Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument (approximately 1.07 million acres) to protect the Grand Canyon's ecosystem, watershed, and cultural resources. It requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to manage the monument with significant consultation and co-stewardship opportunities for 12 specific Native American Tribes, including the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe. The bill withdraws the land from mining activities but maintains existing recreational uses like hunting, fishing, and hiking. It creates a Tribal commission to provide guidance on management and ensures access to sacred sites for cultural and religious purposes. The law explicitly preserves existing water rights, fishing regulations, and Tribal treaty rights.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 928, the "Not Just a Number Act," requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish an annual report on veteran suicide rates starting 18 months after enactment. The report must include detailed data broken down by age, gender, and race/ethnicity, plus comparisons between veterans who used VA health services (like Vet Centers or mental health care) versus those who did not, and veterans engaged with VA benefits programs (such as education assistance, disability compensation, or housing loans). The bill also mandates a toolkit for state/local coroners to better identify and report veteran suicides, and a study on creating a dedicated VA suicide prevention office. These requirements aim to improve data collection, analysis, and reporting on veteran suicide trends to inform prevention strategies.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal health agencies to conduct an interagency review focused on accelerating research into lung cancer's disproportionate impact on women (particularly never-smokers), improving access to lung cancer screening services, and developing public awareness campaigns. The review, led by the HHS Secretary with Defense and VA collaboration, must identify research gaps, collaborative strategies, and infrastructure needs for screening expansion. It mandates a report to Congress within one year of enactment detailing findings and recommendations. The bill directly affects women's health outcomes by targeting systemic improvements in lung cancer prevention and early detection.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends over 30 sections of the Internal Revenue Code to replace gendered language like "husband and wife" with gender-neutral terms such as "married couple" or "spouses." It directly affects all married taxpayers by ensuring the tax code refers to married couples in inclusive language, regardless of gender. The key mechanism is updating specific tax code provisions to use neutral terminology throughout, including changing "his spouse" to "the individual's spouse" in numerous sections. This is a technical correction to modernize the language of the tax code, not a change to tax rates, deductions, or policy. The bill does not alter tax obligations or benefits for married couples.
Maddy summarySRES 282 is a non-binding Senate resolution recognizing June 2023 as "LGBTQ Pride Month" to honor the contributions and resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals across the United States. It does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges historical challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, including discrimination, hate crimes (such as the Pulse and Club Q shootings), and barriers to equality in employment, healthcare, and housing. The resolution encourages all Americans to learn about the LGBTQ community's history of struggle and achievement during June 2023. Introduced by 44 bipartisan senators, it serves as a symbolic gesture of support without altering any legal rights or obligations.
Maddy summaryThe LIFT Act authorizes $15 billion in federal funding to support climate-resilient infrastructure planning and preparation in communities facing infrastructure challenges. It provides two types of grants: $5 billion for capacity building (like community outreach and workforce training) and $10 billion for project predevelopment activities (such as feasibility studies and permitting), with at least 50% of funds directed to environmental justice communities. Grants are capped at $500,000 per recipient, require multi-stakeholder partnerships, and prioritize projects that advance equity, reduce emissions, or improve public health. This funding targets local governments, community organizations, and minority/women-led entities to accelerate infrastructure projects without requiring upfront construction costs.
Maddy summaryThis bill bans the provision and advertising of conversion therapy for compensation, targeting therapists, clinics, and anyone offering paid services claiming to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. It prohibits advertising that falsely claims such therapy is harmless, effective, or without risk, and makes it unlawful to profit from these practices. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general through civil actions. The law directly affects providers of paid conversion therapy while protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from potentially harmful and ineffective treatments.
Refund Equality Act of 2023 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.
Maddy summarySRES 263 is a symbolic Senate resolution commemorating June 19, 2023, as "Juneteenth National Independence Day" to recognize June 19, 1865 - the date Union troops announced the end of slavery in Texas. It honors the historical significance of this date, when news of emancipation reached enslaved people in the Southwestern U.S. after the Civil War. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges this observance as part of U.S. history and heritage, supporting nationwide recognition of the event. It affects all Americans by affirming a shared historical moment in the nation's journey toward freedom.
This resolution designates June 2023 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2023, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. The resolution supports (1) the education of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their families, and the public about post-traumatic stress; and (2) efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress. The resolution also encourages the leadership of the Armed Forces to support treatment of members of the Armed Forces who suffer from post-traumatic stress.