not fund new programs but modifies existing federal education law to ensure AANHPI contributions and experiences are included in required teaching.

Maddy summaryHR 3422, the Judiciary Act of 2023, would amend the structure of the U.S. Supreme Court by increasing the number of associate justices from eight to twelve. It would also raise the required quorum for court proceedings from six to eight justices. This bill directly affects the Supreme Court's operational structure and composition. The change is purely procedural, altering the Court's size and voting requirements without impacting other legal processes or specific groups of people.