Sen. Andy Kim

Maddy summaryThe COAST Anti-Drilling Act of 2025 prohibits new oil and gas leasing in four specific coastal planning areas of the outer Continental Shelf: the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. It amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the Secretary not to issue any leases or authorizations for exploration or production in these areas. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies seeking to develop resources in these coastal regions by blocking new federal leasing activities. This policy change prevents future drilling permits in these designated zones, as defined in the 2023 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing program.

Maddy summaryThe GOSAFE Act prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of gas-operated semi-automatic firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices (those holding more than 10 rounds). It defines gas-operated firearms as those using gas pressure to cycle the action and requires the Attorney General to publish a list of prohibited firearms within 180 days. The bill includes exemptions for single-shot weapons, muzzle-loaders, firearms with permanently fixed magazines under 10 rounds, and certain other specific types. Manufacturers must now seek approval for new semi-automatic firearms through a process requiring detailed documentation, and the bill establishes a Firearm Safety Trust Fund to cover administrative costs. Violations of these provisions can result in fines up to $5,000 or up to 12 months in prison.

Maddy summaryThe BUMP Act (S 1374) bans devices that increase the firing rate of semiautomatic firearms to mimic machineguns, directly affecting owners of modified firearms. It prohibits importing, selling, or possessing devices (like "bump stocks") that speed up firing or eliminate the need for separate trigger pulls, and requires registration of existing modified semiautomatics within 120 days. The law exempts government agencies and pre-enactment modifications that are registered. This targets specific firearm modifications, not all semiautomatic weapons.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Tax Cut for Workers Act of 2025, expands the Earned Income Credit (EIC) to make it more accessible and generous for low-income workers without children. It lowers the minimum age for the credit from 25 to 19 (with exceptions for students, former foster youth, and homeless youth), removes the maximum age limit, and increases the credit amount and income thresholds. The bill also adjusts these amounts for inflation and allows taxpayers to use their prior year’s earned income if it was higher, applying to taxable years starting after 2025. These changes extend the credit to U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and American Samoa without prior time limits.

Maddy summaryThe American Family Act creates a new monthly child tax credit that would provide $300 per month for each child under age 6 and $300 per month for each child age 6 and older, with income-based eligibility limits. The credit would be refundable, meaning it could be paid even if a family owes no income tax, and would replace the current annual child tax credit. The bill establishes income thresholds ($150,000 for joint filers) above which the credit begins to phase out, with full phase-out at $400,000 for joint filers. It also includes provisions for "presumptive eligibility" to allow for advance payments based on previous tax returns or government program data. The bill would terminate the existing annual child tax credit after 2024, replacing it with this monthly payment system.

Maddy summaryThe NO TIME TO Waste Act (S 1395) establishes a new Office of Food Loss and Waste within the Department of Agriculture to coordinate federal efforts to reduce food waste. The bill creates grant programs for states, local governments, and nonprofits to collect data on food waste policies and develop model approaches for reducing waste, with a goal of cutting food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. It requires federal contractors to report on their food waste prevention efforts and funds public-private partnerships to help communities reduce food loss and waste. The legislation also creates a national education campaign to teach consumers about food safety, preservation, and upcycled food products. The bill mandates annual reports tracking progress toward the 2030 goal and sets funding levels for these programs through 2030.

Maddy summaryThe Raise the Wage Act of 2025 gradually increases the federal minimum wage from $9.50 to $17.00 per hour over six years, with future annual increases tied to median wage growth. It eliminates the separate lower minimum wage for tipped workers (currently $2.13/hour base), requiring employers to pay the full minimum wage to all tipped employees starting in 2031. The bill also ends the special $4.25/hour starting wage for workers under 20, phasing it out by 2030. Additionally, it prohibits new special wage certificates for disabled workers under Section 14(c) and requires their phaseout by 2030, while providing transition support for affected employers and workers.

Maddy summaryThe Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. The Federal Labor Relations Authority will determine if states' laws "substantially provide" these rights, and if not, the federal standards will apply to affected workers. The bill guarantees rights like forming labor organizations, negotiating wages and working conditions, and resolving disputes through mediation or arbitration, while prohibiting strikes that would disrupt emergency services. Existing collective bargaining agreements and units are protected from the bill's implementation.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 159) is a ceremonial Senate measure honoring the late Senator John Bennett Johnston, Jr. (1932-2024), who represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate from 1972 to 1997. It commemorates his career, including his work on energy policy, flood control, and Louisiana conservation efforts, and requests the Senate adjourn in his memory while sending condolences to his family. As a non-binding resolution, it has no policy impact or direct effect on any individuals or laws.

Maddy summarySJRES 37 would terminate a national emergency declared on February 1, 2025, that authorized duties (tariffs) on articles imported from Canada. The resolution ends this emergency under the National Emergencies Act, removing the legal basis for imposing those duties. This directly affects U.S. importers of Canadian goods who were subject to these tariffs under the emergency authority. The bill does not eliminate the duties themselves but formally ends the emergency justification used to impose them.