Sen. Adam B. Schiff

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution designates July 2025 as "American Grown Flower and Foliage Month" to recognize domestic flower and foliage producers. It does not create new laws or funding but encourages consumers to support U.S.-grown floral products through the Certified American Grown program. The resolution highlights that domestic growers support hundreds of farms, thousands of small businesses, and tens of thousands of jobs, while noting only 20% of flowers sold in the U.S. are domestically grown. It urges the public to prioritize American-grown products for holidays and special occasions. This is a symbolic designation with no binding policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act to require the U.S. Department of State to include detailed reporting on reproductive rights in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Specifically, it mandates that reports describe each country’s policies on access to contraception, abortion services, and comprehensive reproductive health care, including rates of pregnancy-related deaths, discrimination against women/LGBTQI+ individuals, and disparities based on race, disability, or other factors. The bill also requires consultation with civil society organizations and experts during report preparation. This affects how the U.S. government documents and assesses reproductive rights policies in other countries, without altering domestic U.S. law or funding.

Maddy summaryThe West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025 imposes U.S. sanctions on foreign individuals or entities responsible for specific actions threatening peace in the West Bank. It targets those who commit violence against civilians, threaten violence to force relocation, destroy private property without consent, or engage in terrorism. Sanctions include freezing U.S. assets, banning visas, and restricting entry for designated individuals. Exceptions cover humanitarian aid (food, medicine, agricultural commodities) and activities required for U.S. intelligence or international obligations. The law requires regular reports to Congress on implementation and West Bank violence assessments.

Maddy summaryThe Access to Birth Control Act (S 2302) requires pharmacies to provide contraception without delay when available and to help customers obtain it if out of stock - either by referring to another pharmacy or expediting an order. It prohibits pharmacies from intimidating customers, misrepresenting availability, breaching confidentiality, or refusing to return valid prescriptions for contraception. Exceptions allow pharmacists to decline service only if a prescription is missing, the customer cannot pay, or they use professional clinical judgment. Violations may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day or private lawsuits by affected individuals.

Maddy summarySRES 350 is a non-binding Senate resolution introduced by Senators Durbin, Schiff, and Coons. It formally recognizes decades of systemic human rights abuses in Eritrea, including indefinite imprisonment, inhumane prison conditions, and the absence of democratic elections or independent institutions. The resolution condemns these abuses and calls on Eritrea’s government to release political prisoners, implement its constitution, allow UN access, and enable free elections. It expresses U.S. support for the Eritrean people’s aspirations for democratic governance and freedom.

Maddy summaryS 2589, the Expanding the VOTE Act, strengthens language access in elections by updating the Voting Rights Act. It clarifies that "voting materials" include digital and printed content (like ballots and instructions) and requires states to provide these in minority languages when populations meet specific thresholds. The bill adds new notice requirements for states near language access thresholds and creates grants to help jurisdictions provide materials for languages not currently covered under Section 203, while establishing special provisions for American Indian and Alaska Native languages. It also directs a study on lowering language minority thresholds and expanding covered languages. This directly affects states, localities, and language minority communities participating in federal elections.

Maddy summaryThe Sustaining Our Democracy Act establishes a federal program to provide funding to states for election-related activities. The Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program allocates funds to states for improving election administration, recruiting and protecting election workers, and increasing voting access for underserved communities including racial minorities, individuals with disabilities, and voters in Indian lands. States must submit approved plans detailing how funds will be used before receiving payments, and the bill prohibits using funds for activities that could diminish voter participation. The legislation creates an Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation to administer the program and establishes a $2.5 billion annual Trust Fund for fiscal years 2026-2035 to support these election-related activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides mortgage forbearance for homeowners and multifamily property owners with federally backed loans (such as FHA, VA, USDA, or federally securitized mortgages) in areas affected by federally declared disasters. Borrowers can request a 180-day payment pause during the disaster period, extendable by up to 180 more days, with no additional fees, penalties, or interest accruing beyond scheduled amounts. Servicers must grant this forbearance promptly upon request, regardless of the borrower's loan delinquency status. The policy applies to disasters declared on or after January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces local matching requirements by 50% for counties where over half the land is federally owned and the population is under 100,000 (called "High-Density Public Land Counties"). It applies to USDA rural development grants like those for business growth, community facilities, broadband, and telemedicine. The bill also gives priority to these counties for grant approval and provides extra technical assistance to help them apply. Tribal governments within these counties also receive targeted support for barriers like complex applications or financial requirements.

Maddy summaryS 2619, the MORE DOT Grants Act, simplifies access to federal transportation grants for rural counties and tribal governments in areas where over half the land is federally owned. It reduces local matching fund requirements by 50% for eligible High-Density Public Land Counties (pop. under 100,000 with >50% federal land) and their local or tribal governments applying to 14+ DOT grant programs. The bill also prioritizes first-time applicants from these areas, provides extra technical assistance, and allows flexibility with complex application requirements that disadvantage small communities. This directly affects rural communities struggling with financial or bureaucratic barriers to securing transportation funding. The changes aim to make federal grant programs more accessible without altering the core purpose of the existing transportation initiatives.