Rep. Nicole Malliotakis

Maddy summaryThis bill creates two tax credits to support local media and small businesses. It provides a credit for small businesses (under 50 full-time employees) that advertise in qualifying local newspapers or broadcast stations, covering 80% of first-year ad costs up to $5,000 and 50% of subsequent-year costs up to $2,500. It also establishes a payroll tax credit for employers hiring local news journalists, covering 50% of wages for the first four quarters (capped at $12,500 per journalist) and 30% thereafter, with a maximum of 1,500 journalists per employer. Both credits expire after five years and require strict definitions of "local media" (e.g., publishers with local journalists and community focus) to prevent misuse.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Child Nutrition Act to extend liability protections for food and pet supply donations. It adds definitions for "pet," "emotional support animal," and "pet supply" to the Act, clarifying that donations of pet food or supplies for pets, service animals, or emotional support animals are covered. The key provision (Section 22(c)(4)) shields donors and nonprofits from civil/criminal liability when donating such items in good faith for direct distribution to animals. It directly affects pet food donors, animal welfare nonprofits, and local governments distributing pet supplies. The bill does not create new programs but modifies existing donation rules to include pet-related items.

Maddy summaryHR 4708, the H-2 Improvements to Relieve Employers Act, streamlines U.S. visa processes for agricultural (H-2A) and non-agricultural (H-2B) workers. It extends the validity of employer certifications and petitions for these visas from one year to three years, reducing administrative burdens. The bill also allows interview waivers for workers renewing status within four years of their previous visa expiration. Additionally, it requires the Department of Labor to publish seasonal employment data on its website at an employer's request, enhancing transparency for seasonal hiring. These changes directly affect U.S. employers seeking temporary foreign workers and the workers themselves.

Maddy summaryThe Housing Transparency Improvement Act requires public housing agencies to create an online portal for residents and applicants in low-income housing and properties under the Rental Assistance Demonstration program. The portal must provide plain-language access to housing management details, legal rights (with translation), and real-time tracking for service requests and complaints using a ticket system. Agencies must also publish annual fact sheets online detailing funding sources, inspection scores, renovation plans, and contact information for property managers. Small agencies (with ≤50 units in rural areas) are exempt from the portal but must submit alternative transparency methods to HUD, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may provide grants to cover implementation costs.

Maddy summaryHR 4721, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, makes a permanent the 20% tax deduction for eligible small business owners under Section 199A of the tax code. This provision directly affects pass-through business owners (like S-corps, partnerships, and sole proprietorships) who qualify for the deduction. The bill achieves this by removing the temporary expiration language (subsection (i)) from the existing tax code provision. The key change is ending the need for annual congressional extensions of this deduction, providing long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Veteran Care Improvement Act of 2023, establishes new standards for when veterans can receive care from private providers instead of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It requires the VA to allow veterans to seek community care if they cannot get an in-person appointment within 30 days for primary care or 60 days for specialty care at a VA facility within a 30 or 60-minute drive, respectively. The legislation also mandates that the VA notify veterans of their eligibility for community care within two business days, provide information about telehealth options, and explain reasons for denied care requests along with appeal instructions. Additional provisions include requiring the VA to conduct outreach to inform veterans about community care options, mandate the use of value-based reimbursement models for community care, and establish a pilot program to improve care administration through scheduling improvements and provider incentives. The bill also extends the deadline for health care entities to submit claims under the prompt payment standard from 180 days to one year, and requires the VA Inspector General to assess VA medical center performance in implementing community care programs within three years of enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 2768, the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act, establishes a VA grant program to fund peer-to-peer mental health support for veterans. It provides up to $250,000 per grant to eligible nonprofits, veteran service organizations, or state/local Tribal agencies to create programs where veterans serve as peer specialists offering 24/7 nonclinical support. The program requires adherence to VA-developed standards for volunteer training and service delivery, while prohibiting the collection of veterans' personally identifying information. The bill authorizes $25 million over three years to implement this initiative, directly benefiting veterans seeking accessible mental health assistance through peer networks.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 1282 (Major Richard Star Act), expands benefits for certain military retirees by allowing them to receive both veterans' disability compensation and military retirement pay simultaneously. It specifically affects combat-related disabled retirees under Chapter 61 of the military retirement system who have fewer than 20 years of service. The key change removes the automatic reduction of military retirement pay when these retirees also receive disability compensation, as amended in Section 1413a(b)(3) of Title 10. Technical updates to the law’s structure and effective date (starting after enactment) complete the provisions.

Maddy summaryHR 4047, the Autonomy for All Disabled Veterans Act, increases funding limits for home modifications for disabled veterans. It raises the maximum benefit from $6,800 to $10,000 for certain home improvements and from $2,000 to $10,000 for structural alterations under Section 1717(a)(2) of Title 38, U.S. Code. The bill also requires annual adjustments to these amounts based on the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation. This directly affects disabled veterans who qualify for these home health services, providing them with higher financial support for necessary home modifications.

Orally Taken Contraception Act of 2023 or the OTC Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue guidance on the approval process for over-the-counter oral contraceptives so as to encourage drug manufacturers to submit applications for approval. The FDA must also evaluate (1) whether and to what extent consumers understand the labeling on oral contraceptives, and (2) whether the labeling could be improved.