Maddy summaryThe Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act (S. 91) authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to 60 diplomats who risked their careers and safety to save Jewish lives during the Holocaust. These diplomats, representing countries including Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and others, issued visas and provided safe passage to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution despite strict orders from their home governments. The medal will be presented collectively to the next of kin of each diplomat, along with representatives from their home countries, and then permanently displayed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The act recognizes these individuals' bravery without implying they represent all who performed similar humanitarian acts during the Holocaust. The medal serves as a permanent tribute to their sacrifice and will be available for public display and research.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 updates and expands federal programs that support older Americans across the country. It would improve mental health services for older individuals, enhance nutrition programs with medically tailored meals, strengthen family caregiver support through better assessments, and improve elder abuse prevention efforts. The bill also includes provisions to increase access to assistive technology, improve services for Native American elders, and provide new funding levels for these programs through fiscal year 2029. These changes would directly affect millions of older Americans and their caregivers, as well as the state and community organizations that deliver these services.
Maddy summarySRES 925 is a Senate resolution honoring the late Senator Fred R. Harris of Oklahoma, who died on November 23, 2024, at age 94. The resolution expresses the Senate’s sorrow at his passing, requests that his family be notified, and directs the Senate to adjourn in his memory. It does not create new laws or affect any policies - it is a formal expression of respect for a former senator’s legacy.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a refundable tax credit equal to 33% of flood insurance premiums paid for a principal residence under the National Flood Insurance Program. It directly affects homeowners in flood-prone areas who purchase required flood insurance, with eligibility based on household income (phased out above 350% of the federal poverty line). The credit is refundable, meaning it can reduce tax liability below zero, and is coordinated with advance payments made by the IRS to cover premiums upfront. The bill also disallows tax deductions for the same premiums covered by the credit, ensuring no double benefit.
Maddy summaryThe Genomic Data Protection Act (S 5433) gives consumers who use direct-to-consumer genetic testing services (like 23andMe or AncestryDNA) greater control over their genomic data and biological samples. It requires companies to provide clear options for consumers to access their data, delete their accounts (including associated genomic data), and request destruction of physical samples like saliva, with responses required within 30 days. Companies must also notify consumers clearly about data-sharing practices - especially regarding deidentified data used for research - and give advance notice (30+ days) if the company is sold or acquired. The Federal Trade Commission enforces these rules under existing laws, with exceptions for legally required data retention (e.g., court orders), and explicitly excludes healthcare providers performing medical diagnoses from the law's scope.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collect registration fees from hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and transplant centers that are members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). It requires these fees - charged per transplant candidate - to fund only OPTN operations, with strict transparency rules requiring public posting of fee amounts and how they're spent. The bill also adds new requirements for electronic health record integration, a public dashboard tracking transplant statistics, and HIPAA privacy compliance. These fees expire after five years unless renewed by Congress.
Maddy summaryThe Connected MOM Act (S 712) requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress within 18 months on Medicaid coverage barriers for remote health monitoring devices - such as blood pressure cuffs and pulse oximeters - used by pregnant and postpartum women. This report will identify limitations in coverage and their impact on maternal and child health outcomes under State Medicaid programs. Six months after the report, the Secretary must update State Medicaid resources (like telehealth toolkits) to align with the report’s recommendations. The bill directly affects pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in Medicaid and State Medicaid programs by addressing coverage gaps for these devices.
Maddy summaryThe TAKE IT DOWN Act (S 4569) makes it a federal crime to intentionally share nonconsensual intimate images or deepfakes (AI-generated fake images/videos) without consent, with penalties including fines and up to 3 years in prison for offenses involving minors. It directly affects individuals whose private images are exploited and requires major online platforms (like social media sites hosting user content) to establish a 48-hour removal process for reported nonconsensual content. Platforms must remove such material upon valid requests from affected individuals, while being shielded from liability if they act in good faith. The law excludes email, broadband providers, and pre-curated content sites from these requirements.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands career services under the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program to include specific spouses. It directly affects spouses of disabled veterans (as defined in section 4101(5) of Title 38) and spouses of service members who died while serving in the Armed Forces (Gold Star spouses). The key change adds "eligible persons" to the program's eligibility criteria throughout the relevant section, allowing these spouses to access career counseling, job placement, and other support services previously available only to veterans themselves. This is a concrete policy change that broadens access to existing career assistance programs for these two groups of military spouses.
Maddy summaryThe Mark Our Place Act allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide or replace a headstone, marker, or medallion at the grave of any Medal of Honor recipient, regardless of when they served in the military. It removes a previous restriction requiring the recipient’s service dates to fall within specific time periods. This change expands eligibility for government-furnished grave markers to all Medal of Honor recipients, including those whose service ended long ago. The bill directly affects Medal of Honor recipients and their families by ensuring access to this symbolic honor without time-based limitations.