Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.

Maddy summaryHR 649, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, amends the National School Lunch Act to allow schools participating in the program to offer students both organic and non-organic whole milk, in addition to reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free options. Key provisions include clarifying that milk fat in whole milk should not count toward saturated fat limits for meal compliance, prohibiting schools from purchasing milk from Chinese state-owned enterprises, and ensuring schools cannot be barred from offering the full range of milk types listed. The bill directly affects public and private schools serving the National School Lunch Program by expanding their milk options for students. It focuses on concrete policy changes to dietary offerings and sourcing restrictions within the school nutrition program.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates federal housing law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It amends the Fair Housing Act to include these characteristics as protected classes alongside race, color, religion, sex, and other existing categories. The law now covers discrimination against individuals due to their own sexual orientation or gender identity, or because of their association with someone who has these characteristics. This applies to all housing providers, including landlords, real estate agents, and mortgage lenders, making it illegal to deny housing or services based on these factors.

Maddy summaryHR 3636 requires the Secretary of Defense to create a centralized system for verifying the licenses of military health-care professionals. This system allows commanding officers at any Department of Defense health facility to quickly check a professional's license - regardless of the facility's location or the professional's military branch. The bill mandates that at least 90% of license verifications must be completed within seven days for professionals without adverse licensing records. This change aims to ensure all military health-care providers meet licensing standards efficiently.

Maddy summaryThis bill reorganizes collective bargaining rules for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees by removing existing subsections (b), (c), and (d) from Section 7422 of Title 38 and redesignating the current subsection (e) as (b). It directly affects VA health care employees by altering the structure of their collective bargaining framework. The bill explicitly states it does not change the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' existing authorities over incentive pay or expedited hiring under Section 706 of Title 38. The change is purely procedural, focusing on the internal organization of bargaining rules without introducing new employee benefits or obligations.

Maddy summaryHR 3532, the Striking and Locked Out Workers Healthcare Protection Act, prohibits employers from terminating or altering an employee’s employer-sponsored health coverage during a lawful strike or a lockout (when an employer withholds work to influence bargaining). It directly affects workers participating in strikes or facing lockouts, ensuring continued healthcare access during these labor disputes. The bill adds penalties: $75,000 per violation for lockout-related coverage termination (up to $150,000 for repeat offenses), and $50,000 per violation for strike-related termination (up to $100,000 for repeat offenses), with penalties applied alongside other remedies. These provisions amend the National Labor Relations Act to protect workers’ healthcare rights during collective bargaining actions.

Maddy summaryHR 3526, the Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act of 2025, increases the maximum amount first-time homebuyers can withdraw penalty-free from retirement accounts. It amends the Internal Revenue Code to raise the limit from $10,000 to $50,000 for qualified first-time homebuyer distributions. This change directly affects individuals using retirement savings to purchase their first home, allowing them to access significantly more funds without incurring the usual 10% early withdrawal penalty. The provision applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 3515) amends the tax code to exclude certain military bonuses from taxable income. It directly affects active-duty members of the uniformed services who receive bonuses under Chapter 5 of Title 37, U.S. Code. The key provision replaces a general tax exclusion with a specific one for these military bonuses, removing them from gross income calculations. The change takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the VA to notify veterans filing claims without representation about free help from recognized veterans service organizations and trained representatives. It mandates an online tool listing accredited representatives (updated quarterly) and adds fee warnings to VA websites, including links to the tool and a site for reporting unauthorized fees. The VA must also review its processes for recognizing representatives within 180 days and report findings to Congress. The bill directly affects veterans navigating VA claims by improving access to verified assistance and transparency around fees. It focuses on concrete procedural changes to enhance claimant awareness, not on outcome predictions.

Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a grant program to support operating projects for public transportation and related service improvements, particularly in underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty. Specifically, the bill requires DOT to allocate funding under the program for urbanized areas, states, and Indian tribes that are recipients of funds under either the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA's) Urbanized Area Formula Funding program or Formula Grants for Rural Areas program. Eligible recipients may use funding for operating costs associated with projects that improve public transportation service for transit-dependent populations and support increased transit ridership (e.g., service expansion, information technology enhancements, and workforce development). DOT must apportion the funding so that recipients receive funds that are proportional to their share of operating costs. The bill also provides for an increased federal cost share for operating assistance for projects or programs carried out in areas of persistent poverty or underserved communities. DOT must set up a multimodal access measurement interface for public agencies to aid transit agencies in determining and reporting on access to jobs and essential services. A grant recipient must (1) report specific information to the FTA for inclusion in the National Transit Database, and (2) survey transit riders and non-riding residents regarding transit service improvements. Further, the bill expands the purposes of the public transportation programs to include supporting public transportation's role in combating climate change through growing/retaining transit ridership.

SNAP Administrator Retention Act of 2025 This bill directs the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) state agencies for 100% of SNAP administrative personnel costs. The bill also requires that state SNAP agency administrators be paid at least the same amount as federal employees. (Under current law, FNS generally pays 50% of a state's administrative costs for SNAP.) Specifically, FNS must pay a state agency for 100% of all SNAP administrative personnel costs that are part of an FNS-approved state agency personnel wage plan. This must include all costs associated with hiring and training new employees, maintaining those personnel costs, and complying with wage standards. The state agency must use these funds (1) to supplement, not supplant, nonfederal funds used for existing administrative personnel costs; and (2) for existing or additional full-time positions that are above the number of positions that were held in FY2024. The bill also requires that the wage standards for SNAP state agency administrators be (1) at least the same amount as the General Schedule (GS) pay rate for federal employees; and (2) updated annually based on any increase in the GS pay rate, including locality adjustments.