Sen. Jeff Merkley

Maddy summaryThe SAFE Lending Act of 2024 aims to protect consumers in small-dollar lending by implementing several key protections. It prohibits financial institutions from creating checks without a consumer's written authorization, requires small-dollar lenders (those offering credit under $5,000, adjusted annually for inflation) to register with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and bans certain fees for prepaid accounts like overdraft charges. The bill also restricts how sensitive financial information can be collected for small-dollar credit applications, requiring transparency and direct provision of credit by the entity collecting the information. Additionally, it mandates a study on small-dollar credit's impact on Native American tribes and requires the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to issue implementing rules within one year.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution recognizes September 20, 2024, as "National LGBTQ+ Veterans Day" to honor the service of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) veterans who served despite historical discrimination. It formally acknowledges past harmful policies - including the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era and bans on transgender service - that led to discharges and denied benefits to LGBTQ+ veterans. The resolution urges the Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense to continue addressing past injustices, improving access to benefits, and ensuring transgender veterans receive full healthcare, including gender-affirming care.

Maddy summarySRES 828 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing the chamber’s position that every person has the right to emergency health care, including abortion care, during medical emergencies. It highlights that abortion restrictions in emergencies force providers to choose between treating patients or risking criminal charges, disproportionately harming Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, low-income individuals, and LGBTQI+ patients. The resolution specifically notes that such bans create dangerous uncertainty for life-threatening conditions like severe hemorrhage, sepsis, or placenta previa. As a symbolic statement, it does not create new law or alter existing policies.

Maddy summaryThe Homes Act of 2024 establishes a new Housing Development Authority within HUD to create permanently affordable, climate-resilient housing that's shielded from market speculation. The Act requires at least 40% of new units to be reserved for extremely low-income families, with rents set at 25% of household income, and includes strong tenant protections including just-cause eviction standards. It creates new requirements for community control, ensuring residents have a direct role in management and decision-making for housing developments. The Act also establishes specific labor provisions requiring prevailing wages and local hiring for construction projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. Treasury to instruct American representatives at international financial institutions (like the World Bank) to oppose loans for projects that pose a risk of using forced labor, particularly those involving state-run entities in Xinjiang, China. It requires these institutions to vet projects for forced labor risks, detail mitigation efforts, and report annually to Congress on projects where forced labor could occur. The law specifically targets projects linked to Xinjiang’s forced labor concerns, as documented by Congress and international bodies. It does not ban all Chinese projects but mandates U.S. opposition to loans with significant forced labor risks.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits financial markets from listing or trading any agreements, contracts, or swaps tied to political elections or election outcomes. It directly affects financial institutions, exchanges, and clearinghouses that handle derivative products, banning them from offering or facilitating bets on election results or related metrics. The key mechanism amends the Commodity Exchange Act to explicitly forbid such election-linked financial instruments from being traded or cleared through registered entities. This creates a clear regulatory barrier to prevent speculative betting on electoral contests.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates September 2024 as "National Voting Rights Month" to highlight historical and ongoing voting rights issues in the U.S. It encourages all Americans to support voting access and urges Congress to pass specific voting rights legislation, including the Freedom to Vote Act and the Democracy Restoration Act. The resolution also recommends that schools teach about voting history, voter suppression, and current voting restrictions. As a symbolic measure, it does not create new laws but aims to raise awareness about voting rights challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the U.S. Postal Service to mail alcoholic beverages under specific conditions, primarily affecting registered businesses like wineries, breweries, and retailers. It requires shipments to be delivered directly to individuals aged 21+ with photo ID, prohibits resale, and mandates businesses to register with the Postal Service and prepay state taxes. The bill explicitly states it does not override state, local, or tribal laws banning or regulating alcohol shipments. These changes take effect once USPS issues implementing regulations or within two years of the bill's passage.

Right to IVF Act This bill provides a statutory right to access fertility treatments (e.g., in vitro fertilization). Specifically, under the bill, individuals have the right to access fertility treatments and to make decisions about the use of their reproductive genetic material (e.g., embryos) without limitation or interference. Health care providers and insurers have the right to provide and cover these services, respectively. Manufacturers of applicable drugs or devices also have the right to provide these drugs or devices. The bill supersedes state laws that limit or otherwise interfere with the provision of fertility treatments as set out under this bill, including laws that require medically unnecessary procedures or services in conjunction with fertility treatments or that restrict the ability of individuals to receive fertility treatments based on marital status or sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity). The bill does not affect state health and safety regulations for medical facilities or health care providers that are in accordance with widely accepted and evidence-based medical standards and for which the purpose cannot be achieved in another, nonrestrictive manner. The Department of Justice may bring civil actions against states, individuals, or entities that implement or enforce limitations or requirements that violate this bill. Individuals and health care providers may also bring civil actions.  In addition, the bill provides for coverage of fertility treatments under Medicare and Medicaid and for members of the uniformed services and veterans. It also requires private insurers that cover obstetrical services to also cover fertility treatments.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to strengthen federal efforts addressing harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. It requires a federal Task Force to produce a comprehensive Action Strategy every five years examining causes, ecological consequences, economic impacts, and potential solutions for HABs across diverse water systems. The bill establishes a National Harmful Algal Bloom Observing Network to integrate monitoring capabilities and creates a National-Level Incubator Program to develop new prevention and mitigation strategies through merit-based funding. It authorizes $19.5 million annually for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and $8 million for the Environmental Protection Agency from 2024 through 2028 to implement these initiatives, directly affecting federal agencies, coastal communities, and industries dependent on healthy aquatic ecosystems.