Maddy summaryThe BUILDS Act (S 4205) provides federal grants to fund industry partnerships that develop worker training programs in infrastructure sectors like construction, energy, and transportation. It directly affects workers with barriers to employment (such as those receiving welfare or lacking skills), infrastructure businesses, and training providers by creating paid on-the-job training programs paired with classroom instruction. Key mechanisms include $2.5 million implementation grants for new partnerships and $1.5 million renewal grants for existing ones, requiring partnerships to track outcomes like job placement rates, credential attainment, and diversity metrics. The law mandates partnerships to collaborate with businesses, labor groups, and education providers to align training with industry needs while reporting annual progress on specific performance indicators.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySRES 655 is a Senate resolution passed on April 18, 2024, to honor the late Joseph I. Lieberman, a former U.S. Senator from Connecticut (1988-2013), following his death. The resolution recognizes his career, including his role in creating the Department of Homeland Security, establishing the 9/11 Commission, and advocating for civil rights and environmental protections. It directs the Senate to adjourn in his memory and transmit a copy to his family, expressing the Senate's sorrow and respect. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or affect policy, as it solely commemorates his legacy.
Maddy summaryThe PCTEC Act establishes a federal grant program to create and expand primary care team education centers at community health clinics. These centers partner with health professional schools to train students in multidisciplinary settings, addressing shortages of clinical faculty and preceptors through innovative compensation models and support services like housing assistance. The bill authorizes up to $50 million annually for grants (max $1 million per year per center) to support partnerships, integrate non-traditional health workers (e.g., school nurses), and track outcomes like student participation and preceptor retention. Centers must report annually on metrics including student numbers, teaching hours, and how they serve health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution authorizes the use of the Capitol rotunda for the lying in honor of Army Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient for actions during the Korean War, on April 29, 2024. It specifically recognizes Puckett and honors the service of over 5.7 million military personnel who served in the Korean conflict (1950-1953). The Architect of the Capitol will implement this under direction from the Senate President pro tempore and House Speaker.
Maddy summaryThe Digital Skills for Today's Workforce Act (S 4139) creates a federal grant program to expand digital skills training for workers in in-demand industries. It targets individuals with barriers to employment, including those with limited digital skills, low educational attainment, low earnings, or limited English proficiency, with a focus on addressing disparities that disproportionately affect workers of color. States would receive funding based on population factors and must use funds to award subgrants to eligible organizations for digital skills training, including curriculum development and professional development for instructors. The bill requires states and grant recipients to report on program outcomes with disaggregated data by race, ethnicity, and other demographic factors, and to make reports publicly available.
Maddy summarySRES 645 is a ceremonial Senate resolution designating April 20-28, 2024, as "National Park Week." It does not create new laws or affect any group directly; instead, it formally recognizes this week to highlight the National Park System. The resolution encourages the public to responsibly visit, experience, and support national parks, referencing the system’s history, visitor statistics (325 million visits in 2023), and economic impact ($50.3 billion in 2022). As a non-binding resolution, it has no legal effect but serves to promote awareness of national parks.
Maddy summaryThis bill limits unlicensed individuals to one handgun purchase every 30 days and requires licensed dealers to facilitate transfers between unlicensed individuals. It establishes a national framework for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others, with specific due process protections including hearings and time limits. The bill also requires reporting of lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours, prohibits reckless storage of firearms that could endanger children under 14, and expands prohibitions on firearm possession for individuals convicted of stalking or subject to certain court orders. It includes provisions for federal funding to help states implement ERPO programs and requires states to report ERPOs to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Maddy summaryThe Neighborhood Homes Investment Act creates a new tax credit to encourage rehabilitation and construction of affordable homes in distressed communities. The credit, calculated as the lesser of the rehabilitation cost difference or 35% of development costs, is designed to address the "value gap" preventing housing revitalization. It requires homes to be sold to qualified homeowners (earning no more than 140% of area median income) in designated census tracts with high poverty rates and low homeownership. Homeowners must keep the homes as their primary residence for five years, after which they may sell but must repay a portion of the credit if sold within that period. The bill aims to generate 500,000 new homes over 10 years while promoting fair housing practices and neighborhood revitalization.
Maddy summary# Summary of the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act This comprehensive legislation establishes a framework to support and improve conditions for the direct care professional workforce (including home health aides, nursing assistants, and similar workers) through multiple key provisions: 1. **Workplace Violence Prevention** - Requires healthcare facilities to develop and implement written workplace violence prevention plans, including risk assessments, training, incident reporting procedures, and anti-retaliation policies. The plan must include specific measures to address different types of workplace violence (Type 1-4). 2. **Paid Sick Time** - Mandates that employers provide direct care professionals with paid sick time (1 hour for every 30 hours worked), with specific uses including: - Medical care for the employee - Caring for family members (children, parents, spouse, domestic partner) - Addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking - Public health emergencies (with additional paid sick time provided during declared emergencies) 3. **National Compensation Strategy** - Establishes a National Direct Care Professional Compensation Strategy to: - Identify ways to provide direct care professionals with livable wages - Guide State Medicaid agencies in compensating direct care professionals at full labor cost - Create a National Direct Care Professional Compensation Advisory Council with diverse representation - Address challenges including part-time work nature, workforce mobility, and inequities related to race, ethnicity, and immigration status 4. **Evaluation Framework** - Requires an evaluation of the Act's implementation and outcomes by an external evaluator with experience in home and community-based services, disability programs, and healthcare workforce programs. The evaluation will assess impacts on: - Workforce recruitment, retention, and advancement - Compensation and working conditions - Burnout and attrition rates - Access to long-term care services - Costs to Medicare and Medicaid programs The legislation aims to improve the quality of care for older individuals and people with disabilities by strengthening the direct care workforce through better compensation, safer working conditions, and improved benefits.
Maddy summaryThe Carried Interest Fairness Act of 2024 would change how investment fund managers are taxed on their share of profits (called "carried interest"). Currently, this is often taxed as capital gains (at lower rates), but the bill would require that certain gains be treated as ordinary income (taxed at higher rates) for managers who provide investment management services to partnerships. The bill would directly affect investment managers working for private equity, venture capital, and similar funds. Key mechanisms include reclassifying net capital gains from these interests as ordinary income, limiting ordinary losses to previously treated ordinary income, and changing how dispositions of these interests are taxed. The bill aims to align tax treatment with the nature of the compensation, which is more like wages than capital gains.