Joe Neguse

**Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution** This resolution authorizes proxy voting in the House of Representatives for a Member who has given birth or whose spouse has given birth and pregnant Members who are unable to travel safely or have a serious medical condition. Under the resolution, a qualifying Member may designate a proxy to cast a vote in a committee, the Committee of the Whole, or on the House floor; however, proxies will not be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum. The proxy designation is valid for up to 12 weeks. To designate a proxy for House and Committee of the Whole votes, the Member must submit a signed and dated letter to the Clerk stating the Member’s qualifying circumstances and the name and state of the Member who has agreed to be designated as proxy. A Member who has designated a proxy according to these requirements may also designate a proxy for committee votes. To designate a proxy for committee votes, the Member must provide the committee chair and ranking minority member with a signed and dated letter specifying another member of the committee to cast a proxy vote.  The resolution further provides that a Member may revoke the proxy authorization by (1) casting the Member’s own vote; (2) recording the Member’s own presence in the House or in the Committee of the Whole; or (3) in a committee, by submitting a signed letter to the chair and ranking minority member.

This resolution elects Members to the Committees on Appropriations; Energy and Commerce; Financial Services; and Ways and Means.

**Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025** This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make grants to air pollution control agencies to support the development and implementation of programs that support local communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating with the public about, or mitigating the environmental and public health aspects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. The EPA must establish a formula to distribute the grants among air pollution control agencies. The bill requires the EPA to establish four Centers of Excellence for Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat at institutions of higher education to research (1) the effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat on public health, and (2) the means by which communities can better respond to impacts from such conditions. Additionally, the EPA must begin to carry out research to * study the health effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat; * develop and disseminate personal and community-based interventions to reduce exposure to, and health effects of, wildland fire smoke emissions and extreme heat; * increase the quality of smoke and extreme heat monitoring and prediction tools and techniques; and * develop implementation and communication strategies. The EPA must also establish a competitive grant program to assist certain entities (e.g., a state) in developing and implementing collaborative community plans for mitigating the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat.

**Aviation-Impacted Communities Act** This bill increases access to noise mitigation measures for aviation-impacted communities. Under the bill, an *aviation-impacted community* is a community that is located not more than one mile from any point at which a commercial or cargo jet route is 3,000 feet or less above ground level. The bill expands noise mitigation program funding under the Airport Improvement Program to include aviation-impacted communities that are not currently within the 65 day-night average sound level (DNL) standard. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must conduct outreach to aviation-impacted communities to inform them of the opportunity to be a designated community. A designated community must form a community board to provide information to airport operators and the FAA concerning aviation impacts (e.g., aircraft noise). A community board may petition the FAA to conduct a community assessment and, based on the assessment, the FAA must devise an action plan that alleviates or addresses the community’s concerns. In addition, the FAA must enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and provide the FAA with a framework and diagnostic tool for conducting community assessments. The FAA must provide grants for necessary noise mitigation in a designated community for residences, hospitals, nursing homes, adult or child day care centers, schools, and places of worship. Further, the FAA and airport operators must provide (1) noise mitigation grants for communities subject to significant frequency of overhead flights, and (2) noise mitigation for residences impacted by significant nighttime aircraft noise.