Rep. Becca Balint

Maddy summaryThis House resolution formally recognizes suicide as a significant public health issue in the United States and highlights the impact of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on individuals and communities. It commends the establishment of the 988 number as a nationwide three-digit dialing code for crisis support, noting its role in connecting people to mental health resources. The bill supports the designation of September 8, 2026, as "988 Day" to raise awareness about the service and promote access to mental health care. Additionally, it encourages continued public education and federal, state, and local efforts to expand crisis intervention programs for high-risk populations.

Maddy summaryThe 9-8-8 Implementation Act of 2026 expands federal funding and mandates insurance coverage for behavioral health crisis services, directly affecting individuals experiencing mental health or substance use emergencies as well as the providers who serve them. The bill authorizes grants to upgrade local lifeline call centers, build new crisis stabilization facilities, and train a larger workforce of behavioral health professionals. It requires Medicare, Medicaid, private group health plans, TRICARE, and other federal insurance programs to cover crisis response services with financial terms no more restrictive than standard medical care. Additionally, the legislation establishes a federal panel to develop training protocols for 9-1-1 dispatchers to better connect callers to appropriate crisis care rather than law enforcement responses.

Maddy summaryThe 9-8-8 and 9-1-1 Integration Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a multidisciplinary panel that will develop recommendations for training and protocols for emergency dispatchers. The primary goal is to ensure that individuals experiencing behavioral health or substance use crises are connected to appropriate care services rather than being met solely by law enforcement. The panel must consider integrating the 9-8-8 crisis line with the 9-1-1 system, utilizing standardized assessment tools to evaluate caller needs, and implementing training on cultural competency and implicit bias. Additionally, the legislation requires the creation of data collection standards to track response outcomes and disparities while protecting caller privacy, with reports submitted to Congress upon the release of recommendations and every five years thereafter.

Maddy summaryThe Addictive Design Act of 2026 aims to protect youth under 18 from potential mental health risks associated with artificial intelligence chatbots by banning specific features designed to create emotional attachments. To support this goal, the bill establishes a government task force to study these impacts and provides funding for research and educational outreach to parents and teachers. The legislation also mandates that companies offering AI chatbots to minors must use age verification technology and delete user data within 24 hours. Companies that fail to comply with the ban on addictive design features or data privacy requirements face civil penalties of up to $10 million or $5,000 per violation, respectively.

Maddy summaryThe Equity in STI Testing Act requires Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover screening tests for HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia without charging beneficiaries any out-of-pocket costs. The bill directly affects patients enrolled in these federal health programs by eliminating copayments and deductibles specifically for these preventive screenings. It also mandates that the Indian Health Service provide these tests to eligible Native Americans at no cost, regardless of whether the services are typically authorized under their purchased or referred care systems. These changes take effect on different timelines depending on the specific program, with some provisions applying immediately upon enactment and others starting in the following calendar year.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and report on alleged antitrust violations within the fire truck manufacturing industry. The resolution specifically examines issues such as price fixing, price gouging, serial acquisitions, and monopolization that have led to rising costs and long delivery times for fire departments. By citing concerns over market consolidation and safety risks from outdated equipment, the bill aims to gather facts on how these practices affect public safety and local governments. The FTC is required to submit its findings and recommendations to Congress within one year of the bill's adoption.

Maddy summaryThe Online Sellers' Bill of Rights Act of 2026 aims to protect third-party businesses using major online marketplaces by requiring these platforms to provide greater transparency and due process. Under the bill, the Federal Trade Commission must create rules that limit how long platforms can hold inventory or freeze funds, mandate written notice within 72 hours for any restrictions, and ensure sellers receive at least 30 days' warning before significant policy changes. The law also establishes a presumption of innocence, placing the burden of proof on the platform to demonstrate a violation rather than on the seller, and allows for specific appeals processes. Enforcement is handled through the FTC, which can pursue violations as unfair competition, while state attorneys general and individual sellers retain the right to file civil lawsuits for damages.

Maddy summaryThe Save MEDICARE Act of 2026 aims to improve the Medicare Advantage program by starting in 2028 with several changes to how health plans are paid and monitored. It requires the government to exclude diagnoses from chart reviews when calculating payments to prevent plans from inflating costs based on questionable data. The bill also speeds up audits and appeals to ensure faster resolution of coding disputes and introduces a new penalty system to recover overpayments from plans. Additionally, the law allows states to enforce Medicare rules within their borders and bans financial incentives for doctors based on how they code patient records. Finally, it establishes a mechanism for the Department of Veterans Affairs to recover costs when Medicare Advantage plans cover care that should have been paid for by the VA.

Maddy summaryThe Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act aims to break up the highly concentrated meatpacking industry by forcing major companies to divest assets and stop operating in multiple meat categories simultaneously. The Federal Trade Commission is authorized to order these divestitures if market concentration remains too high or if a single firm controls a large share of beef processing, with a specific goal of transferring assets to farmers' cooperatives and small businesses. Additionally, the bill mandates that foreign-owned meatpacking firms divest their U.S. operations and prohibits companies from acquiring new assets in lines of protein they do not already process. To support these changes, the legislation provides funding for new competitors and requires the FTC to actively enforce these rules against firms that fail to comply.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicare Advantage plans to implement electronic pre-approval systems for medical services by 2028 and meet transparency reporting standards starting in 2027. Plans must publicly report data on approval/denial rates, appeal outcomes, response times, and technology use for pre-approval requests, including details on how denials relate to clinical criteria. It establishes a 24-hour response timeframe for certain requests and mandates annual reviews of pre-approval requirements based on data and input from seniors and providers. The law directly affects Medicare Advantage plans, seniors enrolled in these plans, and healthcare providers who submit pre-approval requests. These changes aim to make the pre-approval process faster, more transparent, and more accountable for seniors seeking covered medical services.