Sen. Joni Ernst

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to allow schools to use existing federal funds for student sports clubs, teams, training, and related outdoor wellness activities. It directly affects K-12 schools by removing a previous restriction that barred such uses of ESEA funds. The key mechanism is an exception added to Section 8526(7), explicitly permitting these activities before the period ending that section. The change applies to funds already allocated under the ESEA, not creating new spending.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits U.S. federal funding for research involving animal testing conducted in specific foreign countries. It directly affects Health and Human Services (HHS) funding decisions and researchers or institutions receiving HHS grants who conduct such research in China (including Hong Kong), Iran, North Korea, or Russia. The bill requires HHS to stop all direct or indirect funding for animal research in facilities owned by these countries or entities based there, and mandates a 60-day report to Congress explaining any future additions to the restricted list. The policy change is a concrete funding restriction, not a procedural measure.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to make contract opportunities clearer for small businesses by mandating plain language and key search terms in public notices on SAM.gov. It directly affects small businesses (especially those owned by women, veterans, service-disabled veterans, socially/economically disadvantaged individuals, or HUBZone businesses) and federal agencies issuing contracts. Key provisions include new reporting requirements showing small business participation by industry, category, and contract value, plus limits on how agencies count contracts toward diversity goals (max 2 credits per contract). Agencies failing to meet performance standards must testify before Congress about their remediation plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases tax-exempt bond limits for agricultural and manufacturing projects. It raises the $10 million cap for manufacturing facility bonds to $30 million (adjusted annually for inflation) and expands eligible facilities to include those producing intangible goods like software. For first-time farmers, it doubles the bond limit from $450,000 to $1 million and changes farm size calculations from median to average. These changes apply to bonds issued after the bill's effective date, directly affecting manufacturers and new farmers seeking tax-advantaged financing.

Maddy summaryThis bill reallocates unused J-1 visa waivers to address physician shortages. State agencies managing these waivers must report unused waivers by September 30 each year, and the Secretary of State will redistribute one-third of the total unused waivers as "supplemental waivers" for the next fiscal year. Ten percent of these supplemental waivers must be reserved for medical facilities serving patients in medically underserved communities. The policy directly affects state agencies that used at least 30 J-1 visa waivers in the prior fiscal year.

Maddy summarySRES 324 designates August 6-12, 2023, as "National Farmers Market Week" to honor farmers markets across the U.S. This symbolic resolution recognizes their economic impact (e.g., $1.7 billion in farmer income in 2020), role in connecting urban and rural communities, and contribution to sustainable farming and food access. It does not create new laws, funding, or direct benefits - it solely serves as a formal acknowledgment by the Senate. The resolution was introduced by Senators Padilla and Ernst and adopted without opposition.

Maddy summaryThe SWAMP Act of 2023 requires most federal executive agencies to relocate their headquarters out of the Washington metropolitan area (encompassing Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland and Virginia), with an exception allowing agencies already located there to remain but prohibiting new construction, lease renewals, or new leases for their current sites. The law mandates a competitive bidding process within one year, enabling states and local governments to propose relocation sites, with selections based on economic impact, relevant expertise, and national security considerations. It explicitly excludes certain agencies - including the Department of Defense, intelligence agencies (like the CIA and NSA), the Department of Energy, and the State Department - from the relocation requirement. The bill uses existing federal funds for implementation and does not authorize new appropriations.

Maddy summaryThe SCRUB Act of 2023 establishes a Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission to identify federal regulations that impose unnecessary costs on the economy, with a goal of reducing regulatory costs by 15% while maintaining effectiveness. The Commission will review regulations using specific criteria including cost-benefit analysis, outdated provisions, regulatory duplication, and disproportionate burdens on small businesses. Federal agencies would be required to repeal identified regulations within 60 days after Congress approves the Commission's recommendations, and new regulations would need to offset their costs by repealing existing ones. The Commission would issue annual reports to Congress detailing its findings and recommendations for regulatory repeal. This bill aims to streamline federal regulation by systematically identifying and removing burdensome rules that no longer serve their intended purpose.

Maddy summaryS 2664, the Strengthening Taxpayer Recoveries Act, extends oversight of pandemic relief funds by renewing the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery's mandate until 2030 (from 2025) and requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to coordinate with this office. It establishes a 10-year window for prosecuting fraud related to specific relief programs, including Paycheck Protection Program loans, economic injury disaster loans, restaurant grants, and venue operator grants. The bill mandates monthly briefings to Congress on recovery efforts, annual reports on recovered funds by program type, and real-time public reporting of recovered amounts through the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. These provisions directly affect businesses that received pandemic relief funds and aim to improve transparency and recovery of misused taxpayer dollars.

Maddy summaryThis bill streamlines how conservation practice standards are updated under USDA conservation programs. It requires the Secretary to review and revise standards at least once every five years (instead of annually), rather than annually, and mandates public input for each standard under review. Key mechanisms include creating a public online process for submitting new conservation practices, requiring USDA to publish comments and decisions, and prioritizing updates for underused standards and those reducing synthetic chemical use. The bill directly affects farmers and landowners participating in USDA conservation programs, as well as state technical committees and USDA in developing and implementing these standards.