Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Preventing International Surrogacy Exploitation Act, aims to stop foreign nationals from using U.S. surrogate mothers for commercial surrogacy arrangements. It would make any surrogacy contract void and unenforceable if the intended parents are foreign citizens or permanent residents, with a specific exception for married couples where at least one partner is a U.S. citizen or resident. Additionally, the law prohibits surrogacy brokers from facilitating these agreements and imposes criminal penalties, including fines and up to 10 years in prison, for those who knowingly or recklessly assist in such contracts. Children born through these invalid agreements would have their custody determined by the state where the surrogate lives, focusing on the child's best interests rather than the contract. Finally, the bill prevents foreign parents from using their U.S.-born children to gain immigration benefits or rights under U.S. immigration laws.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHR 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from automatically sending veterans' personal information to the national background check system (NICS) solely because a court has appointed a fiduciary (like a guardian) to manage their benefits. This directly affects veterans who have a fiduciary appointed due to mental health or cognitive challenges but are not deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill requires a court order finding the veteran poses a danger before any such information can be shared with the NICS. It changes VA procedures to block unnecessary barriers to firearm ownership for veterans who qualify for fiduciary support without a judicial determination of danger.
Maddy summaryThe POWER Act requires the Secretary of Energy to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the water and electricity usage of specific data centers. These reports will cover facilities that qualify under recent executive orders for accelerated federal permitting, excluding those owned by federal agencies. The legislation mandates that the data include water consumption from public systems, the source of electricity generation, and connection costs to the bulk-power grid. By collecting this information, the bill aims to ensure that federal subsidies do not support data centers that excessively consume water or rely on public resources without being economically viable.
Maddy summaryThe REMITTANCE Act increases the excise tax on remittance transfers from 1 percent to 25 percent, with the goal of reducing the federal deficit by directing the collected funds to the Treasury's general fund. While this higher tax applies broadly, the bill creates a specific refundable tax credit for U.S. citizens who send money for business or travel purposes, allowing them to claim back the tax paid on those specific transactions. The legislation defines remittance transfers using existing standards from the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and applies these new tax rules retroactively to the date of a previous law. Ultimately, the bill aims to discourage personal money transfers while providing financial relief to individuals sending funds for work or travel.
Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the No Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act, restricts federal housing assistance for individuals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. It requires that all family members applying for assistance must be verified as eligible before any funds are released, preventing partial payments while checks are pending. Additionally, the legislation prohibits grants to states or local governments that provide housing help to undocumented immigrants or refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement requests. These measures aim to limit access to specific federal housing programs for non-citizens and condition funding on compliance with immigration detention protocols.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals from specific foreign nations, including China, and designated terrorist states from buying or owning residential property in the United States. It requires the President to issue rules enforcing this ban and mandates that any existing homes owned by these groups be sold to U.S. citizens or corporations within two years. The law defines "covered persons" broadly to include citizens of targeted countries, their affiliated corporations, and entities linked to foreign adversaries or state sponsors of terrorism.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the issuance of religious worker visas to individuals holding specific high-ranking titles in Islam, including ayatollahs, grand ayatollahs, imams, grand imams, muftis, grand muftis, and shaykhas. The law directly affects foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States under the R visa category for religious work, effectively barring those with these designated titles from admission. By amending the Immigration and Nationality Act, the legislation creates a blanket restriction based solely on religious hierarchy rather than individual conduct or specific activities.
Maddy summaryHR 6260 amends federal law to clarify that fraud involving bail arrangements falls under existing fraud statutes. Specifically, it adds "including the posting of monetary bail, criminal bail bonds, and Federal immigration bail bonds" to a section of Title 18, U.S. Code. This change directly affects federal prosecutors and courts handling cases where individuals commit fraud related to securing bail. The bill does not create new penalties but ensures these bail-related fraud activities are explicitly covered under current legal definitions. It has no direct impact on the public or defendants beyond clarifying prosecutorial authority.
Maddy summaryHR 5625, the Cashless Bail Reporting Act, requires the Attorney General to publish and regularly update a public list of all states and local governments that allow cashless bail (release without requiring money bonds). This list must be available within 30 days of the bill's enactment and updated quarterly. The bill does not change existing bail laws but increases transparency by making it easier for the public to see where cashless bail is used. It directly affects individuals seeking information about bail practices in different jurisdictions. The key mechanism is a mandatory, publicly accessible database maintained by the federal government.
Maddy summaryThe Sister City Transparency Act directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study of sister city partnerships with foreign communities in countries scoring 45 or lower on the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. This investigation will examine how these partnerships are formed, what activities they include, and whether they pose risks such as economic coercion, espionage, or threats to free expression. The report, due within six months, will assess transparency levels and oversight practices while offering recommendations to improve how local governments manage these international agreements.