Hot Foods Act of 2025 This bill expands the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to permit the use of SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption.
Maddy summaryHR 2357, the Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025, removes a restriction that previously barred workers on strike from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to eliminate language making workers ineligible for SNAP "as a result of being on strike," ensuring striking workers are not automatically denied food assistance during labor disputes. This change directly affects workers participating in strikes who would otherwise lose access to SNAP benefits. The key mechanism updates the eligibility rules to prevent SNAP ineligibility solely due to strike participation.
Maddy summaryHR 2185, the Mink VIRUS Act, prohibits fur farming of mink in the U.S. beginning one year after enactment (Section 2(a)). It requires painless mink termination methods meeting federal euthanasia standards and AVMA guidelines (Section 2(b)), with civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The bill establishes a USDA payment program (Section 3) to compensate fur farm owners for compliance costs and the market value of their mink operations (valued as of the day before enactment), subject to restrictions on fund use and permanent land easements banning future fur farming. The law directly affects mink fur farm owners and operators, ending commercial mink farming while providing financial transition support.
Maddy summaryThe Fight Fentanyl Act increases annual funding for fentanyl-related law enforcement efforts to $333 million from 2025 through 2030. It requires the Office of National Drug Control Policy to report annually on how HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) funds target fentanyl trafficking, including seizure data and threat assessments. The bill also mandates the Attorney General to prioritize fentanyl prosecutions by temporarily reassigning U.S. attorneys to these cases. These provisions directly affect federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies working on fentanyl interdiction and prosecution.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases the federal tax credit for rehabilitating historic buildings. It raises the standard credit rate from 20% to 30% for qualifying small projects (with a $3.75 million expenditure cap) and further increases the cap to $5 million for projects in rural areas. The bill also allows taxpayers to transfer all or part of this credit to another taxpayer, creating a new market for the credit. These changes apply to properties placed in service after the bill's enactment date. The bill directly affects developers and owners of historic properties seeking tax incentives for rehabilitation projects.
Maddy summaryHR 2948, the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2025, authorizes $360 million annually from 2025-2027 to fund gun buyback programs across the country. The bill creates a grant program for states, local governments, tribal governments, and eligible gun dealers to collect firearms from individuals using "smart prepaid cards" that cannot be used to purchase guns. Participants would pay 125% of a gun's market value (with possible increases for modified weapons) and must destroy all collected firearms and ammunition within 30 days. The program requires criminal background checks on all collected weapons and prohibits reselling any guns obtained through the initiative, with a new federal criminal provision making it illegal to use these cards for firearm transactions.
Maddy summaryHR 2947, the Deafblind DATA Act, requires the U.S. Census Bureau to publish an annual data table starting in 2026 showing individuals who reported both hearing and vision loss in the American Community Survey. The table will include demographic details (sex, race, age) and economic factors (employment, education, income, poverty status) for people in each state, without revealing personal identifiers. This bill directly addresses the lack of centralized data on the deafblind population (estimated at 10,000 children and 40,000 adults by the National Center on Deafblindness), which currently prevents accurate service planning. The Census Bureau must also report to Congress within 180 days on feasibility of expanding such data collection. The Act does not change existing services but aims to improve understanding of this population's needs through better data.
Maddy summaryHR 2949, the Working Families Task Force Act of 2025, establishes a federal task force to examine challenges facing working families and develop policy recommendations. The task force, led by the Secretary of Labor and including representatives from 9 agencies (like Health, Education, Housing, and Small Business), will meet quarterly to study issues such as affordable childcare, livable wages, housing access, healthcare costs, and workforce training. It must submit a report to Congress within 180 days, detailing findings, stakeholder consultations, and recommendations for improving working families' quality of life. This bill creates a research and coordination mechanism but does not enact new laws or funding.
Maddy summaryHR 2816, the Shell Company Abuse Act, prohibits using shell companies to hide foreign nationals' prohibited election contributions. It makes it a federal crime for corporate owners, officers, or agents to establish or operate a corporation specifically to conceal such foreign election activities. Violators face up to five years in prison, fines, or both. The bill directly targets individuals who create these entities to circumvent existing laws banning foreign interference in U.S. elections.
Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Act or the WISE Act This bill expands eligibility for U nonimmigrant visas (victims of criminal activity) and prohibits immigration enforcement activities in specified areas. Generally, U visas are for victims of specified crimes (e.g., rape, trafficking, or domestic violence) who assist with the investigation or prosecution of the crime. The bill adds hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse as crimes that may qualify a victim for a U visa and removes criteria related to the victim's assistance with the investigation or prosecution of the crime. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must provide work authorization to U visa applicants, whereas currently DHS may grant work authorization but is not required to do so. The bill also eliminates the annual numerical cap on U visas. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that certain individuals, including U visa applicants and T visa (victims of human trafficking) applicants, shall not be detained while the application is pending. Additionally, the bill provides immigration-related protections, such as by extending the admission period and providing work authorization, to the spouse or child of a nonimmigrant visa holder who subjected that spouse or child to battery or extreme cruelty. Further, the bill prohibits, with some exceptions for exigent circumstances, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection from conducting immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a school, health care facility, place of worship, or other location specified in the bill.
