Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the SHIELD Act, authorizes the Attorney General to provide grants to states, local governments, and organizations to help recruit, train, and retain staff needed to support legal representation for individuals facing immigration removal proceedings. The program would fund workforce development initiatives such as hiring new lawyers and accredited representatives, providing technical training, improving language services, and building administrative infrastructure in areas with high unmet legal needs. Eligible recipients must use funds to supplement existing resources rather than replace them, and they would be required to submit regular reports on how the grants improve access to legal services. The legislation allocates $100 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support these efforts while maintaining oversight through audits and compliance requirements.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Family Vaccine Protection Act establishes formal procedures for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) within the Public Health Service Act. It requires the CDC Director to adopt ACIP vaccine recommendations unless they lack scientific support, in which case the Director must publish the rationale and notify Congress within 48 hours. The bill specifies the committee's composition, including required expertise for members and ex-officio members from key health agencies like the FDA and CMS. These provisions affect vaccine recommendations that determine coverage for health insurance plans and the Vaccines for Children Program, ensuring all recommendations are based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
Maddy summaryS 2903, the Safe Step Act, requires health insurance plans and employers offering health coverage to establish a clear, timely process for patients or doctors to request exceptions when step therapy protocols (where insurers require trying cheaper drugs first) would harm a patient. It mandates approval for exceptions if prior drugs failed, delay would cause severe harm, a drug is unsafe, or a patient is stable on their current medication. Plans must respond to requests within 72 hours (or 24 hours in emergencies) and cover the requested drug without extra cost-sharing. The bill also requires annual reports to the government on exception requests, approvals, denials, and trends by medical condition or specialty. This directly affects patients on health plans with step therapy, their doctors, and the insurers managing those plans.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1677, Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act) requires health insurance plans to cover medically necessary treatments for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. It mandates coverage for reconstructive services, dental/orthodontic care, and related treatments during the course of medical treatment, while excluding purely cosmetic procedures not medically necessary. Plans may apply cost-sharing requirements similar to those for other medical services but must provide notice about these coverage requirements to participants by January 1, 2026. The bill also directs a study on provider network adequacy and cost impacts related to these coverage requirements, to be completed by December 2027.
Maddy summaryThe National Biotechnology Initiative Act of 2025 establishes a coordinated Federal effort to advance biotechnology for national security, economic competitiveness, and innovation. It creates a National Biotechnology Coordination Office within the Executive Office of the President, led by a Director appointed by the President, to oversee coordination across 14 participating federal departments and agencies including Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Energy. The bill requires the development of a national biotechnology strategy, regulatory streamlining for biotechnology products, workforce development programs, and improved public understanding of biotechnology (bioliteracy). It authorizes $22 million for fiscal year 2026, increasing to $35 million for 2027, with annual reports to Congress and a comprehensive national strategy required every five years. The Initiative will wind down after 20 years, transitioning to serve as an executive secretariat for ongoing biotechnology coordination.
Maddy summaryS 880, the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, bans colleges receiving federal student aid from giving preferential treatment to applicants based on family connections to donors or alumni. This amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 directly affects all institutions participating in federal financial aid programs. The key provision prohibits schools from considering an applicant’s relationship to donors (like major contributors) or alumni (like family members who graduated) during admissions decisions. The ban takes effect starting with the second academic year after the bill becomes law.
Maddy summaryThe HELP Copays Act requires that financial assistance from non-profit organizations or prescription drug manufacturers counts toward patients' annual out-of-pocket cost-sharing limits (like deductibles and copays) for certain prescription drugs. It directly affects individuals enrolled in group health plans or individual insurance who receive such assistance, ensuring payments from these sources reduce their total out-of-pocket spending. The bill amends key healthcare laws to include these payments in calculating cost-sharing thresholds, specifically for specialty drugs and drugs subject to utilization management (like prior authorization). It takes effect for plan years beginning in 2026 and does not change how utilization management tools are applied.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance plans to cover prostate cancer screenings without copays or deductibles for men aged 40+ who are at high risk of prostate cancer. It specifically applies to African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer (defined as having a first-degree relative diagnosed with the disease or genetic risk factors). The law amends existing coverage requirements to include these screenings as a preventive service, aiming to address disparities in late-stage diagnosis and improve early detection rates. The policy change takes effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryS. Res. 650 is a Senate resolution that formally recognizes the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. The resolution highlights their achievements in military service, business ownership, healthcare, science, arts, and civil rights advocacy through specific examples of individual women. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of their historical and ongoing contributions to American society.
Maddy summaryThis bill provides temporary funding to ensure Transportation Security Administration employees receive their regular pay, benefits, and allowances during a potential government funding gap in fiscal year 2026. It allows the agency to use Treasury funds to cover salaries and benefits starting February 14, 2026, until a full-year budget is passed or the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026. The legislation prevents employees from receiving duplicate payments by restricting these funds to periods when no other pay sources are available and requires any costs to be transferred to the permanent budget once enacted. The bill takes effect retroactively as if it were passed on February 13, 2026, to cover the initial days of the potential funding lapse.