Rep. Lauren Underwood

Maddy summaryHRES 1386 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the House's condemnation of Project 2025. It states that if enacted, Project 2025 would threaten healthcare access (including ending protections for pre-existing conditions and banning Medicare drug negotiations), restrict abortion and fertility services, cut education funding, raise costs for working families, and give tax breaks to wealthy corporations. The resolution specifically lists these potential impacts as reasons for the House to "condemn in the strongest terms" Project 2025. As a resolution, it does not create new law but formally expresses the House's position on this policy proposal.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 193 proposes a constitutional amendment to eliminate legal immunity for federal officials, including the President, from criminal prosecution for actions taken while performing official duties. It also prohibits the President from granting a pardon to themselves. The amendment would apply to all federal officers (such as the President, Vice President, and members of Congress) except for Congress members acting in their legislative role as defined in the Constitution. If ratified by 38 states, this change would become part of the U.S. Constitution, requiring no further congressional action.

Maddy summaryHRES 1385 designates the week of August 4-10, 2024, as "National Farmers Market Week" to recognize the economic and community role of farmers markets. The resolution highlights that farmers markets generated $1.7 billion in income for U.S. farmers in 2020, supported 8,771 markets nationwide by 2019, and connect urban and rural communities while promoting sustainable farming and nutrition access. It does not create new laws or funding but formally acknowledges these markets’ contributions to local economies, public health, and community engagement. The resolution aims to raise awareness of farmers markets’ importance, directly affecting farmers, vendors, and consumers who rely on these venues.

Maddy summaryHR 8418, the Lethal Means Safety Training Act, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to update its suicide prevention training to be culturally appropriate and based on expert best practices within 180 days of the bill's enactment. The training must be taken by VA employees who interact with veterans (including health and benefits staff), contractor examiners, community care providers, and family caregivers supporting veterans - initially within 90 days of hire or assignment, then annually. The VA must publish annual reports showing completion rates across these groups and make the training publicly available online. This bill mandates concrete training requirements for VA staff and partners to improve lethal means safety practices, without altering benefits or funding.

Maddy summaryThe HEALTH for MOM Act of 2024 gives states the option to create Medicaid programs that provide coordinated care for pregnant and postpartum women through "maternity health homes." These are teams of healthcare providers (like doctors, nurses, and social workers) that develop personalized care plans covering prenatal, delivery, postpartum, mental health, and social support services. States can design payment models for these programs, with a 15% federal funding boost for the first four years, and must track outcomes like reduced hospital stays and maternal health data. The program applies to Medicaid-eligible pregnant women (excluding those with limited pregnancy-only coverage) and requires states to collect data on care access and outcomes without mandating enrollment for women or participation for providers.

Maddy summaryHR 4581, the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024, amends Title V of the Social Security Act to explicitly allow federal funds to support stillbirth prevention efforts. The bill directs states receiving Title V maternal and child health funds to use these resources for evidence-based programs and research aimed at reducing stillbirths, including tracking fetal movements, screening for growth issues, smoking cessation, and community support. It directly affects state maternal health programs by clarifying that existing funding can now cover specific stillbirth prevention activities previously not explicitly permitted. The law changes how Title V funds may be spent, adding clear provisions for research and programs targeting stillbirth reduction. This is a policy change that updates funding guidelines without creating new programs or mandates.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Federal Employees' Compensation Act to include physician assistants and nurse practitioners as eligible providers for injured federal workers. It defines "other eligible provider" as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant within their state-authorized scope of practice. The law updates key sections to replace "physician" with "physician or other eligible provider" for treatment, certification, and claim processes. The Secretary must finalize implementing regulations within six months of enactment.

Maddy summaryHRES 1337 is a ceremonial resolution commemorating the July 4, 2022, Highland Park, Illinois, Independence Day Parade shooting. It honors the seven victims (Katie Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Strauss, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo) and over 40 wounded survivors, while acknowledging the community's healing two years post-tragedy. The resolution expresses the House's solidarity with Highland Park residents, first responders, and healthcare providers who aided victims. It does not enact new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic tribute to the victims and survivors. This is a procedural resolution with no concrete policy changes, solely focused on remembrance and support.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a federal framework for "extreme risk protection orders" (ERPOs) that temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a risk of harming themselves or others. Family members or law enforcement officers can petition a federal court for a temporary order (up to 14 days) based on probable cause, followed by a hearing within 72 hours to determine if a longer-term order (up to 180 days) is warranted. The bill requires clear and convincing evidence of risk at the hearing and mandates respondents to surrender firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours. It also includes provisions for reporting, training law enforcement on ERPOs, and a federal grant program to support state ERPO implementation, without preempting state laws.

Maddy summaryHR 8733, the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act, amends federal law to require the national clearinghouse for child abuse and neglect data to also collect information on animal abuse incidents. Specifically, it adds a new requirement for the clearinghouse to track "the incidence of any such cases related to animal abuse," defined as any act or failure to act causing undue pain, suffering, or death to an animal, regardless of state or local animal cruelty laws. This change directly affects the federal data system and states that report to it, mandating they include animal abuse data in their submissions. The policy shift expands federal data collection to cover animal abuse alongside child abuse, without altering existing state animal cruelty laws.