Rep. Jeff Duncan

Maddy summaryHR 7514, the WAIVER Act, waives a requirement that materials used in veterans home construction must be made in the U.S. for specific state veterans home projects. It applies only to projects that had applications submitted by April 15, 2022, and were included in the VA's FY 2023 State Home Construction Grants Priority List. The waiver allows these projects to use foreign-made materials for construction instead of complying with the standard "Buy American" rule. This directly affects state governments and contractors working on qualifying veterans home construction projects already approved under the VA's 2023 priority list. The change is limited to these specific projects and does not alter the general domestic procurement requirement for future projects.

Maddy summaryHR 1023, the "Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act," repeals the greenhouse gas reduction fund established under Section 134 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds unobligated funds allocated to it. It also repeals a related provision in the Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169) that addressed this fund. This bill directly eliminates the federal funding mechanism for greenhouse gas reduction programs, stopping the allocation of government resources toward these climate initiatives. As a result, the government would no longer have legal authority to use funds for programs previously authorized under these provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new eligibility rules for women's and girls' amateur sports by defining "female" and "male" based on biological sex at birth. It prohibits individuals designated as male under these definitions from participating in athletic competitions designated for females, women, or girls. The law amends existing U.S. Code provisions to add this requirement, directly affecting athletes and organizations managing female-designated teams. The key change is a clear ban on male-identified participants in female sports, replacing previous eligibility standards with biological sex criteria.

Maddy summaryHR 6727 establishes the United States Foundation for International Conservation, a nonprofit organization that will provide grants to support long-term management of protected and conserved areas in eligible countries. The Foundation requires a 2:1 cost match from other sources, demands host country and community consent through binding agreements, and prioritizes areas with high biodiversity or species of significant importance. It will be governed by a Board of Directors including government officials and private sector experts, operate for 10 years with $1 million authorized for 2024 and $100 million annually from 2025-2035, and must follow international conservation standards while prohibiting funding for countries supporting terrorism or violating human rights.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting American Energy Production Act (HR 1121) states that Congress believes states should have primary authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas production on state and private lands. It prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing without specific authorization from Congress. This bill directly affects federal and state governments by limiting the executive branch’s power to halt hydraulic fracturing operations and reinforcing state regulatory control. The key provision ensures any federal restriction on hydraulic fracturing would require a new law passed by Congress, not a presidential order.

Maddy summaryThe Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2024 establishes a confidential voluntary information-sharing system for pipeline operators to share safety data and improve industry-wide safety practices. It creates new safety zones for workers and the public during pipeline construction, repair, and maintenance activities. The bill also includes specific regulations for carbon dioxide pipelines, strengthens penalties for safety violations, and implements safety enhancement programs to modernize pipeline safety standards across the industry. These provisions directly affect pipeline operators, safety regulators, and communities near pipeline infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHR 6185, the GRID Act, requires federal agencies to submit proposed rules, regulations, or other actions that could harm North America's electric grid reliability to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for review. Federal agencies (like cabinet departments) must provide these proposals to FERC before finalizing them, allowing FERC to comment on potential grid impacts. The agency must then respond in writing to FERC's comments before moving forward, with all comments and responses made publicly available. This process directly affects federal agencies proposing actions that could impact grid reliability, creating a mandatory review step to safeguard the bulk-power system.

Maddy summaryHR 7594 codifies existing immigration enforcement policies into law, primarily by making executive actions from 2017-2019 permanent. It ends the "catch and release" practice for border apprehensions, mandates border wall construction and other security measures, enforces restrictions on "sanctuary cities," implements the "Remain in Mexico" policy, and limits entry for migrants. The bill also modifies birthright citizenship rules under the Immigration and Nationality Act, requiring at least one parent to be a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent resident for a child born in the U.S. to automatically gain citizenship. It directly affects immigrants seeking entry or asylum, those in border detention, and individuals applying for citizenship through birth in the U.S.

Maddy summaryThe Immigration Detainer Enforcement Act of 2024 requires state and local law enforcement agencies to hold individuals for up to 48 hours if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issues a detainer, primarily targeting people with criminal records who may be removable from the U.S. It mandates that local agencies share immigration status information with DHS and provides federal funding to states that detain qualifying criminal aliens - defined as those convicted of felonies or multiple misdemeanors who entered without inspection or violated visa status. States failing to comply with detainer requests risk losing priority for federal law enforcement grants and equipment. The bill allocates $750 million for 2024 to cover detention costs for these individuals, with annual funding increasing through 2030.

Maddy summaryThe Atomic Energy Advancement Act modernizes nuclear energy regulation and deployment in the United States. It requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to update its mission to prioritize efficient licensing while maintaining safety standards, establishes reduced fees for advanced reactor applicants, and creates a prize program to reward the first successful advanced reactor licensing. The bill also streamlines environmental reviews for nuclear projects at brownfield sites and extends the Price-Anderson Act, which limits liability for nuclear accidents. Additionally, it mandates the Commission to develop risk-informed oversight procedures for nuclear facilities.