Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

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 prohibits public colleges and universities receiving federal funding from denying religious student groups access to campus facilities or official recognition solely because of their religious beliefs, practices, or standards. It directly affects public higher education institutions and religious student organizations seeking equal treatment alongside secular groups. The key mechanism requires institutions to provide religious groups with the same rights, benefits, and privileges - such as meeting space, event scheduling, and official status - as non-religious student organizations. This policy change ensures religious groups cannot be discriminated against in campus activities through the threat of withheld federal funding.

Maddy summaryThe HEADWAY Act (S 2323) updates requirements for teachers in Early Head Start programs serving children under age 3. It mandates that each classroom must have at least one teacher certified with a child development associate credential (or working toward it), and requires programs to assign a mentor to support teachers during this credentialing process. The bill directly affects Early Head Start centers and their teaching staff by establishing new standards for educator qualifications and professional development. Key changes replace previous deadlines with ongoing requirements for credential attainment and mentorship, aiming to improve workforce quality in early childhood education.

Maddy summaryS 2287, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, establishes federal funding to expand training for health professionals in palliative and hospice care. The bill creates multiple programs including grants for education programs, fellowships for faculty to gain specialized training, and career incentive awards for students pursuing palliative care specialties. It prioritizes training in rural and underserved areas, for pediatric populations, and for racial and ethnic minorities. The bill authorizes $15 million annually through 2030 to build a more skilled palliative care workforce for patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses.

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 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 summaryThe Love Lives On Act of 2025 modifies veterans' and military survivors' benefit rules to prevent remarriage from automatically ending eligibility. It directly affects surviving spouses of veterans or military members who remarried, ensuring they retain access to key benefits. Key provisions include: (1) preventing termination of veterans' dependency compensation (under 38 U.S.C. §1311/1562) due to remarriage; (2) stopping termination of military Survivor Benefit Plan annuities solely for remarriage, with specific rules for those who remarried before age 55; and (3) expanding TRICARE coverage to include remarried widows/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended (via death, divorce, or annulment). These changes restore or maintain benefits that were previously lost upon remarriage.

Maddy summaryThe Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (S 836) extends COPPA protections to teens aged 13-17 by requiring websites, apps, and online services to obtain verifiable consent from parents for children or from teens themselves before collecting or using their personal information for purposes beyond the service. It defines "personal information" broadly to include biometric data, voice recordings, persistent identifiers, and geolocation information, and prohibits using such information for individual-specific advertising without consent. The bill mandates clear notice about data practices and gives children and teens rights to access, correct, and delete their personal information. Additionally, it requires the FTC to conduct studies on mobile app oversight and the GAO to study teen privacy in financial technology products.

Maddy summarySRES 641 is a Senate resolution recognizing the 114th anniversary of Girl Scouts of the United States of America. It celebrates the organization's mission of providing girls with inclusive spaces to explore interests, build confidence, and develop leadership skills through programs like STEM education and community service. The resolution specifically congratulates Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award in 2025 and encourages continued support for programs that prepare girls to become future leaders. As a symbolic gesture with no legal effect, it formally acknowledges the Girl Scouts' contributions to youth development and community engagement.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the federal program that provides grants to nonprofit organizations for helping rural residents build or repair their own water wells and wastewater systems. It directly affects low- and moderate-income households in rural areas by adjusting income eligibility thresholds and increasing the maximum subgrant amount to $20,000. The legislation also requires nonprofits to offer loans to households earning between 60 and 100 percent of the median nonmetropolitan income, and it adds funding to cover five-year performance warranties for wastewater systems. Finally, the program's expiration date is extended from 2023 to 2031, allowing continued support for these infrastructure projects.