Sen. Markwayne Mullin

Maddy summaryThis bill allows businesses to immediately deduct research and development (R&D) costs instead of spreading them over 60 months, directly benefiting companies investing in innovation. It increases the refundable R&D credit cap for small businesses from $250,000 to $750,000 over time, with specific phase-in amounts starting in 2025. Additionally, it expands access for startups by raising the gross receipts threshold for eligibility from $5 million to $15 million and increasing credit rates for qualified small businesses. These changes aim to make R&D tax incentives more accessible and valuable for smaller companies and new ventures.

Maddy summaryThis bill delays Medicare payment changes for ground ambulance services until 2028 and adds temporary rate increases during a transition period. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries using ambulance services and ambulance providers who bill Medicare, particularly in rural areas. Key provisions extend the effective date for payment adjustments from October 2025 to January 2028 and establish temporary payment rates: 26.7% for super-rural ambulance services and 4.3% or 3.4% for regular ground ambulance services during the transition period (October 2025-January 2028). These changes aim to prevent sudden payment cuts that could disrupt access to ambulance care.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires broadband providers and large "edge providers" (like social media, streaming, and search companies) to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF), which supports affordable broadband in rural and high-cost areas. It expands the USF contribution base beyond traditional phone companies to include these digital services, with exemptions for smaller providers (e.g., those handling under 3% of U.S. data or earning under $5 billion annually). The Federal Communications Commission must create new rules within 18 months to ensure fair contributions and establish a specific support mechanism for broadband providers serving high-cost areas. The goal is to make broadband more affordable for consumers by ensuring broader funding for universal service programs.

Maddy summaryS 1609, "Ellie’s Law," authorizes $10 million annually (2026-2030) for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to fund comprehensive research on unruptured brain aneurysms. The bill directly affects patients - particularly women, African Americans, and Hispanic individuals who face higher rupture risks - and medical researchers studying prevention and treatment. Key provisions require the research to diversify study populations by age, sex, and race, while ensuring new funds supplement, not replace, existing brain aneurysm research funding. This addresses a critical gap, as current federal spending averages just $2.94 per patient annually despite the condition affecting 6.8 million people and costing $2 billion yearly in direct medical expenses.

Maddy summarySRES 196 is a ceremonial Senate resolution congratulating the University of Oklahoma women's gymnastics team for winning the 2025 NCAA national championship, their seventh title in program history. The resolution recognizes their victory over UCLA, Missouri, and Utah, their 33-2 season record, and their 15th consecutive NCAA Regional Championship win. It formally expresses the Senate's praise for the team's "hard work and dedication" and celebrates their achievement as a source of pride for Oklahoma and the Sooners community. (This is a procedural resolution with no policy impact or affected parties.)

Maddy summaryS 1574, the Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act, allows tribal courts to legally request electronic evidence from service providers under the same rules as state courts. It directly affects tribal courts and tribal governments by adding "Tribal court" to the definition of "court of competent jurisdiction" in the Stored Communications Act. Key provisions require warrants for electronic evidence to follow specific tribal court procedures outlined in the Indian Civil Rights Act (25 U.S.C. 1302(a)(2)), rather than solely federal or state rules. This change ensures tribal courts can independently seek warrants for digital evidence stored for 180 days or less, aligning their authority with state courts. The bill makes no changes to the actual content of warrants but formalizes tribal courts' standing in electronic evidence requests.

This bill increases the annual limit on the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenses (also referred to as the short line railroad tax credit) and expands eligibility for claiming the credit. Under current law, the tax credit is limited each tax year to $3,500 multiplied by the sum of the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the taxpayer (miles owned or leased) and the number of railroad track miles assigned to the taxpayer by a Class II or III railroad (miles assigned). This bill increases the annual limit to $6,100 multiplied by the sum of miles owned or leased and miles assigned. The $6,100 amount used in the calculation of the tax credit limit is adjusted for inflation for tax years beginning after 2025. The bill also expands eligibility for the tax credit to include gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2024. Under current law, the tax credit is limited to gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2015.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution commemorates the 30th anniversary of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people. It expresses the Senate’s condolences to victims’ families, recognizes the community’s resilience and the heroic response to the attack, and affirms the importance of the Oklahoma City National Memorial as a symbol of hope. The resolution has no policy impact but serves as a formal expression of national remembrance.

Maddy summaryThe Combating Organized Retail Crime Act amends federal law to strengthen legal tools for addressing organized retail crime, including theft from stores, online, and supply chains. It establishes a new Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts. The Center will share information, assist with investigations, track crime trends, and provide training to combat these crimes. The bill expands legal definitions to include organized retail crime as a specific category and requires annual reports on the Center's activities. The Center will operate for 7 years before sunset.

Maddy summaryThe POWER Act of 2025 amends the Stafford Act to help electric utilities recover from disasters more effectively. It allows utilities to combine hazard mitigation (like hardening infrastructure) with emergency power restoration efforts using federal disaster funds, and ensures that receiving emergency restoration aid doesn't block them from later qualifying for hazard mitigation assistance. This directly affects electric utilities that receive federal disaster relief under Section 403 of the Stafford Act. The changes apply only to funds appropriated after the bill's enactment.