Rep. Melanie A. Stansbury

Maddy summaryThe INSURE Act creates a federal reinsurance program to replace the National Flood Insurance Program, requiring property insurers to offer "all-perils" policies covering specific catastrophe risks like flood, wind, hurricane, wildfire, and eventually earthquake. Insurers participating in the program must implement loss prevention partnerships that encourage investments to reduce catastrophe losses, and will pay quarterly premiums to a Federal Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund. The program will phase in coverage for different perils over eight years, starting with flood coverage (beginning four years after enactment), followed by wind/hurricane (five years), severe storms/wildfire (six years), and earthquake (eight years or when feasibility reports are submitted). The bill also establishes grant programs for states to promote loss prevention investments and provide financial assistance to low-income homeowners struggling with insurance costs.

Maddy summaryThe Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 allocates $7 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) during fiscal year 2024. The ACP provides subsidies to low-income households to help cover the cost of internet service and connected devices like laptops or tablets. This funding ensures the program can continue supporting eligible households throughout the year, with the money remaining available until fully spent. The bill extends existing program funding without changing eligibility criteria or service requirements.

Maddy summaryThe PFAS Action Act of 2023 establishes federal regulations to address PFAS contamination across multiple environmental and health domains. It requires the EPA to designate specific PFAS (like PFOA and PFOS) as hazardous substances, set drinking water standards for PFAS, and mandate testing and reporting by manufacturers. The bill provides $500 million for community water systems to install PFAS treatment systems, $100 million for school water testing and filtration, and creates a website to help homeowners test well water. It also establishes labeling requirements for PFAS-free products and mandates better public communication about PFAS risks.

Maddy summaryThe Baby Food Safety Act of 2023 requires the FDA to establish legal limits for four toxic elements - lead, cadmium, mercury, and inorganic arsenic - in foods for infants and children under two years old, including infant formula. It mandates that the FDA set these limits through administrative orders with specific deadlines (e.g., proposed limits for lead/arsenic/cadmium by December 2025), after public comment periods and scientific review. The law also adds that baby food exceeding these limits becomes "adulterated" and triggers mandatory recalls for non-formula products. This directly affects baby food manufacturers, requiring them to comply with new safety standards by 2027-2030.

Maddy summaryHR 6768, the Public Health Nursing Act, authorizes $5 billion annually (2024-2033) to expand public health nursing services through federal grants to state and local health departments. The bill requires grantees to use funds for recruiting and training registered nurses in underserved areas, covering wages, medical supplies (like PPE), and administrative costs to improve maternal/infant health and chronic disease management. Priority is given to applicants serving communities with high chronic disease rates, maternal mortality, low-income populations, rural areas, or health professional shortage zones. This directly affects public health departments and their ability to hire nurses providing in-person care, home visits, and mobile clinic services.

Maddy summaryThe Restore Honor to Service Members Act of 2023 establishes a Department of Defense "Tiger Team" to improve outreach to veterans with certain discharge statuses (specifically those discharged under "former section 654" before 2011, often related to policies like the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era). The team will collaborate with the VA, veterans' groups, and other stakeholders to identify eligible veterans, share contact information, and guide them through the existing review process under Section 527 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill requires the team to submit regular progress reports to Congress and a final report within three years, tracking how many veterans successfully changed their discharge status to "honorable" through the review process. This focuses on streamlining access to an existing review mechanism, not creating new benefits or altering discharge standards.

Maddy summaryThe Brittany Clardy Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Act establishes a new Office within the Department of Justice to address the disproportionate rates of missing and murdered Black women and girls in the U.S. The Office will collect and analyze data on these cases - including case resolution times, Amber Alert usage, and trafficking links - and create a public dashboard for tracking. It also creates a grant program for community organizations to provide culturally appropriate prevention services, law enforcement training, and victim support. The Office must submit biennial reports to Congress with findings and recommendations to improve the criminal justice response to these cases. This bill directly affects Black women and girls facing violence, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations providing related services.

Maddy summaryHR 6720 creates a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide stabilization payments to farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers affected by natural or other disasters designated by the Secretary. Eligible entities - such as labor unions or membership organizations representing these worker groups - can apply for funding to support affected workers. The program is authorized to spend up to $50 million, with the Secretary required to report on its outcomes within four years. This bill directly affects workers in specific food industry sectors during disaster events, offering financial stabilization through grants administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Maddy summaryThe Eviction Prevention Act of 2023 provides $125 million annually to states and local governments to fund legal counsel for eligible individuals (those with income below 125% of the federal poverty level) facing eviction. It establishes a national database requiring courts to collect detailed data on eviction cases, including tenant demographics, reasons for eviction, representation status, and case outcomes. The database will track court-ordered evictions, administrative evictions, and illegal evictions, with specific requirements for reporting by courts and law enforcement. This legislation authorizes $100 million annually for the database's operation through fiscal year 2028, aiming to improve understanding of eviction patterns and outcomes. The bill creates concrete mechanisms for increasing legal representation access and gathering comprehensive eviction data to inform policy decisions.

Maddy summaryThe Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act of 2023 updates the National School Lunch Act to improve a USDA resource hub for schools and community organizations. It requires the clearinghouse to include information on trained volunteers and practical ways to prevent hunger, beyond just food assistance details. The bill also increases annual funding for the clearinghouse from $250,000 to $750,000, effective through fiscal year 2031, to support expanded resources. This directly affects the USDA's operations and the schools, nonprofits, and communities relying on the clearinghouse for hunger-related information.