Sen. Thom Tillis

Maddy summarySJRES 61 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a Federal Highway Administration rule that established performance measures for the National Highway System, including a requirement to track greenhouse gas emissions from highway activities. The rule, published in December 2023, would have mandated that states and federal agencies assess highway performance using this emissions metric. If enacted, the resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing the implementation of the emissions tracking measure. This action is pursued under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to reject federal regulations with a simple majority vote.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a study to assess whether Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire should be designated a National Heritage Area. The study, led by the Secretary of the Interior with input from state and local groups, will evaluate the site's suitability and feasibility as a National Heritage Area. The bill directly affects the Canterbury Shaker Village National Historic Landmark - covering 700 acres, 25 buildings, and significant historical resources - by initiating a formal review of its potential designation. It does not create the heritage area itself, only authorizes the study process. The focus is on evaluating the site's historical significance, educational value, and community impact.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 638) calls on the Taliban to immediately release Ryan Corbett, a U.S. citizen wrongfully detained since August 2022 while visiting Afghanistan for business. It condemns the Taliban's detention of Corbett - held in a small cell under poor conditions without charges - and urges U.S. officials to prioritize his release. The resolution also demands the Taliban stop detaining Americans for political gain and calls for the release of other U.S. citizens wrongfully held in Afghanistan. As a symbolic congressional action, it does not create new law but expresses formal support for Corbett and his family.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new requirements for the Department of Defense to monitor and address brain injuries from blast overpressure exposure among service members. It mandates baseline and annual neurocognitive assessments for all service members, creates detailed blast exposure logs tracking every instance of exposure, and establishes the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative to coordinate brain health efforts across the military. The legislation requires specific roles for Defense officials to implement these measures within one year, including establishing blast overpressure safety thresholds and reporting requirements. It also mandates annual reports to Congress on brain injury incidents, treatments, and progress toward reducing blast exposure risks. The bill directly affects all members of the Armed Forces and requires significant changes to how the Department of Defense monitors and addresses blast-related brain injuries.

Maddy summaryThe SHOP Act (S 4095) primarily reforms bankruptcy case venue to prevent "forum shopping," requiring companies filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy to do so in the district where their principal place of business or assets were located for most of the 180 days before filing. It limits nationwide injunctions by restricting courts to issuing orders only for specific case parties or similar individuals in the same judicial district. The bill also targets "judge shopping" by barring attorneys who manipulate case assignments to practice in federal courts, and restricts patent infringement lawsuits to districts where defendants have physical operations or relevant research. These changes aim to ensure bankruptcy cases occur where stakeholders are most affected and reduce venue manipulation across federal courts.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to strengthen gun safety measures by improving the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), requiring states to provide mental health records to NICS, and increasing penalties for illegal firearm purchases. It establishes a "Nationwide Project Exile Expansion" program to prosecute gun violence in jurisdictions with high homicide rates and creates a "Felon and Fugitive Firearm Task Force" to investigate illegal firearm purchases by convicted felons and fugitives. The bill also modernizes firearm commerce rules, clarifies interstate transportation of firearms, and mandates a study on mass shooting causes by the National Institute of Justice. It would directly affect states, federal agencies, law enforcement, and individuals seeking to purchase firearms, with specific requirements for background checks, record sharing, and prosecution of gun-related offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 4106 (Students Bill of Rights Act of 2024), requires public colleges and universities receiving federal student aid (Title IV funds) to follow specific rules protecting student organizations. It mandates that institutions cannot deny recognition to student groups based on lack of faculty advisors, organizational affiliations, or viewpoint, and must use neutral standards for distributing student activity fees and setting security fees for events. The law provides an appeals process for denied recognition or funding and allows students harmed by violations to sue for remedies like injunctions or damages. Institutions failing to comply face potential loss of federal funding after a court ruling, with the Secretary of Education tracking violations and enforcement actions.

Maddy summaryThe EASE Act of 2024 (S.4078) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to test a new model improving access to specialty healthcare for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in rural or underserved areas. It mandates CMS to partner with nonprofit provider networks - comprising at least 50 community health centers or rural clinics (half in rural areas) - to deliver specialty care via telehealth and remote technology, coordinated with primary care providers. Eligible individuals include Medicare Part A/B beneficiaries or Medicaid/CHIP enrollees living in designated rural or underserved communities. The model focuses on expanding remote specialty care access without creating new funding streams, instead utilizing existing CMS innovation authority.

Maddy summaryThe Revoke Iranian Funding Act of 2023 revokes existing licenses and exemptions that permitted U.S. funds to be released to Iran for humanitarian purposes, including the $6 billion South Korea transfer in September 2023, and blocks the Treasury from issuing new such licenses for one year. It also rescinds a specific waiver issued by the State Department in September 2023 that allowed humanitarian funding. The bill requires the Treasury to report within 30 days on Iranian assets held in the U.S. and current licenses related to Iran sanctions, directly affecting Iran's government and entities linked to its military, nuclear program, or terrorist groups like Hamas. This targets financial transactions involving Iran's accounts in Qatar and aims to prevent funds from being diverted to support terrorism.

Maddy summaryThe FEND Off Fentanyl Act authorizes sanctions against foreign individuals and entities involved in trafficking fentanyl and its precursors into the United States, with specific focus on transnational criminal organizations like Mexican cartels and the flow of precursor chemicals from China. It requires the President to submit annual reports to Congress on actions taken under the law and designates fentanyl-related transactions as a primary money laundering concern for financial institutions. The bill also repeals a prohibition on imposing sanctions related to importation of goods under previous fentanyl sanctions law. It aims to increase financial costs for traffickers by blocking assets and prohibiting transactions involving sanctioned persons.