Sen. John Cornyn

Maddy summaryThis bill adds "qualified BDC interest dividends" to the tax deduction for qualified business income (Section 199A) currently available for certain real estate investment trust (REIT) dividends. It directly affects investors in business development companies (BDCs) who receive specific interest dividends from these companies. The key provision defines these dividends as those from BDCs attributable to net interest income related to their qualified business activities, making them eligible for the same tax deduction as REIT dividends. The change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.

Maddy summarySRES 426 is a ceremonial Senate resolution designating October 5-11, 2025, as "Religious Education Week" to celebrate religious education in the United States. It affirms the importance of religious education for civic and moral development, highlights historical and legal precedents supporting religious instruction (like *Pierce v. Society of Sisters* and *Zorach v. Clauson*), and calls on all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia to accommodate public school students participating in religious education through "released time" programs. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but symbolically recognizes existing religious education efforts, including those in sectarian schools and public school release-time programs. It directly affects public schools, religious education providers, and state education systems by urging them to support student access to religious instruction.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits non-consensual administration of abortion-inducing drugs (like mifepristone or misoprostol) to pregnant women under federal law. It makes such acts a crime punishable by up to 25 years in prison, with enhanced penalties for serious injury or death, and creates civil remedies allowing victims to seek triple damages, compensation for physical/psychological harm, and attorney fees. The law specifically requires "informed consent" - meaning a woman must voluntarily agree after being fully informed about risks - before any abortion-inducing drug can be administered. It directly affects medical providers who violate consent rules and pregnant women subjected to non-consensual drug administration.

Maddy summaryThe SAFE Orbit Act creates a new Bureau of Space Commerce within the Department of Commerce to manage space situational awareness and traffic coordination. It requires the Bureau to provide a free, public database of space object locations and behavior (like satellite positions and collision risks) and offer basic collision-avoidance services to satellite operators at no cost. The law ensures government services do not compete with private companies by mandating annual reviews and prioritizing commercial data sources while protecting proprietary information. It also grants legal immunity for entities sharing space data and establishes a 5-year transition plan to elevate the current Office of Space Commerce into a standalone Bureau.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $5 million annually (2026-2030) to states for improving stillbirth data collection and research, directly affecting state health departments and public health officials. It requires states to collect deidentified stillbirth data - including risk factors - using existing systems like fetal mortality reviews, while ensuring strict privacy compliance. The bill also allocates $1 million yearly to develop standardized data collection guidelines and public educational materials about stillbirths, with input from medical professionals and bereavement organizations. It mandates a public HHS report within five years containing these guidelines and educational resources to improve data consistency and awareness. The legislation focuses on enhancing data quality for research and public health, without altering medical care or insurance coverage.

Maddy summaryThe Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act (S 2902) requires states to report detailed data on "hidden foster care arrangements" to the federal government. These arrangements occur when children are separated from parents without court oversight or formal foster care placement - such as through informal kinship care or safety planning after a child protection investigation. States must submit annual reports tracking metrics like the number of affected children, types of allegations leading to separation, services provided to families, and outcomes (e.g., reunification or entry into formal foster care). The Secretary of Health and Human Services will compile this data into an annual congressional report, aiming to create a national picture of these unregulated placements. This bill focuses solely on transparency, not altering foster care procedures.

Maddy summaryS 2870, the "Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act," requires manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of tableting machines (used to make pills) and their key components (like punches and dies) to permanently affix serial numbers to these items. It mandates that regulated businesses report these serial numbers to the Attorney General and prohibits removing, altering, or trafficking in machines or parts with tampered serial numbers. This law directly affects businesses involved in producing, selling, or distributing pill-making equipment, aiming to improve tracking of machines potentially used for illicit drug manufacturing. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to create new recordkeeping and reporting requirements for these specific machines and parts.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a National Day of Remembrance for 13 U.S. service members who died in the Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul's airport on August 26, 2021. It also expresses the nation's deepest condolences to their families and commemorates their service during the Afghanistan withdrawal. As a commemorative resolution, it has no policy or funding impact but formally honors these individuals' sacrifice through a designated day of remembrance.

Maddy summarySRES 395 is a Senate resolution recognizing September 14-20, 2025, as National Forensic Science Week. It encourages forensic science service providers, local policymakers, media, and public safety officers to participate in events during this week. The resolution supports activities like laboratory tours, community events, and discussions about forensic science capabilities and needs, without creating new laws or altering existing policies. It specifically aims to raise awareness of forensic science's role in criminal justice and exoneration efforts.

Maddy summarySRES 391 is a symbolic Senate resolution condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative campus advocate and founder of Turning Point USA, who was killed on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. The resolution expresses the Senate’s strongest condemnation of the killing, extends condolences to his family (including his wife Erika and two children), and honors his work promoting civil discourse on college campuses. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create policy changes or affect any individuals through legislative action.