Sen. Roger Marshall

Maddy summaryThe Cooper Davis Act (S 1080) requires electronic communication service providers (like social media platforms and messaging apps) to report certain drug-related violations to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Specifically, providers must report facts or circumstances related to the unlawful sale or distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, or counterfeit controlled substances. The law mandates providers to share specific information including IP addresses, location data, and communication content when they have actual knowledge of such violations. Providers face fines up to $380,000 for willful failure to report, but the law includes privacy protections that prevent mandatory user monitoring or content scanning. This legislation creates a new reporting framework between tech companies and law enforcement to combat drug trafficking online.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 41) seeks congressional disapproval of a specific immigration rule issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The rule, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2023, addressed "Circumvention of Lawful Pathways" in immigration processing. The resolution would formally block the rule from taking effect by directing Congress to disapprove it under procedures in Title 5 of the U.S. Code. This action directly affects how USCIS and immigration courts implement certain immigration pathways.

Financing Our Energy Future Act This bill expands the types of partnerships that qualify for treatment as publicly traded partnerships instead of as corporations for tax purposes. Under current law, partnerships that meet certain gross income requirements (i.e., at least 90% of the partnership's gross income in a taxable year consists of qualifying income) are excepted from being treated as a corporation for tax purposes. This bill expands the sources of income that are considered qualifying income and make a partnership eligible for such an exception. Specifically, the bill provides that income derived from the generation of specified alternative energy, alternative fuel projects, or the associated property, storage, or transportation for such projects (e.g., the conversion of renewable biomass into renewable fuel or the storage or transportation of such fuel) is considered qualifying income.

Maddy summaryThis bill streamlines how conservation practice standards are updated under USDA conservation programs. It requires the Secretary to review and revise standards at least once every five years (instead of annually), rather than annually, and mandates public input for each standard under review. Key mechanisms include creating a public online process for submitting new conservation practices, requiring USDA to publish comments and decisions, and prioritizing updates for underused standards and those reducing synthetic chemical use. The bill directly affects farmers and landowners participating in USDA conservation programs, as well as state technical committees and USDA in developing and implementing these standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies federal crop insurance rules to help farmers in counties repeatedly hit by severe drought. It changes the "1-in-4 rule" to a "1-in-5 rule" for prevented planting insurance eligibility in counties experiencing extreme drought (D3 or worse) for three consecutive years, as tracked by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Farmers in these designated counties would only need to have planted a crop once in the past five years (instead of four) to qualify for prevented planting coverage during droughts. The change directly affects farmers in eligible counties by making insurance more accessible during prolonged dry periods. The policy adjustment is limited to drought-affected areas meeting specific, measurable criteria.

Maddy summaryThe EQIP Water Conservation Act of 2023 modifies the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to streamline payments for water conservation practices. It allows the Secretary to waive certain payment limits for contracts focused on water conservation or irrigation efficiency, directly affecting farmers and agricultural entities participating in EQIP. The key provision establishes a new formula to calculate maximum payments, ensuring they don't exceed a set amount based on the number of producers served and excluding prior payments received by those producers or the contracting entity. This change aims to simplify program administration while maintaining fiscal responsibility for water conservation incentives.

Maddy summaryS 2671, the DRIVE Act, prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from requiring large trucks (over 26,000 pounds gross weight) operating in interstate commerce to install speed limiting devices. This directly affects commercial trucking companies and operators transporting goods across state lines with qualifying vehicles. The bill prevents the agency from creating a new rule mandating these devices, effectively maintaining the current regulatory status for such vehicles. The legislation focuses solely on blocking this specific requirement, without altering other safety regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2647, SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023) provides federal funding to improve stillbirth data collection, research, and education. It authorizes $5 million annually for states to collect stillbirth data using existing health records while protecting privacy, $1 million for developing standardized data collection guidelines and public educational materials, and $3 million for specialized training programs in perinatal pathology and stillbirth research. The bill directly affects state health departments, medical professionals (like obstetricians and pathologists), and families impacted by stillbirth through improved data systems and educational resources. Key provisions require standardized data reporting, consultation with affected families and healthcare providers, and mandatory reports on program progress within five years of enactment.

Maddy summaryThe INDEX Act requires investment advisers managing passively managed funds (like index funds) to follow voting instructions from the fund's actual investors for non-routine corporate proposals (e.g., major mergers, governance changes). It applies when an adviser controls over 1% of a company's voting shares through such funds, mandating they distribute voting materials and wait 5 business days for instructions. Advisers may still vote freely on routine matters (e.g., board elections) or use a "mirror voting" exception for majority-approved proposals. This directly affects retail investors in index funds and the advisers managing them, ensuring investor preferences shape votes on significant corporate issues.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Clean Air Act to adjust fuel standards and support small refineries. It changes how the EPA grants waivers for fuel additives (allowing fuels similar to certified vehicles or meeting specific waiver conditions) and modifies Reid Vapor Pressure limits from "10 percent" to "10 to 15 percent" for certain fuels. Small refineries that retired credits for 2016-2018 compliance years and had pending or denied petitions by December 2022 can now have those credits returned or applied to future compliance. The bill directly affects fuel retailers, ethanol producers, and small refineries by altering compliance rules and credit eligibility under the renewable fuel program.