Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan

Maddy summaryThe REPORT Act (S 945) requires U.S. federal agencies (like Homeland Security, Justice, and FBI) to submit unclassified reports within one year after a terrorist attack investigation concludes. These reports must detail the attack facts, identify security gaps, and suggest prevention measures, while being made publicly available online. Agencies may withhold specific information if it jeopardizes ongoing investigations, but must still submit other required report elements to Congress. The law expires automatically five years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThe SERVE Act amends the Higher Education Act to clarify that servicemembers, including National Guard and Reserve members, qualify for readmission protections after military service. It updates the definition of "service in the uniformed services" to explicitly include active duty, active duty for training, and National Guard duty under State or Federal authority. This change directly affects active-duty personnel, National Guard members, and Reserve members enrolled in or returning to colleges and universities. By expanding eligibility under existing readmission rules, the bill ensures these individuals can maintain their educational enrollment without penalty for military service.

Maddy summaryThe Equality Act (S 5) amends federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury service. It expands existing protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by clarifying that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity constitutes sex discrimination, as established by the Supreme Court's Bostock decision. The bill directly affects businesses, employers, housing providers, financial institutions, and government services that receive federal funding, requiring them to provide equal access and treatment regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. It includes specific provisions addressing discrimination in foster care and adoption, where LGBTQ individuals often face barriers, and clarifies definitions of terms like "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" for consistent application. The law creates a uniform national standard for nondiscrimination where many states lack such protections, aiming to eliminate barriers to full participation in society for LGBTQ individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal law to extend and improve funding for state medical stockpiles. It extends the funding period for state stockpile programs from 2023-2024 to 2024-2028 and requires states receiving funds to coordinate with local health officials and other states to share best practices. The bill also adds a requirement for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on regional stockpiling approaches under the program. This directly affects states managing medical supply reserves during public health emergencies, with changes focusing on longer-term funding and collaborative planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds multi-cancer early detection screening tests to Medicare Part B coverage, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries. It creates a new coverage category for FDA-approved blood tests (like those analyzing cell-free DNA) that screen for multiple cancer types simultaneously, as defined in the bill. Medicare would cover these tests once every 12 months, and the bill clarifies that this change does not impact existing coverage for standard cancer screenings like mammograms or colonoscopies. The policy change ensures beneficiaries can access these new screening options without unnecessary delays after FDA approval.

Maddy summaryThe CONSULT Act of 2023 prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from entering into, renewing, or extending contracts with consulting firms that have business ties to specific foreign adversaries, including China’s government, military, or entities on U.S. sanctions lists (like the NS-CMIC List). It requires all companies bidding for DoD contracts to disclose if they’ve worked with these entities in the past five years or currently hold active contracts or funds from them. Failure to disclose can result in immediate contract termination and a five-year ban from federal contracting. The bill also allows affected firms to submit certification proving they’ve severed such ties to regain eligibility, with the Department of Defense mandated to update its acquisition policies within one year.

Maddy summaryThis bill ensures female service members who served in cultural support teams (2010-2021) receive proper military records and veterans' benefits. It requires military records to include this service for retirement pay calculations and directs the VA to treat such service as "combat" for disability claims. Veterans who were previously denied benefits for service-related injuries can file supplemental claims within three years of the bill's enactment. The bill specifically covers approximately 310 women who served in these teams, who faced barriers in accessing VA care for traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, or physical trauma incurred during deployment.

Maddy summaryThe Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2023 expands tax benefits for low-to-moderate income workers and families with children. It lowers the minimum age for the Earned Income Credit from 25 to 19 (with exceptions for students, former foster youth, and homeless youth), removes the age 65 maximum, and increases credit amounts and income thresholds. The bill also establishes a permanent system for monthly advance payments of the Child Tax Credit, with higher payments ($300 monthly) for children under age 6 compared to $250 for older children. It includes inflation adjustments to maintain the value of these credits over time and creates mechanisms for determining eligibility and recapturing payments in certain circumstances. The provisions apply to all states and U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and American Samoa.

Maddy summaryS 305 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce and sell commemorative coins (gold, silver, and half-dollar denominations) to mark the U.S. Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. Each coin sale includes a surcharge ($5 to $35 per coin) that will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with proceeds paid directly to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The coins will be sold from January 1 to December 31, 2025, and the surcharge structure ensures no net cost to taxpayers by covering production expenses through sales. This bill directly affects the U.S. Mint (in coin production), the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (as recipient of funds), and the public (as potential buyers).

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the income limit for deducting mortgage insurance premiums on federal income taxes. It increases the cap from $100,000 (or $50,000 for married filing separately) to $200,000 (or $100,000), making the higher limit permanent. The change directly affects middle-income homeowners who pay mortgage insurance and itemize deductions. The provision applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2021, and modifies Internal Revenue Code Section 163(h)(3)(E).