Rep. Abigail Davis Spanberger

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 summaryThe Strengthening Youth Apprenticeships Act of 2023 authorizes federal grants to create or expand youth apprenticeship programs for high school students, directly affecting students (especially underrepresented groups), schools, and community colleges. It requires the Labor and Education Secretaries to develop an interagency agreement aligning apprenticeships with high school graduation requirements and career pathways, prioritizing programs for non-traditional apprenticeship populations (e.g., underrepresented genders or races). Grants fund recruitment, curriculum development, employer partnerships, and supportive services like transportation or childcare, while requiring programs to integrate with dual enrollment and align with industry credentials. Recipients must annually report on outcomes like post-program employment, education enrollment, and graduation rates, disaggregated by demographic factors.

Maddy summaryHR 656, the "Head Start for Our Future Act," amends the Higher Education Act to update a funding provision. It replaces the phrase "literacy training" with "child development and early learning (including Head Start programs and Early Head Start programs)" in Section 441(c)(1). This change explicitly directs funds under that section toward early childhood development services, including existing Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The bill does not create new funding but clarifies that these programs qualify for related support.

Maddy summaryHR 648, the Agriculture Export Promotion Act of 2023, increases federal funding for key USDA export promotion programs to boost U.S. agricultural sales abroad. It raises annual funding for the Market Access Program from $200 million to $400 million and for the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program from $34.5 million to $69 million, effective 2024-2029. These changes directly benefit U.S. farmers and agricultural businesses exporting commodities like soybeans, beef, and dairy by expanding their access to international markets. The bill aims to counter competitive disadvantages as foreign competitors grow their export programs faster than U.S. funding has kept pace. This represents a significant funding adjustment to address years of stagnant investment in these programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the possession, sale, or transfer of most large-capacity ammunition magazines (holding more than 15 rounds) for the general public, while exempting law enforcement officers (including campus security officers), retired officers, and certain licensed entities like nuclear facility security. It requires new magazines manufactured after enactment to have serial numbers and manufacturing dates, and allows federal grant funds to support buy-back programs for these devices. Existing owners of such magazines lawfully possessed before the law's enactment are exempt from the prohibition. The law applies to devices not already covered under current exemptions for law enforcement, nuclear security, and retired officers.

Maddy summaryThe Buy Low and Sell High Act establishes an Economic Petroleum Reserve of up to 350 million barrels of crude oil, to be purchased domestically at a maximum price of $60 per barrel. It creates Strategic Refined Petroleum Product Reserves for gasoline and diesel across different districts with specific storage requirements, and authorizes sales when certain price conditions are met. The bill restricts exports of petroleum products to countries like China, Russia, and Iran, and requires Federal agencies to gradually increase the percentage of alternative fuel vehicles in their fleets, with specific targets for light- and medium/heavy-duty vehicles. It also provides funding for state transportation electrification plans and assistance for refineries in Western Hemisphere countries to increase crude oil refining capacity, while increasing the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve capacity from 2 million to 4 million barrels.

Maddy summaryThis bill adjusts federal employee pay rates for 2024. It increases basic pay for all federal workers under statutory pay systems and prevailing rate systems by 4.7%, and raises locality pay adjustments by 4.0%. These changes directly affect all federal employees covered by the specified pay systems, including those in wage areas and under sections 5348/5349 of Title 5. The bill implements these raises without altering existing pay system structures or requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands foreign investment review to cover U.S. agriculture by requiring transactions involving foreign control of agricultural businesses to undergo scrutiny by the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS). It classifies agricultural supply chains as both critical infrastructure and critical technologies, directly affecting foreign entities seeking to acquire or influence U.S. farms, food production, and supply chains. The bill mandates annual reports from the Secretary of Agriculture and the Government Accountability Office on foreign investments in agriculture, including risks to food security and intellectual property. These provisions aim to mitigate potential threats to U.S. food supply chains from foreign adversaries through enhanced oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the export or sale of petroleum products drawn from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to specific countries and entities, including China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and any nation under U.S. sanctions. It also bans exports to entities owned or controlled by these countries or the Chinese Communist Party. The Secretary of Energy must enforce this ban, though they may issue a national security waiver for specific exports. The bill requires the Secretary to issue implementing rules within 60 days of enactment. It directly affects the Secretary of Energy, oil exporters seeking to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the listed countries/entities.