Rep. Nikki Budzinski

Maddy summaryHR 1423, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025, expands GI Bill benefits to National Guard members who serve on full-time National Guard duty or active duty under Title 32. It removes previous exclusions by counting this service toward eligibility for Post-9/11 educational benefits, just like active-duty service. The change applies retroactively to service performed since September 11, 2001, allowing affected veterans to access benefits they were previously denied. This policy adjustment directly affects National Guard members who completed qualifying full-time duty since 2001.

Maddy summaryThe Raise the Wage Act of 2025 gradually increases the federal minimum wage from $9.50 to $17.00 per hour over six years, with annual adjustments based on median wage growth. It raises the base wage for tipped workers from $6.00 to $17.00 per hour, phasing out their separate minimum wage structure by 2029. The bill also eliminates special minimum wage certificates for disabled workers after 2029, requiring employers to pay the standard minimum wage. These changes apply to most covered workers, including tipped employees and those under 20, with specific transition timelines for each group.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisors. The Federal Labor Relations Authority would determine if state laws provide these rights, and if not, would establish them for affected employees. The bill guarantees public employees the right to form unions, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities, while requiring public employers to recognize unions and put agreements in writing. It also prohibits strikes or lockouts that would disrupt emergency services. This would apply to public employees in states that don't meet the federal standards for collective bargaining rights.

Maddy summaryThe Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 would reform the Low-Income Housing Credit program, which provides tax credits to developers of affordable housing. It would increase state allocations based on population with annual cost-of-living adjustments, modify tenant eligibility rules to allow higher income limits for some residents, and add protections for domestic violence victims in housing. The bill would simplify rules for rural and Native American housing projects, clarify credit eligibility requirements, and require greater transparency in program administration. These changes would directly affect developers, property owners, and low-income tenants in housing projects that receive LIHC tax credits.

Maddy summaryThe Invest to Protect Act of 2025 establishes a $50 million annual grant program (2027-2031) for local governments employing fewer than 175 law enforcement officers, including counties, municipalities, and Tribal governments. Grants fund de-escalation training, victim-centered domestic violence response training, evidence-based safety training for scenarios like mental health crises or active shooters, recruitment/retention bonuses (capped at 20% of salary), and mental health resources for officers. Recipients must report on program use, disclose bonus amounts publicly, and comply with audits to prevent misuse of funds. The bill aims to improve officer safety and community relations through targeted support for smaller law enforcement agencies.

Maddy summaryHR 1039, the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commission an independent assessment of notices sent to veterans filing claims. Within 30 days of enactment, the VA must partner with a federally funded research center to evaluate these notices, focusing on making them clearer, more concise, and better organized while reducing paper use and government costs. The assessment, developed with input from veterans' groups and experts, must be submitted to Congress within 90 days, and the VA must implement feasible recommendations within one year. This bill directly affects veterans navigating claims processes and aims to improve their experience through clearer communication. The bill also includes a minor technical change to housing loan fee deadlines.

Maddy summaryHRES 297 is a non-binding resolution expressing the House of Representatives' support for fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions for paraprofessionals (like instructional assistants) and education support staff (including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and clerical staff) in schools. It specifically calls for livable wages, job security, access to affordable health care, paid leave, and meaningful input in school policies for these workers. As a resolution, it does not create new laws or mandate changes but serves as a symbolic statement highlighting these workers' needs. The resolution directly addresses the concerns of over 3 million school support staff facing issues like underpayment, lack of benefits, and job instability.

Maddy summaryThe No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act would deny tax deductions for employers who spend money to influence employees' decisions about union activities, such as union elections or collective bargaining. It defines "labor organization activities" broadly to include union elections, labor disputes, and collective actions. The bill requires employers to report such spending on tax returns and prevents them from deducting these expenses from taxable income. This would apply to employers using tactics like captive audience meetings, outside consultants, or other efforts to sway workers' union decisions. The policy aims to remove tax incentives for employers to interfere with workers' rights under labor law.

Maddy summaryHR 2680, the Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025, ends reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs under federal law and expands free meal eligibility. It raises the income threshold for free lunch eligibility from 130% to 224% of the federal poverty level (Sec. 201) and allows schools to directly certify children receiving Medicaid benefits as eligible for free meals without additional applications (Sec. 202). The bill also permits schools to request retroactive reimbursement for meals served to eligible children starting the first day of the school year (Sec. 203) and increases the community eligibility program multiplier to 2.5 for schools serving high-poverty areas (Sec. 204). These changes directly affect public school students from low-income families and school districts receiving federal meal reimbursement funds.

Maddy summaryThe Tax Fairness for Workers Act (HR 2671) would allow certain employees to deduct work-related expenses directly from their gross income. Specifically, it creates an above-the-line deduction for union dues (amending IRC Section 62(a)(1)) and reinstates a deduction for other out-of-pocket work costs like uniforms or tools (amending IRC Section 67(g)), effective for 2025 tax years. This directly affects union members and workers with significant job-related expenses who previously could not deduct these costs. The bill removes the prior limitation that barred these deductions, making them available without needing to itemize. The policy change simplifies tax filing for affected workers by treating these expenses as deductible business costs.