Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Maddy summaryThis bill would require the U.S. Secretary of State to re-designate Yemen's Houthi group (Ansarallah) as a foreign terrorist organization within 90 days of enactment. It mandates the President to impose existing sanctions under two executive orders - blocking property under E.O. 13224 and restricting travel under E.O. 13780 - on Ansarallah and its members, agents, affiliates, or entities they own or control. These sanctions would apply to the group and its associated individuals or organizations, directly affecting the Houthi leadership and their operational networks. The bill does not create new sanctions but directs the re-imposition of existing measures previously revoked by the Biden administration.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. border officials to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as "Remain in Mexico," for all eligible asylum seekers at the southern border. It changes the law to make MPP mandatory (replacing "may" with "shall" in immigration law), directly affecting migrants seeking asylum and border enforcement personnel. The key provision is a simple legal amendment ensuring MPP is applied without discretion, rather than allowing officials to choose whether to use it. This would require migrants to wait in Mexico while their U.S. asylum cases are processed, rather than being permitted to remain in the U.S. during the review. The bill does not alter asylum eligibility criteria or create new procedures.

Maddy summaryThe CLEAR Act of 2025 aims to enhance cooperation between state/local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities by requiring states to provide information about apprehended aliens to federal officials and creating a database of immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center. The bill provides financial assistance to states that cooperate with immigration enforcement, increases federal detention space, and establishes training programs for law enforcement officers. It also creates legal immunity for officers following the law and expands a program to identify and remove criminal aliens from prisons. The bill directly affects state and local law enforcement agencies, federal immigration officials, and undocumented immigrants who are apprehended.

Maddy summaryS 117 (AMERICANS Act) prevents the military from discharging or taking adverse action against service members who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. It revises discharge rules to allow adjustments to honorable status for those separated solely over vaccine refusal, reinstates members to prior ranks, and expunges related records from service files. The bill also requires the military to retain unvaccinated members equally, creates exemption processes for natural immunity, health conditions, or religious beliefs, and cancels bonus repayment obligations for those separated over vaccine refusal. It directly affects active-duty service members and veterans separated under prior vaccine mandates.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to destroy all existing firearm transaction records from discontinued firearms businesses within 90 days of the law taking effect. It also amends federal law to prevent the government from collecting such records from these businesses in the future. The ATF must report to Congress on the number of records destroyed. The bill directly affects how the federal government handles firearm transaction data for businesses that have ceased operations.

Maddy summaryS 115, the GATE CRASHERS Act, makes it a federal crime to enter clearly marked restricted or closed Department of Defense (DOD) property without authorization. The bill creates new penalties under Title 18: up to 180 days in jail for a first offense, up to 3 years for a second offense, and up to 10 years for a third or subsequent offense. It directly affects individuals who trespass on DOD facilities despite clear signage restricting access. The law applies to all property under DOD jurisdiction that is marked as closed or restricted, with penalties escalating for repeat violations. This bill does not alter existing DOD security protocols but establishes specific criminal penalties for unauthorized access.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 122) codifies qualified immunity for law enforcement officers under federal law, specifically amending Section 1983 of the Revised Statutes. It directly affects federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers with arrest powers, including police officers and agents of law enforcement agencies. The key provision states officers cannot be held liable in civil lawsuits unless the constitutional right they allegedly violated was "clearly established" at the time of the incident, or a prior court ruling found the specific conduct lawful. This creates a clearer legal standard for holding officers accountable while shielding them from liability for reasonable mistakes.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time limit for prosecuting fraud involving pandemic relief funds from 5 years to 10 years. It applies specifically to violations related to major COVID-19 programs like the CARES Act, American Rescue Plan, and Paycheck Protection Program. The key provision allows criminal prosecutions, customs forfeitures, and false claims lawsuits to proceed within 10 years of the fraud occurring, rather than the standard shorter timeframe. This change aims to give prosecutors more time to investigate and pursue cases involving misused pandemic funding. It directly affects federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and individuals or entities accused of fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief money.

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship. Further, the bill (1) prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship. Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by certain sources. Additionally, states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters. The bill allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

Maddy summaryThe PRECEPT Nurses Act creates a $2,000 annual tax credit for registered nurses who mentor nursing students or newly hired nurses (within their first six months of employment) in designated health professional shortage areas. To qualify, preceptors must complete at least 200 hours of mentoring annually, verified by certification from either the nursing school or clinical site. The credit applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, and expires after 2032, requiring annual reports to Congress and an evaluation of its effectiveness by 2033.