Rep. Madeleine Dean

Maddy summaryThe Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2026 authorizes $20 billion annually from 2027 to 2031 to improve public school facilities nationwide. The bill provides grants to states to fund school construction, renovation, and modernization projects that focus on safety, energy efficiency, and accessibility, with priority given to schools serving high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Funds cannot be used for routine maintenance, athletic facilities, or vehicles, and must meet specific environmental, safety, and energy efficiency standards. The bill also includes specific provisions for repairing school foundations affected by pyrrhotite, a mineral that causes concrete deterioration, and requires use of American-made materials for construction projects.

Maddy summaryHR 7355, the Flood History Information Act of 2026, requires the National Flood Insurance Program Administrator to share specific flood insurance data with participating insurance companies under strict conditions. It creates a data exchange program where insurers can access property locations, coverage amounts, claim history, and loss dates - only for underwriting, pricing, and claims adjustment, not marketing - after signing a formal agreement. Property owners can also request their own flood history, including claim records and whether past federal disaster aid triggers mandatory flood insurance requirements. The bill mandates privacy protections for shared data and allows fees from insurers (deposited into the National Flood Insurance Fund) but prohibits fees for owner requests. This directly affects insurers participating in data sharing and property owners seeking flood risk information.

Maddy summaryHR 7335 establishes comprehensive humanitarian standards for individuals held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. The bill requires facilities to provide immediate health screenings within 12 hours (6 hours for high-risk individuals like children, pregnant people, or those with medical conditions), ensure access to adequate water, sanitation, food (with 2,000+ calories daily for adults), and age-appropriate shelter. It mandates specific facility standards including separate housing for males and females, accessible accommodations for people with disabilities, daily outdoor access for those detained over 48 hours, and proper medical equipment and personnel on-site. The bill also requires regular inspections, staff training on humanitarian protocols, and public reporting of sexual abuse complaints. These standards directly affect all individuals detained by ICE or CBP, with special protections for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant people, and those with medical needs.

Maddy summaryHR 5658, the Child Care for Every Community Act, establishes a federal framework to create universal, high-quality child care and early learning programs available to all young children not yet required to attend school. The bill requires that covered children (children below compulsory school age) be entitled to participate in these programs, with no fees for low-income families and sliding-scale fees for others based on family income. Key provisions include requiring full-working-day, full-calendar-year care; setting national quality standards for staff qualifications and facilities; mandating comprehensive services including health, nutrition, and family support; and requiring coordination with schools to support children's transitions to kindergarten. The bill directly affects families seeking child care, child care providers, and local communities that would administer these programs through designated "prime sponsors."

Maddy summaryHR 7307, the SUPPLIES Act, requires the State Department and USAID to create procedures within 60 days for handling unused supplies (like medicine, vaccines, or food) after foreign aid projects end. These procedures must prioritize preventing waste by ensuring supplies aren't destroyed, diverted, or expired without use. The bill mandates that these procedures be published online by both agencies. It directly affects U.S. government agencies and foreign aid partners managing aid supplies. The law defines "commodity" broadly to include perishable items held in warehouses or storage facilities for foreign assistance programs.

Maddy summaryHJRES 144 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a specific rule issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on December 31, 2025, which addressed "Reproductive Health Services" (90 Fed. Reg. 61310). This resolution directs Congress to disapprove the VA rule under Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code, meaning the rule would have no legal effect if passed. The bill directly affects the VA's implementation of reproductive health services for veterans, as it seeks to nullify the agency's existing policy. This is a procedural measure, not a substantive policy change, aimed solely at blocking the VA's rule through congressional action.

Maddy summaryHR 7271, the Evan Anzoo Memorial Act, requires the Comptroller General to produce a report investigating deaths linked to USAID service cuts. The bill mandates a one-year report estimating 2025 deaths and five-year future deaths due to USAID stop-work orders, plus an assessment of whether specific individuals (like Evan Anzoo, 5, South Sudan, who died after losing HIV treatment) died because of lost USAID services. It also requires an interim update within 180 days and a list of other verified deaths tied to these service disruptions. The act does not change USAID policy but directs a factual review of impacts from prior USAID service reductions.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 68 would require the President to remove U.S. military forces from Venezuela unless Congress has explicitly authorized their use through a declaration of war or a specific law. This applies to any U.S. Armed Forces currently stationed in Venezuela without such authorization. The resolution is based on the War Powers Resolution, which mandates congressional oversight of military deployments. It directs the immediate withdrawal of unapproved forces without adding new time limits or conditions.

Maddy summaryThe TRAIN Act (HR 7209) creates a new legal process allowing copyright owners to request court-issued subpoenas from AI developers. It directly affects copyright holders (like authors or artists) and developers of generative AI models (such as those creating text or image-generating systems). The bill requires developers to disclose records showing whether the copyright holder's specific works were used to train their AI model, but only for the copyright holder's own works - not others'. Developers must comply within a reasonable timeframe, and failure to do so creates a legal presumption they used the works. The process includes strict confidentiality rules and penalties for bad-faith requests, all under existing civil procedure rules.

Maddy summaryHR 7227, the Mental Health and MAMA Act of 2026, eliminates cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for mental health and substance use treatment services during pregnancy and for one year after childbirth. It directly affects pregnant and postpartum individuals covered by group health plans or individual insurance policies, requiring these plans to cover such services with no out-of-pocket costs from pregnancy diagnosis through the 12-month period following birth. The law applies to in-network providers and includes telehealth services, with implementation delayed until two years after enactment. It amends key laws including the Public Health Service Act, ERISA, and the Internal Revenue Code to standardize this coverage requirement across health insurance systems. This policy change aims to improve access to care during a critical health period without altering existing coverage definitions.