Sen. Patty Murray

Maddy summaryS 2784, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, is a commemorative resolution honoring civil rights pioneer Constance Baker Motley. It authorizes the posthumous presentation of a Congressional gold medal to her son, Joel Motley III, and niece, Constance Royster, recognizing her historic role as the first African-American woman on the LDF legal team for *Brown v. Board of Education*, her service as a federal judge, and her civil rights advocacy. The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to design and strike the medal, with proceeds from bronze duplicates covering costs. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, as it solely serves to commemorate Motley's legacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill would make several administrative changes to the Social Security Administration, including exempting it from the jurisdiction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and certain executive orders, restricting political appointees from accessing beneficiary data systems, and preventing closure of field offices while requiring maintenance of staff levels. It also creates new offices within the SSA for civil rights, transformation, and analytics, and provides additional funding for administrative costs and customer experience improvements. These provisions would directly affect how the SSA manages its operations, protects beneficiary data, and delivers services to beneficiaries. The bill's title is misleading as it does not address billionaires or their relationship with Social Security.

Maddy summarySRES 374 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lacks the confidence of the Senate and American people to serve in his role. The resolution cites specific actions including the termination of $11 billion in public health funding, mass firings of scientists (notably eliminating 8 Offices of Minority Health), replacing all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) with critics of vaccines, and dismantling programs supporting maternal health, disability services, and chronic disease research. It alleges these actions violated federal law, undermined scientific integrity, and endangered public health during a measles outbreak. The resolution calls for the Secretary’s removal but has no legal effect, as it is a symbolic statement of disapproval.

Maddy summaryThe Lowering Electric Bills Act extends federal tax credits for clean energy adoption through 2034, directly affecting homeowners installing solar panels or heat pumps and businesses producing clean electricity. It modifies three key tax provisions: (1) extends the residential clean energy credit deadline from 2025 to 2034, (2) adjusts the clean electricity production credit to expire based on U.S. emissions reaching 25% of 2022 levels or 2032 (whichever comes later), and (3) simplifies the clean electricity investment credit rules. These changes aim to maintain financial incentives for clean energy projects beyond current law, reducing administrative complexity. The bill does not create new programs but prolongs existing tax benefits to support ongoing adoption.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act to require the U.S. Department of State to include detailed reporting on reproductive rights in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Specifically, it mandates that reports describe each country’s policies on access to contraception, abortion services, and comprehensive reproductive health care, including rates of pregnancy-related deaths, discrimination against women/LGBTQI+ individuals, and disparities based on race, disability, or other factors. The bill also requires consultation with civil society organizations and experts during report preparation. This affects how the U.S. government documents and assesses reproductive rights policies in other countries, without altering domestic U.S. law or funding.

Maddy summaryThe West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025 imposes U.S. sanctions on foreign individuals or entities responsible for specific actions threatening peace in the West Bank. It targets those who commit violence against civilians, threaten violence to force relocation, destroy private property without consent, or engage in terrorism. Sanctions include freezing U.S. assets, banning visas, and restricting entry for designated individuals. Exceptions cover humanitarian aid (food, medicine, agricultural commodities) and activities required for U.S. intelligence or international obligations. The law requires regular reports to Congress on implementation and West Bank violence assessments.

Maddy summaryThe Access to Birth Control Act (S 2302) requires pharmacies to provide contraception without delay when available and to help customers obtain it if out of stock - either by referring to another pharmacy or expediting an order. It prohibits pharmacies from intimidating customers, misrepresenting availability, breaching confidentiality, or refusing to return valid prescriptions for contraception. Exceptions allow pharmacists to decline service only if a prescription is missing, the customer cannot pay, or they use professional clinical judgment. Violations may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day or private lawsuits by affected individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a section of immigration law to update eligibility criteria for certain Native American and Indigenous individuals. It removes a requirement for "at least 50 percent blood quantum" and instead defines eligibility based on tribal membership: being a member (or eligible to join) of a federally recognized U.S. Indian Tribe, or holding Canadian Indian status under the Indian Act or membership in a Canadian self-governing First Nation. The change directly affects tribal members in the U.S. and Canadian First Nations members seeking specific immigration benefits. The key mechanism is replacing outdated language with current tribal recognition standards in the law.

Maddy summaryThe Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2025 establishes a federal commission to investigate the history, impacts, and lasting effects of Indian Boarding Schools on Native American communities, including physical, cultural, and emotional consequences. The commission will document these impacts through research, hold meetings across the country to gather testimony from survivors and tribal representatives, and collaborate with a Survivors Truth and Healing Subcommittee and two advisory committees. The commission will produce an initial report within four years and a final report before terminating six years after enactment, with recommendations for Federal action to address the legacy of these policies. This legislation aims to formally acknowledge historical trauma caused by Indian Boarding Schools and guide future Federal efforts toward healing and reconciliation.

She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equality and Safety Act or the She DRIVES Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to revise motor vehicle safety standards to require the use of certain anthropomorphic test devices (i.e., crash test dummies) and testing on female crash test dummies. Specifically, DOT must issue final rules to revise the current testing regulations to include specific adult male and adult female frontal impact and side impact crash test dummies. The final rules must establish or update the testing injury criteria based on real-world injuries and the greatest potential to increase safety. The injury criteria must include head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, upper leg, and lower leg criteria for the crash test dummies. The final rules must also establish crashworthiness frontal and side impact tests for adult female occupants in all front seating positions that are currently tested for adult male occupants (as of the date of the bill's enactment). Further, DOT must promulgate a final decision notice to update the testing procedures for the  New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require the use of these crash test dummies for frontal and side impact crashworthiness testing. Finally, DOT must submit reports to Congress that, among other things, identify timelines for DOT to incorporate additional types of crash test dummies into the regulations and identify testing devices used in other countries for similar crashworthiness standards.