Maddy summaryHR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain government workers. It eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which cuts spousal or survivor benefits for people with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like federal or state government roles), and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which lowers retirement benefits for those with similar pensions. The law takes effect for benefits paid after December 2023, requiring the Social Security Administration to adjust benefit calculations to remove these reductions. This change directly affects public-sector employees who previously had their Social Security benefits reduced due to their government pensions.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site Act designates Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida, as a National Commemorative Site, making it part of the African American Civil Rights Network. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study within two years to evaluate the site's national significance and preservation options, without designating it as a unit of the National Park System. This designation does not affect private property rights, local zoning, or current site management by its owners.
Maddy summaryHR 7365, the VETS Safe Travel Act, provides free TSA PreCheck access to veterans with specific service-connected disabilities. It applies to veterans enrolled in VA healthcare who have lost or lost use of an extremity, experience paralysis, or have permanent blindness, requiring mobility aids like wheelchairs or prosthetics. The bill requires TSA and the VA to coordinate implementation within one year, including outreach to veterans about this benefit and reporting to Congress on progress.
Maddy summaryThe Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act (HR 1318) authorizes the placement of a monument on the National Mall to honor the women’s suffrage movement and the 19th Amendment. The bill specifies that the monument must be located within a designated area on the National Mall known as the "Reserve," bypassing standard requirements for monument locations under existing law. This legislation sets the physical site for a monument already authorized by previous law (Public Law 116-217), without creating new policy or altering commemorative regulations beyond the location.
Maddy summaryThis bill updates federal law to ensure tribal child support enforcement agencies have the same access to tax information as state agencies. It amends the Social Security Act and Internal Revenue Code to explicitly include tribal organizations receiving federal grants under Section 455(f) in provisions allowing the use of tax refund data to collect overdue child support payments. Tribal agencies will now be treated equally with state agencies for accessing tax information and receiving reimbursement for enforcement reports. This change directly affects Native American tribes operating child support programs and the parents and children they serve, enabling more effective collection of overdue support.
Maddy summaryHR 1089, the VA Medical Center Facility Transparency Act, requires each VA medical center director to submit annual and quarterly fact sheets to the VA Secretary, Congress, and the public. The annual reports must include statistics on veterans treated, appointments, common conditions, veteran satisfaction, facility comparisons, improvements made, specialized services (like mental health or women's care), and ongoing deficiencies. Quarterly reports must detail average wait times for veterans seeking care. These fact sheets must be posted publicly both at facilities and online, using a standardized format, to help veterans and Congress understand facility performance and access.
Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 1607) clarifies jurisdiction for Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development on specific land in Arizona. It reserves approximately 18 miles of land along the Salt River south of Roosevelt Dam to the United States for exclusive use in developing electrical power for the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project. The bill permanently withdraws this land from public land laws, mining activities, and mineral leasing. Any facilities developed by the Salt River Project on this land must meet Bureau of Reclamation standards and receive approval from the Secretary of the Interior. The Bureau of Reclamation is designated as the lead agency for environmental compliance related to these developments.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to assess whether energy policies and rules disproportionately affect at-risk communities, including low-income, minority, rural, elderly, and Native American communities. Agencies must conduct studies before actions like leasing federal land or issuing new energy rules, and include an "energy poverty statement" certifying the policy won't cause energy poverty. Within one year, the Comptroller General and OMB must jointly report to Congress on how current policies impact these communities and recommend solutions to reduce energy poverty. The law aims to prevent energy poverty by mandating concrete evaluations of policy impacts on vulnerable groups.
Maddy summaryHR 3269, the Law Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act, exempts specific less-than-lethal projectile devices from federal firearm taxes and National Firearms Act restrictions. The bill defines these devices as those firing projectiles at under 500 feet per second and designed not to cause death or serious injury. This directly affects law enforcement agencies using such devices and manufacturers producing them, by removing tax burdens and registration requirements. The key change is creating a clear legal exemption for these devices under federal law, streamlining their use for de-escalation purposes.
Maddy summaryThe FOCA Act of 2023 requires federal agencies to stop mandating or banning contractor agreements with labor organizations (like union contracts) in construction project bids and contracts. It directly affects federal contractors, subcontractors, and agencies managing construction projects funded by the government. The bill prohibits favoring or penalizing contractors based on their labor affiliation status, aiming to promote fair competition and reduce costs. It also mandates updates to federal contracting rules within 60 days of enactment to implement these changes.