Rep. Russ Fulcher

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to submit annual reports to Congress about pending hydropower license applications. Specifically, FERC must report on licenses where licensees notified them at least 3 years prior but haven't received new licenses yet, including details like notification dates, docket numbers, application status, and upcoming proceedings. The reports aim to increase transparency in the relicensing process for existing hydropower facilities. This directly affects FERC (which must provide the reports) and Congress (which receives them), with no direct impact on hydropower operators or the licensing outcome itself.

Maddy summaryHR 4986, the Parents Opt-in Protection Act, amends federal law to require written permission before schools administer certain student surveys or evaluations. It directly affects students (especially minors) and their parents, requiring schools to obtain prior written consent from the student (if an adult or emancipated minor) or the parent (for minors) for each specific survey. The bill clarifies that schools cannot force participation without this written consent for surveys related to sensitive topics like health or behavior. This change updates existing consent rules from verbal permission to a written requirement for targeted school assessments.

Maddy summaryThe Packaging and Claims Knowledge Act of 2025 requires companies to ensure that recyclable, compostable, and reusable claims on consumer product packaging are accurate and supported by third-party certification. The bill mandates that recyclable claims must include information about local recycling availability, while compostable claims must be backed by scientific evidence and clearly explain disposal limitations. Companies must also provide actual reuse systems or products for reusable packaging claims, and the Federal Trade Commission will issue guidance on compliance without creating binding regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the existing Northern Border Security Review Act to update deadlines and requirements for border security assessments. It requires the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to submit a northern border threat analysis by September 2, 2026, and every two years after, with strategy updates due 90 days after each analysis. The bill also mandates classified briefings to congressional committees 30 days after each threat analysis and directs the development of performance measures for Air and Marine Operations within six months of enactment. These changes directly affect the DHS Secretary, congressional committees, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's operations along the northern border.

Save Our Sequoias Act This bill provides for the conservation of giant sequoia trees ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) in California. Specifically, it provides statutory authority for the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition and outlines the coalition's duties. The coalition must submit a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment and annually update it. The information from the assessment must be made available so the information can be integrated into certain other plans. The coalition must also create and maintain a website that contains the assessment, educational materials, searchable information about individual giant sequoia groves, and a searchable database to track the status and costs of reforestation and rehabilitation activities. In addition, the bill declares an emergency on certain public lands and allows officials to carry out protection plans during the emergency to respond to the threat of wildfires, insects, and drought. The emergency expires after seven years. The Department of the Interior must develop and implement a Giant Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy. Finally, the bill establishes a variety of programs and funds to support the conservation of giant sequoias.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all new passenger vehicles manufactured for sale in the U.S. to include AM radio as standard equipment (not an optional add-on) by 2027-2028, depending on manufacturer size. It mandates that AM radio receivers must be easily accessible to drivers and allows compliance through digital AM broadcast technology. During a transition period, manufacturers must clearly label vehicles without AM radio but cannot charge extra for this feature. The bill also mandates a GAO study on AM radio's role in emergency alerts and includes a 10-year sunset provision for the rule. It preempts state laws regarding AM radio access in vehicles.

Maddy summaryThe Make Apportionment Great Again Act would change how U.S. House seats are distributed among states by excluding noncitizens from the population count used for apportionment. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to recalculate state populations using existing federal and state government records, without conducting a new census, and mandates that future censuses include a question on citizenship status. The bill establishes a legal presumption that any resulting changes in seat allocation are valid, allowing courts to overturn them only with clear evidence of statutory or constitutional violations. Additionally, it creates an expedited judicial process for legal challenges, requiring cases to be heard by three-judge panels and permitting direct appeal to the Supreme Court.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to release federal claims to approximately 15.12 acres of land in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, that were originally platted under a specific section of the Revised Statutes. The primary mechanism is a recordable disclaimer of interest that must be issued within 90 days of the law's enactment. This action facilitates the transfer of ownership for the specified property, which is identified on a map dated December 22, 1893, while explicitly excluding any portion located within the Kootenai Indian Reservation.

Maddy summaryThe Title IX Clarification Act of 2026 amends federal education law to explicitly define the terms "sex," "female," and "male" based on biological characteristics. Specifically, it states that "sex" refers to an individual's biologically determined status as male or female, while "female" and "male" are defined by the presence of specific reproductive systems capable of producing ova or sperm, respectively. These definitions apply to all education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance starting on the date the bill becomes law. The legislation aims to clarify existing statutes by removing ambiguity around biological sex definitions in the context of Title IX protections.

Maddy summaryThe Halt Abusive Internet Lawsuits Act of 2026 prohibits federal and state legal claims related to wiretapping or eavesdropping when information is collected for commercial digital activities. This applies to practices such as using cookies, pixels, chatbots, and analytics tools to facilitate sales, marketing, or customer interactions. The bill directly affects businesses and service providers that use these standard digital commerce tools by shielding them from specific privacy-related lawsuits. Additionally, any existing legal actions based on these grounds would be required to stop once the law is enacted.