Maddy summaryS 2585, the National Office of New Americans Act, establishes a new office within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate federal efforts supporting immigrant and refugee integration. The office, led by a presidentially appointed Director confirmed by the Senate, will focus on welcoming immigrants, promoting English language learning, improving workforce development access, and ensuring citizenship pathways. Key mechanisms include creating specialized deputy director roles (for citizenship, workforce, and children's integration), forming a Federal Initiative with cabinet-level agencies to coordinate services like education and legal assistance, and requiring biannual reports to Congress on integration progress and policy impacts. This bill directly affects immigrants, refugees, and federal agencies responsible for integration programs, aiming to streamline support across government.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2023 allocates $20 billion annually for fiscal years 2024-2028 to fund improvements to public school facilities nationwide. It provides grants to states, which then distribute funds to local school districts based on need, prioritizing schools serving high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. The bill requires projects to meet energy efficiency standards, address health and safety concerns (like lead in water or toxic substances), and use American-made materials when possible. It also includes specific provisions for repairing schools with foundations damaged by pyrrhotite, a mineral that causes concrete deterioration.
Maddy summaryS 2712 provides $10 billion in federal grants to help state, local, and tribal governments modernize their 9-1-1 systems to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1), which allows emergency centers to handle texts, videos, and data alongside voice calls. Eligible entities (like 9-1-1 call centers) must certify funds will only support NG9-1-1 deployment, use common technical standards, establish cybersecurity measures, and avoid certain equipment. The bill also allocates $80 million for a cybersecurity center and $10 million for an advisory board to guide implementation. Grants require strict oversight to ensure funds aren't misused, with 2% of the $10 billion allowed for administration. This directly affects public safety agencies operating emergency communication centers nationwide.
Maddy summaryThe Behavioral Health Information Technology Coordination Act creates a federal grant program to help behavioral health providers - including mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, community centers, and specialized treatment facilities - adopt certified health information technology. Grants of up to $2 million per provider for two years will fund technology that shares patient data with primary care doctors, hospitals, and emergency departments, meeting federal interoperability standards. The program requires grantees to report on improvements in care coordination, data sharing, and outcomes, with $20 million authorized annually from 2025 through 2029. This directly supports providers serving individuals with mental health and substance use disorders by modernizing their technology systems.
Maddy summaryThe Women's Retirement Protection Act would require spousal consent for certain distributions from defined contribution retirement plans (like 401(k)s), similar to protections already in place for defined benefit plans. The bill mandates that retirement plans provide written explanations of rights before distributions or beneficiary changes, with a 90-day consent period for spouses. It also creates two new grant programs: $100 million annually to improve financial literacy for women and $100 million for low-income women and domestic violence survivors to access retirement assets through divorce settlements. These provisions would directly affect women in workplace retirement plans, particularly those in defined contribution plans who currently lack spousal protections. The bill focuses on concrete changes to retirement plan rules rather than altering Social Security benefits.
Maddy summaryThe Better CARE for Animals Act of 2023 strengthens enforcement of the existing Animal Welfare Act by requiring dealers and exhibitors to maintain valid licenses for animal sales or transport. It expands enforcement authority for both the USDA and the Attorney General to pursue civil penalties (up to $10,000 per violation per day), seize animals in violation cases, and use penalty funds to cover temporary care costs for animals during legal proceedings. The bill also clarifies that enforcement applies to rules and regulations under the Act, and mandates a new coordination agreement between the USDA and DOJ to address repeat violators. These changes directly affect animal dealers, exhibitors, and federal enforcement agencies, improving accountability for animal welfare violations.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a centralized online portal for appraisers and appraisal management companies (AMCs) to handle licensing, certification, and registration processes. It requires the Appraisal Subcommittee to establish a cloud-based system where users submit applications, pay fees, and complete background checks, while connecting state licensing agencies to access all relevant applicant information. The portal streamlines state agency access to education records, experience logs, and criminal history checks processed through the FBI, with states retaining final licensing authority. Fees for portal use are set to be revenue-neutral, and states may receive grants to connect their systems to the portal.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires employers to prevent heat-related illness and injury by implementing specific protections for workers exposed to heat stress. It mandates employer actions including providing cool water, scheduled rest breaks, access to shade, acclimatization policies, and training on heat illness symptoms and responses. The law also requires employers to cover costs for personal cooling equipment, develop written heat illness prevention plans with worker input, and ensure training is accessible in workers' preferred languages. These provisions directly affect outdoor workers, agricultural laborers, construction crews, and others in high-heat occupational settings.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal criminal law to specifically protect veterans by expanding the definition of "victims" in certain fraud-related offenses. It adds "targeted veterans (as defined in Title 38)" to the list of protected individuals under Section 2326(2) of the U.S. Code, meaning crimes committed against veterans will now trigger enhanced penalties. The key change is a technical update to the legal definition, ensuring veterans are explicitly included in existing sentencing enhancements for fraud crimes. This directly affects federal prosecutors and courts when charging and sentencing individuals who commit fraud against veterans of any age. The bill does not create new programs or funding but modifies criminal penalty provisions.
Maddy summarySCONRES 2 is a symbolic congressional resolution commending Iranian protesters who risked their safety to demonstrate against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses, particularly following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by morality police for alleged hijab violations. It specifically highlights protests in over 133 cities where demonstrators, including women removing headscarves, have faced violent crackdowns, with reports of over 500 deaths and 19,000 arrests. The resolution condemns the regime's brutality, supports internet freedom tools to bypass censorship, and urges the administration to impose human rights sanctions on officials responsible for repression. As a non-binding resolution, it expresses congressional support for protesters but does not enact new laws or policies.