Sen. Bill Cassidy

Maddy summarySRES 543 is a ceremonial Senate resolution commending Centenary College of Louisiana for its 200th anniversary (bicentennial) and its historical service to Louisiana and the U.S. It recognizes the college as Louisiana's oldest chartered liberal arts institution and west of the Mississippi River, highlighting its educational contributions and economic impact in Northwest Louisiana. The resolution formally thanks the college and directs copies to its leadership and bicentennial committee. As a non-binding resolution, it has no policy impact beyond symbolic recognition.

Maddy summarySRES 288 is a Senate resolution condemning recent ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish individuals, including a violent assault in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, 2025, and other incidents like the attack on Israeli Embassy staff in Washington, D.C., and fires at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence. The resolution formally expresses the Senate’s condemnation of these acts as part of a growing pattern of antisemitism and politically motivated violence. It reaffirms the Senate’s commitment to protecting peaceful assembly and religious practice, while urging federal, state, and local law enforcement to thoroughly investigate such incidents and calling on community leaders to publicly oppose antisemitism. This resolution has no legal effect but serves as a formal statement of the Senate’s position.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands access to career services by updating the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program to include surviving spouses of service members who died while on active duty. It amends eligibility criteria to cover "eligible persons," defined as spouses of veterans who died in service (Gold Star spouses) or spouses of those who died while serving in the Armed Forces. The change ensures these surviving spouses can access job training, employment assistance, and career counseling previously available only to veterans themselves. This directly affects Gold Star families and surviving spouses of fallen service members seeking workforce support.

VetPAC Act of 2025 This bill establishes the Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission for purposes of reviewing operations at the Veterans Health Administration and preparing reports with recommendations for Congress based on such review.

Maddy summaryS 3543, the Trade Cheating Restitution Act of 2025, modifies how interest from antidumping and countervailing duties is distributed to eligible businesses. It updates the reference date for interest calculations from October 1, 2014, to October 1, 2000, and creates a special distribution process for interest accrued before the bill's enactment. Eligible businesses must have previously received distributions under the 2000 Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act, file timely certifications, and meet historical eligibility criteria. The bill mandates pro-rata distributions of this interest by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within 210 days of enactment, split between interest from 2010 onward and 2000-2010.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Medicare coverage to include peer support services for beneficiaries with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. It requires Medicare to cover these services when provided by certified peer support specialists at community mental health centers, rural health clinics, or similar facilities. Peer support specialists must be individuals recovering from similar conditions and certified under specific guidelines. The policy change takes effect January 1, 2027, directly affecting Medicare beneficiaries seeking these services and the certified providers offering them.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts certain non-lethal projectile devices (like pepper ball guns or rubber bullets) from federal firearms and ammunition taxes. It directly affects manufacturers, producers, and importers of these devices by removing tax obligations under IRS Code sections 4181 and 5845. Key provisions define "less-than-lethal" devices as those not expelling standard firearm ammunition, operating below 500 feet per second, and not convertible to lethal weapons. The Secretary of the Treasury must annually update a public list of qualifying devices and report to Congress on non-qualifying devices that exceed the velocity limit.

Maddy summaryThe Shelter Act creates a 25% nonrefundable tax credit for individuals and businesses that make qualified disaster mitigation expenditures to protect homes and businesses from natural disasters. For individuals, the credit is limited to $3,750 per year (or $7,500 for joint returns) with a cumulative lifetime limit of $15,000 per dwelling unit. Qualified expenditures include measures like reinforcing roofs, creating water barriers, installing storm shelters, and other resilience improvements that meet specific safety standards. The credit phases out for higher-income taxpayers and is only available for properties in areas affected by natural disasters within the past 5 years. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryThe MAP for Care Act establishes a Medicare program enabling beneficiaries (Medicare Part A or Part B enrollees) to register certified advance directives - such as living wills or durable powers of attorney for health care - through accredited online vendors. It requires vendors to meet security standards for storing and sharing directives, ensuring near real-time access for beneficiaries, their designated health care proxies, and providers during medical emergencies. The program includes a state-by-state index of advance directive forms on Medicare’s website, educational resources, and annual surveys to assess accessibility and usability, while respecting existing state laws governing advance directives. Beneficiaries may voluntarily enroll, update, or terminate their directives at any time without cost.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicare to simplify access for family caregivers to beneficiaries' health information. It mandates that Medicare create a new authorization form (CMS-10106) allowing beneficiaries to grant caregivers access to their personal health data via 1-800-MEDICARE. The law also directs Medicare to provide clear outreach through notices, websites, and provider channels, including multilingual materials and training for call center staff. It requires the Secretary to develop fraud protection best practices within one year and ensure all Medicare beneficiaries - regardless of plan type - can authorize caregiver access.