Sen. James Lankford

Maddy summaryThis bill amends U.S. immigration law to bar noncitizens convicted of specific violent offenses from entering or remaining in the country. It adds new grounds for inadmissibility (preventing entry) and deportability (requiring removal) for noncitizens convicted of sex offenses, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, or violating protection orders that prevent violence. Key provisions define these offenses using existing legal standards (e.g., domestic violence under the Violent Crime Control Act), requiring conviction or admission of acts meeting those definitions. The bill directly affects noncitizens with these convictions, making their entry or continued presence in the U.S. subject to denial or removal.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require the U.S. Secretary of State to re-designate Yemen's Houthi group (Ansarallah) as a foreign terrorist organization within 90 days of enactment. It mandates the President to impose existing sanctions under two executive orders - blocking property under E.O. 13224 and restricting travel under E.O. 13780 - on Ansarallah and its members, agents, affiliates, or entities they own or control. These sanctions would apply to the group and its associated individuals or organizations, directly affecting the Houthi leadership and their operational networks. The bill does not create new sanctions but directs the re-imposition of existing measures previously revoked by the Biden administration.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the lesser prairie-chicken from the federal endangered and threatened species lists under the Endangered Species Act. It specifically amends the Act to permanently prevent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from re-listing the bird as endangered or threatened in the future. The legislation directly affects the regulatory protections for this bird species, ending federal conservation requirements like habitat restrictions or project reviews under the ESA. The change applies to all populations of the lesser prairie-chicken across its range.

Maddy summaryThe Student Empowerment Act (S 152) expands the use of 529 education savings accounts to cover more K-12 school expenses for students in public, private, religious, or homeschool settings. It allows funds to pay for tuition, curriculum materials, books, online resources, licensed tutoring (with teacher credentials), standardized tests, dual enrollment fees, and licensed educational therapies for students with disabilities. The bill directly affects families using 529 accounts who educate children in elementary or secondary school, including homeschoolers. It changes existing tax rules to include these specific K-12 expenses under 529 account distributions, effective after the bill's enactment. The policy change aims to provide greater flexibility for families managing educational costs at the K-12 level.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Homeland Security, Justice, and State departments to assess how transnational criminal organizations use social media and messaging platforms for recruitment and illicit activities (like drug trafficking or human smuggling) within 180 days of enactment. It mandates a national strategy within one year to improve interagency coordination, enhance intelligence analysis, and increase outreach to youth in border communities about cartel recruitment tactics. The strategy must prioritize protecting privacy and civil liberties while focusing on cartel activities, not individuals recruited. The bill does not create new penalties or funding but requires regular reports to Congress on implementation progress and civil rights safeguards.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time limit for prosecuting fraud involving pandemic relief funds from 5 years to 10 years. It applies specifically to violations related to major COVID-19 programs like the CARES Act, American Rescue Plan, and Paycheck Protection Program. The key provision allows criminal prosecutions, customs forfeitures, and false claims lawsuits to proceed within 10 years of the fraud occurring, rather than the standard shorter timeframe. This change aims to give prosecutors more time to investigate and pursue cases involving misused pandemic funding. It directly affects federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and individuals or entities accused of fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief money.

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship. Further, the bill (1) prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship. Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by certain sources. Additionally, states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters. The bill allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination Act or the FIND Act This bill prohibits the federal government from entering into contracts with an entity that discriminates against firearm trade associations or businesses that deal in firearms, ammunition, or related products. Specifically, the bill requires a federal agency to include in each contract for the procurement of goods or services awarded by the agency a clause requiring the prime contractor to certify that it (1) has no policy, practice, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and (2) will not adopt a policy, practice, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association during the term of the contract. The bill establishes (1) a similar requirement with respect to subcontracts, and (2) penalties for violations. The bill makes such prohibition inapplicable to a contract for the procurement of goods or services that is a sole-source contract.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals Section 136 of the Clean Air Act, which established an incentive program for reducing methane emissions and waste in natural gas and petroleum systems. It directly affects natural gas and petroleum companies that previously participated in this program by eliminating their eligibility for related incentives. The bill also rescinds any unobligated funds allocated under that program before its repeal. This is a direct policy change removing a specific federal incentive mechanism, not a tax change.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 100) repeals the Corporate Transparency Act, which required businesses to disclose beneficial ownership information to the government. It directly affects businesses (especially small entities) that previously had to report who ultimately owns or controls them. The bill removes specific reporting requirements from Title 31 of the U.S. Code and eliminates related provisions in the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020. Key mechanisms include striking references to reporting sections (like 5336) and repealing sections of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that established the rules. This would end the federal mandate for businesses to disclose ownership details to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).