Sen. Tom Cotton

China Trade Relations Act of 2023 This bill withdraws normal trade relations treatment from China and expands the bases of ineligibility for this treatment to include specified violations of human rights by China. Specifically, during any period in which China engages in specified activities (e.g., using slave labor, performing forced abortion or sterilization, or hindering the free exercise of religion) (1) products from China shall not be eligible to receive nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations), (2) China may not participate in any U.S. program that extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, and (3) the President may not conclude any commercial agreement with China.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts specific traditional handmade cigars from most FDA regulations under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It directly affects small cigar manufacturers who produce cigars meeting strict criteria: 100% leaf tobacco wrappers and fillers, no filters, weighing at least 6 pounds per 1,000 cigars, and made primarily by hand using limited machinery. The law removes FDA authority to regulate these cigars, including requiring pre-market review or labeling changes. This change aims to preserve jobs in small businesses that specialize in these traditional products.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the FDA from approving new abortion drugs and restricts existing approved drugs to in-person administration by certified healthcare providers. It requires providers to be certified in pregnancy assessment, ectopic pregnancy diagnosis, and emergency care capabilities, and mandates that drugs can only be dispensed in clinics, offices, or hospitals. The bill also imposes new reporting requirements for adverse events (like hospitalizations or severe infections) and requires providers to document risks to patients before prescribing. These provisions apply to all drugs defined as "abortion drugs" under the bill, which includes any substance intended to terminate pregnancy (excluding specific medical exceptions).

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits U.S. federal funding for gain-of-function research on certain viruses. It directly affects universities and research institutions that conduct such research, banning new federal grants for them. The law defines gain-of-function research as work that could make influenza, MERS, or SARS viruses more dangerous or contagious in any organism. Federal agencies must stop awarding new grants to institutions performing this specific type of research.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal funds from covering abortions in most circumstances, including health benefits plans, with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or when a pregnancy endangers a woman's life. It specifically bars the use of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for health plans that cover abortion, requiring insurers to disclose abortion coverage details separately in marketing materials. The law applies to all federal health programs and ACA marketplace plans, ensuring taxpayer dollars aren't used for abortion services or coverage. It does not affect private insurance plans purchased with non-federal funds or separate abortion coverage options.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from requiring defense contractors to report greenhouse gas emissions. It specifically bans the Secretary of Defense from mandating any "greenhouse gas inventory" or reports on Scope 1, Scope 2, or Scope 3 emissions from contractors holding federal defense contracts. The law directly affects defense contractors who would otherwise have been required to track and disclose their emissions data. It removes a specific reporting requirement for contractors under Defense Department contracts, without altering other environmental regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the reporting threshold for payment platforms like PayPal or Venmo. It requires these platforms to report transaction data only if a business receives over $20,000 in payments across more than 200 transactions in a year. This change directly affects payment processors and their business users by reducing the volume of transactions they must report to the IRS.

Maddy summaryS 15, the Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act of 2023, requires states to submit standardized abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually to continue receiving Medicaid funding for family planning services. States must report specific mandatory data points - including maternal age, gestational age, race, ethnicity, and abortion method - by December 31 of the previous year, using a CDC-maintained standardized system. The CDC will publish an annual report on this data, and states that fail to submit timely reports may still receive retroactive Medicaid payments, but knowingly providing false data can result in losing future Medicaid funding. This bill directly affects all states receiving Medicaid funds for family planning services, aiming to create uniform national abortion data collection.

Maddy summaryS 16, the Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2023, prohibits federal funding for colleges and universities that host campus health clinics providing abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees. It requires these institutions to submit annual certifications confirming their clinics do not offer such services, with funding eligibility contingent on this compliance. The bill defines "abortion drugs" broadly as any medication intended to terminate a pregnancy (excluding specific medical exceptions), and clarifies that campus health clinics - not hospitals - are covered under this restriction. This policy directly affects public and private institutions of higher education receiving federal funds, altering their funding eligibility based on campus health service offerings.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the U.S. Secretary of Energy from selling petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to entities controlled by the Chinese Communist Party or to any buyer unless they guarantee the oil won't be exported to China. It directly affects the Department of Energy (which manages the SPR) and any companies or entities seeking to purchase SPR oil with potential Chinese ties. The key mechanism requires the Secretary to block sales to China-linked entities or impose strict export restrictions on all sales. The bill aims to prevent SPR oil from reaching China, without creating new programs or altering existing SPR management rules.