Rep. Troy Balderson

Maddy summaryHR 8109 permanently extends the Money Follows the Person program, which helps Medicaid beneficiaries transition from institutional care (like nursing homes) to community-based settings. The bill amends a 2005 law by removing the expiration date for the program, changing it from a temporary 2024-2027 funding period to a permanent, ongoing program starting in 2024. This directly affects Medicaid recipients eligible for community-based care options and state Medicaid programs administering the transition. The key mechanism is eliminating the time limit on federal funding for this rebalancing initiative.

Maddy summaryHR 8023, the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act, requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to include specific data on scams targeting seniors during emergencies in its annual reports. The bill mandates the FTC to describe the number and types of these scams, its policy recommendations to prevent them, and enforcement actions taken. It also requires the FTC to update its online portal with searchable scam information by region and type, and to partner with media and law enforcement to share this information directly with seniors and their caregivers. This law directly affects the FTC's reporting duties and aims to improve awareness and response to scams that disproportionately impact seniors during crises.

Maddy summaryHR 5947 terminates specific U.S. waivers and licenses related to Iran, ending a 2023 waiver that allowed funds transfer from South Korea to Qatar. It prohibits the Treasury Department from reissuing similar waivers or licenses for the same purpose and blocks the President from granting Iran access to certain designated financial accounts established under prior laws. The bill directly affects U.S. foreign policy implementation by restricting how Treasury handles Iran-related financial transactions. It enacts concrete policy changes by ending existing authorizations and preventing future approvals for Iran to access specific accounts.

Maddy summaryHR 3591, the Asylum Accountability Act, removes a 10-year bar to adjusting immigration status for asylum seekers who fail to appear at their removal hearing. It amends Section 240(b)(7) of the Immigration and Nationality Act by eliminating the phrase "for a period of 10 years after the date of the entry of the final order of removal." This change directly affects individuals seeking asylum who miss their scheduled removal proceedings. The key provision simplifies the process by allowing these individuals to immediately apply for status adjustment after a final removal order, without waiting a decade. The bill makes a specific procedural change to immigration law without altering broader asylum eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHRES 1148 is a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that condemns the Iranian government for supporting terrorism, regional proxy conflicts, and internal suppression of dissent - including its crackdown on protests following Mahsa Amini's death in 2022. It specifically calls for maintaining sanctions against Iran, supporting the Iranian Resistance's Ten-Point Plan (which advocates for a democratic, secular, nonnuclear Iran), and protecting Iranian political refugees in Albania. The resolution also affirms the Iranian people's right to self-determination under international law and urges the U.S. to recognize their struggle for freedom. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but formally expresses congressional stance.

Maddy summaryHR 8011, the Iranian Terror Prevention Act, requires the U.S. Secretary of State to designate 12 Iranian-affiliated military groups and any entity controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as Foreign Terrorist Organizations within 90 days. It mandates the President to decide within 60 days whether to impose sanctions under existing law (Executive Order 13224) on these groups, which would block their U.S. assets and restrict transactions. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to submit regular reports to Congress on new entities meeting designation criteria and the President to explain any decisions not to impose sanctions. This law directly affects the listed Iranian military groups and any new entities linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Maddy summaryHJRES 123 is a resolution seeking congressional disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule published on March 11, 2024, which would have required chemical facilities to implement new safety measures under the Clean Air Act to prevent accidental releases. The rule, titled "Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act; Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention," aimed to strengthen existing risk management programs at chemical plants. If passed, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect by invoking a federal process for disapproving agency regulations. It directly affects the EPA's regulatory authority and the chemical industry's compliance obligations under the Clean Air Act.

Maddy summaryH.J.Res. 116 seeks to block a Department of Labor rule finalized on January 10, 2024, which aimed to clarify how businesses classify workers as employees or independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If passed, this resolution would prevent the rule from taking effect, directly affecting businesses that use independent contractors and their workers, who rely on FLSA protections for minimum wage and overtime pay. The bill uses a specific congressional process (under Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code) to disapprove the rule, rather than creating new policy. This action would maintain the existing classification standards until a new rule is established.

Maddy summaryHR 7808, the EARLY Minds Act, amends the Public Health Service Act to require states receiving federal mental health funds to include evidence-based prevention and early intervention strategies for children and adolescents in their state plans. It allows states to use up to 5% of their annual mental health allotment to support these programs, which aim to prevent, delay, or reduce the severity of mental health issues before they become serious. States must report biennially to Congress by 2025 on the programs they implement, including demographics served, outcomes like reduced care access delays, and how programs lessen the onset of serious mental illness. The bill directly affects states administering federal mental health funds and targets youth populations aged 0-18.

Maddy summaryThis bill freezes new energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers. It prohibits the Energy Secretary from proposing or implementing any rules different from the 2013 standards (published April 18, 2013) for five years after the bill's enactment. The law directly affects the Department of Energy and transformer manufacturers by maintaining existing efficiency requirements. It ensures no changes to the 2013 rule during this five-year period.