Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr.

Maddy summaryThe CARE Act of 2024 strengthens child labor protections for agricultural workers by revising age requirements to limit work for children under 16, prohibiting children under 18 from being pesticide handlers, and expanding employer definitions to include independent contractors. It increases civil penalties for violations, requires new reporting on child labor and work-related injuries, and creates coordination between labor enforcement agencies. The bill directly affects agricultural employers and children working in farming, with the goal of improving safety and limiting hazardous work conditions for young workers. These changes will apply to violations occurring after new regulations are implemented within one year of enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new job category for direct support professionals (DSPs) in the federal Standard Occupational Classification system. DSPs are workers who provide personalized care to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, helping them with daily tasks, community participation, and achieving independence goals. The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to add a specific code (31-1123) under healthcare support occupations within 30 days of enactment. This change aims to improve data collection on DSP workforce shortages and high turnover rates, which currently affect service stability for people with disabilities. It does not change funding, services, or regulations - only how these workers are classified for statistical purposes.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 599) expresses the U.S. Senate's support for protecting Iranian political refugees residing in Ashraf-3, Albania. It specifically addresses over 900 former political prisoners (including women who endured torture and witnessed Iran's 1988 massacre) who relocated from Iraq to Albania in 2016. The resolution urges the U.S. government to condemn Iran's threats - including cyberattacks and sham legal proceedings - and to assist Albania in upholding the refugees' rights under international agreements like the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Human Rights Convention. It calls for opposing Iran's misuse of international arrest warrants to target these refugees and ensuring their freedom of expression and safety.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 9-member commission to study whether the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia should transfer to the Smithsonian Institution. The commission must examine the museum’s collections, finances, governance, legal constraints, and feasibility of integration - including costs for operating a new Smithsonian museum outside Washington, D.C. - and report findings within two years. It will also develop a fund-raising plan and legislative recommendations for potential transfer. The bill does not authorize the transfer itself but sets up a formal review process. The study will directly affect the museum’s future operations and relationship with the Smithsonian.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates federal child nutrition program rules to improve support for childcare centers and family day care homes. It requires childcare centers to renew eligibility annually (instead of permanently), creates a formal appeals process for "serious deficiency" findings, and mandates a new committee to reduce paperwork burdens. The committee will include diverse stakeholders like childcare providers, state agencies, and parent advocates to streamline applications and documentation. These changes directly affect childcare centers, family day care homes, and state agencies administering the program, aiming to simplify compliance while maintaining program integrity.

Maddy summaryThe PAST Act of 2024 amends the Horse Protection Act to strengthen protections against "soring" - the deliberate infliction of pain on horses to exaggerate their gait, primarily affecting Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses at shows, exhibitions, or sales. Key provisions include defining prohibited "action devices" (like certain boots or weighted shoes), implementing stricter disqualification periods for sore horses (180 days, then 1 year, then 3 years), requiring licensed, conflict-free inspectors, and increasing penalties for violations (fines up to $5,000 per offense and up to 3 years in prison). The bill directly affects event organizers, inspectors, competitors, and horse owners by mandating new inspection protocols and enforcement. It focuses on concrete policy changes to prevent animal cruelty in the horse show industry.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates two tax credits to incentivize domestic infant formula manufacturing in the United States. The Domestic Infant Formula Manufacturing Investment Credit provides a 30% tax credit for eligible companies that invest in qualifying manufacturing facilities, with a limit of $150 million per project and $750 million total. The Infant Formula Production Credit offers a $2 per pound tax credit for eligible infant formula manufactured and sold in the U.S., limited to 18 million pounds annually per company. Both credits are available only to companies with global revenue under $750 million and expire after 10 years. These provisions aim to encourage domestic production of infant formula that meets U.S. safety standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends federal health law to create grants supporting medical student training in rural and underserved areas. It provides funding for partnerships between medical schools and community health providers (like rural clinics or federally qualified health centers) to expand clinical rotations for students in those communities. Grants last 1-5 years and require detailed plans for quality improvement, sustained access to care, and post-funding continuity. The goal is to increase long-term physician presence in high-need areas by connecting medical education with community health needs. It directly affects medical students, participating healthcare facilities, and residents of underserved communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated for beneficiaries. It requires using either the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) or the new Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E), whichever results in a higher increase, instead of the current standard index. The change applies to COLAs determined for cost-of-living computation quarters ending on or after September 30, 2024, directly affecting Social Security beneficiaries. The bill also mandates the Bureau of Labor Statistics to publish the CPI-E index to track spending patterns for people aged 62 and older.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates the personal casualty loss deduction for taxpayers affected by crimes, scams, or disasters, allowing them to deduct these losses from their taxable income again. It specifically applies to losses incurred in taxable years ending before January 1, 2022, for which deductions were previously suspended. The bill also extends the deadline for filing amended tax returns to claim refunds related to these deductions, pushing the window until the date set for filing returns in the year the bill is enacted. This change directly benefits individuals who suffered qualifying losses but couldn't claim tax relief due to the prior suspension of this deduction.