Maddy summaryThe Carbon Scoring Act of 2024 requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to develop new modeling capabilities to track greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors (power, transportation, industry, buildings) by specific deadlines, starting with power sector models by 2025. The CBO must publish annual reports on these models and an annual emissions baseline estimate starting in 2025, including projections for climate-related costs. For bills containing climate-related provisions (like emissions taxes or caps), the CBO must provide estimates of their emissions impact and climate cost savings or expenses, calculated using the "social cost" of greenhouse gases. This bill directly affects the CBO (which receives $20 million annually for this work) and lawmakers who will use these analyses when considering climate-focused legislation.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 5017, the Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security Act of 2024, makes several key changes to Social Security benefits and taxation. It increases the percentage used to calculate benefits for low earners from 90% to 95%, adds a 5% benefit increase for long-term beneficiaries (those age 82 or with 240 benefit months), and creates "deemed wages" for caregivers of dependent relatives to count caregiving hours as earnings. The bill also eliminates the 5-month waiting period for disability benefits, changes cost-of-living adjustments to use an index focused on elderly spending, and increases the tax on investment gains from 3.8% to 6.8%. These changes primarily affect current and future Social Security beneficiaries, caregivers, and individuals with investment income.
Maddy summaryS 4973, the "No Kings Act," removes presidential and vice presidential immunity from federal criminal prosecution, requiring such cases to be handled in federal district courts with appeals limited to the D.C. Circuit. The bill specifically bars the Supreme Court from reviewing cases involving claims of presidential immunity for official acts, including dismissals of indictments or overturning convictions. It directly affects current and former presidents and vice presidents by subjecting them to the same federal criminal accountability as all other citizens. Key provisions prevent courts from considering whether alleged crimes were part of official duties unless Congress specifies otherwise, and clarify that state criminal laws remain applicable.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to affirm that no person, including the President and other federal officials, is above the law. It would require all officials holding authority under the U.S. government to be subject to ordinary criminal prosecution for both official and unofficial actions. The amendment mandates that general laws apply to the President unless specified otherwise and grants Congress power to enforce this by, for example, extending the statute of limitations for prosecuting a sitting President during their term. If ratified by three-fourths of states, this change would become part of the Constitution, altering how federal law applies to high-level government officials.
Maddy summaryThe NO BAN Act (S 4961) expands federal anti-discrimination protections in immigration law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on national origin or religion for nonimmigrant visa holders, refugees, and other temporary travelers. It reforms Section 212(f) of immigration law by requiring the President to provide specific, credible evidence to Congress within 48 hours before restricting entry, mandating narrow tailoring of such restrictions, and requiring waivers for family/humanitarian cases. The bill also creates detailed reporting requirements for all entry restrictions, including quarterly updates to Congress and public reports on visa denials, waivers, and refugee admissions. This directly affects travelers, visa applicants, and refugees impacted by presidential entry bans or restrictions, while adding new procedural checks on executive authority.
Maddy summaryThe Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2024 establishes a National Commission within the Department of Health and Human Services to study child marriage in the United States and develop recommendations for eliminating it. The bill creates mechanisms for federal and state action, including requiring the Government Accountability Office to report on child marriage statistics and impacts, providing grants to states to establish task forces examining child marriage, and offering funding incentives for states that prohibit marriage for individuals under 18. The legislation also modifies immigration laws to prevent child marriage through visa processes, requiring that noncitizens seeking marriage-based visas be at least 18 years old (with limited exceptions for compelling humanitarian reasons). This bill directly affects states, federal agencies, and individuals involved in marriage and immigration processes, particularly minors and those working with child marriage survivors, by creating a comprehensive framework for addressing the harms of child marriage through data collection, policy recommendations, and immigration reforms.
Maddy summaryS 4886, the Native Arts and Culture Promotion Act, amends the American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Culture and Art Development Act to change governance requirements for Native Hawaiian art grants. It removes the word "private" from existing provisions and modifies Section 1521(c) to require governing boards for Native Hawaiian grants to include Native Hawaiians and recognized cultural experts, with members serving fixed terms. This change directly affects the administration of current federal grants supporting Native Hawaiian art and culture programs. The bill makes no new funding provisions but adjusts how grant oversight boards are structured. It is a procedural amendment to an existing law, not a new policy initiative.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the National Mesonet Program under the Commerce Department to improve flood and agricultural forecasts by expanding environmental data collection. It requires integrating commercial, academic, and local sensor networks (like soil moisture and stream gages) into a coordinated system, prioritizing underrepresented areas. The program allocates $50-70 million annually (2025-2029) to fund state, tribal, and private entities building weather-monitoring infrastructure, with 15% of funds dedicated to such partnerships. Recipients must share data through formal agreements to support weather predictions, emergency response, and agricultural planning for farmers, emergency managers, and transportation sectors.
Maddy summaryS 4832, "Lulu’s Law," requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to amend regulations within 60 days of enactment to allow wireless emergency alerts about shark attacks. This change would directly affect residents and visitors in coastal areas where shark attacks are possible, enabling emergency alerts to be sent via phone. The bill’s key mechanism is updating FCC rules to explicitly include shark attacks as a category for emergency alerts under existing wireless notification systems.
Maddy summaryThe ASSET Act removes asset limits from key federal assistance programs, allowing low-income families to save money without losing eligibility. It eliminates restrictions on savings for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits. The bill also updates Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limits to $20,000 for individuals and $10,000 for couples in 2024, with annual inflation adjustments. These changes directly affect millions of households who previously faced barriers to building financial security while receiving public assistance.