Rep. David P. Joyce

Maddy summaryThe Tech to Save Moms Act expands access to telehealth services and technology-enabled maternal health care for pregnant and postpartum individuals in underserved communities, including rural areas, health professional shortage zones, and populations with high maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity rates. It authorizes $6 million annually for grants to train healthcare providers on implicit bias and maternal health best practices, develop digital tools for remote monitoring of pregnancy complications, and evaluate technology's impact on care quality and health outcomes. The legislation specifically targets racial and ethnic health disparities by focusing on American Indian/Alaska Native communities and other medically underserved populations through technology-enabled collaborative learning models. It also requires a study on artificial intelligence and patient monitoring devices in maternity care to assess and reduce racial biases in these technologies. The bill mandates reports to Congress on the effectiveness of these initiatives after 4 years to inform future policy decisions.

This resolution condemns Iran for the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. It also urges the Biden Administration and U.S. allies to publicly condemn the massacre and to pressure Iran to provide information to the families of the victims.

Maddy summaryHR 4915, the Project Spectrum Authorization Act, establishes a cybersecurity program within the Department of Defense's Office of Small Business Programs. It directly affects small and medium defense contractors (referred to as "covered entities") who register for the program's online platform. The bill mandates the provision of specific digital resources, including cybersecurity training, policy guidance, system assessments, reviews of commercial security tools, and secure data collaboration features. These services aim to help covered entities comply with the Department of Defense's cybersecurity requirements for defense contracts. The program operates through an online platform managed by the Director of the Office of Small Business Programs.

Maddy summaryHR 4470 extends the authorization of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program (CFATS) under the Department of Homeland Security until September 30, 2025, instead of the previous expiration date of July 27, 2023. This bill directly affects DHS, which administers the program, and chemical facilities subject to its security standards. The key mechanism is a simple date extension for the existing program, maintaining current security requirements for facilities handling hazardous chemicals without introducing new rules or funding changes.

Maddy summaryHR 3933, the TAP Promotion Act, requires standardized presentations about Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits during military transition counseling for service members separating from the armed forces. These presentations must be approved by the VA, delivered by authorized veterans service organizations (VSOs), and include information on how VSOs assist with VA claims - without encouraging membership in specific organizations. The bill mandates a one-hour limit per presentation and requires the VA to submit annual reports to Congress detailing which VSOs presented, attendance numbers, and recommendations for improvement. This policy directly affects service members preparing for civilian life and the VSOs providing these transition resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. It authorizes three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 respectively. The surcharge proceeds will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with no net cost to taxpayers as the Treasury must recover all minting costs through the surcharges. The coins can only be issued during 2025, and the Treasury must ensure all costs are covered before distributing funds to the Heritage Foundation.

Maddy summaryHR 984, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, authorizes $50 million annually (2024-2028) for grants to states and tribes to improve outreach to veterans and their families. The bill provides funding to hire more county/Tribal veterans service officers, expand existing outreach programs, and ensure equitable access to benefits for vulnerable groups like American Indian veterans, elderly veterans, and women veterans. States and tribes must submit detailed plans, track how quickly veterans receive benefits, and report annually on progress toward outcome measures set by the Veterans Affairs Secretary. Grants must supplement, not replace, existing state/local funding and prioritize areas with critical officer shortages or high veteran suicide rates.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Child Nutrition Act to require school food service training programs to be scheduled during regular paid work hours whenever possible. If training must occur outside work hours, schools must compensate staff for attending, explain the necessity, and not penalize staff for missing it. Training must also be offered in-person with hands-on components when appropriate. The law directly affects school food service workers and their employers, mandating specific scheduling and compensation practices for required training.

Maddy summaryHR 4157, the "Not Just a Number Act," requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to produce annual reports on veteran suicide rates and their connection to VA healthcare and benefits. The reports must break down suicide rates by age, gender, and race, and examine how engagement with VA services (like Vet Centers, healthcare enrollment, benefits claims, and housing loans) correlates with suicide trends. The bill also mandates a VA toolkit for state/local coroners to improve veteran suicide death reporting, and a study on creating a dedicated VA suicide prevention office. These measures aim to standardize data collection and identify effective prevention strategies, directly affecting VA operations, congressional oversight, and veteran care systems.

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.