Sen. Cynthia M. Lummis

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Access to Recreation with Cash Act (PARC Act) requires all National Park System units that charge entrance fees to accept cash payments. This ensures visitors can pay with cash at every park entrance where a fee is collected, not just through electronic methods. The bill amends existing law to explicitly mandate cash acceptance at all such fee locations. The policy change applies to all national parks, monuments, and other units currently charging entrance fees under federal regulations.

Maddy summaryS 2911, the "Protecting the Right To Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2023," prevents federal officials from using emergency declarations to impose gun control. It bans the President from declaring emergencies under the National Emergencies Act or the Stafford Act for gun control purposes, and stops the Health and Human Services Secretary from declaring public health emergencies for the same reason. The bill also amends the Stafford Act to explicitly prohibit emergency declarations that would restrict firearm possession, sale, or transfer of firearms, ammunition, or related accessories. This directly affects how federal emergency powers can be used during crises, limiting actions that could impact gun rights under the Second Amendment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Secretary of State to notify Congress before entering, renewing, or extending any science and technology agreement with China. It mandates a 30-day waiting period after submitting detailed documentation to congressional committees, including the full agreement text, national security justification, risk assessments of technology transfer, human rights considerations, and monitoring plans. Existing agreements with China must be revoked unless the Secretary submits this notification within 60 days of the bill's enactment. The law directly affects U.S. diplomatic negotiations with China on scientific and technical collaborations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to hire the maximum number of new air traffic controllers each year from 2024 through 2028, based on the training capacity of the FAA Academy. It directly affects the FAA, which must set annual hiring targets aligned with its ability to train new controllers. The law does not change existing hiring rules but mandates that the FAA utilize its full training capacity each year for new controller hires during this period. It excludes certain individuals specified under federal law, but the core provision focuses on maximizing new controller recruitment within available training resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the tax code to exclude certain veterinary student loan repayment or forgiveness assistance from taxable income. It specifically applies to veterinarians participating in programs under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 or similar state programs designed to increase rural veterinary access. The key change clarifies that financial assistance provided through these targeted programs is not considered taxable income for participants. This directly benefits veterinarians in rural areas who use these loan repayment options to practice in underserved communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries to withdraw three specific proposed rules related to the Endangered Species Act. The rules would have changed how species are listed, habitats designated, and interagency cooperation is handled under the Act. The bill prohibits these agencies from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the withdrawn proposals. It directly affects federal agencies' regulatory process for endangered species protection, halting these specific rulemaking efforts.

Maddy summaryS 2806, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act, repeals three specific provisions from the Inflation Reduction Act that provided federal funding for home energy programs. It eliminates the high-efficiency electric home rebate program, state grants for contractor training, and assistance for adopting modern building energy codes. The bill also rescinds unobligated funds from these repealed programs and amends a related section to remove references to the repealed rebate program. This directly affects homeowners who would have accessed these energy efficiency programs and contractors who relied on the training grants. The bill makes no new program provisions but formally removes existing federal support for these specific home energy initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal courts from considering acquitted conduct - conduct for which a defendant was found not guilty at trial or dismissed via motion - when determining a sentence, except to potentially reduce a sentence. It amends federal sentencing law to prevent judges from using such acquitted conduct as a basis for harsher penalties. The law applies only to cases with judgments entered after the bill's enactment date. It directly affects defendants in federal criminal cases where prior charges were dismissed or resulted in an acquittal.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires car manufacturers to include AM radio receivers as standard equipment in all new vehicles sold in the U.S., without additional cost to buyers. It mandates that AM radio controls be clearly visible on the dashboard for drivers. For vehicles sold before the rule takes effect, manufacturers must label them to disclose the absence of AM radio. The bill aims to maintain access to AM radio broadcasts, which are used for emergency alerts, but does not mandate new emergency systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish all HHS records related to the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic within 90 days of enactment, including research data, communications with Chinese institutions, and records about collaborations like those with EcoHealth Alliance. It mandates disclosure of specific documents such as unpublished studies, grant applications, and records of potential misconduct, with limited exceptions for classified or sensitive information. Failure to comply would trigger daily rescissions of $1 million from HHS funds, deposited into the national debt reduction fund. The bill directly affects the Department of Health and Human Services, requiring it to make these records publicly available for transparency.