Maddy summaryThe Campaign Finance Transparency Act (S 5606) updates the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) enforcement procedures for campaign finance violations. It establishes specific timeframes for decisions (30 days for general counsel's determination, 15 days for subpoenas), requires more transparency by allowing parties to respond to allegations, and extends the statute of limitations for civil penalties from 5 to 10 years. The bill also clarifies that FEC attorneys can represent the Commission in Supreme Court cases, requires campaign finance forms to permit accent marks, and adds restrictions on communications outside of formal proceedings. These changes aim to improve transparency and efficiency in campaign finance enforcement without altering the underlying campaign finance rules.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Global Electoral Exchange Act of 2024 creates a U.S. government program to fund international exchanges of election administration knowledge between American and foreign election officials. It authorizes $5 million annually (2025-2029) for the State Department to award grants to U.S. nonprofit organizations with election expertise, enabling them to arrange training sessions where foreign officials visit the U.S. to learn about American election procedures or U.S. officials travel abroad to study election management in other countries. The exchanges must focus on improving election cybersecurity, transparency, voter access, and dispute resolution - without observing elections or advocating for specific outcomes. The program requires annual congressional reports detailing its activities, grantees, and progress toward these goals.
Maddy summaryS 5610, the Invest in Our Democracy Act of 2024, funds 75% of tuition for state and local election officials to enroll in accredited training programs in election administration or cybersecurity. The program, administered by the Election Assistance Commission, reimburses eligible officials who complete required paperwork and enroll in approved courses. It allocates $1 million for fiscal year 2024, with ongoing funding authorized through 2031. This directly supports election staff in improving their skills to safeguard election security.
Maddy summaryThe Election Security Act of 2024 requires all U.S. states to use voter-verifiable paper ballots for federal elections, with specific rules for ballot marking, preservation, and manual counting. The bill mandates accessibility standards for voters with disabilities, prohibits wireless and internet connectivity in voting systems, and requires states to implement post-election audits of election results. It provides $2.4 billion in federal grants to help states purchase compliant voting systems and improve election security. The law applies to all states for elections held in 2026 and later, with some phased implementation for jurisdictions using older systems. The bill aims to improve election security, accuracy, and accessibility through paper-based verification and strengthened cybersecurity protections.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Thye-Blatnik Act to change how land appraisals are calculated for agricultural programs. It replaces "fair appraised value" with "highest fair appraised value, including historical fair appraised values" as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. The change directly affects landowners participating in USDA agricultural programs where land valuation impacts payments or eligibility. The key mechanism requires the Secretary to use the highest historical appraisal value, not just current value, when assessing land for these programs. This is a technical adjustment to appraisal standards without altering program benefits or eligibility criteria.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a public online tracker (the "Senate Confirmed Position Tracker") managed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to monitor Senate-confirmed executive branch roles. It requires weekly updates showing, for each covered position (policy/support roles needing Senate confirmation), whether it's filled by a confirmed official, an acting official, or vacant, broken down by agency, Senate committee, and position type. Executive agencies must report data on new positions, acting appointments, and vacancy timelines to the GAO, while the tracker will display trends and analyze long-term vacancies. The system aims to improve transparency about staffing gaps in federal agencies, with annual reports to Congress on agency compliance and biennial reviews assessing implementation.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal law to clarify how the National Guard Bureau handles reimbursement funds received from states, territories, or the District of Columbia. It requires that funds paid back for using military property must be credited to the specific account that covered the original expenses or a similar account for the same purpose. These funds may only be used by the Department of Defense for repairing, maintaining, or similar upkeep of assets directly used by National Guard units operating under state active duty status. The bill affects the National Guard Bureau and state/territorial governments that reimburse the federal government for shared property costs.
Maddy summarySRES 934 updates the Senate's rules for broadcasting and recording its proceedings. It requires continuous live audio and video coverage of Senate sessions (except during closed sessions or quorum calls), directs the Architect of the Capitol to install necessary equipment under $3.5 million, and mandates that recordings be made available free to accredited media and educational entities. The resolution strictly prohibits using Senate recordings for political campaigns and requires closed captioning for broadcasts. These changes aim to improve public access to Senate activities while establishing clear operational guidelines for Senate staff and media.
Maddy summaryThe RTP Full Funding Act of 2024 aims to fully fund the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), which supports trail development and maintenance nationwide. Currently, the program receives about $84 million annually from a fuel tax paid by nonhighway recreation users, though the actual tax collected totals roughly $281 million yearly. The bill requires the Federal Highway Administration to provide Congress with an annual estimate of these collected taxes at least one year before highway program funding expires, ensuring tax revenues are fully returned to states for trail projects. This change directly affects states and local communities that rely on RTP funds to maintain trails used for activities like hiking, biking, and snowmobiling.
Maddy summaryThe Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act allows States, local governments, law enforcement coalitions, and Indian tribes to use federal grant funds for mobile and web-based tools that track fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses and the administration of reversal medication by first responders (like police, firefighters, and EMTs) in near real-time. These tools must be interoperable with existing data systems and share collected information with public health and safety agencies. Grantees are required to coordinate responses to overdose data, focus on high-risk areas, and avoid duplicating existing efforts through mandatory audits before applying for funding.