Rep. Andy Biggs

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Social Security Number (SSN) requirements for claiming the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. It specifies that qualifying SSNs must be issued to U.S. citizens (or under specific Social Security Act provisions) and issued before the tax return due date. The changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, and update related tax code references to use "social security number" instead of "taxpayer identification number." These are technical adjustments to eligibility criteria, not new benefits or funding.

Maddy summaryThe Patient’s Choice Act of 2024 prohibits federal agencies from implementing or enforcing a 2023 proposed rule that would have shortened the maximum duration of short-term health insurance plans. It blocks efforts to reduce the current allowable term for these plans below the existing standard, ensuring they can still be offered with an initial term under 12 months and a total duration of up to 3 years (including renewals). This bill directly affects health insurance issuers and consumers who rely on short-term plans as a temporary coverage option. The legislation maintains the current regulatory framework without altering plan requirements or creating new benefits.

Maddy summaryHR 7207, the Preventing Racism in Medicare Act of 2024, prohibits the Medicare program from counting the development of anti-racism plans as qualifying "clinical practice improvement activities" under Medicare rules. The bill amends existing law to explicitly exclude such activities - defined by a 2021 Medicare rule - from meeting requirements for quality improvement programs. This directly affects Medicare providers and suppliers who previously might have used anti-racism planning to fulfill these quality improvement obligations. The change is a technical adjustment to Medicare payment policy, not a new program or benefit.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement for ambulatory surgical centers participating in Medicare to report the COVID-19 vaccination status of their healthcare workers. Specifically, it directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise Medicare regulations (42 CFR §§ 416.300-416.330) within 45 days of enactment to eliminate this reporting mandate. The change directly affects ambulatory surgical centers that receive Medicare funding, removing a specific administrative burden related to employee vaccination data. The bill focuses solely on modifying existing reporting rules, with no new funding or program requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 6177 prohibits federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for researchers involved in studies or experiments involving minors that: (1) affirm a minor's gender identity differing from their sex assigned at birth, (2) provide medical/surgical services to help minors disassociate from their biological sex, or (3) use social interventions for the same purpose. The bill directly affects researchers seeking HHS grants for such studies, requiring them to certify they have never led such projects. It defines "sex" biologically at birth (based on reproductive biology and genetics) and "minor" as anyone under 18. The law bans funding for any federally-supported research meeting these criteria, regardless of the study's focus.

Maddy summaryHR 5713, the Homeland Security Fentanyl Enforcement Act, authorizes Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and designated state/local officers to enforce drug laws related to fentanyl trafficking under the Controlled Substances Act for five years. It requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review and report on coordination between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and HSI in drug investigations within 18 months, including whether investigations followed established coordination policies. The bill mandates the Homeland Security Secretary and Attorney General to address any coordination failures found in the GAO report, prioritizing existing interagency task forces. This bill focuses on improving interagency coordination to combat fentanyl smuggling by transnational criminal organizations, without altering DEA's core authorities or creating new drug penalties.

Maddy summaryHR 5107, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Recoupment Act, extends the statute of limitations for enforcing fraud related to pandemic unemployment benefits from 3 years to 10 years across multiple programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and Lost Wages Assistance. It requires states to recover overpayments from individuals who knowingly received benefits they weren’t entitled to, through deductions from future unemployment benefits, while maintaining existing due process protections like hearings before repayment. States may waive repayment if the overpayment wasn’t the individual’s fault or if repayment would be unfair. The bill applies directly to individuals who received pandemic-era unemployment benefits through fraudulent means, ensuring states have a longer timeframe to address these cases under established fraud procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility to cover more health plans and health care sharing ministries, allowing individuals with these plans to contribute to HSAs. It significantly increases annual HSA contribution limits to $10,800 for individuals and $29,500 for families (up from $3,850/$7,750), effective 2024. The bill also permits HSA funds to pay for periodic provider fees and health care sharing ministry costs (including administrative fees), and reduces penalties for non-qualified distributions to 10%. These changes directly affect HSA account holders who use non-traditional health coverage or share medical expenses through ministries.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid/CHIP programs to deny health insurance subsidies, coverage, and related benefits to individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Specifically, it excludes people lawfully present only due to the 2012 DHS memo granting deferred action from eligibility for ACA subsidies, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill requires states to remove DACA recipients from enrollment in health plans and rescind any existing waivers that allowed such coverage. It directly affects approximately 800,000 DACA recipients who currently qualify for ACA subsidies and Medicaid/CHIP under existing rules.

Maddy summaryHR 3611, the Kazakhstan Permanent Normal Trade Relations Act of 2023, makes Kazakhstan's existing "normal trade relations" (NTR) status permanent by removing the need for annual U.S. presidential reviews under the Trade Act of 1974. This bill directly affects U.S. trade policy with Kazakhstan, ending the requirement for the President to annually determine whether Kazakhstan meets emigration freedom standards (which it has satisfied since 1997). The key provision allows the President to formally extend permanent NTR treatment to Kazakhstan's products, eliminating the current annual review process. Once enacted, Kazakhstan would automatically receive the same most-favored-nation tariff rates as other NTR countries, streamlining trade without further congressional action.