Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Maddy summaryThe Clean Competition Act imposes a carbon intensity charge on covered primary goods produced domestically or imported into the U.S., calculated based on how much a facility's carbon intensity exceeds industry benchmarks. The charge starts at $60 per metric ton of CO2-e in 2026 and increases annually, determined by (excess carbon intensity) x (quantity of goods) x (cost of pollution). The bill includes provisions for rebates on exports, reductions for emissions captured directly from the air, and mechanisms to support decarbonization through investments in clean technology. It also establishes "carbon clubs" for international cooperation on climate policies, affecting manufacturers in specific energy-intensive industries and importers of covered goods.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals and companies from bypassing website security measures designed to limit online purchases (like preventing bots from buying all available items) or managing inventory. It also bans selling products obtained through such violations if the seller knew or should have known about the circumvention. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general can enforce these rules by suing violators to stop the conduct, recover damages for consumers, or compel compliance. The law specifically targets automated "bot" activity that undermines fair access to online products during high-demand periods.

Maddy summaryThe Shadow Docket Sunlight Act of 2025 would require the U.S. Supreme Court to publish written explanations and disclose each justice's vote when issuing emergency orders about temporary court orders that block government actions (preliminary injunctions) or stays of such orders. The written explanation must address specific factors, such as whether the applicant is likely to succeed on the merits and whether the order serves the public interest. This rule does not apply to routine administrative decisions or requests to hear full cases. The bill also mandates biennial reports to Congress on how well the Court follows these transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryThe Schedules That Work Act would require employers in retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, and warehouse sectors to provide workers with at least 14 days' advance notice of their schedules and pay predictability pay for last-minute changes. It gives employees the right to request schedule changes for reasons including health conditions, caregiving responsibilities, or enrollment in career training programs. Employers must engage in a good-faith process to address these requests unless they have a legitimate business reason to deny them. The bill aims to address widespread problems with unpredictable schedules that make it difficult for low-wage workers to manage family responsibilities, access healthcare, and secure stable housing and child care.

Maddy summaryThe ENFORCE Act strengthens federal laws against child exploitation by clarifying what constitutes producing child pornography and removing time limits for prosecuting certain crimes involving child sexual abuse material. It adds these offenses to sex offender registration requirements, prohibits reproducing abusive images during legal proceedings, and creates a presumption for detainment before trial for violations. The bill directly affects federal prosecutors, courts handling these cases, sex offenders subject to registration, and victims whose images are involved. Key changes include ensuring evidence remains under court control and allowing victims access to depictions in the same manner as victims of child pornography cases.

FDA Modernization Act 3.0 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to publish an interim final rule implementing a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 that authorized the use of certain alternatives to animal testing to support investigational use of a new drug.  The rule must replace references to animal tests, data, studies, models, and research with references to nonclinical tests, data, studies, models, and research throughout the FDA’s regulations governing investigational new drug applications, and may make other changes to the regulations as appropriate.  The rule must be published within one year of the bill’s enactment, and must take immediate effect as an interim final rule.

Essential Caregivers Act of 2025   This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods.   Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period. Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.

Maddy summaryThe ARMAS Act of 2025 transfers control of certain firearms export licensing from the Department of Commerce to the Department of State to better address illegal firearm trafficking. It designates Mexico, Central American nations, and Caribbean countries as "covered countries" subject to stricter export controls, requiring certification before exports and establishing reporting requirements to track and disrupt illegal firearms flows. The bill mandates an interagency strategy to address U.S. firearms contributing to violence in these regions and increases participation in the eTrace program for tracking firearms. It also modifies the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to better address firearms trafficking and human rights concerns.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 1983 of federal law to make federal law enforcement agencies financially liable when officers violate constitutional rights during searches, seizures, or arrests. It directly affects federal agencies (like the FBI or DHS) and citizens who experience such rights violations. Key provisions remove the requirement that a violation must stem from an agency's policy or custom, and waive the U.S. government's sovereign immunity - meaning agencies can be sued directly in court regardless of officer defenses or immunities. The law expands legal recourse for victims by enabling lawsuits against the agency itself, not just individual officers.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the implementation of the WISeR model under Medicare, specifically blocking the Secretary of Health and Human Services from adopting the "Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model" or any similar model. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries and providers by preventing a new payment and service delivery approach that would require prior authorization for certain services. The key provision is a direct ban on the WISeR model's rollout, as outlined in the July 1, 2025, federal notice. This change would maintain current Medicare approval processes for affected services without creating new requirements. The bill does not establish new benefits or alter existing Medicare coverage rules.