Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

Maddy summaryHCONRES 46, the "Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution," requires the House and Senate Budget Committees to hold an annual joint hearing within 45 days of the Treasury's submission of the federal government's audited financial statement. At this hearing, the Comptroller General will present an objective, nonpartisan analysis of the government's financial condition, including deficits, surpluses, and long-term fiscal projections, as required by the Government Accountability Office's standards. The hearing must be open to the public and allow all members of Congress to participate, regardless of committee membership. This resolution ensures Congress receives regular, factual reviews of federal finances without political bias.

Maddy summaryThe Keeping All Students Safe Act prohibits the use of "unlawful" seclusion and restraint in schools, including physical restraint that's life-threatening, contraindicated for a student's disability, or not properly trained for. It requires schools to use less restrictive interventions first, mandates training for school personnel in crisis intervention, and establishes reporting requirements for restraint incidents, including immediate parent notification and annual public reporting. The bill prohibits using physical restraint as a planned intervention in student education plans and requires states to submit compliance plans with data on restraint incidents disaggregated by race, disability status, and other factors. It applies to public schools and programs receiving federal funding, but does not affect private schools not receiving federal funds or home schools.

Maddy summaryHR 3541, the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act of 2023, amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to include accounting education in school curricula. It requires schools to offer accounting career awareness and programs, particularly to students from groups underrepresented in accounting careers. The bill positions accounting as a STEM field and aims to expand student exposure to accounting through grade 12 courses. This change directly affects K-12 students and schools by integrating accounting into educational opportunities to diversify the future accounting workforce.

Farmworker Access and Waiver Act or the FAWA This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to waive the interview requirement for certain returning H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) visa holders. Specifically, this waiver shall apply to a visa holder who (1) previously had an H-2A visa and is returning to resume work with the same employer as the previous year, and (2) is not inadmissible. The waiver shall be valid for up to three years from issuance. (Current law typically requires individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa, such as an H-2A visa, to submit to an in-person interview, with waivers available in certain instances.)

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes federal standards for labor-management cooperation between public safety employers (state and local governments) and public safety workers (law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel). It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if states substantially provide rights like collective bargaining, union representation, and binding arbitration for these workers. States found lacking would need to follow federal bargaining procedures after a two-year transition period or following the next legislative session. The bill explicitly respects existing state laws that provide comparable or better rights to public safety workers. It also prohibits strikes or work stoppages that would disrupt emergency services.

Maddy summaryHR 3537 authorizes the minting of commemorative coins to mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service, established by the 1924 Rogers Act. The bill specifies three coin types ($5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad) with limited mintage (50,000 gold, 400,000 silver, 750,000 half-dollars) to be issued in 2025, featuring designs honoring diplomatic history. A surcharge on each coin sale ($35 for gold, $10 for silver, $5 for half-dollars) will fund the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) to support its oral history program and diplomatic preservation efforts. The coins will be legal tender, sold at cost-plus-surcharge, with all revenue directed to ADST per the bill's provisions.

Maddy summaryThe TREAT PTSD Act (HR 3023) requires the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense to make a nerve block procedure available as a treatment option for veterans and active-duty military members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have chosen to receive it after being informed of risks and benefits. It mandates that the VA and Defense update their joint clinical guidelines for PTSD treatment within 180 days to include this procedure. The bill applies to veterans enrolled in VA care and service members enrolled in TRICARE who have a PTSD diagnosis and consent to the treatment. The policy changes take effect 180 days after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryHR 3409, the Healthy Families Act, requires most employers to provide employees with paid sick leave. Employees earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 hours per year, which can be used for their own illness, caring for family members, or addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking situations. Smaller employers with fewer than 15 employees can provide unpaid sick leave instead of paid leave. The bill includes protections against retaliation for using sick leave and requires employers to inform employees about their rights under this law.

Maddy summaryHR 3442, the America’s CHILDREN Act of 2023, creates a pathway to permanent residency for certain college graduates who entered the U.S. as children on specific work visas. It directly affects individuals who were lawfully present as dependents of nonimmigrant visa holders (like H-4 or L-2) for at least 8 years, graduated from a U.S. college, and have lived in the U.S. for 10+ years total. Key provisions include protecting applicants from "aging out" of eligibility by basing age calculations on when their parent’s visa petition was filed (not current age), and allowing them to retain their original visa application date ("priority date") if they later switch to a different visa category. The bill aims to provide stability for young adults who grew up in the U.S. but face immigration barriers due to visa status.

Maddy summaryHR 3455, the TSP Act, prohibits the Thrift Savings Fund (TSP) from investing in any "security of concern." This directly affects federal employees and retirees whose retirement savings are held in the TSP, as their accounts would no longer include certain investments tied to countries identified as national security threats. A "security of concern" includes stocks listed in a "country of concern" (per the Director of National Intelligence's annual report), companies incorporated in such countries, or firms generating over 50% of revenue there. The law bans all forms of these investments, including through mutual funds or synthetic instruments like equity swaps, without exception.