Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

Maddy summarySRES 215 is a Senate resolution designating May 9, 2023, as National Fentanyl Awareness Day. It supports raising public awareness about the dangers of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills, which are often disguised as legitimate medications and contribute to overdose deaths. The resolution encourages existing law enforcement efforts to combat counterfeit pill distribution and acknowledges the severe impact of fentanyl on young people, citing statistics on rising overdose deaths. It does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes the issue through congressional support.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates the week of May 14-20, 2023, as "National Police Week" to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. It recognizes 444 officers killed in 2022 (including specific names listed in the resolution) and acknowledges 32 officers killed in 2023, while expressing support for law enforcement personnel. The resolution encourages the public to observe this week by honoring law enforcement officers and promoting awareness of their essential service. As a ceremonial resolution, it does not create new policy or alter existing laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows state and local governments to adopt measures divesting public funds from entities engaging in boycotts targeting Israel or businesses in Israeli-controlled territories, while requiring specific procedural safeguards. Key provisions include a 90-day notice period to affected entities, an opportunity for entities to dispute the designation, and verification requirements to prevent erroneous targeting. It explicitly states that such state actions are not preempted by federal law and includes a safe harbor for investment managers adjusting policies. The bill directly affects public pension funds, municipal investments, and government contractors that meet the defined boycott criteria. It does not create new federal mandates but clarifies that states retain authority to implement these measures under their existing legal frameworks.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes key restrictions on Medicare telehealth services for rural patients. It eliminates geographic limits on where telehealth can originate (allowing services from patients' homes starting January 2025), expands access to audio-only telehealth for specific services like behavioral health, and creates new payment rules for critical access hospitals and rural health clinics providing telehealth. These changes directly affect rural Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers in underserved areas by making telehealth more accessible and flexible. The policy changes take effect January 1, 2025, and apply to Medicare Part B services.

Maddy summaryS 1641, the USPS Act, requires the Comptroller General to investigate nationwide mail and postal property theft annually for five years. The reports must detail current Postal Service security measures and offer recommendations for improving theft prevention, submitted to the House Oversight Committee and Senate Homeland Security Committee. This bill directly affects the U.S. Postal Service and Congress by mandating regular, detailed oversight of theft patterns. It does not create new security policies but establishes a reporting mechanism to inform future decisions. The focus is on transparency and data collection, not on immediate operational changes.

Maddy summaryThe SOAR Act amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to create a new "special recreation permit" system for outdoor recreation providers operating on federal lands. It establishes clear definitions, fee structures (either predetermined fees or a percentage of gross receipts), and streamlined processes including online applications. The bill creates transitional permits for outfitting and guiding services that can become long-term permits after meeting performance requirements, while providing mechanisms for surrendering unused visitor-use days. It also includes provisions to improve permitting efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and clarify insurance and liability requirements for recreation service providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new authorities for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to detect, identify, monitor, and mitigate drone threats to designated high-risk facilities including critical infrastructure, government buildings, airports, and other security-sensitive locations. It establishes a 5-year pilot program allowing select state and local law enforcement agencies to use specific drone detection technologies, with strict requirements for privacy protections, training, and coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. The bill limits the use of technologies that disrupt radio or electronic signals, requires intercepted communications to be maintained for no more than 180 days, and mandates annual congressional reporting on the use of these authorities. It also includes detailed provisions for risk-based assessments, privacy safeguards, and coordination with transportation authorities to ensure national airspace safety.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 23) seeks congressional disapproval of a specific rule issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The rule, published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2022, established regulations for listing endangered/threatened species and designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. If passed, this resolution would nullify that rule, preventing it from having legal effect. The bill directly affects how the National Marine Fisheries Service implements species protection under federal law.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows states to retain 25% of funds recovered from fraudulent unemployment claims (particularly pandemic-era claims) to strengthen fraud prevention systems. States can use these funds for modernizing unemployment systems, hiring fraud investigators, covering administrative costs for fraud detection, and other program integrity activities. The bill requires states to implement specific data-matching systems to prevent fraud, including cross-checking claims against employment records, databases of incarcerated individuals, and deceased individuals. It also extends emergency staffing flexibility for fraud detection through 2030 and establishes a 10-year window for prosecuting unemployment fraud.

Maddy summaryS 1583 requires the Secretary of State to submit to Congress any classified State Department cables expressing dissent about the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan within 30 days of the bill's enactment. It also mandates that the Secretary publicly release unclassified versions of these cables within 60 days, while redacting all personally identifiable information about the cable authors. This bill directly affects the Secretary of State, Congress, and the public by establishing a timeline for transparency regarding internal government disagreements on the Afghanistan withdrawal. The key mechanism is the mandatory submission and public release of dissenting cables, with protections for author privacy.