Sen. Angus S. King, Jr.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the SAVE Act (Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act), makes it a federal crime to assault hospital staff while they're performing their duties, directly affecting healthcare workers at covered facilities like hospitals, long-term care centers, and emergency clinics. It imposes fines or up to 10 years in prison for basic assaults, with enhanced penalties (up to 20 years) for using weapons, causing injury, or during declared emergencies. The law also requires a government study to assess its impact on workplace violence and federal prosecutions in healthcare settings.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires car manufacturers to include AM radio receivers as standard equipment in all new vehicles sold in the U.S., without additional cost to buyers. It mandates that AM radio controls be clearly visible on the dashboard for drivers. For vehicles sold before the rule takes effect, manufacturers must label them to disclose the absence of AM radio. The bill aims to maintain access to AM radio broadcasts, which are used for emergency alerts, but does not mandate new emergency systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a provision in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to explicitly allow schools using federal funds to offer hunter safety education and similar activities like archery or culinary arts as part of approved educational programs. It directly affects schools and educational programs receiving funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by removing a previous restriction on using those funds for such activities. The key mechanism is a new exception inserted into Section 8526(7), clarifying that these educational programs remain permissible. The bill does not change funding levels or create new programs, but specifically permits existing funds to be used for these instructional activities. This is a technical amendment to clarify funding eligibility for certain educational offerings.

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 resolution designates August 16, 2023, as "National Airborne Day" to honor the history of U.S. airborne forces. It recognizes the first official Army parachute jump on August 16, 1940, and highlights the service of airborne units from World War II through modern conflicts. The resolution calls for the American public to observe the day with appropriate activities, but it does not create new laws or affect any specific group or policy. As a commemorative resolution, it has no binding effect beyond the symbolic recognition.

Maddy summaryS 2718, the Medical Disability Exam Improvement Act of 2023, modifies eligibility requirements so veterans only need to state their disability claim is linked to toxic exposure (instead of providing separate evidence). It requires the VA to regularly review medical exams for adequacy and necessity, mandate annual staff training on proper exam assessment standards, and establish reports on exam quality. The bill also mandates a study on rural veterans' access to exams within one year, including comparing wait times and identifying solutions for remote care. Additionally, it updates procedures for contractors to directly transmit medical evidence from examinations to the VA.

Maddy summarySRES 326 is a procedural Senate resolution (not a law) designating August 23, 2023, as "National Poll Worker Recruitment Day." It formally recognizes the importance of poll workers in elections and encourages eligible citizens to volunteer for this role in the 2023 elections. The resolution has no binding effect but aims to raise awareness about the need for poll workers. It directly affects the public by inviting them to participate in election administration.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a data platform to track forest carbon emissions, sequestration, and the carbon footprint of wood products, helping measure environmental impacts. It modifies existing grant programs to prioritize rural wood mills in areas with high unemployment, supports wood-building education at colleges, and funds pilot projects using mass timber in rural infrastructure construction. The bill directly affects rural communities (especially those with wood manufacturing history), wood product manufacturers, and educational institutions developing wood-building curricula. Key mechanisms include mandatory carbon data reporting, targeted grants for economic development, and requirements for wood products to be "produced and assembled in the U.S." in pilot projects.

Financing Our Energy Future Act This bill expands the types of partnerships that qualify for treatment as publicly traded partnerships instead of as corporations for tax purposes. Under current law, partnerships that meet certain gross income requirements (i.e., at least 90% of the partnership's gross income in a taxable year consists of qualifying income) are excepted from being treated as a corporation for tax purposes. This bill expands the sources of income that are considered qualifying income and make a partnership eligible for such an exception. Specifically, the bill provides that income derived from the generation of specified alternative energy, alternative fuel projects, or the associated property, storage, or transportation for such projects (e.g., the conversion of renewable biomass into renewable fuel or the storage or transportation of such fuel) is considered qualifying income.

Maddy summaryThe SMASH 2.0 Act reauthorizes the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health program through fiscal year 2028, providing $100 million annually for mosquito control efforts. It allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider innovative technologies for mosquito prevention when awarding grants and permits recipients to use up to 5% of funds for staff training. The bill also requires coordination with the Strategic National Stockpile to develop emergency stockpiling plans for vector-borne disease control products and mandates incorporating this strategy into the national vector-borne disease plan. This directly affects state/local public health agencies receiving program grants for mosquito control and prevention activities.