Sen. Thom Tillis

Maddy summaryS 1907, the Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2023, increases penalties for crimes committed against licensed firearm businesses. It amends federal law to impose a maximum 20-year prison term for knowingly violating firearm licensing rules or attempting to do so. If a burglary or robbery occurs on a licensed dealer’s, manufacturer’s, or importer’s business premises, the law mandates minimum sentences of 3 years for burglary and 5 years for robbery. This bill directly affects federal firearms licensees by strengthening criminal penalties for attacks on their business locations.

Maddy summaryThe GRATEFUL Act (S 1887) creates a dedicated visa program for foreign national employees of U.S. government agencies who have provided 15+ years of exceptional service abroad. It directly affects employees of agencies like the State Department, USAID, Defense, and Homeland Security, along with their immediate families, by guaranteeing visa access when regular categories lack availability. The bill sets annual caps of 3,500 visas for fiscal year 2024 and 3,000 visas for subsequent years. To fund this, it temporarily reduces diversity visa allocations, ensuring the new program does not diminish existing visa categories. This is a concrete policy change that expands immigration pathways for long-serving government employees without altering current visa category limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Department of Veterans Affairs program to provide educational assistance for veterans to enroll in high technology training programs. It allows up to 6,000 veterans per year to receive funding for non-degree programs in computer programming, software, data processing, or information sciences that last 6-28 weeks. The program requires providers to meet specific quality standards, including a minimum 65% job placement rate for graduates, with payments tied to student enrollment, graduation, and successful employment outcomes. The bill also mandates annual reporting on program effectiveness, including employment rates, salaries, and program completion metrics. The program will continue until September 30, 2028.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the COPS on the Beat Grant Program to better support rural and low-income communities in hiring and retaining law enforcement officers. It increases federal funding coverage for qualifying jurisdictions (rural areas or those with median household income below 80% of national average) from 75% to 90% in the first year, gradually decreasing to 75% by year four. The bill also caps federal funding for officer compensation at $75,000 annually, with a higher limit of 80% of national median income for qualifying rural areas. Additionally, it requires a GAO report in 2027 and 2032 to assess police diversity, officer residency rates, and pay relative to local cost of living. The changes directly affect local law enforcement agencies in rural or economically disadvantaged areas seeking COPS funding for hiring or salary increases.

This resolution commends the North Carolina Central University football team for winning the 2022 Celebration Bowl of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Championship.

Maddy summarySRES 242 is a Senate resolution commending the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on the 90th anniversary of the 1933 TVA Act. It recognizes the TVA’s historic role in improving river navigation, controlling floods, providing affordable electricity, and promoting economic development across seven states (Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia). The resolution honors the TVA’s mission since its founding during the Great Depression and requests that a copy be delivered to its leadership for display. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryS 1843 (End Child Trafficking Now Act) requires adults (18+) entering the U.S. with minors under 18 to prove a family relationship through documents or a witness, with DNA testing as a last resort if proof is insufficient. If an adult refuses DNA testing or fails to provide valid proof, they may be denied entry and the minor treated as an unaccompanied child. The bill also creates a new federal crime ("recycling of minors") for adults who repeatedly use a minor they aren’t related to for illegal entry, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This directly affects adults traveling with minors, immigration officers, and law enforcement handling entry-related trafficking cases.

Maddy summaryS 1768, the Taliban Sanctions Act of 2023, imposes U.S. sanctions on individuals and entities (including Taliban members) who support terrorism, commit serious human rights abuses, or facilitate narcotics trafficking in Afghanistan. It requires the President to block assets and deny visas to those meeting these criteria, effective 90 days after enactment. The bill also directs U.S. diplomacy to maintain UN sanctions against the Taliban and mandates regular congressional briefings on sanctions implementation and humanitarian impacts. It includes limited waivers for national security interests and specific exceptions for intelligence activities or humanitarian access.

Maddy summaryThe Main Street Tax Certainty Act permanently extends the 20% tax deduction for qualified business income (QBI), which currently applies to owners of pass-through businesses like sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S corporations. The bill achieves this by amending the tax code to remove an expiration date (via striking subsection (i) of Section 199A of the Internal Revenue Code). This change directly affects small business owners who rely on the QBI deduction to reduce their taxable income. The key provision eliminates uncertainty about the deduction’s future, ensuring continued eligibility without requiring future legislative action.

Maddy summaryS 1688, the "Yes In My Backyard Act," requires local governments receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to report on plans to adopt specific housing-friendly land use policies. It directly affects cities and counties that administer CDBG programs by mandating annual submissions describing their progress on 22 policy examples, such as allowing duplexes in single-family zones, reducing parking requirements, or streamlining permitting. The bill does not require adoption of these policies but tracks jurisdictions' efforts to remove barriers to affordable housing. This reporting mechanism aims to address discriminatory zoning while keeping existing CDBG funding rules intact.