Maddy summaryThe National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 reauthorizes and updates the federal program to reduce earthquake risks, explicitly including Tribal governments in program requirements. Key provisions require seismic evaluations for high-risk buildings, improve earthquake early warning systems, and provide technical assistance to state and local governments for building retrofits. The bill authorizes $10.59 million annually for the program, $100.9 million for the US Geological Survey, and $58 million for the National Science Foundation through 2028. This legislation directly affects federal agencies, state and local governments, Tribal governments, and communities in earthquake-prone areas by strengthening earthquake resilience measures and response planning.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis resolution commemorates the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and honors the U.S. Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department, and Capitol staff (including custodial, janitorial, and maintenance personnel) who protected the building during the assault. It recognizes their bravery in defending Congress during the attack, which injured over 100 officers and contributed to five officer deaths, and acknowledges their ongoing essential work in maintaining Capitol operations. The resolution expresses Senate gratitude for their service and reaffirms commitment to protecting democratic processes. As a commemorative resolution, it does not create new laws or funding.
Maddy summaryThe Closing the Contraception Coverage Gap Act requires Medicare Part B, Part C, and Part D to cover all FDA-approved contraceptive items and services at no cost-sharing starting January 1, 2027. This includes not just contraceptive methods themselves but also related clinical services like counseling, examinations, device insertion, and follow-up care. The bill ensures dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receive contraceptive coverage that matches Medicaid's comprehensiveness. It also mandates two studies on contraceptive coverage gaps, with reports to Congress within 1-2 years.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Bycatch Reduction and Research Task Force to study Alaska salmon migration and bycatch, requiring research on salmon tagging, genetic sampling, and ecosystem impacts in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. It creates a new Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund to help commercial fishermen purchase or modify gear designed to reduce bycatch and habitat damage. The bill also mandates improved electronic monitoring systems, streamlined permit processes for innovative gear, and annual reports on research findings and data integration strategies. These provisions directly affect Alaskan commercial fisheries, salmon management, and coastal communities relying on sustainable fishing practices. The legislation requires final reports within three years detailing research outcomes and recommendations for reducing salmon bycatch.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the VA to provide telehealth services, mail-order pharmacy benefits, and mandatory beneficiary travel payments to veterans residing in the Freely Associated States (including Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia) within one year of enactment. It mandates quarterly reporting to Congress on implementation progress and associated costs. The law directly affects veterans in these Pacific Island nations by expanding access to critical healthcare and travel support services previously not uniformly guaranteed.
Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 This act extends and modifies the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, under which states and counties containing certain federal land may receive payments from the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for schools, roads, and certain other municipal services. The act modifies the SRS program, including by extending payments made to states and counties containing federal land through FY2026, providing lapsed payments for FY2024 and FY2025, extending the authority of counties to initiate projects using such funds through FY2028, and extending the authority to initiate projects proposed by resource advisory committees through FY2028.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act to expand grant opportunities for tourism development. It authorizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, and other federal agencies (like Commerce and Transportation) to provide grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The grants, funded by $35 million over fiscal years 2025-2029, support tourism initiatives that align with the Act's purposes. This directly affects tribal and Native Hawaiian entities seeking federal funding for tourism projects.
Essential Caregivers Act of 2025 This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period. Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the 2004 Tribal Forest Protection Act to expand protections for tribal lands and clarify restoration goals. It broadens the definition of "Indian forest land or rangeland" to include areas with historical forest cover capable of restoration and explicitly adds "restore" to the Act’s purpose (previously only "protect"). The changes directly affect federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and federal agencies managing land. It also authorizes $15 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2031 to implement these provisions.
Maddy summaryS 620, the "Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act," authorizes the Indian Health Service to provide public health veterinary services to tribal communities in rural areas to prevent and control zoonotic diseases (diseases that spread between animals and humans). These services include spaying/neutering, vaccinations, disease surveillance, and other activities that reduce disease transmission risk. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to study the delivery of oral rabies vaccines to wildlife in Arctic regions to protect tribal members, and mandates biennial reports to Congress on program implementation.