Maddy summaryS 2960, the "Expanding the VOTE Act," requires states and local election officials to provide voting materials (including digital and printed ballots, notices, and instructions) in minority languages when communities meet specific population thresholds. It clarifies that "voting materials" now explicitly include digital content and mandates new notices for jurisdictions near population thresholds. For American Indian and Alaska Native communities with unwritten languages, it requires oral assistance instead of written translations, while still mandating written materials for election workers. The bill also creates $15 million in grants to help jurisdictions provide materials in languages that don’t yet meet coverage thresholds, and directs a study on lowering population thresholds for language access requirements.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill makes Federal Pell Grants tax-free for students. It amends the tax code to exclude Pell Grants from taxable income, meaning recipients won't pay federal income tax on these funds. The change applies to Pell Grants awarded under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as long as they're used for qualified education expenses like tuition. The policy change takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases excise taxes on multiple tobacco products to create tax parity, meaning previously lower-taxed products will now face rates similar to cigarettes. It doubles the tax on roll-your-own tobacco ($24.78 to $49.56 per pound), sets pipe tobacco at $49.56 (up from $2.83), and significantly raises smokeless tobacco rates (e.g., from $1.51 to $26.84 per unit). The bill also imposes a new tax on nicotine for vaping products ($100.66 per 1,810 milligrams) and adds an inflation adjustment mechanism for future tax rates. These changes directly affect manufacturers and importers of tobacco products and nicotine, altering their tax liabilities under the Internal Revenue Code.
Maddy summaryThis bill bans the private possession, sale, or transfer of rifles capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition, with exceptions for government use and rifles lawfully owned before the law's enactment. It requires owners of such rifles to register them with the National Firearms Registry within 12 months (without fees), and adds these rifles to existing federal firearm reporting requirements. The bill also expands restrictions to prevent firearms from reaching foreign narcotics traffickers designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Act and modifies legal protections for gun sellers who knowingly supply prohibited weapons.
Maddy summarySRES 355 is a Senate resolution recognizing that Native American communities on federal reservations, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian communities face critical barriers to clean drinking water, with nearly half lacking reliable access. It affirms the Federal Government’s trust responsibility to address this issue and directly urges the executive branch to take concrete action. The resolution calls for creating an interagency task force to expedite water infrastructure projects, provide technical assistance to tribes for accessing federal funding, and ensure infrastructure development is not delayed by unresolved water rights disputes. It emphasizes that existing funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act requires better support to be effectively implemented, without tying progress to water rights settlements. This resolution expresses the Senate’s policy stance but does not create new legal requirements.
Maddy summaryThe Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2023 requires companies that deploy automated decision systems making critical life decisions (such as for housing, employment, healthcare, or financial services) to conduct impact assessments before and after implementation. Covered entities include businesses with over $50 million in annual revenue or those handling data for more than 1 million consumers, which must document system impacts and mitigate negative effects on consumers. Companies must submit annual summary reports to the Federal Trade Commission detailing their assessments, with the FTC creating a public repository of anonymized information to inform consumers and researchers. The law mandates transparency about how systems affect consumers but does not require full disclosure of all assessment details. This bill establishes concrete requirements for accountability in automated decision-making systems affecting critical aspects of consumers' lives.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires colleges to notify students participating in state or federally funded work-study programs about their potential eligibility for SNAP (food stamp) benefits. Specifically, institutions must send electronic notifications detailing SNAP eligibility requirements, state-specific application contacts, and an official document confirming work-study status to overcome a common eligibility barrier. The notifications must be developed jointly by the Education and Agriculture Departments and tailored to each student’s state. This directly affects undergraduate and graduate students in work-study programs who may qualify for SNAP but face confusion about their eligibility.
Maddy summaryS 2895, the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act of 2023, makes the federal adoption tax credit refundable. This change directly affects low-income adoptive parents who previously could not claim the credit if they owed no federal income tax. The bill restructures the credit in the tax code to allow families to receive it as a direct payment, even if their tax liability was zero. It applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022, and includes a transitional rule for credits carried forward from prior years. The law does not alter the credit amount or eligibility criteria, only its refundability.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs to create clear anti-harassment policies covering harassment based on race, sex, disability, religion, and other protected characteristics. These policies must specifically prohibit harassment occurring online (via emails, social media, or institutional networks), on campus, in dorms, and during school-sponsored activities. It also establishes a $50 million annual grant program to fund campus prevention programs, counseling services, and training for students, faculty, and staff on recognizing and addressing harassment. The law adds these requirements to existing federal protections under Title IX and the Civil Rights Act, without replacing them.
Maddy summarySRES 353 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating the week of September 16-23, 2023, as "National Estuaries Week." It expresses the Senate’s support for raising public awareness about the ecological and economic importance of estuaries. The resolution highlights estuaries’ role in supporting jobs, economic output, and critical habitats, while acknowledging threats like pollution and habitat loss. This procedural resolution has no direct regulatory or funding impact - it serves solely as a formal acknowledgment of estuaries’ value.