Sen. Tammy Duckworth

Maddy summaryThe Billionaires Income Tax Act requires individuals with annual income over $100 million or assets over $1 billion to pay taxes annually on their wealth gains, rather than deferring taxes through strategies like "buy, borrow, die." It eliminates tax deferral by implementing mark-to-market taxation, requiring billionaires to pay tax on asset appreciation each year as if they had sold the assets. The bill closes loopholes that allow the ultra-wealthy to transfer assets tax-free to heirs, requiring heirs to pay tax on gains when they sell assets. This means billionaires would pay taxes on their income as it's earned, just like working people pay taxes on wages.

Maddy summaryThe PREP Act creates a dedicated Office of Prison Education within the Bureau of Prisons to improve educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals in Federal correctional facilities. The office will coordinate quality programs including adult literacy, high school equivalency, postsecondary education, and workforce development, while collecting data on outcomes like recidivism and employment. The bill authorizes $170 million annually (2024-2030) for these programs and establishes a repository of research and best practices for State and local correctional systems. This legislation directly affects Federal prison inmates by expanding educational opportunities designed to improve post-release outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Maddy summaryThe Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2023 authorizes $500 million to $1 billion annually to expand community schools that provide comprehensive student and family support. The bill targets schools with at least 40% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch or schools identified for improvement, requiring them to establish leadership teams with parent, educator, and community representation. It mandates schools receiving funds to provide integrated student supports (including health services), expanded learning opportunities, family engagement activities, and collaborative leadership structures that address academic, social, and emotional needs. The legislation requires schools to track progress on student outcomes including academic achievement, mental health, school climate, and family engagement, with a focus on reducing achievement gaps for historically marginalized students.

Maddy summaryS 3356, the Postal Police Reform Act of 2023, clarifies the duties of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) police officers. It specifies that these officers protect mail, USPS-owned or controlled property, people on that property, and USPS employees on duty anywhere in the U.S. The bill revises existing law to explicitly state that officers may act beyond USPS property when necessary to fulfill these protective duties. It also corrects a minor typo in the legal reference. This bill directly affects USPS police officers by defining their scope of responsibility more precisely.

Maddy summarySRES 476 is a symbolic Senate resolution supporting the establishment of a National Move Over Law Day. It does not create new laws but urges national, state, and regional organizations to raise public awareness about existing state move-over laws, which require drivers to change lanes or slow down near roadside emergency responders. The resolution highlights that 50 traffic responders were killed in 2022 due to collisions while managing incidents, and cites the need for greater public education on these laws to improve safety. It specifically references the Federal Highway Administration’s Crash Responder Safety Week as part of ongoing efforts to reduce roadside collisions.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 471) expresses formal support for National Adoption Day (observed November 18, 2023) and National Adoption Month (November 2023). It promotes awareness about children in foster care awaiting adoption, celebrates adoption success stories, and encourages U.S. citizens to support efforts securing permanent, safe homes for all children. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic gesture to highlight adoption needs. It specifically references foster care statistics (e.g., 114,000 children awaiting adoption) to underscore its purpose.

Maddy summaryThe PROKID Act establishes an independent Office of the Ombudsperson within the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor and advocate for immigrant children in government custody. The Ombudsperson will conduct regular facility visits (at least monthly for influx/unlicensed facilities), investigate complaints of abuse or mistreatment, and review data on children's custody conditions. The bill requires the Office of Refugee Resettlement to collect and publicly share detailed data about immigrant children in custody, including length of stay, facility conditions, and demographic information. It also mandates a coordination agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure unobstructed access for oversight activities and compliance with standards like the Flores settlement agreement.

Maddy summaryThe Women's Business Centers Improvement Act of 2023 amends the Small Business Act to strengthen support for women-owned small businesses through an enhanced Women's Business Center Program. The bill authorizes the Small Business Administration to provide grants to eligible entities (including nonprofits, educational institutions, and economic development organizations) to operate centers that offer counseling and training on business management, financial operations, marketing, and access to capital specifically for women entrepreneurs. The program requires matching funds (1:2 in the first two years, then 1:1), establishes accreditation standards, and mandates annual reporting on program effectiveness, with $31.5 million authorized annually for fiscal years 2024-2027. These centers must prioritize serving women who are both socially and economically disadvantaged, aiming to help them start, maintain, or grow their businesses.

Maddy summaryThe Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023 (S 38) establishes the "Boots to Business Program" to provide entrepreneurship training to military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents. It directly affects eligible individuals, including active-duty personnel, those in Transition Assistance Programs, veterans with honorable discharges, and their families. The program offers online self-study courses, in-person classes, and business planning tools to help participants start small businesses, with materials integrated into existing Department of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs resources. Administered through the Small Business Administration until 2028, it requires annual reports tracking participation, completion rates, and outcomes like business startups.

Maddy summaryThe Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act would strengthen firearm restrictions for individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders. It expands the definition of "intimate partner" to include dating partners and others protected under state domestic violence laws, ensuring more abusers would be barred from possessing firearms. The bill requires courts to automatically issue firearm surrender orders when issuing domestic violence protection orders, requiring abusers to surrender all firearms within 24 hours. It also creates a federal grant program to help states implement these measures, including safe storage of surrendered firearms and procedures for returning them when no longer prohibited.