Sen. Susan M. Collins

Maddy summaryThe EARN IT Act of 2023 establishes a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention to develop voluntary best practices for interactive computer services (such as social media platforms and messaging apps) to prevent, reduce, and respond to online child sexual exploitation. The Commission will create recommended practices considering different platform sizes and business models, including content moderation, reporting systems, and age verification measures. The bill updates federal law to replace the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material" across numerous statutes and technical amendments. These best practices would be voluntary for platforms to adopt, not mandatory requirements, and must be supported by at least 14 of the Commission's 19 members. The Commission's recommendations will be updated every 5 years and published by the Department of Justice.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows states to retain 25% of funds recovered from fraudulent unemployment claims (particularly pandemic-era claims) to strengthen fraud prevention systems. States can use these funds for modernizing unemployment systems, hiring fraud investigators, covering administrative costs for fraud detection, and other program integrity activities. The bill requires states to implement specific data-matching systems to prevent fraud, including cross-checking claims against employment records, databases of incarcerated individuals, and deceased individuals. It also extends emergency staffing flexibility for fraud detection through 2030 and establishes a 10-year window for prosecuting unemployment fraud.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the service of Army and Navy nurses who served during World War II. It directly recognizes approximately 73,000 nurses (including those who died in action or captivity) who provided critical medical care under combat conditions across 6 continents. The medal, designed by the Treasury Secretary, will be displayed at institutions like the Smithsonian, the Women in Military Service Memorial, and military museums. The bill is purely commemorative, with no new benefits or policy changes, focusing solely on formal recognition of their wartime contributions.

Maddy summaryThe CREST Act of 2023 establishes federal research, development, and pilot programs to advance carbon removal technologies that capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or oceans. It creates specific programs for biomass carbon removal (including algal systems), geological carbon mineralization, ocean-based carbon removal, and direct air capture technology manufacturing, with funding totaling millions of dollars annually for these initiatives. The bill also establishes a carbon removal purchasing pilot program where the Department of Energy would buy carbon removal services from eligible companies at set prices, requiring measurement, reporting, and verification of carbon removal activities. The legislation defines key terms related to carbon removal and sets requirements for the technologies and approaches that qualify for federal support.

Maddy summaryS 1552, the Coastal Fellowships Act, establishes two fellowship programs - the Coastal Management Fellowship and Digital Coast Fellowship - to provide training, mentorship, and professional development for individuals pursuing careers in coastal management, policy, science, or law. Qualified fellows receive annual stipends of at least $47,000 (adjusted for inflation) for up to two years, with funding covering travel, health insurance, and professional development. The program directly supports coastal states and partner organizations by building local workforce capacity to address coastal vulnerabilities, while offering direct federal hiring opportunities to successful fellows. It authorizes $1.91 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2028 to administer these fellowships.

Maddy summaryThe SAFE Banking Act of 2023 creates a legal safe harbor for financial institutions that provide services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses and hemp-related legitimate businesses. It prevents federal banking regulators from taking adverse actions against depository institutions for serving these businesses solely because they operate within state-legal marijuana frameworks. The bill also ensures income from legal marijuana businesses can be considered for qualifying for federally backed mortgage loans and requires updated guidance for suspicious activity reporting related to these businesses. These provisions aim to address longstanding banking access barriers for businesses operating within state-legal marijuana and hemp industries.

Maddy summarySRES 99 is a non-binding Senate resolution supporting International Women’s Day (March 8, 2023). It recognizes women’s fundamental rights and emphasizes that empowering women contributes to global peace, economic growth, and sustainable development. The resolution affirms the Senate’s commitment to ending discrimination against women and promoting their meaningful participation in society, while honoring women’s rights advocates worldwide. It does not create new laws or allocate funds, but symbolically underscores the importance of gender equality as a foreign policy priority.

Maddy summaryThe FIGHT Act of 2023 prohibits sponsoring, exhibiting, attending, or live-broadcasting animal fighting events, and bans transporting roosters for such purposes. It directly affects individuals and organizations involved in animal fighting, including those who broadcast events online. The bill allows any person to file a civil lawsuit to stop violations after 60 days' notice, with potential fines up to $5,000 per violation, and permits seizure of property used to facilitate these activities. The law does not override state laws banning animal fighting, except in cases of direct conflict.

Maddy summaryS 1544, the Facilitating Innovative Nuclear Diagnostics Act of 2023, requires Medicare to make separate payments for certain high-cost diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals starting January 1, 2024. It applies to drugs meeting a $500 per day cost threshold (rising annually with inflation), defined as FDA-approved nuclear imaging drugs launched after 2008. Payments will use existing Medicare pricing mechanisms - either average sales price or wholesale acquisition cost - to ensure separate coverage without bundling. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries receiving these specific nuclear diagnostics and the hospitals/providers billing Medicare for them. The bill does not change patient costs or coverage eligibility but alters Medicare's payment structure for these drugs.

Maddy summaryThe Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2023 directs U.S. foreign aid to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths globally by 2030, focusing on priority countries with high mortality rates and vulnerable populations like the poorest communities, conflict-affected areas, and indigenous groups. It requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to create a 5-year strategy identifying specific health barriers, setting measurable targets, and scaling evidence-based interventions through community-based approaches. A new "Child and Maternal Survival Coordinator" will oversee implementation, coordinate with partner countries and organizations, and ensure resources align with proven health solutions. Annual reports to Congress must track progress using metrics like deaths averted, service coverage, and funding allocations for transparency and accountability.