Rep. Josh Gottheimer

Maddy summaryThe PSLF Payment Completion Fairness Act (HR 2949) amends the Higher Education Act to clarify eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. It revises Section 455(m)(1)(B) by removing the phrase "is employed" and related text, replacing it with "has been" to focus solely on payment completion. This change ensures borrowers qualify for loan forgiveness once they've made 120 qualifying payments, regardless of current employment status. The bill directly affects federal student loan borrowers working in public service jobs who are seeking loan forgiveness under the PSLF program.

Maddy summaryThe PREPARE Act establishes a new pre-disaster mitigation loan program for small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA). It authorizes $25 million annually from 2024 to 2028 to provide loans of up to $500,000 per business, enabling small businesses to fund projects that protect their property and operations from disaster damage (e.g., flood barriers or structural reinforcements). The SBA must conduct targeted outreach to businesses in economically distressed areas, offer technical assistance, and require borrowers to maintain insurance during loan terms. Annual reports will track program outcomes, including project types, cost savings avoided, and regional impacts, to evaluate effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes $350 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2026 to establish the "Baltic Security Initiative," a U.S. defense program focused on strengthening security cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the "Baltic countries"). It requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy within one year to enhance military capabilities like missile defense, cyber resilience, long-range weapons, and coordination with NATO allies - including Poland - to deter Russian aggression and address security threats from Russia and China. The initiative operates under existing U.S. defense authorities (Title 10, U.S. Code) and mandates a report to Congress detailing how these security objectives will be achieved. The bill directly affects U.S. defense funding and the security planning of the three Baltic nations.

Maddy summaryThe Child Care for Working Families Act establishes a federal entitlement program providing subsidized child care for working families with children under age 6 who are not yet in kindergarten. It creates a sliding fee scale where families at or below 85% of State median income pay no copayment, while higher-income families pay up to 7% of their income based on income thresholds. The bill requires states to develop quality rating systems for child care providers and ensures providers receive sufficient funding to meet quality standards, including wages equivalent to elementary educators. It prioritizes access for underserved populations including children with disabilities, infants and toddlers, children experiencing homelessness, and families in low-income communities. The program is funded with $20 billion for fiscal year 2024 and subsequent years through 2029.

Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act of 2023 or the FAIR Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute.

Maddy summaryThe Drone Act of 2023 strengthens federal criminal penalties for dangerous drone misuse by expanding existing laws. It specifically targets: weaponizing drones with firearms or explosives (penalties up to 20 years), using drones to transport contraband into prisons or across borders, operating drones near aircraft in restricted airspace (addressing safety risks like 875 airport sightings in 2020), and interfering with law enforcement or emergency operations. The law applies to anyone knowingly violating these rules, including those using drones for criminal activities like border smuggling or prison contraband delivery. Penalties range from fines and up to 5 years imprisonment for lesser offenses to 20 years for causing serious harm or death.

Maddy summaryThe Apprenticeship Hubs Across America Act of 2023 creates a federal grant program to fund organizations (called "workforce intermediaries") that help employers establish registered apprenticeship programs in high-growth industries like health care, technology, and advanced manufacturing. These intermediaries receive competitive grants of up to $6 million each (with a 20% non-federal matching requirement) to provide employer outreach, program design support, and apprentice services, prioritizing sectors with low current apprenticeship participation. The program requires grantees to focus on expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups (such as women, minorities, and veterans) and tracks outcomes like program completion rates and post-apprenticeship earnings. Authorized at $25 million annually from 2024-2028, the bill mandates performance evaluations to determine future funding based on results in creating accessible, high-quality apprenticeships.

Maddy summaryThe Ukraine Human Rights Policy Act of 2023 requires the President to report to Congress within 60 days on whether a person meets criteria for sanctions related to human rights abuses in Ukraine and whether sanctions are imposed. It mandates the Secretary of State to include specific details in an annual report about human rights abuses by Russian forces in Ukraine and against forcibly relocated Ukrainians, including conditions in detention camps and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The report must cover assessments of abuse methods, forced adoptions of Ukrainian children, efforts to renounce faith, and U.S. diplomatic efforts to address violations through sanctions. This bill establishes reporting requirements and congressional oversight for existing sanctions processes without creating new sanctions.

Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the above-the-line tax deduction for the expenses of performing artists (including commissions paid to managers or agents) to provide for a phaseout of such deduction for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 ($200,000 for joint return filers). The $100,000 phaseout threshold is adjusted for inflation annually for taxable years beginning after 2023.

Raise the Age Act of 2023 This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle or semiautomatic center-fire shotgun that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.