Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

Maddy summaryS 2210, the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act, requires the President to submit a detailed report to Congress before terminating, waiving, or significantly altering U.S. sanctions on Iran. Congress then has 30 days (or 60 days during summer months) to review the proposal through committee hearings and decide whether to approve or disapprove it via joint resolution. During this review period, the President cannot implement the sanction change without Congressional approval. The bill directly affects the executive branch's ability to modify Iran sanctions policy and gives Congress formal oversight authority over major foreign policy shifts related to Iran.

Maddy summaryThe Restore VA Accountability Act of 2023 revises disciplinary procedures for VA supervisors and management officials (excluding senior executives and political appointees). It requires the VA Secretary to use "substantial evidence" for removals, demotions, or suspensions, with decisions made within 15 business days based on specific factors like offense severity and position level. The bill limits judicial review to procedural errors (e.g., lack of evidence) and prohibits courts from reducing penalties. It also strengthens whistleblower protections by requiring Special Counsel approval for actions against employees reporting misconduct.

Maddy summaryS 2118, the "Real Emergencies Act," prohibits the President from declaring national emergencies, major disasters, or public health emergencies based on climate change. It specifically blocks the use of climate change as a justification under three key laws: the National Emergencies Act, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act, and the Public Health Service Act. The bill does not affect past emergency declarations but restricts future declarations where climate change is cited as the primary reason. This directly impacts the executive branch's authority to invoke emergency powers for climate-related events.

Maddy summaryS 2125 amends the Clean Air Act to change how the EPA establishes and reviews national air quality standards. It extends the review cycle for these standards from 5 to 10 years, sets specific deadlines (December 2030) for reviewing ozone and particulate matter standards, and requires the EPA to consider technological feasibility and economic impacts when setting standards. The bill also creates "Extreme Areas" for ozone nonattainment zones, exempting them from certain cleanup requirements, and mandates that EPA publish implementation guidance alongside new standards to help states and industries obtain permits for new facilities. Additionally, it requires the EPA to report on how foreign pollution affects U.S. air quality designations and the handling of interstate pollution petitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the VA to update the burn pit registry within 180 days to allow designated individuals or immediate family members (spouses, parents, siblings, or others living with the veteran at death) to add a deceased veteran's cause of death. It directly affects veterans registered in the burn pit registry and their families seeking to document health impacts linked to military burn pit exposure. The key mechanism establishes a formal process for these updates, replacing the current inability to add posthumous cause-of-death information. The registry, established under the 2012 Dignified Burial Act, tracks health issues potentially tied to burn pit exposure during service.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds multi-cancer early detection screening tests to Medicare Part B coverage, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries. It creates a new coverage category for FDA-approved blood tests (like those analyzing cell-free DNA) that screen for multiple cancer types simultaneously, as defined in the bill. Medicare would cover these tests once every 12 months, and the bill clarifies that this change does not impact existing coverage for standard cancer screenings like mammograms or colonoscopies. The policy change ensures beneficiaries can access these new screening options without unnecessary delays after FDA approval.

Maddy summaryS 886 (Women's Suffrage National Monument Location Act) specifies the location for the Women's Suffrage National Monument. It directs the monument to be placed within the "Reserve" area, overriding a previous location provision under 40 U.S.C. § 8908(c). This procedural bill does not change monument policies or affect people; it only sets the physical site for a monument already authorized by Public Law 116-217. The Commemorative Works Act generally applies, except for the specified location.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new dental benefits plan specifically for members of the Selected Reserve in the Ready Reserve (part-time military service members). It establishes a "no premium plan," meaning these service members will not pay any monthly fees for dental coverage. Additionally, they will pay no copayments for any dental care received under this new plan. The bill directly affects Selected Reserve members by providing them with expanded, cost-free dental benefits through the TRICARE system.

Protect Patient Access to Pharmacies Act This bill establishes certain requirements with respect to payments to pharmacies by prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must ensure that payments sufficiently cover a pharmacy's costs to acquire and dispense covered drugs so as to enable the pharmacy to participate as a network provider. The CMS must (1) use relevant data from pharmacies with respect to acquisition and dispensing costs for covered drugs, (2) establish payment parameters, and (3) establish an appeal process for pharmacies about payments. The CMS must also evaluate the performance measures used by PDP sponsors for pharmacy price concessions or other performance fees and develop standardized performance measures.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires group health plans (like employer-sponsored insurance) to provide equal cost-sharing (such as copays and deductibles) for oral anticancer medications as for intravenous or injected versions, provided a doctor deems the oral drug medically necessary. It prohibits plans from changing coverage to increase out-of-pocket costs for oral drugs or impose stricter limits on them compared to IV drugs. The requirement applies to FDA-approved anticancer drugs used to treat cancer, with plans still allowed to use prior authorization. The law takes effect for 2024 plan years.