Rep. Brad Sherman

Maddy summaryHRES 736 is a House resolution designating September 25-October 1, 2023, as "Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Week" to recognize institutions that serve high proportions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students. These institutions - enrolling over 46% of such students despite representing only 6.5% of U.S. colleges - provide critical support for low-income, first-generation students through culturally relevant programs. The resolution encourages eligible institutions to seek funding and urges the public to observe the week with activities celebrating their educational contributions. It has no legal effect but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of their role in higher education.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to adjust contract prices to reimburse contractors for paying employees during government funding lapses (e.g., shutdowns). It covers costs for furloughed, laid-off, or reduced-hour workers, or for restoring paid leave used during the lapse, with a weekly cap of $1,442 per employee. Directly affecting federal contractors and their employees who experienced work disruptions due to funding gaps, it mandates agencies to make these adjustments promptly after enactment. Contractors must provide proof of costs, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy must report on implementation to Congress within a year.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates automatic continuing appropriations to prevent government shutdowns. If Congress fails to pass annual spending bills by October 1st, federal programs automatically continue at the previous fiscal year's funding level for up to 14 days, with extensions possible every 14 days until a full spending bill is enacted. During these automatic funding periods, congressional staff and federal employees face strict limits on official travel (except for returning to Washington, D.C., or responding to national security events), and campaign funds cannot cover travel for federal office duties. The bill directly affects all federal agencies, programs, and congressional staff during funding gaps, aiming to maintain government operations without congressional action.

Maddy summaryThe Protect America's Children from Toxic Pesticides Act would require the Environmental Protection Agency to complete pesticide registration reviews within 15 years, with automatic suspension of pesticides that miss deadlines. It mandates the EPA to review pesticides banned in the European Union or Canada, with automatic cancellation if the ban is not found to be clearly erroneous. The bill would ban organophosphate pesticides, neonicotinoids, and paraquat, prohibit continued sale of suspended or canceled pesticides, and require full disclosure of inert ingredients on product labels. It also establishes new protections for farmworkers by requiring bilingual labels, mandating incident reporting, and imposing penalties for non-compliance. These changes would directly affect pesticide manufacturers, farmers, farmworkers, and communities seeking to protect public health and the environment.

Maddy summaryHR 5686 authorizes $30 million in U.S. humanitarian aid for Armenians in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh affected by recent conflicts and blockades, and $12 million in foreign military financing to support Armenia's sovereignty and security cooperation. The bill requires the State Department to develop a strategy protecting Nagorno-Karabakh residents' rights, including cultural heritage and security, and mandates a 90-day report on Azerbaijani military actions during 2022-2023 attacks. It also directs the U.S. to push for International Criminal Court investigations into alleged atrocities and imposes sanctions on Azerbaijani officials involved in blockades or attacks. The legislation focuses on concrete U.S. policy actions - aid, accountability measures, and diplomatic efforts - without prescribing specific outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to require all U.S. colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to create detailed anti-harassment policies covering physical, online, and institution-sponsored settings. It mandates policies prohibiting harassment based on race, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, religion, and other protected characteristics, including harassment via institutional email, computers, or electronic messaging. The bill also establishes a $50 million annual grant program to fund colleges developing prevention programs, victim support services, and training for students and staff on recognizing and addressing harassment. These policies and grants must comply with existing civil rights laws like Title IX but add specific requirements for reporting and prevention.

Maddy summaryHR 5566, the *Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2023*, establishes an 18-year term limit for all Supreme Court justices. It requires the President to nominate one new justice every two years (during first and third years after presidential elections), with Senate confirmation within 90 days, and prohibits lifetime appointments. Current justices are automatically retired in order of service length as new justices are appointed, while retired justices may temporarily fill vacancies through a randomized process. The bill directly affects all sitting and future Supreme Court justices by restructuring appointments and retirement timelines.

Maddy summaryHR 5552, the Valley-Wide Noise Relief Act of 2023, allows specific airports to implement mandatory nighttime flight curfews without legal interference. It applies to airports that had voluntary noise curfews in place by November 5, 1990, and were established under pre-1990 state intergovernmental agreements. The bill requires airport sponsors to provide 90 days' notice of curfew terms and penalties via website and direct mail to tenants, with curfews prohibiting all or certain flights between 10 PM and 7 AM. This law directly affects airport operators and users at these designated airports by enabling new noise-mitigation measures.

Maddy summaryHR 5492, the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2023, provides fertility treatment, counseling, and adoption assistance to military members and veterans with infertility conditions. The bill requires the Department of Defense to offer fertility preservation services like cryopreservation before deployment or hazardous assignments, and to cover fertility treatments including in vitro fertilization for current service members. For veterans, it adds fertility treatment and counseling to VA medical services, allows adoption assistance up to the cost of three adoptions, and mandates coordination between military and VA health systems. These provisions apply regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status, and are designed to support military families affected by service-related infertility.

Maddy summaryThe Better CARE for Animals Act of 2023 amends the Animal Welfare Act to strengthen enforcement of animal welfare standards. It gives the Attorney General authority to bring civil cases for violations, including seeking penalties up to $10,000 per day per violation and injunctions to remove or relocate animals. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture and Attorney General to coordinate through a new Memorandum of Understanding, focusing on repeat violators. These changes directly affect dealers, exhibitors, and enforcement agencies by expanding civil enforcement tools and clarifying jurisdiction over rule violations.