Rep. Joyce Beatty

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to adjust contract prices to reimburse contractors for paying employees during government funding lapses (e.g., shutdowns). It covers costs for furloughed, laid-off, or reduced-hour workers, or for restoring paid leave used during the lapse, with a weekly cap of $1,442 per employee. Directly affecting federal contractors and their employees who experienced work disruptions due to funding gaps, it mandates agencies to make these adjustments promptly after enactment. Contractors must provide proof of costs, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy must report on implementation to Congress within a year.

This concurrent resolution (1) recognizes the 133 years of significant and meaningful contributions the 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890) have made to the United States, (2) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with such institutions, and (3) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the past funding and program inequities of such institutions.

Maddy summaryHR 5086, the COLAs Don’t Count Act of 2023, amends the Food and Nutrition Act to exclude certain cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) from counting as income for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility. Specifically, it removes increases from Social Security (Title II), Supplemental Security Income (Title XVI), Railroad Retirement, and Veterans benefits (38 U.S.C. §5312) from SNAP income calculations when determining household eligibility. This change directly affects SNAP recipients whose benefits include these COLAs, potentially allowing more households to qualify for assistance. The amendment takes effect October 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to require all U.S. colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to create detailed anti-harassment policies covering physical, online, and institution-sponsored settings. It mandates policies prohibiting harassment based on race, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, religion, and other protected characteristics, including harassment via institutional email, computers, or electronic messaging. The bill also establishes a $50 million annual grant program to fund colleges developing prevention programs, victim support services, and training for students and staff on recognizing and addressing harassment. These policies and grants must comply with existing civil rights laws like Title IX but add specific requirements for reporting and prevention.

Maddy summaryHR 5569, the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2023, increases funding for child care nutrition programs. It adds a 10-cent per meal reimbursement for providers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), applying to all meals and supplements served. This change directly affects child care centers, family day care homes, and group day care homes that receive CACFP funding. The additional reimbursement is calculated alongside existing payment rates and applies to all meals served after the bill's enactment. The bill modifies specific sections of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to implement this funding increase.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Office within the Department of Justice to address racial disparities in missing and murdered Black women and girls cases. The Office will collect data on case resolution times, coordinate with law enforcement, and create a public dashboard tracking these cases. It also creates grants for community organizations to provide culturally appropriate services, prevention programs, and training for law enforcement targeting violence against Black women and girls. The bill directly affects Black women and girls who are victims of violence and their communities, focusing on improving data collection and support systems rather than changing criminal laws.

Maddy summaryThe Schedules That Work Act (HR 5563) requires employers in retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, and warehouse sectors to provide workers with at least 14 days' advance notice of their work schedules and to pay predictability pay for last-minute schedule changes. It allows employees to request schedule modifications for caregiving, health conditions, education, or second jobs, with employers required to grant such requests unless they have a bona fide business reason for denial. The bill also prohibits scheduling shifts less than 11 hours apart without employee consent and mandates employers to provide estimates of monthly work hours for the following year. These provisions aim to address the widespread problem of unpredictable schedules that disproportionately impact low-wage workers, particularly women and workers of color, who often lack control over their work hours.

Maddy summaryThe Better CARE for Animals Act of 2023 amends the Animal Welfare Act to strengthen enforcement of animal welfare standards. It gives the Attorney General authority to bring civil cases for violations, including seeking penalties up to $10,000 per day per violation and injunctions to remove or relocate animals. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture and Attorney General to coordinate through a new Memorandum of Understanding, focusing on repeat violators. These changes directly affect dealers, exhibitors, and enforcement agencies by expanding civil enforcement tools and clarifying jurisdiction over rule violations.

Maddy summaryHR 4845, the Food Secure Strikers Act of 2023, amends the Food and Nutrition Act to remove a restriction that previously disqualified workers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if they were on strike. The bill changes eligibility rules so that striking workers are no longer automatically ineligible for SNAP benefits solely because they are participating in a labor strike. This change directly affects workers involved in strikes who rely on SNAP for food assistance, ensuring they can access benefits during labor disputes. The key provision removes specific language from Section 6(d) of the Food and Nutrition Act that had barred strike participants from SNAP enrollment.

Maddy summaryThe John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023 would strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by updating the criteria for which states and localities must obtain federal preclearance before changing voting practices. It would establish new standards for proving vote dilution and vote denial by requiring courts to consider historical discrimination, racial polarization in voting, and whether voting practices disproportionately burden minority voters. The bill would also require states and localities to provide public notice of voting changes and share demographic data about polling locations. These changes would primarily affect jurisdictions with a history of voting rights violations, aiming to prevent discriminatory voting practices before they take effect.