Rep. Daniel T. Kildee

Maddy summaryHR 2413, the Dental Care for Veterans Act, reclassifies dental care as standard medical services under the VA's existing benefits structure, eliminating prior restrictions that treated dental care separately. It modifies how dental appliances are procured and establishes a phased eligibility timeline: veterans already eligible for dental benefits gain immediate access, while others qualify over 1-4 years based on their current benefit status. The bill affects all veterans currently covered under VA dental programs, changing their access to care without creating new funding. Key provisions streamline dental service delivery under Title 38, aligning it with other medical benefits.

Maddy summaryHR 2414 extends CHAMPVA health coverage for children of veterans from age 21 to 26, regardless of marital status. This change directly affects children of veterans enrolled in the CHAMPVA program who would otherwise lose coverage upon turning 21. The bill amends Section 1781(c) of Title 38, U.S. Code, to update eligibility rules for medical care provided after the law's enactment. It does not impact existing coverage for children under a specific subsection (section 101(4)(A)(ii)).

Maddy summaryHR 1351, the "Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act," repeals Section 3003 of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which had mandated transferring 2,422 acres of Oak Flat in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest to foreign-owned Resolution Copper for mining. The bill withdraws this land from all mining activities, preventing Resolution Copper from using destructive block cave mining that would destroy the sacred site and harm water resources. Oak Flat, a National Register-listed Traditional Cultural Property sacred to Indigenous tribes, would be protected from a mine projected to deplete 775,000 acre-feet of groundwater over 40 years and create a 4,000-acre toxic waste dump. The legislation directly affects Resolution Copper (owned by Rio Tinto and BHP) and aims to halt the project that would obliterate cultural resources and exacerbate regional water shortages.

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.

Maddy summaryHR 2402, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2023, bans the manufacture, processing, use, and sale of commercial asbestos (including specific types like chrysotile and crocidolite) in the U.S. starting one year after enactment, with key exceptions. It allows the chlor-alkali industry to continue using asbestos for diaphragm manufacturing until two years after enactment and permits limited national security exemptions for up to three years with public disclosure. The bill also requires the EPA and HHS to create public education resources about asbestos health risks and mitigation options. This directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and users of commercial asbestos products, excluding asbestos present only as an impurity.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals during the 30 days preceding their release from public institutions. It directly affects people transitioning from prisons or jails back into communities by extending health coverage during this critical period. The key mechanism amends the Social Security Act to remove a Medicaid exclusion for this 30-day window. Additionally, it requires an 18-month report analyzing correctional healthcare standards, current discharge practices, and the potential impact of this coverage extension on post-release health access.

Helping Kids Cope Act This bill establishes programs within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support pediatric behavioral health care. Specifically, HRSA must award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible health care providers for (1) integrating and coordinating pediatric behavioral health care within communities, and (2) pediatric mental health and substance use disorder workforce training. Additionally, HRSA must award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to hospitals or rural health clinics that predominately treat individuals under age 21 for expanding their capacity to provide pediatric behavioral health services. Recipients may use awards for constructing or modernizing sites of care and enhancing digital infrastructure, telehealth capabilities, or other improvements to patient care infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHR 2434, the Next Generation Fuels Act of 2023, requires automobile manufacturers to design vehicles for model years 2028 and later to operate with gasoline containing up to 25% ethanol (2028-2032) or 30% ethanol (2033+) and to be compatible with gasoline having a research octane number of 95 or higher (2028-2032) or 98 or higher (2033+). Fuel retailers must install equipment to ensure compatibility with these high-octane, high-ethanol fuels, while refiners must meet specific requirements for gasoline aromatics content and low-carbon fuel standards. The bill mandates labeling requirements to inform consumers about fuel compatibility and potential consequences of using lower-octane fuels. EPA must determine nationwide availability of 98 octane gasoline by 2031 before the full requirements take effect in 2033, affecting automobile manufacturers, fuel retailers, and refiners through changes in vehicle design, fuel composition, and consumer information standards.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.