Maddy summaryThe Ensuring Sound Guidance Act requires investment advisors and retirement plan fiduciaries to prioritize financial factors (like risk and return) in investment decisions, unless clients or participants provide written consent to consider non-financial goals such as environmental or social objectives. If non-financial factors are used, advisors must disclose expected and actual financial impacts over a three-year period. The bill also mandates three studies: one on state/local pension plans potentially subordinating financial interests to non-financial goals, one on climate change disclosures in municipal bonds, and one on rules preventing payments to officials for municipal securities business. These studies aim to assess financial risks and regulatory effectiveness without advocating for specific outcomes.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe SAVES Act creates a new Department of Veterans Affairs program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that train and provide service dogs to eligible veterans. These grants, capped at $2 million per organization, require nonprofits to be accredited by groups like Assistance Dogs International, offer specific training and aftercare for veterans and dogs, and ensure equal access for women veterans. Eligible veterans must be enrolled in VA healthcare and have disabilities including blindness, mobility issues, PTSD, or military sexual trauma. The program requires annual evaluations of grant effectiveness and is funded with $10 million yearly from 2024 through 2028. It specifically defines "service dogs" as those trained for disability-related tasks, excluding emotional support animals.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Veterans Community Care Program by allowing veterans to access home healthcare services through nurse registries. It directly affects veterans seeking community-based care and healthcare workers (like nurses, aides, and home health providers) who connect with veterans via these registries. The key change adds specific definitions to the law, clarifying that nurse registries - entities that match healthcare workers with care opportunities while meeting state licensing rules - can now be used to provide services under the program. This update makes it easier for veterans to access a wider range of home healthcare providers through existing community care pathways.
Maddy summaryThis resolution commemorates the second anniversary of Cuba's July 11, 2021, peaceful protests, condemning the Cuban government's ongoing repression and human rights violations against protesters. It specifically calls for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens, including minors, and urges the U.S. State Department to advocate for their release and support Cuban civil society. The resolution also requests that the U.S. work with international partners to deny Cuba a second term on the UN Human Rights Council, though it has no binding legal effect. As a symbolic gesture, it expresses solidarity with Cuban protesters but does not enact new policies or directly affect any individuals.
Maddy summaryS 2230, the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act, prevents the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requiring financial exchanges and their members to report investors' personal details like names, addresses, or Social Security numbers under routine data reporting rules. The SEC may only request such information during an investigation into suspected securities law violations, and must destroy it within 24 hours after the investigation concludes. This directly affects national securities exchanges, associations, and their members who handle market participant data. The bill aims to limit unnecessary collection and retention of sensitive investor information while maintaining enforcement capabilities.
Maddy summaryS 2249, the Passport Act of 2023, requires the U.S. Department of State to process routine passport applications and renewals within an average of 12 weeks. It mandates weekly public updates on processing times, triggers congressional notifications if deadlines are missed for four consecutive weeks, and requires reassignment of non-consular staff during delays. The bill also directs the creation of an online tool showing application status stages and expands appointment availability at passport centers to address past shortages. These changes directly affect U.S. citizens applying for passports and the State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal hiring rules to expand eligibility for certain remote work positions to military spouses. It directly affects spouses of active-duty, disabled, or deceased members of the Armed Forces by adding them to the list of eligible candidates for remote work roles in federal agencies. The key provision modifies Title 5, U.S. Code, to include military spouses as a designated category for appointment to positions requiring remote work, which is defined as work not requiring regular in-office presence. The bill does not create new positions but changes existing hiring criteria to prioritize military spouses for remote opportunities.
Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 36) seeks congressional disapproval of a Department of Labor rule (88 Fed. Reg. 12842, March 1, 2023) that would have removed religious exemption provisions from the Equal Opportunity Clause requirements for federal contractors. If approved, it would prevent the rule from taking effect, meaning federal contractors would continue to be required to comply with the Equal Opportunity Clause without the religious exemption previously allowed. The bill directly affects federal contractors subject to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' (OFCCP) regulations. It is a procedural disapproval measure under Title 5, U.S. Code, not a new policy change.
Maddy summarySJRES 11 is a joint resolution seeking to cancel an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that set new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks and buses. The rule, published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2023, would have required manufacturers to meet specific pollution control measures for new vehicles. This resolution uses a congressional disapproval process under the Congressional Review Act to nullify the EPA rule, meaning it would have no legal effect if enacted. If passed, the EPA's emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles would be voided, removing requirements for manufacturers to comply with those specific pollution controls.
This resolution commemorates the passage of two years since the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021, and expresses support for the survivors and community.