Maddy summaryThe CHILD Labor Act strengthens protections against child labor by defining "oppressive child labor" to include specific dangerous occupations for children under 18, such as manufacturing, mining, trenching, and meat processing. It prohibits Federal contractors from employing children under 16 in any work and restricts 16-17 year olds from hazardous occupations, requiring contractors to implement training programs and establish labor-management committees to monitor compliance. The bill significantly increases penalties for violations, including civil fines up to $750,000 for violations causing death or serious injury, and adds criminal penalties for willful violations. It also requires the Department of Labor to issue "child labor tags" for goods produced with prohibited child labor and submit annual reports to Congress on work-related injuries and deaths.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill modernizes unemployment insurance by establishing minimum benefit levels (26 weeks of coverage, 75% wage replacement, and a $250 weekly jobseeker allowance), eliminating waiting periods, and expanding eligibility for workers affected by harassment, domestic violence, or medical emergencies. It creates new triggers for extended benefits during recessions and increases available weeks during high unemployment periods, with potential additional weeks based on unemployment rates. The bill requires states to implement these changes by January 2025 or earlier, directly affecting unemployed workers, their families, and state unemployment insurance programs nationwide. It also establishes a new jobseeker allowance program with potential increases during economic downturns.
Maddy summaryThis bill extends 12-month continuous enrollment periods for Medicaid and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) coverage, eliminating annual renewal requirements for all enrollees. It removes the previous age limit (under 19) for Medicaid continuous coverage and replaces "child" with "individual" in CHIP rules, applying the same 12-month stability to both adults and children. The key change prevents coverage loss due to administrative renewals, ensuring people maintain health insurance for a full year without reapplying. This directly affects current Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries who would previously have faced annual eligibility reviews. The policy takes effect one year after the bill's enactment.
Maddy summaryS 3129, the Farm to School Act of 2023, expands federal support for programs connecting schools and early childhood programs with local farmers. It increases annual funding for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program from $5 million to $15 million, sets a $500,000 maximum grant amount per recipient, and requires projects to prioritize serving children from disadvantaged backgrounds or incorporating traditional Tribal foods. The bill mandates the Secretary to review regulatory barriers affecting local food procurement every three years and explicitly prioritizes projects involving Tribal agricultural producers, beginning farmers, and socially disadvantaged producers. Directly affecting schools, local farmers, Tribal communities, and land-grant colleges, it creates new mechanisms for procurement, educational activities, and improved distribution systems for locally sourced food.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal funding rules to support stillbirth prevention programs. It allows funds under the Social Security Act to cover evidence-based activities like tracking fetal movements, improving birth timing for high-risk pregnancies, smoking cessation support, and community home visits. The bill directly affects pregnant individuals, particularly those in higher-risk groups identified in the findings (such as Black mothers, those with medical conditions like diabetes, or those aged 35+). Key provisions update funding language to explicitly include stillbirth prevention research and programs, aiming to address disparities where stillbirth rates are significantly higher among certain demographics. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to expand access to proven prevention strategies.
Maddy summaryThe PROTECT Act (S 3108) establishes a federal initiative to reduce youth and young adult e-cigarette use. It directs the CDC to conduct research on youth e-cigarette patterns, product characteristics, and access methods; develop health provider guidance; identify prevention strategies; and run public education campaigns about e-cigarette risks. The bill authorizes $100 million annually (2024-2028) to fund state health departments and tribal organizations implementing youth-focused prevention and cessation programs. This initiative affects youth and young adults directly by targeting e-cigarette access and use, while requiring CDC and health agencies to coordinate new research and outreach efforts.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a Medicare buy-in option for first responders aged 50-64 who retired or became disabled due to service. It allows eligible individuals (including police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel) who aren’t already enrolled in Medicare to purchase comprehensive Medicare coverage (Parts A, B, and D) at a premium calculated based on average Medicare costs. The premium is paid monthly to the Medicare trust funds, and coverage coordinates with Affordable Care Act plans to ensure access to premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies. The program does not affect existing Medicare beneficiaries or the financial stability of Medicare trust funds.
Maddy summaryThe ABC Act requires Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security offices to review and simplify their application, eligibility, and communication processes. It directly affects family caregivers who help loved ones navigate these programs by targeting repeated paperwork, inconsistent information requests, and poor communication. Key mechanisms include mandating agencies to reduce duplicate forms, improve website accessibility (including ADA compliance), shorten call wait times, and provide multilingual support based on feedback from caregivers and advocacy groups. Agencies must submit detailed reports to Congress within one year outlining their findings and planned improvements.
Maddy summaryThe Safe Schools Improvement Act (S 3105) requires states receiving federal education funding to mandate public elementary and secondary schools to adopt comprehensive anti-bullying policies. These policies must prohibit bullying based on protected characteristics like race, gender identity, disability, or religion, include annual parent/student notices, establish complaint procedures, and collect anonymized data on incidents. Schools must publicly report annual data on bullying frequency at the school and district levels. The law also requires states to submit biennial reports on implementation and triggers a federal evaluation to assess the policy's impact on reducing bullying. It explicitly states the law supplements, but does not replace, existing civil rights protections like Title IX.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Medicaid program specifically for disaster survivors, creating a 2-year "relief coverage period" starting from when a major disaster is declared by the President. It simplifies enrollment by removing documentation requirements, allowing survivors to self-attest to eligibility based on income (up to 133% of poverty line or home state standard), and providing continuous coverage without redeterminations during the relief period. The program includes special provisions for mental health services, home and community-based care, and retroactive coverage for medical services provided during the disaster. It also provides 100% federal funding for this coverage, with states required to provide medical assistance equal to what would be available under their regular Medicaid program.