Rep. Jennifer Wexton

Maddy summaryHR 1082, the Military Sexual Trauma Retirement Equity Act, amends U.S. Code provisions to expand retirement benefits for military personnel and survivors affected by military sexual trauma. It replaces all references to "combat-related" with "trauma-related" in disability retirement eligibility, specifically including military sexual trauma as a qualifying condition under the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' determination. This change directly affects retired service members with trauma-related disabilities from military sexual trauma and their survivors, allowing them to access special retirement compensation previously limited to combat-related injuries. The bill makes a technical definitional adjustment to ensure these veterans receive equitable treatment under existing retirement benefit programs.

Maddy summaryHR 1106, the COST of Relocations Act, requires federal agencies to conduct detailed benefit-cost analyses before moving offices or reassigning positions that affect more than 5% or 100+ employees (whichever is smaller) outside their current commuting area. Agencies must quantify benefits and costs, include stakeholder engagement plans, diversity strategies, and risk assessments in their analysis, and submit it to their Inspector General. The Inspector General then reviews the analysis and reports findings to Congress within 90 days, assessing compliance with federal guidelines and comparing relocation options. This applies to major relocations like moving entire agency components or replacing significant staff positions outside their current location, aiming to increase transparency and accountability in federal decision-making.

Maddy summaryHR 1088, the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act, authorizes a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to honor Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress (1968) and the first Black candidate for a major party's presidential nomination (1972). The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to design and strike a gold medal featuring Chisholm's image, which will be presented by Congress and then permanently displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to the public to cover production costs, with proceeds deposited into the U.S. Mint fund. This bill commemorates Chisholm's legacy and achievements without creating new laws or affecting any current policies.

Maddy summaryThe HELP Copays Act (HR 830) changes how health insurance plans calculate patient cost-sharing. It requires that payments made by third parties (like pharmacies, charities, or discount programs) toward medical costs count toward a patient's deductible, copay, or out-of-pocket limit. This directly affects insured individuals who receive financial assistance, discounts, or product vouchers for healthcare expenses. The law ensures these external payments reduce the patient's actual out-of-pocket costs more quickly, aligning with existing Affordable Care Act and Public Health Service Act requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 1002, the "Saving the Civil Service Act," restricts how federal government positions can be moved between competitive hiring (where most federal jobs are filled through merit-based exams) and non-competitive "excepted service" positions. The bill prevents agencies from moving positions out of the competitive service unless they fit specific schedules in place as of September 2020, requires Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approval for certain transfers, and mandates employee consent for any position transfer between service types. It also limits the number of employees that can be moved from competitive to excepted service during a presidential term - capping it at 1% of an agency's workforce or five employees, whichever is greater. The bill directly affects federal employees and agencies by making it harder to shift positions out of the competitive hiring system without strict oversight.

Butcher Block Act This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make (or guarantee) loans and award grants for establishing, expanding, and otherwise supporting livestock and poultry processing and related activities. In awarding grants and making or guaranteeing loans, USDA shall prioritize applicants that have experience in livestock and poultry processing and can quickly scale-up to increase overall processing capacity in the region involved.

Maddy summaryThe Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act of 2023 requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to mandate secondary cockpit barriers on all commercial passenger aircraft operating under standard airline regulations. Specifically, it directs the FAA to issue an order requiring installation of these barriers within 18 months of the law's enactment. This applies to most major airlines operating scheduled passenger flights in the U.S. The key provision is the new safety requirement for barriers to prevent unauthorized cockpit access during flights. The law directly affects commercial airlines and their aircraft, focusing on a concrete operational safety change without specifying cost or implementation details.

Maddy summaryHR 782 prohibits state officials from interfering with abortion services provided across state lines. It specifically blocks states from restricting: (1) out-of-state patients traveling for legal abortions, (2) providers offering such services, (3) assistance for travel or care, or (4) the interstate shipment of FDA-approved abortion drugs. The bill allows the federal Attorney General or affected individuals to sue violators for injunctions, damages, and attorney fees. It directly affects patients seeking care in other states, healthcare providers, transportation services, and pharmacies handling FDA-approved abortion medications. The law focuses on preventing state laws from blocking access to legally permitted abortion services.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 120) supports designating February 2023 as "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month." It urges schools, communities, and families to use this month for educational activities promoting healthy relationships and preventing teen dating violence, which affects many young people (e.g., 44.3% of teens experienced violence per CDC data). As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws or funding but aims to raise public awareness about a public health issue impacting teens nationwide.

Maddy summaryHR 866, the Equal COLA Act, changes how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated for federal retirees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). It requires that each year's COLA be based on the exact percent change in the price index from the previous year's base quarter, rounded to the nearest 0.1%, effective December 1. This applies to all FERS annuities starting before, on, or after the bill's enactment date, ensuring a standardized calculation method for retirees' annual adjustments.