Rep. Steny H. Hoyer

Maddy summaryHRES 846 is a symbolic resolution designating October 2025 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It expresses the House's support for raising awareness about domestic violence and its impacts, and calls for continued congressional attention to ending domestic violence through existing programs. The resolution does not create new laws, allocate funding, or directly affect any specific groups - it is purely a statement of support. It references statistics on domestic violence prevalence but focuses on awareness rather than policy changes.

Maddy summaryThe American Energy Independence and Affordability Act extends multiple clean energy tax credits that were set to expire between 2025 and 2026. It specifically extends residential clean energy credits through 2034, clean electricity investment credits for wind and solar through 2032, and clean vehicle credits for electric vehicles through 2032. The bill also reinstates special rates for sustainable aviation fuel and modifies requirements for energy-efficient home improvements. These provisions directly affect homeowners installing solar panels, businesses investing in clean energy infrastructure, and manufacturers producing clean energy equipment.

Maddy summaryHRES 795 is a non-binding resolution condemning Hamas for the October 7, 2023, attacks that killed over 1,200 people, took 251 hostages (including Americans), and involved sexual violence. It demands Hamas immediately surrender and release all remaining hostages - specifically noting 48 people still held, including two U.S. citizens. The resolution also affirms Israel’s right to self-defense, calls for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians, and condemns global antisemitism following the attacks. As a symbolic congressional statement, it does not create new laws or alter policies.

Maddy summaryHR 5715, the October 7 Gold Medal Act, authorizes Congress to award a gold medal to American hostages and victims of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel. The medal, designed by the Treasury Secretary, will be presented to recognize their suffering and sacrifice, with the medal displayed at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover costs, but does not create new legal obligations or policy changes. This is a ceremonial recognition, not a substantive legislative measure.

Maddy summaryHR 5724, the FAST Justice Act, creates a 120-day deadline for the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to act on most federal employee appeals. If the MSPB fails to take action within this period, affected federal employees or job applicants can file a civil lawsuit in federal court. The bill specifies where these lawsuits can be filed (based on where the personnel action occurred or where the employee would have worked) and clarifies that courts must use standard review procedures for MSPB decisions. This directly affects federal workers facing delays in employment-related appeals.

Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 This bill provides back pay to employees of federal contractors who lost pay due to a lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) in FY2026. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies that are subject to a lapse in appropriations in FY2026 to adjust the price of contracts to compensate federal contractors for providing back pay to employees who were affected by the lapse in appropriations.  The agencies must adjust the price of any contract for which the contractor stopped, suspended, delayed, or interrupted all or part of the work under the contract due to the lapse in appropriations. The price adjustment must compensate the contractor for reasonable costs incurred to (1) compensate employees who were furloughed or laid off, were not working, or experienced a reduction of hours or compensation due to the lapse in appropriations; or (2) restore paid leave taken by employees during the lapse in appropriations if the contractor required or permitted employees to use paid leave as a result of the lapse in appropriations. The maximum amount of weekly compensation of an employee for which an adjustment may be made under this bill may not exceed the lesser of (1) the employee's actual weekly compensation, or (2) $1,442 (or a lesser amount pro-rated for an employee who works less than 40 hours per week). The bill also requires the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to submit a report to Congress on the adjustments made under this bill.

Maddy summaryHR 5572, the Help FEDS Act, ensures federal employees who must work during government shutdowns (but aren't paid due to the shutdown) can access unemployment benefits through their state's program. The bill requires states to allow these "excepted" employees to apply for and receive unemployment compensation during fiscal years 2026-2027, while also mandating repayment if they later receive pay under a separate federal provision. The federal government will reimburse states 100% of the unemployment benefits paid to these employees plus related administrative costs, funded from the Unemployment Trust Fund. This directly affects federal workers performing emergency work during shutdowns and state unemployment systems managing these claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents federal agencies from terminating employees during a government shutdown caused by a lapse in discretionary funding. It prohibits removals of civil service employees at any agency affected by a funding gap, and if an employee is wrongfully removed, they can return to their job with back pay once funding resumes. The law directly protects all federal employees covered by the civil service system during shutdowns. It applies automatically to any funding lapse, requiring automatic reinstatement without needing separate legal action.

Maddy summaryThe FAMILY Act would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program that provides wage replacement benefits for workers needing time off for caregiving or medical reasons. It defines "qualified caregiving" to include caring for a family member with a serious health condition, personal medical needs, or recovery from violence (including domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking). Benefits would be calculated based on earnings, with a minimum monthly benefit of $580 and maximum of $4,000, administered by a new Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration. Eligible individuals would need to have worked for at least 8 quarters in the previous year and file an application with required documentation, while existing state paid leave programs would continue to operate alongside this federal program.

Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.) On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden. The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.