Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Maddy summaryThe New England Coastal Protection Act prohibits the federal government from issuing new leases for oil and gas exploration, development, or production in the Outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. This bill directly affects energy companies seeking offshore drilling permits and the federal government, which would no longer be allowed to grant such leases. The key mechanism amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to add a specific prohibition banning all new oil and gas leasing in the designated coastal states. The bill would prevent future oil and gas development in these waters but does not impact existing leases or operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1481) repeals a specific provision (Section 13532 of Public Law 115-97) related to advance refunding bonds. It restores the previous rules allowing state and local governments to issue these bonds for infrastructure projects, as if the 2017 amendment had never been enacted. The change directly affects state and local governments seeking to refinance existing debt using advance refunding bonds. The bill takes effect upon enactment and does not create new funding or alter infrastructure project eligibility.

Maddy summaryThe COAST Anti-Drilling Act of 2025 prohibits new oil and gas leasing in four specific coastal planning areas of the outer Continental Shelf: the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. It amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the Secretary not to issue any leases or authorizations for exploration or production in these areas. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies seeking to develop resources in these coastal regions by blocking new federal leasing activities. This policy change prevents future drilling permits in these designated zones, as defined in the 2023 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing program.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to close a loophole that previously allowed foreign agents working for sovereign wealth funds to avoid disclosure requirements. It explicitly states that exemptions for commercial activities don't apply to agents promoting foreign government interests, including those working with sovereign wealth funds. The bill authorizes the Attorney General to issue civil investigative demands to enforce FARA compliance, with detailed procedures for document production, written interrogatories, and oral testimony. It also requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports to Congress about how these enforcement tools are being used, and includes civil penalties up to $200,000 for knowing violations of FARA.

Maddy summaryThe GHOST Act of 2025 establishes a Russia Sanctions Enforcement Fund to cover costs related to seizing and forfeiting property from violations of U.S. sanctions against Russia and covered merchant ships. The Fund will pay for investigative expenses, property maintenance, payments to informants, equipment purchases, and joint operations with state and local law enforcement. It authorizes $150 million in initial funding for fiscal year 2026, with repayment required by 2036, and mandates annual reports on Fund activities and seizures. The bill also creates an Export Enforcement Coordination Center to coordinate federal agencies' efforts on export control enforcement across multiple departments.

Maddy summaryThe SEER Act 2025 targets conflicts of interest among special government employees (SGEs) - temporary or part-time workers who may have outside business interests while serving in government roles. The bill requires SGEs not serving on advisory committees to publicly disclose financial conflicts, restricts their communications with agencies regarding companies they own or lead, and creates a searchable public database tracking SGE service duration and roles. It modifies financial disclosure requirements so that most SGEs must now file public reports, unlike current practice where many were exempt. The legislation affects all SGEs who aren't on advisory committees, particularly those in roles with significant decision-making authority. The bill aims to increase transparency and reduce conflicts for temporary government workers with substantial outside business interests.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits "reverse payment" agreements where brand-name drug companies pay generic or biosimilar manufacturers to delay entering the market, which harms competition. It creates a presumption that such agreements are anticompetitive if a generic or biosimilar company receives value in exchange for delaying market entry, with exceptions for standard settlements involving early market entry rights or reasonable litigation expenses. The bill amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to enforce this new prohibition and requires certification of such agreements, aiming to enhance competition and lower drug costs for consumers. This would directly affect brand-name drug companies, generic manufacturers, and biosimilar biological product manufacturers.

Maddy summaryThe Stop STALLING Act empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against pharmaceutical companies that submit "sham" petitions under drug approval processes. Specifically, it targets petitions that are objectively baseless and used to delay generic drug approvals, directly affecting drug manufacturers filing such petitions. The bill establishes civil penalties of up to $50,000 per day or the revenue earned from the delayed drug during the petition's review period. It creates a presumption of "sham" status if the Health Secretary determines a petition was filed primarily to delay approval, with companies able to rebut this presumption. The law does not alter FDA drug approval rules but adds FTC enforcement for unfair competition tactics.

Maddy summaryThe Drug Competition Enhancement Act (S.1040) prohibits drug manufacturers from engaging in "product hopping" - a practice where companies withdraw or disadvantage their original drug to push a newer "follow-on" version when generic or biosimilar competitors are about to enter the market. Specifically, it bans "hard switches" (officially withdrawing the original drug or destroying inventory to block generics) and "soft switches" (unfairly disadvantaging the original drug to favor the follow-on product) during a 3-year window before generic competition begins. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can enforce this by taking legal action against violators, seeking injunctions, or requiring disgorgement of profits gained from anti-competitive conduct. This law directly affects drug manufacturers holding approved "reference products" when generic or biosimilar applications are pending, aiming to prevent artificial barriers to lower-cost alternatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and other intermediaries affect prescription drug prices and competition. Specifically, the FTC must report within one year on whether PBMs charge different prices to pharmacies, steer patients toward pharmacies they own, use pharmacy data for profit, or design formularies to favor expensive drugs. The bill also mandates an interim report within six months and a separate study on sole-source drug manufacturers and enforcement challenges. It does not directly change drug prices or create new regulations, but instead seeks to gather data to inform potential future policy actions. The study focuses on transparency and competition in the pharmaceutical supply chain, with no immediate price-reducing mechanisms.