Rep. Joe Neguse

Maddy summaryHR 9275, the BNA Fairness Act, amends the tax code to exclude the basic needs allowance paid to active-duty military members from their taxable income. This directly affects members of the Armed Forces who receive this specific allowance under 37 U.S. Code § 402b. The bill adds the allowance to the list of "qualified military benefits" under the Internal Revenue Code, ensuring it is not counted as taxable income. This change simplifies tax treatment for service members by removing this benefit from gross income calculations. The policy change applies to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment.

This bill authorizes the location of a monument on the National Mall to commemorate the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Maddy summaryHJRES 53 proposes a constitutional amendment to ban slavery and involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment. Currently, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution permits such punishments for crimes, creating a legal loophole. If ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures, this amendment would eliminate that exception nationwide, making it unconstitutional to impose forced labor or slavery as part of criminal sentences. The change would directly affect all states' criminal justice systems, particularly prison labor practices, by prohibiting these punishments for any offense.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment providing that the rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, shall have no rights under the Constitution and are subject to regulation. The amendment requires federal, state, and local government to (1) regulate, limit, or prohibit election contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures; and (2) require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary is prohibited from construing the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment, and the amendment shall not be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.

This resolution reaffirms the goals of World Refugee Day and the commitment of the United States to promote the safety and well-being of refugees and asylum seekers.

Maddy summaryHRES 1144 is a symbolic resolution designating June 3, 2022, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2022 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or policies but urges the public to wear orange, promote gun safety awareness, and hold community discussions about reducing gun violence during these dates. The resolution cites U.S. statistics on gun-related deaths and injuries as context for the designation. It directly affects the general public by encouraging voluntary observance and community engagement. The bill has no binding effect or funding provisions.

This resolution recognizes Claudette Colvin as an integral figure of the civil rights movement and honors her actions leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the related Supreme Court ruling that found segregation on buses to be unconstitutional.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) BridgeUSA exchange programs are vital to the economy and national interests of the United States, (2) BridgeUSA should continue with robust support from the Department of State to further those national interests, and (3) the processing of J-1 BridgeUSA visas should be prioritized at U.S. Embassies and consulates to ensure the program's public diplomacy goals are met. It also expresses that Congress and implementing partners should be consulted on any major changes to BridgeUSA programs given the significant national security and economic impacts of the program.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the proposed constitutional amendment known as the Equal Rights Amendment has been duly proposed by Congress and ratified by the states and is therefore valid as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. (The proposed amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.)

This resolution expresses support for the principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance, memorializing the lives lost to anti-transgender violence this year.