Rep. Tony Cárdenas

Restore Everyone's Sleep Tonight Act of 2023 or the REST Act of 2023 This bill authorizes an airport to impose an access restriction (i.e., a prohibition on the landing or takeoff of aircraft) between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. for aircraft, with exceptions. The authorization to impose the restriction does not apply to exceptional circumstances, such as (1) a scheduled flight that is delayed in takeoff or landing due to weather; (2) emergency flights; and (3) flights for the purpose of preserving life, health, or safety. An airport may impose a noise deterrence penalty on an air carrier or aircraft operator for a violation of the access restriction. The restriction does not apply to the operation of military, law enforcement, and U.S. Coast Guard flights. Further, the bill specifies that an airport may impose the restriction without approval or comment by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Transportation, any air carrier or aircraft operator, or any other entity.

Responsive Employees Support Productive Educated Congressional Talk Act or the RESPECT Act  This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to respond in writing within 90 days to requests for data and information from Congress. Specifically, the FAA must substantively respond if the data is within the control of the FAA; and the data would be otherwise appropriate to provide if requested by an airline, an airport, a flight procedure proponent, an Aviation Roundtable, anyone not employed by the FAA, or via a Freedom of Information Act request from any individual or any entity. The FAA must also provide staff at a private or public meeting with a Member of Congress if certain conditions are met.

Maddy summaryThe APPRISE Act (HR 6559) requires the FAA to ensure communities highly impacted by aviation noise can appoint technical representatives to participate equally in FAA working groups developing new flight procedures. It directly affects communities near airports where noise from proposed flight paths falls within 5 miles of their jurisdiction. The bill mandates that these community representatives join core or full working groups on the same terms as industry or airport representatives, ensuring their technical input is considered during procedure planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends existing law to expand substance abuse treatment services for children, adolescents, and young adults to explicitly include suicide prevention. It broadens eligibility for funding to include pediatric specialists, children’s hospitals, emergency departments, and Indian Health Service programs. The bill requires grantees to provide parents or guardians with counseling on preventing overdose/suicide and supplies to reduce access to lethal means (like medications or firearms). It mandates a minimum of $2 million annually in federal grants for these suicide and overdose prevention programs, effective 2024-2028.

Maddy summaryHR 6600, "Tyler’s Law," requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study how often hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl during overdose cases, along with the costs, benefits, risks, and patient privacy impacts. The study must be completed within one year of the bill’s enactment, followed by guidance issued within six months on whether fentanyl testing should become routine. This guidance will address how hospitals can inform clinicians about testing protocols and how fentanyl testing might affect future overdose risks and patient health outcomes. The bill directly affects hospitals and emergency departments treating overdose patients, focusing on improving data-driven practices for fentanyl detection.

Maddy summaryThe Poverty Line Act of 2023 updates how the federal poverty line is calculated to better reflect current costs of basic needs. It requires annual revisions using detailed data on food, housing (adjusted for regional Fair Market Rents), childcare, and health costs (including premiums and out-of-pocket expenses), with adjustments for household size and geographic location. This revised line will directly affect households applying for federal assistance programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and housing subsidies, as it determines eligibility thresholds. The bill mandates regional poverty line variants and a public lookup tool, with implementation beginning three years after enactment. The changes aim to align the poverty measure with actual household spending patterns rather than the current methodology.

Maddy summaryHR 6381, the Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2023, helps noncitizen veterans and service members who face deportation by creating a pathway to legal permanent residency in the U.S. It requires the government to reopen removal cases for eligible veterans, adjust their status to lawful permanent residents if they served honorably without certain serious criminal convictions (like crimes of violence), and prohibit deportation except for such crimes. The bill also ensures these individuals can access military and veterans benefits they lost due to removal proceedings and allows them to apply for naturalization through military service. It mandates that immigration officials identify service members/veterans early in proceedings and track their cases to prevent unjust removal.

Maddy summaryHRES 793 is a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives calling on Hamas to immediately release all 199 hostages taken during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The resolution condemns Hamas for the attack, the taking of hostages, and threats against hostages, while stating that holding hostages violates international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions. It demands the immediate release of all hostages and expresses sympathy for victims and their families. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create legal obligations but formally expresses the House's position.

Maddy summaryHR 6451, the Mental Health Justice Act of 2023, provides $250 million in federal grants to states, tribes, and localities to hire mental health professionals as first responders for specific emergencies. It directs these professionals to replace police in situations involving mental health crises, substance use, or intellectual/developmental disabilities - such as when a 911 caller describes a mental health emergency or a first responder identifies someone needing mental health support. The bill requires grantees to train responders in de-escalation techniques, link individuals to community-based services (not incarceration), and report on outcomes like reduced arrests or use of force. It also mandates data collection on demographics and prevents funneling people into institutional settings, with annual reports to Congress on program effectiveness.

Maddy summaryHRES 881 is a symbolic House resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It honors the Act's role in preventing the extinction of species like the bald eagle and humpback whale, citing its success in protecting 99% of listed species. The resolution does not create new legal requirements or affect any specific group, as it serves solely as a ceremonial recognition of the Act's conservation achievements.