Rep. Nancy Mace

Maddy summaryHR 9568, the SAW Act, makes it illegal to intentionally use a motor vehicle to run over, strike, or kill wolves or coyotes on U.S. public lands (excluding tribal trust lands). The law prohibits this action except when avoiding personal injury, protecting property, or conducting authorized wildlife management. Violators face fines up to $5,000, up to one year in prison, or both. The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for investigating violations and can collaborate with state and local law enforcement. This bill specifically targets motor vehicle use against wolves and coyotes on federal lands, with no broader wildlife protections.

Maddy summaryHR 9216, the Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2024, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to study whether distributed ledger technology (like blockchain) could improve veterans' benefits and services. The VA must examine how this technology might enhance benefits allocation accuracy, secure veterans' records, streamline insurance claims, and increase service transparency, consulting with experts and veterans groups. The study must be completed within one year, resulting in a report to Congress with findings, potential benefits/risks, and recommendations for pilot programs or legislative changes. This bill does not change current VA operations but mandates a review of a new technology for potential future use. It directly affects VA processes and veterans by evaluating tools that could impact their benefit access and record management.

Maddy summaryHR 9526, the "No Amnesty for Hamas Sympathizers Act," blocks immigration protections for Palestinians from specific territories. It nullifies a 2024 policy granting deferred enforced departure and prohibits Temporary Protected Status (TPS), asylum, refugee status, parole, and other pathways for individuals who habitually resided in Palestinian-administered areas of Judea/Samaria or Gaza, or hold Palestinian Authority passports. The bill adds these individuals to lists of those who are automatically inadmissible and deportable under immigration law. It directly affects Palestinians meeting these geographic or document criteria seeking U.S. immigration benefits. The bill makes no reference to Hamas in its provisions, focusing solely on geographic residence and travel documents.

Maddy summaryThe SAFER at the Border Act prohibits the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from temporarily admitting (paroling) certain individuals at the border. It defines "known terrorists" (those arrested, charged, or convicted for terrorism), "suspected terrorists" (reasonably suspected of terrorism), and "special interest aliens" (those with potential terrorism links based on travel patterns). The bill explicitly bans parole for these individuals, even for humanitarian reasons or public benefit, and also prohibits parole for refugees. Additionally, it allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security if they suffer financial harm exceeding $100 from the parole of such individuals.

Maddy summaryThe VA WEB Act (HR 6874) requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a system that actively monitors its main website for adverse events - such as system outages, data errors, or submission failures - within one year of enactment. The system must track metrics like website traffic, submission volumes, and software updates, and log details of any event affecting users or submissions. For significant events impacting 1,000+ users, the VA must notify Congress within 30 days and provide a detailed report upon request. These requirements, including a mandated testing strategy to prevent future issues, expire seven years after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to prioritize purchasing cleaning products certified as PFAS-free by the Safer Choice program or equivalent third-party certifications. It directly affects the DoD, which buys cleaning supplies for military facilities nationwide. The key mechanism mandates that the Secretary of Defense only procure such certified products "to the maximum extent practicable," shifting procurement toward verified safer alternatives. The policy change focuses on updating DoD purchasing practices without creating new product standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, which provides federal funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to reduce backlogs in processing DNA evidence from crime scenes. It extends the program's funding period from fiscal years 2024 through 2029 (previously ending in 2024). The bill also updates audit requirements to ensure grant funds are used properly through 2029. This directly affects law enforcement agencies that receive these grants to accelerate DNA analysis for criminal investigations.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits U.S. federal agencies from recognizing the Taliban-controlled government in Afghanistan as legitimate, calling its takeover a coup. It requires the State Department to designate Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of terrorism" and the Taliban as a "foreign terrorist organization," while banning federal funding for any policies that could imply recognition. These provisions directly affect U.S. diplomatic, aid, and defense agencies by restricting their actions toward Afghanistan and freezing related funding. The law aims to formalize the U.S. stance that the Taliban regime is illegitimate due to its ties to terrorism.

Maddy summaryThe Federal Prison Oversight Act establishes a new inspections regime for federal prisons, requiring the Justice Department's Inspector General to conduct regular assessments of Bureau of Prisons facilities. These inspections will evaluate conditions of confinement, medical care, staffing levels, safety protocols, and policies related to visitation and programming. The bill also creates a new Ombudsman position within the Department of Justice to receive and address complaints from incarcerated people, their families, and staff about health, safety, and rights concerns. The Inspector General must submit public reports with recommendations, and the Bureau must respond with corrective action plans within 60 days. The law includes protections against retaliation for those filing complaints and requires the Bureau to provide multiple confidential channels for submitting complaints.

Maddy summaryThe SAVE Act (HR 8281) requires U.S. citizens to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It defines acceptable proof as documents like passports, REAL ID-compliant IDs, military IDs, or birth certificates, and mandates that states verify citizenship using information from government agencies like DHS and Social Security. States must establish processes for voters without required documentation to provide an attestation under penalty of perjury. The law also requires states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls when verified evidence shows they're not citizens. This bill directly affects all applicants registering to vote in federal elections and state election officials who must implement these requirements.