Rep. Don Bacon

Maddy summaryHR 7873, the Firearm Due Process Protection Act, directly affects individuals denied firearm purchases through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The bill requires courts to hold hearings on challenges to NICS denials within 30 days and shifts the burden to the government to prove eligibility by "clear and convincing evidence." It also mandates annual FBI reports to Congress detailing the number of challenges processed, reversals of denials, and processing times. These provisions aim to expedite due process for people seeking to correct inaccurate NICS records affecting their firearm rights.

Tip Tax Termination Act  This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, eligible tips not exceeding $20,000 in a taxable year. The bill defines eligible tips as amounts received by a taxpayer while performing services in a position that generally relies on tips as part of wages, including cosmetology, hospitality, and food service. This tax exclusion terminates with respect to tips received after 2028.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes a federal grant program to improve swimming pool and spa safety, targeting states, Indian Tribes, and qualifying nonprofits (501(c)(3) organizations with pool safety experience). It requires applicants to already have state or tribal laws meeting minimum safety standards for pools built after a certain date. Grant funds must be used for at least 25% on hiring/inspecting drain covers and enforcement, with the remainder for public education on drowning prevention - prioritizing underserved, rural, or minority communities with higher drowning rates. The program is funded at $5 million annually from 2024-2028, with recipients required to submit annual reports on grant use and effectiveness.

Maddy summaryHR 661, "Sarah’s Law," requires U.S. immigration authorities to detain certain immigrants charged with crimes causing death or serious injury. It applies to immigrants who entered without proper inspection, held revoked temporary visas, or fall under specific deportation categories, and who face charges for violent crimes. The bill mandates that immigration officials notify victims or their families (like parents or spouses) about the immigrant’s identity, immigration status, custody details, and removal efforts. This law does not change existing victim rights but adds specific notification requirements for these cases.

Maddy summaryHR 7866, the United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation Enhancement Act, increases funding for U.S.-Israel collaboration on anti-tunnel technology from $50 million to $80 million. The bill directly affects U.S. defense and homeland security agencies working with Israel to detect, map, and disrupt underground terror tunnels used by groups like Hamas. Key provisions include authorizing the higher funding level under existing law to enhance joint efforts against subterranean threats, such as tunnels used for attacks, weapon storage, and hostage holding beneath civilian areas in Gaza. This focuses on concrete policy changes to scale up bilateral cooperation on a specific security technology.

Maddy summaryHR 7808, the EARLY Minds Act, amends the Public Health Service Act to require states receiving federal mental health funds to include evidence-based prevention and early intervention strategies for children and adolescents in their state plans. It allows states to use up to 5% of their annual mental health allotment to support these programs, which aim to prevent, delay, or reduce the severity of mental health issues before they become serious. States must report biennially to Congress by 2025 on the programs they implement, including demographics served, outcomes like reduced care access delays, and how programs lessen the onset of serious mental illness. The bill directly affects states administering federal mental health funds and targets youth populations aged 0-18.

Maddy summaryHR 7801, the Sultana Steamboat Disaster Commemorative Coin Act of 2024, authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins honoring the 1865 Sultana steamboat disaster - the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history, which killed nearly 1,200 people. The bill specifies three coin types ($5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad) to be minted between January 1, 2027, and December 31, 2027, with surcharges from sales directed to the Sultana Historical Preservation Society for museum development and artifact preservation. The coins will be sold at face value plus surcharges ($5-$35 per coin), and the funds must support constructing a museum, exhibits, and preserving disaster-related history. This bill does not create new laws but enables commemorative coin sales to fund a specific historical preservation effort.

Child Tax Credit Integrity Act   This bill requires an individual taxpayer to provide social security account numbers to claim the child tax credit. The social security number must be that of the taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse (for joint returns) and the child named on the tax return.

Maddy summaryThe PREPARE Act of 2024 requires the U.S. government to create a Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Reserve for essential generic medicines - common, critical drugs like antibiotics, life-saving treatments, and those needed for public health emergencies. It mandates an annual review of a publicly listed set of these medicines (based on an existing FDA list), with updates considering supply chain risks, geographic concentration, and needs for specific populations like children. The bill sets phased targets: by 2034, the reserve must hold 90% of key drug components needed to produce these medicines for U.S. patients, prioritizing domestic manufacturing to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. This aims to prevent shortages during emergencies by ensuring a stable supply of essential drugs through government stockpiling and strategic partnerships with domestic manufacturers.

Maddy summaryHRES 987 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 31, 2024, by multiple Republican members. It formally denounces the Biden administration’s energy policies as "harmful" and "anti-American," citing specific actions like canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, restricting federal land leasing for oil and gas, blocking LNG exports, and implementing mineral extraction rules. The resolution does not create new laws or affect any group directly; it serves only as a formal expression of disapproval by the House. It has no legal effect and is intended to convey political opposition to the administration’s approach to energy development.