Sen. Susan M. Collins

Maddy summaryThis bill reverts Medicare payment rates for home health agencies to pre-2018 levels starting in 2024, directly affecting home health providers who receive Medicare payments. It repeals temporary payment adjustments added by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act and requires the Medicare Commission to track payments from all sources (Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and others) to analyze how different payers impact access to care. The bill mandates new data collection for home health cost reports beginning in 2025, requiring agencies to report payments by payer type. This aims to provide transparency in how financial pressures from various payers affect home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.

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.

Maddy summarySRES 263 is a symbolic Senate resolution commemorating June 19, 2023, as "Juneteenth National Independence Day" to recognize June 19, 1865 - the date Union troops announced the end of slavery in Texas. It honors the historical significance of this date, when news of emancipation reached enslaved people in the Southwestern U.S. after the Civil War. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges this observance as part of U.S. history and heritage, supporting nationwide recognition of the event. It affects all Americans by affirming a shared historical moment in the nation's journey toward freedom.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2082) amends existing U.S. law to clarify legal pathways for victims of terrorism to seek compensation from foreign states. It updates references in federal statutes (28 U.S.C. § 1605B and 18 U.S.C. § 2331) to explicitly include entities organized under U.S. law when defining "national of the United States" for terrorism lawsuits. The changes ensure victims can pursue claims under Section 2333 against foreign states that sponsor terrorism, while also clarifying how judgments against such states can be executed. These technical amendments apply to all pending or future cases filed after the bill's enactment, directly affecting terrorism victims seeking legal recourse in U.S. courts.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds multi-cancer early detection screening tests to Medicare Part B coverage, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries. It creates a new coverage category for FDA-approved blood tests (like those analyzing cell-free DNA) that screen for multiple cancer types simultaneously, as defined in the bill. Medicare would cover these tests once every 12 months, and the bill clarifies that this change does not impact existing coverage for standard cancer screenings like mammograms or colonoscopies. The policy change ensures beneficiaries can access these new screening options without unnecessary delays after FDA approval.

Maddy summaryThe CONNECT for Health Act of 2023 expands Medicare telehealth coverage by removing geographic restrictions, allowing services to be provided from home and other locations, and expanding who can offer telehealth services. The bill repeals the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health and allows telehealth use in hospice care recertification. It also includes program integrity measures to address inappropriate billing patterns and requires posting of telehealth service data to improve transparency. This legislation directly affects Medicare beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and telehealth technology vendors by making telehealth more accessible, particularly for rural and underserved populations, those with mobility challenges, and individuals in areas with healthcare workforce shortages.

Maddy summaryThe SAFE Act of 2023 amends a federal law to prohibit the slaughter of horses and other equines (such as donkeys) for human consumption. It extends an existing ban on slaughtering dogs and cats for food to include equines, closing a gap in current law. The key change modifies Section 12515 of the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act to replace "dog or cat" with "dog, cat, or equine" in the prohibition language. This directly affects meat processors and businesses that might have engaged in slaughtering equines for human consumption, making such activity illegal under federal law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report annually on maternity care coordination programs until 2028, including data on maternal health outcomes for veterans. It authorizes $15 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2028 to fund these coordination programs, specifically targeting improvements for veterans in high-risk demographic groups facing elevated maternal mortality or health disparities. The VA must submit reports detailing current program activities, outcome data, and recommendations to address disparities. This directly affects veterans receiving VA maternity care or care coordinated through VA partnerships, focusing on measurable policy changes to strengthen care coordination.

This resolution celebrates the 246th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. flag, recognizes that the Pledge of Allegiance has been a valuable part of life for the people of the United States for generations, and defends the constitutionality of the pledge.