Rep. Wiley Nickel

Maddy summaryHR 5979, the VA Home Loan Awareness Act of 2023, requires lenders using the standard home loan application form to add a specific disclaimer below the military service question. The disclaimer states: "If yes, you may qualify for a VA Home Loan. Consult your lender regarding eligibility." This change must be implemented within six months of the bill's enactment. The bill also mandates a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study within 18 months to check if less than 80% of lenders are including this disclaimer. The policy directly affects veterans and military service members who may qualify for VA home loans but are not currently being informed of this option during the loan application process.

Maddy summaryHR 5908, the "Strengthening Communities through Summer Employment Act," authorizes $200 million to $240 million annually (2024-2028) for the Department of Labor to fund summer youth employment programs. It requires grantees to provide subsidized summer jobs (minimum 4 weeks at minimum wage) for youth under 25, including mandatory mentoring, job training, and post-program support to improve graduation rates, college enrollment, employment, and reduce crime. Programs must prioritize communities with high youth unemployment and violent crime, and serve historically underserved youth in rural or suburban areas. The bill also mandates independent evaluations to measure long-term impacts on participants’ education, employment, and criminal justice outcomes.

Maddy summaryHR 5895 amends the Higher Education Act to allow historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to use existing grant funds for specific arts-related activities. The bill adds new provisions enabling HBCUs to provide financial assistance to arts students, establish arts outreach programs, offer wraparound student services (like mentorship and career advising), maintain Black art collections, and create paid arts internships through partnerships. This directly affects HBCUs by expanding how they can allocate current funding to strengthen their arts programs and support Black artists. The key mechanism is modifying Section 323 of the Higher Education Act to include these new uses, with optional partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Maddy summaryHR 5653, the "No Budget, No Pay Act," requires Congress to pass a budget plan by April 15 and all annual funding bills by September 30 each year, or members lose pay for the period starting the day after each deadline until the bills are approved. It directly affects all voting Members of Congress (including delegates) during the specified penalty periods, excluding the Vice President. The bill imposes a financial consequence for missing these budget deadlines, aiming to incentivize timely fiscal planning by withholding compensation for the duration of the delay. This is a procedural mechanism focused on budget process deadlines, not on substantive policy changes.

Maddy summaryHR 5837, the Protecting America's Property Rights Act, requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to only purchase conventional mortgages for one- to four-family homes if the mortgage is secured by real property with title insurance from a licensed company in the property's state. It also mandates that both entities must get prior approval from the Federal Housing Finance Agency Director and Treasury Secretary before launching new programs, with semi-annual congressional reports on these programs. The bill updates the definition of "conforming mortgage" to include this title insurance requirement. These changes directly affect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's mortgage operations and indirectly impact homeowners, lenders, and title insurance companies operating in the states where properties are located.

Maddy summaryHR 5667, the Pay Our Military Act, ensures continued pay and allowances for active-duty military members, reservists, Department of Defense civilians, and qualifying contractors during any government funding gap in fiscal year 2024. It appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover these payments if regular appropriations bills aren't passed before the end of the fiscal year. The funding automatically terminates once regular appropriations are enacted or by January 1, 2025, whichever comes first.

Maddy summaryThe Feed Our Families Act of 2023 ensures SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits continue for 90 days during the first government shutdown in any fiscal year after 2023. It appropriates emergency funds from the Treasury to cover SNAP operations without requiring new congressional approval during this period. The funds are held in reserve and used solely for SNAP program needs, such as food assistance payments. This directly affects low-income households relying on SNAP for food security during funding gaps.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires websites and applications used by public entities, businesses, and employers to be accessible to people with disabilities. It directs the Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to establish accessibility standards within 24 months, with special consideration for small businesses. The law defines accessibility as websites that are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for people with disabilities. It also creates a technical assistance center to help entities comply and provides grants to small businesses to fix inaccessible websites. The bill aims to ensure equal digital access for people with disabilities, building on existing ADA protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents federal regulators from requiring banks, credit unions, and trust companies to treat custody assets (like digital assets held for clients) as liabilities on their financial statements or to hold extra capital against them. It specifically stops institutions from recognizing liabilities for digital asset services they don’t own, unless those liabilities exceed related expenses. The law applies broadly to depository institutions but includes an exception: commingled cash held for third parties must still be listed as a liability. Key provisions aim to clarify accounting rules for digital assets, reducing regulatory complexity for financial institutions managing client custody. It directly affects banks, credit unions, and trust companies handling digital assets or custody services.

Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act This bill expands the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) producer indemnity and compensation program to include compensation for all poultry growers and layers located in an APHIS-determined control area.  Currently, APHIS provides indemnity and compensation to producers to remove animals classified as affected, suspect, or exposed to diseases of concern, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). An APHIS-determined  control area consists of both an infected zone and a buffer zone.  Under the bill, APHIS must compensate all owners of poultry growing or laying facilities for flocks of birds that the facility owner was prohibited from growing or laying due to the location of the facility within a control area. This may include facilities that are located in the buffer zones and have non-infected poultry. Further, the bill establishes a new compensation payment formula that requires payments to be based on the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks. Under the bill, APHIS's compensation determination is final and not subject to judicial or administrative review (other than by the Secretary of Agriculture or a designee).