Sen. John W. Hickenlooper

Proving Reserves Of Others’ Funds Act or the PROOF Act This bill requires digital exchanges to protect customer funds and provide proof of reserves. Specifically, digital exchanges must minimize (1) customer risk of asset loss, and (2) delays experienced by a customer when accessing assets. With some exceptions, a customer’s assets must be separated from any other assets and may not be used to margin, secure, or guarantee a trade or account of a person other than the customer. Further, digital exchanges and digital custodians must report on their proof of reserves through an attestation from an independent auditing firm or a disinterested third party. The Office of Domestic Finance in the Department of the Treasury must make these attestations publicly available. The bill also provides for the creation of an industry standard for the attestations. Violations are subject to civil penalties.

Maddy summarySRES 163 is a Senate resolution honoring Clela Rorex, a Boulder County, Colorado clerk who, in 1975, issued the first same-sex marriage license in the United States to Dave McCord and Dave Zamora. The resolution recognizes her pioneering civil rights contributions and courage in issuing the license despite facing death threats and public condemnation. It designates March 26, 2025, as "Clela Rorex Day" to commemorate her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and her role in advancing marriage equality. The bill does not create new laws or affect any policies - it is a commemorative gesture acknowledging historical civil rights progress.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Tax Cut for Workers Act of 2025, expands the Earned Income Credit (EIC) to make it more accessible and generous for low-income workers without children. It lowers the minimum age for the credit from 25 to 19 (with exceptions for students, former foster youth, and homeless youth), removes the maximum age limit, and increases the credit amount and income thresholds. The bill also adjusts these amounts for inflation and allows taxpayers to use their prior year’s earned income if it was higher, applying to taxable years starting after 2025. These changes extend the credit to U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and American Samoa without prior time limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates payment rules for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which helps farmers conserve land and water. It directly affects farmers who enroll in the program, particularly those with water rights or using dryland farming (non-irrigated agriculture). Key changes include: allowing landowners to choose annual payment distribution; setting payment rates equal to irrigated rates for agreements permanently retiring water rights; and creating a new payment rate for dryland uses based on the difference between irrigated and dryland rates. Existing agreements with lower rates will be adjusted retroactively under these new rules. The bill aims to better align payments with conservation outcomes like water savings.

Maddy summaryThe Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. The Federal Labor Relations Authority will determine if states' laws "substantially provide" these rights, and if not, the federal standards will apply to affected workers. The bill guarantees rights like forming labor organizations, negotiating wages and working conditions, and resolving disputes through mediation or arbitration, while prohibiting strikes that would disrupt emergency services. Existing collective bargaining agreements and units are protected from the bill's implementation.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 159) is a ceremonial Senate measure honoring the late Senator John Bennett Johnston, Jr. (1932-2024), who represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate from 1972 to 1997. It commemorates his career, including his work on energy policy, flood control, and Louisiana conservation efforts, and requests the Senate adjourn in his memory while sending condolences to his family. As a non-binding resolution, it has no policy impact or direct effect on any individuals or laws.

Maddy summaryS 1289 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce and sell commemorative $5 gold and $1 silver coins to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The bill specifies coin specifications (e.g., 90% gold/silver content, design requirements including "Never Forget"), sets a one-year issuance window (January 1, 2027-2028), and requires surcharges of $35 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. These surcharges will be paid directly to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum to support its operations and maintenance, with coins sold at a price covering face value, surcharge, and production costs. The legislation does not impose new regulations or affect public policy but focuses on commemoration and funding for the museum.

Maddy summaryThe Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025 requires the government to provide free legal counsel at no cost to unaccompanied children in immigration court proceedings, starting as soon as possible after a notice to appear is issued. It mandates that children receive their complete immigration file within 7 days and have at least 10 days to review it before court proceedings continue, unless they waive this time. The bill also requires annual reports to Congress on the number of children represented, their nationalities and ages, and the effectiveness of legal representation programs.

Maddy summaryS 1302, the "Increasing Transparency in Generic Drug Applications Act," requires the FDA to disclose to generic drug applicants whether their proposed drug matches the brand-name reference drug in inactive ingredients (type and amount). If differences exist, the FDA must specify which ingredients differ and the exact quantitative deviations. The bill mandates the FDA issue guidance within one year on how it determines ingredient similarity, including for pH adjusters, after a 60-day public comment period. This directly affects generic drug manufacturers seeking FDA approval by providing clearer, earlier feedback during the application review process.

Maddy summaryThe CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 expands Medicare coverage for telehealth services by removing geographic restrictions that previously limited where patients could receive telehealth care. It allows more healthcare providers to offer telehealth services, including expanding eligibility for practitioners and removing the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health. The bill also includes specific provisions for Federally Qualified Health Centers, rural health clinics, and Native American health facilities to better integrate telehealth into their services. Additionally, it establishes program integrity measures to address billing patterns and requires the posting of telehealth service data to improve transparency and quality measurement. These changes aim to make telehealth more accessible for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly in rural areas and for underserved populations.