Rep. Chris Pappas

Maddy summaryThe Protect America's Workforce Act cancels an executive order issued on March 27, 2025, that excluded certain groups from federal labor-management relations programs, making it legally unenforceable. It also ensures that all collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and labor unions, which were active as of March 26, 2025, remain fully effective until their agreed terms expire. This directly affects federal agencies, labor unions, and the employees covered by these agreements. The bill prevents federal funds from being used to implement the canceled executive order while preserving existing labor agreements.

Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act This act provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team in recognition of the team's achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

Maddy summaryThis bill excludes reimbursements received by individuals for cleaning up PFAS contamination from their taxable income under the federal tax code. It directly affects people who were paid back for remediation costs related to "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in their property. The key provision adds a new tax code section (139M) to ensure these specific reimbursements are not counted as income, reducing tax liability for affected individuals. The rule applies to reimbursements received in tax years starting after December 31, 2020.

Maddy summaryHR 6575, the CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act, extends enhanced premium tax credits for health insurance through 2026, directly benefiting millions of lower and middle-income Americans purchasing coverage through the ACA marketplace. The bill modifies income thresholds for premium subsidies, creating new income tiers that maintain or increase financial assistance for households earning up to 1,000% of the poverty level. It includes provisions to prevent fraud in health insurance exchanges by imposing civil penalties on agents and brokers who provide false information, and requires transparency in pharmacy benefit manager contracts to improve drug pricing accountability. The legislation also extends the annual open enrollment period for health insurance exchanges for the 2026 plan year, allowing more time for people to enroll or change coverage.

Maddy summaryHR 6592 redefines Medicaid-covered "private duty nursing" as "continuous skilled nursing services" for complex-care patients requiring multiple hours of daily nursing care (as determined by states), mandating these services be provided by licensed nurses (RNs or LPNs). It requires the Secretary to develop national quality standards for these services through a stakeholder working group, to be published within one year. The bill also updates Medicaid waiver services and quality measures to include continuous skilled nursing services, with standards reviewed every eight years. This directly affects complex-care Medicaid beneficiaries and their nursing providers across all states.

Maddy summaryHR 6449, the "DO NOT Call Act," amends the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1993 to strengthen penalties for illegal robocalls. It increases criminal penalties for willful violations to up to one year in prison (or three years for aggravated offenses like repeated high-volume calls or calls intended to support felonies), and raises fines for inaccurate caller identification from $10,000 to $20,000 per violation. The bill directly affects businesses and entities making unsolicited calls without consent, including those using auto-dialers or prerecorded messages. Key provisions define "calls" broadly to include unsolicited texts sent via auto-dialers without prior permission.

Maddy summaryHR 6423, the HELP Copays Act, requires health insurance plans and coverage to count financial assistance from non-profits or drug manufacturers toward patient cost-sharing limits like deductibles and copayments. This directly affects patients enrolled in health insurance who receive such assistance for prescription drugs, ensuring the help they get reduces their out-of-pocket costs faster. The bill amends key health laws to mandate that these payments are included when calculating whether a patient has met their deductible or copayment threshold. The change applies to all prescription drugs, including specialty drugs and those subject to prior authorization, but does not alter how insurers manage drug access through tools like step therapy. It takes effect for plan years starting in 2026.

Maddy summaryHRES 925 is a non-binding resolution condemning the Iranian government's ongoing persecution of the Baha'i religious minority. It directly affects Baha'is in Iran, who face systemic discrimination, imprisonment, denial of education and employment, and violence due to their faith. The resolution calls on Iran to immediately release Baha'i prisoners, end hate propaganda targeting them, and reverse policies banning their access to education and jobs. It also urges the U.S. President and Secretary of State to demand Iran's compliance and use existing sanctions authorities against officials responsible for human rights abuses against Baha'is.

Maddy summaryThis bill would remove restrictions on U.S. military exports to the Republic of Cyprus, allowing the Cypriot government to purchase U.S. defense equipment and services. It directly affects Cyprus by enabling access to U.S. defense articles and services, which were previously subject to a policy of denial. The key mechanism eliminates the denial policy for such exports, with exceptions if credible human rights concerns exist, and requires annual congressional certifications to maintain the policy beyond a 5-year period (based on Cyprus's cooperation with U.S. anti-money laundering efforts and denying Russian military vessels port access). The bill does not create new programs but changes existing export restrictions.

Maddy summaryHRES 856 is a non-binding resolution expressing the House of Representatives' view that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should use its existing contingency funds and interchange authority to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November 2025. The resolution cites that the USDA holds over $5 billion in contingency funds set aside for emergencies and has legal authority under the Department of Agriculture Organic Act to transfer funds between nutrition programs to maintain SNAP benefits. This would directly support approximately 42 million people relying on SNAP, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans, preventing disruption during a potential funding gap. The resolution does not create new law but urges the administration to use existing resources to ensure continued food assistance.