Sen. Chuck Grassley

Maddy summaryThe Fair Access to Banking Act (S 401) prohibits large financial institutions ($10 billion+ in assets) and payment networks from denying services to lawful businesses based on political or reputational factors, such as the type of legal business they operate. It requires banks to justify denials using objective, risk-based standards instead of category-based decisions, and mandates written explanations for denials. The law enables lawsuits against violators with treble damages and civil penalties up to 10% of service value (capped at $10,000 per violation). It directly affects major banks, payment processors, and credit unions that serve large-scale customers, ensuring fair access for businesses operating within federal law.

Maddy summaryThe SHOW UP Act of 2025 requires federal agencies to return to telework policies in effect on December 31, 2019, within 30 days of enactment. Agencies cannot expand telework beyond this baseline until they submit a detailed plan to Congress and receive certification from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director, proving the expansion will improve mission performance, reduce costs, and provide adequate resources for teleworkers. This bill directly affects all federal executive agencies and their telework arrangements, mandating a study on pandemic-era telework impacts as part of the planning process. The legislation aims to standardize telework practices by requiring evidence-based changes rather than unilateral agency decisions.

Maddy summaryS 329, the Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act of 2025, authorizes federal grants to fund partnerships between local anti-drug coalitions and schools to implement evidence-based drug prevention programs. It directly affects elementary, middle, and high schools in communities with existing Drug-Free Communities coalitions, providing up to $75,000 per school annually for these partnerships. The bill requires grantees to submit detailed implementation plans and use funds to supplement, not replace, existing prevention funding. It allocates $7 million yearly (2026-2031) for these programs, with no more than 8% of funds allowed for administrative costs.

Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act This bill allows, beginning in 2028, for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types, if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determines such coverage is appropriate. Coverage is limited to those under a certain age (age 68 in 2028, increased by one year every year thereafter) and to one test every 11 months.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Medicare payment calculations for rural hospitals to provide increased funding. It directly affects "sole community hospitals" and "Medicare-dependent hospitals" by rebasing their payment formulas using a 2016 cost reporting period as the new base, effective October 1, 2025. The key mechanism replaces the previous base period with 2016 data, potentially increasing payments if this change results in higher reimbursement. The bill also extends existing payment programs for these hospitals through future fiscal years and prohibits certain payment adjustments for rebased amounts. This is a technical adjustment to Medicare reimbursement rules, not a new eligibility program.

Maddy summarySRES 46 designates January 2025 as "National Stalking Awareness Month" to promote public education about stalking. The resolution highlights stalking's prevalence (affecting 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the U.S.) and encourages efforts by victim services, law enforcement, schools, and organizations to support victims and improve responses. It does not create new laws but urges increased awareness and resource availability through coordinated community action during this designated month.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act to require state SNAP agencies to recover all overpayments made to recipients, eliminating their previous tolerance for small errors. Starting in fiscal year 2025, states must recoup every overpayment (previously, small errors could be excluded), and their liability for payment errors will now be calculated using both their error rate and the percentage of overpayments they fail to recover. The change directly affects state agencies administering SNAP benefits, increasing their accountability for accurate payments. It shifts the focus from tolerating minor errors to actively recovering all overpayments, with financial consequences tied to recoupment rates.

Laken Riley Act This act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, assault of a law enforcement officer, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person. The act also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement. Under this act, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of the above crimes. The act also authorizes state governments to sue for injunctive relief over certain immigration-related decisions or alleged failures by the federal government if the decision or failure caused the state or its residents harm, including financial harm of more than $100. Specifically, the state government may sue the federal government over a decision to release a non-U.S. national from custody; failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews; failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country; violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; or failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.

Maddy summaryS 271, the "Stop Illegal Reentry Act," increases penalties for immigrants who re-enter the U.S. after being denied entry, deported, or removed without authorization. It directly affects individuals previously removed or excluded from the U.S. who return without prior consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security. Key provisions include raising maximum prison terms to 10 years for re-entry after prior removals linked to drug crimes, violent offenses, or multiple removals, and mandating a minimum 5-year sentence for those convicted twice of re-entry or of serious crimes before removal. The bill also clarifies that "removal" includes agreements made during criminal trials, expanding the scope of affected individuals.

Maddy summarySRES 39 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating January 1-February 1, 2025, as "National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month" to raise public awareness about human trafficking and modern slavery. It does not create new laws or policies but urges federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, along with community organizations, to hold awareness events during this period. The resolution references historical dates (January 1, anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation; February 1, National Freedom Day) to connect the observance with the fight against slavery. It indirectly affects the public by promoting education and collaboration to combat trafficking, though it has no binding legal effect.