Rep. Gwen Moore

Maddy summaryThe SAFE for Survivors Act of 2024 provides comprehensive workplace protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It establishes a new entitlement to 40 work days of safe leave per year (with 10 days paid) for employees to address qualifying acts of violence, including time for counseling, safety planning, legal assistance, and medical care. The bill prohibits employers from discriminating against or retaliating against employees who take this leave, requires reasonable accommodations for survivors, and ensures unemployment compensation eligibility for those who separate from work due to violence. It also includes insurance protections preventing insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on a person's status as a survivor. This legislation directly affects employees, employers, and insurance providers across the United States.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes permanent Medicare telehealth flexibilities for Indian health programs and urban Indian organizations. It allows patients in tribal communities to receive covered telehealth services from home (not just medical facilities) and expands coverage to include audio-only visits starting January 1, 2025. The policy directly affects tribal health providers, urban Indian organizations, and Medicare beneficiaries living in tribal communities who rely on these services. These changes ensure consistent access to telehealth care under Medicare without requiring physical clinic visits for eligible patients.

Maddy summaryThe ASSET Act eliminates asset limits for low-income households applying for federal assistance programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP (food assistance), and LIHEAP (energy help). This means families can save money in bank accounts or build financial resources without risking loss of benefits. The bill also updates Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limits to $20,000 for individuals and $10,000 for couples in 2024, with future annual inflation adjustments. The changes take effect 30 days after the bill's enactment, with states given up to two years to implement if new legislation is needed.

Maddy summaryHR 9061 increases federal funding to support child welfare caseworkers by raising the annual appropriation under the Social Security Act from $345 million to $385 million. It specifically boosts the reserved amount for caseworker recruitment, retention, and training from $20 million to $60 million annually, and adds a requirement to include worker safety and well-being in these efforts. The bill directly affects state child welfare agencies and their caseworkers by providing more resources to address staffing challenges. The changes take effect in the first fiscal year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Social Security Act to include peer-to-peer mentoring services in key child welfare programs. It requires family preservation, support, reunification, and adoption services to incorporate mentoring by individuals with direct lived experience as caregivers, foster parents, or birth parents who navigated similar family crises. The policy change allows states to use existing federal funds for these peer mentoring services, which directly support caregivers at risk, foster parents, and birth parents working toward family reunification. The amendments apply to programs under Title IV of the Social Security Act, effective for fiscal years after enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 8815, the Youth and Family Engagement in Child Welfare Act, requires states to develop child welfare plans with direct input from youth and families who have experienced the system. Specifically, states must consult with children/youth in care, foster parents, adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, and community organizations during planning, and publicly post how they used youth feedback on state websites. The bill mandates these changes for all state child welfare programs, directly affecting how states design services for children in foster care, reunification, and adoption. It takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Social Security Act to prevent child welfare involvement driven by poverty. It requires states to provide nonrecurring short-term support services (like housing, utility, transportation, or food assistance for immediate crises) to help families avoid separation due to poverty. These services can count toward existing family support programs, and states must adopt policies and staff training to address poverty-related reports without separating children from parents. The law directly affects state child welfare systems and families facing poverty-related investigations. It takes effect for future fiscal years, with state flexibility for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicare Advantage plans to implement electronic prior authorization systems by 2027 and publish detailed data on their approval and denial rates for medical services by 2026. It directly affects Medicare Advantage plans (private insurers offering Medicare coverage) and their enrollees (seniors 65+), mandating transparency about prior authorization decisions, processing times, and appeal outcomes. Key provisions include requiring plans to report annual statistics on request approvals/denials, average processing times, and use of technology, with this data published publicly by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The bill also sets timelines for plan responses to prior authorization requests and mandates reports to Congress on implementation and impacts.

Maddy summaryHR 8390, the Mental Health and MAMA Act of 2024, eliminates cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for mental health and substance use disorder services during pregnancy and for one year after birth. It applies to people enrolled in group health plans, individual insurance, or federal employee health plans, covering services provided by in-network providers. The bill requires insurers to waive these costs starting two years after enactment, explicitly including telehealth services. It specifically targets care for pregnant and postpartum individuals, ensuring coverage from pregnancy diagnosis through the 12 months following birth.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new TANF Program Integrity Unit at the Administration for Children & Families to monitor state use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, with $10 million in annual funding added to support its operations. If a state intentionally misuses TANF funds, the unit would require the state to repay the misused amount by providing direct cash assistance to families earning below 100% of the federal poverty line. The law applies directly to states administering TANF programs, mandating stricter oversight of fund usage and repayment of misused funds. It also requires the unit to submit annual reports to Congress on its activities.