Rep. Donald G. Davis

Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.) On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden. The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.

Maddy summaryHR 5309, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, authorizes a posthumous Congressional gold medal for Constance Baker Motley, a pioneering civil rights attorney and judge. The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to strike the medal with her image and name, to be presented to her son, Joel W. Motley III, and her niece, Constance Royster. It also permits the sale of bronze duplicates at cost to cover expenses, with proceeds going to the U.S. Mint fund. This is a commemorative measure with no substantive policy changes, honoring Motley’s legacy as the first African-American woman appointed to a federal judgeship.

Maddy summaryHRES 697 is a symbolic House resolution recognizing suicide as a preventable public health issue and supporting the designation of September as "National Suicide Prevention Month" and September 10, 2025, as "World Suicide Prevention Day." It does not create new laws or allocate funds but formally expresses congressional support for these designations to raise awareness. The resolution cites statistics showing suicide as a leading cause of death across age groups, including among veterans and adolescents, and emphasizes mental health as equally important as physical health. It acknowledges the need for diverse prevention strategies without specifying new policies or programs. This resolution is purely declarative, aiming to bolster public awareness rather than enact concrete changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the existing program providing support and treatment services for law enforcement officers experiencing mental health crises. It extends the funding authorization period from 2020-2024 to 2025-2029 under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The bill directly affects law enforcement officers who access these crisis support services through participating state and local programs. It makes no new policy changes but ensures the current program continues operating without interruption for five additional years.

Maddy summaryThe RESULTS Act (HR 5269) changes how Medicare calculates payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests. It requires Medicare to collect data on private payor rates for widely available non-Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Tests (non-ADLTs) from a qualifying independent claims data entity (a national nonprofit organization meeting specific criteria) rather than relying on data reported directly by laboratories. For tests where data is unavailable, the bill establishes default payment rates based on previous years' rates adjusted for inflation. The law also requires Medicare to publicly explain payment rates with supporting data, affecting Medicare beneficiaries, clinical laboratories, and private payors that provide services covered by Medicare.

Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act This bill allows state Medicaid programs to establish health homes to provide coordinated care for individuals with sickle-cell disease. (Under current law, state Medicaid programs may establish health homes to provide coordinated care for individuals with specified chronic conditions.) States must ensure that such care includes dental and vision services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue best practices for states on how to design and implement such health homes.

Maddy summaryHR 5187 establishes a Defense Department program to fund private companies expanding domestic manufacturing of defense-critical products made using biological systems (like medicines or materials). It provides competitive grants to upgrade or retool U.S. manufacturing facilities, prioritizing projects that strengthen supply chains, support military needs, and enable geographic diversity. Recipients must report progress annually to Congress on facility upgrades, production timelines, and defense product agreements. The program requires detailed annual reports to Congress on funded projects, funding use, and alignment with national security priorities, and expires after 10 years unless extended by the President.

Maddy summaryHR 5191 requires the Defense Department to create clear guidelines within one year for private companies to prove their biobased products (made using living organisms, like biofuels or biodegradable materials) meet military requirements. This directly affects companies developing such products seeking to sell to the Department of Defense. The bill also mandates a government review to assess whether current DoD processes unintentionally exclude biobased products. If exclusion is found, the review will recommend changes to address it. The core policy change is standardizing how companies demonstrate product compliance, not altering existing military standards.

Maddy summaryHR 5193 directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to conduct a feasibility study on incorporating militarily relevant biotechnology applications into existing wargaming exercises. The study must examine biotech enhancements for warfighter performance, battlefield materials, adversaries' biotech uses, and other relevant applications, while consulting with combatant commands and Defense stakeholders. The Joint Chiefs must submit a report within 180 days of enactment, detailing recommended exercise modifications and a plan for updating exercises as biotechnology advances. This bill does not enact new policy but mandates a review to assess how emerging biotech could be integrated into military training simulations.

Maddy summaryHR 5186 authorizes the Department of Defense to establish a program focused on strengthening the biotechnology supply chain for military use. The program would direct military laboratories to develop biotech-based materials (like bio-cement and protective coatings), reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, and partner with industry and universities to scale innovations. Key mechanisms include assessing supply chain vulnerabilities, upgrading lab infrastructure, and requiring annual reports to Congress on progress and partnerships. The program would operate for 10 years unless extended by the President for national security reasons.