Sen. Michael F. Bennet

Maddy summaryThe Shelter Act creates tax credits for homeowners and businesses to offset costs of installing disaster mitigation features. Homeowners can claim a 25% credit (up to $2,500) for qualifying improvements like reinforced roofs, flood barriers, fire-resistant materials, or storm shelters. Businesses receive a similar 25% credit (up to $5,000) for similar hazard mitigation at their locations. To qualify, properties must be in areas with recent federal disaster declarations or designated resilience zones, and expenses cannot be covered by government funding. The credit reduces income tax liability for eligible expenses incurred after 2023.

Maddy summaryS 2198, the Prescription Drug Supply Chain Pricing Transparency Act, directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study how intermediaries in the prescription drug supply chain (like pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, wholesalers, and pharmacies) are paid for services related to drug prices. The GAO must examine fee structures based on drug prices (such as percentage-based fees), potential conflicts of interest, and trends in these practices across different market segments. The study will cover entities including PBMs, drug manufacturers, and rebate negotiators, and must be completed within two years of the bill's enactment. The GAO will then report its findings and recommendations to Congress, but the bill itself does not change current pricing rules or impose new requirements on the industry.

Maddy summaryThe Small Farm Conservation Act (S 2180) creates a dedicated subprogram within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide targeted support to small-scale agricultural producers. It requires a minimum $2,500 payment per producer for conservation practices, boosts payments by 50% for soil health systems on farms under 50 acres, and allocates $100 million annually (2024-2028) specifically for this subprogram. Funding is split: 35% ensures tailored technical assistance (via trained staff and outreach), while 65% provides direct financial aid to eligible producers, including historically underserved groups like beginning farmers, veterans, and those in high-poverty areas. The bill mandates a streamlined application process for faster access to payments and requires annual reporting on program results.

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.

Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act This bill requires prescription drug plans under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to include generic drugs and biosimilars on their formularies. Specifically, the bill requires plans that use formularies to include generic drugs and biosimilars on the formularies and without any requirements (e.g., prior authorization requirements) that are more restrictive as compared to those for brand-name drugs and biologics. Plans that use cost-sharing tiers must also have specific tiers for generic drugs and biosimilars, in accordance with certain limitations.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes federal agencies (like the Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service) to inspect and clean watercraft entering or leaving federal reservoirs and waterways in 18 western states (including California, Arizona, and Texas) to prevent invasive mussels from spreading. It creates a competitive grant program to help these states, tribes, and local groups set up and operate inspection stations, with the federal government covering up to 75% of costs. The law requires coordination with tribal nations and the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, and allocates $25 million annually for these efforts starting in 2024. It directly affects boaters using federal waters in Reclamation States and state/local entities managing inspection sites.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how crop insurance is structured under the Federal Crop Insurance Act. It allows farmers to have separate insurance coverage units for land used in "fallow" systems (land left unplanted) versus "continuous" systems (land planted with crops each year). Starting with the 2024 crop year, the federal crop insurance program must offer these distinct units in all counties. This directly affects farmers managing land under these different cropping practices, enabling tailored insurance coverage based on their specific farming methods.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Title X Clinic Fund to increase federal funding for family planning services. It appropriates $512 million annually (2024-2033) for clinic grants and $50 million for clinic infrastructure (construction/renovation) under the Department of Health and Human Services. The fund requires clinics receiving this money to provide nondirective pregnancy counseling, ensuring patients receive neutral information about all options - including prenatal care, adoption, and pregnancy termination - without bias. This directly affects Title X clinics serving low-income individuals seeking reproductive health services.

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 summaryThe Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act of 2023 requires drug manufacturers to submit a petition to the FDA within 60 days of knowing the information that would form the basis of a challenge before filing a lawsuit to delay generic drug approvals. The FDA must evaluate factors like multiple petitions, lack of supporting data, or timing close to approval deadlines to determine if a petition was filed primarily to delay approval. If a lawsuit is filed without following this petition process, courts must dismiss it (without prejudice for missing the petition, with prejudice for late filing). The bill also mandates that the FDA refer petitions deemed to delay approvals to the Federal Trade Commission for review. This aims to streamline the approval process for generic drugs by reducing strategic delays.