Rep. Rodney Davis

Maddy summaryHJRES 53 proposes a constitutional amendment to ban slavery and involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment. Currently, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution permits such punishments for crimes, creating a legal loophole. If ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures, this amendment would eliminate that exception nationwide, making it unconstitutional to impose forced labor or slavery as part of criminal sentences. The change would directly affect all states' criminal justice systems, particularly prison labor practices, by prohibiting these punishments for any offense.

Maddy summaryHRES 1114 is a non-binding House resolution expressing support for recognizing "National Police Week" as a way to honor law enforcement officers across the United States. The resolution acknowledges the service and sacrifices of law enforcement officers, particularly those who have died in the line of duty, and specifically references 619 officers who died in 2021 as listed in the resolution. This resolution does not create new laws or allocate funds but serves as a symbolic gesture to encourage public recognition of law enforcement personnel. It calls for Americans to observe National Police Week by honoring officers and raising awareness about their essential role in community safety. The resolution was introduced by multiple members of Congress and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

This resolution urges the Biden administration to (1) remove Vice President Kamala Harris as the head of any executive branch task force or strategy related to immigration, (2) appoint an experienced and competent leader to replace Vice President Harris as the head of the Biden administration's strategy to address the root causes of migration, and (3) immediately provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection with the adequate support and resources to do their job effectively and adequately. The resolution also urges the administration to take action to protect American communities from fentanyl.

This resolution recognizes that allowing illegal immigrants and noncitizens the right to vote devalues the franchise, and diminishes the voting power, of U.S. citizens.

Maddy summaryHRES 566 is a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The resolution recognizes CAP's 80 years of service, including its roles in disaster response (such as Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon spill, and the COVID-19 pandemic), search and rescue operations, support for the U.S. Air Force, and youth aviation education programs. It honors CAP's contributions as a volunteer organization with over 10,000 trained members and assets like 560 aircraft, which have impacted millions of Americans through community support and emergency services.

Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for performing or attempting to perform an abortion if the probable gestational age of the fetus is 15 weeks or more. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. The bill provides exceptions for an abortion (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a process for courts to expunge marijuana-related misdemeanor records from official criminal justice systems. It applies to individuals with qualifying marijuana misdemeanor arrests, charges, or convictions that occurred at least one year ago and meet specific criteria (such as not involving violence or ongoing legal proceedings). Courts will remove these records, seal or redact related records, and notify affected individuals and agencies. The bill also requires a demographic study of those affected and specifies that expungement does not apply to felony or non-marijuana-related misdemeanor records. The law will take effect 180 days after enactment.

American Confidence in Elections Act or the ACE Act This bill addresses election administration and security, campaign finance, and other related provisions. Among other provisions, the bill reduces certain election assistance payments for states and local jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in state and local elections, establishes certain requirements related to election and political mail, prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions or donations in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda, repeals certain limits on coordinated party expenditures and aggregate contributions by individuals, terminates the Presidential Election Campaign Fund and requires remaining funds to be transferred to the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund, and prohibits the use of federal funds to establish a Disinformation Governance Board.

Noncitizens: Outlawed from Voting in Our Trusted Elections Act of 2022 or the NO VOTE for Noncitizens Act of 2022 This bill establishes additional requirements related to noncitizens and voting and addresses related issues. Among other provisions, this bill (1) requires states to make reasonable efforts to remove noncitizens from the official eligible voter lists, (2) requires states to coordinate official registered voter lists with court records of individuals who have been recused from jury duty on the grounds that they are noncitizens, and (3) reduces election assistance to states and local jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote.

Secure Every School and Protect Our Nation’s Children Act or the STOP II Act This bill reauthorizes and supports various grants to enhance school safety and security initiatives. It also provides statutory authority for the federal clearinghouse of school safety resources. (The clearinghouse identifies and publishes best practices and recommendations for school safety for use by state and local educational and law enforcement agencies, institutions of higher education, health professionals, and the public.)