Sen. Richard J. Durbin

Maddy summaryS 325, the Supreme Court Ethics Act, establishes new ethics rules for Supreme Court justices and creates an enforcement mechanism. It requires the Judicial Conference to issue a binding code of conduct for justices within one year, followed by the appointment of an Ethics Investigations Counsel to handle public complaints about potential violations and conduct harming the Court's administration. The Counsel must investigate allegations, report annually on complaints, and disclose reasons for recusal or denial of recusal motions in public court records. This directly affects Supreme Court justices and the public's ability to monitor judicial conduct.

Maddy summaryThe Dream Act of 2023 would create a pathway to permanent resident status for certain individuals who entered the United States as children. To qualify, applicants must have entered the U.S. before age 18, maintained continuous physical presence in the country for at least 4 years before the bill's enactment, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. The bill provides for "permanent resident status on a conditional basis" for 8 years, with requirements to remove the conditional status including completing higher education, serving in the military for 2 years, or working for 3 years. It also includes provisions to protect applicants' information from immigration enforcement and specifically allows DACA recipients to apply for this status.

Maddy summaryThe No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act modifies corporate tax rules to prevent companies from avoiding U.S. taxes on income generated through foreign operations. It requires country-by-country reporting of income for multinational corporations, closes loopholes related to "inverted corporations" (foreign companies acquiring U.S. firms to benefit from lower tax rates), and limits interest deductions for certain multinational financial reporting groups. The bill also treats foreign corporations managed and controlled in the U.S. as domestic for tax purposes. These changes primarily affect large multinational corporations with significant foreign operations, with provisions applying to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure certain immigrants a meaningful opportunity to consult with legal counsel during immigration inspections at ports of entry or during deferred inspections. It directly affects individuals like lawful permanent residents returning from travel, refugees, asylees, and others with valid visas or parole documents. Key provisions mandate that CBP provide this consultation within one hour of starting secondary inspection, allow counsel to present evidence, and accommodate in-person meetings when possible. A special rule prevents lawful permanent residents from abandoning their status without first receiving legal advice, unless they provide a written waiver.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows veterans with combat-related disabilities and less than 20 years of service to receive both military retired pay and VA disability compensation simultaneously. Previously, such veterans had their retired pay reduced to avoid "concurrent receipt" of both benefits. The bill removes the 20-year service requirement for this group, applying specifically to those retired under Chapter 61 of Title 10 with a combat-related disability as defined in existing law. It does not change eligibility for veterans with non-combat disabilities or those with 20+ years of service.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands legal protections for domestic violence and stalking survivors by broadening the definition of "intimate partner" to include current and former dating partners, ensuring more survivors qualify for federal protections. It creates a new federal definition for "misdemeanor crime of stalking," requiring that the offense involves repeated harassment causing reasonable fear for the victim or specific people they care about (like family, cohabiting partners, or pets). The law also adds a new firearm restriction: people convicted of such stalking offenses cannot possess firearms, with limited exceptions for expunged convictions. These changes directly affect survivors seeking legal protection and individuals convicted of stalking under federal or state law.

Maddy summaryThe Keep Americans Safe Act bans the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines (defined as holding more than 10 rounds) for most civilians, while exempting law enforcement officers, retired officers, and certain security personnel. It requires new magazines to have serial numbers and manufacturing dates, and allows federal funding for buy-back programs to remove these magazines from circulation. The law grandfathered existing magazines owned before enactment and excludes specific uses like campus law enforcement or nuclear facility security. This directly affects civilians owning high-capacity magazines but not police, military, or authorized security personnel.

Maddy summaryS 282, the Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2023, designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as wilderness under federal law. This provision directly affects the Coastal Plain area of the refuge by restricting activities like oil drilling, mining, and development, as wilderness designation prohibits such uses. The bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act to formally add this specific area to the National Wilderness Preservation System, using a map dated October 20, 2015, for precise boundaries. The change would protect the land from most human alteration while maintaining its ecological integrity.

Maddy summaryThe Countering Economic Coercion Act of 2023 establishes a framework for the U.S. to respond when foreign adversaries use economic coercion against U.S. trading partners. It authorizes the President to provide economic support to affected trading partners, such as reducing import duties or expediting export licenses, while also enabling measures against the foreign adversary like increasing duties on their goods. The bill requires the President to consult with Congress before implementing any support measures and to publish details of the economic coercion in the Federal Register. It emphasizes coordination with allies to address economic coercion as a shared challenge to the international trade system, with specific limitations on tariff changes to prevent indirect benefits to the foreign adversary.

Maddy summaryS. RES. 32 is a non-binding Senate resolution condemning the January 8, 2023, violent insurrection in Brazil, where supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings including the presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court. It expresses U.S. solidarity with Brazil's people and support for safeguarding Brazil's democratic institutions following the attack. The resolution urges social media companies to address disinformation that fueled the violence and encourages U.S. officials to assist Brazilian authorities in their investigations. As a diplomatic statement - not a law - it does not impose legal requirements but formally aligns U.S. policy with Brazil's democratic defense.