Sen. Kevin Cramer

Maddy summaryThe Save Local Business Act (S 1261) clarifies when businesses can be held jointly liable for labor violations under federal law. It amends the National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards Act to define "joint employer" status strictly: an employer must directly and immediately control essential employment terms like hiring, pay, scheduling, and discipline for another employer’s workers. This directly affects businesses operating under multi-employer structures (e.g., franchises, staffing agencies) by limiting joint liability to cases where control is demonstrable and immediate. The bill does not change existing labor protections but sets clearer, more specific criteria for determining joint employer responsibility.

Maddy summaryThe Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act amends federal criminal statutes to clarify legal standards and increase penalties for specific violent crimes. It clarifies that assaults on federal officers are general intent crimes (removing the need to prove defendants specifically intended to harm officers), increases carjacking penalties to 20 years for first offenses (up from 15) and up to 40 years when weapons are used, and creates a new offense for distributing candy-flavored controlled substances to minors with penalties of up to 20 years for repeat violations. The bill also updates sentencing guidelines to require a 2-level enhancement for the new candy-flavored drug offense. These changes apply to existing federal criminal codes without creating new crime categories beyond the specified provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJRES 10) seeks to block a specific rule issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding reproductive health services for veterans. It requests Congress disapprove the rule (published September 2022) under a process in federal law that allows Congress to halt agency regulations. If approved, the VA rule would be nullified and could not take effect, meaning the VA could not enforce its provisions on reproductive health services for veterans. The bill directly affects the implementation of this VA policy for veterans receiving care at VA facilities.

Maddy summaryS 1212 establishes federal standards for remote and electronic notarizations, enabling notaries to perform these services across state lines for individuals not physically present. Key provisions require identity verification (using two methods or a credible witness), mandatory audio/video recording of remote notarizations (retained for 5-10 years), and secure attachment of electronic signatures to documents. The bill ensures courts and states recognize these notarizations as valid regardless of whether the notary used electronic records or served a remotely located individual. It does not require notaries to offer these services but creates a uniform baseline for interstate recognition, while allowing states to maintain stricter rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends key labor laws to strengthen worker protections and clarify union election processes. It requires employers to provide voter lists for union elections with only one employee-chosen contact detail (like email or phone), mandates secret ballot elections for union representation, and restricts union dues from funding non-representational activities without written employee consent for at least 35 days. The bill also clarifies joint employment standards, making it harder for companies to avoid responsibility for workers' pay and conditions, and adds tribal sovereignty protections to labor law definitions. These changes directly affect employers, unions, and employees in collective bargaining contexts.

Maddy summarySRES 161 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating April 22-30, 2023, as "National Park Week." It does not create new laws or affect specific groups, but formally recognizes the National Park System's significance. The resolution highlights the parks' historical value, visitor impact (312 million visits in 2022), and economic contributions ($42.5 billion in 2021). It encourages public engagement with national parks but contains no funding, regulatory changes, or policy mechanisms. As a procedural resolution, it serves purely to honor the parks' legacy.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 1184 requires the U.S. Comptroller General to study sister city partnerships between American local governments (like cities or counties) and foreign communities from countries scoring 45 or lower on Transparency International’s 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. The study will examine partnership criteria, activities, transparency of contracts, economic risks, and potential security concerns like foreign espionage or coercion. It will assess how these partnerships affect freedom of expression, U.S. economic security, and whether they enable foreign malign activities. The Comptroller General must submit findings and recommendations to Congress within six months.

Maddy summaryThe Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act of 2023 (S 1179) creates a federal legal pathway for beneficiaries of Holocaust-era insurance policies to sue insurers for unpaid claims. It directly affects Holocaust survivors or their heirs who held life, property, or other insurance policies issued between 1933-1945 to people in Nazi-occupied areas or Switzerland. The bill establishes a new federal right to sue, overrides a 2003 Supreme Court ruling that previously blocked such claims, sets a 10-year deadline for filing lawsuits, and blocks defenses based on past settlements or foreign policy arguments. It does not change state disclosure laws but ensures beneficiaries can pursue claims under state law or federal court.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal agencies from banning lead ammunition or tackle for hunting and fishing on federal lands and waters managed by the Interior Department or Agriculture Department. It directly affects hunters and anglers using these public areas by preventing federal restrictions on lead products, except in limited cases. The exception allows restrictions only on specific federal sites where state wildlife data shows lead use is harming wildlife, and only if approved by the state's fish and wildlife agency. The bill requires federal agencies to explain in public notices how any exception meets these state approval and wildlife harm criteria.