Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán

Maddy summaryHR 7812, the National Parent and Youth Helpline Act, creates a federal grant program to establish a 24/7 national toll-free helpline for parents, caregivers, and youth facing personal challenges like emotional distress, substance abuse, or educational concerns. The grant, worth $20 million annually from 2025-2030, will fund one nonprofit to operate the helpline (via phone, text, and chat), host weekly evidence-based support groups, and maintain a resource website. It specifically prioritizes serving diverse groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals, and requires annual performance reports to the Secretary and a congressional report after three years. The bill directly affects millions of parents and youth by providing accessible, trauma-informed support to strengthen families and prevent issues like child maltreatment.

Maddy summaryHR 7766, the Protecting Consumers from Deceptive AI Act, requires AI developers and major online platforms to clearly label AI-generated content. It mandates that audio or visual content created by generative AI include machine-readable disclosures about its origin (e.g., "AI-generated"), with measures to prevent tampering, and platforms must display these labels without removal. The law applies to companies with significant revenue ($50M+ annually) or user scale (25M+ monthly active users), such as social media platforms and content services. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these labeling requirements as deceptive practices, treating violations under existing FTC authority.

Maddy summaryThe AADAPT Act reauthorizes and expands the Project ECHO grant program to specifically address Alzheimer's disease and dementia care. It provides $1 million annually (2026-2031) for grants to eligible health care entities - such as rural clinics, tribal organizations, or community health centers - to develop online training programs for primary care providers working in underserved areas (including rural, frontier, or medically underserved communities). These programs aim to improve provider retention, increase early diagnosis of dementia, and enhance quality care. The bill requires grantees to report on outcomes and ensures funding supplements, rather than replaces, existing resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill would provide federal grants to public housing agencies to modernize public housing through energy efficiency upgrades, infrastructure improvements, and renewable energy systems. It requires all public housing to become "zero-carbon homes" that produce enough renewable energy to meet their own consumption within 10 years. The bill includes specific requirements for workforce development, hiring from low- and very low-income communities (40% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 90% after that), and contracting with resident-owned businesses (20% in year 1, 30% in year 2, 50% after that). It also mandates resident and community engagement in planning, and requires public housing agencies to meet specific energy efficiency and water quality standards. The bill directly affects all public housing agencies managing housing for low- and very low-income residents across the United States, including tribal housing entities.

Maddy summaryHR 7770, the Rosie the Riveter Commemorative Coin Act, authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce and sell three commemorative coins honoring women who worked on the U.S. home front during World War II. It specifies $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), all to be issued between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Each coin sale includes a surcharge ($35 for gold, $10 for silver, $5 for half-dollar), with all surcharge funds directed to the Rosie the Riveter Trust for maintaining the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and educational programs. The coins will feature designs reflecting the legacy of diverse women workers and must meet specific weight, diameter, and composition standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a federal grant program to fund projects restoring native kelp forests, directly affecting eligible entities like fishing industry members, tribes, universities, nonprofits, and state/local governments. It requires projects to address the greatest kelp declines, focus on ecosystem resilience (including natural predator-prey relationships), integrate Indigenous knowledge, and avoid commercial harvesting. The program allocates $5 million annually (2024-2028), with at least $750,000 reserved for tribal projects, and mandates that federal funds cover up to 85% of project costs (with possible waivers). Grants prioritize areas identified in tribal or government restoration plans and require monitoring plans to measure project effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThe Housing ACCESS Act requires the federal government to issue guidance within one year to help states connect Medicaid beneficiaries with housing services. It directs states to align eligibility processes, streamline service coordination between health and housing agencies, and track outcomes like housing stability - disaggregated by race. The bill also mandates a national study to set fair reimbursement rates for housing services, aiming to ensure living wages for providers and a 1:15 case manager-to-client ratio. States must report on progress within two years, with the guidance intended to simplify how health and housing providers access each other's systems.

Maddy summaryThe National Patient Safety Board Act of 2024 establishes an independent board within the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent patient safety events in healthcare settings. The Board analyzes de-identified health data to identify safety patterns, recommend solutions, and address disparities, while ensuring reports cannot be used in liability cases. It requires annual public reporting on progress, solutions, and unmet needs, and mandates that at least three board members have patient safety expertise and two have personal experience with safety events. This bill directly affects healthcare providers, systems, and patients by creating a data-driven system to proactively improve safety outcomes nationwide.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the interstate transport, sale, breeding, or possession of captive American mink raised for fur production (including parts or offspring), directly affecting mink fur farmers and the fur industry. It includes a limited exception for entities covered under the Lacey Act and establishes a buy-out program where the government may purchase mink farms. The buy-out amount is based on the farmer's average mink count over three years and the farm's infrastructure value. Funding for the buy-out depends on available appropriations. The bill does not apply to mink not raised for fur or to certain wildlife management activities.

Maddy summaryHR 7634, the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, prohibits plastic pellets and pre-production plastic materials from being discharged into water through wastewater, spills, or runoff from specific facilities. It directly affects plastic polymer production facilities, plastic molding and forming facilities, and any point source (like packaging or transport operations) handling plastic pellets. The bill requires the EPA to issue a final rule within 60 days of enactment banning these discharges and updating all relevant wastewater, stormwater, and performance standards in permits and regulations. This creates a legal requirement for facilities to prevent plastic pellet pollution in waterways, targeting a major source of ocean plastic pollution.