Maddy summaryThe HELP Separated Children Act directs the Department of Homeland Security to identify parents of U.S. children during immigration enforcement actions and ensures they can make phone calls to arrange care for their children. It requires officials to notify child welfare agencies only when a parent cannot arrange care for their child or when there is an imminent risk of harm to the child. The bill also mandates that detained parents be allowed regular contact with their children, participate in family court proceedings, and be considered for release if it serves the child's best interests. Additionally, the legislation requires federal employees involved in these actions to receive training on minimizing trauma to children and establishes a system for collecting data on how the law is implemented.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act of 2026 expands disaster relief assistance to individuals who lived in disaster areas but lacked formal proof of ownership or were not renting, including those who were homeless or stayed in temporary accommodations. It allows these eligible households to use federal funds to pay for obtaining property titles, such as costs for land surveys and associated taxes, by accepting a wide range of documents like utility bills, driver's licenses, and school records as evidence of their connection to the property. The bill also requires FEMA to create a simple, non-notarized form for applicants to self-certify their eligibility and mandates that the agency consult with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to coordinate temporary rental assistance programs for displaced residents. Additionally, the legislation amends existing disaster housing rules to focus on ensuring residences are habitable during long-term recovery and permits temporary housing if the President deems it a cost-effective alternative to other solutions.
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution formally acknowledges April as Community College Month to honor the role of over 1,000 institutions in providing affordable higher education and workforce training. The bill does not change any laws or allocate funding; instead, it serves as a symbolic statement recognizing how these colleges support economic prosperity and serve diverse student populations. By highlighting statistics on enrollment, tuition costs, and economic impact, the resolution aims to raise public awareness about the value of community colleges without imposing new requirements.
Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act, aims to overturn a specific executive order by repealing it and prohibiting the use of federal funds to implement similar directives in the future. It directly affects the United States Postal Service, various federal agencies, and state election officials by restricting their ability to regulate mail-in ballots or create national citizenship lists for voting purposes. Key provisions ban federal agencies from sharing voter registration data, compel the Postal Service to continue delivering state-issued mail ballots without interference, and forbid the use of taxpayer money to enforce rules that would require states to adopt specific citizenship verification methods. The legislation seeks to preserve the current system where states manage their own election administration while the Postal Service delivers ballots, citing historical precedents and the high volume of mail-in voting used by Americans.
Maddy summaryThis resolution supports designating April 11-17, 2026, as "Black Maternal Health Week." The designation aims to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States, specifically emphasizing the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing people.
Maddy summaryThe Hemp Safety Enforcement Act allows U.S. states and Indian tribes to opt out of federal hemp regulations by submitting a simple notice to the Secretary of Agriculture. In exchange for this exemption, the state or tribe must enforce its own laws regarding hemp production and ensure a minimum age requirement for purchasing hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The bill also clarifies that these opting-out jurisdictions cannot ban the interstate transport of hemp products, though the products must still comply with the laws of both the origin and destination states or tribes. This change shifts primary regulatory authority over hemp from the federal government to individual states and tribes that choose to exercise it.
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 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.
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 or the GLRI Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which carries out programs and projects to protect and restore the Great Lakes.