Sen. Deb Fischer

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal funds from covering abortions in most circumstances, including health benefits plans, with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or when a pregnancy endangers a woman's life. It specifically bars the use of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for health plans that cover abortion, requiring insurers to disclose abortion coverage details separately in marketing materials. The law applies to all federal health programs and ACA marketplace plans, ensuring taxpayer dollars aren't used for abortion services or coverage. It does not affect private insurance plans purchased with non-federal funds or separate abortion coverage options.

Maddy summaryS 88, the BLAST Act, bans former U.S. Senators, Representatives, and elected congressional officers from lobbying Congress after leaving office. It prohibits them from making communications or appearing before current members or staff to influence legislation on behalf of others (excluding the U.S. government), with violations punishable under federal law. The bill directly affects former lawmakers who might seek to lobby while using their prior congressional connections. This amendment to Title 18, U.S. Code, applies to those leaving office after the bill’s enactment date.

Maddy summaryS 68, the FARM Act, requires the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) to review foreign investments in U.S. agriculture businesses and supply chains. It adds the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS and designates agricultural supply chains as critical infrastructure and critical technologies. The bill mandates a report within one year detailing foreign investments in U.S. agriculture, potential threats to supply chains, and espionage risks targeting agricultural data. This directly affects foreign entities seeking to acquire or invest in U.S. agricultural operations and supply chain systems.

Maddy summaryThe Standing with Moms Act of 2023 requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create a public website (life.gov) and an interactive portal within one year of enactment. The portal uses a question-based system to connect pregnant individuals with location-specific resources, including mental health support, medical services, financial assistance, childcare, and alternatives to abortion. It prohibits listing resources from organizations that provide or promote abortions and mandates multilingual access. The bill also requires annual reporting on website usage and resource gaps to Congress, focusing on improving support for pregnant and postpartum women.

Maddy summaryS 78 requires physicians performing abortions on minors from out-of-state to provide at least 24 hours' written notice to the minor's parent before the procedure, unless specific exceptions apply. It prohibits transporting minors across state lines to bypass parental involvement laws in their home state, with penalties for violations. Exceptions include life-threatening medical conditions, compliance with the minor's home state's abortion laws, or documented court authorization. The bill directly affects minors seeking out-of-state abortions, their parents, and medical providers who perform such procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from requiring defense contractors to report greenhouse gas emissions. It specifically bans the Secretary of Defense from mandating any "greenhouse gas inventory" or reports on Scope 1, Scope 2, or Scope 3 emissions from contractors holding federal defense contracts. The law directly affects defense contractors who would otherwise have been required to track and disclose their emissions data. It removes a specific reporting requirement for contractors under Defense Department contracts, without altering other environmental regulations.

Maddy summaryS 15, the Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act of 2023, requires states to submit standardized abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually to continue receiving Medicaid funding for family planning services. States must report specific mandatory data points - including maternal age, gestational age, race, ethnicity, and abortion method - by December 31 of the previous year, using a CDC-maintained standardized system. The CDC will publish an annual report on this data, and states that fail to submit timely reports may still receive retroactive Medicaid payments, but knowingly providing false data can result in losing future Medicaid funding. This bill directly affects all states receiving Medicaid funds for family planning services, aiming to create uniform national abortion data collection.

Maddy summaryS 16, the Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2023, prohibits federal funding for colleges and universities that host campus health clinics providing abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees. It requires these institutions to submit annual certifications confirming their clinics do not offer such services, with funding eligibility contingent on this compliance. The bill defines "abortion drugs" broadly as any medication intended to terminate a pregnancy (excluding specific medical exceptions), and clarifies that campus health clinics - not hospitals - are covered under this restriction. This policy directly affects public and private institutions of higher education receiving federal funds, altering their funding eligibility based on campus health service offerings.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the U.S. Secretary of Energy from selling petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to entities controlled by the Chinese Communist Party or to any buyer unless they guarantee the oil won't be exported to China. It directly affects the Department of Energy (which manages the SPR) and any companies or entities seeking to purchase SPR oil with potential Chinese ties. The key mechanism requires the Secretary to block sales to China-linked entities or impose strict export restrictions on all sales. The bill aims to prevent SPR oil from reaching China, without creating new programs or altering existing SPR management rules.

Maddy summaryThe Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act prohibits federal funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates, clinics, subsidiaries, or successors. It redirects these funds to other eligible health care providers - including community health centers, hospitals, and clinics that serve underserved populations - to ensure continued access to services like contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care, and STI testing. The bill explicitly states it does not alter existing abortion funding restrictions or reduce overall federal support for women’s health services. This policy change aims to maintain funding availability for essential women’s health care while shifting resources away from Planned Parenthood.