Rep. Jared F. Golden

Maddy summaryHR 4704, the ROTOR Act, requires the Defense Health Agency to study cancer rates among military helicopter pilots and aviation support personnel. It directly affects service members who served as rotary-wing aircrew (pilots or support staff) since 1961 and receive VA healthcare. The bill mandates a two-phase study: first, comparing cancer prevalence/mortality for 12 specific cancers (like lung, prostate, and breast cancer) between these service members and the general population; second, if increased rates are found, investigating potential causes like aircraft toxins, radiation exposure, or other service-related hazards. The study will use existing VA and cancer registry data, with findings reported to Congress within two years.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, canceling policies, or increasing premiums based solely on a person's status as a living organ donor. It directly protects living organ donors by preventing insurance discrimination unrelated to actual health risks. The bill also requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to update public educational materials about organ donation benefits, risks, and insurance impacts within six months of enactment. These materials will include information on the new insurance protections established by the bill. The law relies on state insurance regulators for enforcement of the insurance provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and federal employee leave rules to clarify that recovery from organ donation surgery qualifies as a "serious health condition." It directly affects private-sector workers covered by the FMLA and federal civil service employees. The key change adds "including recovery from surgery related to organ donation" to the definitions of serious health conditions in both the FMLA and federal leave statutes. This ensures eligible employees can use their existing family and medical leave benefits to recover after donating an organ, without requiring new leave entitlements.

Maddy summaryThe Jobs in the Woods Act establishes a federal grant program to fund career training in forestry operations and products industries. It provides competitive grants (ranging from $500,000 to $2 million over up to 4 years) to eligible entities like nonprofits, states, tribes, or community colleges in targeted rural areas. These areas must be nonmetropolitan low-income communities, have broadband access, or have populations under 50,000. Grants require applicants to demonstrate regional need, plan for program sustainability, partner with schools, and address aging workforces or youth migration. The program is funded at $10 million annually from 2026 through 2030.

Maddy summaryHR 4336, the CBP SPACE Act, amends U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fee rules to allow adjustments in merchandise processing fees. This change directly affects CBP and sea ports of entry by enabling fee increases to cover capital costs like equipment upgrades, facility construction, and maintenance - previously limited to operational expenses. The bill requires CBP to submit annual reports detailing how fee proceeds are used for inspection facilities at sea ports, including specific funding allocations and outstanding infrastructure needs. It also prohibits CBP from requiring ports to provide administrative or training facilities for CBP operations. The law aims to improve transparency and funding for CBP's physical infrastructure at ports of entry.

Maddy summaryThe Back the Blue Act of 2025 strengthens federal protections for law enforcement officers by creating new criminal offenses for killing or assaulting them while on duty. It increases penalties for such crimes, including life imprisonment or the death penalty for murder, and establishes a new federal offense for fleeing to avoid prosecution for killing law enforcement. The bill also adds specific aggravating factors for the federal death penalty when officers are killed, limits federal habeas corpus relief for certain cases involving officer killings, and expands law enforcement officers' rights to carry firearms in certain facilities. This legislation directly affects federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, public safety personnel, and judicial officers.

Maddy summaryHR 4280, the Bipartisan Tax Fairness Act of 2025, modifies federal income tax brackets for all filing statuses, including married couples filing jointly, heads of households, single filers, married filing separately, and estates/trusts. It lowers the income thresholds where higher tax rates apply - for example, the 10% bracket for married couples ends at $19,050 (down from current law) instead of $20,550. The bill retains the same marginal tax rates (10% to 39.6%) but adjusts bracket ranges annually for inflation to prevent taxpayers from moving into higher brackets due to rising prices. These changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryThe CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 expands Medicare telehealth coverage by removing geographic restrictions that limited where patients could receive care, expanding the types of health care providers who can offer telehealth services, and eliminating the requirement for an in-person visit before receiving telemental health services. The bill includes specific provisions to support telehealth use for Native American health facilities, rural health clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. It requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to collect and publish data on telehealth usage and impacts, and to develop resources to improve accessibility for people with disabilities and limited English proficiency. Program integrity measures are added to monitor telehealth billing practices and prevent fraud while maintaining coverage for telehealth services during public health emergencies.

Maddy summaryHR 4159 requires the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations within 730 days mandating that all optional combat boots worn by military members as part of their required uniform must be entirely manufactured in the United States, using materials and components grown, produced, or made in the U.S. It directly affects service members who choose to wear non-furnished combat boots, requiring those boots to meet strict U.S. manufacturing standards. Exemptions apply if the military determines a specific boot is needed for operational reasons (under existing law) or if medical necessity requires non-compliant boots. The bill focuses on procurement standards without altering broader military policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes technical corrections to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 to streamline claims for individuals harmed by water contamination at Camp Lejeune. It clarifies the evidence required (30+ days at the base plus a link between contaminants and health harm), specifies that cases must be handled in North Carolina courts (with limited transfer options), and sets attorney fee caps (20% before suit, 25% after). These changes directly affect veterans and civilians who lived at Camp Lejeune and filed claims under the 2022 law. The bill does not create new eligibility but aims to improve the legal process for existing cases.