Sen. Robert Menendez

Patients Before Middlemen Act or the PBM Act  This bill prohibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or Medicare Advantage from receiving any income for their services other than bona fide service fees. Specifically, PBMs may not receive any income other than flat, bona fide service fees that are specified in their contracts with prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors. Such fees may not be based on drug prices, discounts, rebates, or any other remuneration. PBMs must turn over any excess amounts they receive to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. PDP sponsors and PBMs must annually certify their compliance with these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific street area in Washington, D.C. (between 16th Street NW and Fuller/Euclid Streets NW) and the address 2630 16th Street NW as "Oswaldo Payá Way." It requires the District of Columbia to install new street signs with this name and updates all official references to the location accordingly. The bill is purely a naming resolution, with no policy changes or direct impact on individuals beyond the physical designation of the area near the Cuban Embassy.

Maddy summaryS 1926 would expand US-Uruguay economic ties by adding Uruguay to a trade program offering tariff benefits, enabling US businesses to access Uruguay under specific visa programs (E-1/E-2), and requiring a review of Uruguay's eligibility for the US visa waiver program. It directly affects US businesses seeking to operate in Uruguay and Uruguayan citizens seeking US business visas. Key provisions include updating trade designations, treating Uruguay as a qualifying country for business visas, and mandating a 90-day report on visa waiver eligibility. The visa waiver review is a procedural requirement, not an immediate policy change.

Maddy summarySRES 243 is a Senate resolution designating June 2023 as "Immigrant Heritage Month" to honor the contributions of immigrants and their children to the United States. It highlights their roles in key areas like health care (e.g., 27% of physicians), economic growth, and cultural diversity, without creating new laws or altering policies. As a non-binding resolution, it encourages public recognition through community events but does not affect any legal status or rights.

Maddy summarySRES 244 is a Senate resolution condemning Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which cuts off critical supplies to approximately 120,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh - including 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly, and 9,000 people with disabilities. The resolution demands the U.S. suspend military aid to Azerbaijan, supports sanctions against officials responsible for human rights violations, and urges international investigations into Azerbaijani actions. It specifically references Azerbaijan’s 2022 blockade of the corridor, sabotage of infrastructure (like gas pipelines and hospitals), and violations of the 2020 ceasefire agreement. The resolution also calls for U.S. leadership in securing humanitarian aid and international observer access to the region.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence, which will identify and organize resources for individuals affected by gun violence. It directly impacts victims (including those wounded, threatened, witnessing incidents, or connected to victims) and their families, as defined by the bill to cover suicide, homicide, domestic violence, mass shootings, and other firearm-related incidents. The council will assess victim needs, compile best practices for medical, financial, mental health, and legal support, and publish accessible resources online and to government offices. The council must report to Congress and state agencies within 180 days of enactment, with a follow-up report two years later, but requires no new federal funding and expires after five years.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to include questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics (intersex traits) in their demographic surveys, such as the census and health studies. Agencies must establish data standards within 360 days of the bill's enactment, using methods that ensure voluntary participation, privacy, and confidentiality, while avoiding personally identifiable information after three years. The law directly affects federal agencies conducting covered surveys, aiming to fill a gap in current data collection where intersex populations are not measured. Reports based on these surveys must include this data within three years, though agencies may request case-by-case waivers if compliance would harm survey quality or violate privacy laws.

Maddy summaryThe Disability Access to Transportation Act establishes a one-stop paratransit pilot program to allow transportation trips to include a single stop (at least 15 minutes) for essential activities like childcare, pharmacy visits, or grocery shopping, reducing wait times for people with disabilities. It also mandates new accessibility standards for sidewalks and pedestrian paths, creates a streamlined system for filing transportation discrimination complaints online or by phone, and launches a data pilot to measure access to jobs, healthcare, and other key destinations by disability and demographic factors. The bill directly affects people with disabilities using public transportation, transit agencies providing paratransit services, and local governments responsible for transportation planning, with $75 million annually allocated for the paratransit pilot over five years. Mandatory reporting on program outcomes and complaint resolutions ensures transparency and accountability in implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to request financial institutions to provide data on how individuals involved in domestic terrorism or gun violence acquire firearms and accessories. Within one year of enactment, FinCEN must consult with law enforcement agencies and analyze the data to develop an advisory identifying suspicious financial patterns linked to gun violence. If sufficient data isn't collected, FinCEN must report to Congress detailing gaps and barriers. The bill also requires defining key terms like "lone wolf" and "firearm accessory" to guide this process.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens oversight of licensed gun dealers by increasing compliance inspections from once to three times annually (Section 2) and raising criminal penalties for violations from one to five years (Section 3). It introduces new requirements, including mandatory physical inventory checks when dealers unlawfully transfer firearms or 10+ crime guns are traced to them (Section 8), and allows the ATF to suspend licenses or impose $10,000 civil penalties per violation for safety failures or trafficking-related offenses (Section 5). The bill also expands license denial grounds to include public safety risks or unsuitability (Section 9) and mandates biennial reports on implementation to Congress (Section 12). These changes directly affect licensed firearms dealers, importers, manufacturers, and collectors under federal law.