Rep. Jennifer A. Kiggans

Maddy summaryHR 7490, the Hire Veterans Act, establishes a 5-year pilot program to help veterans secure jobs with federal land management agencies (like the National Park Service and Forest Service). It requires agencies to administer skills tests for veterans in 20 specific career fields (such as firefighting, ecology, and land management) and refer qualified veterans for noncompetitive hiring. Veterans who don’t initially qualify may receive agency training and retake tests until they meet requirements. The program directly affects veterans seeking federal employment in these fields, with agencies managing referrals and appointments through the Office of Personnel Management.

Maddy summaryThe SAFER at the Border Act prohibits the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from temporarily admitting (paroling) certain individuals at the border. It defines "known terrorists" (those arrested, charged, or convicted for terrorism), "suspected terrorists" (reasonably suspected of terrorism), and "special interest aliens" (those with potential terrorism links based on travel patterns). The bill explicitly bans parole for these individuals, even for humanitarian reasons or public benefit, and also prohibits parole for refugees. Additionally, it allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security if they suffer financial harm exceeding $100 from the parole of such individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 5-year pilot program to provide midwife services through TRICARE, the military healthcare system, for service members and their families. It requires the Secretary of Defense to begin the pilot within one year of enactment and mandates detailed annual reports on costs, beneficiary demographics, health outcomes (like pre-term births), patient satisfaction, and access metrics. The program would only include midwives certified under international standards and state licensing requirements. If the pilot demonstrates success in improving care and outcomes, the Secretary may make the program permanent.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends VA education benefits rules to help veterans transition into truck driving careers. It allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to directly approve multi-state trucking apprenticeship programs for veterans using their education benefits, rather than requiring individual state approvals. This change specifically affects veterans seeking trucking training that crosses state lines, as current rules only permit state-specific programs. The key provision removes a barrier for veterans pursuing interstate trucking careers through VA-funded apprenticeships.

Maddy summaryHR 2499, the VA Supply Chain Management System Authorization Act, authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a cloud-based information technology system for managing medical supply chains at VA facilities. The system must track inventory (including physical and continuous stock levels), receipt, storage, distribution, and disposal of covered items like medical supplies, surgical equipment, lab materials, biomedical devices, and prosthetics, while requiring interfaces with existing VA procurement, financial, and electronic health record systems. It mandates a 3-year implementation deadline, a pilot phase at one facility before full rollout, and a capacity for at least 50,000 users, excluding software and items managed by non-VA-administered entities like the National Cemetery Administration. The bill directly affects VA medical facilities' supply chain operations, focusing on concrete system requirements rather than policy outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe Secure DOD Act prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) from acquiring information technology products manufactured, produced, or assembled by companies connected to China (defined as "covered companies") for new contracts entered after its effective date. Exceptions allow continued use of existing systems or replacements for pre-enactment acquisitions, and the Secretary of Defense may grant up to one-year waivers if compliant alternatives aren't available at U.S. market prices. Waivers require congressional notification within 30 days and demand proof the DoD is actively seeking compliant products. The ban takes effect five years after enactment, targeting only DoD procurement of IT products that process, store, or transmit digital data.

Maddy summaryHR 9286, the Accelerating DoD PFAS Cleanups Act of 2024, requires the Department of Defense to speed up actions preventing PFAS chemical contamination from military bases and National Guard facilities from spreading into drinking water sources. It mandates a 180-day evaluation of all affected sites to identify immediate cleanup steps, prioritize facilities with contaminated groundwater, and publicly report findings within 270 days. The bill also requires the military to provide alternative drinking water to affected households within 30 days if PFAS levels exceed Safe Drinking Water Act limits, and to notify communities about contamination and water safety plans. This directly impacts communities near military installations where PFAS pollution threatens drinking water wells.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for replacing insecure communication networks from $1.9 billion to $4.98 billion and allocates $3.08 billion for fiscal year 2024. It overhauls the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) by requiring all providers to use the National Verifier for eligibility checks, ending eligibility based on providers' own low-income programs, and removing device subsidies. The bill also mandates new antifraud controls, requires providers to certify households won't face early termination fees, and demands a report on program effectiveness within one year. These changes directly affect low-income households receiving subsidized broadband and internet service providers participating in the ACP.

Maddy summaryHRES 1371 is a House resolution condemning the Biden Administration and Vice President Kamala Harris for failing to secure the U.S. border. It cites statistics including over 9.7 million illegal immigration encounters since 2021 and the end of the Remain in Mexico program as evidence. As a symbolic resolution with no policy changes, it publicly expresses the House's disapproval of current border policies without altering any laws or enforcement actions.

Maddy summaryThe SAVE Act (HR 8281) requires U.S. citizens to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It defines acceptable proof as documents like passports, REAL ID-compliant IDs, military IDs, or birth certificates, and mandates that states verify citizenship using information from government agencies like DHS and Social Security. States must establish processes for voters without required documentation to provide an attestation under penalty of perjury. The law also requires states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls when verified evidence shows they're not citizens. This bill directly affects all applicants registering to vote in federal elections and state election officials who must implement these requirements.