Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

Maddy summaryHR 4166, the Support UNFPA Funding Act, authorizes annual U.S. funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) over five years. It directly supports UNFPA’s global programs serving women and girls in over 150 countries, particularly focusing on reducing preventable maternal deaths, expanding access to contraception, ending gender-based violence, and addressing harmful practices like female genital mutilation and child marriage. The bill specifically directs funding toward UNFPA’s core work in developing nations, humanitarian crises (such as in Ukraine and Yemen), and rebuilding health systems post-pandemic, without altering UNFPA’s existing operations or policies.

Maddy summaryThe American Dream and Promise Act of 2023 would create two pathways to permanent residency for certain immigrants. The "Dream Act" portion would provide conditional permanent resident status to individuals who entered the U.S. as children, have lived continuously in the U.S. since January 1, 2021, and meet educational requirements (such as completing high school, earning a degree, or enrolling in education programs). The "American Promise Act" portion would provide permanent residency to individuals eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) as of specific dates (January 1, 2017, or January 20, 2021). The bill includes provisions for background checks, fee exemptions for low-income applicants, and processes for removing conditional status after meeting specific criteria like completing higher education or earning income.

Maddy summaryHJRES 72 proposes a constitutional amendment to remove the exception in the Thirteenth Amendment that allows slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. If ratified, this amendment would ban the use of forced labor in prisons as a criminal penalty, directly affecting how the U.S. criminal justice system handles sentencing. The resolution clarifies it does not interfere with voluntary work programs in correctional facilities, existing employment protections for incarcerated people, or community service alternatives. This change aims to eliminate a historical loophole that has disproportionately impacted Black Americans since the 1860s.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases per diem payments for homeless veterans receiving VA services. It raises the daily payment rate from $115 to $200 for certain housing-related services, including emergency responses. The change directly affects homeless veterans who qualify for these VA-funded housing supports. The key provision adjusts the payment rate in Section 2012(a)(2)(B) of the U.S. Code to provide higher funding for services assisting homeless veterans.

Maddy summaryHR 4021, the Fair and Open Skies Act, amends U.S. aviation law to require that the Department of Transportation consider labor standards when reviewing international air transport agreements. Specifically, it adds "preventing the undermining of labor standards" as a mandatory factor in the public interest test for approving such agreements under 49 U.S.C. § 40101. This change directly affects international airlines seeking to operate flights to or from the U.S. and the DOT, which must now evaluate whether proposed agreements could weaken U.S. labor protections. The bill updates existing provisions by replacing outdated language about "agreements with the United States Government" and explicitly including labor standards in the evaluation criteria.

Maddy summaryThe CARE Act of 2023 strengthens protections for child farmworkers by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act. It raises minimum age requirements (restricting 14-15 year olds to family farms outside school hours, and limiting 16-17 year olds to family farm work outside school hours), repeals a waiver allowing children in hand-harvest labor, and increases penalties for violations (up to $60,115 for serious injury or death). The bill requires employers to report work-related injuries or deaths of child farmworkers under 18 and mandates annual reports to Congress on child farmworker safety data. It also prohibits children under 18 from working as pesticide handlers, directly affecting an estimated 100,000+ child farmworkers in the U.S.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits children under 18 from having direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves on farms. It amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to explicitly add "tobacco-related agriculture" to the list of occupations where minors cannot work, alongside manufacturing and mining. The law directly affects young workers in tobacco farming by banning their hands-on involvement with crops and processed tobacco. This change updates existing labor protections to specifically cover tobacco farming operations. The policy would require farms to adjust employment practices to exclude minors from these tasks.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a federal program to collect data on illegal passing of stopped school buses. It requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to award grants to up to 12 diverse entities - including school districts, tribal agencies, public/private bus fleets, and communities with varying weather/socioeconomic backgrounds - to monitor and document specific incident details like location, weather, driver characteristics, and enforcement actions. After collecting this data, grantees must submit reports, leading to a national public safety campaign (using the collected data) and model legislation requiring illegal passing to be classified as a moving violation. The bill directly affects school transportation safety systems, law enforcement, and drivers who pass stopped school buses, focusing on data-driven prevention rather than new penalties.

Maddy summaryThe AUKUS Undersea Defense Act authorizes the transfer of Virginia-class submarines from the U.S. Navy to Australia as part of the trilateral security partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom. It establishes procedures for Australia to pay for these submarines and related costs, while creating a "Submarine Security Activities Account" to accept Australian contributions for non-nuclear aspects of submarine security activities. The bill also includes provisions for repair/refurbishment of submarines and training to support the development of Australia's submarine industrial base. These measures aim to enhance undersea capabilities and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region among the three nations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies collecting demographic survey data to begin including questions on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics (intersex traits) within 360 days of enactment. Agencies must review existing surveys to identify gaps, develop privacy-protective methods for collecting this data (including anonymization and data destruction protocols), and incorporate it into relevant reports within three years. The law applies to all federal surveys that collect standard demographic data (like race, ethnicity, and age), such as the census or health surveys, but does not compel individuals to disclose their status. It emphasizes maintaining confidentiality, allows limited agency waivers if standards can't be met, and mandates a congressional report on implementation within two years.