Rep. Carol D. Miller

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.

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.

Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program within the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the bill, USDA must establish and maintain (directly or by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement) a program to help eligible hospital facilities in rural areas with a population of 50,000 inhabitants or less.  The program must provide tailored technical assistance and training to hospital facilities to identify development needs for maintaining essential health care services and support action plans for financial, operational, and quality improvement projects to meet these needs. Development needs include (1) constructing, expanding, and modernizing health care facilities; (2) increasing telehealth capabilities; and (3) acquiring or upgrading health care information systems (e.g., electronic health records). The program must also provide technical assistance and training to help hospital facilities to better manage their financial and business strategies and identify, and apply for assistance from, USDA loan and grant programs. In selecting eligible hospital facilities to participate in the program, USDA must give priority to borrowers and grantees of certain USDA rural assistance programs.   USDA must also submit an annual report to Congress on the progress and results of the program.

Maddy summaryThe TREATS Act amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow healthcare providers to use telehealth for the initial evaluation when prescribing certain medications for opioid use disorder. Specifically, it replaces the requirement for an in-person medical evaluation with an option for a telehealth evaluation for medications in schedules III, IV, or V (excluding methadone) that are FDA-approved to treat opioid use disorder. The telehealth evaluation must be conducted via real-time audio or video communication meeting federal and state requirements, as defined by the bill. This change directly affects providers prescribing these medications and patients seeking treatment for opioid use disorder in these categories.

Maddy summaryThis bill approves and implements a new trade agreement between the United States and Taiwan, negotiated by the American Institute in Taiwan and Taiwan's Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. The agreement aims to strengthen economic ties by addressing areas like supply chain security, investment screening, health, science, technology, and the digital economy. The bill establishes requirements for the President to consult with Congress before implementation, submit reports on how the agreement benefits US workers and businesses, and provide transparency about future trade negotiations. It also clarifies that the agreement doesn't override US or state laws and requires any future agreements to follow a similar approval process with congressional review.

Maddy summaryHR 5127, the Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act, requires the State Department to report on consular posts with visitor visa interview wait times exceeding 100 days and to take steps to reduce those waits. If wait times at any post exceed 300 days, the Secretary must temporarily reassign State Department personnel to assist consular staff at that location. The bill directly affects U.S. embassies and consulates handling visitor visa applications and the applicants waiting for interviews. It mandates specific administrative actions to address processing delays but does not change visa eligibility or fees. The focus is on improving internal staffing efficiency at consular posts, not altering immigration policy.

Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in recognition of the bicentennial of the Erie Canal. The designs of the coins must be emblematic of the Erie Canal and its impact on the development of the United States and New York. All sales of coins issued under this bill must include a surcharge to be paid to the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc., to support the historic preservation and community development of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in New York and for educational and commemorative programs.

Maddy summaryHR 5073, titled the "Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act," is a tax code amendment affecting oil and gas companies. It changes how businesses calculate adjusted financial statement income by removing specific deductions related to intangible drilling and development costs from their financial reports. The bill requires companies to disregard depreciation and depletion expenses taken into account on their financial statements for these costs when computing taxable income. This applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, directly impacting oil and gas producers who use these accounting methods. The bill does not create new energy policies but alters tax accounting rules for the industry.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 57 is a non-binding concurrent resolution expressing Congress's support for Israel. It states three key points: (1) that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state, (2) that Congress rejects antisemitism and xenophobia, and (3) that the U.S. will remain a steadfast supporter of Israel. This resolution does not create new laws or alter policies - it simply records the expressed sentiment of Congress. It directly affects the U.S. government's public stance on Israel, with no legal effect on citizens or other entities.

This resolution condemns Iran for the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. It also urges the Biden Administration and U.S. allies to publicly condemn the massacre and to pressure Iran to provide information to the families of the victims.