Maddy summaryThe Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2023 aims to increase employee ownership in S corporations by making it easier for companies to adopt Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Key provisions include extending tax deferral for sales of company stock to ESOPs, creating a Treasury Department office to provide technical assistance for ESOPs, and amending small business laws to ensure ESOP-owned businesses remain eligible for small business programs. The bill also establishes a dedicated Advocate for Employee Ownership within the Department of Labor to promote ESOP adoption, provide education, and help resolve disputes related to ESOPs. This legislation directly affects S corporations considering employee ownership transitions, their employees who would become partial owners, and small businesses that want to maintain eligibility for small business programs after an ESOP transition. The bill seeks to expand a model that studies show provides employees with retirement savings and greater job stability compared to traditional companies.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySCONRES 2 is a symbolic congressional resolution commending Iranian protesters who risked their safety to demonstrate against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses, particularly following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by morality police for alleged hijab violations. It specifically highlights protests in over 133 cities where demonstrators, including women removing headscarves, have faced violent crackdowns, with reports of over 500 deaths and 19,000 arrests. The resolution condemns the regime's brutality, supports internet freedom tools to bypass censorship, and urges the administration to impose human rights sanctions on officials responsible for repression. As a non-binding resolution, it expresses congressional support for protesters but does not enact new laws or policies.
PBM Reporting Transparency Act This bill requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to report certain information about pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage. Specifically, the commission must report on trends in agreements between PBMs and prescription drug plans, the impact of any differences in agreements on out-of-pocket spending for enrollees and pharmacy reimbursements, and any appropriate recommendations. The commission must submit an updated report two years after its initial report.
Maddy summaryS 2477 (Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act) expands Medicare Part B coverage to include specific pharmacist services previously only covered when provided by physicians. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries and pharmacists by allowing coverage for services like evaluating patients for COVID-19, flu, or respiratory illnesses, and addressing public health emergencies - provided pharmacists are licensed or operating under federal emergency authority. The bill establishes payment at 80% of the lesser of actual charge or 85% of physician payment rates (100% during federal emergencies) and prohibits balance billing for these services. It also clarifies that existing Medicare enrollment pathways for pharmacists remain available. This bill modifies Medicare Part B coverage under the Social Security Act without restricting current pharmacy reimbursement options.
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Medicare Part D drug coverage to limit out-of-pocket costs for seniors taking certain long-term medications. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries using "chronic care drugs" (like diabetes medications, blood thinners, and asthma inhalers) under Part D plans. Starting in 2025, the bill caps cost-sharing: below the deductible, seniors pay no more than the drug's negotiated price after discounts; above the deductible but below the out-of-pocket limit, coinsurance is based on that same negotiated price (not list price). Fixed copays for these drugs are exempt from this rule.
Maddy summaryS 931 mandates federal agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of their software entitlements and inventories within one year of enactment, requiring detailed accounting of software contracts, costs, usage, and interoperability. Agencies must develop plans to consolidate software licenses, prioritize enterprise agreements for cost savings, and minimize restrictive licensing terms - particularly for cloud services - while ensuring vendor-neutral procurement. The bill also requires a government-wide strategy by the Office of Management Budget within two years, including cost-benefit analyses for enterprise licensing and integration of software spending data into federal budget processes. These provisions directly affect all federal agencies, their CIOs, CFOs, and procurement officers, with reporting to Congress and the Government Accountability Office.
Maddy summaryThe International Children with Disabilities Protection Act of 2023 establishes a U.S. government program to support organizations working to keep children with disabilities in family settings rather than residential institutions worldwide. The program provides grants to nongovernmental organizations with disability rights expertise, prioritizing those working in countries with large populations of children in residential care. It funds capacity-building efforts to develop disability leaders, provides training on successful family inclusion models, and creates online programs to share best practices globally. The bill requires annual briefings and triennial reports to Congress on the program's implementation, with funding authorized at $2 million for 2024 and $10 million annually through 2029. This legislation aims to advance policies that ensure children with disabilities grow up with their families and transition to independent living as adults.
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.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Secretary of State to designate the Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization under existing law (Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act). It applies this designation to any affiliated or successor entities engaging in malign activities globally, including in Ukraine, Africa, and the Middle East. The bill mandates an annual report to Congress on the Wagner Group's international activities and allows the President to waive sanctions if determined necessary for U.S. national security. The legislation directly affects the Wagner Group and its associated entities, imposing formal U.S. government designation as a terrorist organization.
Maddy summaryThe ATTAIN Mental Health Act requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create a public online dashboard that makes federal mental health and substance use disorder grant information easier to find. The dashboard will list grant names, show current application status (open, closed, or awarded), and provide direct links to apply, while being accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It will help schools, health providers, tribal organizations, community groups, and other potential applicants quickly locate funding opportunities by location and program type. The dashboard must be updated regularly to reflect current grant openings and be designed with input from diverse stakeholders like hospitals and tribal entities.