Rep. Sarah Elfreth

Maddy summaryHR 1196 prohibits using federal funds to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, as defined by law. It requires the Secretary of State to certify annual compliance with this restriction to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees. The bill directly affects USAID's operational status and U.S. foreign aid programs by preventing congressional or executive actions that would dismantle or merge the agency, maintaining its role in U.S. international development efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts access to Treasury payment systems (including the Bureau of the Fiscal Service) to only Treasury employees with a "fully successful" performance rating and at least one year of civil service, or contractors/outsiders with security clearances, required privacy/cybersecurity training, ethics agreements, and no conflicts of interest. It treats non-government users accessing these systems as government employees for ethics rules and defines specific actions (like stopping payments) as "personal and substantial participation" in government matters. The Treasury Inspector General must investigate any unauthorized access within 30 days and report to Congress, detailing the breach, security risks, and any halted payments. The bill directly affects Treasury staff, contractors, and any external entities accessing federal payment systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program to fund high-quality workforce development programs at community colleges. It directs the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to community colleges that partner with employers in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industries to develop programs leading to nationally or regionally portable postsecondary credentials. The grants require evidence-based program design, employer engagement, and tracking of outcomes like program completion rates and job advancement for participants. Funded at $65 million annually from 2026-2031, the program prioritizes serving individuals with employment barriers, incumbent workers, and new workforce entrants through community college partnerships.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands 529 college savings account flexibility by allowing funds to cover costs for industry-recognized postsecondary credentials, not just traditional degrees. It defines "qualified expenses" to include tuition/fees for recognized credential programs (like certifications or apprenticeships), required testing fees, and continuing education needed to maintain credentials. To qualify, programs must meet specific criteria, such as appearing on state lists under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or being listed in VA or Defense directories. The change applies to 529 distributions made after the law's enactment, giving families more options to use these accounts for job-focused training.

Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location except in exigent circumstances, such as the imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to any person. Sensitive locations include  health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; child care facilities; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers’ offices; facilities used as polling places; certain labor union facilities; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected individual may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.

Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025 This bill requires or authorizes certain actions related to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The bill requires the Department of Justice to appoint an assistant U.S. attorney in each judicial district to coordinate and supervise the investigation and prosecution of various crimes related to postal services (for example, assault on a postal service employee, breaking into a post office, or obstruction of mails). The bill also requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend sentencing guidelines to provide that the assault or robbery of a postal employee shall be treated the same as the assault of a law enforcement officer. Additionally, the bill authorizes appropriations for the USPS to install high security collection boxes and replace older versions of the universal mailbox key with electronic versions.

Maddy summaryThe Scientific Integrity Act requires federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee scientific research to adopt policies preventing political interference in scientific work. These policies must prohibit suppressing, altering, or delaying the communication of scientific findings and ensure hiring and decisions are based on expertise - not politics. Agencies must appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer to enforce the policies, handle complaints, and submit annual reports to Congress and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The bill directly affects scientists and staff in covered agencies by safeguarding their ability to share research freely and maintain ethical standards in scientific communication.

Maddy summaryHR 1054, the Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act of 2025, increases the annual tax deduction available to eligible K-12 teachers for out-of-pocket classroom expenses. The bill raises the deduction limit from $250 to $1,000 per year for qualifying educators, applying to taxable years beginning December 31, 2025. It amends Internal Revenue Code sections 62(a)(2)(D) and 62(d)(3) to update the deduction amount and relevant tax year references. This change directly affects elementary and secondary school teachers who itemize deductions and incur eligible classroom costs. The bill makes no other policy changes beyond modernizing the deduction amount and effective date.

Maddy summaryThe CLEAR Act extends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to certain federal entities established under Section 3161 of Title 5, United States Code, including the National Archives and Records Administration. It requires these entities to process FOIA requests for all records - regardless of when they were created - starting from the law's enactment date. This change directly affects the public, who can now access historical and current records held by these entities through FOIA. The bill does not alter existing record-keeping practices but ensures consistent access to information across these specific federal bodies.

Maddy summaryHR 211, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, eliminates out-of-pocket costs for specific contraceptives for veterans using VA healthcare. It amends Section 1722A of Title 38 to prohibit the VA from charging veterans copayments for contraceptive items that must be covered without cost-sharing under federal law (as required by Section 2713(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act). This means veterans will not pay any amount for contraceptives covered by the federal mandate, such as birth control pills or IUDs, when obtained through the VA system. The bill directly affects veterans enrolled in VA healthcare seeking contraceptive services, ensuring no additional costs beyond what is already mandated for these items.