Rep. Ken Buck

Maddy summaryHR 661, "Sarah’s Law," requires U.S. immigration authorities to detain certain immigrants charged with crimes causing death or serious injury. It applies to immigrants who entered without proper inspection, held revoked temporary visas, or fall under specific deportation categories, and who face charges for violent crimes. The bill mandates that immigration officials notify victims or their families (like parents or spouses) about the immigrant’s identity, immigration status, custody details, and removal efforts. This law does not change existing victim rights but adds specific notification requirements for these cases.

Maddy summaryThis non-binding resolution supports designating April 2024 as "National Native Plant Month" to raise public awareness about native plants. It highlights their ecological benefits, including preventing erosion, supporting wildlife (like pollinators and birds), and restoring ecosystems. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes native plants' role in environmental resilience and U.S. natural heritage.

Maddy summaryHRES 1030 is a non-binding House resolution calling on Vice President Harris to convene Cabinet members under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Biden unable to serve. It demands she immediately assume acting presidential powers based on cited incidents involving President Biden's memory lapses and physical coordination. The resolution has no legal effect and does not initiate the constitutional process for invoking the 25th Amendment. It serves solely as a symbolic congressional expression of concern, not a policy change.

Maddy summaryHR 7455, the Sunset Act of 2024, requires federal agencies to automatically expire significant rules after 10 years unless Congress passes a new law extending them. Agencies must submit reports 180 days before expiration, and Congress can extend rules via joint resolution within 3 legislative days of receiving the report. The bill also mandates annual reviews of 10% of active agency rules for 9 years, with rules not extended by Congress after the 10-year period expiring. It applies to all major agency rules (e.g., environmental or safety regulations) and includes limited presidential exemptions for emergencies, but does not affect existing rules already in effect.

Maddy summaryHRES 1007 would amend House Rules to limit privileged status for specific resolutions. It requires that resolutions seeking to impeach officials, censure, reprimand, expel members, or create leadership vacancies can only be prioritized if either: (1) a relevant committee investigated the conduct and issued a report recommending the sanction, or (2) the resolution is offered by a party caucus or conference. This change directly affects how quickly such serious actions can move through the House process. The bill does not alter the sanctions themselves but modifies the procedural pathway for bringing them to the floor.

Maddy summaryHR 7171, the Distribution Transformer Efficiency and Supply Chain Reliability Act of 2024, prevents the Department of Energy from finalizing rules requiring liquid-immersed or dry-type distribution transformers to meet efficiency standards stricter than "trial standard level 2" (as outlined in a 2023 proposed rule). The bill also mandates that any finalized rule implementing "trial standard level 1" or "level 2" efficiency standards cannot take effect for at least 10 years after the rule's finalization date. This directly affects transformer manufacturers and utilities by delaying stricter efficiency requirements and providing extended compliance timelines. The bill aims to stabilize the supply chain for these critical grid components by limiting near-term regulatory changes.

Maddy summaryHR 7078, the False Claims Enhancement Act, adds a new provision to the False Claims Act targeting individuals or businesses that handle government duty payments (like import taxes). It directly affects entities that collect duties from others but misrepresent their obligation to pay those duties to the government, then improperly keep the funds. The key mechanism makes it a false claim to knowingly misrepresent such an obligation and receive the payment without forwarding it to the government. This amendment expands the definition of false claims to specifically cover this type of duty misappropriation. The bill focuses on clarifying and strengthening enforcement against this specific form of financial misrepresentation.

Maddy summaryThe Death Tax Repeal Act would eliminate the federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax for estates of people who die on or after the bill's enactment date, and for generation-skipping transfers made after that date. It would also establish a new $10 million lifetime gift tax exemption (adjusted annually for inflation) and replace the existing gift tax rate schedule with a revised structure. These changes would primarily affect high-net-worth individuals and their heirs, as the estate tax and gift tax typically apply to large estates or gifts exceeding the new exemption threshold. The bill's provisions would take effect on the date of enactment, with transitional rules for the year the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryHR 7009, the Securing Airport Facilities for Enhanced Parking Act (SAFE Parking Act), allows airport operators to use federal airport improvement funds for security costs in revenue-producing parking lots. The bill specifically permits funding for CCTV systems, physical barriers, alarm systems, and law enforcement partnership tools to address security threats in these areas. It applies only until December 31, 2025, and requires a report to Congress by that date detailing how funds were used and suggesting future program updates. This bill directly affects airports managing paid parking facilities seeking federal support for security upgrades under existing airport improvement programs.

Maddy summaryHR 6617 requires U.S. agencies to report on payments made by U.S.-funded organizations in Afghanistan to the Taliban. Specifically, it mandates a report within 90 days detailing all payments (including fees, taxes, and rent) made by these entities to the Taliban between August 1, 2021, and 30 days after the bill's enactment. It also requires agencies to submit copies of any new agreements with the Taliban within 15 days of signing, plus a comprehensive report on all prior agreements from August 31, 2021, onward. This bill directly affects U.S. government-funded organizations, including UN entities, operating humanitarian or development programs in Afghanistan.