Rep. Debbie Lesko

Maddy summaryHR 2630, the Safe Step Act, requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to establish a clear, transparent process for patients or their doctors to request exceptions to medication step therapy protocols. These protocols typically force patients to try cheaper drugs first before covering more expensive alternatives. The bill mandates that plans must approve exceptions when prior treatments failed, delay would cause serious harm, a treatment is unsafe, or a patient is stable on a previously approved drug, with strict 72-hour (or 24-hour in emergencies) decision timelines. It also requires plans to publish the exception process online and limit documentation requests to only necessary medical information. This law directly affects health insurers, employers offering health plans, and patients using step therapy for prescription drugs.

Maddy summaryHR 2581, the ALVIN Act, prohibits all federal funding for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. It cancels unspent federal funds allocated to the office and requires the office to repay all federal money spent since January 1, 2022. The bill directly affects the Manhattan DA’s Office by cutting its federal financial support and mandating reimbursement for past expenses. It does not change any laws or policies but alters the funding relationship with the federal government.

Maddy summaryThis bill terminates the national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act. It ends the executive branch's authority to use emergency powers related to that specific declaration. The resolution passed both chambers in early 2023 and took effect April 10, 2023, without creating new policies or affecting specific groups.

Pausing Enhanced Pandemic Pathogen Research Act of 2023 This bill generally prohibits the National Institutes of Health from conducting or supporting gain-of-function research through March 30, 2028. The bill defines gain-of-function research as any research that could enhance the transmissibility, virulence, or pathogenicity of any pathogen or non-pathogen agent in a way that could lead to (1) moderate or high transmissibility, virulence, or pathogenicity in human populations; (2) significant morbidity or mortality in humans; or (3) severe threats to public health or U.S. national security. The prohibition does not apply to the characterization or testing of naturally occurring influenza virus or coronavirus unless the characterization or testing could increase viral pathogenicity or transmissibility.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the law governing Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for uniformed service members stationed in the U.S. It changes the calculation method so that BAH amounts must equal the actual monthly cost of adequate housing in each location, as determined by the Secretary of Defense. This directly affects active-duty service members and their families who receive BAH for housing. The key provision replaces the previous formula with a requirement that BAH payments match local housing costs for members in the same pay grade and dependency status. The change ensures BAH reflects current housing expenses rather than an older calculation method.

Covenant School Heroes Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to Officer Michael Collazo and Officer Rex Englebert of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department in recognition of their exceptional bravery and valor in confronting an active shooter at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

Maddy summaryThe ALIGN Act (HR 2406) permanently allows businesses to deduct the full cost of qualified equipment and machinery in the year of purchase, rather than spreading the deduction over multiple years. This applies to property placed in service after September 27, 2017, directly affecting businesses that make capital investments in eligible assets like manufacturing equipment or commercial facilities. The bill eliminates the previous requirement to depreciate these costs over time, reducing taxable income in the purchase year. It makes a temporary 2017 tax provision permanent, impacting businesses across various industries that purchase qualifying property.

Maddy summaryHR 2427, the Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act, authorizes Congress to award a gold medal to honor Hmong veterans who served with U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to strike the medal and present it to the Smithsonian Institution for display, recognizing their combat service, heavy casualties, and displacement after the war. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to cover costs. This procedural bill commemorates the Hmong people's military contributions and their refugee resettlement in the U.S., affecting the Hmong community as a whole.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Veterans Affairs Secretary to expand or modify an existing national cemetery (under National Cemetery Administration control) before Arlington National Cemetery reaches capacity, ensuring it provides full military honors using the same standards and eligibility criteria that applied to Arlington as of March 31, 2023. It directly affects veterans and their families seeking burial with full military honors at national cemeteries nationwide. The bill also mandates a joint report within one year to Congress on expanding cemetery capacity and assessing whether interment criteria should recognize exceptional service, including impacts on women, non-combat veterans, and other groups. The key mechanism is preserving current military honors standards at alternative cemeteries to prevent Arlington's capacity limits from disrupting existing burial practices.

Maddy summaryHR 1139, the GUARD VA Benefits Act, amends federal law to strengthen penalties for individuals or organizations charging veterans unauthorized fees when helping with VA benefit claims. It directly affects veterans seeking assistance with VA claims and the representatives (like advocates or attorneys) who might charge them fees. The bill adds a new provision making it a violation to solicit, charge, or receive any fee for preparing, presenting, or prosecuting VA claims, punishable by fines under Title 18. This change specifically targets unauthorized fee-charging while excluding fees covered under existing exceptions in sections 5904 or 1984 of the law.