Rep. Deborah K. Ross

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the TRICARE Young Adult Program to make healthcare coverage more accessible for military dependents. It directly affects young adults (ages 21-26) who are children of active-duty service members, by eliminating a separate premium they previously paid for coverage. Key changes include removing an extra cost for young adults and adjusting eligibility rules to simplify enrollment. These amendments aim to reduce out-of-pocket expenses and streamline access to health insurance under the program.

Maddy summaryThe Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2025 authorizes federal grants to fund structured mentoring programs for children in foster care (under 18) and youth with foster care experience (up to age 26). It requires grantees to provide trained mentors (adult or peer), ensure cultural competence, conduct background checks, and match mentors with mentees for at least one year to support academic, social, and emotional needs. Programs must prioritize input from youth, recruit diverse mentors reflecting foster youth demographics, and coordinate with child welfare and education systems. The bill allocates $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2027, mandating annual reports on program reach, mentor demographics, and outcomes like school attendance and college enrollment. This directly affects over 390,000 foster youth annually by expanding access to evidence-based mentoring.

Maddy summaryThis bill would prohibit the detention of pregnant women, lactating women, and postpartum mothers (within one year of childbirth) in immigration custody, requiring their immediate release except in rare circumstances involving public safety threats. It bans the use of physical restraints on these individuals during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery, with only extremely limited exceptions. The bill mandates that facilities provide comprehensive reproductive health care including prenatal care, labor and delivery services, postpartum care, and access to abortion services. It requires facilities to maintain medical records, obtain informed consent for medical procedures, and conduct weekly reviews of any detained individuals under exceptional circumstances. The bill also establishes reporting requirements for facilities and creates transparency through public reporting of detention practices.

Maddy summaryHR 4696 amends Section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to update eligibility for a registry program that provides a pathway to legal status for long-term residents. It changes the requirement from entering the U.S. before January 1, 1972, to entering at least 7 years before the application date. This adjustment bases eligibility on a rolling 7-year window instead of a fixed historical cutoff, allowing more recent long-term residents to qualify. The bill directly affects individuals who entered the U.S. after 1972 but maintained continuous residence for at least seven years prior to applying.

Maddy summaryThe Partner with Korea Act creates a new visa category for South Korean nationals to work in specialty occupations in the U.S., with an annual cap of 15,000 visas. Employers must file an attestation with the Department of Labor, which the Secretary of Labor must certify before the visa is approved. The visa limit applies only to the principal worker and excludes spouses or children. This bill directly affects South Korean workers seeking specialty jobs and U.S. employers hiring them under this new category.

Maddy summaryThe SPARC Act (HR 4681) creates a federal loan repayment program for specialty physicians and non-physician health care providers (like nurse practitioners) who commit to working in rural areas with shortages of these specialists. It covers up to $250,000 in repayment for eligible education loans (including federal student loans) over a 6-year service commitment in designated rural communities. Providers must work full-time without gaps exceeding one year, and non-physician providers are limited to 15% of annual funding. The program requires annual reports to Congress on provider locations and impact, while preventing double benefits with other federal loan forgiveness programs.

Maddy summaryThe Keep Kids Covered Act extends continuous health coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for children. It requires states to maintain coverage for children under age 6 for six years (previously one year) and for children under age 19 for two years (previously one year), without requiring reapplication. Former foster youth will now remain covered until age 26. States must also annually update contact information for enrolled children and inform them about their coverage status and remaining eligibility period.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2026-FY2032; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.

Maddy summaryHR 4734, the "Hands Off Our Social Security Act," prohibits federal actions that would alter Social Security benefits, data handling, workforce levels, office locations, or communication systems without explicit congressional approval. It directly protects Social Security beneficiaries and the Social Security Administration (SSA) by banning unauthorized changes to benefits, data mining, privatization, staff cuts, office closures, or reduced phone/in-person services. Key provisions require Congress to approve any modifications to benefits, workforce reductions, or office closures, and mandate the SSA to maintain existing communication channels. The bill also mandates annual GAO audits to ensure compliance with these restrictions. This legislation focuses on preserving current Social Security operations and access, not creating new benefits or altering eligibility.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 108 proposes a constitutional amendment to remove legal immunity for federal officials, including the President, from criminal prosecution for actions taken while performing official duties. It would prohibit the President from granting pardons to themselves and eliminate the defense that "official authority" excuses violations of federal or state law (with limited exceptions for certain congressional actions). If ratified, this amendment would require Congress to pass implementing laws to enforce these changes. The proposal is currently in the House Judiciary Committee and requires approval by three-fourths of state legislatures to become part of the Constitution.