Rep. Kim Schrier

Maddy summarySammy's Law of 2023 requires large social media platforms (defined as those with over 100 million monthly users or $1 billion in annual revenue) to create and maintain application programming interfaces that allow parents or legal guardians to delegate account management for children aged 13 or older to third-party safety software providers. These providers must register with the Federal Trade Commission, agree to use data solely for child safety, and follow strict rules about data disclosure. The law establishes a national standard that prevents states from creating their own requirements for this feature while including FTC enforcement mechanisms and data security provisions. The legislation aims to give parents more tools to monitor and protect children from specific online harms like cyberbullying, trafficking, and violence on major social media platforms.

Maddy summaryHR 5667, the Pay Our Military Act, ensures continued pay and allowances for active-duty military members, reservists, Department of Defense civilians, and qualifying contractors during any government funding gap in fiscal year 2024. It appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover these payments if regular appropriations bills aren't passed before the end of the fiscal year. The funding automatically terminates once regular appropriations are enacted or by January 1, 2025, whichever comes first.

Maddy summaryThis bill replaces "Columbus Day" with "Indigenous Peoples’ Day" as the official federal holiday observed on the second Monday in October. It directly affects federal government operations and all federal documents, rules, or laws that previously referenced "Columbus Day" by automatically updating those references to "Indigenous Peoples’ Day" upon enactment. The key mechanism is a simple amendment to federal law (5 U.S.C. § 6103(a)) to change the holiday name and a provision ensuring all existing federal references to Columbus Day are legally treated as referring to Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead. This is a procedural change to federal holidays and references, not a new policy or program.

Water Access Act This bill provides FY2024 appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program. The program provides grants to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management within the Department of Energy to coordinate federal research on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. It authorizes over $2 billion in funding for research, development, and demonstration projects focused on direct air capture, soil carbon management, forest restoration, and other CDR approaches across multiple federal agencies. The legislation requires lifecycle analyses of environmental impacts, considers social and economic factors, and mandates cross-agency coordination. It creates a framework for competitive demonstration projects with cost-sharing requirements for private sector participation. The bill aims to advance CDR technologies to help address climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through federally funded research and development.

Maddy summaryHR 5097 establishes new federal funding programs to support the development of alternative proteins - foods that mimic animal meat using plants, cell cultivation, or fermentation. It allocates $15 million annually (2024-2028) for Centers of Excellence focused on research and workforce training, $10 million for USDA research, $50 million for manufacturing grants to U.S. companies and institutions, and $25 million for workforce development programs. The bill requires the USDA to create a national strategy coordinating multiple federal agencies to advance this sector. These provisions directly affect U.S. businesses, universities, and workers in the alternative protein industry by providing targeted funding for research, production, and job training.

Maddy summaryThis bill modernizes the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which provides grants and financial assistance to rural agricultural producers, cooperatives, and small businesses for renewable energy projects. Key changes include requiring projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expanding eligible applicants to include producer cooperatives and NGOs, streamlining application processes, and studying dual-use energy systems (where crops and renewable energy share land). It also establishes a reserve fund for underutilized renewable technologies and removes energy use requirements for projects on properties with shared residential and agricultural energy meters. The bill directly affects rural entities seeking to adopt solar, wind, or other renewable systems on farms or small businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a standardized methodology for measuring soil carbon in agricultural settings, to be developed within 270 days of enactment. It creates a program for the Department of Agriculture to inventory and analyze soil carbon changes across U.S. agricultural lands every five years, with a focus on monitoring the impacts of land management practices. The legislation requires the development of user-friendly predictive models that help farmers estimate how different conservation activities affect soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. It includes provisions for voluntary reporting by agricultural producers, technical assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers, and strict data privacy protections. The bill authorizes $2 million annually for the measurement methodology and $17.5 million for the soil carbon inventory program.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to require all U.S. colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to create detailed anti-harassment policies covering physical, online, and institution-sponsored settings. It mandates policies prohibiting harassment based on race, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, religion, and other protected characteristics, including harassment via institutional email, computers, or electronic messaging. The bill also establishes a $50 million annual grant program to fund colleges developing prevention programs, victim support services, and training for students and staff on recognizing and addressing harassment. These policies and grants must comply with existing civil rights laws like Title IX but add specific requirements for reporting and prevention.

Maddy summaryHR 5652, the Stop Overdose in Schools Act, establishes a federal pilot program to help schools respond to opioid overdoses. It provides grants to school districts to train staff (like resource officers and nurses) in administering opioid reversal medications, purchase necessary kits, and raise awareness about opioid use disorder. The bill prioritizes rural schools (50% of grants) and districts in areas with high youth overdose rates (the other 50%). It also sets aside $5 million annually for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to fund this program, requiring grant recipients to train designated school personnel in opioid reversal agent use.