Rep. Tony Cárdenas

This resolution recognizes the importance of the Islamic faith and expresses deep respect for Muslims in the United States and worldwide in honor of Eid al-Fitr (the conclusion of Ramadan).

Maddy summaryHR 1351, the "Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act," repeals Section 3003 of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which had mandated transferring 2,422 acres of Oak Flat in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest to foreign-owned Resolution Copper for mining. The bill withdraws this land from all mining activities, preventing Resolution Copper from using destructive block cave mining that would destroy the sacred site and harm water resources. Oak Flat, a National Register-listed Traditional Cultural Property sacred to Indigenous tribes, would be protected from a mine projected to deplete 775,000 acre-feet of groundwater over 40 years and create a 4,000-acre toxic waste dump. The legislation directly affects Resolution Copper (owned by Rio Tinto and BHP) and aims to halt the project that would obliterate cultural resources and exacerbate regional water shortages.

Tax Filer Voter Registration Act or the Filer Voter Act This bill treats certain tax return preparers as voter registration agencies. Specifically, the bill requires tax return preparers who prepare at least 100 individual tax returns in a taxable year to provide voter registration application forms to their customers. The form must be made available by (1) displaying copies of the form in the preparer's office for customers who receive in-person services, and (2) providing a hyperlink to the form for customers who receive online services. The bill also outlines the responsibilities of the Department of the Treasury to enable certified volunteer tax preparers to meet the requirements of the bill.

Maddy summaryThe Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2023 amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to improve services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and family violence. The bill authorizes $270 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2028, with specific allocations including 12.5% for Tribal grantees, 2.5% for culturally specific services, and funds for national hotlines and resource centers. It establishes a national domestic violence hotline, a National Indian Domestic Violence Hotline, and resource centers for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian populations, requiring all services to be trauma-informed, culturally relevant, and accessible to underserved populations including racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and Tribal communities. The bill also mandates a study on financial stability support for survivors of domestic violence.

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.

Expanding Opportunities for Diverse Entrepreneurs Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program and recipients of assistance from the program to analyze and report on the program. The DBE program seeks to offer small disadvantaged businesses (i.e., certified as owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals) a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts. The bill requires the DBE liaison officers to track and provide an analysis of all efforts to expand knowledge of services and opportunities available (e.g., minimum outreach, training, and online development support) to non-certified and certified DBEs to increase an enterprise's ability to compete for, and perform on, federally funded transportation contracts; DOT to publicly post online a searchable and exportable version of the Uniform Report of DBE Awards/ Commitments and Payments for each state; and DOT to submit an annual report to Congress on the DBE program.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals during the 30 days preceding their release from public institutions. It directly affects people transitioning from prisons or jails back into communities by extending health coverage during this critical period. The key mechanism amends the Social Security Act to remove a Medicaid exclusion for this 30-day window. Additionally, it requires an 18-month report analyzing correctional healthcare standards, current discharge practices, and the potential impact of this coverage extension on post-release health access.

Maddy summaryHR 2439, the Ally’s Act, requires most private health insurance plans to cover hearing-related services and devices for qualifying individuals. It mandates coverage for cochlear implants, bone conduction devices, maintenance, upgrades every five years, hearing assessments, surgery, and rehabilitation, without separate cost-sharing or medical necessity reviews. This directly affects people with hearing loss who need implantable devices, as defined by a physician or audiologist. The law applies to group health plans under the Public Health Service Act, ERISA, and Internal Revenue Code, taking effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2025.

Helping Kids Cope Act This bill establishes programs within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support pediatric behavioral health care. Specifically, HRSA must award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible health care providers for (1) integrating and coordinating pediatric behavioral health care within communities, and (2) pediatric mental health and substance use disorder workforce training. Additionally, HRSA must award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to hospitals or rural health clinics that predominately treat individuals under age 21 for expanding their capacity to provide pediatric behavioral health services. Recipients may use awards for constructing or modernizing sites of care and enhancing digital infrastructure, telehealth capabilities, or other improvements to patient care infrastructure.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.