Rep. Andy Biggs

Protecting Businesses From Frivolous COVID Lawsuits Act of 2023 This bill requires a specific jury instruction in a federal civil action for damages based on negligence arising from the transmission of COVID-19. Specifically, a court must instruct the jury that negligence may not be found solely on the basis of holding oneself open for business.

Stop Imposing Woke Ideology Abroad Act This bill prohibits using federal funds for the Department of State's Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice. (The special representative's duties include leading the State Department's efforts to combat systemic racism and discrimination around the world.) The bill also prohibits using federal funds to implement the State Department's Equity Action Plan. (The plan outlines actions and metrics related to addressing issues of equity, including racial equity, in the State Department's foreign affairs mission.)

This bill removes Pakistan's designation as a major non-NATO ally, a status that allows for various benefits such as access to excess U.S. defense supplies and participation in cooperative defense research and development projects. The President may not redesignate Pakistan a major non-NATO ally without certifying that the country has taken various actions against the Haqqani Network, including continuing to conduct military actions against the Taliban-affiliated group and prosecuting its leaders.

This bill establishes which state law governs health insurers offering coverage in multiple states. Specifically, the bill provides that the laws of a state designated by a health insurer (primary state) apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that insurer in any other state (secondary state) if the coverage, states, and insurer comply with the conditions of this bill. Insurers are exempted from any secondary state's laws that would prohibit or regulate the operation of the insurer in that state. The primary state is given sole jurisdiction to enforce its covered laws in any secondary state. The Government Accountability Office must study the effect of this bill on specified health insurance issues.

Health Coverage Choice Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services rule dated August 3, 2018, regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. That rule increases the maximum authorized duration of such plans from less than 3 months (including renewals) to an initial maximum duration of less than 12 months (with a total duration of up to 36 months, including renewals).

Maddy summaryThe Prescription Freedom Act of 2023 repeals a federal requirement that certain drugs be dispensed only with a prescription. It shifts authority over these requirements from federal law to state law, meaning states would determine if prescriptions are needed for specific drugs. The bill directly affects pharmacists, patients, and healthcare providers who currently follow federal prescription rules for non-controlled medications. A key exception preserves federal authority for drugs used in pregnancy termination, maintaining existing requirements for those specific medications.

This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce mandates that require individuals to wear face coverings or receive vaccinations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The bill provides for an exception that applies in health care settings.

No Pro-Abortion Task Force Act This bill prohibits federal funding of the Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force. The Department of Health and Human Services launched the task force on January 21, 2022, to identify and coordinate departmental activities related to accessing sexual and reproductive health care.

This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to maintain a database or collect information that can be used to identify an individual's COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccination status.

Maddy summaryThe NOSHA Act (HR 69) would repeal the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and abolish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This bill would eliminate the federal law requiring employers to maintain safe workplaces and remove the agency responsible for enforcing those safety standards. It directly affects all private-sector employers and workers across the United States, as it would end the current federal system for workplace safety regulation. The key provision is the complete removal of both the 1970 law and OSHA, with no replacement framework specified in the bill text.