Rep. Paul Tonko

Maddy summaryThe Nutrition CARE Act of 2025 requires Medicare to cover medical nutrition therapy services for beneficiaries with eating disorders starting January 1, 2026. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders, including an estimated 1.6 million people on Medicare Part B, with specific focus on underserved groups like 420,500-560,700 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color beneficiaries. The bill mandates coverage through registered dietitians or nutrition professionals, requiring at least 13 hours of services in the first year (including initial assessment) and 4 hours annually thereafter, with referrals from physicians or psychologists. This addresses a current gap where Medicare does not cover medical nutrition therapy for eating disorders at any treatment level. The policy change aims to improve access to a critical treatment pillar for a condition with high mortality rates and significant healthcare costs.

Maddy summaryHR 2487, the Transgender Health Care Access Act, aims to improve access to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals by funding training and education for healthcare providers. The bill provides $10 million annually for medical schools to develop curricula on gender-affirming care and culturally competent treatment, and $15 million annually for grants to train medical residents, nurse practitioners, and community health centers serving transgender patients. It specifically targets rural providers through $5 million annually for collaborative networks to expand care in underserved areas. The legislation requires a report to Congress within two years detailing progress in improving health equity for transgender populations.

Maddy summaryHR 2509, the COMPLETE Care Act, creates Medicare payment incentives for primary care providers who integrate specific behavioral health services into their practice. It directly affects Medicare providers offering services identified by HCPCS codes 99484, 99492, 99493, 99494, G2214, and G0323 (covering models like Collaborative Care and Primary Care Behavioral Health) during 2027-2029. The bill increases Medicare payments for these services to 125-175% of standard rates (phasing down from 175% in 2027 to 125% in 2029) and waives budget neutrality rules to fund these higher payments. Additionally, it requires the HHS Secretary to provide technical assistance to primary care practices adopting these models by 2026, with dedicated funding for 2025-2029.

Maddy summaryHR 1858, the Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act, requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a national study on flood risks to agricultural lands within two years, analyzing economic losses, downstream effects, and existing data on various flood types. The bill expands watershed restoration authority by allowing the Secretary to implement long-term protective measures beyond immediate repairs if they are cost-effective and benefit watershed health. It also increases federal funding for rehabilitating aging structural flood measures from 65% to 90% of project costs. This legislation directly affects agricultural producers and watershed management programs by mandating new assessments and modifying funding thresholds for flood prevention infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHR 1756, the "Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act of 2025," prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading stocks, bonds, or other investments tied to defense contractors with U.S. Department of Defense contracts. It requires all such holdings to be divested within 120 days (or 180 days for complex funds) of enacting the law or when taking office, banning "blind trusts" as a compliance method. Exceptions include diversified investment funds meeting specific criteria, Alaska Native Claims Settlement stock, U.S. Treasury securities, and government retirement plans. Violations could result in civil penalties up to $50,000 per offense.

Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 or the SAFE Act of 2025 This bill permanently prohibits the slaughter of equines (e.g., horses and mules) for human consumption. (Current law prohibits the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. This bill extends the prohibition to equines.) Specifically, this bill prohibits a person from knowingly (1) slaughtering an equine for human consumption; or (2) shipping, transporting, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donating an equine to be slaughtered for human consumption or equine parts for human consumption. The bill subjects a violator to a fine. The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. However, it does not apply to an activity carried out by an Indian for a religious ceremony. As background, in recent years, the appropriations acts have prohibited the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using federal funds to inspect horses before they are slaughtered for human consumption. Therefore, there are currently no USDA-inspected horse slaughter facilities in the United States.

Maddy summaryHR 2467, America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, would designate approximately 1.3 million acres of public land across Utah as wilderness areas, protecting them from development and managing them for conservation. The bill specifically designates 77 wilderness areas in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau regions, including lands within existing national monuments like Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears. It includes provisions for water rights protection, allows continued livestock grazing under certain conditions, and withdraws the designated lands from mining and mineral leasing. The bill also ensures Tribal rights are protected and requires the Secretary of the Interior to administer these areas according to wilderness management standards.

Maddy summary# Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (2023) - Summary This comprehensive environmental protection bill designates and protects vast areas across the Northern Rockies region of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. ## Key Provisions 1. **Wilderness Designations**: - Creates numerous new wilderness areas totaling millions of acres across the region - Includes specific designations like Yellowstone, Glacier/Northern Continental Divide, Hells Canyon, Salmon/Selway, and Cabinet-Yaak ecosystems - Includes 108 specific wilderness areas identified in the bill (from Anaconda-Pintler to McCullough Peaks) 2. **Biological Connecting Corridors**: - Designates approximately 2.9 million acres as biological corridors - These corridors connect larger ecosystem areas to facilitate wildlife migration - Prohibits timber harvesting, mining, oil/gas development, and new road construction in these corridors 3. **Wild and Scenic Rivers**: - Adds 78 new river segments to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system - Protects rivers like the South Fork Payette, Salmon River, Yaak River, and many others - Specifies exact segments for protection 4. **Wildland Restoration**: - Designates 9 recovery areas totaling approximately 1,023,000 acres - Requires restoration of damaged lands to natural conditions - Prohibits certain activities in these recovery areas 5. **Implementation**: - Requires an interagency team to monitor and evaluate implementation - Mandates geographic information system for monitoring the Northern Rockies Bioregion - Requires annual reports to Congress on implementation progress 6. **Special Protections**: - Maintains existing water rights of the United States - Protects Indian Tribe treaty rights and cultural access to protected areas - Requires consultation with Tribes regarding management plans This bill represents a comprehensive effort to protect biodiversity, maintain ecosystem connectivity, and restore damaged lands across a significant portion of the Northern Rockies region.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 2411, directs the U.S. government to immediately resume funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) by repealing two prior funding restrictions. It requires the State Department to restart payments to UNRWA under existing authorities and mandates the President to rescind a 2025 executive order ending UNRWA support. The bill affects Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank who rely on UNRWA for humanitarian aid, as well as U.S. funding mechanisms. It also requires quarterly reports through 2028 on UNRWA’s progress implementing accountability reforms from an independent review led by Catherine Colonna.

Maddy summaryHR 2476, the Stop Illegal Campaign Coordination Act, updates rules for campaign finance by clarifying when outside spending counts as illegal coordination with candidates or political parties. It directly affects political committees, candidates, and outside groups running ads or communications. The bill adds new provisions defining "coordinated expenditures" as those materially consistent with instructions from a candidate, committee, or their agents, using specific factors like targeted messaging, audience demographics, or shared media methods. These rules apply to spending made on or after the bill's enactment date.