Rep. George Whitesides

Maddy summaryHR 1827, the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, increases tax benefits for families with child care needs and employers providing child care. It raises the employer child care credit from 25% to 50% of expenses with a maximum credit of $500,000 (up from $150,000), and creates a new household and dependent care credit allowing families to claim up to 50% of eligible child care expenses, with the credit amount reduced as income increases, up to $8,000 for multiple children. The bill directly affects working parents with children under 13 or dependents needing care, as well as employers offering child care benefits. Key provisions include expanded credit amounts, new definitions for qualifying care, and special rules for small businesses.

Maddy summaryHR 657, the VA CPE Modernization Act, increases reimbursement for continuing education expenses for certain full-time Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professionals. It sets a maximum annual reimbursement of $2,000 per professional for physicians, dentists, nurses, physician assistants, psychologists, and other specified roles. The bill allows the VA Secretary to adjust this amount over time, but ensures reimbursements never fall below $2,000 yearly. This directly affects VA-employed health care professionals who need to cover costs for ongoing training and certification.

Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program to carry out all activities necessary to permit certain members of the Armed Forces to elect to enroll in the VA health care system on the date of separation of such members from active service. Specifically, the program is for those who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after November 11, 1998. The VA must, in conjunction with the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security, establish a mechanism to permit a member of the Armed Forces to elect to pre-enroll in the VA health care system during the 180-day period preceding the date of separation of the member from active service. The VA-DOD Joint Executive Committee must brief Congress on the efforts to implement such a mechanism under the program. The Government Accountability Office must report on the program and include recommendations with respect to methods to improve the program.

Safe Schools Improvement Act This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits). Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.

Maddy summaryHR 1383 extends the Secure Rural Schools program, which provides payments to counties and states with federal land (like national forests) to support local schools and services. It reauthorizes these payments through fiscal year 2026, adding specific rules to ensure counties don’t receive duplicate payments for 2024 and 2025. The bill also extends related authorities for special projects on federal land and county fund expenditures through 2028-2029. This directly affects rural communities adjacent to federal lands that rely on these payments for education and infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 5(e)(6) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 by removing a reference to "subparagraph (B)" and renumbering the following provisions. It does not change SNAP eligibility rules or benefits; it only adjusts the internal numbering of existing provisions. The change takes effect January 1 following enactment. As a procedural amendment, it directly affects how the law is cited but does not alter policy or impact beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThe Pell Grant Sustainability Act (HR 1666) requires the federal government to automatically adjust the maximum Pell Grant amount each year based on inflation, starting with $1,060 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This adjustment uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure grants keep pace with rising college costs, directly affecting low-income students who rely on Pell Grants to afford higher education. The bill amends the Higher Education Act to mandate this annual inflation-based increase, rounding the final amount to the nearest $5. It aims to reverse the decades-long decline in grant purchasing power, which covered 80% of college costs in 1974-75 but only 31% by 2022-23.

Maddy summaryHR 1667, the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2025, would expand Medicare coverage to include acupuncture services provided by qualified practitioners. It adds "qualified acupuncturist services" to Medicare’s coverage under Section 1861 of the Social Security Act, defining a qualified acupuncturist as a state-licensed practitioner or a physician legally authorized to perform acupuncture. The bill establishes payment rules by including these services in the physician fee schedule and adjusting hospital billing procedures to allow separate billing for acupuncture in inpatient settings. This change would directly affect Medicare beneficiaries receiving acupuncture, as well as acupuncturists and healthcare providers who would now bill Medicare for these services. The provisions would take effect 270 days after the bill’s enactment.

Maddy summaryThe PAST Act of 2025 amends the Horse Protection Act to ban harmful practices known as "soring," which deliberately cause pain to horses to exaggerate their gait for shows. It specifically prohibits devices like action devices (e.g., boots causing friction) and weighted shoes on Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses at events. The bill increases penalties, including escalating disqualifications for repeat offenses (180 days → 1 year → 3 years) and raises fines for violations to $5,000 per offense. It also requires stricter licensing for inspectors and mandates public posting of violation records to help event organizers enforce rules.

Maddy summaryThe American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would create pathways to permanent residency for certain immigrant youth who entered the U.S. as children (Dream Act component) and for individuals from countries with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure (American Promise Act component). To qualify, applicants must meet continuous physical presence requirements (since January 1, 2021 for Dream Act applicants, and for 3+ years for American Promise applicants), pass background checks, and satisfy educational or employment criteria. Conditional permanent resident status would be granted initially, with the option to convert to full permanent residency after meeting additional requirements like earning a degree, serving in the military for two years, or demonstrating three years of earned income. The bill includes fee exemptions for low-income applicants, establishes a grant program to assist applicants with legal help, and creates specific procedures for background checks and appeals.