Rep. Gabe Vasquez

Maddy summaryHR 3277, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to cover medically necessary outpatient and inpatient treatments for congenital anomalies or birth defects primarily affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This includes reconstructive procedures, dental/orthodontic support during treatment, and follow-up care, but excludes purely cosmetic surgery not tied to a medical diagnosis. Cost-sharing (like copays) for these services must not be stricter than for other medical benefits. The law takes effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2026, and mandates insurers to provide notice about this coverage to beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThe MIL FMLA Act expands the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide military families with additional leave options. It allows eligible employees to take up to 26 workweeks of leave during a 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember (active duty member or veteran), regardless of the employee's family relationship to the servicemember. The bill adds new definitions to include domestic partners, grandparents, siblings, and other extended family members as eligible caregivers, and creates a new "veteran leave" provision for employees who are covered servicemembers needing leave due to service-related serious injury or illness. These changes aim to better support military families by providing more comprehensive leave options for caregiving needs related to military service.

Maddy summaryHR 3243, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025, bans the provision of paid conversion therapy aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and prohibits advertising such therapy as effective, safe, or without risk. It directly affects LGBTQ+ individuals and their families who might be targeted by these practices, as professionals have determined conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful. The law treats violations as deceptive acts under consumer protection laws, empowering the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to enforce it through civil actions. It explicitly excludes legitimate gender transition support and non-discriminatory counseling from the ban.

Maddy summaryThe Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act expands federal retirement benefits to include specific non-traditional law enforcement roles, such as IRS tax collection officers, U.S. Postal Inspection Service employees, Department of Veterans Affairs police, and certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized property specialists. It directly affects current and future federal workers in these positions who were previously excluded from law enforcement retirement benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System and Civil Service Retirement System. The bill allows current employees (incumbents) to elect to count prior service toward retirement by paying a deposit covering the difference in retirement contributions, with government contributions made over 10 years. It also temporarily exempts law enforcement officers from mandatory separation for three years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThe HOME Act of 2025 prohibits landlords and sellers from charging "unconscionably excessive" rental or home sale prices during a federally declared affordable housing crisis. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must determine crisis periods using metrics like mortgage rates, median home prices, and disaster declarations, with restrictions limiting crisis periods to 30 days (renewable). Violations are enforced by HUD and state attorneys general, with penalties funding affordable housing through the Housing Trust Fund. The law also requires HUD to monitor housing markets, investigate excessive investor purchases, and review anti-competitive practices in rental markets.

Maddy summaryHR 3184, the PFAS Alternatives Act, funds research to develop turnout gear (firefighter safety clothing) without harmful PFAS chemicals, directly affecting firefighters who wear this gear. It authorizes $25 million annually (2025-2029) for grants to eligible organizations to research and test PFAS-free gear, requiring partnerships with firefighting groups to translate findings into practice. The bill also allocates $2 million yearly (2027-2031) for training programs on safe gear use and decontamination. Its goal is to reduce firefighters' exposure to chemicals linked to occupational illnesses during operations.

Maddy summaryThe Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act of 2025 ensures that payments to nurses in the Public Health Service Nurse Corps under section 846 of the Public Health Service Act are treated as tax-exempt, aligning with existing tax treatment for similar payments under section 338B(g). This change means nurses receiving these specific payments - such as scholarships or loan repayment assistance - will not owe income tax on them. The bill amends two sections of the Internal Revenue Code to explicitly include section 846 in the tax-exempt provisions. These changes apply to payments received after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryHRES 366 is a non-binding resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, known as Black April in Vietnamese history. It honors the Vietnamese American community - now over 2.3 million strong - who resettled in the U.S. after 1975 and have contributed to American society through diverse fields like public service and business. The resolution commemorates the service of U.S. and South Vietnamese military personnel during the Vietnam War and reaffirms U.S. support for democracy and human rights in Vietnam. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws but encourages public observance of this historical event and the community's resilience.

Maddy summaryHR 3112, the Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025, strengthens enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act by requiring dealers and exhibitors to hold valid licenses for animal sales or transport (Section 4). It expands enforcement authority by allowing the Attorney General to sue violators for up to $10,000 per day, seize animals, and seek injunctions (Section 20), while clarifying that courts can address violations of related rules and regulations. The bill directly affects animal dealers, exhibitors, the USDA, and the Department of Justice, creating clearer pathways for holding violators accountable. Key provisions include updating definitions, broadening inspection powers to cover all regulations, and directing penalty funds toward temporary animal care costs during legal proceedings.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new federal program to expand high-speed broadband access in rural areas by providing grants, loans, and combinations of both. It sets minimum standards requiring 100 Mbps downstream and upstream speeds, prioritizes projects in communities where at least 90% of households lack such service, and directs funding toward areas with high poverty, small populations, or strategic community plans. Eligible applicants include tribal organizations, cooperatives, local governments, and rural utilities, with requirements to meet buildout deadlines, participate in federal affordability programs, and provide cost-sharing (up to 25%). The program authorizes $650 million annually from 2026 to 2030 to fund infrastructure construction, improvement, or acquisition in underserved rural communities.