Rep. Marc A. Veasey

Maddy summaryHR 3699, the WORKER Act, directs the U.S. Department of Energy to prioritize workforce training for energy and manufacturing jobs through existing federal grant programs. It requires the Secretary to focus on specific sectors (like renewable energy, oil/gas, nuclear, coal, and manufacturing) and emphasize training for underrepresented groups, including minorities, women, and veterans. The bill mandates creating a clearinghouse for workforce resources, strengthening outreach to minority-serving institutions and dislocated workers, and collaborating with industry partners to share best practices. Crucially, it prohibits creating new programs or forcing schools to adopt specific curricula, and requires using existing funds without additional appropriations.

Maddy summaryHRES 439 is a non-binding resolution expressing the House of Representatives' support for keeping the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) as an independent federal agency, not subject to privatization. It highlights USPS's constitutional role, self-sustaining nature (relying on service revenue, not taxpayer funds), and its importance to rural communities, e-commerce, and over 600,000 employees. The resolution urges Congress to take action to preserve USPS's independence, emphasizing that privatization could raise prices, reduce services, and harm the nation's mail infrastructure. As a procedural resolution, it does not change law but formally states the House's position.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands TRICARE coverage to include wigs and treatment for traction alopecia - a type of hair loss caused by tight hairstyles, chemical treatments, or prolonged tension on the hair - directly affecting active-duty military members who develop this condition. It amends military health law to explicitly add "traction alopecia" to coverage for wigs and treatment, and requires the military to issue new grooming guidelines by September 2024 warning service members about the health risks of tight hairstyles, dyes, and chemical products. The key change is broadening existing TRICARE benefits to specifically cover this preventable condition, while mandating education on its causes. This is a policy adjustment to improve health care access for affected service members, not a new benefit.

Tribal Gaming Regulatory Compliance Act This bill allows the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta tribes to conduct gaming activities on their land in Texas if certain conditions are met. Currently, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act prohibits the tribes from conducting gaming activities on their land if those activities are prohibited by Texas law. The bill repeals those provisions and instead applies the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) to gaming activities on Indian lands of the tribes.

Maddy summaryHR 3523, the Perinatal Workforce Act, provides $15 million annually from 2024 to 2028 to expand and diversify maternity care providers. It directs HHS to issue guidance for states on recruiting diverse providers (including midwives, nurses, and community health workers) and requires grant recipients to prioritize students from racial/ethnic minority groups, implement bias training, and target health professional shortage areas. The bill also mandates annual reporting on workforce diversity and outcomes, and requires a GAO report assessing barriers to equitable access in maternal healthcare. This legislation directly affects hospitals, nursing schools, midwifery programs, and insurers by funding targeted workforce development to address racial disparities in maternal care.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that AM radio receivers be included as standard equipment in all new motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks) sold in the United States, with a rule to be issued by the Department of Transportation within one year. The rule must ensure AM radio is easily accessible on the dashboard and allows manufacturers to use digital AM radio technology instead of traditional AM. During the one-year period between the bill's enactment and the rule's effective date, manufacturers must clearly label vehicles without AM radio. The bill also directs a study to evaluate whether an alternative system could deliver emergency alerts as reliably as AM radio across the country, especially during crises.

Maddy summaryHR 3420, the My Body, My Data Act of 2023, restricts how companies can handle reproductive and sexual health data - such as pregnancy details, contraceptive use, or abortion-related information - by requiring them to collect only what’s necessary for requested services and limiting employee access. It gives individuals the right to access, correct, or delete their data, see which third parties received it, and get clear privacy policies explaining data practices. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the law, with penalties for violations including $100-$1,000 per violation per day, and bans retaliation for exercising these rights. The law applies to companies (like health apps or insurers) but excludes HIPAA-covered healthcare providers and entities subject to existing federal health privacy rules.

This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to publish on its website data about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility that is collected from recipients of funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The BEAD Program provides funds to states and territories for broadband deployment, connectivity, mapping, and adoption projects. The data that the NTIA must publish includes (1) ownership and workforce demographics of subrecipients, and (2) the number and amount of contracts and subcontracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses.

Maddy summaryThe Maternal Vaccination Act amends public health law to specifically target vaccination outreach for pregnant and postpartum individuals and their children, directly affecting public health campaigns and health agencies. It updates existing provisions to include these groups in awareness efforts, requires new activities to increase vaccination rates - particularly among racial and ethnic minority communities - and increases annual funding from $15 million to $17 million for fiscal years 2024-2028. Key mechanisms include revising language in the Public Health Service Act to explicitly cover pregnant/postpartum individuals in campaign descriptions and adding a new requirement (Section 317(k)(1)(E)(vii)) to address vaccination equity. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to expand access and awareness, not on predicting outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe Kira Johnson Act (HR 3310) provides $100 million annually from 2024-2028 to fund community-based organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups with elevated rates of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and health disparities. It requires hospitals to establish respectful maternity care compliance programs allowing patients to report racism or bias, and mandates training for all maternity care employees to address bias, racism, and discrimination. The bill also requires annual reports on program effectiveness and studies to evaluate strategies for reducing bias in maternity care settings. These provisions directly affect hospitals, maternity care providers, community-based organizations, and pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups.