Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a federal grant program to protect pregnant people, new mothers, and children under 3 from climate change risks. The program funds local initiatives that identify climate risks and provide services like air conditioning, housing assistance, and mental health support to vulnerable populations, with specific requirements to address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. It also creates a separate grant program for health profession schools to develop climate change education in their curricula and establishes an NIH research consortium to study climate change impacts on maternal and infant health. The bill requires grantees to involve community organizations in planning, monitor health outcomes by race and ethnicity, and prevent negative environmental or housing impacts from funded initiatives.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill extends WIC program eligibility for new mothers from 6 months to 24 months after childbirth, directly affecting new mothers who currently lose benefits after six months. It also extends the breastfeeding support period from 1 year to 24 months under the same law. The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a report within two years evaluating health outcomes, breastfeeding rates, and family experiences resulting from these changes. These amendments to Sections 17(b)(10) and 17(d)(3)(A)(ii) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 are the key policy changes.
Maddy summaryThe EARN IT Act of 2023 establishes a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention to develop voluntary best practices for interactive computer services (such as social media platforms and messaging apps) to prevent, reduce, and respond to online child sexual exploitation. The Commission will create recommended practices considering different platform sizes and business models, including content moderation, reporting systems, and age verification measures. The bill updates federal law to replace the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material" across numerous statutes and technical amendments. These best practices would be voluntary for platforms to adopt, not mandatory requirements, and must be supported by at least 14 of the Commission's 19 members. The Commission's recommendations will be updated every 5 years and published by the Department of Justice.
Maddy summaryThe Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023 would establish a universal school meal program providing free breakfast and lunch to all children enrolled in participating schools, eliminating income-based eligibility requirements that previously limited access to free meals. The bill sets specific payment rates for schools ($2.80 for breakfast and $4.63 for lunch, adjusted annually for inflation) and prohibits schools from collecting debts for unpaid meals or "shaming" students for unpaid charges. It also creates a reimbursement program to cover existing delinquent meal debt, requiring schools to continue accruing debt for reimbursement purposes until the program's effective date. The legislation directly affects all public schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program across the country. The bill amends various federal laws to replace references to "free or reduced price" meals with a new measure of economic disadvantage based on student poverty data.
Maddy summaryThe RAISE Act of 2023 creates a new refundable tax credit for K-12 teachers and early childhood educators working in schools with high student poverty rates. Eligible educators can receive a base $1,000 credit plus an additional amount up to $14,000 (or $9,000 for early childhood educators without bachelor's degrees) based on their school's student poverty ratio. The bill also increases the deduction for educator expenses from $250 to $500 and expands this deduction to cover early childhood educators. Additionally, it requires 20% of federal education funds above $2.2 billion to be reserved for teacher salary incentive grants in school districts that maintain or increase teacher pay.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates two key changes for Navy personnel. It allows sailors in pay grades E-1 to E-5 without dependents assigned to naval vessels undergoing maintenance to receive basic housing allowances, with eligibility defined by the Secretary of Defense based on maintenance type and duration. It also increases Navy mental health support by authorizing two licensed resiliency counselors per nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) or large amphibious ship (LHD/LHA) in the fleet, removing previous numerical limits. These provisions directly affect active-duty sailors serving on specific vessel types during maintenance periods or deployed on designated ships.
Maddy summaryThe Diversify Act amends the TEACH Grants program to increase funding for future educators. It raises annual grant amounts from $4,000 to $8,000 and lifetime caps from $16,000 to $32,000. The bill expands eligible teaching locations to include high-need early education programs and removes penalties for failing to complete service requirements, replacing them with an electronic completion certificate. It also exempts TEACH Grants from automatic budget cuts (sequestration) under federal law. These changes directly affect teacher candidates pursuing careers in high-need schools and early education.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the service of Army and Navy nurses who served during World War II. It directly recognizes approximately 73,000 nurses (including those who died in action or captivity) who provided critical medical care under combat conditions across 6 continents. The medal, designed by the Treasury Secretary, will be displayed at institutions like the Smithsonian, the Women in Military Service Memorial, and military museums. The bill is purely commemorative, with no new benefits or policy changes, focusing solely on formal recognition of their wartime contributions.
Maddy summaryS 1554, the National American Indian Veterans Charter Act, grants a federal charter to the existing nonprofit organization National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated. This charter formally recognizes the group as a federally chartered entity under Title 36 of the U.S. Code, authorizing it to operate as a nonprofit dedicated to serving American Indian veterans. Key provisions include granting the organization exclusive rights to its name and insignia, requiring it to maintain tax-exempt status, and mandating annual reports to Congress on its activities (though these reports are not public documents). The bill directly affects American Indian veterans by legally solidifying the organization’s role as their representative body for advocacy, outreach, and support services.
Maddy summarySRES 115 is a Senate resolution designating April 2023 as "Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month" to raise public awareness about the issue. It urges Congress to educate the public on the emotional, psychological, and physical harm caused to children and parents when children are abducted across international borders. The resolution references statistics showing over 9,800 U.S. children were abducted internationally between 2010-2020 and notes U.S. legal frameworks like the Hague Convention and the Sean and David Goldman Act. It does not create new laws or funding but emphasizes symbolic recognition and public education efforts.