Sen. John Kennedy

Maddy summarySRES 201 is a non-binding Senate resolution designating the week of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week." It honors small businesses and entrepreneurs across all U.S. communities for their economic contributions, citing that small businesses support over 59 million jobs. The resolution recognizes their resilience and celebrates their role in strengthening local economies. This symbolic gesture, consistent with annual presidential proclamations since 1963, does not create new laws or affect any specific group through policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by giving the Attorney General new authority to sue violators and seek penalties up to $10,000 per day for ongoing violations. It requires dealers and exhibitors to hold valid licenses for animal sales or transport and allows seized animals to be taken by the government if they’re harmed by violations. Fines collected from violations will fund temporary care for animals during legal cases. The law directly affects animal dealers, exhibitors, and enforcement agencies (USDA and DOJ), clarifying that violations include breaches of related rules and regulations.

Insurance Data Protection Act This bill limits the ability of federal entities to compel insurance companies to share information. Specifically, the bill eliminates the subpoena power of the Federal Insurance Office. Under current law, the office has the power to subpoena information from insurers to, among other purposes, identify issues that could contribute to a systemic crisis in the insurance industry or the U.S. financial system. The bill also eliminates the ability of the Office of Financial Research to subpoena insurance companies. When seeking to collect insurance company data under specified consumer protection laws, a financial regulator must obtain the data from other regulators or from publicly available sources if possible. Otherwise, the financial regulator may only collect this data directly from the insurance company if the regulator complies with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates the week of April 19-27, 2025, as "National Park Week" in the U.S. Senate. It encourages the public to responsibly visit, experience, and support national parks across the United States. The resolution highlights the National Park System’s role in preserving natural and cultural resources while acknowledging its economic impact and recreational value. It does not create new laws or alter funding, focusing solely on recognition and public engagement.

Maddy summaryThe Combating Organized Retail Crime Act amends federal law to strengthen legal tools for addressing organized retail crime, including theft from stores, online, and supply chains. It establishes a new Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts. The Center will share information, assist with investigations, track crime trends, and provide training to combat these crimes. The bill expands legal definitions to include organized retail crime as a specific category and requires annual reports on the Center's activities. The Center will operate for 7 years before sunset.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program (VEPP) under the Department of Labor, allowing employers to voluntarily participate in a safety recognition program. Employers must demonstrate comprehensive safety systems - including hazard assessments, prevention programs, worker management participation, and training - to join. Once approved, participating workplaces are exempt from routine safety inspections but must conduct annual self-evaluations, undergo periodic onsite reviews (without enforcement citations), and correct any identified hazards within 90 days. The program requires no fees for participation and mandates that at least 5% of OSHA’s annual funding support its administration, including modernizing application and reporting technology within two years.

Maddy summaryThe FIGHT Act of 2025 amends the Animal Welfare Act to ban gambling on animal fighting events (including broadcasts), prohibit transporting roosters (defined as male chickens over 6 months old) for fighting, and make it illegal to sponsor, exhibit, or allow minors under 16 to attend such events. It allows citizens to file civil lawsuits to stop violations after 60 days' notice to authorities, with fines up to $5,000 per violation. The law also permits seizure of property used to facilitate violations, such as land or buildings. It does not override state or local laws on animal fighting unless there is a direct conflict.

Maddy summaryThe Targeting Child Predators Act of 2025 amends federal law to strengthen confidentiality for ongoing investigations into child predators. It requires recipients of certain administrative subpoenas (issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security) to keep the subpoena's existence and details secret for up to 180 days, unless a federal official certifies disclosure would endanger the investigation (e.g., by threatening safety, causing flight, destroying evidence, or intimidating witnesses). The bill also establishes a new court process for reviewing these confidentiality orders, requiring federal officials to provide specific justifications and courts to rule quickly on whether disclosure would jeopardize the investigation. This directly affects entities like financial institutions and online platforms that may receive such subpoenas.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires detention agencies (like jails, prisons, and police facilities) to notify family members or emergency contacts when an individual in their custody dies, is seriously injured, or becomes seriously ill. Agencies must collect emergency contact information during intake, provide timely notifications (within 12 hours for death, "as soon as practicable" for serious illness/injury), and include specific details like cause of death or medical condition. It defines "serious illness or injury" to include situations like suicide attempts, terminal diagnoses, or unconsciousness requiring immediate treatment. The bill also mandates compassionate notification methods (trained staff, written follow-up) and gives individuals the right to update contact information or complete medical directives.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1357, the SAFE Act) requires companies seeking to list securities on U.S. exchanges or already listed to disclose specific ties to the Chinese government. It mandates annual disclosures on whether the Chinese government provided financial support (like subsidies, loans, or tax breaks), the conditions attached to that support (such as export requirements or intellectual property use), the presence of Chinese Communist Party committees within the company, and details about officers/directors with prior government roles in China. The disclosure rules apply to all issuers filing reports under Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act. The Securities and Exchange Commission must implement these rules within 180 days of the bill's enactment.