Rep. Suzanne Bonamici

Maddy summaryThe WRCR Act of 2023 would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to include more low-income workers and students, lowering the minimum age requirement from 25 to 18 and allowing students receiving Federal Pell Grants or meeting specific income requirements to qualify. It would create a new program for monthly advance payments of the credit instead of a single annual payment, with taxpayers needing to report changes in circumstances to avoid overpayment. The bill also modifies income thresholds and credit percentages to increase access for more workers, with these changes taking effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022.

Maddy summaryHRES 200 is a non-binding House resolution condemning two mass shootings in California: 11 victims in Monterey Park (January 21, 2023) at a Lunar New Year celebration and 7 victims in Half Moon Bay (January 23, 2023) at a farm. It honors all victims - primarily Asian-American seniors and immigrant farmworkers - expresses condolences to their families, and reaffirms the House’s commitment to supporting Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. The resolution specifically addresses the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic and recognizes the vulnerability of immigrant communities. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or allocate funding but formally condemns the violence and affirms solidarity.

Philippine Human Rights Act This bill imposes limitations on providing assistance to the police or military of the Philippines. No federal funds may be used to provide such assistance until the Philippines government has taken certain actions, including (1) investigating and successfully prosecuting members of its military and police forces who have violated human rights; (2) withdrawing the military from domestic policing activities; and (3) establishing that it effectively protects the rights of journalists, civil society activists, and certain other groups. The President shall also direct U.S. representatives at multilateral development banks to vote against providing loans to the police or military of the Philippines.

Equal Citizenship for Children Act of 2023 This bill expands the application of automatic acquisition of citizenship for certain children born outside of the United States. Specifically, the bill provides citizenship retroactively to such a child who, while under the age of 18, (1) resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident (or had a pending application for such status), and (2) was in the legal custody of the child's citizen parent. It also eliminates the physical custody requirement for the automatic acquisition of citizenship. The bill applies to a child meeting these requirements who was born after noon on January 9, 1941, but who turned 18 prior to February 27, 2001 (the effective date of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000).

This resolution calls for the federal government to establish a national biodiversity strategy, which must include a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters to protect biodiversity and address climate change by 2030 and other goals necessary to reduce the threats to biodiversity.

This resolution supports the designation of National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of leaders who will change the world, and (2) celebrates the 90th anniversary of the iconic FFA jacket.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows asylum seekers not in detention to obtain work authorization 30 days after filing their asylum application, provided their application isn't deemed frivolous. It directly affects individuals seeking asylum in the U.S. who are awaiting a final decision on their case. The authorization remains valid until the asylum application receives a final denial, including any administrative or court appeals. This changes the prior system where many asylum seekers faced prolonged work restrictions while their cases were processed.

Maddy summaryHR 1302, the Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act, repeals key restrictions known as the Tiahrt Amendments. It eliminates the requirement to destroy background check records within 24 hours, removes barriers to researchers accessing firearm trace data, and ends prohibitions on requiring gun dealers to conduct annual inventory audits. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies (like the ATF), researchers studying gun violence, and federally licensed firearms dealers. These changes aim to improve access to data for tracking illegal gun trafficking and supporting evidence-based policy development.

Maddy summaryThe Military Spouse Hiring Act expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include military spouses. Employers who hire a spouse of an active-duty military member - certified by a local agency as meeting eligibility requirements on the hiring date - can claim this tax credit. The credit reduces the employer's federal tax liability for hiring such individuals. This provision applies to new hires after the bill's enactment date.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires major airlines and ticket agents to provide full cash refunds - including all fees - for canceled flights or tickets canceled at least 48 hours before departure, within 30 days of a passenger’s request. It limits refunds to one flight per city pair per date, allows alternatives like vouchers (with indefinite validity and clear disclosure of cash refund rights), and permits retroactive cash refunds for passengers who received vouchers since March 2020. Passengers must be informed in writing before purchase and when cancellations occur about their right to a cash refund. The law applies to airlines with over $1.5 billion in 2018 revenue or foreign carriers operating U.S. flights, with a $1,000 penalty for violations.