Rep. Katie Porter

Maddy summaryHR 2367, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, creates a federal grant program to address commercial truck parking shortages on highways. It provides competitive grants (totaling $175M-$320M over three years) for projects like building new rest areas, expanding parking at ports or truck stops, or improving safety at existing facilities. The program requires all funded parking to be free, publicly accessible to all truck drivers, and maintained without user fees. This directly affects commercial truck drivers, motor carriers, and highway safety by aiming to improve parking access, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance safety on federal-aid highways.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends Medicare payment adjustments for physicians and other practitioners through 2025 instead of ending in 2024. It specifically adds a 4.73% payment increase for services provided between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026. The legislation modifies existing Medicare payment rules to stabilize practice revenues during transition periods. It directly affects doctors and healthcare providers who bill Medicare for patient services. The key change is the extended timeframe and the defined 4.73% rate for the 2025-2026 period.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance plans to cover three primary care visits and three behavioral health visits per year with no patient cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles). It applies to employer-sponsored health plans and individual insurance policies under ERISA, the Public Health Service Act, and tax code provisions. Plans must treat these visits equally to other covered care, with no stricter limits or lower reimbursement rates. The requirement takes effect two years after the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill caps patient out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs under health insurance plans. It prohibits group health plans and insurers from requiring patients to pay more in deductibles, coinsurance, or copays for covered outpatient drugs dispensed at in-network pharmacies than the nationwide average consumer price for that drug (based on Social Security Act data). The law applies to all health insurance plans covered under the Public Health Service Act, ERISA, and Internal Revenue Code, directly affecting insured patients who fill prescriptions at participating pharmacies. The key mechanism ensures patient costs never exceed the national average drug price, using existing federal pricing data without creating new administrative requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 8796, the "Stop Comstock Act," removes outdated restrictions from federal law that previously banned the distribution of materials related to contraception and abortion as "obscene" or "indecent." The bill amends Title 18 and the Tariff Act by deleting references to "indecent," "immoral," "unlawful abortion," and "procuring abortion" from provisions governing obscene materials. It clarifies that the law only prohibits "obscene materials" in commerce, eliminating broad restrictions on reproductive health information. This directly affects internet platforms, healthcare providers, and individuals sharing reproductive health resources by removing legal barriers to their distribution.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicare Advantage plans to implement electronic prior authorization systems by 2027 and publish detailed data on their approval and denial rates for medical services by 2026. It directly affects Medicare Advantage plans (private insurers offering Medicare coverage) and their enrollees (seniors 65+), mandating transparency about prior authorization decisions, processing times, and appeal outcomes. Key provisions include requiring plans to report annual statistics on request approvals/denials, average processing times, and use of technology, with this data published publicly by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The bill also sets timelines for plan responses to prior authorization requests and mandates reports to Congress on implementation and impacts.

Maddy summaryHR 8390, the Mental Health and MAMA Act of 2024, eliminates cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for mental health and substance use disorder services during pregnancy and for one year after birth. It applies to people enrolled in group health plans, individual insurance, or federal employee health plans, covering services provided by in-network providers. The bill requires insurers to waive these costs starting two years after enactment, explicitly including telehealth services. It specifically targets care for pregnant and postpartum individuals, ensuring coverage from pregnancy diagnosis through the 12 months following birth.

Maddy summaryHR 7970, the Plain Prescription Prices Act, requires television advertisements for certain prescription drugs (covered by Medicare Part D or Medicaid) to display the current list price for a typical 30-day treatment. The law mandates that drug companies include this price information, based on the first day of the quarter the ad airs, in all direct-to-consumer TV ads. This applies to drugs where Medicare or Medicaid covers payment, affecting pharmaceutical companies that advertise these products. The bill aims to increase price transparency for consumers by making the full list price visible during ad broadcasts.

Maddy summaryHR 7641, the Justice for Patients Act, prohibits health insurance plans and issuers from requiring patients to use pre-dispute arbitration or blocking class-action lawsuits for coverage-related claims. It directly affects all patients with group or individual health insurance plans and the insurance companies offering those plans. The bill bans two specific contract terms: mandatory arbitration clauses for health coverage disputes and limitations on class actions for plan administration issues. If enacted, these provisions would be unenforceable under federal law, ensuring patients retain their right to pursue legal action in court.

Maddy summaryThe Community Housing Act of 2024 significantly increases federal investment in affordable housing through major funding boosts, including $44.5 billion for the Housing Trust Fund and $1.5 billion for the Capital Magnet Fund over the next decade. It repeals the Faircloth amendment, which had limited public housing construction since 1992, allowing public housing authorities to build new units without the previous cap. The bill establishes a permanent emergency rental assistance program providing $3 billion annually through 2029 to help low-income households with rent payments and creates the Unlocking Possibilities program to fund local efforts to streamline housing regulations and reduce zoning barriers. These provisions directly affect low- and moderate-income households, community land trusts, and rural communities facing housing insecurity and affordability challenges.