Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies (Attorney General, Homeland Security, and Treasury) to create a strategy within 120 days to prevent trafficking of machinegun conversion devices - parts that can convert standard firearms into machineguns. The strategy must cover detecting and intercepting these devices at borders, coordinating with state/local law enforcement, tracing devices used in crimes, and addressing domestic production (including 3D printing). Agencies must report the strategy to Congress within 120 days and provide biennial updates. Additionally, the annual firearms trafficking report must include data on crimes involving these devices and whether they originated domestically or abroad.
Maddy summaryThis bill would designate approximately 1.3 million acres of public land across Utah's Colorado Plateau and Great Basin regions as wilderness areas, protecting them from development and extractive industries. It specifically creates 77 wilderness areas across eight designated regions including the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Moab-La Sal Canyons, Henry Mountains, and San Rafael Swell areas. The bill maintains existing recreational uses like hiking, camping, and fishing while allowing continued livestock grazing under certain conditions and protecting water rights and Tribal cultural resources. It withdraws the designated lands from mining, mineral leasing, and other forms of development under federal law. The Bureau of Land Management would manage these areas according to wilderness preservation standards under the Wilderness Act.
Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens penalties for individuals or organizations charging veterans unauthorized fees when assisting with VA benefit claims. It directly affects veterans who might be targeted by unscrupulous representatives and the representatives themselves who attempt to charge such fees. The key provision adds a new subsection (b) to Section 5905, making it illegal to solicit, charge, or receive any fee for preparing or submitting VA claims - except as allowed under specific other sections. Violations can result in fines, up to one year in prison, or both.
Maddy summaryS 1276 expands tax credits for employers hiring young workers. It allows year-round employment (not just summer) to qualify for the credit and increases the credit amount. The bill also creates a new credit specifically for "disconnected youth" - defined as individuals aged 16-25 not attending school or working regularly who lack basic skills, or foster youth aged 16-21 who were in foster care. This directly affects employers hiring these youth and aims to encourage job opportunities for vulnerable young people.
Maddy summaryThis bill limits attorney fees for veterans pursuing claims related to water contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It caps fees at 20% of settlements resolved within 180 days or 33.3% for claims resolved after litigation begins. All settlement funds must be deposited into a trust account for the veteran first, with attorneys only paid after the veteran receives their full share. The bill also adds penalties, including $5,000 fines, for attorneys exceeding these fee limits or violating the trust account rules.
Maddy summaryThe AID Youth Employment Act establishes a program to provide subsidized summer and year-round employment opportunities for youth aged 14-24, with special focus on marginalized youth including those who are homeless, in foster care, involved in the justice system, or living in underserved communities. It authorizes $375 million annually for summer employment programs and $500 million for year-round programs, requiring applicants to form partnerships with schools, workforce agencies, juvenile justice systems, and community organizations. The bill mandates that 50% of funds go to in-school youth and 50% to out-of-school youth, with at least 20% of funds allocated for rural areas and 5% for tribal areas. Grantees must provide work readiness skills, mentorship, and connections to education or training, with programs evaluated through annual reviews tracking employment rates and educational outcomes.
Maddy summaryThe SMART Prices Act changes how Medicare negotiates drug prices. It repeals a rule blocking Medicare from negotiating with drugmakers and accelerates the process, requiring negotiations for 40 drugs starting in 2027 (up from 10 annually). It shortens the time drugs must be single-source to qualify for negotiation (from 7 to 3 years) and adjusts price negotiation formulas, setting new caps like 76% of the drug's average price for some medications. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries (by lowering their out-of-pocket costs) and pharmaceutical companies (by requiring price negotiations for more drugs faster).
Maddy summaryS 1231 (SAD Act) prohibits crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) from making deceptive claims about providing abortion services, contraception, or employing licensed medical staff. It directly affects CPCs that falsely represent themselves as reproductive health providers, which the bill states often target underserved communities. The law authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce this prohibition under existing consumer protection laws, imposing civil penalties of up to $100,000 or 50% of a CPC's revenue. The FTC must also submit biennial reports to Congress on enforcement actions. The bill aims to ensure patients receive accurate information about reproductive health services.