Rep. Jason Smith

Maddy summaryThis bill bans federal funding for abortions in most cases, prohibiting the use of taxpayer money for abortion services or health insurance plans covering abortion. Exceptions allow funding for abortions resulting from rape, incest, or when a pregnancy endangers a woman's life. It requires health insurance plans sold through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces to clearly disclose any separate costs for abortion coverage and prohibits ACA subsidies from being used for plans that cover abortion (except in the specified exceptions). The law directly affects federal programs like Medicaid, ACA marketplace plans, and insurers offering health coverage to individuals using federal subsidies.

Maddy summaryHR 7438 directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins. The coins will be sold to the public at face value plus surcharges ($35, $10, and $5 per coin, respectively), with all surcharge revenue paid to FWC2026 US, Inc. for U.S. soccer programs. These funds must support soccer initiatives, particularly in underserved communities and youth development, as specified in the bill. The coins are legal tender but will only be issued during 2026, with no net cost to the U.S. government.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows livestock producers and their employees to take black vultures (Coragyps atratus) that are harming or threatening livestock, bypassing the usual protections under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It directly affects ranchers and farm workers in areas where black vultures cause livestock deaths or injuries. The key provision requires annual reporting to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about any vultures taken, using a simplified form similar to existing reporting for permitted bird take. This creates a specific, limited exception to federal bird protections for livestock protection, with no new restrictions on vulture populations.

Maddy summaryThe Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act (HR 807) directs the U.S. Treasury to mint three types of commemorative coins honoring working dogs' service: $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins with specific weight and composition requirements. Each coin will carry a surcharge ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars) that will be paid directly to America's VetDogs to support their programs providing service dogs for veterans, the disabled, and others. The coins will be issued in 2027 with designs reflecting working dogs' roles in military, detection, therapy, and assistance work. The legislation specifies that all surcharge revenue must fund America's VetDogs' operations without creating new government programs. This is a commemorative measure focused on honoring working dogs' contributions through coin sales, with all surcharge funds going to a specific nonprofit organization.

Maddy summaryHR 8706, the "Dismantle DEI Act of 2024," would prohibit federal agencies from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, programs, or training by requiring the closure of existing DEI offices within 90 days and banning federal funding for DEI-related activities. The bill defines "prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion practices" as those that discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, biological sex, or national origin, or require training that asserts a particular group is inherently superior or inferior. It would rescind several executive orders related to racial equity and gender inclusion, and prohibit the use of federal funds for DEI-related activities across all federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients. The bill contains limited exceptions for Equal Employment Opportunity offices and disability rights enforcement offices as historically organized and operated.

Maddy summary# Summary of Proposed Higher Education Act Amendments This document outlines significant proposed amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, primarily as part of the "College Cost Reduction Act." The key elements include: ## Accreditation Reform - Major overhaul of accreditation standards, requiring accrediting agencies to demonstrate independence from trade associations - New requirements for accrediting agencies to assess student achievement outcomes, including median value-added earnings relative to median total price charged - Introduction of an "Alternative Quality Assurance Experimental Site Initiative" to test non-accredited institutions - Protections for religious institutions, including a new process for appealing accreditation decisions related to religious mission - Removal of "litmus tests" that would require institutions to support specific political viewpoints ## Student Success Initiatives - Establishment of "Postsecondary Student Success Grants" to increase participation, retention, and completion rates for high-need students - Focus on evidence-based practices, with tiered requirements (tier 1, 2, and 3 reforms) - Mandatory inclusion of high-need student populations (low-income, first-generation, military-connected, etc.) - Requirements for institutions to report on completion rates, retention rates, and student demographics ## Regulatory Changes - Repeal of numerous existing regulations including: * Closed school discharges * Borrower defense to repayment * Pre-dispute arbitration * False certification requirements * Ability-to-benefit rules * Financial responsibility regulations - New restrictions on incentive compensation for recruiters - Changes to third-party servicer definitions and regulations ## Transfer and Credit Policies - New requirement that institutions cannot deny transfer credit based solely on the source of accreditation - Requirements for transparent transfer policies - Changes to reverse transfer policies ## Other Key Provisions - Modifications to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) - New definitions for "total price" and "value-added earnings" - Changes to the process for institutions to change accrediting agencies - New requirements for institutions to report on student outcomes The overall focus of these proposed amendments is to reduce regulatory burden on institutions, promote transparency, improve student outcomes (particularly for high-need students), modernize accreditation processes, and protect religious institutions' rights in accreditation decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Clean Air Act to modify ethanol waiver processes and fuel volatility standards. It adds a new provision allowing fuel to enter commerce if it meets Reid Vapor Pressure requirements through similarity to certified vehicles or existing waivers, and adjusts vapor pressure limits from 10% to 10-15% in several sections. Small refineries that retired credits for 2016-2018 compliance years may now have those credits returned or applied to future years if their petitions remained pending as of December 1, 2022. The changes directly affect fuel retailers, ethanol producers, and small refineries by altering compliance pathways for fuel standards and credit management under the renewable fuel program.

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 summaryHR 8292, the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, increases penalties for unauthorized disclosures of taxpayer information under the Internal Revenue Code. It raises fines from $5,000 to $250,000 per violation and increases potential jail time from 5 to 10 years for those who disclose such data. The bill also specifies that if a single disclosure affects multiple taxpayers, each affected person counts as a separate violation, potentially increasing penalties. This law directly affects IRS employees and government workers handling taxpayer data, applying to disclosures made after the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 9523, the Renewed Hope Act of 2024, directs the Department of Homeland Security to hire 200 additional personnel (including 40 forensics analysts and 30 child exploitation investigators for the Victim Identification Laboratory, plus 130 more staff) to support identifying and rescuing victims of child sexual exploitation. It also authorizes temporary hiring of experts for image/audio forensic analysis at specified rates and requires DHS to establish joint procedures for coordinating child exploitation investigations across agencies. The bill mandates a new Victim Identification Training Program at the Cyber Crimes Center, providing annual training on advanced victim identification technology to DHS personnel and external law enforcement agencies (federal, state, local, tribal, military, and foreign) upon request. These provisions directly affect DHS investigative units and law enforcement agencies actively working on child exploitation cases nationwide.