Rep. Troy Balderson

Maddy summaryHRES 133 is a symbolic House resolution supporting the designation of February 15-22, 2025, as "National FFA Week." It recognizes the National FFA Organization’s role in developing student leadership through agricultural education and celebrates two milestones: the 90th anniversary of the New Farmers of America (which served Black students until merging with FFA in 1965) and the 75th anniversary of FFA’s federal charter (granted by Congress in 1950). The resolution has no policy impact or funding provisions - it simply expresses congressional support for these observances. It directly affects no individuals or entities, as it is a non-binding gesture honoring an educational organization.

Maddy summaryHR 1301, the Death Tax Repeal Act, would eliminate the federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax for estates of individuals dying on or after its enactment date. It directly affects individuals inheriting significant assets, as it removes taxes on estates exceeding $10 million (adjusted for inflation) and repeals taxes on large transfers between generations. The bill modifies the gift tax by establishing a $10 million lifetime exemption with annual inflation adjustments, replacing previous tax brackets. It applies to estates, gifts, and transfers occurring on or after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to recalculate monthly pension benefits for retirees in six specific Delphi-related pension plans to reflect the full vested amount they would have received without prior benefit limits. It mandates lump-sum payments for past underpayments, including 6% annual interest, to eligible retirees and beneficiaries who received lower benefits than guaranteed under ERISA. The PBGC must fund these payments through a new Delphi Full Vested Plan Benefit Trust Fund established in the Treasury. This directly affects retirees in the Delphi Hourly-Rate, Delphi Retirement Program for Salaried Employees, PHI Non-Bargaining, ASEC Manufacturing, PHI Bargaining, and Delphi Mechatronic Systems pension plans. The law does not alter existing PBGC rules for other plans or change how the agency administers benefits generally.

Maddy summaryHR 1300, the PSA Screening for HIM Act, requires health insurance plans and issuers to cover prostate cancer screenings without cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for men aged 40+ who are at high risk of prostate cancer. This directly affects African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer, as defined by the bill. The law amends existing insurance coverage rules to mandate this specific screening coverage, effective for plan years starting January 1, 2026. It does not change screening guidelines but removes financial barriers to recommended screenings for these high-risk groups.

Maddy summaryHR 1347, the AIMM Act, permanently extends a tax provision allowing businesses to deduct depreciation, amortization, or depletion when calculating their business interest expense limit. This change directly affects manufacturers and other businesses that use these deductions for tax purposes. The bill amends the tax code to remove the previous expiration date (which applied only to years before 2022), making the deduction rule permanent for all future taxable years. The key change is eliminating a temporary provision, providing ongoing certainty for business tax calculations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies administering water infrastructure funding (like the WIFIA program) to ensure projects have construction payment and performance security. It directly affects contractors working on federally assisted water projects and state/local governments with construction requirements. The key provision mandates that projects must have security covering at least 50% of the construction contract value - either through state/local rules or federal bonds meeting specific standards under 40 U.S.C. §3131(b). This aims to protect taxpayers by reducing the risk of unpaid subcontractors or project failures. The bill modifies existing federal requirements without creating new funding or altering project eligibility.

Fighting Trade Cheats Act of 2025 This bill increases penalties for, and establishes additional enforcement mechanisms related to, fraudulent and grossly negligent violations of U.S. customs laws. Specifically, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a fraudulent violation to three times the domestic value of the merchandise. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the domestic value of the merchandise.) It prohibits a person who commits a fraudulent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a five-year period. Additionally, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a grossly negligent violation to the lesser of (1) 3 times the domestic value of the merchandise; or (2) 10 times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the lesser of the domestic value of the merchandise or four times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees.) It prohibits a person who commits a grossly negligent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a two-year period. Further, the bill applies these importation bans to an affiliated person (e.g., a family member or employee) of the person who committed the fraudulent or grossly negligent violation. The bill establishes a private right of action for an interested party (e.g., a manufacturer) affected by customs fraud or grossly negligent violations. The bill prohibits any person (or an affiliated person) who commits a fraudulent or grossly negligent violation from participating in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Importer of Record program, and further requires revocation of their importer of record numbers.

Alternatives to Prevent Addiction In the Nation Act or the Alternatives to PAIN Act This bill reduces cost-sharing and prohibits the imposition of certain utilization requirements under the Medicare prescription drug benefit for certain non-opioid pain management drugs. Specifically, the bill requires such drugs to be covered without a deductible and to be placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier (if any). The bill also prohibits the imposition of prior authorization requirements (i.e., requiring prior approval from a plan) or step therapy requirements (i.e., requiring the use of alternative drugs before a drug is covered under a plan) with respect to such drugs.

Maddy summaryThe PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends federal research funding for preterm birth prevention and care through fiscal years 2025-2029, replacing the prior 2019-2023 period. It requires the HHS Secretary to establish an interagency working group within 18 months and mandates a National Academies study on preterm birth costs, risk factors, and prevention strategies. The study must assess neonatal intensive care costs, long-term family expenses, and opportunities for early detection and support. It also analyzes targeted research for at-risk pregnancies, state program best practices, and precision medicine approaches starting in pregnancy. This bill directly affects preterm infants, their families, and federal health agencies through these research and coordination mechanisms.

Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act This bill expands the definition of major food allergen to include galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (commonly known as alpha-gal ). Under current law, food labels generally must identify each major food allergen found in labeled food products.  (Certain tick bites cause an allergic condition known as alpha-gal syndrome that can result in an allergy to the alpha-gal molecule, which is found in red meat and other products made from mammals.)