Sen. John R. Curtis

Maddy summaryHR 5743 requires the U.S. Department of the Interior to repay states for costs they incurred operating national park units during a federal government shutdown. Specifically, states that used their own funds to keep parks open when federal funding lapsed can request reimbursement within 30 days after the shutdown ends. The bill defines a government shutdown as a lapse in funding for any federal agency and mandates the Secretary of the Interior to pay the full amount the state spent on park operations during that period. This directly affects states managing national park units, providing a mechanism to recover their emergency expenditures.

Maddy summaryHR 5768, the University of Utah Research Park Act, transfers ownership of approximately 593 acres of land in Salt Lake City from the U.S. government to the University of Utah. The bill releases the government's reversionary interest (the right to reclaim the land) without requiring payment, specifically for land described by its 1968 patent and survey details. This directly affects the University of Utah, granting it full ownership of the land designated for its research park. The bill makes no new policy changes but finalizes a property transfer that has been pending since the land was originally patented.

Maddy summaryHR 5695, the "No Work, No Pay Act of 2023," requires that Members of Congress forfeit pay for each day a government shutdown occurs during their pay period. It directly affects all current members of the House and Senate (defined as those serving under specific pay scales) by withholding a daily portion of their salary equal to one day’s pay for every 24-hour period the shutdown lasts. The bill mandates payroll systems to calculate and exclude this amount based on the number of shutdown days within the pay period, with the Treasury Secretary assisting implementation. This applies to the 119th Congress and all subsequent sessions.

Maddy summaryHRES 719 is a symbolic resolution designating the week beginning September 24, 2023, as "National Source Water Protection Week." It does not create new laws or directly affect individuals or entities, but expresses congressional support for raising public awareness about protecting drinking water sources. The resolution highlights the importance of safeguarding water quality and quantity for public health, the environment, and community resilience. It encourages collaboration among local, state, and federal entities to promote water conservation and protection efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Public Health Service Act to improve how the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is operated. It changes the contracting process by allowing the Secretary to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public or private entities for the OPTN, with specific provisions to ensure distinct operations for the network and its governing board. The bill also includes technical corrections to existing law and requires a GAO review of the OPTN's historical financing within two years of enactment. This legislation directly affects the organizations and processes managing organ donation and transplantation in the United States.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Natural Gas Act to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exclusive authority to approve or deny applications for U.S. natural gas export facilities (including LNG terminals) to foreign countries. It removes existing requirements for other federal agencies to review such projects, though it preserves their roles in other areas. The bill also adds a new provision clarifying that the President retains authority under existing laws (like sanctions or national security powers) to block exports, including to countries designated as "state sponsors of terrorism." The bill directly affects LNG exporters, FERC, and the President’s national security decision-making regarding gas exports.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends existing programs that provide payments to counties and states with federal land, primarily to support local schools and communities. It updates key deadlines, extending secure payments through 2026, special project authorities through 2029, and county fund expenditure authority through 2028. A new pilot program allows regional foresters to appoint resource advisory committee members directly, with this authority ending October 1, 2028. These changes directly affect rural counties and states managing federal lands, maintaining current funding mechanisms without altering eligibility or payment amounts.

Maddy summaryHR 4831, the Fair Pay for Federal Firefighters Act, increases pay for wildland firefighters employed by the Forest Service or Department of the Interior during fiscal years 2024-2025. It establishes special pay rates (ranging from 1.5% to 42% above standard General Schedule rates, depending on grade) that replace regular pay for these workers. The bill also creates a new "incident response premium pay" provision, entitling eligible firefighters to 450% of their hourly rate for each day deployed on qualifying wildfires or fire-related incidents, capped at $9,000 annually per employee. This premium pay is excluded from calculations for benefits like leave accruals, overtime, or retirement. The bill directly affects federal wildland firefighters whose duties focus on forest, range, or wildland fires (not structural fires).

Maddy summaryThe Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act (HR 3200) helps communities near federal recreation areas - like national parks and forests - manage tourism impacts. It requires the Interior and Agriculture Secretaries to assess local needs (such as housing shortages and infrastructure demands) and provide financial or technical assistance to businesses (e.g., hotels, campgrounds) to support sustainable visitation. The bill also establishes a unified system for tracking annual visitor numbers, launches a pilot program for real-time visitation data at 20+ recreation sites, and mandates a digital version of national park passes by January 2024. These changes directly affect gateway communities, federal land managers, and tourism businesses, aiming to distribute visitor traffic more evenly and improve data transparency.

Maddy summaryHR 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, amends the Clean Air Act to restrict states from implementing vehicle emissions rules that limit the sale or use of new gasoline-powered cars. It directly affects states with stricter emissions standards (like California) by adding a new definition that blocks state rules "directly or indirectly" limiting internal combustion engine vehicles as defined in federal regulations as of January 1, 2023. The bill requires the EPA to revoke existing state emissions waivers granted between January 2022 and the bill’s enactment if they don’t comply with this new definition. This creates a concrete federal standard preventing states from advancing policies that could reduce demand for conventional vehicles.