Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act, modifies federal energy laws to ensure that large industrial customers pay for the specific infrastructure upgrades needed to serve their high electricity demands. It directly affects non-residential facilities with a peak power usage of 100 megawatts or more, requiring utilities to charge these customers the full incremental cost of any necessary generation, transmission, or distribution improvements. Under the new rules, large customers must also provide financial guarantees or contributions before such upgrades are made, ensuring utilities can recover costs even if the customer leaves the contract early. State regulators have two years to implement these standards, though the bill exempts utilities in states that have already enacted similar measures or are actively considering them.

Maddy summaryHR 5334, the SEED Act of 2025, expands the existing educator expense deduction under federal tax law to explicitly include early childhood educators. It revises the Internal Revenue Code to cover expenses for "early childhood educators" and broadens the educational levels affected to include "pre-kindergarten through grade 12." This change allows early childhood educators (such as preschool teachers) to deduct work-related expenses like classroom supplies and professional development costs, which they previously could not claim under the existing deduction for "kindergarten through grade 12" teachers. The amendment applies to expenses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThe Load Forecasting Enhancement Act requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create regional joint boards made up of state commission representatives and a commission member to study how electric utilities predict energy demand. These boards will investigate methods to improve the accuracy and transparency of these forecasts to ensure reliable and affordable electricity service, then report their findings to Congress within a year. Once the report is submitted, the law mandates that state regulators incorporate these recommended forecasting standards into their oversight of electric utilities, while exempting nonregulated utilities from certain requirements. Additionally, the bill updates existing energy laws to include procedures for improving the accuracy and transparency of load forecasting in state energy conservation plans.

Maddy summaryThe Nitrous Oxide Safety Act of 2026 would classify consumer products containing nitrous oxide as banned hazardous items under federal law, except for specific exceptions. The bill prohibits the sale of nitrous oxide products for recreational use while allowing continued sales for medical and dental treatments, food production in commercial kitchens, research and development activities, and food propellant applications. This legislation directly affects manufacturers, retailers, and consumers by restricting access to nitrous oxide in consumer products after 180 days from enactment. The law defines nitrous oxide as the gas known as laughing gas or whippits and specifies which entities and activities are exempt from the ban.

Maddy summaryHR 6152, the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act, establishes an interagency task force to address foreign robocalls entering the United States. The task force, composed of the FCC, FTC, DOJ, and private sector representatives, will study the origins, impacts, and potential solutions to foreign robocalls and must submit a report to Congress within 360 days. The bill also modifies existing law to require FCC notices about robocall mitigation every three years instead of annually, and introduces a bond requirement for providers using the Robocall Mitigation Database. This legislation affects telecommunications providers, federal agencies, and all U.S. telephone users who receive unwanted calls. The bill aims to improve coordination between U.S. agencies and foreign countries in combating illegal robocalls through concrete policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias starting January 1, 2028. It defines eligible tests as FDA-cleared genomic blood tests, blood product analyses, or equivalent medical imaging methods (like protein expression or whole genome sequencing) that detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. Medicare beneficiaries would receive this coverage without cost-sharing for these specific screenings. The bill amends Medicare coverage rules to explicitly include these tests under Section 1861(nnn) of the Social Security Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all new passenger vehicles manufactured for sale in the U.S. to include AM radio as standard equipment (not an optional add-on) by 2027-2028, depending on manufacturer size. It mandates that AM radio receivers must be easily accessible to drivers and allows compliance through digital AM broadcast technology. During a transition period, manufacturers must clearly label vehicles without AM radio but cannot charge extra for this feature. The bill also mandates a GAO study on AM radio's role in emergency alerts and includes a 10-year sunset provision for the rule. It preempts state laws regarding AM radio access in vehicles.