Rep. Jamie Raskin

Maddy summaryHR 907, the Protecting Community Television Act, is a procedural bill that modifies the legal definition of "franchise fee" in the Communications Act of 1934. It changes the wording from "includes" to "means" and adds "other monetary" before "assessment" in the fee definition. This amendment does not alter actual fee amounts, payment requirements, or protections for community television providers. It solely adjusts the technical language used in federal law to describe these fees. The bill has no direct impact on community TV operations or funding, as it only refines the statutory definition.

Maddy summaryHR 902, "Ellie’s Law," authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal years 2024 through 2028 for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to conduct broader research on unruptured brain aneurysms. The funding aims to study diverse patient populations by age, sex, and race, supplementing existing research budgets without replacing them. This bill directly affects researchers and future patients by increasing federal investment in a condition impacting 6.6 million Americans, with current federal spending at only $2.08 per affected person yearly. The legislation focuses on advancing scientific understanding to improve prevention and treatment, citing the high mortality rate (50% fatal) and significant healthcare costs ($4.1 billion annually in direct costs) associated with brain aneurysm ruptures.

Maddy summaryThe HELP Copays Act (HR 830) changes how health insurance plans calculate patient cost-sharing. It requires that payments made by third parties (like pharmacies, charities, or discount programs) toward medical costs count toward a patient's deductible, copay, or out-of-pocket limit. This directly affects insured individuals who receive financial assistance, discounts, or product vouchers for healthcare expenses. The law ensures these external payments reduce the patient's actual out-of-pocket costs more quickly, aligning with existing Affordable Care Act and Public Health Service Act requirements.

Aviation-Impacted Communities Act This bill addresses noise mitigation for aviation-impacted communities. ( Aviation-impacted community is defined as a community that is located not more than one mile from any point at which a commercial or cargo jet route is 3,000 feet or less above ground level.) Specifically, the bill expands Airport Improvement Program noise mitigation program funding for aviation-impacted communities that are not currently within the 65 day-night average sound level (DNL) standard; requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study that summarizes the relevant literature and studies done on aviation impacts worldwide and focuses on large hub commercial airports and surrounding communities, including communities currently outside of the 65 DNL contour; directs the FAA to conduct outreach to aviation-impacted communities to inform them of the opportunity to be a designated community; requires the FAA to devise an action plan that alleviates or addresses the concerns of a designated community; and provides grants for necessary noise mitigation in a designated community for residences, hospitals, nursing homes, adult or child day care centers, schools, and places of worship.

Maddy summaryHR 1050, the Data Science and Literacy Act of 2023, creates a federal grant program to improve data literacy education across U.S. schools from pre-kindergarten through college. The bill authorizes $10 million annually to fund grants for eligible schools and organizations to develop data science curricula, provide teacher training, expand access to learning materials, and reduce educational gaps for underrepresented students. Grantees must track student demographics and report on program effectiveness, with a focus on increasing diversity in STEM fields. Title II of the bill also requires the collection of detailed data on secondary school STEM teachers to better understand workforce composition. This legislation aims to strengthen data literacy skills among students to prepare them for 21st-century careers and informed citizenship.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor all U.S. Army Dustoff crews who served during the Vietnam War (1962-1973). It recognizes their critical role in evacuating nearly 900,000 wounded personnel, including U.S., South Vietnamese, and allied forces, under extreme combat conditions. The medal, designed with input from the Secretary of Defense, will be presented to the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum for permanent display. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to cover costs, but the primary action is the commemorative recognition of these crews' service.

Maddy summaryHR 1002, the "Saving the Civil Service Act," restricts how federal government positions can be moved between competitive hiring (where most federal jobs are filled through merit-based exams) and non-competitive "excepted service" positions. The bill prevents agencies from moving positions out of the competitive service unless they fit specific schedules in place as of September 2020, requires Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approval for certain transfers, and mandates employee consent for any position transfer between service types. It also limits the number of employees that can be moved from competitive to excepted service during a presidential term - capping it at 1% of an agency's workforce or five employees, whichever is greater. The bill directly affects federal employees and agencies by making it harder to shift positions out of the competitive hiring system without strict oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act to allow Puerto Rico to transition from its current block grant nutrition assistance program to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aligning it with how states like Hawaii and Guam operate. Puerto Rico must submit a transition plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture within 60 days, which the agency must review and approve within 180 days. The bill extends Puerto Rico’s existing block grant funding for up to five years or until the transition is complete, whichever comes first, and requires annual progress reports to Congress. This change directly affects Puerto Rico residents currently receiving nutrition assistance under the block grant, potentially providing them with benefits consistent with the SNAP program.

Maddy summaryThe SNAP Theft Protection Act of 2023 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish regulations allowing states to reissue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits stolen through identity theft or skimming (like card skimming). It directs states to identify eligible households and reissue lost benefits meeting specific criteria, directly affecting SNAP recipients who experience benefit theft. Key provisions include setting criteria for reissuance, requiring a 240-day status report to Congress on implementation, and annual reports detailing the value and number of reissued benefits per state. The bill also mandates periodic reviews of electronic benefit transfer security to adapt to evolving theft threats.

Maddy summaryHR 987 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins honoring Golda Meir, Israel's first female Prime Minister, and the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Israel relations. It specifies three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar clad coins (max 750,000), with detailed weight and composition requirements. All coins will include Golda Meir's image, her name, and commemorative inscriptions, and will be sold during 2026. A surcharge ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars) will be paid to the American Friends of Kiryat Sanz Laniado Hospital Inc. to support its hospital operations.