Sen. John Boozman

Maddy summaryThe Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025 would authorize federal grants to expand mental health and substance use services for rural underserved populations and workers in farming, fishing, or forestry occupations. Grant recipients must deliver care via telehealth directly in patients' homes or comfortable settings, measure its effectiveness compared to in-person care, and improve infrastructure like broadband access and patient devices. The program requires annual reports on outcomes after three years and every two years, with up to $10 million allocated yearly from 2025 through 2029. This initiative aims to address geographic and occupational barriers to mental health care access.

Maddy summaryThe HELPER Act of 2025 creates a new FHA mortgage insurance program specifically for first responders and teachers, allowing them to purchase homes with no down payment. It defines "first responders" as full-time law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and K-12 teachers employed by government or accredited schools. The program requires applicants to be first-time homebuyers with 4 years of recent employment in their field, complete housing counseling, and intend to remain in their role for at least one year after closing. Mortgages under this program must be used for a primary residence, cover 100% of the home's appraised value, and exclude monthly insurance premiums.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the EPA's 2024 emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and amends the Clean Air Act to prevent future regulations from mandating specific technologies or limiting new vehicle availability based on engine type. It directly affects the EPA's regulatory authority and vehicle manufacturers by blocking technology mandates and restrictions on engine types in new vehicles. Key provisions require the EPA to revise regulations within 24 months to align with these changes, ensuring no federal rules limit vehicle choices based on engine technology. The bill's title is misleading, as it does not address automobile retail sales or consumer choice at dealerships.

Maddy summaryThe Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 modifies FDA regulations to improve pediatric cancer drug development and extends incentives for rare pediatric disease treatments. It requires drug developers seeking approval for molecularly targeted cancer drugs to include pediatric-focused studies (e.g., dosing, safety) for specific cancer types, with new FDA guidance due within 12 months. The bill also extends the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program through 2029 and mandates a GAO study to evaluate how effectively these vouchers spur development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases, reporting findings by 2034. This directly affects pharmaceutical companies developing cancer drugs and the FDA’s approval process, aiming to accelerate treatments for children with cancer and rare diseases.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 952) creates a single uniform tariff subheading (2208.30.00) for all whiskies in the U.S. tariff schedule, replacing multiple existing subheadings. It sets a flat duty rate of $2.04 per liter for all whiskies under this new category and requires the U.S. International Trade Commission to add specific statistical suffixes to distinguish between whisky types (like Irish/Scotch, Bourbon, Rye) and container sizes. The change directly affects whisky importers and customs officials who process these goods, standardizing how whiskies are classified for duty calculation. The new system takes effect 15 days after the bill is enacted.

Maddy summaryS 957, the Honor Our Living Donors Act, amends federal law to protect living organ donors by requiring reimbursement programs to ignore the income of the organ recipient when calculating donor payments. The bill specifically prohibits grant programs from considering the recipient's income when reimbursing donors for eligible costs, ensuring donors aren't disadvantaged based on who receives the organ. It also mandates an annual report by the Secretary of Health and Human Services by December 31 each year, detailing whether funding covered all donor expenses and estimating shortfalls. This bill directly affects living organ donors participating in federal grant programs and the agencies administering those programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal gun law to clarify what constitutes a "State of residence" for gun purchasers traveling across state lines. It defines "State of residence" to include a person's actual home state, a military member's duty station state (or commute home), or a mailbox state for those without a physical residence. The bill requires background checks to include either a physical address or a mailbox address on transfer forms. This directly affects gun buyers traveling between states, particularly military personnel and individuals without fixed homes, by allowing them to use their "state of residence" address for background checks instead of the state they're visiting. The change modifies how federal background checks verify a purchaser's residence.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 892) amends Section 6107 of Title 38, U.S. Code, to improve how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles misused benefits. It requires the VA to reissue misused benefits to veterans (or their successor guardians) when a guardian (fiduciary) improperly uses their payments, and to make good-faith efforts to recover those funds from the misusing guardian. If a veteran dies before receiving reissued benefits, the VA must pay the amount to the appropriate beneficiary under existing law, but not to the misusing guardian. The law ensures veterans directly affected by fiduciary misuse receive the full amount misused, with no additional payment beyond the original misused benefit.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases monthly payments to surviving spouses of veterans by changing how the amount is calculated. Instead of a fixed dollar amount ($1,154), payments will equal 55% of the current monthly compensation rate for veterans' disability benefits (section 1114(j)). It also includes a special provision ensuring survivors whose veterans died before January 1, 1993, receive the higher of the old payment amount or the new 55% calculation. The bill directly affects surviving spouses of veterans who qualify for dependency and indemnity compensation.

Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from transmitting certain information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) utilized by licensed importers or dealers of firearms. Specifically, the bill prohibits the VA from transmitting personally identifying information of a veteran or a beneficiary to the NICS solely on the basis that such veteran or beneficiary has an appointed fiduciary to manage their benefits, unless there is an order or finding of a judicial authority that such veteran or beneficiary is a danger to themselves or others.