Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor U.S. and Filipino military personnel who defended Bataan, Corregidor, and Attu during World War II, as well as the impacted Saskinax̂ people of Attu who were imprisoned by Japan. The medal, designed by the Secretary of the Treasury, would be presented by congressional leaders and permanently displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to cover production costs, with proceeds returned to the U.S. Mint. The bill recognizes historical service through a commemorative medal without creating new benefits or entitlements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires hotels, motels, and online booking platforms to display the full price of short-term lodging - including all mandatory fees (like cleaning or resort fees) - before a customer books. It prohibits advertising prices that exclude these fees, though government taxes and special district assessments remain excluded. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general can enforce this rule through civil actions. The law takes effect 450 days after enactment, applying only to new bookings made after that date.

Maddy summaryThe WAGER Act exempts sports betting wagers from federal excise tax if they are legal under state law or tribal gaming compacts. It directly affects sports betting operators and venues in states or tribes where sports betting is permitted. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove the tax on wagers placed for sporting events, applying only to bets not prohibited by state or tribal regulations. This change takes effect after the bill is signed into law. The policy removes a specific tax burden on legally authorized sports betting activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 5-year pilot program (ending December 31, 2029) for the Department of Defense to track how much money it awards to small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors using special contracting tools called "other transaction authority." The program requires minimal reporting from businesses and uses existing data systems to collect data on the number and amounts of these awards. The Defense Department must report annually to Congress on the data collected, with a final report including recommendations for permanent tracking by September 30, 2029. The pilot specifically affects small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors receiving these non-traditional contracts.

Maddy summaryS 4885, the TIER Act, amends the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) under Title 10, U.S. Code, to require military counselors to consider new factors when advising service members transitioning to civilian life. The bill adds specific criteria including child care needs (like enrollment in the Exceptional Family Member Program), household employment status, duty station location (including family separation during service), operational tempo impacts, and whether the member is an Indian or urban Indian under federal law. This directly affects military members and their families during the transition process by expanding the counseling framework to address broader personal and family circumstances. The changes aim to make transition planning more individualized and comprehensive under the existing TAP framework.

Maddy summaryS 4869, the Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act, modifies the notification timeline for emergency medical care received by Native Americans outside the Indian Health Service (IHS). It requires that elderly or disabled Indians receiving emergency care from non-IHS providers must notify IHS within 15 days for payment to be processed, replacing previous time limits. This change directly affects Native American patients needing emergency treatment at non-IHS facilities, streamlining the administrative process for IHS reimbursement. The bill does not alter coverage eligibility but adjusts the procedural requirement for claims related to emergency services.

Maddy summaryThe Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act (S 4842) amends federal law to allow tribal courts to issue warrants for electronic evidence, aligning their authority with state courts under the Stored Communications Act. It updates definitions to explicitly include "Tribal court" and requires warrants to follow procedures from the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (25 U.S.C. 1302(a)(2)). This change ensures tribal courts can legally request electronic communications and records from service providers, just as state courts can. The bill directly affects tribal courts, law enforcement, and service providers handling electronic evidence in criminal investigations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires states to implement annual training for all law enforcement officers and academy students on fair policing, including anti-bias education, crisis intervention, de-escalation tactics, and cultural diversity. It mandates initial 8-hour training and 4 hours yearly, with scenario-based testing to verify proficiency. To receive federal grants, states must also enact laws ensuring independent prosecution for officer use of deadly force (resulting in death or injury), using methods like civilian review boards or special prosecutors. Compliance with these training and review requirements is tied directly to eligibility for federal funding under this program.

Maddy summaryS 4847, the Advancing Medical Readiness Act of 2024, requires the Secretary of Defense to study military-civilian partnerships at trauma centers connected to military medical facilities. The study must identify how active-duty military personnel engage with civilian healthcare systems, assess Department of Defense costs for these partnerships, and determine metrics to track clinician readiness gains. It also aims to identify policies for billing civilian insurance and patients through these partnerships. The results must be reported to congressional committees by May 1, 2025. This bill directly affects military medical treatment facilities and the Defense Health Agency.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies rules for hardrock mining mill sites on public land. It allows miners with existing lode or placer claims to establish multiple mill sites (each up to 5 acres) for waste disposal or operations near their claims without gaining mineral rights, while preserving the validity of their original claims. It also creates the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, using existing claim maintenance fees to finance cleanup projects under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The fund does not create new spending but redirects existing fees toward addressing environmental issues from historic mining operations. These provisions aim to streamline permitting for current operations while funding remediation of abandoned sites.