Sen. Andy Kim

Maddy summaryThe West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025 imposes U.S. sanctions on foreign individuals or entities responsible for specific actions threatening peace in the West Bank. It targets those who commit violence against civilians, threaten violence to force relocation, destroy private property without consent, or engage in terrorism. Sanctions include freezing U.S. assets, banning visas, and restricting entry for designated individuals. Exceptions cover humanitarian aid (food, medicine, agricultural commodities) and activities required for U.S. intelligence or international obligations. The law requires regular reports to Congress on implementation and West Bank violence assessments.

Maddy summaryThe Access to Birth Control Act (S 2302) requires pharmacies to provide contraception without delay when available and to help customers obtain it if out of stock - either by referring to another pharmacy or expediting an order. It prohibits pharmacies from intimidating customers, misrepresenting availability, breaching confidentiality, or refusing to return valid prescriptions for contraception. Exceptions allow pharmacists to decline service only if a prescription is missing, the customer cannot pay, or they use professional clinical judgment. Violations may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day or private lawsuits by affected individuals.

Maddy summaryS 2589, the Expanding the VOTE Act, strengthens language access in elections by updating the Voting Rights Act. It clarifies that "voting materials" include digital and printed content (like ballots and instructions) and requires states to provide these in minority languages when populations meet specific thresholds. The bill adds new notice requirements for states near language access thresholds and creates grants to help jurisdictions provide materials for languages not currently covered under Section 203, while establishing special provisions for American Indian and Alaska Native languages. It also directs a study on lowering language minority thresholds and expanding covered languages. This directly affects states, localities, and language minority communities participating in federal elections.

Maddy summaryThe Sustaining Our Democracy Act establishes a federal program to provide funding to states for election-related activities. The Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program allocates funds to states for improving election administration, recruiting and protecting election workers, and increasing voting access for underserved communities including racial minorities, individuals with disabilities, and voters in Indian lands. States must submit approved plans detailing how funds will be used before receiving payments, and the bill prohibits using funds for activities that could diminish voter participation. The legislation creates an Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation to administer the program and establishes a $2.5 billion annual Trust Fund for fiscal years 2026-2035 to support these election-related activities.

Maddy summaryS 2557, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requires the Department of Justice to make publicly available, within 30 days of enactment, all unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein's investigations, associates (like Ghislaine Maxwell), travel logs, immunity deals, and DOJ internal communications. It mandates the release in a searchable format while prohibiting redactions based on embarrassment or political sensitivity. The bill allows limited redactions only for victim privacy, child pornography, active investigations, graphic content, or national security classifications, with detailed justifications required for any withholdings. The Attorney General must also submit a report to Congress listing all released materials, redactions, and names of officials referenced in the documents. This bill directly affects the DOJ's handling of Epstein-related records and provides the public access to previously withheld information.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2559) amends the Summer Food Service Program for Children under the National School Lunch Act to expand access to summer meals. It directly affects children in low-income areas by making **all children eligible** for meals (removing prior restrictions) and allowing **non-congregate meals** (meaning meals can be served without requiring children to gather in one location). Key provisions include requiring onsite or offsite food service monitoring and revising payment rules to cover meals served to all eligible children. The changes aim to simplify access and increase participation in the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill permanently extends the enhanced premium tax credit for Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance plans, directly affecting millions of lower-income households (earning 150%-400% of the federal poverty level) who purchase coverage through state or federal marketplaces. It establishes a sliding-scale percentage system where the tax credit reduces monthly premiums based on income, starting at 0% for households earning up to 150% of poverty and increasing to 8.5% for those earning 300%-400% of poverty. The bill replaces temporary provisions with permanent rules, ensuring consistent cost-sharing support for eligible buyers. The changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryThe Food Date Labeling Act of 2025 establishes uniform phrases for food date labels to reduce consumer confusion: "BEST If Used By" (or "BB" for small packages) for quality dates (when food quality may decline but it remains safe) and "USE By" (or "UB") for discard dates (when food should not be consumed). Food manufacturers must display these labels prominently in clear type on packaging, with optional use of technologies like QR codes. The bill preempts state laws requiring different labeling standards but allows states to enforce the uniform phrases, while excluding infant formula from its requirements. It mandates consumer education on label meanings within two years and takes effect for labels on products two years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to restrict corporate political fundraising. It limits the ability of corporations to establish political action committees (PACs) by requiring such funds to be operated only by nonprofit corporations (like 501(c)(3) organizations), not for-profit businesses. Key changes include banning solicitation of contributions from stockholders and restricting donations to only executive or administrative staff. Existing corporate PACs must dissolve and distribute funds within one year of the bill's enactment. The bill directly affects corporations seeking to fund political activities through PACs, shifting the model to nonprofit structures.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Older Americans Act to improve training for unpaid volunteers in state long-term care ombudsman programs. It requires the federal ombudsman office to tailor training standards to each volunteer's specific role, aiming to reduce unnecessary training requirements for prospective volunteers. The bill also mandates a study by the National Academies on state ombudsman program effectiveness and current staff-to-bed ratios, with a report due within one year. These changes directly affect unpaid volunteers and state ombudsman programs nationwide.