Sen. Josh Hawley

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to allow schools to use existing federal funds for student sports clubs, teams, training, and related outdoor wellness activities. It directly affects K-12 schools by removing a previous restriction that barred such uses of ESEA funds. The key mechanism is an exception added to Section 8526(7), explicitly permitting these activities before the period ending that section. The change applies to funds already allocated under the ESEA, not creating new spending.

Maddy summaryThe Freedom to Breathe Act (S 2738) prohibits federal funding or enforcement of mask mandates for passengers traveling on air carriers, public transit, or in covered schools (elementary, secondary, or higher education) during the period from enactment through December 31, 2024. It specifically bans requiring masks in these settings, prevents refusal of service to unmasked passengers, and overrides conflicting state or local rules during this timeframe. The law directly affects air carriers, public transit operators, and federally funded schools by eliminating federal authority to enforce mask requirements in these spaces. It applies only to mask mandates issued in response to public health emergencies during the specified period.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 2374 "No Obamacare for Illegal Aliens Act," excludes individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status from eligibility for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid/CHIP programs. It amends key ACA provisions to deny ACA subsidies, marketplace enrollment, and Medicaid/CHIP benefits to anyone lawfully present only due to DACA (per the 2012 DHS memo), explicitly stating such individuals "shall not be treated as lawfully present" for healthcare purposes. The bill applies to all relevant programs, including premium tax credits, state health exchanges, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and requires rescission of existing waivers that previously allowed DACA recipients to access these benefits. It directly affects DACA recipients who would otherwise qualify for coverage under current law.

Maddy summaryThe American Security Drone Act of 2023 prohibits U.S. federal agencies from procuring or operating drones manufactured or assembled by "covered foreign entities," defined as entities from China, under foreign government control, or deemed national security risks. The law includes exemptions for national security research, counterterrorism, safety investigations, wildfire management, and specific agency missions like those of the Department of Homeland Security and Defense. Federal agencies must track existing drones from these entities within one year of enactment and the law requires a study on drone supply chains. The prohibition takes effect two years after enactment and will expire five years after enactment, with specific agencies having additional exemptions.

Maddy summaryS 2664, the Strengthening Taxpayer Recoveries Act, extends oversight of pandemic relief funds by renewing the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery's mandate until 2030 (from 2025) and requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to coordinate with this office. It establishes a 10-year window for prosecuting fraud related to specific relief programs, including Paycheck Protection Program loans, economic injury disaster loans, restaurant grants, and venue operator grants. The bill mandates monthly briefings to Congress on recovery efforts, annual reports on recovered funds by program type, and real-time public reporting of recovered amounts through the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. These provisions directly affect businesses that received pandemic relief funds and aim to improve transparency and recovery of misused taxpayer dollars.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, which helps local law enforcement reduce violent crime, through fiscal years 2024-2028. It allows funding to be used for hiring crime analysts, covering overtime for officers and prosecutors, and purchasing crime-fighting technology. The bill also requires the Attorney General to annually report to Congress on how funds are spent, prosecution outcomes, community outreach, and specific violent crime statistics (like murder and assault) in each participating area. This directly affects all 94 federal judicial districts across the U.S. and their law enforcement partners.

Maddy summaryThe Strong Communities Act of 2023 creates a new grant program (COPS Strong Communities Program) under the Omnibus Crime Control Act. It provides competitive federal grants to local law enforcement agencies to cover training costs for officers and recruits at eligible entities like colleges or police departments, with the requirement that participants serve full-time in their local communities for at least four years within specified distances from their long-term residence. If participants don't complete this service, they must repay the training benefits, though regulations will allow for exceptions due to extenuating circumstances. This directly affects local law enforcement agencies, officers, and recruits who participate in the training program.

Maddy summaryThe ACCESS Act of 2023 requires large online platforms (with over 100 million U.S. monthly active users that profit from user data) to enable users to easily transfer their data to competing services and to allow those services to interoperate with them. It mandates that these platforms provide transparent technical tools for data portability and interoperability on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, while prohibiting platforms from using data from competing services for commercial gain. The bill also establishes rules for third-party agents (delegated by users to manage accounts) requiring registration, security safeguards, and restrictions on data use. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these requirements, with penalties including fines based on each affected user.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and certain high-ranking executive branch officials from holding or trading stocks, securities, and commodities that could create conflicts of interest. It requires these individuals to divest any existing holdings within 180 days of assuming office and bans them from buying, selling, or holding such investments during their service. Violations would result in fines (up to 10% of the investment value) and the requirement to return any profits gained from prohibited transactions. The bill also mandates electronic filing and public disclosure of financial information through government websites, making it easier for the public to access and search these records.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the Department of Defense from using military funds to cover travel, lodging, meals, or transportation expenses related to abortions for service members or their dependents, except in cases where the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life, results from rape, or results from incest. It also terminates a 2022 Department of Defense memo that allowed access to abortion-related care and bans using medical convalescent leave or administrative absences for abortion-related travel under the same limited exceptions. The bill directly affects active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their dependents who might seek abortion care. It modifies existing travel and leave regulations under U.S. Code titles 37 and 10 to restrict these benefits, aligning with existing federal law that limits abortion funding. The policy change removes prior allowances for abortion-related travel expenses and leave under military benefits programs.