Rep. Steven Horsford

Maddy summaryThe MORE Act (HR 5601) would federally decriminalize cannabis by removing it from the Schedule I list of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act. It requires federal courts to expunge non-violent cannabis convictions and associated arrests, with a focus on addressing racial disparities in cannabis enforcement. The bill creates an Opportunity Trust Fund that would allocate 50% of funds to criminal justice programs, 20% to small business assistance for minority cannabis entrepreneurs, and 20% to community reinvestment grants for individuals impacted by the War on Drugs. It also prohibits federal agencies from denying benefits or security clearances based on cannabis use or past cannabis convictions, and establishes a Cannabis Justice Office to administer these programs.

Maddy summaryThe 9-8-8 Implementation Act of 2023 establishes a national mental health crisis response system centered around the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline. It provides $441 million for call center technology, staffing, and operations, and requires Medicare, Medicaid, and private health plans to cover crisis response services including mobile crisis teams and crisis stabilization facilities. The bill also mandates a national suicide prevention media campaign and creates protocols for 9-1-1 dispatchers to better respond to mental health crises. These provisions aim to improve access to mental health crisis care across the United States.

Maddy summaryThe Pathways to Health Careers Act creates a federal grant program to help low-income individuals (those with family income at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level) enter health professions. It provides $425 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2028 to fund training programs that must include support services like adult basic education, child care, transportation, and career coaching. The bill requires grant recipients to serve at least 10% of participants who qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and sets aside funding for demonstration projects focused on people with arrest/conviction records and maternal health career pathways. Recipients must track outcomes including credential attainment, employment in health professions, and earnings. This program directly affects low-income individuals seeking health careers and the organizations that will administer these training programs.

Maddy summaryThe Social Security 2100 Act would significantly enhance Social Security benefits for millions of Americans by increasing monthly payments for retirees, disabled workers, widows/widowers, and children. Key provisions include raising the minimum benefit for long-term low earners, improving cost-of-living adjustments using a more accurate index, eliminating the 5-month waiting period for disability benefits, and extending child benefits to age 26. The bill also changes how Social Security taxes are calculated by applying them to income above $400,000 and establishes a unified Social Security Trust Fund to manage program finances. Most provisions would apply to benefits payable from 2025 through 2034, affecting all current and future Social Security beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThe PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2023 requires private health insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health programs to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention without cost-sharing, including the medication, related lab tests, and follow-up care. The bill also prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums to people taking PrEP. It establishes public education campaigns to increase awareness of PrEP and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and creates funding for state and community programs to expand access to HIV prevention services, particularly for populations disproportionately affected by HIV including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and transgender individuals. The legislation specifically addresses current disparities in PrEP access, as data shows only 11% of Black/African American and 21% of Hispanic/Latinx individuals eligible for PrEP received prescriptions in 2022 compared to 82% of White individuals. Coverage requirements for most plans will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2023, amends Social Security to better protect public servants who work in jobs not covered by Social Security (such as certain government positions). It creates a new formula for calculating retirement benefits that combines both covered and noncovered earnings, ensuring public servants receive the higher of two benefit calculations. The bill also provides an additional $150 monthly payment for certain public servants whose benefits were previously reduced by the windfall elimination provision. It improves Social Security account statements to clearly show noncovered earnings and requires a study of how state retirement plans handle these benefits. These changes will apply to benefits starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryHR 4115, the Lower Drug Costs for Families Act, amends Medicare rebate calculations for prescription drugs to potentially lower costs for beneficiaries. It changes the base year for calculating drug price inflation rebates from 2021 back to 2016 and adjusts how "billing units" are counted for drugs sold in commercial markets. This affects Medicare Part B (supplemental coverage) and Part D (prescription drug plans) by modifying how rebates are determined from drug manufacturers. The bill directly impacts Medicare beneficiaries and pharmaceutical companies that sell drugs covered by Medicare. These changes aim to refine rebate calculations but do not create new benefit programs.

Maddy summaryThe Educating Future Nurses Act creates a Medicare-funded program to reimburse eligible hospitals for training advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), such as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, in clinical settings. Hospitals must partner with nursing schools and non-hospital care settings (like clinics and rural health centers) to provide at least half of the training in non-hospital environments, with waivers available for rural or underserved areas. Participating hospitals must report annually on program outcomes, including how many APRNs graduate, where they practice (especially in health professional shortage areas), and patient care metrics. The program requires reimbursements to supplement, not replace, existing federal nursing education funding.

Maddy summaryThe FAMILY Act (HR 3481) would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program administered by the Social Security Administration. Eligible workers would receive wage replacement benefits (up to 85% of average earnings, with a maximum of $4,000 monthly) for up to 60 caregiving days per 12-month benefit period for qualifying reasons like caring for a sick family member, personal serious health conditions, or responding to domestic violence. The program would be funded through 0.2% payroll taxes from employees and employers (with self-employed individuals paying 0.4%), with benefits coordinated with existing state programs. The law includes protections against employer retaliation for taking leave and requires employers to maintain health coverage during leave periods.

Maddy summaryHR 3443, the Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2023, creates a federal grant program to fund structured mentoring programs for youth in foster care and those who have aged out of foster care (under age 26). The bill authorizes $50 million annually for grants to eligible organizations (like nonprofits, state agencies, or tribes) to establish or expand mentoring that provides consistent, year-long relationships focused on academic support, emotional development, and transition to adulthood. Key requirements include mandatory mentor training on trauma, cultural competence, and child welfare coordination, along with strict background checks and recruitment strategies to reflect the diversity of youth served. The program directly affects approximately 443,000 youth in foster care (per 2017 data) and aims to improve their educational outcomes, reduce school absences, and build supportive connections through evidence-based mentoring.