Rep. Michael Cloud

Maddy summaryThis House resolution marks the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment and honors its original sponsor, Congressman Henry Hyde. It asserts that the amendment has prevented over 2.6 million abortions by restricting federal funding for elective procedures. The text emphasizes that this policy protects taxpayer conscience rights by ensuring public money is not used to finance abortions. Additionally, it encourages Americans to reflect on the history of the amendment and the total number of abortions performed since the Roe v. Wade decision.

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 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 summaryThe NO FLOCK Act would require states to pass laws restricting the use of automated license plate reader technology to specific law enforcement purposes, such as enforcing tolls or investigating stolen vehicles and felony offenses. If a state fails to adopt these restrictions within two fiscal years of the bill's enactment, the federal government would withhold 10 percent of that state's highway funding apportionment. This provision directly affects state governments by linking their access to federal transportation funds to the implementation of privacy protections for vehicle tracking data.

Maddy summaryThe Cost Estimates Improvement Act requires the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation to include public debt servicing costs in their financial estimates, to the extent practicable. This change directly affects federal budgeting processes by ensuring that the interest payments on national debt are factored into official cost projections for new legislation. The bill amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to mandate this specific inclusion in all future estimates prepared by these two bodies.

Maddy summaryThe HOMEFRONT Act of 2026 prohibits U.S. courts from recognizing or enforcing foreign judgments based on censorship laws if the underlying conduct would be protected by the First Amendment in the United States. The bill places the burden of proof on the party seeking enforcement to demonstrate that the foreign court's jurisdiction and the specific judgment comply with U.S. constitutional standards and Section 230 of the Communications Act. It also bars federal, state, and local government officials from assisting foreign governments in enforcing such laws against U.S. persons and prevents the extradition of individuals for speech protected domestically. Additionally, the legislation grants affected individuals a private right of action to seek damages and requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports on foreign censorship impacts while directing the Federal Trade Commission to maintain a database of targeted speech instances.

Maddy summaryHR 5267, the American Franchise Act, clarifies when franchisors can be considered joint employers of franchisee employees under federal labor laws. It defines "substantial direct and immediate control" over essential employment terms like wages, benefits, hours, hiring, and discipline - requiring franchisors to actively set these terms to be deemed joint employers. The bill explicitly excludes routine brand standards, training, or minimal safety requirements from constituting such control. This directly affects franchisors and franchisees by limiting joint employer liability to cases where franchisors exert significant, ongoing influence over core employment decisions. The law applies prospectively to new cases after enactment, not past disputes.