Sen. Rick Scott

Maddy summaryThe BOWSER Act (S 440) would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, ending the District's locally elected government. If enacted, it would eliminate the authority of the District's mayor, city council, and local laws, transferring control of D.C. governance entirely to Congress. The repeal would take effect one year after the bill is signed into law. This change would directly affect all residents of Washington, D.C., who would lose their locally elected representatives and decision-making power over local affairs.

Maddy summaryS 450 prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using federal funds to procure batteries produced by specific Chinese companies starting October 1, 2027. It directly affects DHS procurement for agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Transportation Security Administration. The bill bans batteries from entities including CATL, BYD, and others listed under forced labor or military ownership rules, with limited waivers allowed for national security assessments or research. DHS must report on cost and mission impacts within 180 days of enactment.

Maddy summaryS 464, the "No CBDC Act," prohibits the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and other federal agencies from creating, issuing, or offering central bank digital currency (CBDC) directly to individuals or through intermediaries like banks. It bans these entities from maintaining individual accounts for digital currency, holding government-issued digital money on their balance sheets, or offering related financial services. The bill directly affects federal financial institutions by blocking all federal involvement in developing a government-run digital currency system. It focuses on preventing the U.S. government from entering the digital currency market, rather than regulating private digital assets.

Maddy summaryS 473, the SENIOR Act, requires the federal government to assess loneliness among older adults as part of existing aging programs. It amends the Older Americans Act to explicitly include "loneliness" alongside "social isolation" in program definitions and mandates a report on how current programs address loneliness's health impacts. The report must analyze loneliness prevalence, health effects, program effectiveness, and the role of family connections across generations, with an interim report due in 2 years and a final report in 5 years. This bill directly affects older individuals identified as having "greatest social need" through programs funded by the Administration on Aging. The legislation focuses on data collection and evaluation, not new funding or immediate policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 484) amends the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to allow gun manufacturers, sellers, and trade associations to move certain lawsuits filed against them from state courts to federal courts. Specifically, it permits these defendants to request removal to federal court if they claim a case is covered by PLCAA, which shields gun companies from liability for gun-related harms. The federal court would then decide if the case qualifies under PLCAA and dismiss it if it does. This change directly affects gun companies defending lawsuits and plaintiffs seeking redress in state courts, shifting jurisdiction to federal courts for these specific cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require federal agencies to submit detailed reports about new regulations to Congress before they take effect. Major rules (defined as those with an annual economic effect of $100 million or more, or significant effects on competition, employment, or public safety) would need congressional approval via a joint resolution before taking effect, with Congress having 70 days to act. Nonmajor rules would have a different, shorter review process. The bill would also require agencies to publish cost-benefit analyses and other supporting documentation, and would mandate that rules be reviewed and potentially reapproved after 10 years.

Maddy summaryThis bill would impose sanctions on foreign entities and individuals that provide financial, material, or technological support to Cuba's defense, security, or intelligence sectors. It also targets individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses in Cuba, including members of the Communist Party, government officials, and security forces. The bill requires the President to provide unrestricted internet service to Cubans that isn't censored by the Cuban government. Sanctions would terminate only if Cuba implements specific democratic reforms, including legalizing political activity, releasing political prisoners, and holding free elections with international oversight.

Maddy summaryS 405, the "Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act," establishes new definitions for biological sex and prohibits males from participating in female-designated amateur sports competitions. The bill defines "female" as someone with a reproductive system producing eggs and "male" as someone with a system producing sperm, explicitly stating "sex" means biological sex. It amends federal law to add a requirement that prohibits individuals designated male at birth from competing in events "designated for females, women, or girls." This policy directly affects amateur sports organizations and competitions with gender-specific categories under federal oversight.

Defending Defense Research from Chinese Communist Party Espionage Act of 2025 This bill generally prohibits contracts between certain foreign entities and institutions of higher education that are conducting research funded by the Department of Defense (DOD), and it imposes a post-employment restriction on principal investigators of certain DOD-funded research projects. Beginning on January 1, 2027, the bill generally prohibits institutions of higher education that conduct DOD-funded research from entering into contracts with North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran or a foreign entity of concern (e.g., an academic institution of China that meets certain criteria). DOD is prohibited from providing funds to such institutions unless the institution receives a waiver. Institutions seeking to contract with the listed countries or entities, and those with existing contracts, must submit waiver requests to DOD. Waivers are valid for one year. Institutions with contracts that are longer than one year may apply to renew the waiver for an additional one-year period. The bill also generally imposes a post-employment restriction on individuals who serve as principal investigators of certain defense research projects, unless DOD waives the restriction. Specifically, for the 10 years following their employment as a principal investigator, an individual may not seek or accept employment or conduct any activity for which a foreign entity of concern provides compensation. This applies to principal investigators of projects that are (1) operated by an institution of higher education; (2) funded by DOD; and (3) involve a critical or emerging technology, as determined by DOD.

Maddy summarySRES 54 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing the importance of the Panama Canal to U.S. security and economic interests. It cites historical U.S. construction of the canal and concerns about Chinese investments in Panama Canal infrastructure (including port agreements and bridge projects) as potential violations of the 1977 Neutrality Treaty. The resolution urges the administration to ensure the canal remains neutral under the treaty but does not create new legal obligations or policy changes. It serves as a symbolic statement of congressional concern, not a legislative action with enforceable provisions.