Rep. Jared Huffman

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Medicaid and CHIP rules to let eligible out-of-state healthcare providers enroll without extra state screening. It applies to providers already in Medicare or their home state program, with low fraud risk, serving children under 21 with complex medical conditions. Providers would receive 5 years of enrollment under this streamlined process, eliminating state-level barriers. The change directly affects children seeking specialized care across state lines and the providers who serve them.

Maddy summaryThe Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act of 2024 would require major fossil fuel companies that emitted more than 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide between 2000 and 2022 to pay a tax based on their historical emissions. The tax revenue would fund a new Climate Fund that would provide $15 billion annually for disaster response and resilience programs through FEMA, $6 billion for clean air initiatives, and mandate 40% of funds support environmental justice communities. The fund would finance climate resilience projects including climate-resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, and support for vulnerable communities affected by climate change. Companies could pay the tax over nine years, and the bill explicitly states it does not affect existing legal claims against polluters for climate-related damages.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 130 South Patterson Avenue in Santa Barbara, California, as the "Brigadier General Frederick R. Lopez Post Office Building." It updates all official U.S. government references to the building to reflect this new name, with no policy changes or funding impacts.

Maddy summaryHRES 1436 is a symbolic resolution (not a law) introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. It recognizes suicide as a preventable public health crisis by citing statistics from the CDC, VA, and SAMHSA showing rising suicide rates across age groups, including veterans and adolescents. The resolution formally supports designating September as "National Suicide Prevention Month" and September 10, 2024, as "World Suicide Prevention Day." It does not create new policies, allocate funding, or directly affect any individuals - its purpose is solely to express congressional support for suicide prevention awareness and efforts.

Maddy summaryHRES 1422 is a resolution recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act (enacted in 1964), which established the National Wilderness Preservation System. The resolution commends advocates for the Act, acknowledges wilderness areas' role in protecting over 112 million acres of public lands, and highlights their benefits for recreation, clean water, wildlife habitat, and climate resilience. It specifically emphasizes the importance of including Tribal governments in wilderness designation and management. As a commemorative resolution, it does not create new laws or directly affect any group.

Maddy summaryHR 8492 prohibits wildlife killing contests - events where participants kill animals for cash, prizes, or entertainment - on all federal public lands managed by agencies like the National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service. It specifically bans contests targeting species such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats, except for field trials with hunting dogs, contests for deer/birds (Galliformes/Anatidae), or agency-led invasive species control. The law requires federal agencies to issue implementing regulations within a year of enactment. It directly affects organizers, sponsors, and participants of such contests on federally managed lands, while allowing states to maintain stricter rules.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Communities from Plastics Act of 2024 establishes new environmental standards for plastic production facilities, including a temporary moratorium on new permits for covered facilities during a "temporary pause period." It requires environmental justice assessments for permits affecting fenceline communities (low-income communities and communities of color near plastic facilities) and sets specific targets to reduce single-use plastics by 25% and increase reusable/refillable packaging by 30% by 2034. The bill mandates comprehensive reporting on plastic production and distribution, including a national inventory of plastic manufacturing, and requires continuous air and water quality monitoring near plastic facilities. This legislation directly affects plastic producers, manufacturers, and communities located near plastic production facilities, particularly those disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution.

Maddy summaryHR 6915, the Public Lands Telecommunications Act, requires federal land management agencies (like the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management) to collect rental fees from telecom companies for infrastructure (such as cell towers) on federal lands. These fees must be set at fair market value, not exceeding existing Interior Department schedules, and deposited into special agency accounts. The collected funds can only be used by each agency to manage telecom sites - covering activities like processing permits, planning site locations, and improving access - without affecting other existing fee collections. The bill establishes a clear system for fee collection, valuation, and restricted spending to support telecom infrastructure on public lands.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the Every Kid Outdoors program, expanding eligibility to include 4th graders and 10-11 year old home-schooled learners, who receive free access to national parks. It modifies the program period from a fixed September-August cycle to a flexible 12-month period and increases annual funding to $25 million. The funds support program operations, school and community outreach, transportation assistance for schools with financial need, and targeted outreach to underserved communities and children with disabilities. The changes directly affect 4th graders and eligible home-schooled youth in the U.S.

Maddy summaryHR 6765, the Wildlife Disease Surveillance for Pandemic Prevention Act, creates a national system for monitoring wildlife diseases to help prevent future pandemics. The bill provides $15.5 million annually to states and $3 million to tribes to develop wildlife health action plans and contribute data to a new National Wildlife Disease Database. It establishes a Wildlife Disease Surveillance Program, a Wildlife Disease Emergency Response Program, and Centers for Study and Diagnostics of Wildlife Diseases at institutions of higher education. The legislation also creates a Federal One Health Interagency Working Group and a Wildlife Disease Surveillance Advisory Committee to coordinate across agencies and ensure tribal and state participation. This bill directly affects states, tribes, federal agencies, and research institutions by requiring data sharing, funding new surveillance capabilities, and establishing new coordination mechanisms for wildlife disease prevention.