American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2023 This bill eliminates the five-year amortization requirement for research and experimental expenditures, thus allowing continued expensing of such expenditures in the taxable years in which they are incurred.
Maddy summaryHJRES 27 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a federal rule that redefined which waterways fall under the Clean Water Act's protections. It targets a rule submitted by the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 18, 2023, which aimed to revise the "Waters of the United States" definition. The resolution would formally disapprove this rule under a specific federal procedure (Chapter 8 of Title 5), preventing it from taking effect. This would directly affect how federal agencies regulate pollution and development near water bodies, including wetlands and smaller streams.
Maddy summaryHR 2696 permanently extends a 7-year depreciation period for motorsports entertainment complexes under tax law. It amends the Internal Revenue Code by removing a temporary provision (subparagraph D), making the 7-year recovery period permanent for these facilities. This change directly affects businesses that own or operate motorsports venues when calculating tax deductions for facility investments. The bill is a technical tax code adjustment with no new regulations or direct impact on individuals.
Maddy summaryThe VA Same-Day Scheduling Act of 2023 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to schedule appointments for enrolled veterans during the same phone call when they request care. This applies to veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system who contact the VA by phone to request appointments. The law mandates that the VA must complete the scheduling during the call - without delay or future scheduling - regardless of the appointment date. The requirement takes effect 120 days after the bill is enacted.
Maddy summaryThe PLUS for Veterans Act of 2023 clarifies and updates rules for veterans' benefit claims under the Department of Veterans Affairs. It sets a $12,500 annual fee cap (adjusted for inflation) for agents or attorneys representing veterans, prohibits charging fees for medical exams, and prohibits unauthorized fees with penalties including fines or up to one year in prison. The bill directly affects veterans seeking benefits, their legal representatives, and the VA by standardizing fee agreements, requiring VA reports on agent/attorney suspensions, and ensuring veterans can access free services from VA-recognized organizations. Key provisions include banning fees for medical reports and requiring clear fee disclosures to veterans.
Maddy summaryHR 2584, the SAVE Act, creates a new federal criminal offense for assaulting or intimidating hospital employees while they're performing their duties, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, with enhanced penalties for using weapons, causing injury, or during public emergencies. The bill authorizes $25 million annually in federal grants to hospitals for violence prevention programs, including staff training, security technologies like panic buttons and video surveillance, and coordination with law enforcement. It defines "hospital" broadly to include various medical facilities such as long-term care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and critical access hospitals. The legislation directly affects hospital workers and medical facilities by establishing federal criminal penalties for violence against employees and providing funding to improve workplace safety. The law aims to address the rising problem of workplace violence against healthcare workers, which the bill states has increased since 2011.
Maddy summaryHR 2630, the Safe Step Act, requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to establish a clear, transparent process for patients or their doctors to request exceptions to medication step therapy protocols. These protocols typically force patients to try cheaper drugs first before covering more expensive alternatives. The bill mandates that plans must approve exceptions when prior treatments failed, delay would cause serious harm, a treatment is unsafe, or a patient is stable on a previously approved drug, with strict 72-hour (or 24-hour in emergencies) decision timelines. It also requires plans to publish the exception process online and limit documentation requests to only necessary medical information. This law directly affects health insurers, employers offering health plans, and patients using step therapy for prescription drugs.
Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development Act of 2023 or the VALID Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate in vitro clinical tests (IVCTs). Currently, the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have authority to regulate in vitro diagnostic devices. The bill defines IVCTs, which includes in vitro diagnostic devices, as tests intended for the collection, preparation, analysis, or in vitro clinical examination of specimens from the human body to provide information about a disease, condition, or treatment. An IVCT may not be introduced into interstate commerce unless it has received FDA premarket approval or is covered by certain exemptions, such as an exemption for a test that (1) was developed and introduced before this bill's enactment and meets certain requirements, (2) is a low-risk test, (3) is solely for public health surveillance, (4) is covered by a technology certification issued under this bill, or (5) has received a humanitarian exemption or emergency use authorization. The FDA may grant upon application a technology certification. Generally, such a certification covers a group of tests that use a single technology and may be evaluated using a representative test. While such a certification is valid, a qualifying IVCT that falls within the scope of the certification shall be cleared for interstate commerce. The bill also imposes various requirements related to IVCTs, including those related to quality control, labeling, and reporting adverse events. The FDA shall have various enforcement authority, including authority to order the recall of an IVCT with a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences.
Maddy summaryHR 1835, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act, modifies Medicare’s payment system for clinical laboratory tests to reduce administrative burdens. It allows the Medicare program to use random sampling of laboratories (instead of requiring full reporting) for "widely available" tests - defined as tests costing under $1,000 per test and performed by over 100 labs - starting in 2026. The bill also delays reporting deadlines, adjusts payment reduction limits, and sets annual caps on payment increases for these tests. This primarily affects independent, hospital, and physician office laboratories that perform common, low-cost tests meeting the defined criteria.
Maddy summaryHR 1826 (PSA Screening for HIM Act) requires health insurance plans and issuers to cover prostate cancer screenings without out-of-pocket costs for men aged 40 and over who are at high risk of prostate cancer. This directly affects African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer (defined as having a first-degree relative diagnosed with or who died from prostate cancer). The bill mandates coverage for evidence-based screenings under the same requirements as other preventive services, effective for plan years starting January 1, 2024. It aims to address disparities in prostate cancer outcomes by removing financial barriers to early detection for high-risk groups.
