Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy

Brake for Kids Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to produce and distribute a national public safety campaign on the dangers of illegally passing stopped school buses. Specifically, the campaign must increase awareness and education about the issue through a variety of media, including television, radio, and social media advertising.  DOT must use Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to produce and distribute the campaign.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds Medicare coverage for home-based treatment of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disorder (a rare genetic condition causing lung and liver damage). It specifically covers "augmentation therapy" (replacement protein therapy) delivered at home by qualified suppliers to Medicare Part A and B enrollees with this diagnosis who aren't in Medicare Advantage plans. The bill establishes payment for intravenous kits and up to 2 hours of nursing services per session, set at 80% of the lesser of actual cost or a defined rate. It amends Medicare rules to include this treatment under coverage, effective January 2027.

Maddy summaryThe Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens equal pay protections by expanding the definition of "sex" to include pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. It modifies employer defenses for pay disparities to require proof that any pay difference is job-related, not based on sex, and accounts for the entire pay gap. The bill prohibits employers from asking about salary history, enhances penalties for violations, and requires employers with 100+ employees to collect and report detailed pay data by race, sex, and job category. It also establishes training programs for employers on eliminating pay bias and creates a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to coordinate enforcement efforts. This legislation directly affects employers, particularly those with 100+ employees, and aims to address pay disparities impacting women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 80 would declare the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) part of the U.S. Constitution, asserting it has been ratified by 38 states (three-fourths of the states) despite the original 1972 deadline. If passed, this resolution would formally establish the ERA as a constitutional amendment, requiring all federal and state laws to align with its gender equality protections. The bill does not create new laws but confirms the ERA's status as part of the Constitution, affecting how laws are interpreted and enforced. It is a procedural step to resolve the legal dispute over the ERA's validity after decades of debate.

Maddy summaryHRES 238 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the House's position that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care during medical emergencies. It does not create new laws or alter existing regulations but formally states the House's view that abortion restrictions in emergencies endanger patients' health and lives. The resolution specifically highlights how current abortion bans put pregnant people at risk during life-threatening conditions like hemorrhage or infection, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, and low-income individuals. It serves as a symbolic statement opposing policies that restrict emergency reproductive care access.

This bill establishes eligibility for certain disability compensation and benefits for individuals who served at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The bill establishes that onsite participation on or after January 1, 1972, and before January 1, 2005, at certain NTTR locations where there was a potential of toxic exposure is a radiation-risk activity, therefore providing a presumption of service-connection for specified conditions. The bill specifies the covered NTTR locations include a location at Indian Springs Auxiliary Airfield but do not include a location at Nellis Air Force Base or Creech Air Force Base. The bill also establishes a presumption of toxic exposure for veterans who performed active service at such NTTR locations, including airspace above such locations. Additionally, lipomas and tumor related conditions must be considered as service-connected conditions for veterans who served at the NTTR locations.

Maddy summaryThe Air America Act of 2025 authorizes one-time payments of $40,000 to individuals who worked for Air America or its affiliated companies for at least five years during 1950-1976, or to their surviving spouses, children, or dependents. Additional payments of $8,000 per full year beyond five years are allowed. The program is capped at $60 million total funding, with claims required within two years of final regulations. Payments are a single lump sum with no ongoing benefits, and the bill explicitly states it does not create new entitlements beyond this one-time award.

Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act  This bill specifically includes pharmacy services and home infusion drugs that are administered without a pump as part of covered home infusion therapy under Medicare. The bill also allows nurses and physician assistants to establish and review the plan of care for home infusion therapy, and it specifies that payment may be made regardless of whether a practitioner is physically present in the home at the time the drug is administered.

Maddy summaryHR 2121 establishes a 23-member commission to study the feasibility of creating a National Museum of Irish American History in Washington, D.C. The commission, appointed by the President and congressional leaders, will examine key issues like funding sources (without relying on federal appropriations), potential locations, whether to partner with the Smithsonian, and community engagement strategies. It must submit detailed reports within 24 months, including a fundraising plan and recommendations for potential legislation, but does not authorize the museum's construction or funding. The bill focuses solely on gathering data and recommendations to inform future decisions, with the commission terminating 30 days after final reports are submitted.

Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2025 or the HELPER Act of 2025 This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.