Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a federal program to strengthen cybersecurity for K-12 schools. It creates a publicly accessible School Cybersecurity Information Exchange website to share best practices, tools, and funding opportunities for schools and school districts. The bill also sets up a voluntary cyber incident registry (with privacy protections) and a K-12 Cybersecurity Technology Improvement Program to deploy tools, training, and ransomware prevention resources. Funded at $10 million annually for 2023-2024, it directly affects elementary schools, secondary schools, and educational agencies by providing concrete resources to address cybersecurity threats.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 1184 requires the U.S. Comptroller General to study sister city partnerships between American local governments (like cities or counties) and foreign communities from countries scoring 45 or lower on Transparency International’s 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. The study will examine partnership criteria, activities, transparency of contracts, economic risks, and potential security concerns like foreign espionage or coercion. It will assess how these partnerships affect freedom of expression, U.S. economic security, and whether they enable foreign malign activities. The Comptroller General must submit findings and recommendations to Congress within six months.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits healthcare providers and transplant centers from denying organ transplants or related services solely because a person has a disability. It requires covered entities (like hospitals and transplant centers) to make reasonable policy changes - such as involving a patient's support network or providing accessible communication - to ensure qualified individuals with disabilities can access transplants. The law clarifies that providers may only consider a disability medically significant if a physician determines it directly affects transplant success, and it establishes enforcement through the Department of Health and Human Services or lawsuits. The bill does not replace existing disability protections like the ADA but specifies how they apply to organ transplant processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal agencies from banning lead ammunition or tackle for hunting and fishing on federal lands and waters managed by the Interior Department or Agriculture Department. It directly affects hunters and anglers using these public areas by preventing federal restrictions on lead products, except in limited cases. The exception allows restrictions only on specific federal sites where state wildlife data shows lead use is harming wildlife, and only if approved by the state's fish and wildlife agency. The bill requires federal agencies to explain in public notices how any exception meets these state approval and wildlife harm criteria.

This resolution honors the memories of the victims of the attack at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 27, 2023. The resolution offers condolences to the families and friends of the victims and expresses gratitude to the first responders.

Maddy summarySRES 120 is a ceremonial Senate resolution designating March 23, 2023, as "National Women in Agriculture Day." It recognizes the significant contributions of women in U.S. agriculture, citing that they represent over one-third of agricultural producers and generated $148 billion in sales in 2017. The resolution encourages citizens to acknowledge women in the field and supports their roles as producers, educators, mentors, and leaders. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or funding but aims to highlight their impact on the agricultural workforce and food systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts federal funding for state and local governments that qualify as "sanctuary jurisdictions" under its definition. A sanctuary jurisdiction is defined as any state or local area that prohibits sharing immigration status information or refusing to comply with federal immigration detainers (with an exception for crime victims/witnesses). The bill blocks funding for Economic Development Administration grants and Community Development Block Grants if projects are located in such jurisdictions or if recipients become sanctuary jurisdictions during the grant period. Recipients must return funds if they become sanctuary jurisdictions, and the U.S. government will reallocate those funds to non-sanctuary areas.

Maddy summaryThe SAFE School Act establishes a federal grant program providing $900 million to states and school districts to improve K-12 school security. It funds three key activities: training veterans or former law enforcement officers as school safety officers (including firearm or de-escalation training), hiring such personnel, and installing security infrastructure like metal detectors, access controls, and emergency systems. The program is administered by the Attorney General’s Office of Justice Programs, with no federal restrictions on how funds are used for eligible security activities. The bill directly affects all public and private elementary and secondary schools in the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

Maddy summaryThe ALIGN Act (S 1117) permanently allows businesses to immediately deduct the full cost of qualified property (like equipment or machinery) purchased and placed in service after September 27, 2017, instead of depreciating it over time. This tax provision directly affects businesses that invest in qualifying assets, reducing their taxable income in the year of purchase. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to set a 100% "applicable percentage" for these deductions, making the change permanent. Conforming updates to related tax code sections ensure the provision works with existing rules, effective as if included in prior legislation.

Maddy summaryS 1076 expands the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) authority to seek specific remedies for consumer harm caused by unfair or deceptive business practices. It allows the FTC to request restitution for consumer losses, contract rescission, refunds, or return of property within a 3-year window after the violation occurs. The bill also clarifies that courts can order disgorgement of unjust profits (offset by prior restitution), while requiring the FTC to prove a reasonable consumer would have known the practice was deceptive and relied on it. These changes directly affect consumers harmed by deceptive business actions and streamline the FTC's process for seeking relief, including referrals to the Attorney General for additional damages under the Clayton Act.