Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr.

Maddy summaryHR 4785, the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2023, requires oil and gas companies conducting hydraulic fracturing operations to disclose detailed chemical information to state agencies or the EPA. Specifically, companies must provide a pre-operation list of chemicals (including CAS numbers and volumes) and a post-operation report of chemicals actually used, which states must then make publicly available online. The bill also mandates immediate disclosure of proprietary chemical formulas to medical personnel during emergencies, without requiring prior written consent. It explicitly excludes natural gas storage from the definition of hydraulic fracturing. This bill directly affects oil and gas operators and state environmental agencies managing disclosure requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the CLOSE Act (HR 4782), removes a loophole that allowed oil and gas facilities to aggregate emissions from multiple sources when calculating pollution levels under federal law. It requires the EPA to add hydrogen sulfide - a pollutant linked to health harm - directly to the list of hazardous air pollutants within 180 days of the bill becoming law. The EPA must then, within a year, define specific categories of oil and gas wells and other sources that emit hydrogen sulfide. This change directly affects oil and gas operators by subjecting hydrogen sulfide emissions from their facilities to stricter federal pollution controls.

Maddy summaryThe FRESHER Act of 2023 requires the Secretary of the Interior to study stormwater runoff impacts from oil and gas operations on environmental contamination and groundwater resources. The study must analyze measurable contamination levels, groundwater conditions, and aquifer vulnerability to contamination in affected areas. The Secretary must complete the study and submit a report to Congress within one year of the bill’s enactment. This bill does not impose new regulations on the oil and gas industry but mandates a federal review to inform future environmental policy decisions.

Maddy summaryThe CLEANER Act of 2023 requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate within one year of enactment whether waste from oil, gas, and geothermal energy production - such as drilling fluids and produced waters - is hazardous. If determined hazardous, these wastes must be listed and regulated under existing hazardous waste rules, with potential modifications to address their unique properties while ensuring health and environmental protection. For non-hazardous waste from these sources, the EPA must establish new facility requirements, including groundwater monitoring, location standards, and financial assurance for cleanup. This bill directly affects oil, gas, and geothermal energy producers and facilities handling such waste.

Maddy summaryHR 4811 requires oil, gas, and geothermal companies conducting hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations to test nearby underground drinking water sources before, during, and after activities. It mandates testing at specific intervals (e.g., before starting operations, every 6 months during operations, and annually for five years post-operation) and submitting results to the EPA within two weeks. Companies must test using EPA-certified labs for contaminants linked to fracking, with results stored in a public, searchable EPA database by ZIP code. The requirement does not apply if no accessible drinking water source exists within one mile of the site. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish these testing and reporting obligations.

Maddy summaryThe SHADE Act creates a federal grant program to plant trees in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, primarily targeting redlined areas (former HOLC "hazardous" zones) and overburdened areas (where at least 35% of households are low-income, or 40% identify as minority/tribal, or 40% are limited English proficiency). Eligible entities - like cities, tribes, or nonprofits - must submit applications with 5-year plans, community input strategies, and evidence of housing policies preventing displacement. Grants cover tree planting, maintenance for 5 years, and training, with $50 million annually authorized through 2034. The bill directly affects communities facing environmental inequities by linking tree planting to neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Maddy summaryH.J.Res. 25 would remove the 1979 deadline for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was originally proposed in 1972. This bill directly affects states that ratified the ERA after the deadline (such as Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia in 2017-2018) by making their ratifications legally valid. The key provision states that the ERA is valid as part of the Constitution if ratified by three-fourths of states, regardless of the original deadline. The bill does not create new rights but aims to finalize the constitutional amendment process by eliminating the time limit.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 1282 (Major Richard Star Act), expands benefits for certain military retirees by allowing them to receive both veterans' disability compensation and military retirement pay simultaneously. It specifically affects combat-related disabled retirees under Chapter 61 of the military retirement system who have fewer than 20 years of service. The key change removes the automatic reduction of military retirement pay when these retirees also receive disability compensation, as amended in Section 1413a(b)(3) of Title 10. Technical updates to the law’s structure and effective date (starting after enactment) complete the provisions.

Maddy summaryHJRES 82 is a non-binding resolution stating that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been validly ratified by the required 38 states (including Virginia's 2020 ratification) and should be certified as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It directs the Archivist of the United States to fulfill their statutory duty under Title 1, U.S. Code, to certify and publish the ERA without delay. The resolution argues Article V of the Constitution has no ratification deadline, citing precedents like the 27th Amendment. It does not change the Constitution itself but urges the Archivist to complete the certification process. The bill affects the Archivist’s office, requiring them to act on the ERA’s ratification status.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes $30 million annually (2024-2028) for the National Institutes of Health to expand research on uterine fibroids, including studies on racial disparities (noting Black women are 80% likely to develop fibroids by menopause versus 70% of White women). It also requires the creation of a Medicaid database to track treatment services for fibroids and mandates a congressional report on related costs and coverage. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop public education materials about fibroid symptoms, treatment options (including non-hysterectomy care), and racial prevalence differences. It directly affects women with fibroids - particularly those from racial minority groups - and aims to improve data collection and awareness around a condition causing significant health burdens and healthcare costs.