Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a voluntary federal program to help landowners reduce groundwater use while maintaining agricultural production. It allows eligible entities (like state governments, tribes, or nonprofits) to purchase conservation easements on groundwater rights from landowners in areas facing significant groundwater depletion, covering up to 65% of the easement costs. The easements require measurable reductions in groundwater pumping but permit continued farming and compatible land uses, with programs prioritizing areas where groundwater monitoring exists. Landowners with eligible land - such as cropland, rangeland, or pasture - can participate, and the program must support local groundwater management goals while protecting community and environmental benefits.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 593 designates approximately 12,898 acres of federal land in Taos County, New Mexico, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, as the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness. It modifies the boundary of Río Grande del Norte National Monument to include this new wilderness area, as shown on a 2022 map. The bill allows the maintenance of existing wildlife water structures (like guzzlers) within the wilderness if they enhance wildlife values and minimize visual impacts, requiring a cooperative agreement with New Mexico within one year of enactment. This directly affects land management practices in the designated wilderness and the national monument boundary.
Maddy summaryS 2217, the IDEA Full Funding Act, mandates specific annual federal funding levels for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support public education services for students with disabilities. It requires the federal government to appropriate increasing percentages of the total estimated cost - starting at 14.2% for FY 2024 and rising to 40% by FY 2033 - based on the number of eligible students and national average per-pupil spending. This directly affects public schools and state education agencies that receive IDEA funding, guaranteeing phased increases in federal support over a decade. The bill sets concrete, legally binding funding targets without altering eligibility or service requirements for students.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends over 30 sections of the Internal Revenue Code to replace gendered language like "husband and wife" with gender-neutral terms such as "married couple" or "spouses." It directly affects all married taxpayers by ensuring the tax code refers to married couples in inclusive language, regardless of gender. The key mechanism is updating specific tax code provisions to use neutral terminology throughout, including changing "his spouse" to "the individual's spouse" in numerous sections. This is a technical correction to modernize the language of the tax code, not a change to tax rates, deductions, or policy. The bill does not alter tax obligations or benefits for married couples.
Maddy summarySRES 282 is a non-binding Senate resolution recognizing June 2023 as "LGBTQ Pride Month" to honor the contributions and resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals across the United States. It does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges historical challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, including discrimination, hate crimes (such as the Pulse and Club Q shootings), and barriers to equality in employment, healthcare, and housing. The resolution encourages all Americans to learn about the LGBTQ community's history of struggle and achievement during June 2023. Introduced by 44 bipartisan senators, it serves as a symbolic gesture of support without altering any legal rights or obligations.
Maddy summarySRES 276 is a non-binding Senate resolution opposing state laws that criminalize or punish individuals for seeking or providing essential health care, including abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care. It specifically condemns state actions that penalize people for pregnancy outcomes (such as miscarriages or self-managed abortions) and criminalize health care providers who support access to these services. The resolution affirms that people should access sexual and reproductive health care without fear of legal repercussions and notes that such criminalization disproportionately impacts marginalized groups, including people of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQI+ people. As a formal statement of Senate opposition, it does not change existing laws but highlights concerns raised by medical and human rights organizations.
Maddy summaryThis resolution approves 1996 regulations governing labor-management relations for Senate employees. It applies standard federal labor rules (from Chapter 71) to specific Senate workplaces, including leadership offices, committees, and staff units like the Office of the Secretary of the Senate. The regulations define covered employees and outline how labor-management procedures - such as collective bargaining and grievance processes - will operate within these Senate offices. As a procedural approval of existing rules (not new policy), it does not change current workplace practices but formally adopts the 1996 framework for Senate staff.
Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates funding for the fiscal year 2024 to support the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies, covering a wide range of programs including farm loans, rural development, food safety inspections, and nutrition assistance. Key provisions allocate specific sums to the Farm Service Agency for agricultural loans, the Farm Bill programs for crop insurance and conservation, and the Food and Nutrition Service to operate school meal programs like the National School Lunch Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The legislation also provides resources for the Rural Development mission to offer housing and business loans, funds the FDA to regulate food and drug safety, and includes various restrictions on how agencies can use the money, such as limits on administrative expenses and requirements to notify Congress before making significant changes to programs or relocating offices. Additionally, the bill contains specific directives, such as prohibiting the use of funds to purchase poultry from China for school lunches and requiring that iron and steel products used in rural water projects be produced in the United States.
Maddy summaryThe Apprenticeship Pathways Act of 2023 funds industry groups (like business associations or nonprofits) to create apprenticeship programs for secondary school students and disconnected youth (ages 16-25 not in school or employment). It requires these groups to focus on high-need fields like construction (carpentry, plumbing), healthcare (EMTs, pharmacy technicians), and technology, while prioritizing students from high-poverty areas, rural communities, and underrepresented groups. The bill covers 50% of apprentice wages and supports wraparound services like childcare assistance, transportation, and academic tutoring. It aims to connect young people to skilled careers through structured on-the-job training and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Maddy summaryThe Small Farm Conservation Act (S 2180) creates a dedicated subprogram within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide targeted support to small-scale agricultural producers. It requires a minimum $2,500 payment per producer for conservation practices, boosts payments by 50% for soil health systems on farms under 50 acres, and allocates $100 million annually (2024-2028) specifically for this subprogram. Funding is split: 35% ensures tailored technical assistance (via trained staff and outreach), while 65% provides direct financial aid to eligible producers, including historically underserved groups like beginning farmers, veterans, and those in high-poverty areas. The bill mandates a streamlined application process for faster access to payments and requires annual reporting on program results.