Rep. Randy Feenstra

Maddy summaryThe STUDENT Act (HR 1125) requires lenders to disclose the total interest a borrower would pay over the life of a federal student loan under a standard 10-year repayment plan. This provision directly affects students taking out federal loans by providing clearer information about the full cost of borrowing upfront. The bill amends the Higher Education Act to add this specific disclosure requirement to loan terms. The change aims to increase transparency in student loan financing without altering repayment terms or interest rates.

Maddy summaryHR 912, the COST Act, requires the federal government to analyze the costs and emissions of converting its vehicle fleet. Specifically, it mandates the Comptroller General to compare the costs of replacing gasoline-powered federal light-duty vehicles (standard government cars/trucks) with electric or E85 flex-fuel vehicles, including infrastructure needs. It also requires the Secretary of Energy to use the GREET model to compare lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from conventional gasoline, E85 flex-fuel, and electric vehicles. Both analyses must be published online or submitted to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment. The bill directly affects the federal government as the owner of the vehicle fleet.

Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on January 1, 2023.

Protect Farmers from the SEC Act This bill prohibits the Securities and Exchange Commission from requiring the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions related to agricultural products.

Beginning Agriculturalist Lifetime Employment Act of 2023 or the BALE Act of 20 2 3 This bill revises the limits for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation loan guarantee program. The bill replaces the existing 80% limit on the portion of a loan that USDA may guarantee with limits that range from 80%-90%, depending on the principal amount of the loan. For socially disadvantaged or beginning farmers or ranchers, the bill replaces the existing 90% limit with limits that range from 85%-95%, depending on the principal amount of the loan. The bill also (1) prohibits USDA from guaranteeing a loan under the program that exceeds $4 million, and (2) requires USDA to adjust the limits annually for inflation.

Butcher Block Act This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make (or guarantee) loans and award grants for establishing, expanding, and otherwise supporting livestock and poultry processing and related activities. In awarding grants and making or guaranteeing loans, USDA shall prioritize applicants that have experience in livestock and poultry processing and can quickly scale-up to increase overall processing capacity in the region involved.

Maddy summaryHR 987 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins honoring Golda Meir, Israel's first female Prime Minister, and the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Israel relations. It specifies three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar clad coins (max 750,000), with detailed weight and composition requirements. All coins will include Golda Meir's image, her name, and commemorative inscriptions, and will be sold during 2026. A surcharge ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars) will be paid to the American Friends of Kiryat Sanz Laniado Hospital Inc. to support its hospital operations.

Maddy summaryHR 976, the TCJA Permanency Act, makes permanent many tax provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that were scheduled to expire after 2025. The bill affects individual taxpayers by keeping lower tax rates, higher standard deductions, increased child tax credits, and other key changes permanently. Key provisions include permanent modifications to income tax brackets, repeal of personal exemptions, limits on state and local tax deductions, and increased estate and gift tax exemptions. These changes would prevent the tax code from reverting to pre-TCJA rates and rules for millions of taxpayers.

Maddy summaryHR 621, the PART Act, requires catalytic converters on vehicles to be stamped with a visible vehicle identification number (VIN) using special high-visibility paint to deter theft. It creates a federal grant program to help auto dealers, repair shops, and law enforcement implement this stamping at no cost to vehicle owners. The bill also mandates that sellers of catalytic converters retain buyer identification and vehicle details for two years, and adds new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking in catalytic converters.

Biofuel Cell Research Act This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a research, development, and demonstration program to expand the use of biofuels in vehicles. Under the program, DOE must develop a commercially viable fuel cell system that uses biofuel as a fuel source.