Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky

Maddy summaryThe Fairness for Farm Workers Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to end the long-standing exemption that allows agricultural workers to be denied overtime pay. The bill introduces a phased schedule requiring employers to pay farm workers time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond a set threshold, which gradually decreases from 55 hours in 2027 to the standard 40 hours by 2030. Small farms with 25 or fewer employees are given a three-year delay, reaching full compliance by 2033. Additionally, the legislation removes several other exemptions that currently allow agricultural employers to bypass federal wage and hour protections.

Maddy summaryThe Equal Pay for Equal Work Act establishes a new National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force composed of representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the Office of Personnel Management. The task force is charged with coordinating these agencies to close gaps in enforcement and improve public education regarding equal pay laws. Its specific duties include investigating challenges related to pay inequity, advancing recommendations to address those issues, and creating action plans to implement the proposed solutions.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Our Widows and Widowers in Retirement Act would amend the Social Security Act to increase monthly benefits for surviving spouses of deceased workers who were part of two-income households. Under the new rules, a fully insured widow or widower could receive 75 percent of the combined total of their own retirement or disability benefit and the deceased spouse's primary insurance amount, rather than just the deceased spouse's benefit alone. The bill includes a cap on this increased payment based on a hypothetical high-earner's maximum benefit to limit costs. Additionally, the legislation ensures that these higher Social Security payments do not reduce eligibility for Supplemental Security Income by treating the income as if it were at pre-amendment levels. These changes would apply to benefits paid for months after December 2026.

Maddy summaryThe L'Ouverture Economic Development Plan for Haiti Act of 2025 creates a Haitian American Enterprise Fund to support economic development in Haiti through private sector investments. The fund will finance projects in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and infrastructure, with special focus on empowering women and youth, and aims to create jobs to reduce migration from Haiti. It authorizes $1 billion annually from 2026-2031 to support these initiatives, managed by a private nonprofit organization with oversight from a diverse board. The legislation emphasizes building sustainable economic opportunities within Haiti to meet the country's development needs while strengthening ties with the Haitian-American diaspora.

Maddy summaryThe Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act prohibits the President and federal officials from changing the official names of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario. The bill specifically nullifies Executive Order 14422, which had renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America, and bans any further attempts to alter these geographic names through similar executive actions. Additionally, it forbids the use of federal funds to implement or enforce the revoked order or any comparable measures.

Maddy summaryThe Affordable Pricing for Taxpayer-Funded Prescription Drugs Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to include reasonable pricing clauses in all research grants and contracts involving biomedical products. Under this provision, U.S. residents cannot be charged more than the median price found in Canada and six other high-income OECD countries for any drug, device, or therapy developed with federal support. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to establish additional regulations, such as mechanisms to lower prices when revenues exceed targets or costs per health benefit are too high, while retaining the ability to waive these obligations if doing so serves the public interest. To ensure accountability, manufacturers must report clinical trial costs, government subsidies, and annual revenues by county, with all data made publicly available.

Maddy summaryThe Green New Deal for Public Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide grants to public housing agencies and tribal entities for the comprehensive rehabilitation, energy upgrades, and modernization of public housing stock. These funds are intended to transform properties into zero-carbon homes by installing renewable energy systems, electrifying appliances, and repairing infrastructure, while also establishing workforce development programs that offer training, apprenticeships, and stipends to residents and local low-income workers. The bill mandates strict labor standards, including prevailing wages and the use of U.S.-made materials, and requires agencies to maintain or increase the total number of public housing units while prioritizing resident participation through elected councils and community engagement processes.

Maddy summaryThe Protect American Values Act prohibits the use of federal funds to implement, administer, or enforce a specific Department of Homeland Security rule regarding the "Public Charge" ground of inadmissibility. This legislation directly affects immigrants and mixed-status families by preventing the government from using public benefits as a factor in determining eligibility for lawful permanent resident status. The bill includes a statement of congressional intent arguing that the targeted rule would restrict access to essential services like food, medical care, and housing, while also negatively impacting state and local economies. By cutting off funding for this specific policy, the act aims to maintain current immigration standards and prevent what Congress describes as an unauthorized reversal of long-standing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 14855 South Van Dyke Road in Plainfield, Illinois, as the "Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Post Office Building." It directly affects the postal facility and all official references to it. The key provision requires that any future law, document, or record referring to the location must use the new name. This is a purely procedural renaming with no funding, policy changes, or impact beyond official nomenclature.

Maddy summaryThis bill names a U.S. Postal Service facility at 1300 East Northwest Highway in Palatine, Illinois, as the "Bernie Bluestein Post Office Building." It updates all official references in federal laws, documents, and records to reflect this new name for the location. The change is purely administrative and affects how the building is identified in government materials. No new policies or funding are involved; it is a ceremonial designation.