Rep. Angie Craig

Maddy summaryHR 1788, the "Goldie’s Act," strengthens USDA enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. It requires annual inspections of all regulated animal businesses (like dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors) and mandates immediate, humane confiscation of animals suffering due to violations, while prohibiting owners from destroying animals during this process. The bill increases civil penalties to $10,000 per violation, requires hearing panels including veterinarians, and mandates that penalties consider business size and violation severity. It also requires USDA to share violation records with local animal control within 24 hours.

Maddy summaryThe Healthy H2O Act establishes a federal grant program to help rural households and facilities improve drinking water quality by covering costs for point-of-use or point-of-entry water treatment systems, filter replacements, and related services. It directly assists eligible end users in rural areas - including homeowners, renters, child-care facilities, and small residential property owners - who have tested water containing health contaminants like lead, arsenic, or PFAS, while prioritizing private well users and limiting assistance to households with income below 150% of the median nonmetropolitan household income. Grants can fund certified treatment systems, installation by qualified professionals, maintenance, and water quality testing, administered by the Department of Agriculture with $10 million annually from 2024-2028. The program requires annual reports to Congress on progress, barriers to safe water access, and trends in treatment technology use to inform future improvements.

Maddy summaryHR 2802, the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, requires colleges and universities to include suicide prevention contact information on student identification cards. Specifically, institutions must list the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and their campus mental health center on new ID cards. Schools that don't issue ID cards must post this information on their websites instead. The requirement takes effect one year after the bill's enactment.

This bill expresses the sense of Congress that (1) medication abortion is appropriately approved and regulated under federal law, and (2) federal law preempts any in-person dispensing requirements or telehealth restrictions with respect to medication abortion under state law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the CDC to collect and publicly share information about concussions and brain injuries affecting public safety officers (including police, firefighters, and emergency responders). It directs the CDC to update its website with this information and develop targeted resources for medical professionals, employers, mental health providers, and families. The CDC must also consult with these groups to ensure the information meets their needs and support the creation of model treatment guidelines through grants. The law aims to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies for brain injuries in this workforce.

This resolution condemns the deliberate gas attacks on schoolgirls in Iran (up to 7,000 schoolgirls were poisoned in at least 290 attacks, according to human rights groups) and Iran's suppression of individuals participating in demonstrations. The resolution also urges the United States to initiate a formal process for an independent investigation and to work with the United Nations in investigating the gas attacks on schoolgirls in Iran.

Maddy summaryHR 2785, the REEF Act, amends a 2020 law to change when certain payments from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account take effect. It retroactively applies changes to these payments as if they had been in place before the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic ended. This directly affects railroad workers who receive unemployment benefits through this account, ensuring they receive payments under the revised timing. The bill's key change is making the effective date of these payment rules apply retroactively from before the pandemic emergency period.

American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2023 This bill eliminates the five-year amortization requirement for research and experimental expenditures, thus allowing continued expensing of such expenditures in the taxable years in which they are incurred.

Maddy summaryHR 2715, the Keep Our PACT Act, mandates increased federal funding for two key education programs. It requires specific annual funding levels for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (which supports high-poverty schools) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), guaranteeing students with disabilities access to a high-quality education. The bill sets mandatory funding amounts that rise each year, with IDEA funding gradually increasing to reach 40% of the national average per-pupil expenditure for students with disabilities by fiscal year 2033. This directly affects school districts receiving Title I funds and states administering IDEA services for students with disabilities. The bill fulfills a prior commitment made under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.

Maddy summaryHR 2725, the "Do No Harm Act," amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to clarify that RFRA does not apply when federal laws protect against discrimination or promote equal opportunity. It specifically exempts protections under the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, workplace benefits like leave, child labor safeguards, and healthcare access from RFRA challenges. The bill also clarifies that RFRA does not block private lawsuits between individuals, applying only to cases involving government entities. This amendment ensures that existing federal civil rights and workplace protections remain enforceable under RFRA.