Rep. Brad Finstad

Maddy summaryHR 3179, the Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2023, provides federal grants to colleges offering construction and manufacturing apprenticeship programs. It funds two key initiatives: (1) Community Outreach Grants to help colleges recruit students and partner with employers, especially in rural areas and for underrepresented groups like first-generation, minority, and nontraditional students; and (2) Student Support Grants to improve retention through services like career advising, mental health resources, and childcare. The bill allocates $5 million annually (2024-2028) for these programs, with each college receiving up to $500,000 per grant. It directly affects apprenticeship colleges, their students, and local employers by expanding access to skilled trades careers.

Maddy summaryThe ACRE Act of 2023 amends the tax code to exclude interest income from certain rural and agricultural loans from taxable income for eligible lenders. It directly affects banks, savings associations, and their wholly-owned entities that provide qualified loans secured by rural or agricultural real estate, including single-family homes in designated rural areas (with a $750,000 loan balance cap) or aquaculture facilities. The key provision allows these lenders to exclude interest earned on qualifying loans from their gross income, effectively reducing their tax liability on such lending activity. The bill applies to loans made after its enactment date and aligns with existing definitions of rural property from the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a restriction that previously barred people in jail or prison while awaiting trial from receiving Medicaid health benefits. It directly affects individuals in custody pending legal proceedings by allowing states to provide Medicaid coverage for their medical care during this time. The bill also allocates $50 million in planning grants to help states develop systems to enroll these individuals, recruit healthcare providers who can serve them, and establish electronic billing for services provided in correctional facilities or through outpatient care. Key provisions require states to assess healthcare needs, eliminate policy barriers, and create plans to increase provider participation in Medicaid for this population.

Maddy summaryHR 3039, the DRIVE Act, prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from requiring speed limiting devices on trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds operating in interstate commerce. This directly affects commercial trucking companies and drivers transporting goods across state lines. The bill's key provision explicitly bans the FMCSA from issuing any rule mandating such devices, which are typically set to limit vehicle speed. The law applies specifically to interstate trucking operations and does not affect state-level regulations.

This resolution urges transatlantic unity on a robust deterrence policy to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The resolution also (1) encourages NATO allies to work with their partners in the Indo-Pacific to address shared global security challenges; and (2) commends the people of Taiwan for their commitment to democracy, civil liberties, and human rights.

Rebuilding Rural Roads Act This bill modifies the definition of rural area that is used for the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program. For the purposes of the program, the bill defines rural area as an area outside an urbanized area that has a population of over 20,000. (Current law requires a rural area to be outside of an urbanized area with a population of over 200,000.) The grant program supports projects that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, generate regional economic growth, and improve quality of life. Eligible applicants for the grant program include states, regional transportation planning organizations, local governments, and tribal governments.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the tax deduction rate for volunteer drivers who transport people or property for qualifying organizations. It sets a minimum standard mileage rate of 14 cents per mile for general charitable driving but allows the IRS to set a higher rate (at least equal to the standard business mileage rate) specifically for volunteer transportation services. The change directly affects volunteers driving for tax-exempt organizations like charities, religious groups, or community nonprofits. It modifies IRS rules to better align charitable mileage deductions with current business travel rates. The policy change applies to tax returns filed for 2023 and later.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits financial institutions (like banks and credit card processors) from using special transaction codes that separately identify firearm or ammunition sellers. It directly affects gun retailers and the financial services they use, ensuring these businesses are treated the same as other merchants for payment processing. The key provision amends the Truth in Lending Act to ban covered entities from categorizing firearm transactions differently, requiring uniform handling of all business types. This changes how payment systems classify transactions but does not alter gun ownership laws.

Maddy summaryHR 3024, the Life Saving Leave Act, amends the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide eligible employees with up to 40 hours of additional unpaid leave per year for bone marrow or blood stem cell donation activities. This leave covers predonation, donation, and postdonation medical care, and can be taken intermittently. Employees may substitute accrued paid leave (like vacation or sick days) for this time, but employers cannot require it. The bill requires employees to give employers at least 30 days' notice (or as soon as practicable if urgent) and to schedule the leave to minimize disruption.

Maddy summaryHR 2928, the Responsible Borrower Protection Act of 2023, blocks the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and mortgage enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) from implementing specific changes to mortgage credit fees announced in January 2023. The bill directly affects mortgage borrowers and lenders by reversing a pricing framework update that would have altered fees for single-family mortgages. It prohibits the FHFA from enforcing the January 2023 pricing changes detailed in FHFA's announcement and related lender letters. The bill clarifies that enterprises may still use risk-based pricing for mortgage fees, but the specific fee adjustments from the 2023 framework are canceled. This is a direct policy change to mortgage fee structures, not a broader reform.