Rep. Ted Lieu

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.

Tax Fairness for Disaster Victims Act This bill allows individual taxpayers living in a disaster area to use earned income from a preceding taxable year for purposes of calculating the earned income tax credit. The bill applies if current year income is disrupted by a disaster and is less than the income of the preceding taxable year.

Maddy summaryHJRES 54 proposes a constitutional amendment stating that only natural persons (human beings) have rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, explicitly denying constitutional rights to corporations, limited liability companies, and other artificial entities. It would require governments to regulate or restrict corporate political contributions and spending to ensure equal access to elections, mandate public disclosure of all political spending, and clarify that campaign finance rules do not violate the First Amendment. This amendment directly affects corporations and other artificial entities by removing their constitutional standing in legal challenges and subjecting their political activities to stricter government oversight. If passed, it would fundamentally change how corporations interact with election laws and constitutional protections, though it preserves press freedom under Section 3. The bill is a proposed amendment requiring ratification by 3/4 of state legislatures to become part of the Constitution.

Maddy summaryHR 2402, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2023, bans the manufacture, processing, use, and sale of commercial asbestos (including specific types like chrysotile and crocidolite) in the U.S. starting one year after enactment, with key exceptions. It allows the chlor-alkali industry to continue using asbestos for diaphragm manufacturing until two years after enactment and permits limited national security exemptions for up to three years with public disclosure. The bill also requires the EPA and HHS to create public education resources about asbestos health risks and mitigation options. This directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and users of commercial asbestos products, excluding asbestos present only as an impurity.

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.

Maddy summaryThe Women's Health Protection Act of 2023 would protect access to abortion services by prohibiting states from imposing restrictions that are more burdensome than those for comparable medical procedures. The bill would ensure people can obtain abortion services before fetal viability without unnecessary limitations like mandatory waiting periods or biased counseling, and after viability when necessary to protect the patient's life or health. It would preempt state laws that conflict with these protections and allow for civil enforcement actions to challenge restrictive state laws. This bill directly affects people seeking abortion services (including transgender and nonbinary individuals who can become pregnant), health care providers, and states that have implemented abortion restrictions.

Maddy summaryHR 2501, titled "Sunset for the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Act," would end the 2001 law (Public Law 107-40) that authorized military force following the September 11 attacks. The bill directly affects military operations currently justified under that 2001 authorization, requiring future actions to seek new congressional approval. It mandates the repeal of the 2001 AUMF 240 days after the bill becomes law, ending its legal authority. The bill states Congress finds the 2001 authorization has been used too broadly, conflicting with constitutional war powers.

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.

Maddy summaryHR 1465, "Violet’s Law," requires federal research facilities to establish standards for placing eligible animals (dogs, cats, primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits) no longer needed for research with animal rescue organizations, sanctuaries, shelters, or individuals. Federal departments and agencies operating such facilities must create these placement standards within one year of the law's enactment. The law mandates that animals must be vet-certified as healthy (free of infectious disease or physical issues) before placement and prohibits facilities from using animals for commercial trade, breeding, or public exhibitions. This policy directly affects federal research facilities and aims to provide permanent homes for research animals through defined, safe pathways.

Maddy summaryHR 2403, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2023, modifies federal firearm background check procedures to address delays. It requires firearm licensees to wait at least 10 business days after a prospective buyer submits a petition verifying they are not prohibited from owning firearms before completing a sale, if the background check system hasn't cleared the transaction. The bill also mandates the Attorney General to create an electronic petition form, provide timely responses to petitions, and track delays. Additionally, it requires multiple reports analyzing implementation, transaction delays, denial reasons by state, and potential impacts on domestic violence victim safety, with the first report due within 150 days of enactment.