Rep. Don Bacon

Maddy summaryThe Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act increases federal funding for law enforcement bulletproof vests by raising the grant share from 50% to 60% for state and local agencies. It also authorizes $60 million annually for the program from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. This change reduces the cost burden on participating agencies, requiring them to cover only 40% of vest costs instead of 50%. The bill directly affects state and local law enforcement agencies that apply for these grants to purchase protective gear.

Maddy summaryHR 5373, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2025, prohibits the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of specific types of asbestos (including chrysotile and crocidolite) after its enactment. It directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and users of commercial asbestos, with two key exceptions: the chlor-alkali industry can continue using asbestos for diaphragms until January 1, 2030, and the President may grant limited national security exemptions (up to 3 years, extendable once). The bill explicitly states it does not alter existing regulations for cosmetics or other products containing asbestos as an impurity. It defines "commercial asbestos" to exclude products where asbestos is only an impurity, ensuring no overlap with current cosmetic safety rules.

Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.) On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden. The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.

Maddy summaryHR 5357, the College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025, allows college mental health providers to offer telehealth services to enrolled or recently attending students across state lines. It directly affects college mental health providers (employed by institutions of higher education) and students registered at or who attended the college within the past three months. Key provisions require providers to verify student identity, obtain consent for telehealth, maintain backup communication methods, and respect state prohibitions on specific services while operating under their home state’s licensing rules. The bill also clarifies that malpractice insurance covers these telehealth services as if provided in the provider’s home state and permits states to form compacts to facilitate cross-state telehealth.

Maddy summaryHR 5337 establishes a new standard for businesses (called "covered entities") that contract with motor carriers to ship goods. It requires these businesses to verify 45 days before shipment that a carrier is properly registered, has required insurance, and is confirmed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as meeting safety standards. Individual shippers (like personal movers) are exempt from these verification requirements. The standard expires once the FMCSA issues new safety fitness regulations within one year of the bill's enactment. The bill also creates a public FMCSA confirmation system showing whether carriers meet safety requirements.

Maddy summaryHRES 702 is a symbolic resolution condemning the September 10, 2025, assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a conservative political activist. It expresses condolences to his family, praises first responders, and reaffirms the right to peaceful assembly. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but serves as a formal statement of condemnation. The resolution directly addresses the House of Representatives' stance on this event, with no direct impact on constituents or legislation.

Maddy summaryHRES 695 is a commemorative resolution honoring Charlie Kirk, a conservative speaker and Turning Point USA leader, following his assassination on September 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. The resolution condemns the attack, offers condolences to his family, and recognizes first responders. It reaffirms the First Amendment right to peaceful assembly and emphasizes that violence cannot silence democratic participation. This non-binding resolution does not create new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic tribute to Kirk's memory and the principles of democratic engagement.

Maddy summaryThe RESULTS Act (HR 5269) changes how Medicare calculates payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests. It requires Medicare to collect data on private payor rates for widely available non-Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Tests (non-ADLTs) from a qualifying independent claims data entity (a national nonprofit organization meeting specific criteria) rather than relying on data reported directly by laboratories. For tests where data is unavailable, the bill establishes default payment rates based on previous years' rates adjusted for inflation. The law also requires Medicare to publicly explain payment rates with supporting data, affecting Medicare beneficiaries, clinical laboratories, and private payors that provide services covered by Medicare.

Maddy summaryThe Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (HR 5283) increases U.S. immigration visas for healthcare workers by recapturing unused employment-based visas from 1992-2024. It directly affects foreign nurses and physicians who filed petitions before 2027 (three years after enactment), reserving 25,000 visas for nurses and 15,000 for physicians. Key provisions include exempting these visas from country caps, requiring labor attestations to ensure no U.S. worker displacement, and establishing fee-free premium processing for applications. The bill aims to address healthcare staffing shortages by making these visas immediately available to qualifying professionals and their families.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. President to identify Pakistani officials responsible for undermining democracy and human rights within 180 days of enactment, then impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on them. It targets senior government, military, or security officials found to have committed gross human rights violations or interfered with democratic processes, such as during Pakistan’s 2024 elections or through constitutional changes. Sanctions would include asset freezes and travel bans, with exceptions for humanitarian aid, UN obligations, and national security activities. The bill expires on September 30, 2030, and aims to pressure Pakistan to uphold democratic norms, human rights, and judicial independence.