Rep. Don Bacon

Maddy summaryHR 9561, the Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act of 2025, ensures that U.S. Border Patrol Agents and Customs and Border Protection officers working during a government shutdown receive their salaries. It appropriates funds from the Treasury (not regular appropriations) to cover their pay during any lapse in discretionary funding in fiscal year 2025. This bill directly affects these specific federal employees who are required to work during shutdowns but would otherwise face pay delays. It is a procedural measure focused solely on payment mechanisms, not on changing work requirements or policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a federal grant program to help law enforcement agencies recruit officers from underrepresented communities. It authorizes $50 million annually (2025-2029) for states and local agencies to fund recruitment campaigns and "Pathways to Policing" programs. These programs provide financial support during training for candidates facing education barriers, with no prior law enforcement experience, who are members of underrepresented groups or have nontraditional backgrounds. Grants prioritize agencies targeting underrepresented communities and officers who will serve or live near the communities they protect.

Maddy summaryThe National STEM Week Act designates an annual National STEM Week to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. It directs a federal committee to coordinate activities encouraging schools, families, and STEM industry partners to host events like student mentorship programs and home-based learning. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on participation rates and the impact of these activities on improving STEM engagement. It directly affects educational institutions (from elementary to college), students, families, and STEM businesses across all 50 states and territories.

Maddy summaryHR 9577, the STOP Suicide Act, provides $30 million annually (2025-2029) to fund grants for community health centers, schools, crisis centers, and tribal organizations to implement immediate suicide crisis intervention services. The grants support evidence-based outpatient, virtual, or peer-led care in the least restrictive setting to stabilize individuals experiencing acute suicidal thoughts. Grant recipients must include a plan for sustaining services after the 5-year grant period ends, and the program requires annual evaluations of the funded models. This bill directly affects health providers serving at-risk individuals by creating new funding for crisis stabilization services.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) for transactions involving agricultural land, biotechnology, or agriculture-related infrastructure (like transportation, storage, or processing). It requires the Secretary to notify CFIUS about transactions where a foreign person from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran acquires U.S. agricultural assets, as defined by existing law. CFIUS then decides whether to review such transactions or take other action. The provisions apply only to transactions involving those four countries and sunset once they are removed from the official list of "foreign adversaries" in federal regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program to expand eligibility for career services to include Gold Star spouses (spouses of service members who died while on active duty) and surviving spouses (spouses of veterans who died from service-connected causes). It updates existing program language to replace references to "veterans" with "veterans or eligible persons" and adds a new definition clarifying that "eligible person" includes these spouses. The change directly affects spouses who lost their partners in military service, allowing them to access the same career counseling and job placement services previously available only to veterans. The bill modifies existing program provisions without creating new services or funding.

Maddy summaryHR 7159, the Pacific Partnership Act, mandates the U.S. government to develop a comprehensive strategy for engagement with Pacific Island nations. It requires the President, by January 1, 2026, and every four years thereafter, to submit a detailed strategy to Congress outlining U.S. diplomatic, defense, and economic goals in the region, including assessments of threats like natural disasters, illegal fishing, and foreign military activity. The strategy must detail plans to address these threats, coordinate with Pacific Island governments and regional organizations like the Pacific Islands Forum, and outline required resources and staffing. This bill directly affects U.S. foreign policy operations and shapes how the federal government engages with Pacific Island nations on shared security, economic, and environmental priorities.

Seniors in the Workforce Tax Relief Act This bill allows an above-the-line tax deduction through 2028 for individual taxpayers who have attained age 65 at the end of the taxable year. The deduction is equal to $25,000 reduced by a percentage of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income.

Maddy summaryThe SOIL Act (HR 8448) establishes a pilot program to create a pre-approval process for direct farm ownership loans under existing law, aiming to streamline applications and provide greater certainty for borrowers. It allows the Farm Service Agency to set eligibility requirements for these loans while maintaining current borrowing rules. The program runs until September 30, 2029, and requires annual reports to Congress on its implementation and results. This directly affects farmers seeking to purchase land through USDA-owned farm ownership loans.

Maddy summaryHR 8447, the American Agricultural Security Act of 2024, establishes new agricultural research centers of excellence to address key security threats. These centers, hosted by eligible institutions like land-grant universities and Hispanic-serving colleges, focus on four areas: biosecurity/cybersecurity for the food supply, agricultural engineering, digital agriculture (including AI), and foreign animal diseases. The bill requires geographic diversity in center locations, mandates partnerships with federal agencies and industry to avoid duplication, and allocates $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025-2029. It also creates a separate grant program to fund research on protecting the food system from threats, with annual reporting requirements to Congress.