Rep. Scott DesJarlais

Maddy summaryHR 7651, the Chloe Cole Act of 2026, prohibits healthcare providers from performing certain medical interventions on minors under 18 aimed at altering physical development to align with gender identity. These "covered interventions" include puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and specific surgeries, but exclude medically necessary care for conditions like disorders of sexual development or traumatic injuries. The bill creates a federal civil lawsuit right for affected minors or their parents against providers who perform such interventions, allowing claims for damages including emotional distress and punitive awards, with strict liability for providers after the law's enactment. It explicitly allows exceptions for legitimate medical treatments and requires providers to prove such exceptions apply if challenged.

Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act This bill prohibits payment card networks from using merchant codes that distinguish firearms retailers from general-merchandise retailers or sporting-goods retailers. The Department of Justice must enforce this bill and report annually on the resulting investigations and cases.

Maddy summaryHR 4398, the Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act, requires Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians or nurse practitioners to certify the death of a veteran who dies of natural causes within 48 hours of learning of the death. This directly affects veterans' families, who previously faced delays of up to eight weeks in burial and access to survivor benefits due to slow death certifications. The bill mandates annual reports to Congress on VA compliance with the 48-hour rule, including statistics on delays and their causes. The key change is establishing a strict timeline for death certification to prevent unnecessary delays in honoring veterans' final arrangements.

Maddy summaryThis bill redesignates the existing National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance on federal lands. It directs revenue from recreation fees and a portion of energy development income into the fund, which must be used primarily for repairing critical infrastructure like roads, trails, and buildings managed by agencies such as the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The legislation establishes strict rules requiring that most funds go toward non-transportation projects, mandates transparency through public dashboards tracking project status, and sets aside a small percentage for matching private donations. Additionally, the bill increases entrance fees for foreign visitors to ensure they contribute to the fund, while prohibiting the use of these specific funds for land acquisition or employee bonuses.

Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act This bill repeals the Corporate Transparency Act. The act requires existing companies and newly created companies to report beneficial ownership information to the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for purposes of addressing the financing of terrorism and money laundering.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act, expands legal protections for firearm manufacturers and sellers by strengthening their immunity from civil lawsuits. It requires courts to immediately dismiss any pending cases against these companies that are based on the criminal or unlawful misuse of a gun by a third party, while also clarifying that sellers are not liable for negligence in entrusting products to others. The legislation further restricts who can file such suits by prohibiting foreign governments from bringing these claims and adding a specific exception for victims under the age of 17, though it maintains immunity for cases involving design or manufacturing defects. Additionally, the bill allows companies to move these cases to federal court and grants them the right to appeal dismissal orders immediately, along with the ability to recover legal fees if they win. Finally, it preempts state and local laws that attempt to impose liability on these entities for the same types of misuse-related harms.

Maddy summaryThe TSP Modernization Act allows individuals to electronically transfer money from their Thrift Savings Fund accounts to qualified retirement plans at brokerage firms, a change that takes effect one year after the law is passed. To initiate this transfer, account holders must provide the necessary information to the Federal Retirement Thrith Investment Board. Additionally, the bill requires the board to submit a report to Congress one year after enactment detailing how the electronic transfer process was implemented.

Maddy summaryThe Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2025 allows federal employees to receive cash awards of up to $20,000 for identifying spending their agency's Chief Financial Officer determines is not required for its intended purpose. Employees report potential wasteful expenses to their agency's Chief Financial Officer, who verifies if the spending qualifies under the new definition (funds not needed for their original purpose). If approved, the agency head can award the employee, and agencies must publicly report on these disclosures and awards. The Office of Personnel Management will monitor compliance, and the Comptroller General will report on the program's operation every three years.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Preventing International Surrogacy Exploitation Act, aims to stop foreign nationals from using U.S. surrogate mothers for commercial surrogacy arrangements. It would make any surrogacy contract void and unenforceable if the intended parents are foreign citizens or permanent residents, with a specific exception for married couples where at least one partner is a U.S. citizen or resident. Additionally, the law prohibits surrogacy brokers from facilitating these agreements and imposes criminal penalties, including fines and up to 10 years in prison, for those who knowingly or recklessly assist in such contracts. Children born through these invalid agreements would have their custody determined by the state where the surrogate lives, focusing on the child's best interests rather than the contract. Finally, the bill prevents foreign parents from using their U.S.-born children to gain immigration benefits or rights under U.S. immigration laws.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Kids from Creeps Act prohibits surrogacy agencies, their employees, and sex offenders from participating in surrogacy agreements, directly affecting fertility clinics, staff, and individuals required to register as sex offenders. The bill mandates severe criminal penalties, including fines and prison sentences of at least 10 to 20 years, for knowingly or recklessly facilitating such agreements, while also stripping convicted agencies of their tax-exempt status and eligibility for federal grants. Any surrogacy agreement formed in violation of these rules is declared legally void and unenforceable, meaning it cannot be used to establish parental rights. In cases where a child is born from an illegal agreement, custody decisions will be made solely based on the best interests of the child under the laws of the state where the surrogate lives, ignoring any prior contracts. Additionally, the Attorney General can pursue civil penalties equal to the compensation received or offered for prohibited conduct.