Rep. Jill N. Tokuda

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to adjust contract prices to reimburse contractors for paying employees during government funding lapses (e.g., shutdowns). It covers costs for furloughed, laid-off, or reduced-hour workers, or for restoring paid leave used during the lapse, with a weekly cap of $1,442 per employee. Directly affecting federal contractors and their employees who experienced work disruptions due to funding gaps, it mandates agencies to make these adjustments promptly after enactment. Contractors must provide proof of costs, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy must report on implementation to Congress within a year.

Maddy summaryHR 5784 would provide federal grants to public schools (including Bureau of Indian Education schools) to make them more environmentally sustainable and equitable. It prioritizes schools in the most vulnerable communities (based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index) for full funding to become "healthy zero-carbon schools" through energy-efficient retrofits and new construction, while offering reduced funding for less vulnerable schools. The grants require community engagement in planning, mandate hiring from local communities with specific diversity goals, fund social services and mental health support, and include strict energy efficiency standards for all projects. The bill also includes funding for educational equity planning and climate resiliency programs to help schools serve as community centers during disasters.

Maddy summaryThe Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to better serve children and youth who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. It requires states to identify and provide appropriate services to these students regardless of how they're classified in disability categories, ensures access to language instruction in the student's primary language (including American Sign Language), and mandates improved data collection about these students. The bill establishes the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence to support research, training, and program development for blind and visually impaired students. These changes aim to improve educational outcomes by addressing the unique language, communication, and learning needs of students with sensory disabilities through concrete policy changes to IDEA.

Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a three-year pilot program to provide a guaranteed monthly income to individual taxpayers between the ages of 18-65. HHS must consult with the Internal Revenue Service and certain nonpartisan and nonprofit agencies or academic institutions with expertise in social science experimentation to develop and award income subsidies to eligible taxpayers and to conduct a study on the outcomes of the program.

Maddy summaryThe WIC for Kids Act expands eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by adding new qualifying pathways. It allows children to qualify if they live in households where someone receives Head Start, Indian reservation food assistance, or Puerto Rico/Northern Mariana Islands nutrition block grants, and streamlines documentation by permitting states to use existing records. The bill extends certification periods for children from one to two years and automatically enrolls infants born to current WIC participants. This directly affects low-income families with children who qualify for related assistance programs but previously faced barriers to WIC access.

Maddy summaryHR 5704, the Protecting Student Athletes From Concussions Act, requires states to certify that public schools have concussion safety plans by 2025. These plans mandate schools to: (1) immediately remove students showing concussion symptoms from activities and require a doctor's written clearance before returning to sports; (2) provide academic accommodations like modified assignments during recovery; (3) post science-based concussion information visibly at schools; and (4) develop concussion management teams including medical professionals and parents. The bill directly affects all public K-12 schools, student athletes, parents, and school staff by standardizing concussion response and recovery support. It aims to ensure consistent safety protocols, academic support, and medical oversight for student athletes across all school-sponsored activities.

EITC Age Parity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the age requirement for the earned income credit. Under current law, an individual taxpayer must have attained age 25, but not age 65, to claim the credit. This bill reduces the base year to age 18 and eliminates the age 65 cap on the credit.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the funding period for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program from 2023 to 2028. It directly affects rural communities by ensuring continued access to telehealth services and educational programs through this existing federal initiative. The key provision is a simple amendment to the program's authorization date in existing law, without creating new requirements or altering the program's scope. The change ensures uninterrupted support for rural healthcare and education providers relying on this funding.

Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and revises the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). This Department of Agriculture program provides loans to eligible microenterprise development organizations to capitalize revolving loan funds that provide loans to qualified rural microenterprises.  The bill increases the amount a rural microenterprise may borrow to up to $75,000 (from up to $50,000). The bill also increases the maximum allowable federal cost share to 100% (from 75%). The bill further specifies that a RMAP project loan may not be used to cover more than 50% of any demolition, construction, or related costs of real estate improvements.

Maddy summaryHR 5097 establishes new federal funding programs to support the development of alternative proteins - foods that mimic animal meat using plants, cell cultivation, or fermentation. It allocates $15 million annually (2024-2028) for Centers of Excellence focused on research and workforce training, $10 million for USDA research, $50 million for manufacturing grants to U.S. companies and institutions, and $25 million for workforce development programs. The bill requires the USDA to create a national strategy coordinating multiple federal agencies to advance this sector. These provisions directly affect U.S. businesses, universities, and workers in the alternative protein industry by providing targeted funding for research, production, and job training.