Rep. James P. McGovern

Maddy summaryHR 3126, the "Keep Kupuna Fed Act," amends the Food and Nutrition Act to exclude Social Security income (specifically title II benefits) from being counted when determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. This change directly affects older adults, particularly Native Hawaiian elders ("kupuna"), who receive Social Security benefits and rely on SNAP for food assistance. The key provision modifies how household income is calculated for SNAP, ensuring that Social Security payments do not reduce or eliminate an individual's eligibility for food assistance. The bill aims to prevent older adults from losing critical food support due to their Social Security income being counted against SNAP limits. This is a technical adjustment to existing eligibility rules, not a new benefit or program.

Maddy summaryThe Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023 amends the Food and Nutrition Act to update how SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits are calculated. It replaces the "thrifty food plan" with a "low-cost food plan" based on a specific 4-person family diet, requiring the government to reevaluate this plan by 2029 and every 5 years after. The bill also updates medical expense deductions, eliminates time limits on benefits, and allows Puerto Rico to join SNAP with specific transition requirements. These changes directly affect SNAP recipients, particularly in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska, by adjusting benefit calculations to better reflect current food costs.

Maddy summaryHRES 459 is a resolution expressing the House of Representatives' support for designating June 2, 2023, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2023 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It encourages the public to wear orange, promote gun safety awareness, and discuss community safety measures during this time, particularly highlighting the summer months when gun violence often increases. The resolution references statistics on gun violence deaths and pays tribute to victims like Hadiya Pendleton, but does not create new laws or impose requirements.

This resolution honors the humanitarian work of Dr. Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral e Abranches, Consul of Portugal in Bordeaux, France, following the Nazi invasion of France. The resolution states that he acted with great courage and at personal risk to issue visas that spared many thousands of people from the Nazi occupation of France and the Holocaust.

Maddy summaryHR 3713 creates federal grants to fund comprehensive school-based mental health programs for students in grades K-12, including those in Bureau of Indian Education schools. It requires partnerships between schools and community mental health providers to deliver trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services addressing suicide risk, grief, violence, and trauma exposure. The bill authorizes $300 million annually (2024-2027) for these programs, mandating privacy protections under HIPAA and FERPA, and requires annual reporting on program effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThe Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2023 requires states to establish a policy mandating annual suicide prevention training for school staff and high school students (grades 9-12). The training must be evidence-based, cover recognizing suicide warning signs, appropriate responses, and referrals to mental health services, while including cultural competency. It allocates $48 million in federal funds, with at least 15% dedicated to supporting this training program, and requires states to collaborate with mental health experts. The bill directly affects school staff and high school students in states that adopt the policy and receive federal funding.

Maddy summaryHR 3660, the BOSS and SWIFT ACT of 2023, requires all ticket sellers (both primary sellers like venues and secondary marketplaces) to clearly display the total ticket cost - including base price and all mandatory fees - before purchase. It mandates itemized pricing showing base price separately from fees, prohibits hidden price changes during checkout, and ensures refunds for non-delivery (with options for full refund or replacement). The law also bans deceptive website designs that obscure pricing choices and restricts secondary marketplaces from using misleading domain names or hiding ticket ownership details. These rules apply to all ticket sales for events like concerts and sports, aiming to increase transparency for consumers.

This resolution calls on the Senate to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, also known as CEDAW.

This bill allows a new tax credit for a taxpayer's employment-related expenses necessary to care for a dependent who has attained age 50. Employment-related expenses include (1) expenses for household services; and (2) expenses for the care of the dependent, including respite care and hospice care. The expenses must be incurred to enable the taxpayer to be gainfully employed for any period for which there are one or more dependents that qualify for the credit. The bill limits the amount of such credit to $3,000 for the care of one dependent and $6,000 for the care of two or more dependents of the taxpayer in a taxable year.

Reward Work Act This bill prohibits issuers from purchasing their own securities on a national exchange. The bill also requires one-third of an issuer's board of directors to be elected by employees in order for the issuer to be allowed to register securities.