Rep. Debbie Dingell

Maddy summaryThis bill protects living organ donors from insurance discrimination by prohibiting life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums, or altering policy terms solely because someone donated an organ while alive. It also updates the Family and Medical Leave Act to include recovery from organ donation surgery as a qualifying health condition, allowing donors to take protected leave for this purpose. Additionally, the bill requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to update public educational materials about living donation benefits, risks, and insurance protections within six months of enactment. These changes directly affect living organ donors, insurers, employers, and healthcare systems by ensuring fair access to insurance and workplace leave.

Maddy summaryHR 2955, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, establishes a Federal Work Group to improve data collection and best practices for youth in residential programs (like therapeutic schools, treatment centers, and group homes). The Work Group, composed of federal agency representatives and diverse stakeholders, must develop national data standards, create risk assessment tools, and issue biennial reports with recommendations to enhance safety, reduce restraints, and expand community-based alternatives. It directly affects youth with mental health, substance use, or disability needs placed in these facilities, as well as agencies overseeing them. The bill also mandates a National Academies study to examine funding, oversight, and barriers to community care. These mechanisms aim to standardize data tracking and promote less restrictive, trauma-informed care for youth in residential programs.

Maddy summaryThe Combating Child Labor Act strengthens penalties for employers violating child labor laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act. It increases criminal fines to $500,000 or up to 10 years in prison for willful violations causing death or serious injury to children under 18, and raises civil penalties for such violations up to $700,000 per incident. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to publish an annual report detailing child labor violations, including employer names, types of violations, and trends by industry or region. This report will help track enforcement efforts and identify high-risk areas, directly affecting employers who violate child labor rules and the Department of Labor’s oversight role.

Maddy summaryThe Apprenticeship Hubs Across America Act of 2023 creates a federal grant program to fund organizations (called "workforce intermediaries") that help employers establish registered apprenticeship programs in high-growth industries like health care, technology, and advanced manufacturing. These intermediaries receive competitive grants of up to $6 million each (with a 20% non-federal matching requirement) to provide employer outreach, program design support, and apprentice services, prioritizing sectors with low current apprenticeship participation. The program requires grantees to focus on expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups (such as women, minorities, and veterans) and tracks outcomes like program completion rates and post-apprenticeship earnings. Authorized at $25 million annually from 2024-2028, the bill mandates performance evaluations to determine future funding based on results in creating accessible, high-quality apprenticeships.

Maddy summaryThis bill would designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), granting eligible Lebanese nationals already in the U.S. temporary legal status and protection from deportation. To qualify, individuals must have continuously resided in the U.S. since the bill's enactment, be admissible as immigrants, and register with authorities. The designation would last 18 months, allowing work authorization and shielding eligible individuals from removal. Approximately 12,000 people in the U.S. would qualify, per a 2023 report, with an estimated $420 million annual economic contribution.

Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the above-the-line tax deduction for the expenses of performing artists (including commissions paid to managers or agents) to provide for a phaseout of such deduction for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 ($200,000 for joint return filers). The $100,000 phaseout threshold is adjusted for inflation annually for taxable years beginning after 2023.

Maddy summaryHR 2886, the Base Access Privileges Improvement Act, standardizes access procedures for specific groups at U.S. military installations. It requires the Defense Secretary to create uniform screening protocols for civilian workers, contractors, labor organizers, and others (like military families or state officials conducting inspections) seeking entry, including pre-arrival registration and unescorted access using existing IDs where possible. The bill mandates public websites listing main entrances, commercial delivery points, and access standards, with annual updates and a 180-day deadline for the first implementation report to Congress. It also aligns with prior laws like the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to streamline access for union representatives seeking contractors at installations.

Maddy summaryHR 2918, the Fair Housing for Survivors Act of 2023, amends the Fair Housing Act to explicitly protect survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking from housing discrimination. It adds "survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking" as a protected class under the law, prohibiting landlords and housing providers from refusing to rent, evicting, or charging more based on this status. The bill also clarifies that discrimination based on survivor status - including denial of housing due to protective orders, shelter stays, or prior incidents - is illegal. This directly affects survivors who face barriers like denied rentals, evictions, or higher costs when seeking safe housing, addressing documented discrimination reported by 67% of survivors in New York studies. The law preserves survivors' ability to pursue other discrimination claims under the Fair Housing Act.

Raise the Age Act of 2023 This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle or semiautomatic center-fire shotgun that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.

Maddy summaryThe School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act (HR 2869) requires the U.S. Department of Education to publish an annual report on school crime and safety, including detailed data on every school shooting incident. The report must track the number of shootings, whether they were mass incidents, the age, race, and gender of victims and shooters, firearm details, how incidents ended, and safety measures like security protocols or emergency plans in place at the school. This applies to all schools defined by the bill, including elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions. The law also mandates collecting historical data on shootings before the bill's enactment to provide a comprehensive national record.