Rep. Jim Costa

Maddy summaryHR 1901, the CHIPP Act, makes Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding permanent for all future fiscal years, removing previous expiration dates that required annual congressional renewal. This directly affects low-income children and families who rely on CHIP coverage and the states that administer these programs. The key mechanism is amending federal law to require "such sums as are necessary" for CHIP funding starting in fiscal year 2029 and beyond. Other provisions adjust funding for related programs like pediatric quality measures and outreach, but the primary change is CHIP’s permanent funding structure.

Maddy summaryThe FISH Act of 2025 transfers responsibility for managing migratory fish species (such as salmon that spawn in freshwater and migrate to the ocean, or eels that spawn in the ocean and migrate to freshwater) from the Department of Commerce to the Department of the Interior. It amends the Endangered Species Act to update the "Secretary" reference for these species to the Secretary of the Interior and adds clear definitions for "anadromous" and "catadromous" species. The bill ensures existing permits, decisions, and legal cases involving these fish continue without interruption during the transition. It also allows for reconsideration of certain administrative decisions made by the Commerce Department within three years before the transfer, if requested within one year of the transfer.

Maddy summaryHR 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, establishes a new system for identifying and managing high-risk wildfire areas called "firesheds" and creates a centralized Fireshed Center to coordinate wildfire risk management across federal agencies. The bill streamlines environmental reviews for wildfire risk reduction projects, allowing for faster implementation of hazardous fuels management activities in designated areas. It includes provisions for community wildfire risk reduction programs, water source protection, and specific initiatives for restoring white oak forests. The legislation also includes litigation reforms to expedite forest management projects and reduce delays from legal challenges. These provisions aim to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health through more coordinated, data-driven management approaches.

Maddy summaryHR 1851 increases the minimum required fighter aircraft inventory for the Air Force and its reserve components to 1,900 total and 1,200 for the reserve by October 2030, up from current levels (Section 2). The bill allows temporary reductions below these totals for recapitalization, but only for up to two years and with a floor of 1,800 aircraft, requiring congressional notification (Section 2). It mandates quarterly reports to Congress detailing new aircraft acquisitions, assignments, retirements, and recapitalization plans for both active and Air National Guard units (Section 3). The bill specifically protects 25 existing Air National Guard fighter squadrons from fleet reductions until 2030 and requires new aircraft to be assigned to service-retained units at a 3:1 ratio with legacy aircraft retirements (Sections 5, 6).

Maddy summaryHR 1873, the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act, excludes certain federal broadband grants from taxable income for recipients. It directly affects entities (like internet providers or local governments) receiving qualifying grants under specific programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program and State Digital Equity Capacity Grants established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill prevents double tax benefits by disallowing deductions for expenses covered by these excluded grants and reduces the adjusted basis of related property. This change applies to grants received in taxable years ending after March 11, 2023.

Maddy summaryHR 1871, the Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act, changes federal tax rules to allow homeowners to exclude certain water-related rebates from taxable income. It expands the existing tax exclusion to cover rebates for water conservation measures (like efficient fixtures), storm water management (such as rain gardens), and wastewater management (like septic system upgrades), but only for the homeowner's principal residence. These rebates must come from public utilities, storm water providers, or state/local governments. The changes apply to rebates received after December 31, 2021, and do not affect tax treatment for rebates received before 2022.

Maddy summaryThe CASE LOAD Act of 2025 adds five new federal district judges to the Eastern District of California over six years (two in 2027, one in 2029, two in 2031) to address an unsustainable caseload. It directly affects the court serving approximately 8.4 million residents across 34 counties, where pending cases per judge reached 1,308 as of 2022 - over double the national average. The bill amends the judicial positions table in federal law to increase the Eastern District’s authorized judges from eight to eleven. This is a concrete staffing change aimed at reducing case backlogs, not a policy on substantive law.

Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act This bill prohibits political appointees and special government employees from accessing Social Security data systems that contain personally identifiable information about Social Security beneficiaries. Specifically, political appointees and special government employees may not access systems maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that issue or record Social Security account numbers, that are used to determine eligibility for or to pay Social Security benefits, or that otherwise contain personally identifiable information about individuals receiving or applying for benefits.  The bill also establishes a civil right of action for an individual whose information was negligently accessed or disclosed in violation of these provisions. The individual may bring suit against the United States if the violator was a U.S. employee or officer, or against the violator if they were not a U.S. employee or officer. Such a claim must be brought within two years of the affected individual’s discovery of the violation. Upon a finding of liability, defendants are liable for specified monetary damages.  If an individual is criminally charged or subject to proposed disciplinary or adverse action by a federal or state agency for having accessed or disclosed information in violation of these provisions, SSA must notify the individual whose information was accessed or disclosed of the violation as soon as practicable.  Finally, the bill requires the SSA Office of the Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized access to or disclosure of information in a beneficiary data system.

Maddy summaryHR 1876, the "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act," prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing, consolidating, or restricting access to its field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations for 180 days after enactment, with exceptions for emergencies. The bill requires the SSA Commissioner to submit a detailed report to Congress by January 2029, analyzing closure criteria, transportation burdens for elderly/disabled users, cost-benefit impacts, and plans to replace lost services. For future closures, it mandates 120 days of public notice, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress, while ensuring total office numbers don’t fall below 2025 levels. This directly affects SSA field offices, their users (including elderly and disabled individuals), and employees. The bill’s key mechanism is a procedural safeguard to ensure transparency and minimize disruption before any office changes take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by clarifying how to prove voting discrimination and expanding requirements for preclearance of voting changes. It establishes new standards for determining when voting practices dilute minority voting strength or deny/abridge voting rights, requiring plaintiffs to show specific conditions for vote dilution claims and including factors like historical discrimination and racial polarization in court analyses. The bill modifies the criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must seek preclearance for voting changes, and adds new transparency requirements for jurisdictions to publicly disclose changes to voting qualifications, polling locations, and election districts. It directly affects states and local governments that implement voting policies, particularly those with a history of voting rights violations or that make changes to voting qualifications, procedures, or district boundaries. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory voting practices by providing clearer standards for courts and requiring greater transparency in voting rule changes.