Sen. Cynthia M. Lummis

This resolution supports the designation of February 17-February 24, 2024, as National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of globally conscious leaders who will change the world; and (2) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Give the Gift of Blue program, which has donated more than 17,000 FFA blue jackets to FFA members in need.

Maddy summarySRES 550 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating February 2024 as "Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month" to recognize the value of CTE programs. It does not create new laws or funding but formally supports CTE's role in preparing students for high-demand careers through secondary and postsecondary training. The resolution encourages educators and parents to promote CTE as a respected educational pathway, aligning with the Senate's recognition of CTE's importance for workforce development and economic competitiveness. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect but expresses bipartisan support for CTE initiatives.

Maddy summarySJRES 59 is a joint resolution that would disapprove a rule by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) treating its Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 (SAB 121) as a binding regulation. The SEC had submitted this rule for congressional review under the Congressional Review Act, and the resolution would block it from taking effect. If enacted, the disapproval would prevent SAB 121 from being enforced as a regulation, meaning public companies would not be required to follow it as a legal rule. The bill directly affects the SEC's regulatory authority and the accounting practices of public companies.

Maddy summaryS 3720, the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act of 2024, requires states to implement consumer protections for land installment contracts - where buyers pay for a home in installments while the seller retains title until full payment. The bill mandates that sellers record these contracts within 5 days of signing to protect buyers' interests from other creditors, gives buyers the right to cancel and get refunds if contracts aren't recorded, and prohibits sellers from using forfeiture clauses to take equity after payments. It directly affects homebuyers in these contracts and sellers who offer them, particularly in regions with inconsistent state rules. The law sets a two-year deadline for states to adopt these rules, with federal oversight if states fail to comply.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program to improve how the government guarantees bonds issued by community development financial institutions (CDFIs). It sets a minimum guarantee of $25 million per transaction while capping total annual guarantees at $1 billion, and extends the program's deadline to four years after enactment. The bill also requires the Treasury Secretary to report to Congress on the program's effectiveness within one and three years of enactment. These changes aim to provide CDFIs with more predictable long-term capital to fund projects in underserved communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3708) redirects existing U.S. federal funds that were previously allocated for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to construct a physical barrier along the U.S. southwest border. It also prohibits all future U.S. funding for UNRWA beginning upon the bill's enactment. The key provisions are the immediate reprogramming of unspent UNRWA funds for border wall construction and a permanent ban on new UNRWA funding. This directly affects UNRWA's funding stream and the federal budget allocation for border security infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill excludes certain wildfire relief payments from taxable income for individuals affected by federally declared wildfires. It applies to payments covering uninsured losses like property damage, additional living expenses, or emotional distress resulting from qualified wildfires (declared after 2014). The exclusion prevents double tax benefits by disallowing deductions for expenses already covered by these payments. The policy change applies only to payments received between 2020 and 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the U.S. Census Bureau to add a citizenship status question to the 2030 and future decennial censuses, asking households to identify each member as a U.S. citizen, U.S. national (not citizen), lawfully residing alien, or unlawfully residing alien. It mandates that the Census Bureau publicly release state-level population data broken down by these four categories after each census. The bill also changes apportionment rules to exclude noncitizens from the population count used to determine the number of House seats and electoral votes each state receives, starting with the 2030 census. This directly affects how congressional representation and electoral votes are allocated among states based on population data.

Maddy summaryThe Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2024 requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a study every two years on cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities affecting the agriculture and food sector - including farmers, processors, distributors, and retailers - and assess impacts on food safety, public health, and the economy. The study must identify gaps in current defenses and recommend improvements, with reports submitted to Congress. Additionally, the Act mandates annual simulation exercises over five years to test the sector's response to food supply chain disruptions, involving government agencies and private companies, with findings reported to Congress. The law authorizes $1 million annually from 2024 through 2028 to fund these activities.

Maddy summaryThe Insurance Data Protection Act (S 3349) requires federal financial regulators to coordinate with state insurance regulators before collecting data from insurance companies, ensuring they first check if the data is already available from existing sources to avoid duplication. It protects the confidentiality of data shared with federal regulators, preventing waivers of existing privacy protections or legal privileges under federal or state law. The bill applies to insurance companies and federal financial regulators (such as the Federal Reserve and Commodity Futures Trading Commission), mandating that any data-sharing agreements with state regulators maintain confidentiality. Key provisions include a "coordination step" to reduce redundant data requests and strict rules preserving privacy obligations for all data handled under this law.