Rep. Derrick Van Orden

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for dairy business innovation programs under the 2018 Farm Bill. It amends Section 12513(i) by raising the annual grant allocation from $20 million to $36 million. The change directly affects dairy farmers and businesses seeking grants to support innovation projects like processing, marketing, or sustainability efforts. The key mechanism is a higher annual funding cap, allowing more grants to be awarded without changing program eligibility or structure.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Bureau of Prisons to develop and implement a strategy for scanning all incoming mail at federal prisons to stop fentanyl and other synthetic drugs from entering facilities. It directs the Bureau to evaluate existing scanning technology within 180 days and submit a detailed plan to Congress within 90 days, including how to provide digital copies of mail to inmates within 24 hours and physical copies within 30 days (if safe). The strategy must achieve 100% mail scanning capacity at all federal prisons, prioritize high-security facilities, and include a budget proposal for fiscal years 2024-2026. This directly affects federal prisons, inmates, and Bureau employees by changing mail processing procedures to enhance safety and reduce staffing burdens from manual mail checks.

Investing in Rural America Act This bill allows Farm Credit System (FCS) institutions to provide financing and technical assistance for essential community facility projects as part of the Department of Agriculture's Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program. (This program provides funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas.) The FCS financing and technical assistance may be provided in order to make capital available to develop, build, maintain, improve, or provide other support for essential community facilities in rural communities (e.g., certain facilities that provide healthcare, community support, public safety, educational, or utility services).  Under the bill, the financing provided by an FCS institution may not exceed 15% of the institution’s total assets unless the FCS institution offers at least one non-FCS lending institution an interest in the financing under reasonable terms and conditions acceptable to the borrower. The FCS institution must also report the offer to the Farm Credit Administration (FCA). The FCA must submit an annual report to Congress on the activities undertaken by FCS institutions under this bill, including through the partnerships between FCS institutions and other lending institutions. The FCA must post the report on the agency's website.

Maddy summaryHR 4745, the Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2023, creates a pilot program to expand home delivery of food packages under the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) for low-income seniors in rural areas. The bill authorizes $10 million annually (2024-2026) for competitive grants to state agencies, which must prioritize rural service providers to cover costs like transportation, staffing, and outreach for home delivery. It requires grantees to report on delivery metrics, costs, and effectiveness annually. The program directly affects rural CSFP participants facing transportation barriers to accessing food assistance.

Maddy summaryHR 5147, the Investing in VETS Act, increases the federal government's goal for contracting with service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses from 3% to 5% of total federal contract dollars. It directly affects federal agencies, which must now aim for this higher 5% target, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses that seek to qualify for these contracts. The bill adds a key provision requiring only businesses officially certified under Section 36 (not self-certified claims) to count toward the 5% goal and agency-specific targets. This change ensures the goal applies only to businesses with verified certification, improving accountability in the program.

Dairy Farm Resiliency Act This bill updates the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. (The DMC program was enacted in the 2018 farm bill to support dairy operations by allowing producers to buy a guaranteed margin for their milk production. The margin is the difference between the Department of Agriculture's [USDA's] national all milk price and a calculated feed cost, which provides producers optional risk protection on price and feed costs.) The bill requires that a dairy operation's production history for DMC be based on the most recent three-year history and be recalculated every five years. (A participating dairy producer must have an established milk production history with USDA's Farm Service Agency.) The bill also increases Tier 1 margin coverage for annual milk production to 6 million pounds or less (currently 5 million pounds or less) and Tier 2 margin coverage to over 6 million pounds (currently over 5 million pounds).

Flood Resiliency and Land Stewardship Act This bill amends the purpose of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include the prevention and mitigation of the effects of flooding and drought and the improvement or expansion of flood resiliency. (Under the RCPP, USDA enters into agreements with eligible partners to deliver conservation projects in specific geographical areas. Within an RCPP project, producers enter into contracts and agreements with USDA to carry out eligible conservation activities.)

Maddy summaryHR 4963, the Tax Fairness for Workers Act, would restore tax deductions for certain employee expenses. It creates an above-the-line deduction for union dues and expenses paid by wage-earning employees, and allows miscellaneous itemized deductions for other work-related expenses (like uniforms or supplies) that were previously disallowed after 2017 tax law changes. These provisions directly affect employees who pay union dues or incur qualifying job-related costs. The bill amends specific sections of the Internal Revenue Code to make these deductions available for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. It does not change tax rates or provide new benefits, only reinstating previously eliminated deductions for eligible workers.

Maddy summaryHR 3933, the TAP Promotion Act, requires standardized presentations about Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits during military transition counseling for service members separating from the armed forces. These presentations must be approved by the VA, delivered by authorized veterans service organizations (VSOs), and include information on how VSOs assist with VA claims - without encouraging membership in specific organizations. The bill mandates a one-hour limit per presentation and requires the VA to submit annual reports to Congress detailing which VSOs presented, attendance numbers, and recommendations for improvement. This policy directly affects service members preparing for civilian life and the VSOs providing these transition resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. It authorizes three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 respectively. The surcharge proceeds will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with no net cost to taxpayers as the Treasury must recover all minting costs through the surcharges. The coins can only be issued during 2025, and the Treasury must ensure all costs are covered before distributing funds to the Heritage Foundation.