Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove

Maddy summaryThe Esther Coopersmith Award Act creates a new annual award to recognize U.S. government employees who advance women's roles in peace and security efforts. This award, administered by the State Department, honors individuals or groups who promote women's leadership in conflict prevention, ensure their safety and economic security, and support data collection for early warning systems. Recipients must be members of the Civil Service or Foreign Service and will receive an honorable mention, meet with the Secretary of State, and present their work to incoming officers and mission chiefs. The legislation also requires the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress detailing the recipients' actions and outcomes within 90 days of selection. The Act is set to expire five years after it is enacted.

Maddy summaryThe Don't Settle for Corruption Act requires that the Attorney General must submit a report to both houses of Congress for any settlement regarding lawsuits brought against the President or former President by the United States. Before such a settlement can be approved and paid, Congress must pass a specific joint resolution within 60 days of receiving the report. This process ensures that compromise settlements in these high-profile cases receive explicit legislative approval rather than being finalized solely by the executive branch. The law applies specifically to imminent litigation or suits involving the President or former President and mandates that these settlements be handled similarly to court judgments.

Maddy summaryThis resolution acknowledges and apologizes on behalf of the United States for the decades of discrimination and wrongful termination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who served in the military, Foreign Service, and federal civil service. It condemns historical policies that excluded or fired these individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity while reaffirming a commitment to treat all federal employees and veterans with equal respect and fairness. The bill functions as a formal statement of regret and does not create any legal claims, financial settlements, or new laws.

Maddy summaryThe PRIDE Act of 2026 expands the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion to include LGBTQI+ individuals and businesses. It amends existing financial and housing laws to require the office to consider gender identity and sexual orientation when enforcing regulations and supporting small businesses. The bill formally defines LGBTQI+ as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex and sets a standard where more than 50 percent of a business's ownership and profits must accrue to LGBTQI+ individuals to qualify as LGBTQI+-owned. This change directly affects the Department of the Treasury's oversight of financial institutions and the Small Business Administration's lending programs. By updating the legal definitions within the Dodd-Frank Act and related housing legislation, the bill ensures that federal support and compliance measures explicitly cover the LGBTQI+ community.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act, modifies how the United States evaluates foreign countries' efforts to combat human trafficking. It requires these nations to demonstrate serious and sustained actions, such as banning the purchase of commercial sex acts, educating buyers about exploitation, and reducing international sex tourism. These new criteria will be used in future annual reports to determine whether a country meets the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. Consequently, the bill directly affects how the U.S. government assesses and categorizes the anti-trafficking progress of other nations.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally recognizes the negative effects of menstrual stigma on women, girls, and other menstruating people and expresses support for designating May as National Menstrual Health Awareness Month. It highlights the importance of normalizing menstruation, improving access to products and sanitation facilities, and expanding education and clinical research on menstrual health conditions. The bill does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic statement to promote awareness and gender equity regarding menstrual health.

Maddy summaryThe Women in Criminal Justice Reform Act aims to improve how the federal justice system treats women by mandating gender-informed training for law enforcement and probation officers, ensuring they understand the unique needs of female justice-involved individuals. The bill requires federal officers to allow arrested parents to arrange care for their children before taking them into custody and establishes grant programs to support these training initiatives and recruit more women into law enforcement. It also introduces significant changes to sentencing and incarceration, such as expanding pretrial diversion options for women with trauma histories, limiting penalties for conspiracy charges, and requiring the Bureau of Prisons to provide specific medical screenings, trauma-informed care, and gender-responsive programming. Furthermore, the legislation seeks to keep families together by allowing temporary releases to maintain community ties, updating custody laws to preserve parental rights, and ensuring that reentry programs are tailored to the specific challenges women face upon release.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative $5 gold and $1 silver coins marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The coins must feature designs honoring victims and first responders (including the inscription "Never Forget") and will be sold only during 2027-2028. All surcharges ($35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin) collected from sales will fund the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, with no net cost to the federal government. The coins are legal tender but primarily intended for collectors, not circulation.

Maddy summaryThe Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act authorizes the creation of a new Smithsonian museum dedicated to women’s history, to be located within the National Mall Reserve in Washington, D.C. If the site is managed by another federal agency, the bill requires that agency to transfer the land after notifying Congress and relevant committees. The museum must ensure exhibits and programs accurately represent diverse women’s experiences by consulting a broad range of experts and community voices. The Smithsonian will submit biennial reports to Congress detailing how the museum meets these representation standards.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution directs the President to withdraw U.S. military forces from active hostilities with Iran. The measure relies on the War Powers Resolution, requiring the President to end combat operations unless the forces are needed to defend the United States or its allies from an immediate attack. Any continued use of troops in such defensive scenarios must still follow specific reporting and notification rules, and full military engagement is only permitted if Congress explicitly authorizes it through a formal declaration of war or a specific authorization for force.