Maddy summaryThe BADGES for Native Communities Act (HR 1292) creates a Tribal facilitator within the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System to improve tracking of missing persons, unclaimed remains, and unidentified remains cases involving Native Americans. It establishes a demonstration program to streamline background checks for Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers and creates a grant program to help tribes and states coordinate responses to missing and murdered Indigenous people cases. The bill also requires annual reports on law enforcement staffing needs in Indian country and mandates a study on evidence collection practices by federal law enforcement agencies. Additionally, it directs coordination between health and justice agencies to provide mental health resources for law enforcement officers serving Native communities. This legislation directly benefits Indian Tribes, Bureau of Indian Affairs personnel, and tribal law enforcement agencies by addressing systemic gaps in safety and response systems.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Food Deserts Act creates a federal grant program to help establish grocery stores in underserved communities by funding state revolving funds. States receive capitalization grants (up to $150 million for FY2022) to provide low-interest loans to grocery stores that meet specific criteria, such as selling unprocessed, affordable healthy foods and matching 20% of the loan with non-federal funds. Priority is given to stores hiring local workers, offering nutrition education, sourcing from local farms, and having established supply chains. The program directly supports grocery store operators in areas with limited access to fresh food, aiming to improve community health outcomes through increased access to nutritious options.
Maddy summaryThe Outdoors for All Act establishes a federal grant program to fund outdoor recreation projects in underserved communities. It authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to eligible entities (like states, cities, tribal organizations, or nonprofits) for acquiring land, developing parks, or renovating outdoor facilities in qualifying urban areas (population 25,000+ or tribal lands) or low-income communities (where 30%+ of residents have incomes at or below 80% of local median income or 200% of the federal poverty line). Grants require a 100% cash or in-kind match (with limited waivers), prohibit funding for indoor facilities or maintenance, and prioritize projects enhancing park access, engaging youth, creating jobs, or improving environmental benefits like reducing urban heat islands. The program mandates annual reporting and focuses on concrete community outcomes rather than speculative results.
Maddy summaryHR 1680, the Black Sea Security Act of 2023, mandates the U.S. government to develop a coordinated strategy for security and economic engagement with Black Sea states (Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia). The bill requires an interagency strategy within 180 days, focusing on enhancing security cooperation with NATO, bolstering economic ties, supporting democratic resilience, and improving regional connectivity. Key mechanisms include assessing military presence options, diversifying energy partnerships, countering economic coercion from Russia and China, and strengthening infrastructure through initiatives like the Three Seas Initiative. The strategy aims to deepen U.S. engagement without creating new funding or altering existing authorities for affected countries.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits colleges receiving federal funds from retaliating against students who belong to single-sex social organizations (like traditional fraternities or sororities). It specifically bans schools from requiring students to waive membership rights as a condition of enrollment or taking adverse actions - such as disciplinary measures, denying financial aid, or restricting housing - solely based on their membership in these groups. The bill clarifies that institutions aren't required to officially recognize such organizations and can still take action for misconduct unrelated to the group's single-sex policy. It defines "adverse action" broadly to include denials of scholarships, housing, or leadership opportunities tied to membership. The law directly affects students in single-sex organizations and the federal funding policies of colleges under the Higher Education Act.
Establishing Accreditation Grants for Law Enforcement Act of 2023 or the EAGLE Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Justice to provide grants to eligible local law enforcement agencies for activities related to obtaining qualified accreditation or recertification. Such accreditation or recertification shall be provided by a professional law enforcement organization involved in developing standards for law enforcement at the national, state, regional, or tribal level, such as the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Maddy summaryHR 1591 amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to increase annual federal funding for impact aid programs that support school districts near military bases, national parks, and other federal properties. It authorizes specific, rising funding levels for four key areas: payments for federal land acquisitions ($90 million in 2024, growing to $150 million by 2029), basic payments to heavily impacted school districts ($1.6 billion in 2024, growing to $2.45 billion by 2029), payments for students with disabilities ($60 million in 2024, growing to $120 million by 2029), and school construction projects ($22.9 million in 2024, growing to $45.4 million by 2029). These appropriations represent incremental steps toward full federal funding for these aid programs, as specified in the bill's text. The bill directly affects school districts located near federal land, providing predictable annual funding increases for their operational and infrastructure needs.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the "Hello Girls" - female telephone operators who served in the Army Signal Corps during World War I. They provided critical battlefield communications in France (connecting 26 million calls), wore military uniforms, and faced combat risks, but were denied veteran benefits for 60 years due to being classified as civilian contractors. The medal recognizes their pioneering service, devotion, and the decades-long struggle to gain military recognition. The award follows similar recognition for other WWII women veterans and aims to correct the historical injustice they faced.
Maddy summaryThe Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act of 2023 expands eligibility for federal school meal programs to include children enrolled in an Indian tribe or with at least one parent who is enrolled in an Indian tribe. It adjusts reimbursement rates for schools near reservations and establishes a pilot program allowing tribal entities to operate meal programs (like school lunches and summer feeding) with reimbursements structured as if they were state agencies. The pilot will fund 10 tribal organizations for up to two years with grants between $10,000 and $100,000 annually, targeting schools and early childhood programs on or near reservations. This directly affects Native American children and tribal schools participating in the pilot.
Maddy summaryThe SVB Act (HR 1602) repeals Title IV of the 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which had relaxed banking regulations. It directly affects banks previously subject to those relaxed rules, particularly smaller institutions that benefited from the 2018 changes. The bill’s key mechanism is restoring the pre-2018 regulatory framework, reversing the specific provisions that eased oversight. This returns banking oversight to the structure that existed before the 2018 law took effect, without creating new rules.