Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar

This resolution commends the role of the U.S. government in improving access to quality, inclusive education, and improved learning outcomes for the poorest and most marginalized children and adolescents around the world. It calls on the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to use all diplomatic, humanitarian, and developmental means to promote access to such quality education.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires IRS employees currently authorized to telework (under policies established during the pandemic) to return to physical offices. It mandates this return starting 5 business days after the bill's enactment and continues until the IRS eliminates its backlog of unprocessed tax returns for all taxable years. The requirement applies specifically to IRS staff who were permitted to telework as of the bill's enactment date. Additionally, the bill blocks the use of Inflation Reduction Act funds for the IRS until the backlog is cleared, tying funding directly to this operational goal.

Medical Manufacturing, Economic Development, and Sustainability Act of 2023 or the MMEDS Act of 2023 This bill provides incentives for relocating medical manufacturing facilities in the United States and for manufacturing medical products (i.e., drugs and devices) in economically distressed zones. Specifically, the bill allows a income tax credit for 40% of the sum of wages paid in a medical manufacturing economically distressed zone, employee fringe benefit expenses, and depreciation and amortization allowances with respect to qualified medical manufacturing facility property, and a credit for economically distressed zone products and services acquired by domestic medical manufacturers. The bill increases the credit rate for minority businesses.

Maddy summaryHR 488, the SNOOP Act of 2023, modifies tax reporting requirements for third-party payment platforms like PayPal or Venmo. It sets new thresholds requiring these platforms to report transaction data to the IRS only when a business or individual receives over $20,000 in payments or has more than 200 transactions in a year. This directly affects payment processors by reducing the number of transactions they must report compared to current rules. The bill aims to streamline reporting for smaller transactions while maintaining oversight for significant activity. It applies to tax returns filed for calendar years starting after 2021.

Maddy summaryHR 472, the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2023, requires the Attorney General to develop a report within 150 days of enactment on programs to provide specialized mental health services for public safety officers (including police, firefighters, EMTs, and 911 dispatchers) and telecommunicators. The report must propose evidence-based trauma care, peer support, and family services to address job-related PTSD and acute stress disorder, while ensuring confidentiality for those seeking help. It will also outline efficient implementation plans using in-person and telehealth options across state, tribal, territorial, and local levels, plus draft legislative language and funding estimates. The bill directly targets public safety workers facing significantly higher PTSD rates (30% vs. 20% general population) and elevated suicide risks, including an estimated 125-300 annual police suicides.

Maddy summaryHR 451, the Protecting Families from Fertility Fraud Act of 2023, creates a federal crime for knowingly misrepresenting the source or nature of DNA used in fertility treatments like IVF or sperm insemination. It directly affects fertility clinics, patients, and individuals who commit such fraud by making it punishable by fines or up to 10 years in prison. The law applies when the fraud involves interstate commerce (e.g., payments, communications, or materials crossing state lines) or occurs within U.S. territories. It also extends the statute of limitations for prosecution to 10 years after DNA identifies the perpetrator. This bill targets specific deceptive practices in assisted reproductive technology, not broader fertility care.

Maddy summaryHR 457, the Combating Global Corruption Act of 2023, requires the U.S. Secretary of State to annually rank all foreign countries into three tiers based on their efforts to combat corruption. Tier 1 countries meet minimum standards for anti-corruption laws and enforcement; Tier 2 countries are making efforts but fall short; Tier 3 countries show minimal or no effort. The bill mandates that Tier 3 countries be reviewed for potential sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, and requires U.S. embassies in Tier 2/3 countries to designate anti-corruption contacts to coordinate U.S. anti-corruption efforts. It directly affects foreign governments by subjecting them to public ranking and potential sanctions, and targets corrupt actors through enhanced sanctions review.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the export or sale of petroleum products drawn from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to specific countries and entities, including China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and any nation under U.S. sanctions. It also bans exports to entities owned or controlled by these countries or the Chinese Communist Party. The Secretary of Energy must enforce this ban, though they may issue a national security waiver for specific exports. The bill requires the Secretary to issue implementing rules within 60 days of enactment. It directly affects the Secretary of Energy, oil exporters seeking to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the listed countries/entities.

Maddy summaryHR 361, the "Stop Inflationary Spending Act," requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to analyze how major budget bills (reconciliation legislation) impact inflation. Specifically, the CBO must provide an inflation analysis for such bills covering the fiscal year they take effect and the next four years, including the basis for each estimate. This applies to bills reported by a House committee, submitted to the Budget Committee, or directly to the Rules Committee. The bill affects Congress and the CBO by adding a new procedural requirement for budget-related legislation. It does not change spending levels but mandates a specific analysis before such bills are considered.

Improving the Federal Response to Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 This bill requires various federal agencies to develop a strategy to improve coordination with state and local law enforcement entities to address organized retail crime. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and other relevant agencies to improve federal information sharing about organized retail crime networks; assist state and local law enforcement in compiling materials and evidence necessary to prosecute organized retail crime; and increase cooperation and information sharing between federal agencies, the retail industry, and retail crime task forces. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on coordination between the private sector and law enforcement to deter and investigate organized retail crime.