Sen. John Fetterman

Maddy summarySRES 194 designates May 5, 2023, as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. The resolution directly addresses the disproportionate violence faced by Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women by calling for public commemoration of victims and solidarity with affected families. It uses May 5 - the birthday of Hanna Harris, a Northern Cheyenne woman whose case is cited in the resolution - as the designated date for awareness efforts. As a Senate resolution, it serves as a symbolic recognition of this issue rather than creating new legal obligations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1400) amends USDA conservation programs to expand access to technical service providers (TSPs) who help farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices. It creates new pathways for non-Federal entities (like state agencies, agricultural cooperatives, or professional societies) to certify TSPs, streamlines certification for existing professionals (e.g., certified crop advisors), and sets fair payment rates for TSP services. The law requires USDA to maintain a public registry of certified providers, track usage metrics, and report on how TSPs improve conservation outcomes. This directly affects agricultural producers seeking technical assistance and TSPs wanting to deliver services under USDA programs.

Maddy summarySJRES 4 is a joint resolution that removes the 1972 deadline for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was originally proposed in House Joint Resolution 208. It declares that the ERA is valid as part of the U.S. Constitution if ratified by three-fourths of states (38), regardless of the expired deadline. The resolution directly affects the ERA ratification process, making it possible for states to complete ratification without time constraints. As of 2023, 38 states had already ratified the ERA, and this resolution would finalize its inclusion in the Constitution if enacted.

Maddy summaryThe Child Care for Working Families Act establishes a new federal program to provide affordable, high-quality child care for working families with children under age 6. It requires states to implement a sliding fee scale (with no copayment for families earning up to 85% of state median income) and develop a tiered quality system for child care providers, with payment rates that support staff wages comparable to elementary educators. The bill prioritizes access for underserved populations including children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and children from low-income families, while requiring states to improve child care quality and supply through dedicated funding streams. States must submit detailed plans demonstrating how they will meet these requirements to receive federal funding, which will be provided through a combination of direct child care assistance and quality improvement activities.

Maddy summaryS 1329, the Armenian Genocide Education Act, establishes a program through the Librarian of Congress to support K-12 education about the 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide. The program develops and distributes educational resources (including digital tools and print materials), provides teacher training through workshops and fellowships, and maintains an online resource hub on the Library of Congress website. It directly affects local school districts, independent schools, and educational organizations that adopt the program’s materials into their curricula. The program is funded with $2 million annually for five years, requiring the Librarian to submit annual reports on its implementation.

Maddy summaryThe Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023 would change how food assistance benefits are calculated by replacing the "thrifty food plan" with a "low-cost food plan" that better reflects actual food costs for families. The bill establishes a specific family diet for calculating benefits (a 4-person household with defined age groups), requires reevaluation of the food cost calculations by 2029 and every 5 years thereafter, and adjusts benefits for Hawaii and Alaska to reflect regional food costs. It also eliminates a cap on shelter expenses and includes Puerto Rico in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with specific transition provisions for Puerto Rico to join the program.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Kids on Social Media Act requires social media platforms to verify the age of users through reasonable methods (beyond simple self-attestation) and obtain parental consent for minors aged 13-17 before allowing account creation or certain features. Platforms must stop using algorithmic recommendations based on personal data for users under 18 and allow parents to revoke consent at any time, with strict limits on how verification data can be used or stored. A voluntary government pilot program will offer secure digital ID credentials for age and parental verification, meeting high cybersecurity standards, though participation is optional for both users and platforms. Violations will be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, with civil penalties for non-compliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint three commemorative coins in 2026 to honor Golda Meir (Israel’s first female Prime Minister) and mark the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Israel relations. It specifies $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar coins bearing her image and inscriptions like "Golda Meir, Israel 75, 2026," with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 per coin respectively. All surcharge revenue will fund Kiryat Sanz Laniado Hospital in Israel, while the coins - minted only in 2026 - will be sold as collectibles with no net cost to the U.S. government.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens penalties for individuals or organizations charging veterans unauthorized fees when assisting with VA benefit claims. It directly affects veterans who might be targeted by unscrupulous representatives and the representatives themselves who attempt to charge such fees. The key provision adds a new subsection (b) to Section 5905, making it illegal to solicit, charge, or receive any fee for preparing or submitting VA claims - except as allowed under specific other sections. Violations can result in fines, up to one year in prison, or both.

Maddy summaryThe Caring for Survivors Act of 2023 (S 414) increases monthly payments for surviving spouses of veterans. It changes how dependency and indemnity compensation is calculated, replacing a fixed amount with 55% of another veterans' compensation rate, and ensures survivors whose veterans died before January 1, 1993, receive the higher of the old or new payment amount. The bill also modifies rules for survivors of veterans who were totally disabled at death, reducing the required continuous disability rating period from 10 to 5 years, with payments adjusted proportionally for shorter periods. These changes directly affect surviving spouses of veterans, particularly those with veterans who died prior to 1993 or who had shorter disability ratings before death. The bill takes effect six months after enactment.