Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Maddy summaryHR 9337, the "Don’t STEAL Act," requires employers to pay employees the full wage rate specified in their employment contracts (including collective bargaining agreements) if it exceeds the minimum rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This directly affects workers engaged in commerce or production for commerce, ensuring they receive agreed-upon higher wages. The bill adds criminal penalties for willful wage theft, including fines and up to 5 years in prison for violations exceeding $1,000, with penalties based on severity and business size. It also directs fines collected from violations to fund the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforcement efforts. The law applies to unpaid wages or overtime violations occurring 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new program to provide emergency grants to farm worker organizations during covered disasters. It directly affects migrant and seasonal farm workers who lose income or cannot work due to events like hurricanes, wildfires, pandemics, or extreme weather. The grants fund immediate relief (including direct cash or aid), building community resilience, infrastructure support, and emergency services. Funds remain available until spent, and the program requires consultation with eligible organizations, defined as farm worker groups or qualified nonprofits with relevant experience.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 1983 of federal law (42 U.S.C. 1983) to explicitly allow lawsuits against federal officials for violating constitutional rights. It directly affects federal employees or agents who act under federal authority, expanding the current Bivens doctrine which previously only covered state actors. The key mechanism is a simple textual change inserting "of the United States" before "of any State" in the statute, enabling civil actions against federal officials for constitutional violations. This is a procedural amendment to existing law, not a new policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 9255) is a simple naming resolution that renames a specific U.S. Postal Service facility. It designates the post office at 114 John Street in New York, New York, as the "Jack Greenberg Post Office." The bill requires all federal references to the building (in laws, maps, documents, etc.) to use the new name. This is a procedural change affecting only the official name of that single post office location.

Maddy summaryHR 9196, the Pregnancy Empowerment Act of 2024, prohibits states from delaying or denying divorce petitions solely because a person is pregnant. This directly affects pregnant individuals - particularly women of color and those experiencing intimate partner violence - who face barriers to finalizing divorces during pregnancy, trapping them in abusive relationships. The bill mandates that states cannot consider pregnancy status when processing divorce filings, addressing findings that such delays increase risks of violence and reproductive coercion. It aims to remove legal obstacles that prevent pregnant people from accessing divorce, a critical step for safety and autonomy.

Maddy summaryHR 9168, the Plug Offshore Wells Act, requires the U.S. Department of the Interior to issue annual reports starting two years after the law's enactment. These reports must detail the number of decommissioning applications received, wells/platforms not decommissioned on time, approvals for decommissioning in place, pipeline removal status, and enforcement actions related to offshore oil and gas operations. The reports will be submitted to Congress and made publicly available online. This bill directly affects the Department of the Interior's reporting obligations and provides transparency on offshore decommissioning compliance.

Maddy summaryThe LET'S Protect Workers Act increases civil penalties for employers who violate labor and workplace safety laws. It significantly raises fines for child labor violations (up to $700,000 for serious injuries/deaths), wage and hour violations (up to $50,000 per violation for repeated/willful violations), and workplace safety violations (up to $800,000). The bill also increases penalties for farmworker protections (to $30,000), mine safety violations, and unfair labor practices (up to $100,000). New provisions require employers to pay penalties, with withdrawal orders for mines that fail to pay fines. These changes apply to violations occurring on or after January 1, 2025, with some provisions taking effect immediately.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 193 proposes a constitutional amendment to eliminate legal immunity for federal officials, including the President, from criminal prosecution for actions taken while performing official duties. It also prohibits the President from granting a pardon to themselves. The amendment would apply to all federal officers (such as the President, Vice President, and members of Congress) except for Congress members acting in their legislative role as defined in the Constitution. If ratified by 38 states, this change would become part of the U.S. Constitution, requiring no further congressional action.

Maddy summaryHR 9118 would cancel all federal oil and gas leases held by companies found by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to have coordinated with OPEC or OPEC+ countries to manipulate oil or gas prices in violation of federal antitrust laws. If the FTC issues a final order confirming such violations, the Secretary of the Interior must automatically cancel those leases and prohibit the company from bidding on new federal leases. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies that violate antitrust laws through market manipulation with OPEC nations. It creates a direct mechanism for lease cancellation based on FTC findings, without requiring new legislation for each case.

Maddy summaryThe 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2024 makes several key changes to the World Trade Center Health Program that serves 9/11 responders and survivors. It allows licensed mental health providers (not just physicians) to conduct mental health evaluations for program participants and extends the time period for adding new health conditions from 90 to 180 days. The bill also adjusts enrollment calculations by removing deceased individuals from program counts and provides $2.97 billion in new funding for fiscal year 2024 with a minimum annual funding level of $20 million for 2025. These changes aim to improve access to care while ensuring stable, long-term funding for the program that provides medical services to those affected by the 9/11 attacks.