Rep. Josh Gottheimer

Maddy summaryHR 3541, the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act of 2023, amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to include accounting education in school curricula. It requires schools to offer accounting career awareness and programs, particularly to students from groups underrepresented in accounting careers. The bill positions accounting as a STEM field and aims to expand student exposure to accounting through grade 12 courses. This change directly affects K-12 students and schools by integrating accounting into educational opportunities to diversify the future accounting workforce.

Maddy summaryThe CERTS Tax Exemption Act (HR 3510) exempts certain grants received by transportation service providers from federal taxation under the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act. It directly affects eligible transportation providers who receive these specific grants by excluding the grant amounts from their gross income and preventing related tax deductions or basis adjustments from being denied. Key provisions ensure that for partnerships and S corporations, excluded grant amounts are treated as tax-exempt income, and partner basis increases align with grant-funded costs. This creates a clear tax treatment for these grants without altering the underlying grant program.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes federal standards for labor-management cooperation between public safety employers (state and local governments) and public safety workers (law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel). It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if states substantially provide rights like collective bargaining, union representation, and binding arbitration for these workers. States found lacking would need to follow federal bargaining procedures after a two-year transition period or following the next legislative session. The bill explicitly respects existing state laws that provide comparable or better rights to public safety workers. It also prohibits strikes or work stoppages that would disrupt emergency services.

Maddy summaryHR 3538, the "No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act," requires Members of Congress to forfeit one day’s pay for each 24-hour period the government defaults on debt or shuts down due to funding gaps. If the debt limit is reached or a shutdown occurs, their pay is withheld during the crisis and held in escrow until the end of the 118th Congress (2025), after which any withheld funds are released. The bill applies only to the 2023-2025 congressional term and excludes days after the November 2024 election. It directly affects all Senators and Representatives by tying their compensation to avoiding government funding crises.

Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Justice to award grants to law enforcement and corrections agencies for behavioral health crisis response training.

Maddy summaryHR 3537 authorizes the minting of commemorative coins to mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service, established by the 1924 Rogers Act. The bill specifies three coin types ($5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad) with limited mintage (50,000 gold, 400,000 silver, 750,000 half-dollars) to be issued in 2025, featuring designs honoring diplomatic history. A surcharge on each coin sale ($35 for gold, $10 for silver, $5 for half-dollars) will fund the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) to support its oral history program and diplomatic preservation efforts. The coins will be legal tender, sold at cost-plus-surcharge, with all revenue directed to ADST per the bill's provisions.

Cut Red Tape For Online Sales Act This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned $5,000 or more. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. The bill also requires entities that report income to to issue a plain-language description of the taxability of income reported on Form 1099-K.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to create a threat assessment on how terrorists and foreign actors use cyber harassment - including doxing - to threaten individuals. The assessment must detail tactics, notable incidents, and risk indicators for law enforcement, while coordinating with privacy offices. It requires DHS to share the report with Congress within 180 days and publish it online, with state/local law enforcement receiving it via fusion centers. The bill does not create new laws or penalties but focuses on information gathering about existing threats. (Procedural bill; summary limited to key action and scope.)

Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act This bill directs the President to report annually to Congress on fugitives and other individuals with respect to whom the United States is seeking extradition from other countries. The report shall contain information on the number of such individuals, U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure their return, and the factors that have prevented the resolution of outstanding cases.

Maddy summaryHR 3392, the Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act of 2023, requires the Air National Guard to maintain at least 25 fighter squadrons (each with a minimum of 18 aircraft) by mandating one-for-one replacement of existing squadrons by 2034. The bill directs the Air Force Secretary to develop and submit a recapitalization plan to Congress within 120 days of enactment, including modernizing squadrons and fielding new "Next Generation Air Dominance" systems. This directly affects the Air National Guard's fighter force structure, setting specific numerical requirements for aircraft and squadrons. The law allows limited waivers for extraordinary circumstances but maintains the core 2034 deadline for full recapitalization.