Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Bycatch Reduction and Research Task Force to study Alaska salmon migration and bycatch, requiring research on salmon tagging, genetic sampling, and ecosystem impacts in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. It creates a new Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund to help commercial fishermen purchase or modify gear designed to reduce bycatch and habitat damage. The bill also mandates improved electronic monitoring systems, streamlined permit processes for innovative gear, and annual reports on research findings and data integration strategies. These provisions directly affect Alaskan commercial fisheries, salmon management, and coastal communities relying on sustainable fishing practices. The legislation requires final reports within three years detailing research outcomes and recommendations for reducing salmon bycatch.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the VA to provide telehealth services, mail-order pharmacy benefits, and mandatory beneficiary travel payments to veterans residing in the Freely Associated States (including Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia) within one year of enactment. It mandates quarterly reporting to Congress on implementation progress and associated costs. The law directly affects veterans in these Pacific Island nations by expanding access to critical healthcare and travel support services previously not uniformly guaranteed.
Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 This act extends and modifies the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, under which states and counties containing certain federal land may receive payments from the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for schools, roads, and certain other municipal services. The act modifies the SRS program, including by extending payments made to states and counties containing federal land through FY2026, providing lapsed payments for FY2024 and FY2025, extending the authority of counties to initiate projects using such funds through FY2028, and extending the authority to initiate projects proposed by resource advisory committees through FY2028.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a land exchange between Chugach Alaska Corporation (a Native Regional Corporation) and the U.S. government to resolve a conflict created by the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup efforts. It would exchange approximately 231,000 acres of subsurface rights held by Chugach Alaska for 65,374 acres of surface land owned by the federal government in the Chugach Region. The exchange aims to consolidate ownership of both surface and subsurface rights on these lands, addressing a split ownership issue that has prevented Chugach Alaska from developing its subsurface resources as required by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The bill also includes provisions to protect certain Native Village Corporation development rights and shareholder homesites from the exchange.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act to expand grant opportunities for tourism development. It authorizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, and other federal agencies (like Commerce and Transportation) to provide grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The grants, funded by $35 million over fiscal years 2025-2029, support tourism initiatives that align with the Act's purposes. This directly affects tribal and Native Hawaiian entities seeking federal funding for tourism projects.
Essential Caregivers Act of 2025 This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period. Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the 2004 Tribal Forest Protection Act to expand protections for tribal lands and clarify restoration goals. It broadens the definition of "Indian forest land or rangeland" to include areas with historical forest cover capable of restoration and explicitly adds "restore" to the Act’s purpose (previously only "protect"). The changes directly affect federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and federal agencies managing land. It also authorizes $15 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2031 to implement these provisions.
Maddy summaryS 620, the "Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act," authorizes the Indian Health Service to provide public health veterinary services to tribal communities in rural areas to prevent and control zoonotic diseases (diseases that spread between animals and humans). These services include spaying/neutering, vaccinations, disease surveillance, and other activities that reduce disease transmission risk. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to study the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife in Arctic regions to protect tribal members, and mandates biennial reports to Congress on program implementation.
Maddy summaryThe RISE from Trauma Act establishes grants for community coordinating bodies to address trauma and build resilience, particularly for children and youth affected by violence, substance use, or other traumatic experiences. These grants (up to $6 million each for 4 years) require diverse community stakeholders - including healthcare providers, schools, law enforcement, and community organizations - to collaborate on identifying local needs and developing trauma-informed strategies. The legislation prioritizes communities with high rates of overdose deaths, violence-related deaths, or involvement in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. It also expands existing programs like the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, creates hospital-based interventions to prevent readmissions after trauma events, and establishes training for schools, law enforcement, and healthcare providers in trauma-informed care. Funding is authorized at $600 million annually from 2026-2033 for these initiatives.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a federal grant program to help states, local governments, and tribal nations hire and retain prosecutors. It provides up to 75% federal funding (with potential waivers for financial hardship) for prosecutor offices to hire, train, or retain staff, with priority given to rural, tribal, or remote areas and rehiring staff laid off due to budget cuts. Funds must supplement, not replace, existing state/local funding, and grantees must track outcomes and submit performance reports. The program is authorized for $10 million annually from 2026 through 2030.