Sen. Laphonza R. Butler

Maddy summaryThe Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (S 1418) strengthens privacy protections for children under 13 and teens aged 12-17 online. It requires websites, apps, and connected devices that target children or teens, or are reasonably likely to be used by them, to obtain verifiable consent from parents for children and from teens themselves for those aged 12-17 before collecting personal information. The bill prohibits targeted marketing to children and teens, establishes a "Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens," and creates a Youth Privacy and Marketing Division within the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these rules. It also sets out specific Fair Information Practices Principles requiring transparency, data accuracy, security, and proper data disposal for children's and teens' personal information.

Maddy summaryThe Kids Online Safety Act requires social media platforms and other online services used by minors to implement safety features protecting children under 17. It mandates default privacy controls, limits addictive features like automatic media playback, restricts advertising of harmful products (tobacco, gambling, alcohol) to minors, and requires annual transparency reports about online risks. Platforms with over 10 million monthly U.S. users must provide parental tools, conduct independent audits, and make de-identified data available for research on online harms. The bill focuses on preventing mental health disorders, bullying, sexual exploitation, and addictive behaviors through platform design changes.

Maddy summaryThe Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act of 2023 reauthorizes the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) to support economic development and infrastructure projects in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas border counties. The bill authorizes $100 million annually for 2024-2028 and $200 million annually for 2029-2033 for SBRC programs, including grants for transportation infrastructure, housing, health facilities, and water/wastewater systems. It establishes new capacity building programs focused on workforce development, broadband access, and health professional shortages, with special provisions to waive matching requirements for colonias and Indian tribes. The bill also modifies commission membership rules and voting procedures to streamline decision-making and allows for fund transfers from other federal agencies to support SBRC initiatives.

Maddy summaryThe Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act of 2023 establishes a new regulatory framework for hardrock mineral mining on federal lands. It requires mining operations to pay royalties of 5-8% on mineral production (with exemptions for existing operations), introduces annual $200 maintenance fees for existing mining claims, and $50 location fees for new claims. The bill creates a Hardrock Minerals Reclamation Fund to finance reclamation of abandoned mine sites, funded by these new fees and royalties. It also establishes new permitting requirements for exploration and mining activities, including environmental protection standards and financial assurances for reclamation. The law directly affects mining claim holders, operators, and the federal government through new revenue streams and regulatory requirements.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SRES 492) honoring the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter. It expresses the Senate's condolences for her passing and recognizes her lifetime of humanitarian work, including her advocacy for mental health care, founding of caregiver support programs, and service with The Carter Center. The resolution does not create new laws or policies; it is purely a commemorative statement. It was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators and adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires phone calls and texts to 9-8-8 (the national suicide prevention hotline) to be routed to the nearest participating crisis center based on the caller's location, rather than a single national center. It mandates that phone providers transmit all 9-8-8 calls/texts (including from phones without service plans) and protects caller privacy by preventing precise location disclosure. The bill affects mobile service providers (who must implement routing), crisis centers (who receive localized calls), and callers (who get geographically relevant support). It also updates phone system rules to allow direct dialing to 9-8-8, with implementation deadlines for providers and systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023, protects voting rights for people with criminal convictions in federal elections. It requires states to notify individuals about their voting rights at conviction, during probation/parole, and in carceral settings, while establishing procedures for incarcerated people to register to vote and access absentee ballots. The bill mandates carceral settings to provide voter registration forms, absentee ballot applications, and access to voting information, with specific deadlines for processing and transmitting these materials. It also requires states to accept and process voting applications submitted by incarcerated individuals within defined timeframes, including allowing electronic submission. The law applies to federal elections starting with the November 2024 general election.

Maddy summaryThe End Solitary Confinement Act (S 3409) would prohibit solitary confinement in Federal correctional facilities, requiring all incarcerated people to have at least 14 hours daily of out-of-cell congregate interaction including programming, recreation, and social activities. The bill establishes strict limits on confinement (no more than 4 hours total in a 24-hour period for emergencies), creates a community monitoring body to oversee compliance, and provides incentives for states to adopt similar standards by tying federal funding to compliance. It also includes due process protections for people placed in restrictive housing, requiring neutral hearings with legal representation and medical assessments. The bill directly affects all people incarcerated in Federal facilities and would impact state and local facilities receiving Federal funding through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 464) expresses the U.S. Senate's support for Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the epidemic of violence against transgender people in the U.S. and memorializing those who died in acts of violence between October 2022 and September 2023. It specifically highlights the disproportionate impact on transgender women of color and references 33 documented fatalities in 2023. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the crisis and honors victims, aligning with the annual observance established to remember transgender lives lost to violence.

Maddy summaryThe Billionaires Income Tax Act requires individuals with annual income over $100 million or assets over $1 billion to pay taxes annually on their wealth gains, rather than deferring taxes through strategies like "buy, borrow, die." It eliminates tax deferral by implementing mark-to-market taxation, requiring billionaires to pay tax on asset appreciation each year as if they had sold the assets. The bill closes loopholes that allow the ultra-wealthy to transfer assets tax-free to heirs, requiring heirs to pay tax on gains when they sell assets. This means billionaires would pay taxes on their income as it's earned, just like working people pay taxes on wages.