Rep. Mike Levin

Maddy summaryHRES 793 is a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives calling on Hamas to immediately release all 199 hostages taken during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The resolution condemns Hamas for the attack, the taking of hostages, and threats against hostages, while stating that holding hostages violates international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions. It demands the immediate release of all hostages and expresses sympathy for victims and their families. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create legal obligations but formally expresses the House's position.

Maddy summaryHRES 114 is a resolution proposing to expel Representative George Santos from the U.S. House of Representatives, citing constitutional authority under Article I, Section 5, Clause 2. It directly targets Santos, who was a sitting member of the House at the time of introduction. The resolution follows the House's constitutional power to expel members for misconduct, though it does not specify the alleged violations. This procedural resolution was referred to the Committee on Ethics for review.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a two-year pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve data collection and analysis of suicides and suicide attempts by veterans occurring on VA property (e.g., at medical centers or facilities). It creates a cross-departmental working group - including staff from mental health, health care, benefits, and cemetery offices - to conduct root cause analyses, interview families, and standardize data collection through updated reports and a unified management system. The program requires annual briefings to Congress on findings and mandates annual VA reports starting in 2025 to track trends and recommend prevention strategies. Additionally, it directs the Comptroller General to assess the VA’s suicide prevention efforts, including staffing, policies, and organizational structure.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires major social media platforms (with at least 25 million U.S. monthly users) to publicly post their terms of service regarding foreign terrorist organizations and designated terrorists, including how users can flag violations and what actions (like removal or banning) may be taken. Platforms must submit detailed quarterly reports to the Attorney General tracking flagged content, enforcement actions, and how content was reviewed or removed - disaggregated by content type, media, and reporting method. Non-compliance triggers daily civil penalties of up to $5 million per violation. The law expires five years after enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 6451, the Mental Health Justice Act of 2023, provides $250 million in federal grants to states, tribes, and localities to hire mental health professionals as first responders for specific emergencies. It directs these professionals to replace police in situations involving mental health crises, substance use, or intellectual/developmental disabilities - such as when a 911 caller describes a mental health emergency or a first responder identifies someone needing mental health support. The bill requires grantees to train responders in de-escalation techniques, link individuals to community-based services (not incarceration), and report on outcomes like reduced arrests or use of force. It also mandates data collection on demographics and prevents funneling people into institutional settings, with annual reports to Congress on program effectiveness.

Maddy summaryHR 6424, the SIGHT Act, establishes a new Chief Innovation Officer for Health within USAID's Global Health Bureau to coordinate and advance research and development of health technologies specifically designed for low-resource settings in low- and middle-income countries. It creates a Global Health Research and Development Advisory Council to advise USAID on priorities, requires a dedicated budget line for these activities (ensuring funding is "additional" and not replacing existing programs), and authorizes grants to support technology development, evaluation, and capacity-building in partner countries. The bill directly affects USAID's global health programming, partner nations, and health technology developers working on diseases like malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and pandemic preparedness. It aims to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of USAID's health programs by structuring innovation efforts around community and country needs in resource-limited contexts.

Maddy summaryThe VALOR Act (HR 6193) helps veterans with service-connected disabilities who applied for a VA home loan before receiving their disability rating. It changes the eligibility rule to allow a fee waiver based on a "disability examination or review" (not just a formal rating) and refunds fees paid before the law's enactment. Veterans who qualify can request a refund of the loan origination fee they paid, provided they submit evidence showing they would have been eligible for the waiver. The refund is paid directly to the veteran or applied as a principal reduction to their loan balance. This directly affects veterans who paid fees while waiting for their disability rating to be finalized.

Maddy summaryHR 3601, the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act, expands eligibility for a Veterans Affairs work-study allowance to veterans enrolled at least half-time in rehabilitation, education, or training programs - lowering the previous requirement from three-quarter-time. The bill establishes a five-year pilot program to test this change, requiring the VA to apply the same allowance rules to these veterans as to other participants, except for the enrollment threshold. It also mandates annual reports to Congress tracking participation numbers, four-year degree completion rates, and full-time VA employment outcomes for participants. The policy directly affects veterans seeking education benefits while balancing academic and personal responsibilities.

Maddy summaryHRES 848 is a symbolic House resolution (not a bill) urging Americans to connect with active-duty service members and veterans to support their transition from military service. It encourages individuals to reach out directly - through conversation and referrals - to help those dealing with mental health challenges, invisible wounds like traumatic brain injury, or isolation. The resolution cites rising suicide rates among active duty personnel (377 in 2020) and veterans (6,261 in 2019) as context for its call to action. It does not create new programs or funding but formally encourages personal engagement to promote access to existing support systems.

Adding Coccidioidomycosis to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act of 2023 This bill expands the priority-review voucher program for tropical diseases to include coccidioidomycosis (also known as Valley fever). A voucher entitles the holder to have a future new drug or biological product application acted upon by the Food and Drug Administration within six months.