Rep. Matt Cartwright

Maddy summaryHR 789, the Caring for All Families Act, expands the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow employees to take leave for a wider range of family members, including domestic partners, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parent-in-law, adult children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, and others with "close association equivalent to family." The bill adds new provisions for employees to take up to 4 hours of leave per 30 days (24 hours annually) for school activities, routine medical appointments for family members, or visiting nursing homes for elderly individuals considered family. This legislation directly affects private sector workers covered by FMLA and federal employees, broadening who qualifies for leave and what types of family care can be accommodated. The bill amends existing FMLA definitions and requirements to include these expanded family relationships and care needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new federal crime for assaulting law enforcement officers causing serious injury or death, with penalties up to 10 years in prison for serious injury and up to life for aggravated cases involving death, kidnapping, or attempted killing. It applies when offenses involve interstate travel, commerce, or target officers engaged in law enforcement duties. Federal prosecution requires Attorney General certification that state authorities cannot or will not handle the case, or that federal action is necessary for public safety. The law covers all law enforcement officers (state, local, and federal) who enforce criminal laws or detain individuals.

Maddy summaryHR 715, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023, requires background checks for all firearm transfers between private individuals, not just those through licensed dealers. It mandates that unlicensed sellers must involve a licensed dealer to conduct a background check before transferring a firearm, with exceptions for family transfers (like spouses or parents/children), law enforcement, temporary safety transfers, and certain hunting or range activities. The bill also requires licensed dealers to provide a notice and certification form in both English and Spanish to buyers. It explicitly states it won't create a national gun registry or override state laws on the same topic. The law would take effect 180 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill helps new car dealers affected by pandemic-era supply chain disruptions by changing tax rules for inventory sales. It allows dealers using LIFO accounting to treat certain sales of unsold vehicles (liquidations) between March 2020 and December 2021 as "qualified" for tax purposes. Dealers can defer recognizing income from these sales and have until 2026 to replace the sold vehicles before potential tax adjustments apply. The provision specifically targets dealers who couldn't replenish inventory during the supply chain crisis.

Maddy summaryHR 694, the Job Protection Act, expands access to family and medical leave under the FMLA by reducing eligibility requirements. It lowers the required employment period from 12 months to 90 days for most workers and removes the 50-employee threshold, requiring all employers (including small businesses with one or more employees) to provide leave. Federal, presidential, and congressional employees also see their eligibility thresholds reduced to 90 days. The bill directly affects millions of private-sector workers and small businesses nationwide by making existing leave protections more widely available. It makes no changes to leave duration or pay, only to who qualifies and which employers must comply.

Wildfire Recovery Act This bill makes changes with respect to the federal cost share for Fire Management Assistance Grants and provides that the federal share shall be not less than 75% of the eligible cost. Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct and complete a rulemaking to provide criteria for the circumstances under which FEMA may recommend that the President increase the federal cost share. Such criteria shall include a threshold metric that assesses the financial impact to a state or local government from responding to a fire for which fire management assistance is being provided.

Maddy summaryHR 660, "Ethan's Law," requires gun owners in homes where minors (under 18) or individuals prohibited from owning firearms under federal/state law reside to store firearms securely. It makes unsecured storage unlawful if a minor or prohibited person could access the firearm, with fines of $500 per violation and enhanced penalties (up to 5 years in prison) if injury or death occurs. The bill also establishes a federal grant program to help states implement similar secure storage laws and provides funding incentives for states that already have such laws in place.

Disaster Reforestation Act This bill sets forth a special rule for the tax deduction for casualty losses of uncut timber (including pre-merchantable timber). It provides that in losses of any uncut timber from fire, storm, insects, invasive species, drought, or other casualty, or from theft, the basis for determining the amount of the deduction for such loss shall not be less than the excess of the value of such timber determined immediately before such loss was sustained, over the salvage value of such timber. To be eligible for the casualty loss deduction, the uncut timber subject to the loss must be reforested not later than the close of the five-year period beginning on the date of the loss.

Maddy summaryHR 653, the Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act, creates a federal grant program to fund school-based mentoring programs for middle school students transitioning to high school. It directly affects at-risk students in high-poverty, high-crime, rural, or high-violence school areas, requiring eligible school districts or community partnerships to assign each student a "success coach." Key provisions mandate coaches to develop individualized plans with students and parents, meet monthly to track academic/career goals, provide quarterly progress reviews, and connect students to college/career opportunities. The bill also requires grantees to report on student outcomes like attendance, academic progress, disciplinary issues, and social-emotional development, with detailed training requirements for coaches covering trauma-informed practices and disability inclusion.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the U.S. Code to expand appeal rights for certain postal employees. It allows non-unionized postal workers in supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial roles (covered under the Executive and Administrative Schedule) to directly appeal personnel decisions to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Previously, these employees may have lacked this specific appeal path. The change clarifies their eligibility under Section 1005(a)(4)(A)(ii)(I) of Title 39, U.S. Code, ensuring they can seek MSPB review for employment-related disputes.