Sen. Patty Murray

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It lowers the required employment duration from 12 months to 90 days for most workers to qualify for leave, and extends this 90-day rule to federal, presidential, and congressional employees. The bill also reduces the employer size threshold from 50+ employees to just 1+ employee, requiring nearly all employers to provide FMLA leave. These changes directly affect workers seeking leave and small businesses previously exempt from FMLA requirements. The provisions apply to leave taken on or after the bill's enactment date.

Maddy summaryS 173, "Ethan's Law," requires firearm owners to store guns securely in homes where minors (under 18) or individuals ineligible to own firearms might access them. It amends federal law to make non-compliant storage an offense punishable by a $500 fine per violation, with enhanced penalties (up to 5 years in prison) if injury or death results. The bill creates a federal grant program to support states with laws matching its secure storage requirements, offering funding incentives for states that enact similar measures. It directly affects homeowners with firearms in households containing minors or prohibited persons, aiming to reduce accidental child access and firearm-related injuries.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 19) recognizes the importance of establishing a national "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution" to commemorate Fred Korematsu's lifelong fight against the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and his later warnings against post-9/11 civil liberties violations. It encourages the public to reflect on preserving civil liberties during national emergencies, building on existing state observances (California, Florida, Hawaii, Virginia, and Arizona) that already designate January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day. The resolution does not create new law or policy but formally urges national recognition of Korematsu's legacy for civic education.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American civil rights advocate who challenged the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. It directs the Treasury Secretary to create a single gold medal bearing Korematsu's image and name, which will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs. The medal recognizes Korematsu's lifelong advocacy for civil liberties and his role in exposing the government's misleading claims that led to the Supreme Court's 1944 Korematsu v. United States decision. This is a commemorative measure with no new legal requirements or policy changes.

Maddy summaryS 129, the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2023, prohibits federal authorities from detaining individuals solely based on protected characteristics. The bill amends federal law to define "protected characteristics" as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristics the Attorney General may designate. It explicitly bans imprisonment or detention based exclusively on these traits, with no allowance for the Attorney General to remove any listed characteristic. This directly affects anyone subject to federal detention, ensuring protections against discrimination in custody decisions under current law.

Maddy summaryThe Better Care Better Jobs Act (S 100) aims to improve access to home and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries by providing federal funding to states for developing improvement plans and implementing an HCBS Infrastructure Improvement Program. The bill offers enhanced federal funding (a 10 percentage point increase in Medicaid matching rates) to states that meet requirements including maintaining or expanding HCBS access, improving direct care worker wages and training, and implementing quality measurement systems. States must develop detailed plans assessing current HCBS availability, workforce conditions, and barriers to access, and then report annually on progress toward specific benchmarks. The bill also makes permanent certain Medicaid provisions related to spousal impoverishment protection and extends the Money Follows the Person program, directly affecting Medicaid beneficiaries and direct care workers.

Maddy summaryThis bill would admit Washington, D.C. as the 51st state, officially named "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth," granting it full representation in Congress with two Senators and one Representative. It would establish a "Capital" area within the new state that remains under federal jurisdiction, including the White House, Capitol Building, and other key government properties. The bill would repeal the District of Columbia's congressional delegate position and the 23rd Amendment, which currently provides D.C. with electoral votes in presidential elections. It would also provide for the transition of federal properties, courts, and government functions while maintaining federal control over the Capital area.

Maddy summaryThe BUILD for Veterans Act of 2023 aims to improve how the Department of Veterans Affairs manages its physical infrastructure, including buildings, land, and related assets used to deliver health care and services to veterans. Key provisions require the VA to establish dedicated staffing for capital asset management at medical centers, develop performance metrics to track progress, and create a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan addressing staffing, budgeting, and planning needs. The bill also mandates climate resilience reviews for VA facilities, centralized management of asset disposal and reuse, and regular reports to Congress on capital asset projects, funding requirements, and performance metrics. These changes directly affect VA's operations across all medical centers, facilities, and infrastructure assets under its jurisdiction, aiming to make capital asset management more efficient and responsive to veterans' needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 13-member commission to study the history of slavery in the U.S. and its ongoing effects on African Americans. The commission will examine slavery from 1619 to 1865, post-emancipation discrimination (including Jim Crow, redlining, and educational inequity), and current disparities in wealth, incarceration, and health. It will compile evidence and recommend potential remedies to Congress, including educational initiatives and frameworks for compensation, but does not authorize any reparations payments. The commission must submit its findings within one year of its first meeting.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a refundable tax credit for restaurants and food service businesses that suffered pandemic-related revenue losses. Eligible businesses can claim up to $25,000 per calendar quarter in credit against payroll taxes for wages paid between January 2023 and December 2023, provided they met revenue loss criteria (50% drop in 2020 or 70% in 2021 vs. 2019) and were established before March 2020. The credit directly helps small food service businesses by offsetting payroll costs during recovery, with excess credit refundable if it exceeds payroll tax obligations. It applies only to businesses that qualified under the American Rescue Plan Act but did not receive initial SBA grants.