Rep. Randy K. Weber, Sr.

Maddy summaryHR 2991, the TEACH Act of 2023, modifies federal education law to tie funding to school firearm policies and create grants for defensive training. It prohibits the Department of Education from funding schools that restrict firearm possession beyond existing federal limits (Section 2(b)), and directs the Secretary to award competitive grants using ESEA funds for "defensive training programs" focused on firearm use for school safety (Section 3(a)). These programs include training on carrying, using, and storing firearms on school property to protect students from intruders (Section 3(e)(1)). The bill directly affects schools receiving federal education funds by requiring them to allow firearm possession for training or face funding restrictions, and prioritizes grant applications from entities supporting Second Amendment rights.

Maddy summaryThe Employee Rights Act (HR 2700) amends key labor laws to strengthen employee rights in collective bargaining and privacy. It requires employers to use secret ballot elections for selecting bargaining representatives and to provide labor organizations with voter lists containing employee names and one form of contact information (chosen by the employee) within two business days of an election. The bill prohibits employers from using employee personal information for non-organizing purposes and mandates written authorization for using union dues on non-bargaining activities, with authorizations expiring after one year. Additionally, it clarifies joint employment standards to prevent misclassification and adds tribal sovereignty protections to labor law definitions.

Maddy summaryHR 2933, the Federal Insurance Office Elimination Act, removes the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) and its director position from the Department of the Treasury. The bill updates references to the FIO in the Dodd-Frank Act and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act to instead reference the Treasury Secretary or other entities, without altering the Treasury Secretary’s existing insurance authority. This change streamlines federal insurance oversight by eliminating a dedicated office while maintaining the Treasury’s role in insurance policy matters.

Maddy summaryHR 2928, the Responsible Borrower Protection Act of 2023, blocks the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and mortgage enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) from implementing specific changes to mortgage credit fees announced in January 2023. The bill directly affects mortgage borrowers and lenders by reversing a pricing framework update that would have altered fees for single-family mortgages. It prohibits the FHFA from enforcing the January 2023 pricing changes detailed in FHFA's announcement and related lender letters. The bill clarifies that enterprises may still use risk-based pricing for mortgage fees, but the specific fee adjustments from the 2023 framework are canceled. This is a direct policy change to mortgage fee structures, not a broader reform.

Maddy summaryHRES 90 is a resolution demanding the Chinese government immediately release Mark Swidan, a U.S. citizen from Texas who has been detained since 2012 on drug trafficking charges. The resolution cites the UN Human Rights Council Working Group finding his detention arbitrary, with no evidence of drug offenses, passport records showing he wasn’t in China during the alleged crimes, and China denying his family contact and medical care. It specifically condemns China for blocking U.S. diplomatic access and calls on the U.S. government to prioritize Swidan’s release through diplomatic channels. The resolution focuses on the case’s documented legal and humanitarian issues, not broader policy implications.

Maddy summaryHR 2826, the Save Local Business Act, clarifies when multiple businesses can be held jointly responsible for labor laws. It amends the National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards Act to state that a business is only a joint employer if it directly controls key employment terms like hiring, pay, schedules, or discipline for another business's workers. This directly affects franchisors, contractors, and similar business models that might previously have been deemed joint employers under broader interpretations. The bill aims to limit joint employer liability to cases where one business has clear, day-to-day control over essential worker conditions.

Maddy summaryHR 2865 requires the U.S. President to immediately close two diplomatic offices in New York City: the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. Within 72 hours of the bill’s enactment, the President must order the closure of both offices and expel all diplomatic personnel assigned to them. For the Hong Kong office, the bill specifically overrides existing law (Public Law 105-22) to cancel visas or entry documents for Chinese citizens working there. This bill directly affects the operations and personnel of these two Chinese diplomatic missions in New York.

Maddy summaryHR 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, amends Title IX to prohibit federally funded schools and athletic programs from allowing individuals assigned male at birth to participate in women's or girls' sports teams. The bill defines "sex" for this purpose as "reproductive biology and genetics at birth," making it a violation of federal law to permit such participation in designated women's or girls' programs. It allows males to train with women's teams only if no female is deprived of a roster spot, competition opportunity, scholarship, or other benefit tied to the team. This law directly affects public and private schools receiving federal financial assistance that operate athletic programs.

Go Woke, Go Broke Act This bill abolishes the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity in the Department of the Treasury. The bill also prohibits Treasury from reestablishing this advisory committee or establishing any substantially similar advisory committee.

Stop the Invasion Act This bill requires the President to bar the entry of certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) into the United States if U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encounters a certain number of inadmissible non-U.S. nationals. Specifically, this bar shall apply if CBP detains or finds on average more than 30,000 such inadmissible individuals each month over the most recent 12-month period. The bar shall cease when the average drops below 30,000 encounters. Such encounters shall include non-U.S. nationals who seek entry into the United States when the President has suspended entry to prevent the spread of a communicable disease. While this bar is in effect, the President must prohibit the entry of non-U.S. nationals who are inadmissible for specified reasons related to illegal entry, violation of immigration law, or lack of documentation.