Rep. Delia C. Ramirez

Maddy summaryThe Stateless Protection Act of 2024 would create "stateless protected status" for noncitizens in the United States who are stateless (not recognized as citizens by any country). The bill would allow these individuals to apply for protection from deportation, employment authorization, travel documents, and adjustment to lawful permanent resident status (a green card). It establishes a process for determining statelessness, requiring the Department of Homeland Security to consider evidence from various sources including international organizations and foreign governments. The legislation directly affects approximately 218,000 stateless people living in the U.S., who currently face barriers to work, education, healthcare, and travel due to their legal status. The bill also includes provisions for preventing statelessness internationally and updating U.S. laws to prevent future cases of statelessness.

Maddy summaryHR 7763, the Living Wage for Musicians Act of 2024, establishes a new Artist Compensation Royalty Fund to provide payments to musicians based on streaming activity. Streaming platforms (service providers) must charge subscribers an additional $4-$10 fee per subscription (50% of the subscription fee, subject to min/max limits), with 10% of non-subscription revenue also contributed to the fund. Funds are distributed as follows: 90% to "featured artists" (e.g., lead singers) based on their share of qualifying streams, and 10% to "non-featured artists" (e.g., session musicians) via existing union funds. The bill directly affects streaming services (which collect the fee) and musicians (who receive payments based on verified streaming data).

Maddy summaryThis bill would create a new wealth tax on individuals with significant assets, targeting those with net assets exceeding $50 million. It would tax assets between $50 million and $1 billion at 2%, and assets above $1 billion at 3% (potentially increasing to 6% if certain health care legislation is enacted). The tax would apply to individuals, married couples treated as a single taxpayer, and certain trusts, with specific valuation and reporting requirements for assets. The bill also includes $70 billion in funding over 10 years for the IRS to enforce this new tax and related reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 99 is a symbolic congressional resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy murdered in a hate crime on October 14, 2023, after being stabbed 26 times by a perpetrator who made anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian remarks. The resolution recognizes Congress's condemnation of hate crimes, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian discrimination, while affirming the United States' "zero tolerance" for such violence. As a procedural resolution (not a law), it does not create new policies but formally honors Wadee and his family, emphasizing the need to reject dehumanizing rhetoric targeting religious or ethnic groups.

Maddy summaryHRES 1079 is a symbolic House resolution condemning Russia's claimed suspension of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, which the U.S. considers legally invalid. It calls on Russia to immediately return to full compliance with New START, including resuming inspections and data sharing, and emphasizes the importance of arms control for global stability. The resolution urges the Biden administration to continue arms control talks with Russia and China to prevent a nuclear arms race. As a non-binding resolution, it does not change U.S. policy but expresses congressional support for maintaining the New START framework, which limits Russia's nuclear arsenal to 1,550 warheads.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Judicial Integrity Act, updates federal conflict of interest rules to explicitly include federal judges and Supreme Court justices under the same standards that apply to other government officials. It requires these judges to avoid financial interests that could compromise their impartiality, such as investments in cases they oversee. The bill also creates a new process allowing the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue regulations exempting minor financial interests (like small stock holdings) from disclosure rules, after public notice and comment. This change aims to clarify judicial conduct standards while providing a structured way to handle trivial financial ties.

Maddy summaryHR 7634, the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, prohibits plastic pellets and pre-production plastic materials from being discharged into water through wastewater, spills, or runoff from specific facilities. It directly affects plastic polymer production facilities, plastic molding and forming facilities, and any point source (like packaging or transport operations) handling plastic pellets. The bill requires the EPA to issue a final rule within 60 days of enactment banning these discharges and updating all relevant wastewater, stormwater, and performance standards in permits and regulations. This creates a legal requirement for facilities to prevent plastic pellet pollution in waterways, targeting a major source of ocean plastic pollution.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution (HCONRES 97) recognizes the gender wage gap, noting that women working full-time earn 84 cents for every dollar earned by men. It highlights racial disparities (e.g., Latinas earn 57 cents, Black women 69 cents) and the economic impact of the gap, including $965 billion in annual lost wages for women. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the issue and reaffirms Congress’s commitment to addressing wage inequality.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Federal Advisory Panel to analyze climate change risks to federal retirement investments and advise on transitioning toward low-carbon portfolios. It directly affects the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (which manages retirement funds for over 5 million federal employees) by requiring the panel to assess fossil fuel investments, examine other pension funds' climate strategies, and produce a report within one year. Key mechanisms include creating a new "Climate Choice Stock Index Fund" that excludes fossil fuel companies (if the Board determines fossil fuel investments aren't financially sound), and mandating annual climate cost reports from the Federal Reserve and SEC. The bill focuses on aligning retirement fund investments with climate risk management while maintaining financial responsibility, without mandating immediate divestment.

Maddy summaryThe American High-Speed Rail Act authorizes $35 billion annually for high-speed rail corridor development (with $3 billion for corridor planning), requiring at least 20% of project costs to come from non-Federal sources. It defines "high-speed rail" as services reaching 186+ mph and "higher-speed rail" as 110-186 mph, with no more than 20% of funds allocated to higher-speed rail projects. Key provisions include allowing advance acquisition of rail corridors before environmental reviews, creating tax exclusions for rail carriers selling property to high-speed rail projects, and requiring consideration of equity, sustainability, and economic development impacts in planning. The bill affects federal agencies, state and local governments, rail carriers, and communities along proposed rail corridors.