Rep. Julia Brownley

Maddy summaryHR 5673, titled "Stop the Trump Electricity Price Hikes Act," would reinstate financial assistance awards terminated by the Department of Energy under a May 15, 2025, secretarial memorandum. It directly affects recipients of these awards - likely energy or infrastructure projects - that had their funding cut, by restoring their financial support as if the terminations never occurred. The key mechanism requires the Department to treat all such terminated awards as valid and continuing, overriding prior termination actions. This bill does not address electricity pricing, consumer rates, or introduce new energy regulations.

Maddy summaryHR 5685, the PNA Modernization Act, increases the minimum monthly cash allowance under Medicaid for people living in long-term care facilities. It raises the individual allowance from $30 to $60 per month (effective January 2026) and the couple allowance from $60 to $120 per month. The bill also includes an automatic adjustment mechanism: starting after November 2025, these allowances will increase by the same percentage as Social Security benefit adjustments. This directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries residing in nursing homes or similar institutions, providing them with higher guaranteed personal spending funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds Medicare coverage for multi-cancer early detection screening tests (blood or biological tests analyzing cell-free DNA) starting January 1, 2028. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries aged 68 and older (starting in 2028, with the age limit increasing by 1 year annually), requiring tests to be FDA-cleared and deemed reasonable/necessary by the Secretary for early cancer detection across multiple organ sites. Payment will initially match current stool DNA test rates before 2031, then shift to a lower rate or new payment system after 2031, with limits preventing more than one test per year. The bill explicitly states it does not alter coverage for existing cancer screenings like breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer tests.

Maddy summaryHRES 773 is a symbolic resolution (not a law) honoring the principle of separation of church and state. It commemorates the 65th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech to the Houston Ministerial Association and the 150th anniversary of President Ulysses S. Grant’s 1875 speech, both emphasizing government neutrality in religious matters. The resolution affirms the constitutional separation of church and state as a core American value and opposes "extreme right-wing Christian nationalism," though it does not create new policies or affect any specific group. As a non-binding statement, it has no legal effect but expresses the House’s position on religious freedom.

Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 This bill provides back pay to employees of federal contractors who lost pay due to a lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) in FY2026. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies that are subject to a lapse in appropriations in FY2026 to adjust the price of contracts to compensate federal contractors for providing back pay to employees who were affected by the lapse in appropriations.  The agencies must adjust the price of any contract for which the contractor stopped, suspended, delayed, or interrupted all or part of the work under the contract due to the lapse in appropriations. The price adjustment must compensate the contractor for reasonable costs incurred to (1) compensate employees who were furloughed or laid off, were not working, or experienced a reduction of hours or compensation due to the lapse in appropriations; or (2) restore paid leave taken by employees during the lapse in appropriations if the contractor required or permitted employees to use paid leave as a result of the lapse in appropriations. The maximum amount of weekly compensation of an employee for which an adjustment may be made under this bill may not exceed the lesser of (1) the employee's actual weekly compensation, or (2) $1,442 (or a lesser amount pro-rated for an employee who works less than 40 hours per week). The bill also requires the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to submit a report to Congress on the adjustments made under this bill.

Maddy summaryHR 5660, the Pay Our Military Act, ensures military personnel and support staff receive pay during a government funding gap in fiscal year 2026. It appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover pay and allowances for active-duty troops, reservists, Department of Defense civilian employees, and contractors supporting military operations, if Congress hasn’t passed regular funding by then. The funding remains available until either regular appropriations are enacted or January 1, 2027, whichever comes first. This is a temporary measure to prevent disruptions in military pay during budget negotiations.

Maddy summaryHR 5655, the "No Shame at School Act of 2025," requires schools to eliminate stigma around unpaid meal fees for students. It mandates that school districts automatically certify eligible students for free/reduced meals (replacing "may" with "shall"), prohibits physical segregation or public identification of students with unpaid fees (like special tokens or name lists), and bans withholding grades or activities due to meal debt. The bill also prevents schools from using debt collectors for meal fees and requires adjustments to past meal claims when eligibility is later confirmed. This directly affects schools, local educational agencies, and students from households with outstanding meal fees.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 53 is a symbolic resolution expressing the House of Representatives' support for recognizing September 26, 2025, as "World Contraception Day" and outlining policy principles for improving contraception access. It calls for expanding universal, affordable access to contraception - including over-the-counter options - and addressing disparities affecting Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities facing barriers like "contraceptive deserts" and discrimination. The resolution urges federal action to support comprehensive sex education, eliminate insurance cost-sharing for contraception, train healthcare providers on contraceptive care, and fund programs like Title X. It does not create new laws but affirms congressional support for policies that ensure reproductive autonomy and reduce preventable health issues linked to limited access.

Maddy summaryHRES 772 is a symbolic House resolution expressing support for National Public Lands Day (observed September 27, 2025). It encourages U.S. citizens to visit public lands on this fee-free day, recognizing their cultural, spiritual, and economic value. The resolution cites existing statistics on public lands' economic contributions (e.g., $252 billion in economic output from Bureau of Land Management lands in 2024) but does not create new policies or alter fees. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect and serves only to promote awareness of existing public land access.

Maddy summaryHRES 765 is a non-binding House resolution commemorating the 10th anniversary of the October 2, 2015, crash of C-130J aircraft TORQE 62 in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. It honors the 6 U.S. Air Force service members and 5 civilian contractors who died in the accident while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The resolution extends condolences to their families and expresses gratitude for the crew’s service and sacrifice. As a commemorative resolution, it does not enact policy changes or affect any individuals or groups beyond this ceremonial recognition.