Sen. John Cornyn

Maddy summaryThe Enduring Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (S 2584) makes a $5,000 special assessment on non-indigent individuals or entities convicted of federal trafficking offenses permanent by removing a 2025 expiration date. Previously, this assessment was set to end on September 30, 2025, but the bill extends it indefinitely. The assessment applies in addition to existing fees under federal law and funds victim services. It directly affects federal trafficking convicts who are not indigent, ensuring ongoing support for victims without changing eligibility or offense scope.

Maddy summaryThe ASCEND Act establishes a formal program for NASA to acquire and share commercial Earth observation satellite data and imagery. It requires NASA to prioritize U.S. commercial vendors when purchasing data to support scientific research, operational needs, and educational goals for NASA and other federal agencies. The law mandates that procured data must remain freely publishable for scientific use and sets reporting requirements for NASA to detail vendors, data terms, and how the data advances research aligned with scientific priorities. This directly affects NASA, commercial satellite providers, and federally funded researchers who gain broader access to Earth observation data.

Maddy summaryThe PATHS to Tutor Act of 2025 establishes a federal grant program to fund high-quality tutoring in high-need schools, directly affecting students in schools with high teacher turnover or many novice teachers. It requires local consortia (combining schools, universities, and community partners) to apply for competitive grants, mandating tutoring that uses a 1:4 tutor-to-student ratio, aligns with school curriculum, includes tutor training, and avoids replacing teachers. Grant funds must cover tutor stipends, materials, transportation, and meals for students (with 85% allocated directly to student support), while prohibiting the use of funds to supplant existing teaching staff. Priority is given to consortia using tutors from educator preparation programs or minority-serving institutions.

Stop Sextortion Act This bill criminalizes threats to distribute child sexual abuse material to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress. This practice is commonly referred to as sextortion . The bill also increases criminal penalties for related offenses that involve the use of child sexual abuse material to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress. Specifically, the bill establishes new federal criminal offenses for threatening to distribute child pornography or a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct with intent to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress. An offense, or an attempt or conspiracy to commit the offense, is subject to criminal penalties. Additionally, the bill increases the maximum prison term for various offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children if those offenses involve the use of child pornography or a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct with intent to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress.

Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online or the ECCHO Act This bill establishes a federal framework to combat the online coercion of minors to commit harm. The bill creates new criminal offenses, expands reporting of instances involving the online coercion of minors, facilitates the prosecution of offenders, and expands protections for minors who testify in court. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to intentionally coerce a minor to commit suicide (or attempt to); kill someone (or attempt to); kill a pet, emotional support animal, service animal, or horse (or attempt to); physically harm an individual (including the minor), pet, emotional support animal, service animal, or horse; or commit (or attempt to commit) arson or certain other acts such as doxxing or swatting. A violation (or conspiracy or attempt to commit a violation) is subject to a fine, a prison term, or both. The bill requires electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers to report instances of online coercion of minors to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via the CyberTipline. The bill facilitates the federal prosecution of offenses committed by (1) individuals as part of a child exploitation enterprise, and (2) minors in certain circumstances. The bill extends various protections for minors who testify in court (e.g., certain privacy protections) to those who are victims of or witnesses to crimes involving mental injury (i.e., psychological or intellectual harm to a child) or the negligent treatment of a child.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new payment system for certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) under Medicaid, creating a prospective payment system that will pay based on actual clinic costs starting in 2026. It expands Medicare coverage for CCBHC services beginning in 2027 and creates a new grant program to help community behavioral health clinics meet CCBHC certification standards, including funding $552.5 million annually from 2026-2030. The bill also provides liability protection for clinicians in CCBHCs under the Federal Tort Claims Act and requires states to coordinate Medicaid-certified community behavioral health services with existing community behavioral health clinics. These changes aim to improve access to comprehensive mental health services, particularly for veterans, rural residents, and other underserved populations.

Maddy summaryThe Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization Act establishes a strategy to combat cyber-enabled fraud operations run by transnational criminal organizations from "scam compounds" that use human trafficking victims for forced criminality. The bill requires the State Department to create a global strategy within 180 days of enactment, identify enabling countries (those permitting scam operations) and impacted countries, and coordinate international efforts to prevent recruitment fraud and support trafficking survivors. It authorizes sanctions against foreign individuals or entities that support scam operations, including financial sanctions, visa restrictions, and asset seizures. The strategy will be implemented through an interagency task force that will monitor progress, update the strategy as needed, and report annually to Congress. The bill expires seven years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends how the military calculates contributions toward Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for service members. It removes an outdated phrase in the existing law (Section 3327(f)(3) of Title 38) to adjust the repayment calculation method. The change directly affects veterans and active-duty service members who use or have used the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance benefit. The amendment takes effect on August 1, 2025, ensuring a clearer calculation process for contributions toward their education benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commission an independent study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by VA health care providers versus non-VA providers. The study must assess key factors like health outcome improvements, use of evidence-based practices, coordination between providers, veteran satisfaction, and care for veterans with co-occurring conditions. It will cover various treatment settings - including telehealth, inpatient, and outpatient care - and must be completed within 18 months, with results published publicly. The study directly affects veterans receiving mental health or addiction therapy services through VA or non-VA providers. The bill does not change benefits or funding but aims to gather data to inform future care decisions.

Maddy summaryThe PBM Price Transparency and Accountability Act requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to be more transparent about drug pricing and ensure accurate payments to pharmacies. It establishes national average drug acquisition cost benchmarks for Medicaid, prohibits PBMs from keeping excessive profits through "spread pricing," and mandates detailed reporting of drug pricing, rebates, and fees. The bill affects Medicaid programs, Medicare Part D plans, and the PBMs that negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers. It includes enforcement mechanisms like civil penalties for non-compliance and requires PBMs to report detailed pricing information to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.