Rep. Katie Porter

Maddy summaryHRES 1422 is a resolution recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act (enacted in 1964), which established the National Wilderness Preservation System. The resolution commends advocates for the Act, acknowledges wilderness areas' role in protecting over 112 million acres of public lands, and highlights their benefits for recreation, clean water, wildlife habitat, and climate resilience. It specifically emphasizes the importance of including Tribal governments in wilderness designation and management. As a commemorative resolution, it does not create new laws or directly affect any group.

Maddy summaryThe Stronger Enforcement of Civil Penalties Act of 2024 increases civil penalties for securities law violations across multiple securities laws. It establishes a "third tier" penalty structure for violations involving fraud, deceit, manipulation, or reckless disregard of regulations, where penalties can reach up to $10 million for entities or $1 million for individuals, whichever is greater, based on victim losses, the violator's gain, or the penalty amount. The bill also creates a "fourth tier" penalty that triples the maximum penalty for those with prior securities fraud convictions or penalties within the previous five years. This legislation directly affects financial professionals, investment firms, and other entities subject to securities regulations who violate these laws. The changes apply to enforcement under the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Investment Company Act of 1940, and Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Maddy summaryHR 8492 prohibits wildlife killing contests - events where participants kill animals for cash, prizes, or entertainment - on all federal public lands managed by agencies like the National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service. It specifically bans contests targeting species such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats, except for field trials with hunting dogs, contests for deer/birds (Galliformes/Anatidae), or agency-led invasive species control. The law requires federal agencies to issue implementing regulations within a year of enactment. It directly affects organizers, sponsors, and participants of such contests on federally managed lands, while allowing states to maintain stricter rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill temporarily expands SNAP (food assistance) eligibility for households including recently separated veterans. For 100 days after a veteran receives their discharge paperwork (DD-214), only the veteran's income is counted toward household eligibility under SNAP rules, ignoring other household members' income. It directly affects veteran households transitioning from military service during this 100-day period. The provision takes effect 90 days after the bill is enacted.

Maddy summaryHR 7588, the Agricultural Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2024, requires the USDA to reassess seven specific chemical additives used in meat, poultry, and egg products by December 31, 2026. The bill mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate whether each additive (including BHA, BHT, sodium nitrite, and titanium dioxide) makes these products unfit for human consumption under existing food safety laws. Based on this review, the USDA must initiate potential rulemaking to update regulations governing these ingredients. The law directly affects food producers using these additives and sets a clear timeline for the reassessment process. This is a procedural requirement focused on reviewing current safety standards, not an immediate regulatory change.

This resolution supports the designation of National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of globally conscious leaders who will change the world; and (2) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Give the Gift of Blue program, which has donated more than 17,000 FFA blue jackets to FFA members in need.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the Every Kid Outdoors program, expanding eligibility to include 4th graders and 10-11 year old home-schooled learners, who receive free access to national parks. It modifies the program period from a fixed September-August cycle to a flexible 12-month period and increases annual funding to $25 million. The funds support program operations, school and community outreach, transportation assistance for schools with financial need, and targeted outreach to underserved communities and children with disabilities. The changes directly affect 4th graders and eligible home-schooled youth in the U.S.

Maddy summaryHR 6765, the Wildlife Disease Surveillance for Pandemic Prevention Act, creates a national system for monitoring wildlife diseases to help prevent future pandemics. The bill provides $15.5 million annually to states and $3 million to tribes to develop wildlife health action plans and contribute data to a new National Wildlife Disease Database. It establishes a Wildlife Disease Surveillance Program, a Wildlife Disease Emergency Response Program, and Centers for Study and Diagnostics of Wildlife Diseases at institutions of higher education. The legislation also creates a Federal One Health Interagency Working Group and a Wildlife Disease Surveillance Advisory Committee to coordinate across agencies and ensure tribal and state participation. This bill directly affects states, tribes, federal agencies, and research institutions by requiring data sharing, funding new surveillance capabilities, and establishing new coordination mechanisms for wildlife disease prevention.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Foreign Political Influence Elimination Act of 2024, aims to limit foreign influence in U.S. elections by restricting foreign-owned entities from participating in campaign activities. It amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to treat certain foreign-owned corporations as foreign nationals for campaign finance purposes, prohibits foreign-affiliated 501(c) organizations from making election-related disbursements, and bans contributions from registered foreign agents. The bill also reforms the Foreign Agents Registration Act by strengthening enforcement mechanisms, establishing a dedicated DOJ enforcement unit, and updating requirements for online political content. These provisions would primarily affect foreign-owned corporations, 501(c) organizations with foreign ownership, and political consultants representing foreign interests. The bill's election-related provisions would take effect for elections occurring after January 2025.

Maddy summaryHR 9392, the Political Accountability and Transparency Act, would require greater transparency in campaign financing by expanding definitions of campaign communications to include paid digital and internet advertisements. The bill would mandate that organizations making campaign expenditures disclose the top three funders of those ads, with specific requirements for how this information is presented in digital, video, and audio formats. It would also clarify rules for coordinated expenditures between candidates and outside groups, treating certain payments as contributions. These changes would directly affect political committees, campaign groups, and digital advertisers involved in federal elections. The bill's provisions would apply to communications made on or after January 1, 2025, with some sections taking effect immediately upon enactment.