Rep. Joe Neguse

Maddy summaryThe PRIDE Act of 2025 updates the Internal Revenue Code by replacing gender-specific terms like "husband and wife" with gender-neutral terms such as "married couple" or "spouse" across over 30 tax code provisions. This change affects all married couples filing federal taxes and the IRS, as it modernizes tax law language to be inclusive of all married individuals regardless of gender. The bill makes specific textual amendments to sections dealing with filing status, deductions, credits, and estate tax provisions without creating new tax benefits. It ensures tax law language does not assume the gender of spouses, making the tax code more equitable for all married couples. This is a language update to existing tax law, not a change in tax policy or benefits.

Maddy summaryHR 4132, the Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2025, allows drug manufacturers to provide FDA-approved prescribing information for prescription drugs exclusively through electronic means, while requiring them to offer paper copies at no additional cost upon request by prescribers or dispensers. The bill directly affects drug manufacturers, doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals who rely on prescribing information. Key provisions include mandating that manufacturers give prescribers/dispensers the choice to continue receiving paper copies or request them as needed, and requiring the HHS Secretary to issue implementing regulations within one year to support this transition. The law takes effect two years after enactment or when final regulations are issued, whichever comes first.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes technical corrections to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 to streamline claims for individuals harmed by water contamination at Camp Lejeune. It clarifies the evidence required (30+ days at the base plus a link between contaminants and health harm), specifies that cases must be handled in North Carolina courts (with limited transfer options), and sets attorney fee caps (20% before suit, 25% after). These changes directly affect veterans and civilians who lived at Camp Lejeune and filed claims under the 2022 law. The bill does not create new eligibility but aims to improve the legal process for existing cases.

Maddy summaryThe Women's Health Protection Act of 2025 would protect access to abortion services across the United States by prohibiting states from imposing restrictions that are more burdensome than those on comparable medical procedures. The bill directly affects people seeking abortion care and health care providers by banning restrictions such as mandatory in-person visits, requirements for specific tests, limitations on telemedicine, and rules based on a patient's reason for seeking abortion. It prohibits state laws that single out abortion for unnecessary restrictions while allowing post-viability abortions when necessary to protect a patient's life or health. The bill preempts conflicting state laws and provides enforcement mechanisms through private lawsuits and actions by the Attorney General.

Maddy summaryHR 4101, the Cancer Drug Parity Act of 2025, requires group health plans and insurance plans to provide equal cost-sharing (like deductibles and copays) for oral anticancer drugs as for intravenous or injected cancer drugs. This directly affects insured cancer patients prescribed oral medications, ensuring they face no higher out-of-pocket costs than for IV treatments when medically necessary. The law prohibits plans from changing benefits to increase costs for oral drugs or applying stricter limits on them compared to IV drugs. It takes effect for plan years starting January 1, 2026, and mandates a GAO study to assess the law’s impact on patient costs within two years of enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits state officials from blocking abortion access for patients traveling from other states, including restricting providers who offer legal abortions in their state to out-of-state patients. It protects people traveling across state lines for legal abortions, those assisting such travel, and the interstate transport of FDA-approved abortion medication. Violations can be challenged by the Justice Department or affected individuals through civil lawsuits seeking injunctions and damages. The law applies broadly across all states, territories, and tribal nations, defining "abortion service" to include both medical procedures and related care.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates federal funding for community-based violence intervention programs in high-violence areas, targeting communities with 35+ homicides annually or 20+ homicides with rates double the national average. It establishes grants for community organizations to implement trauma-informed violence interruption strategies, hospital-based programs for injured patients, and job training for "opportunity youth" (16-25 year olds not in school or work). The legislation authorizes $300 million in 2026, increasing to $700 million annually through 2033, with requirements for evidence-based approaches that reduce violence without contributing to mass incarceration. It creates a National Community Violence Response Center to coordinate data collection, research, and best practices for these programs. The focus is on prevention through economic opportunity, trauma care, and community-driven interventions rather than traditional law enforcement approaches.

Maddy summaryThe Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to track and report on key aspects of the appeals process, including average claim processing times after remand and reasons for case dismissals. It mandates the creation of guidelines for advancing cases on the Board's docket and authorizes the Board to aggregate appeals with common legal or factual issues to improve efficiency. The bill also expands the Court of Appeals' jurisdiction to handle class action claims and requires a study on common legal questions to help the Board make more consistent decisions. These changes aim to reduce delays and improve the accuracy of benefits decisions for veterans seeking appeals.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to annually report detailed data on veteran deaths to Congress. The report must include, for each veteran who died, whether they had a total service-connected disability, their primary and secondary causes of death, and whether suicide was linked to a total service-connected disability. It aims to provide a clear breakdown of mortality patterns among veterans, particularly focusing on deaths connected to service-related disabilities. This data collection is intended to inform future policy decisions without altering current benefits or services. The bill directly affects the VA's reporting obligations and Congress's access to specific veteran mortality data.

Maddy summaryThe Caring for Survivors Act of 2025 increases monthly dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses of veterans. It changes the calculation method from a fixed $1,154 to 55% of a specific veteran compensation rate, effective six months after enactment. The bill also reduces the required continuous disability rating period for survivors from 10 years to 5 years, and provides a proportional payment for cases where the rating period is shorter than 10 years. Surviving spouses of veterans who died before January 1, 1993, receive the greater of their current benefit or the new calculation. This directly affects surviving spouses eligible for benefits under Title 38, U.S. Code, particularly those with veterans who died prior to 1993.