Sen. Jon Tester

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review process to explicitly consider food security. It requires CFIUS to evaluate how proposed foreign investments might affect the availability, access, safety, or quality of U.S. food and agriculture systems. The bill also adds the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to the CFIUS committee to provide expertise on food-related matters. These changes directly affect foreign entities seeking to acquire U.S. assets in agriculture, food production, or supply chains, ensuring their transactions are assessed for national food security impacts.

Maddy summaryS 2323, the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2023, requires Medicare to cover genetic counseling services provided by licensed genetic counselors starting January 1, 2024. It establishes that these services must be paid at 85% of the physician rate for equivalent services and mandates a new billing modifier to identify genetic counselor services. The bill directly affects Medicare beneficiaries seeking genetic counseling and genetic counselors who can now bill Medicare directly under defined licensing or federal criteria. Key provisions include amending Medicare payment rules to treat genetic counselor services similarly to nurse practitioner services for reimbursement purposes. The law does not change who can provide genetic counseling but ensures Medicare covers it when delivered by qualified genetic counselors.

Maddy summaryThe CHARGE Act of 2023 amends veterans' homelessness programs to increase support for homeless veterans, caregivers, and state veterans homes. It limits transitional housing beds for homeless veterans to an average of 12,000 annually, increases the maximum per diem payment rate for services, and requires annual reports on payment rates and veteran stay lengths. The bill allows flexible use of funds for basic needs like food, transportation, and communication devices for homeless veterans, expands access to VA telehealth services, and temporarily waives occupancy rate requirements for state veterans homes. These changes directly affect homeless veterans receiving housing and care services, VA caregivers, and state veterans homes managing federal funding. The law also mandates a strategic plan for equitable funding distribution across diverse geographic and community needs.

Maddy summaryThe EHR Program RESET Act of 2023 establishes a new Electronic Health Record and Health Information Technology Modernization Program within the Veterans Health Administration to replace the current Oracle-Cerner system. It requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet specific performance metrics before deploying the new system at additional facilities and terminates contracts with Oracle Cerner for training and change management by 275 days after enactment. The bill creates a new Program Management Office with dedicated staff for training, change management, and metrics tracking, and mandates quarterly reports on system stability, staff satisfaction, retention, and performance metrics. It also requires reports on alternatives to the current EHR system, coordination with the Department of Defense, and a comprehensive interoperability roadmap for the next five years.

Maddy summaryS 928, the "Not Just a Number Act," requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish an annual report on veteran suicide rates starting 18 months after enactment. The report must include detailed data broken down by age, gender, and race/ethnicity, plus comparisons between veterans who used VA health services (like Vet Centers or mental health care) versus those who did not, and veterans engaged with VA benefits programs (such as education assistance, disability compensation, or housing loans). The bill also mandates a toolkit for state/local coroners to better identify and report veteran suicides, and a study on creating a dedicated VA suicide prevention office. These requirements aim to improve data collection, analysis, and reporting on veteran suicide trends to inform prevention strategies.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends over 30 sections of the Internal Revenue Code to replace gendered language like "husband and wife" with gender-neutral terms such as "married couple" or "spouses." It directly affects all married taxpayers by ensuring the tax code refers to married couples in inclusive language, regardless of gender. The key mechanism is updating specific tax code provisions to use neutral terminology throughout, including changing "his spouse" to "the individual's spouse" in numerous sections. This is a technical correction to modernize the language of the tax code, not a change to tax rates, deductions, or policy. The bill does not alter tax obligations or benefits for married couples.

Maddy summarySRES 282 is a non-binding Senate resolution recognizing June 2023 as "LGBTQ Pride Month" to honor the contributions and resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals across the United States. It does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges historical challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, including discrimination, hate crimes (such as the Pulse and Club Q shootings), and barriers to equality in employment, healthcare, and housing. The resolution encourages all Americans to learn about the LGBTQ community's history of struggle and achievement during June 2023. Introduced by 44 bipartisan senators, it serves as a symbolic gesture of support without altering any legal rights or obligations.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the funding threshold for minor construction projects at VA medical facilities from $20 million to $30 million. It requires the VA Secretary to adjust this amount every two years based on inflation, construction costs, and other economic factors, using either existing or new calculation methods. Projects under $30 million will now qualify as "minor" construction, streamlining approval processes without changing the actual construction work. The adjustment mechanism ensures the threshold remains aligned with current construction market conditions.

Refund Equality Act of  2023 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.