Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Maddy summaryHCONRES 123 directs legislative branch support offices (excluding House and Senate offices) to increase purchasing from the AbilityOne program, which provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. The resolution requires each office to appoint an "AbilityOne Representative" to promote program purchases, ensure compliance with regulations, and develop a strategic plan for growth. Offices must submit annual reports starting in 2025 detailing spending on AbilityOne products/services versus non-AbilityOne sources, including explanations for procurement choices. This procedural resolution applies to all legislative branch offices funded by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses the House of Representatives' sense that the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative stamp honoring Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. It specifically directs the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (a USPS entity) to recommend such a stamp to the Postmaster General. The resolution highlights her historic role as the first Black officer in the Women’s Army Corps and her leadership of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during WWII, which cleared critical mail backlogs in Europe. This is a symbolic measure with no binding effect on USPS policy.

Maddy summaryHRES 1401 directs the House of Representatives to prioritize buying products and services from the AbilityOne program, which employs people who are blind or have significant disabilities. The bill requires the House Administration Committee to update procurement rules by 2025 to ensure House offices buy AbilityOne products whenever possible, add prominent website features for AbilityOne items in the House Supply Store, and create a dedicated "AbilityOne Representative" role to oversee this effort. It also mandates annual reports tracking how much the House spends on AbilityOne versus non-AbilityOne purchases, including reasons for not using the program. This affects all House offices, committees, and support staff in their purchasing decisions, directly supporting employment for approximately 50,000 workers with disabilities through the federal government's procurement system.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 1983 of federal law (42 U.S.C. 1983) to explicitly allow lawsuits against federal officials for violating constitutional rights. It directly affects federal employees or agents who act under federal authority, expanding the current Bivens doctrine which previously only covered state actors. The key mechanism is a simple textual change inserting "of the United States" before "of any State" in the statute, enabling civil actions against federal officials for constitutional violations. This is a procedural amendment to existing law, not a new policy.

Maddy summaryThe Active Shooter Alert Act of 2024 establishes a national coordination system for active shooter alerts by designating a Department of Justice Coordinator. The Coordinator will work with federal agencies (FEMA, FCC, Transportation) and state/local governments to develop voluntary best practices for alert systems, including geotargeted notifications, multilingual messaging, and training for transportation authorities. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on state adoption of protocols and mandates a Comptroller General study on state response times to active shooter alerts, funded by $2 million for the Department of Justice. It does not mandate state adoption but encourages coordination to improve alert effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThe EMIT LESS Act of 2024 establishes research facilities and training programs to study and reduce methane emissions from livestock digestion. It creates USDA-funded labs to test methane-mitigation products, requires training at land-grant universities on livestock management and emissions monitoring, and amends conservation programs to include livestock feed management practices that lower methane. The bill directly affects livestock farmers by expanding eligibility for USDA conservation payments when they adopt practices proven to reduce enteric methane emissions. Key mechanisms include updated conservation standards, new payment incentives for feed management, and mandatory annual reports to Congress on emission reduction progress.

Maddy summaryHR 9196, the Pregnancy Empowerment Act of 2024, prohibits states from delaying or denying divorce petitions solely because a person is pregnant. This directly affects pregnant individuals - particularly women of color and those experiencing intimate partner violence - who face barriers to finalizing divorces during pregnancy, trapping them in abusive relationships. The bill mandates that states cannot consider pregnancy status when processing divorce filings, addressing findings that such delays increase risks of violence and reproductive coercion. It aims to remove legal obstacles that prevent pregnant people from accessing divorce, a critical step for safety and autonomy.

Feed the Community Act  This bill allows a tax exemption for charitable donations of food transportation vehicles and food storage equipment to tax-exempt charitable organizations for providing food to individuals and communities in need.

Maddy summaryHRES 1386 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the House's condemnation of Project 2025. It states that if enacted, Project 2025 would threaten healthcare access (including ending protections for pre-existing conditions and banning Medicare drug negotiations), restrict abortion and fertility services, cut education funding, raise costs for working families, and give tax breaks to wealthy corporations. The resolution specifically lists these potential impacts as reasons for the House to "condemn in the strongest terms" Project 2025. As a resolution, it does not create new law but formally expresses the House's position on this policy proposal.

Maddy summaryThe Improving Mentorship in STEM Higher Education Act creates a National Science Foundation program to fund projects enhancing mentorship for STEM faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers at colleges and universities. Eligible entities - including minority-serving institutions, historically Black colleges, Tribal Colleges, rural-serving universities, and emerging research institutions - can apply for competitive grants to develop mentoring skills, promote evidence-based practices, and provide cultural competency training. The program is funded with $5 million annually (2025-2029) and requires a five-year report assessing effectiveness and proposing permanent implementation if successful.