Rep. Deborah K. Ross

Maddy summaryHRES 1515 designates October 1, 2024, as "National Animal Rescue Day" to raise public awareness about animal adoption, promote spaying and neutering to reduce pet overpopulation, and encourage more adoptions nationwide. The resolution supports community events, educational efforts, and charitable activities on that day to assist animal shelters and reduce the number of animals euthanized. It is a non-binding symbolic gesture without legal force, intended to unite communities around animal rescue initiatives.

Maddy summaryHR 9824, the College Thriving Act, creates a federal grant program to fund skills-for-success courses for all first-year college students at eligible institutions. The bill directly affects first-year students at participating colleges, requiring institutions to develop non-graded courses covering mental wellness, time management, conflict resolution, and campus resource connections. Grants of $1 million over five years (with adjustments based on funding) are awarded competitively, prioritizing historically Black colleges and universities, and mandate phased implementation: course development in year one, a pilot in year two, and full rollout by year three. Institutions must report annually on course implementation and submit a final evaluation after five years. The bill authorizes $50 million to support this initiative, with no new tax or regulatory requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 9849, the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2024, addresses critical shortages in medical laboratory staff by expanding federal workforce programs. It adds medical laboratory personnel - including phlebotomists, technicians, and genetic counselors - to the National Health Service Corps, allowing them to work in underserved areas, and includes them in loan repayment programs. The bill also creates a new $25 million education grant program to fund accredited training for lab professionals, prioritizing rural, underrepresented, and disadvantaged communities. These changes directly affect medical laboratory workers and communities facing staffing shortages in diagnostic testing.

Maddy summaryHR 9720, the AI Incident Reporting and Security Enhancement Act, creates a voluntary framework for tracking AI security and safety incidents. It directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop common definitions for AI security incidents (exploitable weaknesses) and AI safety incidents (accidental system failures), and to convene industry, government, and civil society to design standardized reporting processes. The bill requires NIST to submit a report to Congress within three years detailing recommendations for voluntary incident sharing, including automated tools and public disclosure norms. It does not impose mandatory reporting or enforcement authority, focusing instead on collaborative development of best practices for AI incident tracking. This affects AI developers, security teams, and federal agencies involved in AI systems.

Maddy summaryHR 9710, the Small Modular Reactor Demonstration Act of 2024, creates a federal program to accelerate the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) and micro-reactors (under 50 MW) in the U.S. The program, funded with $100 million annually from 2025-2027, supports demonstration projects through competitive awards for grid-scale SMR technology, requiring at least 50% non-federal cost share. It prioritizes projects using existing energy infrastructure, diverse designs (including cost, waste output, and site compatibility), and collaboration with utilities, national labs, and institutions of higher education for workforce training. The bill directly affects nuclear developers, electric utilities, and research institutions by reducing regulatory barriers and aiming for commercial deployment by 2034.

Maddy summaryHR 1719, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2023, establishes a presumption that certain cancers diagnosed in public safety officers (like police and firefighters) are work-related if linked to their duties. It defines 22 specific cancers (including lung, mesothelioma, and WTC-related cancers) as "exposure-related," allowing officers or their families to receive benefits without proving direct work connection, provided they were diagnosed within 15 years of leaving active service. The bill also creates a process for adding new cancers to the list based on scientific evidence, requiring the Bureau to review petitions and make decisions within 180 days. This applies to deaths or disabilities occurring on or after January 1, 2023, directly affecting officers who developed covered cancers during service.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 130 is a symbolic concurrent resolution commending state and local governments that treat reproductive rights as human rights following the *Dobbs* decision. It recognizes efforts by cities like Austin, Texas, and Montgomery County, Maryland, to expand abortion access and condemn criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. The resolution affirms that reproductive rights are human rights, urges states to repeal restrictive laws, and references U.S. obligations under international human rights treaties. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or alter existing policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies Medicare rules to allow doctors to provide certain critical medications directly in their offices without extra administrative hurdles. It specifically amends a Medicare provision (Section 1877(b)(2) of the Social Security Act) to remove a requirement that drugs furnished in-office must follow specific administrative rules, effective May 11, 2023. The bill also directs the removal of conflicting Medicare guidance published in 2021 and 2023, which had previously restricted this practice. This change directly affects Medicare beneficiaries (seniors) and doctors' offices that supply covered medications during patient visits. It streamlines access to necessary drugs by eliminating an unnecessary barrier to in-office medication administration under Medicare.

Maddy summaryHR 3433, the "Give Kids a Chance Act of 2024," requires pharmaceutical companies developing certain cancer drugs to conduct pediatric studies if the drugs target molecular pathways relevant to childhood cancers. It directly affects drug manufacturers submitting new applications for cancer treatments, particularly those combining previously approved adult cancer drugs or containing a single new active ingredient. The bill amends FDA regulations to mandate these pediatric investigations only when specific conditions are met, such as when a drug's molecular target is relevant to pediatric cancer growth. The FDA must issue implementing guidance within 12 months, and reports to Congress will track implementation and effectiveness starting 2 years after enactment.

Maddy summaryHRES 1487 is a symbolic resolution designating September 23-29, 2024, as "Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Week." It recognizes the work of institutions serving Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students - such as those enrolling 10%+ of these students and awarding over 45% of bachelor’s degrees for these groups - without creating new policies or funding. The resolution encourages higher education institutions to seek funding for culturally relevant programs and asks the public to observe the week through activities supporting these institutions. It has no direct legal effect or impact on beneficiaries beyond raising awareness.