Sen. Tim Kaine

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American civil rights advocate who challenged the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. It directs the Treasury Secretary to create a single gold medal bearing Korematsu's image and name, which will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs. The medal recognizes Korematsu's lifelong advocacy for civil liberties and his role in exposing the government's misleading claims that led to the Supreme Court's 1944 Korematsu v. United States decision. This is a commemorative measure with no new legal requirements or policy changes.

Maddy summaryS 129, the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2023, prohibits federal authorities from detaining individuals solely based on protected characteristics. The bill amends federal law to define "protected characteristics" as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristics the Attorney General may designate. It explicitly bans imprisonment or detention based exclusively on these traits, with no allowance for the Attorney General to remove any listed characteristic. This directly affects anyone subject to federal detention, ensuring protections against discrimination in custody decisions under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the FAIR Act (S 124), increases federal employee pay raises for calendar year 2024. It mandates a 4.7% base pay increase for all federal employees covered by statutory pay systems (most positions) and prevailing rate systems (based on local wages), effective January 2024. It also sets a 4.0% increase for locality-based pay adjustments under existing law. The bill directly affects all federal civilian employees whose pay is determined by these specific statutory systems.

Maddy summaryThe Better Care Better Jobs Act (S 100) aims to improve access to home and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries by providing federal funding to states for developing improvement plans and implementing an HCBS Infrastructure Improvement Program. The bill offers enhanced federal funding (a 10 percentage point increase in Medicaid matching rates) to states that meet requirements including maintaining or expanding HCBS access, improving direct care worker wages and training, and implementing quality measurement systems. States must develop detailed plans assessing current HCBS availability, workforce conditions, and barriers to access, and then report annually on progress toward specific benchmarks. The bill also makes permanent certain Medicaid provisions related to spousal impoverishment protection and extends the Money Follows the Person program, directly affecting Medicaid beneficiaries and direct care workers.

Maddy summaryThis bill would admit Washington, D.C. as the 51st state, officially named "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth," granting it full representation in Congress with two Senators and one Representative. It would establish a "Capital" area within the new state that remains under federal jurisdiction, including the White House, Capitol Building, and other key government properties. The bill would repeal the District of Columbia's congressional delegate position and the 23rd Amendment, which currently provides D.C. with electoral votes in presidential elections. It would also provide for the transition of federal properties, courts, and government functions while maintaining federal control over the Capital area.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 13-member commission to study the history of slavery in the U.S. and its ongoing effects on African Americans. The commission will examine slavery from 1619 to 1865, post-emancipation discrimination (including Jim Crow, redlining, and educational inequity), and current disparities in wealth, incarceration, and health. It will compile evidence and recommend potential remedies to Congress, including educational initiatives and frameworks for compensation, but does not authorize any reparations payments. The commission must submit its findings within one year of its first meeting.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act for people with household incomes up to 800% of the federal poverty line (up from 400%), directly affecting millions of middle-income Americans purchasing coverage through health insurance marketplaces. Key provisions adjust the sliding-scale subsidy system to lower premium percentages across income tiers - like reducing the maximum payment from 8.5% to 6% for incomes between 300%-400% of poverty - and increase cost-sharing reductions for lower-income enrollees. It also modifies eligibility thresholds, raising the income limit for the highest savings tier from 150% to 200% of poverty and increasing the percentage of out-of-pocket costs covered. These changes aim to make premiums and deductibles more affordable by expanding subsidy eligibility and refining how payments are calculated.

Maddy summaryThis bill would ban the sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of most semiautomatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns meeting specific criteria defined as "assault weapons," as well as large capacity ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The ban would not apply to weapons already owned before enactment, or to certain types like bolt-action rifles, antique firearms, or weapons used by law enforcement. The bill would require identification markings on new assault weapons and magazines, require background checks for transfers of "grandfathered" weapons, and authorize federal buy-back programs for banned weapons through Byrne grants. It includes exemptions for military, law enforcement, and certain historical firearms.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the minimum age to purchase or possess certain firearms and large-capacity magazines from 18 to 21 years old. It specifically prohibits sales or transfers of "semiautomatic assault weapons" (including defined rifles, pistols, and shotguns with features like detachable magazines or specific attachments) and large-capacity magazines (holding more than 10 rounds) to anyone under 21. The bill directly affects individuals under 21 who would be barred from purchasing these items from licensed dealers. Limited exceptions exist for hunting, farming, military service, or self-defense, but the core change is a nationwide age restriction on these specific firearm types.

Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This act provides for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. After it is awarded, the medal shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.