Rep. Chris Pappas

Maddy summaryThe Postal Police Reform Act of 2023 updates federal law to explicitly include "Postal Service police officers" alongside Postal Inspectors as authorized personnel for enforcing regulations on U.S. Postal Service property. It clarifies that the Postmaster General can establish and post rules for protecting postal property, with violations punishable by fines or up to 30 days in jail. This change directly affects USPS police officers (by formalizing their role), the Postmaster General (by expanding regulatory authority), and anyone on postal property who must follow posted rules. The bill makes existing enforcement procedures more explicit without altering penalties or creating new requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 2995, the National Mesonet Authorization Act, establishes a formal National Mesonet Program within the National Weather Service to enhance weather observation networks. The program leverages existing commercial, academic, and non-Federal weather data to improve severe weather forecasting, warnings, and emergency response by increasing data density and quality across the U.S. It authorizes $50-70 million annually (2024-2028) to provide financial and technical assistance to state, tribal, private, and academic entities that expand their weather monitoring systems and share data with the program. This directly affects weather data providers and the National Weather Service, aiming to reduce forecasting gaps and support a 30-minute severe weather warning target. The bill requires regular congressional reporting on program progress and data integration efforts.

Maddy summaryHR 3009, the Military Suicide Prevention in the 21st Century Act, requires the Secretary of Defense to launch a two-year pilot program pre-loading the Virtual Hope Box app (a military behavioral health tool) and pre-programming the National Suicide Hotline and Veterans Crisis Line numbers into smartphones and other smart devices issued to service members. This directly affects active-duty military personnel who receive such devices from the Department of Defense. The pilot program mandates training on these resources during existing suicide awareness education and requires a final report with expansion recommendations. The bill focuses on making critical mental health tools immediately accessible on service-issued devices during crises.

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 summaryThis bill adjusts veterans' disability and survivor benefits to match the annual cost-of-living increase for Social Security. It requires the Veterans Affairs Secretary to raise specific payments - such as disability compensation for veterans, dependency payments for spouses and children, and clothing allowances - effective December 1, 2023, by the same percentage as the Social Security COLA for that year. The adjustment directly affects veterans receiving disability compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114, surviving spouses under § 1311, and children under §§ 1313-1314, as well as those receiving clothing allowances. The change ensures these benefits keep pace with inflation, using the Social Security Act’s established adjustment formula.

Maddy summaryThe PSLF Payment Completion Fairness Act (HR 2949) amends the Higher Education Act to clarify eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. It revises Section 455(m)(1)(B) by removing the phrase "is employed" and related text, replacing it with "has been" to focus solely on payment completion. This change ensures borrowers qualify for loan forgiveness once they've made 120 qualifying payments, regardless of current employment status. The bill directly affects federal student loan borrowers working in public service jobs who are seeking loan forgiveness under the PSLF program.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes $350 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2026 to establish the "Baltic Security Initiative," a U.S. defense program focused on strengthening security cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the "Baltic countries"). It requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy within one year to enhance military capabilities like missile defense, cyber resilience, long-range weapons, and coordination with NATO allies - including Poland - to deter Russian aggression and address security threats from Russia and China. The initiative operates under existing U.S. defense authorities (Title 10, U.S. Code) and mandates a report to Congress detailing how these security objectives will be achieved. The bill directly affects U.S. defense funding and the security planning of the three Baltic nations.

Fleet Reserve Association 100th Anniversary Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Fleet Reserve Association. All sales of coins issued under this bill shall include a surcharge which shall be paid to the Fleet Reserve Association.

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.