Rep. Julia Brownley

Every Veteran Counts Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a database of specified demographics (e.g., age) of veterans. The data must be in a machine-readable format and anonymized to protect sensitive personal information. The VA must provide access to the database on a publicly accessible website that is updated at least once a year. Additionally, the VA must report on the progress, challenges, performance, and opportunities of implementing its data strategy. The report must be made available on the VA's open data website in a machine-readable format.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the tax deduction rate for volunteer drivers who transport people or property for qualifying organizations. It sets a minimum standard mileage rate of 14 cents per mile for general charitable driving but allows the IRS to set a higher rate (at least equal to the standard business mileage rate) specifically for volunteer transportation services. The change directly affects volunteers driving for tax-exempt organizations like charities, religious groups, or community nonprofits. It modifies IRS rules to better align charitable mileage deductions with current business travel rates. The policy change applies to tax returns filed for 2023 and later.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting America's Workers Act expands workplace safety protections to public employees, including those working for state and local governments who were previously excluded from some OSHA protections. It strengthens whistleblower protections by prohibiting retaliation against employees who report safety concerns, refuse to perform dangerous tasks, or report work-related injuries. The bill requires employers to promptly report work-related deaths and hospitalizations, prohibits policies that discourage injury reporting, and mandates posting of employee safety rights information. It also increases penalties for safety violations and improves access to information for victims and families during workplace investigations. These changes apply to all employers covered by OSHA, with specific implementation timelines for state and local government workplaces.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects living organ donors from insurance discrimination by prohibiting life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums, or altering policy terms solely because someone donated an organ while alive. It also updates the Family and Medical Leave Act to include recovery from organ donation surgery as a qualifying health condition, allowing donors to take protected leave for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to update public educational materials about living donation benefits, risks, and insurance protections within six months of enactment. These changes directly affect living organ donors, insurers, employers, and healthcare systems by ensuring fair access to insurance and workplace leave.

Maddy summaryHR 2955, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, establishes a Federal Work Group to improve data collection and best practices for youth in residential programs (like therapeutic schools, treatment centers, and group homes). The Work Group, composed of federal agency representatives and diverse stakeholders, must develop national data standards, create risk assessment tools, and issue biennial reports with recommendations to enhance safety, reduce restraints, and expand community-based alternatives. It directly affects youth with mental health, substance use, or disability needs placed in these facilities, as well as agencies overseeing them. The bill also mandates a National Academies study to examine funding, oversight, and barriers to community care. These mechanisms aim to standardize data tracking and promote less restrictive, trauma-informed care for youth in residential programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill adjusts veterans' disability and survivor benefits to match the annual cost-of-living increase for Social Security. It requires the Veterans Affairs Secretary to raise specific payments - such as disability compensation for veterans, dependency payments for spouses and children, and clothing allowances - effective December 1, 2023, by the same percentage as the Social Security COLA for that year. The adjustment directly affects veterans receiving disability compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114, surviving spouses under § 1311, and children under §§ 1313-1314, as well as those receiving clothing allowances. The change ensures these benefits keep pace with inflation, using the Social Security Act’s established adjustment formula.

Maddy summaryThe PREPARE Act establishes a new pre-disaster mitigation loan program for small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA). It authorizes $25 million annually from 2024 to 2028 to provide loans of up to $500,000 per business, enabling small businesses to fund projects that protect their property and operations from disaster damage (e.g., flood barriers or structural reinforcements). The SBA must conduct targeted outreach to businesses in economically distressed areas, offer technical assistance, and require borrowers to maintain insurance during loan terms. Annual reports will track program outcomes, including project types, cost savings avoided, and regional impacts, to evaluate effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThe College Transparency Act requires the National Center for Education Statistics to develop a secure, privacy-protected system that collects and organizes student-level data from colleges and universities. The system will track enrollment patterns, progression, completion rates, costs, financial aid, and post-graduation outcomes, with data disaggregated by characteristics like race, gender, program of study, and credential level. Colleges participating in federal financial aid programs must submit this data, while the system will provide the public with customizable summary information to help students and families make informed college decisions. The bill includes strict privacy protections, prohibiting collection of sensitive data like health information or exact addresses, and requires data minimization to only what's necessary for the system's purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes $350 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2026 to establish the "Baltic Security Initiative," a U.S. defense program focused on strengthening security cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the "Baltic countries"). It requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy within one year to enhance military capabilities like missile defense, cyber resilience, long-range weapons, and coordination with NATO allies - including Poland - to deter Russian aggression and address security threats from Russia and China. The initiative operates under existing U.S. defense authorities (Title 10, U.S. Code) and mandates a report to Congress detailing how these security objectives will be achieved. The bill directly affects U.S. defense funding and the security planning of the three Baltic nations.

Maddy summaryThe Election Mail Act (HR 2987) establishes new requirements for handling mail-in ballots in federal elections to improve reliability and accessibility. It requires the Postal Service to process absentee ballots on the same day received, place postmarks indicating mailing dates on ballot envelopes, and treat election mail as first-class mail with free postage for completed ballots. The bill also mandates states to use intelligent mail barcodes on return envelopes, affix specific tags for ballot visibility, and adopt a uniform 7-day deadline for accepting mailed ballots postmarked on or before election day. These changes apply to federal elections, with most provisions taking effect for the 2024 election cycle. The bill includes additional provisions for the Postal Service to consult with Indian Tribes about voting barriers on tribal lands.