Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act to explicitly include public employees - such as those working for federal, state, or local government agencies - under OSHA's coverage. It changes the definition of "employee" to specify that public sector workers are protected, removing previous exclusions. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment for most workplaces, but gives states and local governments without OSHA-approved plans up to 36 months to comply. This directly affects public service workers in government roles by bringing their workplace safety protections under the same federal OSHA framework as private-sector employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows veterans who served between 1944 and 1977 (and never used VA home loan benefits) to transfer those benefits to family members. Living veterans can transfer benefits to spouses, children, grandchildren, or other direct descendants. For deceased veterans who served in that period and never used benefits, the VA will transfer benefits to eligible family members who apply within 10 years of the law's enactment. Legatees receive full benefits immediately but cannot transfer them further and must still pay applicable fees. The bill updates VA definitions to treat transferred-benefit recipients as "veterans" for home loan purposes.

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 summaryThis resolution (HRES 1271) is a symbolic gesture expressing the House's support for designating June 7, 2024, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2024 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or policies but urges the public to wear orange, raise awareness about gun violence, and focus on community safety during summer months when such incidents often increase. The resolution references statistics on gun-related deaths and honors victims like Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed in 2013. It directly affects the public by calling on individuals and communities to participate in awareness activities. This is a non-binding, commemorative measure with no direct legal impact on legislation or regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund (ASCT Fund) within the Department of Homeland Security. It directs $250 million annually from aviation security fees (for fiscal years 2025-2029) to fund TSA's procurement, deployment, and maintenance of new security checkpoint technology at airports. The TSA Administrator must provide regular reports to Congress on how these funds are used for technology deployment. The bill also repeals a previous section of aviation security law that previously governed these fees. The fund directly affects TSA operations and airport security technology upgrades.

Maddy summaryThis ceremonial resolution honors the U.S. Border Patrol's 100th anniversary (established 1924) and recognizes the service and sacrifices of its agents and families. It has no policy or funding impact - it solely commemorates the agency's history and contributions to border security. The resolution was introduced in the House on May 24, 2024, and refers to historical milestones like the 1924 founding and 155 agents who died in the line of duty.

Maddy summaryThe HELP Act of 2023 provides $550 million annually for 2024-2025 and $450 million for 2026-2030 to strengthen 211 (human services information and referral) and 988 (mental health crisis) services nationwide. It requires states to develop coordinated systems that ensure 24/7 accessibility, reduce non-emergency 911 calls, and connect individuals to appropriate human services and mental health resources. The bill mandates states to create comprehensive service databases, ensure accessibility for people with disabilities, and establish oversight councils with diverse representation to monitor racial equity and service effectiveness. States must also implement diversion programs to connect individuals with mental health responders instead of law enforcement for non-emergency situations. The legislation includes regular reporting requirements and biennial evaluations to measure how effectively the program connects people to needed services and reduces unnecessary law enforcement interactions.

Boxing Therapy for Parkinson's Access Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish boxing-based exercise classes to veterans who (1) are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (or a similar movement disorder), and (3) elect to participate in such classes to treat the disease or disorder.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires call center employers (with 50+ full-time staff) to notify the Labor Secretary 120 days before moving operations overseas or contracting such work, adding them to a public list for 5 years. Employers on this list become ineligible for federal grants or loans during that period, and federal contracts must prioritize companies not relocating work overseas. It also mandates that all businesses handling customer service communications disclose agent locations at call start (with limited exceptions), allow transfers to U.S.-based agents upon request, and annually certify compliance to the FTC. These provisions directly affect large call center employers and all businesses providing customer service via phone, email, or chat in the U.S.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $162 million for law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire career officers under existing federal grant programs. It requires agencies using these funds to conduct background checks and psychological evaluations for all new or returning officers, covering those costs with the grant money or agency funds. The funding directly supports local and state police departments seeking to fill vacancies, particularly for sworn officers. The bill does not create new hiring requirements but provides targeted funding to accelerate officer recruitment while mandating specific vetting steps.