Sen. Chris Van Hollen

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $16 billion in federal funding over five years (2024-2028) to stabilize the child care sector. It directly affects child care providers by offering grants to offset operating costs, support higher wages for early childhood educators without increasing fees for families, and expand access to high-quality care. Key provisions include funding for providers in underserved areas (like rural communities, infant/toddler care, and inclusive services for children with disabilities) and a requirement that 99% of funds go directly to providers. The funds are administered through the existing framework of the American Rescue Plan Act's child care program.

Maddy summarySRES 337 designates the week beginning September 10, 2023, as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week" to honor workers who provide essential in-home and community-based support to people with disabilities. The resolution recognizes these professionals - including personal assistants and in-home support workers - who help individuals live independently, avoid institutional care, and access community activities, while also urging the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect specific data about this workforce.

Maddy summaryThe Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act requires employers to provide detailed paystubs showing wage calculations, timely final payments within 14 days of termination, and strengthens workers' ability to recover stolen wages. It increases civil penalties for wage theft violations from $10,000 to $22,030 per employee affected for initial violations, and extends the statute of limitations for wage theft claims from 2-3 years to 4-5 years. The bill creates a $50 million grant program to fund community partnerships that prevent wage theft and assist workers in recovering unpaid wages. These provisions target widespread wage theft that disproportionately affects low-wage workers, women, immigrants, and racial and ethnic minorities.

Maddy summaryS 638, the Disclosure of Tax Havens and Offshoring Act, requires large multinational corporations (with annual revenue above a set threshold) to disclose financial data broken down by country or tax jurisdiction. Covered companies must report aggregated revenue, profit, taxes paid, employees, and assets for each tax jurisdiction where they operate, including subsidiaries without a tax residence. The reports, to be submitted in machine-readable format and made publicly available online, must align with U.S. or international standards. This applies to U.S. public companies that are part of multinational enterprise groups meeting the revenue threshold. The bill does not change tax laws but mandates transparency about corporate financial activity across jurisdictions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires National Park Service units to eliminate the sale of disposable plastic water bottles and other single-use plastics (like food containers and bags) within 180 days of enactment, after regional directors assess factors like waste reduction, costs, visitor safety, and concessioner impacts. It mandates visitor education about water refill stations, consistent implementation across parks, and biennial evaluations tracking visitor satisfaction, waste collection rates, and safety outcomes. The policy directly affects park operations, concessionaires (park vendors), and visitors who rely on park-provided water products.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the tax deduction available to eligible educators for out-of-pocket classroom expenses from $250 to $1,000 annually. It directly affects elementary and secondary school teachers who itemize deductions on their federal tax returns. The key change modifies Internal Revenue Code sections to raise the deduction limit and update reference years to align with current tax filing periods. The updated deduction applies to tax returns filed for 2023 and subsequent years.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2725) authorizes the U.S. Department of State to establish a public-private partnership for a US-ASEAN Center in the U.S. The Center will support economic and cultural engagement between the U.S. and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. Key activities include funding research on U.S.-ASEAN partnerships, facilitating trade and investment, expanding technology cooperation, providing training programs, and developing educational initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties. The bill directly affects U.S. government agencies, private sector partners, and entities seeking to deepen economic and cultural relationships with Southeast Asia.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Supreme Court to establish a code of conduct for justices within 180 days of enactment, with public access to these rules on the Court's website. It sets minimum disclosure standards for gifts, income, and reimbursements received by justices and their law clerks, and strengthens recusal requirements when justices have financial ties to parties in cases. The bill creates procedures for filing complaints about justices' conduct and establishes a judicial investigation panel to review such complaints, while also requiring parties and amicus curiae to disclose gifts to justices and lobbying activities related to the nomination of justices. These provisions aim to increase transparency and accountability in Supreme Court operations.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution directs the Archivist of the United States to immediately certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, claiming it was validly ratified after Virginia became the 38th state to approve it in 2020. It asserts that the ERA meets all constitutional requirements under Article V, including the completion of ratification by three-fourths of states (38 states total), and references historical precedents like the 27th Amendment’s delayed certification. The resolution does not alter legal rights or create new law - it solely addresses the Archivist’s statutory duty under 1 U.S.C. §106b to formally recognize the ERA’s ratification. It affects only the Archivist’s office, requiring them to fulfill a procedural step without delay.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution designates August 20th as "Slavery Remembrance Day" to commemorate the arrival of the first 20 enslaved Africans at Fort Monroe, Virginia, on August 20, 1619. It encourages all Americans to observe the day through ceremonies and activities to acknowledge slavery's history and its lasting impacts. The resolution is symbolic - requiring no new laws or funding - and asks the President to issue a proclamation urging public observance. It does not directly affect specific groups or alter existing policies.