Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

Maddy summarySammy's Law requires large social media platforms (those with over 100 million monthly users or $1 billion in annual revenue) to create real-time tools allowing parents or third-party safety software providers to help protect children under 17 from online harms. Platforms must provide secure access to children's account data for safety software providers that register with the Federal Trade Commission and meet strict security and privacy requirements. Third-party providers can only use the data to address specific risks like cyberbullying, trafficking, or abuse, and must delete data after 14 days unless needed for a safety concern. The law creates a federal standard that prevents states from making their own rules about this type of platform access.

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 summaryThis bill creates a $42,066,338 trust fund to compensate specific survivors of the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing (Lockerbie attack). It directly affects U.S. citizens who were 45+ years old, employed by Pan Am on December 3, 1991, named in the Abbott v. Libya lawsuit, and alive as of August 14, 2008. The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission will verify claims within 60 days of a public notice, then certify eligible claimants to the Treasury. Payments will be made equally to each approved claimant from the fixed $42 million fund, with deceased claimants' estates handled through personal representatives.

Maddy summaryThe Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act extends and modifies premium tax credit rules to make health insurance more affordable for people with household incomes up to 700% of the poverty line, with specific provisions for different income tiers. The bill requires pharmacy benefit managers to pass through 100% of rebates to health plans, establishes transparency requirements for drug pricing, and creates mechanisms to prevent fraud in health insurance exchanges. It also extends the annual open enrollment period for 2026 and allows qualified Exchange enrollees to establish health savings accounts, with options to prepay annual premiums or direct part of their premium tax credit into a health savings account.

Maddy summaryThis bill recognizes the service of individuals who were members of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 31, 1948, by treating that service as active duty for specific burial-related benefits. It requires the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to eligible individuals within one year of the bill's enactment, designating their discharge date. The bill allows for commemorative items like service medals or plaques but clarifies that recipients will not receive most VA benefits (only headstones/markers under specific chapters of law). It directly affects living cadet nurses from that era and their families for burial purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the American Battle Monuments Commission to correct historical errors by identifying Jewish World War I and II veterans buried overseas under incorrect Christian markers (Latin crosses) and replacing them with appropriate markers. It establishes a 10-year program to contact families of affected veterans, with the Commission funding the effort at $500,000 annually through nonprofit contracts. The program specifically targets veterans buried in foreign U.S. military cemeteries with markers indicating non-Jewish faith, addressing a documented mistake affecting approximately 900 Jewish servicemembers. This directly affects Jewish veterans' families by honoring their heritage and correcting past burial inaccuracies.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 249) renames two specific facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. The Great Falls Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge will be called "Bill Pascrell, Jr. Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge," and Overlook Park will be called "Bill Pascrell, Jr. Overlook Park." All federal references in laws, maps, documents, or records will automatically update to reflect these new names. As a procedural naming bill, it has no policy or funding impact beyond the official renaming of park features.

Maddy summaryHRES 930 is a symbolic resolution designating December 8, 2025, as "Jimmy Lai Day" to honor Jimmy Lai's advocacy for free press, religious freedom, and democracy in Hong Kong. It calls on the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy Lai and other Hong Kong prodemocracy advocates detained under Hong Kong's National Security Law. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but expresses congressional support for Lai's work and condemns the imprisonment of those advocating for Hong Kong's freedoms. It directly affects U.S. diplomatic messaging toward China, not Hong Kong's legal system or residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 6469) requires the U.S. State Department, in coordination with the FCC and Treasury, to submit a report within 120 days of enactment assessing internet access options in Iran. The report must evaluate the feasibility of using direct-to-cell wireless technology to expand internet access there, including technical, security, and regulatory considerations. It also analyzes how drone-based systems and signal jamming could affect such technology, surveys Iranian telecom providers (including state ownership and foreign investment), and examines broader implications for communications freedom. The bill does not enact new policy but mandates a government review of potential technological solutions.

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.