Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro

Maddy summaryHR 7482, the Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act of 2024, expands the existing WISEWOMAN program to include heart health screenings for low-income women. It authorizes $250 million over five years (2025-2029) to fund blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, health education, and referrals to medical care through existing WISEWOMAN grantees. The bill directly affects low-income women, including those already served by the program and others meeting Secretary-specified criteria, by adding cardiovascular prevention to their preventive health services. Services must be provided by current WISEWOMAN screening entities or approved partners, with evaluation required for program effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThe Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2024 prohibits businesses from charging "grossly excessive" prices for goods or services during exceptional market shocks (like natural disasters or pandemics), directly affecting large corporations with over $100 million in annual U.S. revenue. Key provisions include presuming violations if prices rise more than 20% above pre-shock averages without justification, allowing companies to defend against claims by proving legitimate cost increases, and requiring major corporations to disclose pricing changes in SEC filings. Enforcement will be handled by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general, with civil penalties up to 5% of a company’s revenue. The bill defines "unfair leverage" for dominant firms and mandates annual inflation adjustments to revenue thresholds starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryHR 7248, the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, creates a new FDA process to qualify alternative nonclinical testing methods that can replace or reduce animal testing in drug development. Drug developers can request qualification for methods that improve safety/efficacy predictivity or shorten development time, with the FDA required to review requests within 180 days. If qualified, these methods allow expedited FDA review of drug applications and enable referencing the qualified method in submissions. The bill mandates annual reports tracking qualified methods, animal use reduction, and application approvals, with transparency requirements for Congress. This directly affects pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms developing new drugs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and private health plans to cover human milk fortifier - a nutritional supplement made from donor breast milk - at no cost for eligible premature infants. It directly affects infants under one year old who were born at 34 weeks or less gestation, have a birth weight under 1,800 grams, or have specific medical conditions requiring this fortifier, as determined by a qualified healthcare provider. The law mandates coverage without deductibles, copays, or cost-sharing starting January 1, 2025, for all these programs. This policy change ensures families of premature infants cannot face out-of-pocket costs for this critical nutrition support.

Maddy summaryHR 7108, the Expanding Access to Mental Health Services in Schools Act of 2024, authorizes federal grants to help high-need public schools hire and retain mental health staff. It targets schools that meet specific criteria: being in the top 15% of need (based on student poverty or other metrics) and failing to meet minimum staffing ratios for counselors, psychologists, or social workers. Grants fund recruitment (through salary stipends or loan repayment), retention (via professional development or incentives), and evidence-based mental health services, with grantees required to contribute 25% matching funds and report annually on provider numbers, demographics, and student-to-provider ratios. The program runs through 2029 and requires all services to comply with privacy laws like FERPA.

Maddy summaryHR 7056, the Access to Family Building Act, establishes federal rights for individuals to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) like IVF without unreasonable restrictions, directly affecting patients seeking fertility treatments and health care providers offering ART services. The bill prohibits states from imposing limitations on ART that are more burdensome than those for comparable medical procedures, fail to advance safety, or unduly restrict access, while allowing health and safety regulations that are necessary and least restrictive. It creates federal enforcement mechanisms, including lawsuits by the Attorney General or affected individuals to challenge violating state laws, and preempts conflicting state regulations. The bill explicitly preserves state authority over health/safety regulations and does not alter existing state insurance coverage laws for ART.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new USDA program to directly connect fresh produce producers with community food programs serving low-income individuals. It requires the Secretary of Agriculture to contract with eligible entities (like farms, distributors, and nonprofits) to buy U.S.-grown fresh produce - ensuring at least seven varieties per delivery, locally sourced when possible, and aligned with dietary guidelines - and distribute it to qualifying organizations (such as food banks, schools, and tribal programs) facing food insecurity. The program prioritizes contracts with beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, veteran farmers, and small/mid-sized family farms, while mandating 30% upfront payment and requiring annual reports on distribution metrics and program effectiveness to Congress. It aims to strengthen local food supply chains, reduce farm waste, and improve access to fresh produce for vulnerable communities.

Maddy summaryThe TRUTH in Labeling Act requires most packaged foods sold in the U.S. to display standardized front-of-package labels highlighting added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat content. These labels must be consistently placed, visually distinct, and large enough to read easily, based on guidelines from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue these labeling regulations within two years of enactment and then report to Congress on whether the labels have increased the availability of products with low- or no-calorie sweeteners, with a follow-up report required three years later. This affects food manufacturers who must comply with the labeling rules and aims to help all consumers - especially those with lower nutrition literacy - make more informed choices.

Maddy summaryThe Eviction Prevention Act of 2023 provides $125 million annually to states and local governments to fund legal counsel for eligible individuals (those with income below 125% of the federal poverty level) facing eviction. It establishes a national database requiring courts to collect detailed data on eviction cases, including tenant demographics, reasons for eviction, representation status, and case outcomes. The database will track court-ordered evictions, administrative evictions, and illegal evictions, with specific requirements for reporting by courts and law enforcement. This legislation authorizes $100 million annually for the database's operation through fiscal year 2028, aiming to improve understanding of eviction patterns and outcomes. The bill creates concrete mechanisms for increasing legal representation access and gathering comprehensive eviction data to inform policy decisions.

Maddy summaryThe ARMAS Act of 2023 transfers regulatory control of certain firearm exports from the Department of Commerce to the Department of State. It designates Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica, and other Caribbean nations as "covered countries" requiring special oversight for firearm exports. The bill requires the State Department to develop strategies to disrupt illegal firearm trafficking to these countries, implement tracking systems for firearms, and submit annual reports on exports. It establishes certification requirements for exports to covered countries, including detailed reporting to Congress about proposed exports. The law aims to improve tracking of firearms used in violence and reduce illegal trafficking that fuels crime and violence in the region.