Rep. Gregory W. Meeks

Maddy summaryHR 7056, the Access to Family Building Act, establishes federal rights for individuals to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) like IVF without unreasonable restrictions, directly affecting patients seeking fertility treatments and health care providers offering ART services. The bill prohibits states from imposing limitations on ART that are more burdensome than those for comparable medical procedures, fail to advance safety, or unduly restrict access, while allowing health and safety regulations that are necessary and least restrictive. It creates federal enforcement mechanisms, including lawsuits by the Attorney General or affected individuals to challenge violating state laws, and preempts conflicting state regulations. The bill explicitly preserves state authority over health/safety regulations and does not alter existing state insurance coverage laws for ART.

Maddy summaryThis bill restores visa eligibility for immigrants who had diversity visas allocated for fiscal years 2017-2022 but were denied entry due to specific travel restrictions (like Executive Orders 13769/13780 or related proclamations) or pandemic-related delays. The State Department must notify affected individuals within 90 days of the bill’s enactment, giving them one year to confirm they wish to proceed with their visa applications. Unused visas from those years can be reallocated without counting against current annual limits, and applicants who fail to respond or are denied for standard reasons (like education requirements) lose eligibility. The policy directly affects individuals impacted by these specific past barriers to immigration.

Maddy summaryThe Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 allocates $7 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) during fiscal year 2024. The ACP provides subsidies to low-income households to help cover the cost of internet service and connected devices like laptops or tablets. This funding ensures the program can continue supporting eligible households throughout the year, with the money remaining available until fully spent. The bill extends existing program funding without changing eligibility criteria or service requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 86 Main Street in Haverstraw, New York, as the "Paul Piperato Post Office Building." It updates all official references in federal law, maps, and documents to reflect this new name. The bill does not change postal services, funding, or affect any specific group of people; it solely modifies the facility's official designation. This is a routine naming resolution with no substantive policy provisions.

Maddy summaryThe Brittany Clardy Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Act establishes a new Office within the Department of Justice to address the disproportionate rates of missing and murdered Black women and girls in the U.S. The Office will collect and analyze data on these cases - including case resolution times, Amber Alert usage, and trafficking links - and create a public dashboard for tracking. It also creates a grant program for community organizations to provide culturally appropriate prevention services, law enforcement training, and victim support. The Office must submit biennial reports to Congress with findings and recommendations to improve the criminal justice response to these cases. This bill directly affects Black women and girls facing violence, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations providing related services.

Maddy summaryHR 6416, the "Russian War Crimes in Ukraine Tax Act," imposes a 100% tax on interest and dividends earned from frozen Russian and Belarusian sovereign assets held abroad. This tax revenue is directed into a new Ukraine Reconstruction Trust Fund, which must be used for Ukraine's reconstruction, humanitarian aid, economic development, and transparent governance. The bill requires U.S. financial institutions to withhold this tax from qualifying income and overrides international treaty obligations to ensure implementation. It also mandates annual reports on fund usage to Congress, specifying that all revenues from the tax must support Ukraine's recovery efforts as defined in the legislation.

Maddy summaryHR 2627, the "Increasing Investor Opportunities Act," removes restrictions preventing closed-end investment companies (like mutual funds) and business development companies from investing all their assets in private funds. The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Securities Exchange Act to clarify that the SEC cannot block such investments solely because the funds are private, and ensures stock exchanges cannot prohibit listing securities based on this investment strategy. It defines "private fund" consistently across securities laws to eliminate regulatory ambiguity. This directly affects investment companies seeking greater flexibility in their portfolio choices without requiring new regulatory approvals.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to honor Marshall "Major" Taylor, a pioneering Black cyclist who broke racial barriers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It recognizes his athletic achievements, including world records and international championship wins, as well as his advocacy for equality in sports. The medal, designed by the Treasury Secretary, will be presented to Taylor's great-granddaughter, Karen Donovan, following the congressional authorization. As a commemorative act with no policy changes, it serves solely to honor Taylor's legacy as a trailblazer and role model.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to require lenders to collect and report data on loans to LGBTQI-owned businesses. It specifically adds "LGBTQI-owned" to existing categories for data collection, includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status as protected characteristics in lending data, and defines an "LGBTQI-owned business" as one where over 50% of ownership/control and net profit/loss accrues to self-identifying LGBTQI individuals. The policy change directly affects financial institutions that report lending data to the government, mandating they track and disclose these new categories. This provides concrete data on lending practices for LGBTQI business owners, who face documented barriers in accessing credit.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the United States Postal Service facility at 298 Route 292 in Holmes, New York, as the "Sheriff Adrian 'Butch' Anderson Post Office Building." It updates all federal references (including laws, maps, and documents) to use this new name for the location. The bill has no policy changes or financial impact - it solely commemorates Sheriff Adrian "Butch" Anderson through a building designation.