Rep. Christopher R. Deluzio

Maddy summaryHR 3532, the Striking and Locked Out Workers Healthcare Protection Act, prohibits employers from terminating or altering an employee’s employer-sponsored health coverage during a lawful strike or a lockout (when an employer withholds work to influence bargaining). It directly affects workers participating in strikes or facing lockouts, ensuring continued healthcare access during these labor disputes. The bill adds penalties: $75,000 per violation for lockout-related coverage termination (up to $150,000 for repeat offenses), and $50,000 per violation for strike-related termination (up to $100,000 for repeat offenses), with penalties applied alongside other remedies. These provisions amend the National Labor Relations Act to protect workers’ healthcare rights during collective bargaining actions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a code of conduct for Supreme Court justices, requiring them to disclose gifts, income, and potential conflicts of interest. It creates a formal process for handling complaints about justices, including a judicial investigation panel to review allegations. The bill adds specific circumstances requiring recusal, such as when a justice or family member has financial ties to a party in a case. Additionally, it mandates that parties and amicus briefs disclose any gifts given to justices and lobbying activities related to their nomination. These provisions aim to increase transparency and accountability in the Supreme Court's operations.

Maddy summaryHR 3505, the Barriers to Suicide Act of 2025, creates a federal grant program administered by the Department of Transportation to fund the installation of proven safety barriers and nets on specific high-risk structures. The program provides competitive grants (up to 80% federal funding) to states, local governments, or other eligible entities for projects installing suicide deterrents on bridges, buildings, parking garages, highway-rail crossings, or rail stations. It prioritizes areas with high suicide rates and mandates a study by the Comptroller General to evaluate effective deterrents for non-bridge structures and their costs, with a report due within one year of enactment. The bill authorizes $10 million annually from 2026-2030 for this initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the VA to notify veterans filing claims without representation about free help from recognized veterans service organizations and trained representatives. It mandates an online tool listing accredited representatives (updated quarterly) and adds fee warnings to VA websites, including links to the tool and a site for reporting unauthorized fees. The VA must also review its processes for recognizing representatives within 180 days and report findings to Congress. The bill directly affects veterans navigating VA claims by improving access to verified assistance and transparency around fees. It focuses on concrete procedural changes to enhance claimant awareness, not on outcome predictions.

Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a grant program to support operating projects for public transportation and related service improvements, particularly in underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty. Specifically, the bill requires DOT to allocate funding under the program for urbanized areas, states, and Indian tribes that are recipients of funds under either the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA's) Urbanized Area Formula Funding program or Formula Grants for Rural Areas program. Eligible recipients may use funding for operating costs associated with projects that improve public transportation service for transit-dependent populations and support increased transit ridership (e.g., service expansion, information technology enhancements, and workforce development). DOT must apportion the funding so that recipients receive funds that are proportional to their share of operating costs. The bill also provides for an increased federal cost share for operating assistance for projects or programs carried out in areas of persistent poverty or underserved communities. DOT must set up a multimodal access measurement interface for public agencies to aid transit agencies in determining and reporting on access to jobs and essential services. A grant recipient must (1) report specific information to the FTA for inclusion in the National Transit Database, and (2) survey transit riders and non-riding residents regarding transit service improvements. Further, the bill expands the purposes of the public transportation programs to include supporting public transportation's role in combating climate change through growing/retaining transit ridership.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Defense to promote competition when purchasing artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data infrastructure services by mandating competitive award processes and prioritizing multi-cloud technology. It defines covered providers as companies with at least $50 million in DoD contracts over five years and restricts how these vendors can use government-provided data, prohibiting unauthorized use for training commercial products. The legislation also establishes annual reporting requirements to Congress on market competition and innovation in the AI sector, including details on any exemptions granted for national security reasons.

SNAP Administrator Retention Act of 2025 This bill directs the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) state agencies for 100% of SNAP administrative personnel costs. The bill also requires that state SNAP agency administrators be paid at least the same amount as federal employees. (Under current law, FNS generally pays 50% of a state's administrative costs for SNAP.) Specifically, FNS must pay a state agency for 100% of all SNAP administrative personnel costs that are part of an FNS-approved state agency personnel wage plan. This must include all costs associated with hiring and training new employees, maintaining those personnel costs, and complying with wage standards. The state agency must use these funds (1) to supplement, not supplant, nonfederal funds used for existing administrative personnel costs; and (2) for existing or additional full-time positions that are above the number of positions that were held in FY2024. The bill also requires that the wage standards for SNAP state agency administrators be (1) at least the same amount as the General Schedule (GS) pay rate for federal employees; and (2) updated annually based on any increase in the GS pay rate, including locality adjustments.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for hospital units across the country, requiring hospitals to maintain specific staffing levels (such as 1:1 in trauma units, 2:1 in critical care units, and 3:1 in emergency rooms) to improve patient safety and quality of care. Hospitals must develop transparent staffing plans that account for patient acuity, involve direct care nurses in planning, and document actual staffing levels for each shift. The bill includes strong whistleblower protections for nurses who object to unsafe staffing levels and prohibits hospitals from retaliating against nurses who report violations. It requires hospitals to comply with these standards as a condition for receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments, with enforcement through audits and civil penalties of up to $50,000 for repeated violations. The bill also includes provisions to support nurse recruitment and retention through workforce initiatives and training programs.

Maddy summaryHR 3336, the Depot Investment Reform Act of 2025, modifies how the Department of Defense calculates minimum capital investment requirements for military equipment depots. It changes Section 2476(a)(1) of Title 10 to require depots to consider the preceding fiscal year, current year, and estimated next year’s funding - instead of just the prior three years - when determining investment levels. This directly affects DOD depots responsible for maintaining military equipment, as it adjusts the timeframe used for budget planning. The bill makes a technical change to funding calculation rules without creating new programs or altering overall funding levels.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to prohibit children under 18 from having direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves on farms. It directly affects minors who might work on tobacco farms and tobacco farm employers who currently allow such employment. The key change adds tobacco farming to the list of occupations where children under 18 cannot work, closing a loophole that previously permitted this activity. This update explicitly excludes tobacco-related agriculture from exceptions allowing minors in certain farm jobs under federal law.