Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Maddy summaryThe Ending the Carried Interest Loophole Act changes how the IRS treats partnership interests given to employees for their work, specifically targeting financial managers and investment professionals. Under the new rules, these individuals must pay ordinary income tax on the value of their partnership shares at the time they receive them, rather than waiting until they sell the shares to pay lower capital gains taxes. The law also establishes a 10-year window during which any future profits earned from these shares are taxed as ordinary income instead of capital gains. Additionally, the bill repeals an existing tax provision that previously allowed certain carried interest payments to be classified as capital gains.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 670) expresses support for the goals of the 2026 Day of Silence, an event designed to highlight anti-LGBTQI+ bullying, harassment, and discrimination faced by individuals in K-12 schools. It focuses on improving the educational environment for all students, particularly LGBTQI+ young people, by drawing attention to issues like unequal educational opportunity and a lack of civil rights protections. The resolution encourages states, cities, and local school districts to adopt laws and policies that explicitly prohibit bullying and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics.

Maddy summaryThe Consumer Protection Remedies Act of 2026 amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to expand the Commission's legal tools for addressing consumer violations. It allows the FTC to seek court orders for returning money to harmed consumers, canceling or fixing unfair contracts, and requiring companies to give up illegal profits gained from violations. These new remedies are limited to actions taken within the last 10 years, and time spent by the accused party outside the United States does not count toward this deadline. The changes apply to any legal case started on or after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThe Stop CHEATERS Act directs the Internal Revenue Service to increase its enforcement efforts against high-income individuals and large corporations while also expanding taxpayer support services. To achieve this, the bill appropriates billions of dollars over several years to fund IRS investigations, hire additional staff, purchase vehicles, and modernize outdated technology systems. Additionally, the legislation requires the IRS Commissioner to submit regular reports to Congress detailing plans to shift auditing resources toward wealthy taxpayers and analyzing collection gaps across different income levels.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the "Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act," repeals two sections of the Internal Revenue Code. It eliminates Section 25F, which provides a tax credit for contributions made to scholarship granting organizations. Additionally, the bill repeals Section 139K, which allows certain educational assistance to be excluded from an individual's gross income. These changes primarily affect taxpayers who currently claim these credits or exclusions, and organizations involved in scholarship grants or providing educational assistance. The amendments generally take effect for taxable years ending after December 31, 2026.

Maddy summarySRES 627 is a Senate resolution designating March 5, 2026, as "National Slam the Scam Day" to raise public awareness about government imposter scams. It specifically targets scams where fraudsters impersonate agencies like the IRS, Social Security, or Medicare to steal money or personal information, disproportionately affecting older adults. The resolution encourages education through community groups, law enforcement, and financial institutions to help people recognize and report these scams, without creating new laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryThe Combating Illicit Xylazine Act places xylazine - a veterinary sedative increasingly found in illicit drug mixtures - into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, subjecting it to federal regulation as a controlled substance. It specifically allows veterinary use without requiring registration of the ultimate user (e.g., pet owners or veterinarians) if xylazine is dispensed by a registered veterinarian or pharmacy with a vet prescription and used for animals owned by the user, under their care, or in authorized animal programs. The bill provides a one-year delay for labeling and packaging requirements and a 60-day delay for registration and recordkeeping for veterinary use to ease implementation. Additionally, it adds xylazine to the Arcos tracking system for controlled substances and mandates two congressional reports on illicit use prevalence within 18 months and 4 years of enactment.

Maddy summaryThe Educational Equity Challenge Grant Act of 2026 establishes a federal grant program to provide funding to local and state educational agencies, non-profit partnerships, and other eligible entities. These grants aim to address students' academic, social-emotional, mental, behavioral, and physical health needs, especially those exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will support either evidence-based activities or innovative, educator-initiated proposals, with specific allocations for rural areas, low-income student populations, and tribal schools. Priority will be given to applicants serving high-need students, including those from low-income families, students of color, and students with disabilities, to promote equitable educational outcomes. Grant recipients must report on how funds were used and their effect on student learning and well-being.

Maddy summaryThe Senior Hunger Prevention Act of 2026 aims to improve food access for older adults, adults with disabilities, and kinship families by expanding and streamlining several federal nutrition programs. The bill extends SNAP certification periods, creates a standard medical expense deduction, and establishes simplified application processes for eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities. It also funds a new program to reimburse retail food stores for delivering groceries to these vulnerable populations and provides grants for outreach and application assistance. Additionally, the Act expands eligibility and increases funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, including grants for market modernization and infrastructure development to support local food access.

Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 This act permanently extends and expands judicial authority under the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016. The law allows and establishes procedures for civil claims and causes of action to recover artwork and other property lost between 1933 and 1945 because of Nazi persecution. Among the changes, the act removes the deadline for filing civil claims or causes of action. Currently, the filing deadline is December 31, 2026. (Claims must still be filed within six years of the claimant's discovery of the property in question.) The act permits courts to exercise jurisdiction over civil claims or causes of action against a foreign state without regard to the nationality or citizenship of the alleged victim. The art or property at issue must still have a connection to the foreign state's commercial activities in the United States. Additionally, the act authorizes nationwide service of process, which allows courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over defendants in any judicial district where they may be found, reside, have an agent, or transact business. Finally, the act limits the defenses that may be asserted against civil claims or causes of action, including by prohibiting defenses based on the passage of time, including equitable defenses such as laches (i.e., unreasonable delays); and discretionary bases for dismissal that are unrelated to the merits of the claim, including international comity (i.e., deference to the laws of other countries). These changes apply to pending and future civil claims or causes of action.