Rep. Rashida Tlaib

Maddy summaryThe RESTORE Act establishes a National Freedom Settlements Preservation Program to identify, document, and support communities established by formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War, commonly known as Freedmen's Settlements, Freedom Colonies, or Black Towns. The program authorizes $3 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2031 to provide grants for preservation, research, cultural documentation, and educational programming related to these settlements, with projects requiring consent from private property owners. It creates a registry of identified settlements, including examples like Nicodemus, Kansas; Africatown, Alabama; and Freedmen's Town in Houston, and establishes an Advisory Committee composed of community members, descendants, and experts in African-American history. The program requires consultation with local communities, descendants, and experts before providing funding for preservation efforts. This legislation aims to recognize these historically significant communities and provide resources to preserve their history and support their development.

Maddy summaryHR 1715, the Public Health Funding Restoration Act, restores annual funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund to $2 billion starting in fiscal year 2026. This bill directly affects federal public health programs, including the CDC’s immunization initiatives and state/local health departments, by reversing prior funding cuts. It amends the Affordable Care Act to set the annual funding level at $2 billion, enabling continued support for evidence-based prevention programs like childhood lead poisoning prevention, tobacco cessation, and immunizations. The restored funding aims to maintain existing programs proven to reduce healthcare costs and improve community health outcomes. This change specifically targets the Prevention and Public Health Fund (Section 4002 of the ACA) without creating new programs.

Maddy summaryThe Social Security Expansion Act increases Social Security benefits for retirees and disabled workers by raising the first bend point percentage from 90% to 95% and adding an 18% increase for individuals eligible after 2025. It extends benefit eligibility for children who are full-time students until age 22 (from age 19 for most children) and establishes a new minimum benefit based on years worked, with higher percentages for longer work histories (ranging from 11.25% for 11 years to 125% for 30+ years). The bill also changes the cost-of-living adjustment to use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers and adds new taxes on income above $250,000 and investment gains, increasing the tax rate on investment gains from 3.8% to 16.2%. These changes will primarily affect retirees, disabled workers, children of beneficiaries, and high-income earners.

Maddy summaryHR 1718 would establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site at Public School 103 in Baltimore, Maryland - the elementary school attended by Justice Thurgood Marshall - making it an affiliated area of the National Park System. The bill specifies that the Beloved Community Services Corporation, which currently owns and operates the building, will continue as the site's management entity. It requires the National Park Service to provide technical assistance and enter cooperative agreements for interpretation and preservation, but explicitly prohibits federal acquisition of the property or assumption of operational costs. This designation preserves the site for public education about Marshall's early life and legacy without altering ownership or federal financial responsibility.

Maddy summaryHR 1759, the Affordable PLUS Repayment Options for Parents Act of 2025, allows parents who borrowed Federal Direct PLUS loans to pay for their dependent child's education to enroll in income-driven repayment plans. The bill removes a previous exclusion that barred these PLUS loans from income-contingent and income-based repayment plans under the Higher Education Act. Key provisions amend Sections 455 and 493C to make PLUS loans for dependent students and related consolidation loans eligible for these plans. This change applies to borrowers with outstanding balances on such loans who are repaying or will repay under these specific plans, effective upon the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 1645, the Climate and Health Protection Act, continues the Climate and Health program within the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (or a successor program) through 2026 and beyond. It directs the program to translate climate science for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments; create tools to help communities prepare for climate impacts; and lead public health planning for climate change. The bill authorizes $110 million annually for this program, with a strict rule that these funds cannot be redirected to other CDC programs. This funding and structure directly affect public health agencies and communities preparing for climate-related health risks.

Maddy summaryThe Pell Grant Sustainability Act (HR 1666) requires the federal government to automatically adjust the maximum Pell Grant amount each year based on inflation, starting with $1,060 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This adjustment uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure grants keep pace with rising college costs, directly affecting low-income students who rely on Pell Grants to afford higher education. The bill amends the Higher Education Act to mandate this annual inflation-based increase, rounding the final amount to the nearest $5. It aims to reverse the decades-long decline in grant purchasing power, which covered 80% of college costs in 1974-75 but only 31% by 2022-23.

Maddy summaryThe Keep Americans Safe Act (HR 1674) restricts the sale, transfer, and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCFDs) - defined as magazines or similar devices holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition - for most individuals. Exceptions allow law enforcement officers (including campus law enforcement), retired officers, and nuclear security personnel to possess LCFDs under specific conditions. The bill requires new LCFDs to have serial numbers and manufacturing dates, permits federal seizure of violative devices, and authorizes federal grant programs to fund buy-back initiatives for LCFDs. It directly affects gun owners and manufacturers while preserving access for covered law enforcement and security personnel.

Maddy summaryThe MEME Act prohibits federal officials - including the president, vice president, members of Congress, and their immediate family - from issuing, sponsoring, or promoting financial assets (such as cryptocurrencies, meme coins, or securities) for personal financial gain. It applies during their term of service and for 180 days before/after, targeting misuse of public office for private profit. Violations carry civil penalties up to $250,000, require disgorgement of profits, and allow private lawsuits for harm caused. The bill specifically defines "covered assets" to include digital assets like meme coins, aiming to prevent conflicts of interest and corruption through financial exploitation.

Maddy summaryHR 1657, the Humane Cosmetics Act of 2025, prohibits cosmetic companies from conducting or contracting animal testing for products sold in the U.S. beginning one year after the law takes effect. It also bans the sale or transport of cosmetics developed using such testing after that date, with limited exemptions (e.g., for foreign regulatory requirements or when no non-animal safety alternatives exist). The bill directly affects cosmetic manufacturers, retailers, and distributors by requiring them to shift to non-animal testing methods. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will enforce the law, including reviewing records and imposing civil penalties for violations.