Sen. Brian Schatz

Maddy summaryThis bill amends over 30 sections of the Internal Revenue Code to replace gendered language like "husband and wife" with gender-neutral terms such as "married couple" or "spouses." It directly affects all married taxpayers by ensuring the tax code refers to married couples in inclusive language, regardless of gender. The key mechanism is updating specific tax code provisions to use neutral terminology throughout, including changing "his spouse" to "the individual's spouse" in numerous sections. This is a technical correction to modernize the language of the tax code, not a change to tax rates, deductions, or policy. The bill does not alter tax obligations or benefits for married couples.

Maddy summarySRES 282 is a non-binding Senate resolution recognizing June 2023 as "LGBTQ Pride Month" to honor the contributions and resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals across the United States. It does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges historical challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, including discrimination, hate crimes (such as the Pulse and Club Q shootings), and barriers to equality in employment, healthcare, and housing. The resolution encourages all Americans to learn about the LGBTQ community's history of struggle and achievement during June 2023. Introduced by 44 bipartisan senators, it serves as a symbolic gesture of support without altering any legal rights or obligations.

Maddy summaryThe INSPIRES Act creates a federal grant program to fund the renovation and modernization of school facilities for STEM education. It specifically targets schools in rural areas, on tribal lands, or serving Native American students, requiring states to reserve at least 10% of funds for these schools. States would receive allotments based on eligible school counts and must provide 25% matching funds, while local agencies must provide 10% matching funds for subgrants. The grants support improvements like updated labs, technology infrastructure, and energy efficiency to create better learning environments for hands-on STEM education. This program aims to address the shortage of STEM workers by improving educational opportunities in underserved communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the provision and advertising of conversion therapy for compensation, targeting therapists, clinics, and anyone offering paid services claiming to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. It prohibits advertising that falsely claims such therapy is harmless, effective, or without risk, and makes it unlawful to profit from these practices. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general through civil actions. The law directly affects providers of paid conversion therapy while protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from potentially harmful and ineffective treatments.

Maddy summaryThe Red Hill Health Impact Act creates a voluntary registry for individuals affected by the 2021 Red Hill fuel contamination incident at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where petroleum leaked into the water supply. It mandates a 20-year health study to assess long-term impacts of the exposure, requiring a feasibility assessment within one year to plan data collection and recruitment strategies. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must submit annual reports to Congress on registry enrollment, referral processes, and health findings, with final results published publicly. Funding for the registry and study comes from the Department of Defense (starting with $4 million in 2024), covering costs through 2030.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Title X Clinic Fund to increase federal funding for family planning services. It appropriates $512 million annually (2024-2033) for clinic grants and $50 million for clinic infrastructure (construction/renovation) under the Department of Health and Human Services. The fund requires clinics receiving this money to provide nondirective pregnancy counseling, ensuring patients receive neutral information about all options - including prenatal care, adoption, and pregnancy termination - without bias. This directly affects Title X clinics serving low-income individuals seeking reproductive health services.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Office for Gender Equity within the Department of Education to support schools and colleges in fully implementing Title IX. It authorizes $160 million annually to fund grants for educational entities to develop programs addressing gender equity gaps in athletics, STEM fields, career education, and campus safety. The bill provides training and resources for Title IX coordinators and "Title IX allies" to address sex discrimination, with specific attention to students facing discrimination based on multiple characteristics like race and gender. It also requires the Department to research and share evidence-based best practices for reducing sex discrimination in education.

Maddy summaryThe Workforce DATA Act requires the Secretary of Labor to commission a study by the National Academies of Sciences to improve how we measure automation's impact on jobs, including job displacement, creation, and shifting skill demands. The study must review current data systems (like the Bureau of Labor Statistics), identify new data sources, and recommend better statistical methods for tracking these changes. Within two years, the National Academies must submit a public report to Congress, followed by a plan from the Secretary for the Bureau to implement the findings. Additionally, the Act establishes an advisory board with labor, industry, and academic representatives to provide annual updates on data needs and evaluate workforce strategies for supporting workers affected by automation.

Maddy summaryS 2144 would expand opportunities for small businesses by requiring the Small Business Administration (SBA) to adjust federal contracting rules. Specifically, it removes a restriction that previously limited certain contracts to only the Department of Defense, instead requiring eligibility across *all* federal agencies and departments. Within 180 days of enactment, the SBA Administrator must issue new regulations to implement this change, working with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to update the Federal Acquisition Regulation. This directly affects small businesses seeking to bid on federal contracts outside the Defense Department.

Refund Equality Act of  2023 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.