Rep. Eric Burlison

Maddy summaryThis bill would amend federal law to require the rejection of a state's electoral votes for president if a candidate nominated by a major political party did not appear on that state's ballot. It defines "major political party" using the IRS's criteria for "major party" status under the Internal Revenue Code. The change directly affects states' ability to certify presidential election results, as electoral votes from any state failing to include a major party candidate would be disqualified from counting. The bill does not alter voting procedures or ballot access but modifies the federal process for certifying electoral votes.

Maddy summaryHR 6793, the Small Business Ceiling Fan Manufacturer Protection Act, prohibits the Department of Energy from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a proposed energy efficiency rule for ceiling fans. The bill specifically blocks the June 2023 proposed rule (88 Fed. Reg. 40932) that would have set new efficiency standards, and also prevents similar future rules. This directly affects small ceiling fan manufacturers by stopping them from having to comply with the new standards, which could have increased production costs. The bill halts a specific regulatory process without creating new requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 6813 blocks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a specific proposed rule about air emissions reporting. The bill directly targets the EPA Administrator, preventing action on the "Revisions to the Air Emissions Reporting Requirements" rule published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2023. This bill does not change current reporting rules but stops the EPA from moving forward with this particular revision. The key mechanism is a direct prohibition on the EPA's regulatory actions regarding this specific rule.

Maddy summaryThe ACE Act expands tax-advantaged education savings by allowing 529 plan funds to cover homeschooling costs and additional K-12 expenses like tutoring, therapies, and curriculum materials. It doubles the annual distribution limit from $10,000 to $20,000 for these expenses and adds a $20,000 annual gift tax exclusion for contributions to 529 plans. The bill also restricts tax-exempt bonds for school construction to states meeting specific school choice program metrics, requiring at least 40% of students to be eligible for programs like vouchers or education savings accounts. These changes directly affect families using homeschooling or private education, states with school choice programs, and contributors to 529 plans.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that regular journalistic activities, including the obtainment and publication of information, are protected under the First Amendment and that the federal government should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian Assange.

Maddy summaryHR 6760 prohibits U.S. federal agencies from using tax dollars to fund contributions to three specific United Nations climate programs: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Green Climate Fund. The bill directly affects all federal departments and agencies that manage U.S. contributions to international climate initiatives. Its key mechanism is a strict ban on using any appropriated funds - whether for mandatory or voluntary payments - to support these organizations. This policy change would prevent the U.S. government from providing financial support to these entities through federal budgets.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Worker’s Choice Act of 2023, allows employees in right-to-work states to negotiate directly with their employers without union representation if they choose not to pay union dues. It amends the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit unions from interfering with workers who opt out of membership or dues, and to clarify that such employees can engage in "independent negotiating" for their own terms. The bill defines "covered States" as those with right-to-work laws, where employees cannot be forced to pay union fees as a condition of employment. This creates a legal framework for individual negotiations while requiring unions to stop providing services to non-paying members in these states.

Maddy summaryHR 6734 prohibits the use of federal funds to finalize, implement, or enforce the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' (ATF) proposed rule (2022R-17) defining "engaged in the business as a dealer in firearms." This bill directly affects the ATF by blocking funding for this specific regulatory rule, which was proposed in August 2023. The legislation does not create new requirements but prevents federal resources from being used to advance this particular ATF regulation.

Maddy summaryHR 6619, the PATROL Act, prevents the federal government from suing states for building border barriers. It specifically blocks the Attorney General from filing civil lawsuits under the 1899 Act against states that construct physical barriers (like walls, fences, or buoys) along the border to stop illegal entry or protect state territory. The law directly affects states building such barriers and the federal government’s legal authority to challenge those actions. This is a procedural change that removes a legal obstacle for states pursuing border security measures.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts warrantless surveillance of U.S. persons by amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It limits who can conduct queries of U.S. person data (capping at five personnel per FBI field office), prohibits using such queries for law enforcement without proper authorization, and requires documentation of all queries. The bill creates exceptions for emergencies, consent, and cybersecurity, but prohibits using metadata results to access protected communications. It also limits how information acquired under Section 702 can be used in criminal proceedings, requiring specific approvals for such use.