Rep. Brandon Williams

Maddy summaryThe Puppy Protection Act of 2023 sets new standards for businesses that sell dogs (dealers), directly affecting pet stores and breeders operating under the Animal Welfare Act. It requires specific housing with space allowances based on dog size (e.g., 12-30 square feet per dog), temperature control (45-85°F), clean food twice daily, and daily exercise or socialization with humans/dogs for at least 30 minutes. The bill also mandates annual veterinary exams including dental care, strict breeding limits (e.g., age restrictions, maximum 2 litters in 18 months), and efforts to place retired breeding dogs in homes instead of selling them to other breeders. Regulations must be finalized within 18 months of enactment.

Maddy summaryHJRES 27 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a federal rule that redefined which waterways fall under the Clean Water Act's protections. It targets a rule submitted by the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 18, 2023, which aimed to revise the "Waters of the United States" definition. The resolution would formally disapprove this rule under a specific federal procedure (Chapter 8 of Title 5), preventing it from taking effect. This would directly affect how federal agencies regulate pollution and development near water bodies, including wetlands and smaller streams.

Maddy summaryHRES 240 is a non-binding House resolution condemning Russia for downing a U.S. Air Force drone in the Black Sea. It states that Russian Su-27 jets acted recklessly by bumping into the drone while it was operating safely in international airspace, causing it to crash-land. The resolution specifically condemns the Russian military's actions and declares that Russia's attempts to recover the drone pose a threat to U.S. national security. As a symbolic measure, it does not create new laws or affect any specific group.

Protect Local Taxpayers Act of 2023 This bill specifies that, in order to receive certain Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increases under Medicaid, states with a local share requirement must agree to distribute funds to each locality in an amount that is proportional to the locality's Medicaid contributions.

Maddy summaryHR 2584, the SAVE Act, creates a new federal criminal offense for assaulting or intimidating hospital employees while they're performing their duties, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, with enhanced penalties for using weapons, causing injury, or during public emergencies. The bill authorizes $25 million annually in federal grants to hospitals for violence prevention programs, including staff training, security technologies like panic buttons and video surveillance, and coordination with law enforcement. It defines "hospital" broadly to include various medical facilities such as long-term care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and critical access hospitals. The legislation directly affects hospital workers and medical facilities by establishing federal criminal penalties for violence against employees and providing funding to improve workplace safety. The law aims to address the rising problem of workplace violence against healthcare workers, which the bill states has increased since 2011.

This resolution recognizes law enforcement agencies and officers for their tireless work to protect us and make our communities safer. It also condemns calls to defund, disband, dismantle, or abolish the police.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 283) is a ceremonial House of Representatives measure recognizing the 60th anniversary of the 1963 sinking of the USS Thresher (SSN 593), which resulted in the loss of all 129 crew members. It honors the crew's sacrifice, notes the subsequent creation of the Navy's SUBSAFE safety program (which has prevented all subsequent losses of certified submarines), and expresses gratitude to all submariners. The resolution has no binding policy effect - it is purely commemorative.

Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2023 This bill precludes absolute liability in any action against a property owner or contractor for certain federal infrastructure and transportation development projects for any injury associated with an elevation- or gravity-related risk occurring on those projects. This applies to federally owned or operated projects and to projects receiving federal financial assistance for infrastructure and transportation development. In any such claim, a state must apply a liability standard that considers the comparative negligence of the injured person when such negligence is a proximate cause of an injury, and state law would otherwise apply absolute liability as the basis for such claim. The bill applies to claims arising from projects in which a state or local government accepts federal financial assistance beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

Protect American Energy From China Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being used for implementing or administering the memorandum of understanding reached in 2011 between the Department of Energy and the Chinese Academy of Sciences on facilitating cooperation in nuclear energy science and technology.