Sen. Jeff Merkley

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Major Richard Star Act (S 1032), allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both their military retired pay and Veterans Affairs disability compensation simultaneously. It amends U.S. Code sections to remove the automatic reduction in retired pay that previously forced these veterans to choose between the two payments. The key change ensures veterans with combat-related disabilities qualify for full retired pay without offset against their VA disability benefits, effective for payments starting after the bill's enactment date. This directly affects veterans receiving military retired pay under Chapter 61 who also qualify for VA disability compensation for combat-related injuries.

Maddy summaryS 1042, the Smoke Exposure Research Act, directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund research on wildfire smoke taint affecting wine grapes, directly benefiting vineyards and wineries in California, Oregon, and Washington. The bill mandates research to identify smoke-related compounds, develop fast testing methods for smoke-affected grapes and wine, create a database of natural taint levels, and explore mitigation tools to reduce smoke damage. It requires coordination with land-grant universities in those states and allocates $6.5 million annually from 2026 to 2030 for this research. The focus is on creating practical solutions for the wine industry facing increasing wildfire smoke exposure.

Maddy summaryThe Putting Veterans First Act of 2025 protects veterans, military spouses, caregivers, survivors, and reserve component members who work in federal civil service. It requires the reinstatement of those removed, demoted, or suspended between January 20, 2025 and the bill's enactment date, with back pay and restored benefits. The bill also establishes protections against future removals without proper justification, mandates regular reporting on military community employment, and restricts changes to VA operations like office closures, hiring freezes, and telework policies without congressional notice. Additionally, it requires VA to restore canceled contracts and improve transparency through weekly workload reports and published wait times for community care.

Maddy summaryS 974, the Taiwan Representative Office Act, would rename the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C., to the "Taiwan Representative Office" and update all U.S. government references to reflect this change. The bill directs the Secretary of State to negotiate the name change, ensuring all U.S. laws, documents, and court records consistently refer to the renamed office for official purposes. It explicitly states this renaming does not restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan or alter U.S. policy on Taiwan’s international status, aligning with the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. The measure directly affects the office’s official designation and how U.S. agencies and courts reference it in all records.

Maddy summaryThe HELPER Act of 2025 creates a new FHA mortgage insurance program specifically for first responders and teachers, allowing them to purchase homes with no down payment. It defines "first responders" as full-time law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and K-12 teachers employed by government or accredited schools. The program requires applicants to be first-time homebuyers with 4 years of recent employment in their field, complete housing counseling, and intend to remain in their role for at least one year after closing. Mortgages under this program must be used for a primary residence, cover 100% of the home's appraised value, and exclude monthly insurance premiums.

Safe Schools Improvement Act This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits). Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.

Maddy summaryThe Women's Retirement Protection Act (S 988) requires spousal consent for certain distributions from defined contribution retirement plans (like 401(k)s), addressing a gap where these common plans currently lack protections for spouses that traditional pension plans provide. It aims to protect women's retirement savings during divorce, when retirement accounts are often the largest asset divided. The bill also authorizes $100 million annually for grants to improve financial literacy among women and assist low-income women and domestic violence survivors in obtaining retirement benefits through divorce. These provisions directly affect millions of women who face retirement income gaps due to the gender pay gap and caregiving responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThe PROTECT Students Act of 2025 requires institutions of higher education to disclose debt-to-earnings rates and earnings premium data to help students evaluate program value. It strengthens borrower defense protections for students misled by institutions, prohibits institutions from limiting students' legal rights to pursue claims, and mandates that institutions spend at least 30% of tuition revenue on instruction. The bill also requires transparency about institutional finances, program outcomes, and third-party relationships to help students make informed decisions. These provisions directly affect students, higher education institutions, and third-party servicers. The act aims to improve accountability and transparency in higher education, particularly for for-profit institutions.

Maddy summaryThis bill transitions Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees from TSA-specific personnel systems to the standard federal system under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, requiring completion by December 31, 2025. It prohibits changes to current TSA personnel policies during transition, ensures no reduction in pay or benefits for employees, and preserves collective bargaining rights for screening agents. The bill mandates annual reports on workforce satisfaction, retention rates, and actions to improve morale, as well as reports on recruitment, diversity, and workplace safety to Congress. It includes specific protections for Federal Air Marshals regarding mental health, suicide rates, and workplace conditions. The TSA must submit detailed implementation plans to Congress within 7 days of the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Postal Regulatory Commission to block any new periodical mail rate increases unless the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) meets strict on-time delivery targets for periodicals (like newspapers). Specifically, USPS must achieve either 95% on-time delivery or a 2-point improvement over its best prior year’s performance. It also mandates annual public reports from the Postmaster General tracking periodical delivery performance (including in-county/out-of-county newspaper mail), with flexibility if data collection proves impractical. Additionally, the bill directs the GAO to study alternative pricing models to improve financial outcomes for USPS services that don’t cover their costs.