Sen. Cynthia M. Lummis

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution designates April 2023 as "Financial Literacy Month" to raise public awareness about the importance of personal financial education and the consequences of financial illiteracy. It cites statistics showing widespread challenges, including 4.5% of U.S. households being unbanked, high credit card debt (47% of adults), and limited school-based financial education (only 23 states require personal finance courses). The resolution calls on federal, state, local, schools, nonprofits, and businesses to observe the month with educational programs. It does not create new laws or funding but aims to highlight existing financial literacy gaps affecting all Americans.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an exemption from federal environmental liability for fire departments and facilities using specific firefighting foam. It protects entities with approved fire suppression systems that release PFAS-containing foam during lawful activities like training or emergency responses, provided the system meets current fire codes and engineering standards. The exemption does not apply if the entity acts with gross negligence or continues using the foam 5 years after safer alternatives become available. This directly affects fire departments, airports, and industrial facilities that use aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing PFAS chemicals, shielding them from CERCLA cleanup cost claims for routine discharges.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects airport sponsors (like public airports or joint-use facilities) from federal environmental liability claims related to PFAS chemicals used in firefighting foam. It specifically exempts them from costs under the federal environmental law (CERCLA) if the PFAS release resulted solely from using the foam as required by the FAA for safety compliance and following FAA guidelines. The exemption does not apply if the airport sponsor acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in using the foam. This law directly affects airports that use FAA-mandated firefighting foam but does not shield them from liability for reckless conduct.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects certain waste and compost facilities from federal environmental liability for PFAS releases under CERCLA. It exempts owners/operators of solid waste facilities and compost processors from lawsuits if PFAS was released during permitted disposal of municipal waste residuals, biosolids management, or compost processing under state law. The exemption does not apply if the facility acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct. This directly affects waste management companies, compost businesses, and government entities operating these facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects public water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and related entities from liability under federal environmental law for PFAS releases, provided they follow all applicable laws during treatment or disposal. It exempts these "protected entities" from cost-recovery claims under CERCLA when handling PFAS in ways consistent with existing water treatment practices, such as managing biosolids, discharging treated water, or disposing of filter media. The exemption does not apply if a facility acts with gross negligence or willful misconduct in handling PFAS. This directly affects water utilities and municipalities managing PFAS-contaminated water or byproducts under current federal and state regulations.

Maddy summaryS 1435 requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director to withdraw the proposed "Conservation and Landscape Health" rule (88 Fed. Reg. 19583, April 3, 2023). The bill prohibits the BLM from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing this specific rule or any substantially similar rule. This directly affects the BLM’s regulatory process by halting a proposed conservation policy related to landscape health management.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts agricultural operations from liability under the federal CERCLA law for releases of specific PFAS chemicals used in farming. It directly affects farmers and agricultural businesses (defined as "protected entities") who produce or harvest crops, shielding them from lawsuits or cleanup costs related to covered PFAS substances. The exemption applies to non-volatile PFAS hazardous substances (excluding gases) used in agricultural practices, but does not protect against liability for gross negligence or willful misconduct. The law changes existing environmental liability rules to specifically exclude routine agricultural activities involving these chemicals.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Independent Financial Technology Working Group, chaired by the Treasury Secretary, to research and address terrorist and illicit financial activities using new technologies like digital assets. The group includes federal agency representatives (Treasury, DOJ, DHS, State, CIA) and five private-sector members from fintech, blockchain, financial institutions, and research organizations. Key provisions require the group to develop regulatory proposals, submit annual reports to Congress on findings, and produce a final report after its 4-year term. The bill also mandates a presidential report within 180 days detailing digital asset risks to national security and a congressional briefing after two years. The Working Group terminates after four years, with ongoing activities allowed to complete.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to publish detailed cost-benefit analyses with every proposed rule. It mandates that notices include specific information like why federal action is needed (instead of state or market solutions), assessments of costs for small businesses and other entities, and evaluations of whether the rule overlaps with existing regulations. The CFPB must also justify rules if benefits don’t outweigh costs or if burdens fall disproportionately on small businesses or consumers. This directly affects the CFPB’s rulemaking process and the businesses, consumers, and local governments subject to its regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires companies that handle digital assets (like crypto exchanges or brokers) to get officer approval before publishing any public ads about buying or using digital assets. It mandates clear disclosures in ads, including all fees, risks like price volatility, and full details about why recommendations are made - prohibiting misleading claims or false promises about past performance. The Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission will enforce these rules, with fines up to $1 million for repeated violations. The law directly affects digital asset companies, not end-users, and focuses on making advertising transparent and fair.