Rep. George Santos

Maddy summaryHR 2634 would reverse a 2018 tax law change by making alimony payments tax-deductible again for qualifying divorce agreements. It directly affects divorcing couples who pay or receive alimony under new agreements executed after the law's enactment or modified agreements that explicitly adopt the change. The bill repeals the provision that eliminated the deduction for most alimony payments after 2018, restoring the prior rule where paying spouses could deduct these payments. This change applies only to agreements formed or modified after the bill becomes law, not to older agreements.

Maddy summaryHR 2631, the MINAJ Act of 2023, prohibits the federal government from requiring individuals to receive any vaccine that has not been authorized for marketing (e.g., licensed or approved) for at least 10 years. This directly affects federal vaccine mandate policies, including those tied to employment or services. The bill allows exceptions during a public health emergency, but only if the federal agency first submits safety/efficacy data to Congress and provides a 3-month review period (or until three committee hearings are held). It defines "mandate" broadly to include conditions for hiring, services, or benefits, and specifies the relevant congressional committees for oversight.

Maddy summaryHR 2837, the Border Patrol Pay Parity Act, mandates a pay increase for U.S. Border Patrol agents. It requires the Office of Personnel Management to raise the minimum pay for agents at the standard GS-12 pay grade by at least 14% by January 1, 2024, with potential increases for other grades as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The bill specifically prohibits agency heads from using existing pay discretion to reduce these required increases. This legislation directly affects Border Patrol agents by establishing a minimum pay hike for their standard grade, aiming to align their compensation with other comparable federal positions.

Maddy summaryHR 2420 requires the USDA to contract with land-grant universities to review the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. The review must evaluate the program's effectiveness, benefits and compliance burden for cattle producers, treatment protocols, and funding allocation. Within one year, the USDA must submit a report to Congress with findings and recommendations for improving the program, including reducing producer burdens. This bill focuses on reviewing an existing program, not changing its operations.

Maddy summaryHR 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, amends Title IX to prohibit federally funded schools and athletic programs from allowing individuals assigned male at birth to participate in women's or girls' sports teams. The bill defines "sex" for this purpose as "reproductive biology and genetics at birth," making it a violation of federal law to permit such participation in designated women's or girls' programs. It allows males to train with women's teams only if no female is deprived of a roster spot, competition opportunity, scholarship, or other benefit tied to the team. This law directly affects public and private schools receiving federal financial assistance that operate athletic programs.

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.

Capital Loss Inflation Fairness Act This bill increases the allowance for capital losses and adjusts the increased allowance amount for inflation after 2023.

The Big-Tech Accountability Act of 2023 This bill limits federal liability protection, sometimes referred to as Section 230 protection, that generally precludes providers and users of an interactive computer service from being held legally responsible for content provided by a third party. Specifically, the bill removes the protection for providers of social media services (e.g., Facebook and TikTok). Additionally, the bill prohibits a provider of social media services from suspending or otherwise restricting the account of a U.S. citizen based on that citizen's social, political, or religious status. The prohibition applies even if the citizen clearly violates the provider's policies related to hate speech, sexual harassment, discrimination, or violent or threatening speech. A provider that violates the prohibition is subject to civil penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the U.S. Secretary of State to designate five specific Mexican drug cartels - MS-13, Queen Nation, Sinaloa, Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, and Beltrán Leyva Organization - as foreign terrorist organizations under existing law. It mandates a detailed report within 30 days of enactment, including justification if any cartel doesn’t meet the legal criteria, followed by potential additional designations. The report must be submitted electronically and includes criteria for designation under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The bill also clarifies that designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations does not affect asylum eligibility for individuals.

Secure Our Border and Our Streets Act of 2023 This bill requires states to annually report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the immigration status of individuals convicted of a crime under that state's laws as a condition for receiving any DOJ funding.