Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro

Maddy summaryHR 8821, the HOPE with Fertility Services Act, requires group health plans and health insurance issuers that cover obstetrical services to provide comprehensive coverage for infertility treatments and fertility preservation when medical treatments (like cancer therapy) cause or risk iatrogenic infertility. It defines infertility broadly and mandates coverage for procedures like IVF, egg freezing, and ovulation induction, while allowing standard cost-sharing but prohibiting insurers from discouraging or penalizing these services. Insurers must annually submit analyses of their coverage rules for these treatments to the Secretary of Labor for 5 years after enactment, with potential civil penalties for noncompliance. The law applies to all applicable plans starting January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHR 8733, the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act, amends federal law to require the national clearinghouse for child abuse and neglect data to also collect information on animal abuse incidents. Specifically, it adds a new requirement for the clearinghouse to track "the incidence of any such cases related to animal abuse," defined as any act or failure to act causing undue pain, suffering, or death to an animal, regardless of state or local animal cruelty laws. This change directly affects the federal data system and states that report to it, mandating they include animal abuse data in their submissions. The policy shift expands federal data collection to cover animal abuse alongside child abuse, without altering existing state animal cruelty laws.

Maddy summaryHR 7989, the "ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act," requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to partner with the National Council on Disability to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The bill directs the SBA to assist individuals with disabilities in starting businesses or finding jobs at small businesses, while also helping small businesses hire people with disabilities and address accessibility needs. No new funding is authorized for these activities, and the SBA must report to Congress within two years on its progress. The bill directly affects people with disabilities seeking employment or entrepreneurship, and small businesses hiring them.

Maddy summaryHR 5012 (SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023) authorizes federal funding to improve stillbirth research and data collection. It provides $5 million annually for states to collect standardized stillbirth data (including risk factors) while protecting privacy, $1 million annually for developing public educational materials and data collection guidelines, and $3 million annually for medical fellowships training pathologists in perinatal autopsy and stillbirth research. The bill directly affects state health departments, medical professionals (like obstetricians and pathologists), and families who experience stillbirth by improving data quality for future research. It requires federal reports on guidelines and program effectiveness within five years but does not provide direct medical care or financial assistance to families.

Maddy summaryHR 537 authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor 60 diplomats who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust by issuing visas and passports against their governments' orders, risking expulsion and personal danger. The medal will be presented to the next of kin of these diplomats, alongside representatives from their home countries, and permanently displayed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs, with proceeds going to the U.S. Mint. This legislation recognizes the diplomats' humanitarian actions without creating new government programs or altering existing laws.

Maddy summaryHRES 965 is a non-binding resolution calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan since August 2022. It directly affects Corbett (held in poor conditions without charges) and other Americans detained by the Taliban. The resolution demands the Taliban release Corbett unconditionally, urges respect for his human rights, commends Qatar’s role as U.S. protecting power, and condemns the Taliban’s practice of detaining U.S. citizens. It does not create new law but formally expresses congressional support for Corbett and other wrongfully detained Americans.

Maddy summaryThe SPEED through Screening Act requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop strategies within one year to reduce physical patdowns and the need for passengers to remove items (like shoes, liquids, medical devices, or religious headwear) during airport security screening, without compromising security. Key provisions include studying next-generation technologies (such as non-contact scanning), assessing feasibility for allowing more liquids on planes, and collecting anonymized screening data to track progress. The bill directly affects all air travelers, particularly those with disabilities, medical devices, or religious items, by aiming to make security screening less invasive. It mandates specific actions but does not change current security rules, instead focusing on research and data collection to inform future improvements.

Maddy summaryHR 8635, the Affordable Child Care Act, doubles key tax benefits for families and employers to reduce child care costs. It increases the maximum tax credit for parents using child care from $3,000 (for one child) to $6,000 (or $6,000 for one child to $12,000 for two or more) and doubles the annual limit for employer-provided dependent care assistance from $5,000 to $10,000. The bill also doubles the tax credit employers can claim for providing on-site child care, raising the limit from $150,000 to $300,000 per year. These changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2023, directly affecting working parents and businesses offering child care benefits.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 1272) calls on the Biden Administration to seek symbolic censure of Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for violating nuclear nonproliferation agreements and to refer Iran's case to the United Nations Security Council. It urges diplomatic action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, citing Iran's enrichment of uranium to 60% purity, obstruction of IAEA inspections, and development of advanced centrifuges. The resolution does not create new law but formally requests specific international diplomatic steps from the U.S. government.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes Medicaid rules to exclude small mental health facilities (36 beds or fewer) from the definition of "institution for mental diseases" if they meet specific national standards for care. It directly affects small mental health and substance use disorder treatment centers seeking Medicaid coverage. Facilities must follow evidence-based standards approved by the federal Secretary, covering service types, clinical hours, and staff qualifications. The changes take effect 180 days after the law is signed, applying to state Medicaid plans from that date.