Maddy summaryThe Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023 strengthens workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively by amending key labor laws. It clarifies that multiple employers can be held accountable for labor practices (joint employer definition), makes it harder for employers to misclassify workers as independent contractors, and prohibits employers from permanently replacing workers who strike. The bill requires employers to provide detailed voter lists for union elections, strengthens protections against anti-union discrimination, and increases penalties for unfair labor practices (up to $100,000 for repeat violations). It directly affects workers seeking union representation, employers who must comply with new requirements, and labor organizations conducting organizing campaigns. The bill aims to make it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate better wages and working conditions.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Data for American Jobs Act of 2023 amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to improve data collection and linkage between education and workforce systems, particularly for career and technical education programs. It requires the National Center for Education Statistics to collect and disseminate data on student progress through career and technical education programs and into the workforce, including using wage and employment records where available. The bill authorizes $100 million for fiscal year 2025 to fund state grants for developing statewide longitudinal data systems that track students from early education through postsecondary education and into the workforce. These systems must align with education and workforce laws, protect student privacy, and help close achievement gaps. The bill directly affects state education agencies, local schools, career and technical education programs, and workforce development agencies.
Maddy summaryThe LIFT Homebuyers Act of 2023 creates a new program to help low-income first-time homebuyers purchase single-family homes. It establishes a government fund to subsidize mortgage payments, capping them at 100-110% of standard 30-year FHA loan payments for eligible buyers earning under 120% of local median income (140% in high-cost areas). The program requires borrowers to self-attest to eligibility - such as being a first-time homebuyer with no parental home ownership history - without additional verification. It applies to mortgages insured by HUD or USDA with case numbers issued by December 2025, aiming to expand access through simplified loan terms and reduced upfront costs.
Maddy summaryS 2299 prohibits the federal government from imposing or carrying out the death penalty for any violation of federal law after the bill's enactment date. It also requires that any person already sentenced to death for a federal offense before enactment be resentenced. The bill directly affects all individuals currently facing or convicted of federal crimes that carry the death penalty under current law. This legislation would eliminate the federal death penalty as a sentencing option and mandate new sentencing hearings for existing death row cases.
Maddy summaryThis bill (SJRES 37) requires the President to obtain either Senate approval (with a two-thirds vote) or new legislation from Congress before suspending, terminating, or withdrawing the U.S. from the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO). It blocks federal funding for any such action until Congress passes a joint resolution approving withdrawal by a two-thirds vote or enacts new law. The President must also consult with congressional foreign affairs committees and notify them 180 days in advance of any withdrawal plans. Congress can authorize its legal counsel to sue to block unauthorized withdrawal attempts, ensuring judicial challenges can be pursued. The bill directly affects the executive branch's authority to act on NATO commitments without congressional consent.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits defendants from using a victim's LGBTQ+ sexual orientation or gender identity as a legal defense to excuse or reduce punishment for violent crimes. It directly affects criminal trials in federal courts where defendants claim such characteristics provoked their violent actions against LGBTQ+ individuals. The law amends Title 18 of the U.S. Code to ban this specific "panic defense" while allowing courts to consider evidence of the defendant's past trauma under standard evidence rules. It also requires the Attorney General to annually report on federal prosecutions involving bias-motivated violence against LGBTQ+ people.
Maddy summaryThis bill would ban all smoking and vaping - including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, and vape pens - in every Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility. It directly affects veterans, patients, staff, contractors, and visitors using or working at VHA locations like medical centers, clinics, nursing homes, and outpatient facilities. The law explicitly prohibits smoking on all VHA premises, covering both traditional tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems. The bill amends existing law to implement this comprehensive ban across all VHA-operated facilities under Department of Veterans Affairs jurisdiction.
Maddy summaryS 928, the "Not Just a Number Act," requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish an annual report on veteran suicide rates starting 18 months after enactment. The report must include detailed data broken down by age, gender, and race/ethnicity, plus comparisons between veterans who used VA health services (like Vet Centers or mental health care) versus those who did not, and veterans engaged with VA benefits programs (such as education assistance, disability compensation, or housing loans). The bill also mandates a toolkit for state/local coroners to better identify and report veteran suicides, and a study on creating a dedicated VA suicide prevention office. These requirements aim to improve data collection, analysis, and reporting on veteran suicide trends to inform prevention strategies.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates the outdoor amphitheater at the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Virginia, as the "Rick Boucher Amphitheater." It changes the official name of this specific facility within the National Park System. All future references in federal documents, maps, or records to the amphitheater will use the new name. The bill has no policy impact beyond this naming change.
Maddy summaryThe SHOPP Act of 2023 amends the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program to expand eligibility for nutrition incentives. It adds legumes (like beans and lentils) to the list of eligible items and allows fresh frozen fruits and vegetables to be used year-round, instead of requiring only fresh produce. This directly affects low-income SNAP participants in the program who use incentives to buy healthier foods. The changes take effect March 6, 2024, making frozen produce and legumes accessible year-round under the incentive.