Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Health and Human Services and Labor Secretaries to review all federal grant programs supporting nurses and submit a report to Congress within one year. The report must include recommendations to improve three specific goals: increasing nursing faculty (especially in areas with nurse shortages), creating career advancement routes for experienced nurses to become faculty, and expanding pathways for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to become registered nurses (RNs). It directly affects nursing education programs and the nursing workforce by focusing on strengthening the pipeline to address shortages. The bill itself does not fund new programs but sets up a review process to inform future policy changes.

Maddy summaryS. Res. 650 is a Senate resolution that formally recognizes the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. The resolution highlights their achievements in military service, business ownership, healthcare, science, arts, and civil rights advocacy through specific examples of individual women. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of their historical and ongoing contributions to American society.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes funding for the Federal Lands Access Program, which provides financial assistance to build and maintain roads connecting communities to federal lands like national parks and forests. It directly affects state and local governments, transportation agencies, and communities that rely on these roads for access to public lands. The legislation appropriates specific amounts from the Highway Trust Fund for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031, with funding increasing slightly each year. The program supports infrastructure projects that improve transportation routes to federal lands, facilitating recreation, tourism, and emergency access.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Small Business Administration to create and implement entrepreneurship and inventorship training programs for underrepresented youth in after school community learning centers. It specifically targets female students, minority students, English learners, children with disabilities, rural students, and low-income students by developing a curriculum and encouraging partnerships with SCORE volunteers and other federal agencies. The legislation requires the SBA Administrator to collaborate with education specialists and business groups, amend existing laws to include these programs, and submit biennial reports on progress and funding usage.

Fighting for the Overlooked Recognition of Groups Operating in Toxic Test Environments in Nevada (FORGOTTEN) Veterans Act of 2025 This bill requires increased Department of Defense (DOD) documentation related to toxic exposures by military personnel and establishes eligibility for certain disability compensation and benefits for individuals who served at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). DOD must (1) expand the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record to include specified medical information and document all toxic exposures of members of the Armed Forces, and (2) document in service records whether a member of the Armed Forces served at a location with potential toxic exposure. Members of the Armed Forces and civilian DOD employees who are or have been stationed at specified nuclear facilities must be presumed to have been exposed to toxic substances. DOD must classify the NTTR as a location where contamination occurred and the Department of the Air Force must identify those who have been stationed there since January 27, 1951. The bill establishes that onsite participation on or after January 27, 1951, at NTTR locations where there was a potential of toxic exposure is a radiation-risk activity, therefore providing a presumption of service-connection for specified conditions. The bill also establishes a presumption of toxic exposure for veterans who performed active service at NTTR locations with potential toxic exposure, including airspace above such locations. Additionally, lipomas and tumor related conditions must be considered as service-connected conditions for veterans who served at the NTTR locations.

Maddy summaryThe Love Lives On Act of 2025 modifies veterans' and military survivors' benefit rules to prevent remarriage from automatically ending eligibility. It directly affects surviving spouses of veterans or military members who remarried, ensuring they retain access to key benefits. Key provisions include: (1) preventing termination of veterans' dependency compensation (under 38 U.S.C. §1311/1562) due to remarriage; (2) stopping termination of military Survivor Benefit Plan annuities solely for remarriage, with specific rules for those who remarried before age 55; and (3) expanding TRICARE coverage to include remarried widows/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended (via death, divorce, or annulment). These changes restore or maintain benefits that were previously lost upon remarriage.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally recognizes 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, acknowledging the ecological and economic importance of these lands to the United States. The bill highlights that rangelands cover a significant portion of U.S. territory and support domestic production of food, fiber, and energy while providing critical ecosystem services like carbon storage and wildfire risk reduction. It encourages federal agencies, universities, and organizations to engage in education, research, and outreach activities related to sustainable rangeland management during the designated year. The measure does not create new laws or funding but serves to raise awareness and promote collaboration among stakeholders involved in rangeland stewardship.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the HONOR Act (S 327), denies U.S. taxpayers a foreign tax credit for taxes paid to the Russian Federation during a specific period. It amends the tax code to block the credit for Russian taxes paid from 30 days after the bill's enactment until normal U.S. trade relations with Russia resume. The key provision directly affects U.S. individuals and businesses that pay taxes to Russia, preventing them from reducing their U.S. tax liability with those Russian payments. The rule takes effect 30 days after enactment, with a 90-day delay for the deduction limitation. The bill explicitly states it applies without regard to U.S. trade treaties with Russia.

Maddy summarySRES 641 is a Senate resolution recognizing the 114th anniversary of Girl Scouts of the United States of America. It celebrates the organization's mission of providing girls with inclusive spaces to explore interests, build confidence, and develop leadership skills through programs like STEM education and community service. The resolution specifically congratulates Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award in 2025 and encourages continued support for programs that prepare girls to become future leaders. As a symbolic gesture with no legal effect, it formally acknowledges the Girl Scouts' contributions to youth development and community engagement.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act, would give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and federal regulators the authority to recover compensation from executives and other high-level personnel at banks that have failed. It directly affects directors, officers, controlling stockholders, and other individuals found primarily responsible for a bank's failure at institutions with over $10 billion in assets. The law would require these individuals to return bonuses, stock awards, and other compensation received in the three years before the bank's insolvency or resolution, with recovered funds going into the Deposit Insurance Fund. Additionally, the bill clarifies the Corporation's authority to take over certain financial companies regardless of how the takeover process was initiated.