Rep. Vern Buchanan

Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act of 2025 This bill requires finished pasteurized orange juice to contain at least 10% by weight of orange juice soluble solids, exclusive of the solids of any added optional sweetening ingredients. (Current regulations require at least 10.5% by weight of orange juice soluble solids.)

Maddy summaryHR 951 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins (gold $5, silver $1, and half-dollar) in 2028 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Surcharges from coin sales ($35 per gold coin, $10 per silver, $5 per half-dollar) will fund the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, supporting programs for Gold Star families, first responders, veterans, and their families. The coins must meet specific weight, size, and composition standards, with mintage limits set at 100,000 gold, 500,000 silver, and 750,000 half-dollar coins. All surcharge proceeds directly benefit the Foundation’s existing initiatives, such as mortgage-free housing and scholarships, without requiring additional federal funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commission an independent review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine into the suicides and violent/accidental deaths of veterans treated by the VA during a five-year period ending in 2025. The review will analyze medication use (including drugs with serious safety warnings), treatment approaches for conditions like PTSD, mental health staffing levels, and data-sharing practices across VA facilities and state programs. It mandates a detailed report on findings, including patterns in overprescribing, effectiveness of non-medication treatments, and facility-specific prescription rates, to be submitted to Congress and made public within 30 days of completion. The bill directly affects veterans who died by suicide or violent/accidental death while receiving VA care during the specified period.

Maddy summaryHR 833 creates a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations that contribute to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) providing scholarships for elementary and secondary education. The credit allows taxpayers to deduct up to 10% of their adjusted gross income or $5,000 (whichever is less) for contributions to SGOs serving students from households with income up to 300% of the area median income. The bill establishes a $10 billion annual cap on the tax credit program, requires SGOs to verify student eligibility and maintain separate accounts, and prohibits government control over SGOs or private schools. It ensures scholarships can be used at public, private, or religious schools without discrimination based on religious character. The tax credit would be available for contributions made after December 31, 2025, with annual volume cap increases based on usage.

Maddy summaryHRES 76 is a symbolic resolution recognizing "Gold Shield Families" - the families of fallen police officers, firefighters, EMTs, correction officers, emergency dispatchers, and emergency service providers who died in the line of duty. It formally honors these families for their sacrifices and resilience, affirming that their struggles should not be forgotten. The resolution does not create new policies or funding but serves as a public statement of national appreciation. It directs the House to transmit a copy to the President and make it publicly available for recognition. This is a commemorative measure with no binding policy changes.

Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act This bill permanently allows services relating to cardiac rehabilitation programs, intensive cardiac rehabilitation programs, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs to be furnished via telehealth at a beneficiary's home under Medicare.

Maddy summaryThe STAR Act of 2025 adds a 25% tax credit for qualified semiconductor design expenses incurred by U.S. companies. It directly affects businesses conducting semiconductor design in the United States, covering both in-house costs (like wages and supplies for U.S. design work) and contracted design services. The credit excludes duplicating existing products, cosmetic design, or activities unrelated to performance or reliability improvements. This incentive expires for design expenses paid after December 31, 2036.

Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act This bill imposes sanctions against foreign persons (individuals and entities) who assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting certain individuals. The bill categorizes as protected persons (1) any U.S. individual, U.S. entity, or person in the United States, unless the United States is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and provides formal consent to ICC jurisdiction; and (2) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident of a U.S. ally that is not a state party to the Rome Statute or has not consented to ICC jurisdiction. If the ICC attempts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against the foreign persons that engaged in or materially assisted in such actions, as well as against foreign persons owned by, controlled by, or acting on behalf of such foreign persons. The President must also apply visa-blocking sanctions to the immediate family members of those sanctioned. Upon enactment, the bill rescinds all funds appropriated for the ICC and prohibits the subsequent use of appropriated funds for the ICC.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new above-the-line tax deduction for performing artists (like musicians, actors, and dancers) to deduct work-related expenses directly from their gross income, rather than itemizing deductions. It sets a $100,000 income threshold (adjusted annually for inflation), phasing out the deduction by 10% for every $2,000 earned above this amount. The bill also explicitly includes commissions paid to an artist’s manager or agent as deductible expenses and raises the $200 "nominal employer" threshold for expense deductions to $500 (with inflation adjustments). These changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryHRES 63 is a symbolic resolution designating the week of January 26-February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week." It expresses the House's support for raising public awareness about educational options - including public schools, charter schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling - and encourages parents to explore these choices. The resolution also urges the public to host events during this week to celebrate parental choice in education. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new policies or alter existing laws.