Sen. Thomas R. Carper

Maddy summarySRES 374 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating September 2023 as "National Student Parent Month." It recognizes approximately 4 million student parents enrolled in postsecondary education - over 70% women, including many single mothers and students of color - who face significant challenges like food/housing insecurity, balancing work and childcare, and lower degree completion rates. The resolution expresses the Senate’s support for their contributions but has no legal effect or new policy provisions. It highlights their unique circumstances without proposing concrete solutions. This is a commemorative gesture, not a legislative measure with binding requirements.

Maddy summaryThe Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2023 reauthorizes and improves federal funding for cleaning up contaminated properties ("brownfields"). It increases grant amounts from $500,000 to $1,000,000 per site and boosts annual funding for state programs from $50 million to $75 million over six years. The bill requires applicants to demonstrate community engagement plans involving local groups affected by projects and expands eligibility to include 501(c)(6) organizations. It also mandates an EPA report to streamline application processes for small and disadvantaged communities, and specifically includes Alaska Native tribes in funding eligibility. This directly affects local governments, environmental groups, and tribes seeking to remediate and revitalize contaminated land.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the Delaware River Basin Conservation program through 2030, extending its current deadline. It updates the basin's definition to include Maryland as a fifth participating state (previously a four-state basin) and adjusts cost-sharing rules to provide greater federal funding for projects serving small, rural, or disadvantaged communities - increasing the federal share to 90% (or up to 100% in cases of financial hardship). The changes directly affect the five basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and now Maryland) and communities qualifying under the new cost-sharing provisions. The bill makes no new program creation but extends existing conservation funding mechanisms with expanded eligibility for vulnerable areas.

Maddy summarySRES 369 is a Senate resolution designating September 2023 as "Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month" to promote public education about sickle cell disease (SCD) across the United States. It encourages communities to hold events during September focused on raising awareness about SCD, which affects approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. (with higher prevalence in Black and African American communities), and emphasizes the need for research, early detection, effective treatments, and preventative care. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic call to action for public health engagement.

Maddy summarySRES 353 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating the week of September 16-23, 2023, as "National Estuaries Week." It expresses the Senate’s support for raising public awareness about the ecological and economic importance of estuaries. The resolution highlights estuaries’ role in supporting jobs, economic output, and critical habitats, while acknowledging threats like pollution and habitat loss. This procedural resolution has no direct regulatory or funding impact - it serves solely as a formal acknowledgment of estuaries’ value.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution symbolically designates September 2023 as "National Voting Rights Month" to raise awareness about voting rights history and current challenges. It recommends Congress pass specific voting rights legislation (like the Freedom to Vote Act and Democracy Restoration Act) and encourages public education on voting accessibility, registration, and historical voter suppression. The resolution has no binding effect on policy or funding - it serves as a symbolic recognition and call to action for voting rights advocacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires states to allow eligible voters to register or update their registration at polling places on election day for federal elections, starting with the November 2024 general election. It mandates that polling places provide the necessary forms for registration or changes, directly affecting voters and state election systems. States already without voter registration requirements for federal elections are exempt. The law includes a phased implementation for states needing time, requiring at least one compliant location per 15,000 voters in each jurisdiction before November 2026.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment would give Congress and states the authority to regulate campaign contributions and spending, including setting limits and prohibiting corporations from spending money to influence elections. It explicitly protects freedom of the press by stating the amendment cannot be used to abridge it. If ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures, it would establish a new constitutional standard for campaign finance regulation.

This resolution authorizes the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to conduct a blood donation drive on September 28, 2023, in conjunction with the Blood Bank of Delmarva.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Supreme Court to establish a code of conduct for justices within 180 days of enactment, with public access to these rules on the Court's website. It sets minimum disclosure standards for gifts, income, and reimbursements received by justices and their law clerks, and strengthens recusal requirements when justices have financial ties to parties in cases. The bill creates procedures for filing complaints about justices' conduct and establishes a judicial investigation panel to review such complaints, while also requiring parties and amicus curiae to disclose gifts to justices and lobbying activities related to the nomination of justices. These provisions aim to increase transparency and accountability in Supreme Court operations.