Securing Access to Lower Taxes by ensuring Deductibility Act or the SALT Deductibility Act This bill repeals the temporary restrictions in taxable years 2018 through 2025 on the deductibility of state and local taxes.
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 summaryHR 2439, the Ally’s Act, requires most private health insurance plans to cover hearing-related services and devices for qualifying individuals. It mandates coverage for cochlear implants, bone conduction devices, maintenance, upgrades every five years, hearing assessments, surgery, and rehabilitation, without separate cost-sharing or medical necessity reviews. This directly affects people with hearing loss who need implantable devices, as defined by a physician or audiologist. The law applies to group health plans under the Public Health Service Act, ERISA, and Internal Revenue Code, taking effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes $50 million annually from 2024 through 2029 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct or support research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. The funding is specifically for studies under the Public Health Service Act, adding to existing research budgets rather than replacing them. It directly affects CDC researchers and public health agencies by providing dedicated resources to study gun violence causes and prevention strategies. The bill creates no new regulations or requirements, only enabling research to inform future policy decisions.
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.
Maddy summaryThe Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion for Disasters Act (REAADI for Disasters Act) requires that individuals with disabilities and older adults be included in decision-making for all phases of disaster management. It mandates accessible communication methods (including American Sign Language, captions, and plain language), ensures disaster shelters and services are accessible without segregation, and requires compliance with civil rights laws in crisis standards of care. The bill also establishes training centers to support disability-inclusive disaster management and creates a national commission to review past settlement agreements related to disability rights in disasters. This legislation directly affects individuals with disabilities and older adults, as well as government agencies responsible for disaster planning and response.
Maddy summaryHR 1826 (PSA Screening for HIM Act) requires health insurance plans and issuers to cover prostate cancer screenings without out-of-pocket costs for men aged 40 and over who are at high risk of prostate cancer. This directly affects African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer (defined as having a first-degree relative diagnosed with or who died from prostate cancer). The bill mandates coverage for evidence-based screenings under the same requirements as other preventive services, effective for plan years starting January 1, 2024. It aims to address disparities in prostate cancer outcomes by removing financial barriers to early detection for high-risk groups.
Maddy summaryThe Women's Health Protection Act of 2023 would protect access to abortion services by prohibiting states from imposing restrictions that are more burdensome than those for comparable medical procedures. The bill would ensure people can obtain abortion services before fetal viability without unnecessary limitations like mandatory waiting periods or biased counseling, and after viability when necessary to protect the patient's life or health. It would preempt state laws that conflict with these protections and allow for civil enforcement actions to challenge restrictive state laws. This bill directly affects people seeking abortion services (including transgender and nonbinary individuals who can become pregnant), health care providers, and states that have implemented abortion restrictions.
Maddy summaryHR 2532, the Women in NCAA Sports Act, establishes a 16-member Commission to study and compare how the NCAA treats men’s and women’s sports programs. The Commission will examine NCAA operations - including tournament venues, budgets, media contracts, and policies - to identify disparities in treatment across all sports and student-athlete programs. After 18 months, it must submit a report to Congress with findings and recommendations for improving fairness, while avoiding any review of athlete eligibility. The bill directly affects NCAA operations and requires Congress to consider the Commission’s findings for potential policy changes.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the law governing Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for uniformed service members stationed in the U.S. It changes the calculation method so that BAH amounts must equal the actual monthly cost of adequate housing in each location, as determined by the Secretary of Defense. This directly affects active-duty service members and their families who receive BAH for housing. The key provision replaces the previous formula with a requirement that BAH payments match local housing costs for members in the same pay grade and dependency status. The change ensures BAH reflects current housing expenses rather than an older calculation method.
