Maddy summaryThe Love Lives On Act of 2025 modifies veterans' and military survivors' benefit rules to prevent remarriage from automatically ending eligibility. It directly affects surviving spouses of veterans or military members who remarried, ensuring they retain access to key benefits. Key provisions include: (1) preventing termination of veterans' dependency compensation (under 38 U.S.C. §1311/1562) due to remarriage; (2) stopping termination of military Survivor Benefit Plan annuities solely for remarriage, with specific rules for those who remarried before age 55; and (3) expanding TRICARE coverage to include remarried widows/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended (via death, divorce, or annulment). These changes restore or maintain benefits that were previously lost upon remarriage.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (S 836) extends COPPA protections to teens aged 13-17 by requiring websites, apps, and online services to obtain verifiable consent from parents for children or from teens themselves before collecting or using their personal information for purposes beyond the service. It defines "personal information" broadly to include biometric data, voice recordings, persistent identifiers, and geolocation information, and prohibits using such information for individual-specific advertising without consent. The bill mandates clear notice about data practices and gives children and teens rights to access, correct, and delete their personal information. Additionally, it requires the FTC to conduct studies on mobile app oversight and the GAO to study teen privacy in financial technology products.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to remove the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services for Medicare beneficiaries. It directly affects older Americans and other eligible individuals who rely on Medicare for mental health care coverage. The key provision amends the Social Security Act to delete the specific restriction that currently caps how many days Medicare will pay for inpatient psychiatric hospital stays. Changes made by this legislation would take effect on January 1, 2027, allowing Medicare to cover these services without the previous daily limit.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to recognize home-schooled students as high school graduates for federal student aid eligibility. It changes the definition in Section 484(d) to state that a student completing secondary education in a home school setting treated as a home or private school under state law is considered a high school graduate. This directly affects home-schooled students seeking federal financial aid for college. The key provision is a new definition that removes prior barriers to eligibility based on educational setting, aligning federal recognition with state-level home school classifications.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Fiscal Commission within Congress to analyze the nation's long-term fiscal health and propose reforms to reduce the federal debt and deficit. The commission will be composed of 16 members appointed by Senate and House leadership, including outside experts, and will have two co-chairs representing opposing political parties to ensure balanced oversight. Its primary duties include educating the public about fiscal risks, developing policies to achieve a sustainable debt-to-GDP ratio of 100 percent by 2039, and producing a final report with legislative recommendations by November 2026. If the commission approves its recommendations, the resulting implementing bills would receive expedited consideration in both chambers with limited debate and no amendments allowed. The commission would operate for approximately two years before terminating, with funding provided through existing Senate accounts.
Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Stop Unemployment Fraud Act, requires states to verify the identity of unemployment compensation claimants using government-issued IDs and supporting documents, while also mandating data matching with systems like the National Directory of New Hires to detect fraud. It prohibits states from relying solely on a claimant's self-attestation to prove eligibility and strengthens work search requirements by mandating that claimants maintain and submit weekly records of job search activities. The legislation also allows states to use up to 5% of recovered overpayments or collected contributions to fund fraud prevention efforts, technology upgrades, and proper employment classification systems.
Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries Act, requires importers of record to be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or U.S.-based entities with physical locations and U.S. ownership to ensure they have a stake in U.S. compliance with customs laws. It mandates that importers of record pay duties and taxes directly from U.S.-based bank accounts verified through anti-money laundering procedures, and increases the minimum continuous import bond requirement to $100,000 for most importers. The legislation also establishes specific rules for foreign entities, requiring them to use U.S. subsidiaries or affiliates as importers of record, while allowing limited exceptions for large U.S.-based express consignment operators and carriers who can designate licensed customs brokers to serve in that role.
Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the End Foreign Abuse of United States Courts Act, creates a new legal procedure to dismiss certain lawsuits filed by foreign governments and their agents against American individuals and organizations. It targets claims that are based on political opinions or protected First Amendment activities, such as speech, press freedom, or political participation, and applies only to lawsuits brought by countries designated as foreign adversaries or those with a pattern of frivolous litigation against U.S. persons. Under the bill, defendants can file a special motion to dismiss such claims within 60 days, which would pause related legal proceedings until the motion is decided within 90 days. If the motion is granted, the case is dismissed with prejudice, and the plaintiff may be ordered to pay the defendant's legal fees and costs, including potential punitive damages if the lawsuit was found to be intended to harass or cause unnecessary delay. The law includes exceptions for commercial disputes, government officials acting in their official capacity, and claims involving bodily injury or wrongful death.
Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 617) designates February 2026 as "Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month" to symbolically recognize CTE programs nationwide. It supports CTE's role in preparing students for high-demand careers by promoting workforce readiness through academic and technical skills training. The resolution encourages educators, counselors, parents, and school administrators to advocate for CTE as a valid educational pathway. As a non-binding Senate resolution, it does not create new laws or allocate funds but affirms bipartisan support for CTE's importance in workforce development.
Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act of 2026, requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update cybersecurity and digital service regulations for Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The law mandates that states issue chip-enabled EBT cards within four years, ban magnetic stripe cards on new cards, and eliminate replacement fees for cards lost, stolen, or damaged due to fraud. It also requires online transaction security measures, provides funding for retailers to upgrade payment terminals, and establishes reporting requirements to track fraud and system performance.