Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez

Agricultural Representation for the United States Territories Act This bill increases agricultural representation for U.S. territories on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board.  Specifically, the bill increases the advisory board membership to 16 members (from the current 15). The additional member must represent the agricultural interests of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. The bill also extends the advisory board through FY2028. (The NAREEE Advisory Board advises the Department of Agriculture, land-grant colleges and universities, and Congress on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economics.)

Maddy summaryThe Unhoused Persons Bill of Rights (HRES 634) is a non-binding congressional resolution that outlines 19 specific civil and human rights for unhoused individuals, including the right to housing, healthcare, access to public facilities, and freedom from discrimination based on housing status. It calls for the federal government to commit to ending homelessness by 2027 through specific policy changes, including $20 billion from the defense budget for housing programs, expanded rental assistance, and improved access to healthcare services. The resolution requires federal agencies to implement measures such as 24-hour shelter access, removal of hostile architecture in public spaces, and improved data collection methods to better address homelessness. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the unhoused crisis a public health emergency and establishes legal protections for unhoused people against discrimination and harassment.

Maddy summaryHRES 645 is a non-binding House resolution recognizing August as "Chicano Heritage Month" to celebrate the contributions of Mexican Americans to U.S. history. It highlights historical figures like labor leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, landmark court cases (e.g., *Mendez v. Westminster* ending school segregation), and cultural impacts such as Selena's influence on music. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment by the House to honor this heritage. It encourages the public and institutions to observe the month with events celebrating Mexican American contributions.

Maddy summaryHRES 653 is a symbolic resolution expressing the U.S. House of Representatives' support for recognizing August 13-19, 2023, as "Warehouse Worker Recognition Week." It directly honors workers in the logistics industry, who handle critical supply chain tasks like packing, processing, and moving goods. The resolution highlights their contributions to the economy (over 9 million workers), acknowledges challenging conditions like extreme heat in warehouses, and commits to reducing workplace injuries. It does not create new laws but aims to raise awareness of warehouse workers' essential role as frontline employees.

Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location except in exigent circumstances. Sensitive locations include  health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers’ offices; facilities used as polling places; certain labor union facilities; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition, (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected individual may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.

Assault Weapons Excise Act This bill imposes an additional 1000% excise tax on large capacity ammunition feeding devices and semiautomatic assault weapons. It exempts from such additional tax devices and weapons acquired by the United States or by a state or local government.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 632) is a symbolic recognition of July 28, 2023, as "World Hepatitis Day" by the U.S. House of Representatives. It aims to raise public awareness about hepatitis B and C infections, which affect an estimated 5.9 million people in the U.S., with disproportionately high rates among Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, people who inject drugs, and other marginalized groups. The resolution supports broader access to hepatitis treatments, emphasizes the need for improved screening and vaccination (noting CDC recommendations for universal adult screening), and urges collaboration between the CDC and health departments to increase prevention efforts. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a non-binding statement to highlight the public health urgency of viral hepatitis.

Maddy summary# Summary of the "Protecting Our Democracy Act" This comprehensive legislation aims to strengthen democratic processes, increase government transparency, and prevent foreign interference in elections. Key provisions include: ## Ethics and Transparency - **Ethics Pledge**: Requires all appointees to sign an ethics pledge committing to: - Ban on gifts from registered lobbyists - 2-year revolving door ban (prohibiting participation in matters related to former employers) - Golden parachute ban (no special payments from former employers) - Commitment to decision-making based on public interest - **Tax Transparency**: Requires presidential and vice presidential candidates to disclose 10 years of tax returns, with sitting presidents submitting returns within 30 days of enactment ## Campaign Finance and Foreign Interference - **Foreign Contact Reporting**: Requires political committees to report any contact with "covered foreign nationals" within 1 week - **Enhanced Penalties**: Criminal penalties of up to $1 million and 5 years in prison for violations - **Online Advertising Rules** ("Honest Ads Act"): - Requires clear disclosure of who paid for political ads online - Mandates machine-readable public databases of political ads - Requires visible sponsor identification that remains when ads are shared - Defines "qualified political advertisements" to include various online formats ## Preventing Patronage Systems - Limits exceptions to competitive service for federal positions - Restricts transferring positions between competitive and excepted service - Requires employee consent for position transfers ## Use of Federal Property - Prohibits holding national political conventions on federal property - Requires publicly available visitor records at White House and other official locations (with privacy exceptions) The legislation establishes detailed definitions, reporting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms across multiple agencies, with the goal of increasing transparency, preventing foreign interference, and ensuring ethical conduct in government service.

Maddy summaryHR 4914, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2023, provides $2 million annually from 2024-2028 to fund grants for states to address heart disease disparities in communities disproportionately affected by it, specifically targeting South Asian populations in the U.S. The grants require states to develop culturally tailored heart health materials (like nutrition and exercise programs), support community organizations serving these groups, improve research methodologies to better include South Asian participants, and conduct studies on cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in at-risk communities. States must report on these activities and heart disease data to Congress within two years of the bill's enactment. The legislation directly affects South Asian communities by aiming to reduce health disparities through targeted awareness, community support, and inclusive research.

Maddy summaryHR 4901, the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, aims to improve reproductive health care access for people with disabilities by addressing systemic barriers they face. The bill funds training for health care professionals on providing culturally competent care, creates initiatives to increase the number of health care providers with disabilities in reproductive health fields, and establishes a National Technical Assistance Center to help providers improve services. It allocates $10 million annually for these programs from fiscal years 2024 through 2028, with additional funding for a research study on effective reproductive health care approaches. The bill directly affects people with disabilities seeking reproductive health services, health care providers, and educational institutions training health care professionals.