Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon

Maddy summaryThe FIGHT Act (HR 2742) amends the Animal Welfare Act to specifically target animal fighting events, such as cockfighting, by defining "rooster" as any male chicken over six months old and banning the live broadcasting (simulcasting) of such events. It prohibits using the postal service or interstate transport to move roosters for animal fighting purposes and adds civil enforcement tools allowing citizens to sue violators after a 60-day notice period. Fines up to $5,000 per violation may be imposed, and property used in animal fighting ventures can be seized. These changes strengthen enforcement against animal fighting by expanding legal remedies for the public and authorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prioritize urban forestry assistance for communities with the lowest tree equity scores - measured by how tree canopy coverage aligns with community factors like income, race, health, and employment. It also creates a $30 million pilot program for public elementary and secondary schools to establish rooftop gardens, requiring at least 20% native plants, organic methods, and curriculum integration on urban agriculture or pollinator habitats. Schools in areas with high population density, respiratory illness rates, or low existing garden access receive priority for funding. The program mandates annual inspections of funded gardens and defines "tree equity score" using tools like American Forests' methodology.

Health Center Service Expansion and Provider Shortage Reduction Act This bill provides funding through FY2028 for certain services under the Community Health Center Program, which supports outpatient health care facilities that provide comprehensive primary care to medically underserved populations. It also provides funding through FY2028 to expand the National Health Services Corps, which provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to health care providers who agree to work in areas with health care provider shortages. In particular, the bill requires that health centers provide behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorder services and provides funding for those services. (Currently, centers may provide those as additional services.) Furthermore, the bill provides funding for (1) expanding the operating hours of community health centers; and (2) New Access Point Grants, which assist centers to establish new delivery sites for care.

Maddy summaryThe PAST Act of 2023 amends the Horse Protection Act to ban specific devices used to cause pain (soring) in horses at shows, particularly affecting Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses. It defines prohibited "action devices" (like boots or chains causing friction) and requires licensed, conflict-free inspectors at events to enforce rules. The bill increases penalties for violations to up to $5,000 fines or 3 years in jail, and mandates longer disqualifications for repeat offenses (180 days → 1 year → 3 years). Horse show organizers, exhibitors, and participants must comply with these new inspection and penalty requirements.

Maddy summaryThe RAISE Act of 2023 creates a new refundable tax credit for teachers and early childhood educators working in schools with high student poverty rates. The credit starts at $1,000, with additional amounts up to $14,000 (or $9,000 for early childhood educators without bachelor's degrees) based on the school's poverty ratio. The bill also increases the educator expense deduction from $250 to $500 and establishes mandatory funding for local schools that maintain or increase teacher salaries. These provisions directly affect K-12 teachers, early childhood educators, and their schools, with specific eligibility requirements and protections against employer retaliation regarding the credit.

Maddy summaryHR 3239 establishes the Advancing Equity Through the Arts and Humanities Program under the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It creates a competitive grant program prioritizing BIPOC-led arts and humanities organizations working to dismantle systemic racism, with requirements including majority BIPOC grant panelists and mandatory reporting on racial demographics and program impact. The bill mandates that grantees must directly combat systemic racism through arts/humanities initiatives like community programming, artist development, and arts education in underserved communities. It also requires an advisory task force to develop equitable grant guidelines and annual reports to Congress detailing funding distribution, barriers faced by BIPOC communities, and program outcomes. This program directly affects BIPOC-led arts organizations and communities experiencing racial inequity in arts access.

Maddy summaryHR 3238, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023, updates the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to increase the availability of affordable housing across the United States. The bill makes several key changes including increasing state funding formulas, modifying tenant eligibility rules to better serve vulnerable populations (such as domestic violence victims and students), and expanding credit eligibility for projects in rural and Native American communities. Specific provisions raise the credit for properties serving extremely low-income households, clarify rules around tenant income increases, and require housing providers to protect victims of domestic violence. The bill also updates terminology from "low-income" to "affordable" throughout the tax code and enhances program transparency through data sharing requirements. These changes aim to make the LIHTC program more effective at creating and preserving affordable housing units for low-income households nationwide.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. public schools to include Asian Pacific American history in all K-12 American history and civics education. It amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to mandate that curriculum standards, teacher training, and national assessments explicitly cover this history as part of American history. The policy directly affects students and teachers nationwide by changing how history is taught in public schools. The key mechanism is requiring specific curriculum updates to address gaps in current Eurocentric teaching, ensuring students learn about APA contributions, experiences, and challenges as integral to U.S. history.

Maddy summaryHR 676, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2023, amends the 2009 Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act to improve collaboration on ocean acidification efforts. It requires the federal Advisory Board to establish ongoing input mechanisms with coastal stakeholders, fishery councils, indigenous knowledge groups, and non-Federal experts, and mandates two Indian Tribe representatives on the Board. The bill also updates definitions to specifically include "Indian Tribe" and strengthens coordination with Tribal organizations for vulnerability assessments and research planning. These changes directly affect coastal communities, fisheries, Tribal nations, and local governments managing ocean acidification impacts. The law focuses on integrating diverse stakeholder input into federal research and monitoring activities.

Maddy summaryHR 2757, the Puerto Rico Status Act, establishes a process for Puerto Rico to determine its political status through a plebiscite on November 2, 2025, offering three options: independence, sovereignty in free association with the United States, or statehood. If no option receives a majority in the initial vote, a runoff plebiscite would be held on March 8, 2026. The bill outlines transition processes for each option, including constitutional conventions, implementation steps, and provisions for citizenship, immigration, and economic benefits. It mandates bilingual voter education materials and requires oversight by the Elections Commission and the Attorney General to ensure fair representation of all options. This legislation directly affects Puerto Rico's residents by providing a structured process to choose their permanent political relationship with the United States.