Rep. Christopher R. Deluzio

Maddy summaryHR 3011 establishes a 15-member task force within the Department of Defense to review and assess mental health services for active-duty military members, reservists, and their families. The task force, requiring half DOD personnel (including service surgeons and family members) and half external experts (like VA and SAMHSA staff), must submit a report within 12 months detailing improvements needed in areas like access to care, telehealth, reducing stigma, and transitioning care to veterans' services. The report will include specific recommendations for legislative or administrative changes, followed by annual progress reports to Congress over five years on implementing those recommendations. This bill creates a review mechanism but does not directly change existing mental health programs or funding.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting America's Workers Act expands workplace safety protections to public employees, including those working for state and local governments who were previously excluded from some OSHA protections. It strengthens whistleblower protections by prohibiting retaliation against employees who report safety concerns, refuse to perform dangerous tasks, or report work-related injuries. The bill requires employers to promptly report work-related deaths and hospitalizations, prohibits policies that discourage injury reporting, and mandates posting of employee safety rights information. It also increases penalties for safety violations and improves access to information for victims and families during workplace investigations. These changes apply to all employers covered by OSHA, with specific implementation timelines for state and local government workplaces.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects living organ donors from insurance discrimination by prohibiting life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums, or altering policy terms solely because someone donated an organ while alive. It also updates the Family and Medical Leave Act to include recovery from organ donation surgery as a qualifying health condition, allowing donors to take protected leave for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to update public educational materials about living donation benefits, risks, and insurance protections within six months of enactment. These changes directly affect living organ donors, insurers, employers, and healthcare systems by ensuring fair access to insurance and workplace leave.

Maddy summaryThe PSLF Payment Completion Fairness Act (HR 2949) amends the Higher Education Act to clarify eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. It revises Section 455(m)(1)(B) by removing the phrase "is employed" and related text, replacing it with "has been" to focus solely on payment completion. This change ensures borrowers qualify for loan forgiveness once they've made 120 qualifying payments, regardless of current employment status. The bill directly affects federal student loan borrowers working in public service jobs who are seeking loan forgiveness under the PSLF program.

Maddy summaryThe Election Mail Act (HR 2987) establishes new requirements for handling mail-in ballots in federal elections to improve reliability and accessibility. It requires the Postal Service to process absentee ballots on the same day received, place postmarks indicating mailing dates on ballot envelopes, and treat election mail as first-class mail with free postage for completed ballots. The bill also mandates states to use intelligent mail barcodes on return envelopes, affix specific tags for ballot visibility, and adopt a uniform 7-day deadline for accepting mailed ballots postmarked on or before election day. These changes apply to federal elections, with most provisions taking effect for the 2024 election cycle. The bill includes additional provisions for the Postal Service to consult with Indian Tribes about voting barriers on tribal lands.

Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act of 2023 or the FAIR Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and replaces it with a narrower authorization targeting three specific terrorist groups: al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Islamic State Khorasan in Afghanistan, and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Iraq and Syria. It requires the President to annually certify that these groups still pose a direct and substantial threat to the United States and mandates detailed reports to Congress on military actions taken under this authority, including civilian casualties, force used, and diplomatic efforts to reduce extremism. The authorization expires four years after enactment unless Congress reauthorizes it, with a 180-day wind-down period for military operations. The bill establishes specific transparency requirements and congressional oversight mechanisms for military actions against these designated groups.

Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the above-the-line tax deduction for the expenses of performing artists (including commissions paid to managers or agents) to provide for a phaseout of such deduction for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 ($200,000 for joint return filers). The $100,000 phaseout threshold is adjusted for inflation annually for taxable years beginning after 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how incarcerated people are counted in the U.S. census and for congressional redistricting. Starting with the 2030 census, it requires counting individuals in prison based on their last known residence before incarceration, not the location of the prison. This directly affects states that currently count prison populations as residents of the prison location, which distorts local representation. As a result, states must use this new residence data when drawing congressional districts, ensuring representation aligns with where people lived before being incarcerated.

Maddy summaryHR 2370, the Access to AEDs Act, authorizes $25 million in federal funding (2024-2028) to help public elementary and secondary schools improve access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and CPR training. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to school districts and partners for developing AED programs, training staff and students, purchasing and maintaining AEDs, and creating cardiac emergency response plans. It specifically targets schools to address sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which is a leading cause of death among student athletes and youth, with 90% of SCA victims dying without immediate CPR and defibrillation. The law requires grantees to report on their activities and establishes a clearinghouse to collect data on school AED access and costs.