Rep. Jimmy Panetta

Maddy summaryThe RISEE Act of 2023 creates a National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund to support coastal communities and ecosystems. It allocates 37.5% of offshore wind revenue directly to eligible coastal states using a formula based on tidal shoreline length, coastal population density, and distance from offshore wind projects. States must use these funds for coastal protection, habitat restoration, infrastructure, or fisheries research, with strict annual reporting requirements to the Department of the Interior. The bill prohibits using these funds for litigation or creating marine monuments, ensuring resources directly support coastal community needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the federal government from issuing oil and gas leases for exploration, development, or production on the outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. It amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to specifically block the Secretary of the Interior from authorizing such leasing in those coastal areas. The direct effect is on the Department of the Interior, which would no longer be permitted to conduct lease sales in these regions. The bill does not create new programs or funding but changes existing leasing authority.

Maddy summaryThe Western Wildfire Support Act of 2023 establishes new funding mechanisms and programs to enhance wildfire prevention, detection, suppression, and recovery efforts across federal lands in the western United States. The bill creates dedicated firefighting accounts for the Departments of Agriculture and Interior with specific annual funding limits, authorizing $3 billion for ground-based firefighting operations by the Agriculture Department and $1 billion for the Interior Department. It also establishes community planning accounts to support wildfire protection programs, requires strategic fire management planning for federal lands, and creates a Long-Term Burned Area Recovery account with $100 million annual funding for ecosystem rehabilitation. The bill includes provisions for research on drone impacts on firefighting, unmanned aircraft systems for fire applications, and a prize competition to address invasive species after wildfires.

California Central Coast Conservation Act This bill prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from administering an oil and gas leasing and development program on the Central Coast of California (e.g., Fresno, Monterey, and San Benito Counties) until it completes and publishes a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) assessing the environmental effects of such leasing and development, including the effects on air quality, seismicity, and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the bill establishes requirements for the Environmental Protection Agency's review of the EIS.

Maddy summaryHR 1088, the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act, authorizes a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to honor Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress (1968) and the first Black candidate for a major party's presidential nomination (1972). The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to design and strike a gold medal featuring Chisholm's image, which will be presented by Congress and then permanently displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to the public to cover production costs, with proceeds deposited into the U.S. Mint fund. This bill commemorates Chisholm's legacy and achievements without creating new laws or affecting any current policies.

Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2023 This bill lowers the statutory burden of proof for showing intent with respect to a federal hate crime offense. Current law makes it unlawful to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to do so using a dangerous weapon, because of the actual or perceived protected characteristic (e.g., race) of a person. In 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that the because of standard requires proof that a person's actual or perceived protected characteristic was the sole motivating factor in the offense. This bill replaces the because of standard with a new standard. Specifically, willfully causing bodily injury, or attempting to do so using a dangerous weapon, is a hate crime offense if a person's actual or perceived protected characteristic was a contributory motivating factor in the offense.

Maddy summaryHR 907, the Protecting Community Television Act, is a procedural bill that modifies the legal definition of "franchise fee" in the Communications Act of 1934. It changes the wording from "includes" to "means" and adds "other monetary" before "assessment" in the fee definition. This amendment does not alter actual fee amounts, payment requirements, or protections for community television providers. It solely adjusts the technical language used in federal law to describe these fees. The bill has no direct impact on community TV operations or funding, as it only refines the statutory definition.

Maddy summaryThe HELP Copays Act (HR 830) changes how health insurance plans calculate patient cost-sharing. It requires that payments made by third parties (like pharmacies, charities, or discount programs) toward medical costs count toward a patient's deductible, copay, or out-of-pocket limit. This directly affects insured individuals who receive financial assistance, discounts, or product vouchers for healthcare expenses. The law ensures these external payments reduce the patient's actual out-of-pocket costs more quickly, aligning with existing Affordable Care Act and Public Health Service Act requirements.

Aviation-Impacted Communities Act This bill addresses noise mitigation for aviation-impacted communities. ( Aviation-impacted community is defined as a community that is located not more than one mile from any point at which a commercial or cargo jet route is 3,000 feet or less above ground level.) Specifically, the bill expands Airport Improvement Program noise mitigation program funding for aviation-impacted communities that are not currently within the 65 day-night average sound level (DNL) standard; requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study that summarizes the relevant literature and studies done on aviation impacts worldwide and focuses on large hub commercial airports and surrounding communities, including communities currently outside of the 65 DNL contour; directs the FAA to conduct outreach to aviation-impacted communities to inform them of the opportunity to be a designated community; requires the FAA to devise an action plan that alleviates or addresses the concerns of a designated community; and provides grants for necessary noise mitigation in a designated community for residences, hospitals, nursing homes, adult or child day care centers, schools, and places of worship.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor all U.S. Army Dustoff crews who served during the Vietnam War (1962-1973). It recognizes their critical role in evacuating nearly 900,000 wounded personnel, including U.S., South Vietnamese, and allied forces, under extreme combat conditions. The medal, designed with input from the Secretary of Defense, will be presented to the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum for permanent display. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to cover costs, but the primary action is the commemorative recognition of these crews' service.