Rep. Jared Moskowitz

Maddy summaryHR 1876, the "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act," prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing, consolidating, or restricting access to its field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations for 180 days after enactment, with exceptions for emergencies. The bill requires the SSA Commissioner to submit a detailed report to Congress by January 2029, analyzing closure criteria, transportation burdens for elderly/disabled users, cost-benefit impacts, and plans to replace lost services. For future closures, it mandates 120 days of public notice, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress, while ensuring total office numbers don’t fall below 2025 levels. This directly affects SSA field offices, their users (including elderly and disabled individuals), and employees. The bill’s key mechanism is a procedural safeguard to ensure transparency and minimize disruption before any office changes take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by clarifying how to prove voting discrimination and expanding requirements for preclearance of voting changes. It establishes new standards for determining when voting practices dilute minority voting strength or deny/abridge voting rights, requiring plaintiffs to show specific conditions for vote dilution claims and including factors like historical discrimination and racial polarization in court analyses. The bill modifies the criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must seek preclearance for voting changes, and adds new transparency requirements for jurisdictions to publicly disclose changes to voting qualifications, polling locations, and election districts. It directly affects states and local governments that implement voting policies, particularly those with a history of voting rights violations or that make changes to voting qualifications, procedures, or district boundaries. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory voting practices by providing clearer standards for courts and requiring greater transparency in voting rule changes.

Maddy summaryThe Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 strengthens workers' organizing rights by making it an unfair labor practice for employers to threaten permanent replacement of striking workers, discriminate against workers who support unions, or require employees to attend employer campaigns unrelated to their job duties. It expands the definition of "employee" to make it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors and requires employers to post notices about workers' rights in conspicuous locations. The bill establishes a new electronic voting system for union elections, creates a 90-day bargaining period before mediation can be requested, and increases penalties for violations of labor laws. These changes are intended to make it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate better wages and working conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires every Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital and urgent care facility to employ at least one Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) or a qualified healthcare provider to perform sexual assault forensic examinations. It mandates that after such an examination, veterans must be verbally referred to mental health services, either at the VA hospital or via a Veterans Care Agreement if VA wait times exceed 30 days. The bill explicitly prohibits any reduction in other patient care responsibilities for VA staff while implementing these requirements. The law directly affects veterans seeking sexual assault care at VA facilities by ensuring access to specialized examiners and timely mental health referrals.

Maddy summaryHR 1787 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins honoring baseball legend Roberto Clemente, including $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar coins, with specific specifications for weight, size, and metal content. The bill requires the coins to feature Clemente's image and commemorative inscriptions, and mandates a surcharge ($35 for gold, $10 for silver, $5 for half-dollar) paid to the Roberto Clemente Foundation for its educational, youth sports, and disaster relief programs. All coins must be minted in 2027, sold at face value plus surcharge and production costs, and will be legal tender. The bill focuses solely on the coin program, not broader policy changes.

Maddy summaryHR 1786 amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act to explicitly include "algal blooms" as a qualifying event for federal disaster declarations. This change expands eligibility for federal disaster assistance to communities affected by harmful algal blooms, which can contaminate water and harm ecosystems. The bill modifies Section 102(2) of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5122) by adding "algal blooms" to the list of recognized disasters alongside drought. It is a procedural adjustment to the law's definition, not a new funding or program.

Safe Schools Improvement Act This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits). Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.

Maddy summaryThis resolution urges the European Union to formally designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization under the EU's Common Position 931 framework, which allows for such designations. It cites the U.S. (2019) and Canada (2024) as precedents for designating the IRGC, noting the EU has only sanctioned individual IRGC members, not the entity itself. The resolution emphasizes the IRGC's documented ties to terrorism, human rights abuses in Iran, support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and its role in supplying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine. The House requests the EU expedite this designation and encourages U.S. diplomatic efforts to prioritize it.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the exclusivity period for certain advanced drugs from 7 to 11 years. It defines "advanced drug product" as a drug using genetically targeted technology to modulate gene function (e.g., suppress or activate genes). This change directly affects pharmaceutical companies developing these specific advanced therapies by granting them longer market exclusivity. The policy change modifies the Social Security Act to provide extended protection for these innovative drugs, allowing companies more time to recoup research and development costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the U.S. President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that support the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) system of paying terrorists and their families. It targets those who work for PA/PLO entities facilitating these payments (like the Commission of Prisoners or Institute for Care of Martyrs' Families), provide such payments, or materially assist the system. Sanctions include blocking U.S. property, denying visas, and revoking existing visas for targeted individuals. The bill terminates if the Secretary of State certifies the PA/PLO has ended these payments. (Based on HR 1710, PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act of 2025)