Sen. Ted Budd

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (within HHS) to assess how emerging AI technologies - like open-source models and large language models - could be misused to develop biological weapons, viruses, or chemical weapons. It mandates regular monitoring of global biological risks that could cause mass casualties or destabilize societies, and directs the inclusion of these findings in the National Health Security Strategy. The law directly affects federal health security planning by adding this specific AI-biosecurity risk assessment to existing public health responsibilities. It creates a new procedural requirement for federal agencies to evaluate and report on these emerging threats.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and submit a strategy within 180 days of enactment to address public health risks from AI misuse. The strategy must cover threats like AI-facilitated biological weapons development and engineered pathogens, identify gaps in current capabilities, and outline how to strengthen emergency response. It mandates coordination with stakeholders developing health countermeasures and integrates AI threats into existing public health emergency planning under the Public Health Service Act. The bill directly affects HHS, public health agencies, and health technology developers, focusing on concrete policy coordination rather than new funding or regulations.

Maddy summaryS 2330, the Small Business Technological Advancement Act, expands eligibility for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to cover business software and cloud computing services. It directly affects small businesses seeking to finance tools that manage payroll, human resources, sales, billing, inventory, or accounting operations. The bill amends Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act to explicitly allow SBA loans to partially or fully fund these technology services. This changes existing policy by broadening the types of business expenses covered under standard SBA loan programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to update safety guidelines for gene synthesis providers within one year of enactment. It mandates screening for dangerous DNA sequences, verifying customer identities, using approved software tools, and maintaining detailed records of orders and screening results. The law directly affects companies that synthesize custom DNA (like gene sequences for research or medicine), equipment manufacturers, and software developers in this field. Key provisions include creating a public list of "sequences of concern" for screening and providing technical assistance to help companies comply with the new requirements.

Maddy summaryS 2329 establishes a new FDA program to accelerate the development of medical tools (like vaccines and treatments) for emerging infectious diseases. The program will fund research on safety standards, maintain disease surveillance, ensure blood supply safety, and prioritize platform vaccine technologies for faster emergency use. It authorizes $60 million annually from 2024 to 2028 to support these activities through grants and contracts. The bill does not change the FDA’s existing authority to approve or authorize medical products under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to immediately revert to the previous mortgage pricing structure (effective April 30, 2023) by eliminating the "recalibrated" fee system for single-family mortgages. It directly affects lenders and borrowers by banning fees based on debt-to-income ratios and mandating that future fee adjustments must align with risk-based pricing principles. The bill also mandates a 14-month GAO study to analyze the previous pricing changes' methodology, economic impacts on borrowers and lenders, and effects on affordable housing. This reverses recent FHFA policy changes without altering the underlying regulatory framework for mortgage enterprises.

Maddy summaryThe Ensuring Sound Guidance Act requires investment advisors and retirement plan fiduciaries to prioritize financial factors (like risk and return) in investment decisions, unless clients or participants provide written consent to consider non-financial goals such as environmental or social objectives. If non-financial factors are used, advisors must disclose expected and actual financial impacts over a three-year period. The bill also mandates three studies: one on state/local pension plans potentially subordinating financial interests to non-financial goals, one on climate change disclosures in municipal bonds, and one on rules preventing payments to officials for municipal securities business. These studies aim to assess financial risks and regulatory effectiveness without advocating for specific outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023 establishes programs to increase domestic production of nuclear fuel, specifically low-enriched uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), to support advanced nuclear reactor development. It requires the Department of Energy to acquire specific quantities of HALEU by 2026 (3 metric tons by 2024, 8 more by 2025, and 10 more by 2026) while prioritizing domestic production but allowing partnerships with U.S. allies when domestic options are insufficient. The legislation authorizes $3.5 billion for these programs, to be used through 2032, and includes provisions to ensure reasonable compensation for fuel supplied under these programs. The bill directly affects U.S. nuclear energy companies, advanced nuclear reactor developers, and the Department of Energy's operations.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 36) seeks congressional disapproval of a Department of Labor rule (88 Fed. Reg. 12842, March 1, 2023) that would have removed religious exemption provisions from the Equal Opportunity Clause requirements for federal contractors. If approved, it would prevent the rule from taking effect, meaning federal contractors would continue to be required to comply with the Equal Opportunity Clause without the religious exemption previously allowed. The bill directly affects federal contractors subject to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' (OFCCP) regulations. It is a procedural disapproval measure under Title 5, U.S. Code, not a new policy change.

Maddy summarySJRES 11 is a joint resolution seeking to cancel an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that set new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks and buses. The rule, published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2023, would have required manufacturers to meet specific pollution control measures for new vehicles. This resolution uses a congressional disapproval process under the Congressional Review Act to nullify the EPA rule, meaning it would have no legal effect if enacted. If passed, the EPA's emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles would be voided, removing requirements for manufacturers to comply with those specific pollution controls.