Sen. Edward J. Markey

Maddy summaryThe WIPPES Act (S 1350) requires manufacturers and retailers to label specific types of premoistened wipes with a standardized "Do Not Flush" notice and symbol. It directly affects producers of baby wipes, cleaning wipes (including bathroom and hard surface cleaners), and personal care wipes (like makeup remover or feminine hygiene wipes) that could be flushed. The law mandates clear, visible labeling on packaging according to strict placement rules (e.g., on cylindrical packaging, flexible film, or rigid containers) to ensure consumers see the warning each time a wipe is dispensed. The goal is to prevent sewer blockages and environmental harm caused by flushing these wipes, which often do not break down safely.

Maddy summaryThe Election Worker Protection Act of 2023 provides federal grants to states for recruiting and training election workers (including poll workers and election volunteers) with specific requirements for cultural competence and diversity in recruitment efforts. It also funds physical security services and social media threat monitoring for election workers to protect them from threats. The bill establishes new criminal penalties for intimidating, threatening, or harassing election workers while they perform their duties, and creates a grant program to help protect election workers' personally identifiable information from public disclosure. These provisions apply to workers involved in federal elections and require states to submit reports on how the funds are used.

Maddy summaryS 1317 establishes a National Center on Antiracism and Health within the CDC to address structural racism as a public health crisis. The Center will research how racism impacts health outcomes for communities of color, collect disaggregated data (by race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, etc.), develop antiracist interventions, and train public health professionals. It also creates a CDC program to study police violence as a public health issue, requiring research on law enforcement's health impacts and data collection on police brutality. The bill directly affects communities experiencing health disparities due to racism and requires federal agencies to integrate antiracist approaches into public health work.

Maddy summaryThe Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023 would require standardized front-of-package nutrition labels showing calories, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat to help consumers quickly understand a product's nutritional value. It would mandate specific disclosures for whole grain content, fruit, vegetable, and yogurt content, and require labeling of artificial colors, flavors, and noncaloric sweeteners. The bill revises requirements for terms like "natural" and "healthy" to better reflect actual product content and mandates clearer formatting for ingredient lists to improve readability. These changes would apply to most packaged foods sold in the U.S., with implementation beginning three years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies (Attorney General, Homeland Security, and Treasury) to create a strategy within 120 days to prevent trafficking of machinegun conversion devices - parts that can convert standard firearms into machineguns. The strategy must cover detecting and intercepting these devices at borders, coordinating with state/local law enforcement, tracing devices used in crimes, and addressing domestic production (including 3D printing). Agencies must report the strategy to Congress within 120 days and provide biennial updates. Additionally, the annual firearms trafficking report must include data on crimes involving these devices and whether they originated domestically or abroad.

Maddy summaryThis bill would designate approximately 1.3 million acres of public land across Utah's Colorado Plateau and Great Basin regions as wilderness areas, protecting them from development and extractive industries. It specifically creates 77 wilderness areas across eight designated regions including the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Moab-La Sal Canyons, Henry Mountains, and San Rafael Swell areas. The bill maintains existing recreational uses like hiking, camping, and fishing while allowing continued livestock grazing under certain conditions and protecting water rights and Tribal cultural resources. It withdraws the designated lands from mining, mineral leasing, and other forms of development under federal law. The Bureau of Land Management would manage these areas according to wilderness preservation standards under the Wilderness Act.

Maddy summarySRES 173 is a non-binding Senate resolution recognizing the Federal Government's duty to develop a Green New Deal framework. It calls for a 10-year national mobilization to achieve climate and social goals, including 100% clean energy by 2030, job creation in clean industries, and infrastructure upgrades to address climate impacts. The resolution emphasizes protecting frontline and vulnerable communities - such as communities of color, low-income workers, and indigenous peoples - by requiring inclusive planning and ensuring no adverse effects from climate policies. While not a law, it sets policy direction for future legislation to achieve climate targets, economic equity, and environmental justice for all Americans.

Maddy summaryThe Freedom to Move Act (S 1282) provides $5 billion annually from 2024-2028 to fund fare-free public transportation programs for states, cities, counties, and transit agencies. It directly affects communities with limited transit access, particularly low-income areas and communities of color, by requiring grantees to redesign bus networks to prioritize reliable service, safety improvements, and equity. Key provisions include grants covering lost fare revenue, mandatory community input during planning, and requirements to address transit gaps for groups like foster care youth and people with disabilities. Grantees must also eliminate criminal penalties for fare evasion and report on demographic outcomes to ensure equitable service expansion.

Presidential Audit and Tax Transparency Act This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to conduct an examination to determine the correctness of a Presidential income tax return as rapidly as practicable after it is filed. The IRS must disclose and make publicly available (on the internet) an initial report, periodic reports, and a final report on the examination of such tax returns. The final report must include the date on which the IRS examination of the return was completed, a list of audit materials, and a description of each proposed adjustment to a return and any controversy relating to its examination. This disclosure of tax return information is an exception to the general rule of confidentiality of taxpayer returns. The bill defines Presidential income tax return as any relevant income tax return of (1) a president while the president is in office, (2) the spouse of a president, (3) a corporation or partnership controlled by a president or a president's spouse, and (4) the estate of a president or a president's spouse. The bill imposes additional disclosure requirements by presidents and presidential candidates under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Maddy summaryThe SMART Prices Act changes how Medicare negotiates drug prices. It repeals a rule blocking Medicare from negotiating with drugmakers and accelerates the process, requiring negotiations for 40 drugs starting in 2027 (up from 10 annually). It shortens the time drugs must be single-source to qualify for negotiation (from 7 to 3 years) and adjusts price negotiation formulas, setting new caps like 76% of the drug's average price for some medications. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries (by lowering their out-of-pocket costs) and pharmaceutical companies (by requiring price negotiations for more drugs faster).