Rep. Suzan K. DelBene

Maddy summaryHR 1990, the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025, amends tax rules for businesses to make research and development (R&D) costs more flexible. It allows companies to deduct R&D expenses immediately as business costs (instead of capitalizing them) or to spread these costs over a minimum 60-month period. The bill clarifies which R&D expenses qualify, excludes land improvements and mineral exploration costs, and ensures companies can claim R&D tax credits without conflict with expense treatment. This directly affects businesses that conduct R&D, changing how they account for these costs on tax returns starting for 2022 taxable years.

American Teacher Act This bill establishes grants to increase the minimum salary of public elementary and secondary school teachers. It also authorizes a national campaign regarding the value of the teaching profession. First, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award four-year grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to establish a minimum annual salary of $60,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation) for these teachers. Second, the bill directs ED to award grants to eligible SEAs to provide cost-of-living adjustments to the annual base salary of teachers. Finally, the bill authorizes ED to carry out a national campaign to (1) increase awareness about the importance of teachers and the value of the teaching profession, (2) encourage secondary school and college students to consider teaching as a professional career, and (3) diversify the pool of individuals who enter the teaching profession.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 1988) provides unemployment benefits eligibility for certain federal workers and military members during government shutdowns. It deems eligible employees - such as military personnel, NOAA Commissioned Corps members, and excepted civilian workers performing emergency duties - as "totally separated from federal service" during funding gaps. This allows them to access unemployment benefits immediately, without waiting periods, for weeks of unemployment starting March 14, 2025. The bill directly affects federal employees who remain on duty but are unpaid due to shutdowns.

Maddy summaryThis bill terminates a national emergency declared by the President on February 1, 2025, under Executive Order 14194. It directly ends the legal status of that emergency by invoking Section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622). The key mechanism is a formal congressional resolution to revoke the emergency designation, which would end any special authorities granted under that emergency. This is a procedural action affecting only the emergency status itself, not new policies or affected groups.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the calculation method for the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for uniformed service members living off-base in the United States. It requires the Secretary of Defense to set BAH amounts based directly on the actual monthly cost of adequate housing in each area, matching the member's pay grade and dependency status. This change ensures BAH rates more accurately reflect local housing expenses rather than using a previous formula. The bill directly affects all service members receiving BAH for off-base housing across the U.S., particularly those in high-cost areas where current rates may not cover actual rent.

Maddy summaryHR 1954, the "Do No Harm Act," amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to clarify that RFRA does not override specific federal laws protecting against harm. It explicitly exempts provisions related to anti-discrimination (like the Civil Rights Act), workplace protections (wages, leave, collective activity), child safety, and healthcare access from RFRA's requirements. The bill ensures RFRA cannot be used to challenge government programs or contracts that provide these essential protections. It also clarifies that RFRA applies only to disputes involving government as a party, not private disputes between individuals. This change preserves existing legal safeguards while modifying RFRA's scope.

Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2025 This bill requires congressional approval for a presidential import adjustment due to a national security threat from an import and limits the adjustments to certain goods that are essential to national security. Specifically, the bill limits the President's authority for such import adjustments to goods related to the development, maintenance, or protection of military equipment, energy resources, or critical infrastructure essential to national security. The bill specifies that the term national security (1) means the protection of the United States from foreign aggression, and (2) does not otherwise include the protection of the general welfare of the United States. The bill requires the President to submit a proposal to Congress to adjust imports. Congress must then approve the proposal with a joint resolution before an import adjustment takes effect. Under current law, the President determines whether any adjustment of an import is necessary and must submit to Congress the reasons for any action taken or not taken. Currently, there is a congressional disapproval mechanism to override presidential actions related to petroleum imports. The bill also requires the Department of Defense (currently, the Department of Commerce) to investigate the effect of these imports on national security and submit a report before the President determines whether an adjustment to an import is necessary, establishes requirements for a process to grant requests to exclude certain goods from import adjustments, and  applies retroactively to any proposed action taken up to six years before the enactment of this bill.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires states to ignore income earned during the first year of a registered apprenticeship when determining eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare benefits. It directly affects low-income individuals entering apprenticeships who might otherwise lose welfare support due to their first-year earnings. The law mandates states to disregard this income in eligibility calculations, with a penalty of a 1% reduction in federal TANF funding for states that fail to comply. The policy change takes effect in the first federal fiscal year after the bill becomes law, ensuring apprentices can maintain welfare access while starting their training.

Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act This bill prohibits political appointees and special government employees from accessing Social Security data systems that contain personally identifiable information about Social Security beneficiaries. Specifically, political appointees and special government employees may not access systems maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that issue or record Social Security account numbers, that are used to determine eligibility for or to pay Social Security benefits, or that otherwise contain personally identifiable information about individuals receiving or applying for benefits.  The bill also establishes a civil right of action for an individual whose information was negligently accessed or disclosed in violation of these provisions. The individual may bring suit against the United States if the violator was a U.S. employee or officer, or against the violator if they were not a U.S. employee or officer. Such a claim must be brought within two years of the affected individual’s discovery of the violation. Upon a finding of liability, defendants are liable for specified monetary damages.  If an individual is criminally charged or subject to proposed disciplinary or adverse action by a federal or state agency for having accessed or disclosed information in violation of these provisions, SSA must notify the individual whose information was accessed or disclosed of the violation as soon as practicable.  Finally, the bill requires the SSA Office of the Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized access to or disclosure of information in a beneficiary data system.

Maddy summaryHR 1876, the "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act," prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing, consolidating, or restricting access to its field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations for 180 days after enactment, with exceptions for emergencies. The bill requires the SSA Commissioner to submit a detailed report to Congress by January 2029, analyzing closure criteria, transportation burdens for elderly/disabled users, cost-benefit impacts, and plans to replace lost services. For future closures, it mandates 120 days of public notice, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress, while ensuring total office numbers don’t fall below 2025 levels. This directly affects SSA field offices, their users (including elderly and disabled individuals), and employees. The bill’s key mechanism is a procedural safeguard to ensure transparency and minimize disruption before any office changes take effect.