Sen. Sherrod Brown

Maddy summaryS 260, the Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act, amends Medicare rules to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify coverage for specialized diabetic shoes for beneficiaries with diabetes. This change directly affects Medicare patients requiring diabetic footwear by expanding the healthcare providers authorized to meet documentation requirements. The key provision updates Section 1861(s)(12) of the Social Security Act to include these providers where "physician" is currently listed. This simplifies access to covered footwear without altering Medicare benefits or costs.

Maddy summaryThe Caring for All Families Act expands family medical leave protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to include more relatives and domestic partners. It adds new provisions allowing employees to take leave for school activities related to their children or grandchildren, routine medical appointments for family members (including domestic partners and elderly individuals with family-like relationships), and care for elderly individuals who are not biologically related but have a close family-like bond. Employees may take up to 4 hours per 30 days or 24 hours per year for these purposes, in addition to existing leave entitlements. This bill applies to both private sector employees covered by the FMLA and federal employees under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. The changes clarify that "family" includes domestic partners, extended family members like grandparents and siblings, and individuals with a significant personal bond that functions like a family relationship.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture to develop educational resources and programs about African American history, including digital tools, teacher training, and museum collections. It directs the museum's director to use $2 million annually (2024-2028) to create accessible materials for schools, educators, and the public, focusing on historical contributions and civil rights movements. The program requires annual reports to Congress on fund usage and includes provisions for translating materials, expanding exhibitions, and supporting school curriculum adoption. It directly affects the museum, K-12 schools, and educators through funded resources, while ending funding authorization after 2028.

Maddy summarySRES 21 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating January 1-February 1, 2023, as National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month. It encourages awareness-raising activities during this period to support efforts against human trafficking and modern slavery, linking the observance to National Freedom Day on February 1. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funds; it serves as a non-binding call for coordinated awareness campaigns by federal, state, tribal, and local entities. It directly affects public awareness efforts rather than specific populations, though it references trafficking statistics and victim support frameworks. The resolution aligns with existing federal anti-trafficking laws but focuses solely on commemorative recognition.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It lowers the required employment duration from 12 months to 90 days for most workers to qualify for leave, and extends this 90-day rule to federal, presidential, and congressional employees. The bill also reduces the employer size threshold from 50+ employees to just 1+ employee, requiring nearly all employers to provide FMLA leave. These changes directly affect workers seeking leave and small businesses previously exempt from FMLA requirements. The provisions apply to leave taken on or after the bill's enactment date.

Maddy summaryThe FAIR Fees Act of 2023 requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to create regulations within 270 days that prohibit airlines from charging unreasonable or disproportionate fees for specific services. It targets fees for changing/canceling reservations, checked baggage, seat selection, and other flight-related charges. The regulations must ensure fees align with actual costs airlines incur, like processing changes or handling baggage, and require airlines to seat families with children under 13 together at no extra cost. This applies to all airlines operating under U.S. aviation regulations (those holding a DOT air carrier certificate).

Maddy summaryS 173, "Ethan's Law," requires firearm owners to store guns securely in homes where minors (under 18) or individuals ineligible to own firearms might access them. It amends federal law to make non-compliant storage an offense punishable by a $500 fine per violation, with enhanced penalties (up to 5 years in prison) if injury or death results. The bill creates a federal grant program to support states with laws matching its secure storage requirements, offering funding incentives for states that enact similar measures. It directly affects homeowners with firearms in households containing minors or prohibited persons, aiming to reduce accidental child access and firearm-related injuries.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for two key U.S. agricultural export promotion programs. It raises the annual budget for the Market Access Program from $200 million to $400 million and for the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program from $34.5 million to $69 million, extending these funding levels through 2029 (previously capped at 2023). The bill directly affects U.S. agricultural producers and exporters, including those growing commodities like soybeans, beef, dairy, and wheat, by providing more resources to access international markets. These changes aim to counter competitive disadvantages from foreign competitors and address years of stagnant funding adjusted for inflation.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the FAIR Act (S 124), increases federal employee pay raises for calendar year 2024. It mandates a 4.7% base pay increase for all federal employees covered by statutory pay systems (most positions) and prevailing rate systems (based on local wages), effective January 2024. It also sets a 4.0% increase for locality-based pay adjustments under existing law. The bill directly affects all federal civilian employees whose pay is determined by these specific statutory systems.

Maddy summaryThe Better Care Better Jobs Act (S 100) aims to improve access to home and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries by providing federal funding to states for developing improvement plans and implementing an HCBS Infrastructure Improvement Program. The bill offers enhanced federal funding (a 10 percentage point increase in Medicaid matching rates) to states that meet requirements including maintaining or expanding HCBS access, improving direct care worker wages and training, and implementing quality measurement systems. States must develop detailed plans assessing current HCBS availability, workforce conditions, and barriers to access, and then report annually on progress toward specific benchmarks. The bill also makes permanent certain Medicaid provisions related to spousal impoverishment protection and extends the Money Follows the Person program, directly affecting Medicaid beneficiaries and direct care workers.