Rep. Michael Guest

Maddy summaryHR 9745, the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act of 2024, removes barriers for state and local law enforcement agencies to access existing federal equipment. It prohibits federal agencies from enforcing any regulations (since May 15, 2015) that limit the transfer of Department of Defense or other federal equipment to police departments, unless Congress passes those rules into law. The bill also requires agencies to return or replace equipment recalled since 2015 under those regulations, provided the agency requests it, meets existing eligibility rules, and the equipment is available. This directly affects police departments that previously had equipment seized or denied under the blocked regulations. The law focuses on restoring access to current equipment-sharing programs, not creating new funding or gear.

Maddy summaryHJRES 144 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a specific rule issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) on April 19, 2024. The resolution seeks to block the ATF's rule that redefined the term "engaged in the business" for firearm dealers, which would have affected how federal licensing requirements apply to certain sellers. If enacted, this resolution would nullify the rule, preventing it from taking effect under procedures in Title 5 of the U.S. Code. The bill directly impacts firearm dealers operating under the current regulatory framework and the ATF's enforcement authority.

Maddy summaryThe Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland (FLASH) Act authorizes the construction of navigable roads on Federal lands along the southern border to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection access, while establishing policies to reduce trash accumulation and address environmental damage from unauthorized border crossings. The bill requires agencies to develop protocols for mitigating wildfire risks through vegetation management, prohibits Federal funds from being used to provide housing for unauthorized immigrants on Federal lands, and includes provisions to address illegal cannabis cultivation and pesticide use. It mandates annual reports on waste collection and environmental impacts, and authorizes $16 million annually for initiatives to address contamination from trespass cannabis cultivation on covered Federal lands. The legislation directly affects land management operations on approximately 50 million acres of Federal lands administered by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Forest Service along the southern border.

Maddy summaryHR 6319 (the 911 SAVES Act of 2023) requires the Office of Management and Budget to reclassify public safety telecommunicators as "Protective Service Occupations" within 30 days of enactment. This change corrects their current misclassification in the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, which is used for statistical data on jobs. The bill directly affects how these professionals - critical in emergency calls involving missing children, active threats, and officer safety - are officially categorized in government workforce data. It does not create new benefits or funding but aims to better recognize their lifesaving role through accurate federal job classification.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HJRES 163) is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule finalized on May 9, 2024. The EPA rule established new emissions standards for greenhouse gases from fossil fuel power plants (both new and existing) and repealed a previous rule called the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. The resolution would block this EPA rule from taking effect by invoking the Congressional Review Act (Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code). If passed, it would prevent the EPA rule from being enforced, directly affecting fossil fuel power plant operators and the EPA’s regulatory authority over emissions.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 139 is a congressional resolution seeking to disapprove a rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on May 10, 2024. The rule would have established minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities and required transparency in Medicaid payment reporting. If passed, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing these new staffing and reporting requirements from being implemented. The bill directly affects long-term care facilities and Medicaid programs by halting the enforcement of these specific standards.

Maddy summaryThe PAGER Act restricts U.S. military aid to Lebanon’s armed forces and internal security forces until the Secretary of State certifies specific conditions regarding Hezbollah and Iranian influence. Key conditions include Lebanon no longer recognizing Hezbollah or allied groups as legitimate political entities, implementing UN Resolution 1559 (disarming militias), expelling Hezbollah from strongholds, ending coordination with Hezbollah or Iran, and dismissing legal cases against Americans who criticized Hezbollah. The bill also prohibits U.S. funding for UN programs supporting Lebanese military livelihoods. It mandates regular reports to Congress on Hezbollah and Iranian influence in Lebanon’s government. This directly affects U.S. foreign assistance to Lebanon’s security forces and requires Lebanon to meet defined security and political benchmarks.

Maddy summaryThe EMAP Act establishes the Early Migration Alert Program (EMAP) within the Department of Homeland Security. It requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments with 24-hour pre-release notifications about aliens being released into the U.S., including details on numbers, criminal histories, initial destinations, and final settlement locations. Notifications must be sent via a verified electronic email system to authorized government personnel. The program is funded at $400,000 annually for fiscal years 2024-2025 and applies to aliens apprehended or released on or after the bill's enactment date. The bill does not alter detention requirements or immigration law, focusing solely on information sharing with local authorities.

Maddy summaryThe Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2024 would require Congress to approve most major federal regulations before they take effect, rather than allowing agencies to implement them directly. It defines a "major rule" as one with significant economic impact ($100 million+ annually) or substantial effects on competition, jobs, or the environment. Agencies would need to submit detailed reports including cost-benefit analyses to Congress before implementing such rules, with Congress having 70 days to approve or disapprove them. The bill would also require agencies to publish guidance documents online and conduct annual reviews of existing regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands online privacy protections under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act to cover teens aged 12-17, in addition to children under 13. It requires website and app operators to obtain verifiable consent from parents for children and from teens themselves before collecting personal information. The bill restricts operators from using collected data for individual-specific advertising to children or teens and mandates clear notices about data practices. Operators must provide users with the right to access, delete, and correct personal information they've collected. These requirements apply to websites, online services, and mobile applications that collect information from children or teens or have actual knowledge a user is a child or teen.