Rep. Josh Riley

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to allow volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to qualify for student loan forgiveness. It directly affects unpaid volunteers who provide emergency services (like firefighting or medical response) for recognized fire departments, ambulance services, or public safety organizations without being full-time employees of those organizations. The key mechanism establishes new definitions for "qualified volunteer firefighter" and "qualified volunteer EMT," requiring the Secretary of Education to set a minimum volunteer hour threshold (at least equivalent to active membership requirements) and create regulations to track and verify volunteer time. This change expands existing loan forgiveness eligibility to include these volunteer roles, reducing student debt for those serving in community emergency response without formal employment.

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 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.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 216 Cumberland Street in Rochester, New York, as the "Minister Franklin Florence Memorial Post Office." It updates all official references in federal laws, maps, regulations, and documents to reflect this new name. The bill does not create new policies, funding, or services - it solely changes the facility's official designation for commemorative purposes. It directly affects how the location is identified in government records but has no broader policy impact.

Maddy summaryThe Equality Act (HR 15) amends federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, and jury service. It expands existing protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by adding sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics under sex discrimination prohibitions. The bill clarifies that discrimination against LGBTQ people is a form of sex discrimination, consistent with the Supreme Court's Bostock decision, and adds specific definitions for gender identity and sexual orientation. This legislation directly affects businesses, employers, housing providers, financial institutions, and government entities that serve the public. The bill creates a more comprehensive legal framework to address discrimination that LGBTQ people face in multiple aspects of daily life.

Maddy summaryHR 3063, the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act of 2025, provides federal grants to help financially struggling rural hospitals in remote areas (defined as at least 15 miles from the nearest hospital and 20 miles from urban areas). The bill authorizes up to $5 million per hospital over five years for facility repairs, equipment upgrades, and operational costs like non-leadership payroll and debt payments, while requiring hospitals to demonstrate how projects address financial needs and ensure continued community access. Grants must supplement - not replace - existing funding, and hospitals must submit sustainability plans. The $500 million total funding authorization covers fiscal years after 2025, with a report to Congress on program outcomes within 18 months.

Maddy summaryThe RESEARCHER Act (HR 3054) requires federal research agencies to develop policies addressing financial instability for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at federally funded universities. It mandates the Office of Science and Technology Policy to create guidelines within six months covering stipend increases (including location-based indexing), healthcare access, housing, food security, and family care support. The bill also adds new data collection requirements to track stipends and financial challenges by demographics, and directs the National Academies to study these issues with a report due within two years. Federal agencies must implement these guidelines within six months and report progress annually to Congress.

Maddy summaryHR 3078 requires the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new technologies that detect fentanyl vapor or particles. The bill mandates coordination between the Energy Secretary, Attorney General, Homeland Security Secretary, and Postmaster General to test these technologies. Specifically, the program focuses on rapid screening for fentanyl in mail, prisons, U.S. borders, and other related settings. This creates a new federal research initiative with defined use cases for fentanyl detection technology.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows NASA personnel returning from space missions to receive temporary transportation (like ridesharing or shuttles) when they need it for medical monitoring or duties before receiving post-flight medical clearance to drive. It directly affects astronauts and NASA staff who require this service during their recovery period. The bill requires NASA to submit annual reports to Congress detailing who used the service, the costs, and the number of instances, but does not authorize new funding for these transportation arrangements.

Maddy summaryThis bill temporarily allows doctors to prescribe and dispense certain Medicare-covered medications directly to seniors in their offices from 2026 to 2030, under specific conditions. It requires prior in-person visits, limits dispensing to group practices, and mandates billing through the physician’s practice. The bill also directs the GAO to study whether physician-owned pharmacies are becoming common and how such arrangements might affect prescribing. It directly affects seniors receiving Medicare Part D drugs and physician practices participating in these arrangements. The exception expires in 2030, with no changes to Medicare Part D program rules.