Sen. Mark R. Warner

Maddy summaryThe Drug Deal Disclosure Act requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publicly release specific records regarding agreements between the federal government and major drug manufacturers starting in 2025. This law mandates the disclosure of contracts that include provisions such as reduced drug prices based on international rates, direct-to-consumer sales discounts, duty exemptions, and special treatment for Medicare programs. While the bill allows for the redaction of confidential pricing details, it prohibits withholding information based on political sensitivity or reputational harm and requires a detailed justification for any redactions. Additionally, the act mandates reports to Congress and independent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the economic and budgetary impacts of these agreements.

Maddy summaryThis federal legislation amends United States gun laws to restrict firearm sales, transfers, and possession, directly affecting individuals, licensed dealers, and law enforcement agencies. It introduces limits on handgun purchases, bans the sale of undetectable "ghost guns," and defines specific firearms as assault weapons that minors cannot possess. The bill establishes a national framework for extreme risk protection orders, allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals posing a danger to themselves or others, and mandates firearm surrender for those subject to domestic violence restraining orders. Additional provisions require reporting lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours, prohibit leaving loaded guns accessible to children, and ban firearm possession in certain higher education and mental health facility zones. The act authorizes federal grants to states and local governments to help implement these safety measures and train law enforcement officers.

Maddy summaryThe Improving IRS Customer Service Act requires the Internal Revenue Service to enhance transparency and accessibility for taxpayers by mandating real-time public dashboards that display phone wait times, call statistics, and refund processing details. The bill also directs the IRS to expand online tools, allowing individuals and authorized representatives to view tax documents, respond to notices, and track refund status through a unified website or mobile app. Additionally, the legislation establishes programs to identify taxpayers facing economic hardships and provide them with information on alternative payment options, while requiring the National Taxpayer Advocate to publish monthly performance statistics on case resolution times. These measures aim to improve communication between the IRS and the public, reduce wait times, and increase the availability of digital services for filing and account management.

Maddy summaryThe Stop CHEATERS Act directs the Internal Revenue Service to increase its enforcement efforts against high-income individuals and large corporations while also expanding taxpayer support services. To achieve this, the bill appropriates billions of dollars over several years to fund IRS investigations, hire additional staff, purchase vehicles, and modernize outdated technology systems. Additionally, the legislation requires the IRS Commissioner to submit regular reports to Congress detailing plans to shift auditing resources toward wealthy taxpayers and analyzing collection gaps across different income levels.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Improving Retirement Security for Family Caregivers Act of 2026," aims to enhance retirement savings for unpaid family caregivers. It allows individuals who provide at least 500 hours of unpaid care to a child or an adult with special needs, while working fewer than 500 hours in paid employment, to contribute to a Roth IRA. Currently, Roth IRA contributions are limited by earned income; this legislation enables these qualified caregivers to contribute the maximum allowable amount to a Roth IRA, even if they have little to no earned income. This change helps caregivers build retirement savings despite their reduced capacity for paid work due to caregiving responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThe Catching Up Family Caregivers Act of 2026 allows eligible unpaid family caregivers to make additional "catch-up" contributions to their retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s and IRAs. To qualify, an individual must have provided at least 500 hours of unpaid family caregiving and worked fewer than 500 hours in paid employment during the same taxable year, with a lifetime limit of five years. This caregiving involves providing in-home support for a child or an adult with special needs, including elderly individuals requiring care due to age-related conditions. The bill enables these qualified caregivers to contribute more to their retirement savings than standard limits, similar to individuals nearing traditional retirement age. These provisions will take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Save Struggling Hospitals Act, modifies Medicare reimbursement rules to provide additional financial support to hospitals in low-wage areas. It directly affects hospitals whose geographic area wage index falls below the 25th percentile, increasing their reimbursement rates by half the difference between their current index and the 25th percentile threshold. The adjustment applies to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2019, and is designed to be budget neutral, meaning the total amount paid out remains unchanged while redistributing funds from higher-wage to lower-wage areas. The law also includes safeguards to prevent hospitals in the 75th percentile or higher from losing funding and ensures no hospital's reimbursement drops below 95 percent of the previous year's rate.

Maddy summaryS 921, titled "Tyler’s Law," requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study how often hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl during overdose cases, along with the costs, benefits, privacy impacts, and effects on patient-clinician relationships. The study must examine current testing frequency, associated costs, and how fentanyl testing might influence patient privacy and care. Within six months of completing the study, the Secretary must issue guidance on whether hospitals should routinely test for fentanyl, how to inform clinicians about testing protocols, and how such testing might affect future overdose risks and health outcomes. This bill directly affects hospitals with emergency departments and patients experiencing overdoses, but it does not mandate testing - it only mandates a study and subsequent guidance.

Maddy summaryThe Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2025 requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a cybersecurity incident response plan within one year, including strategies for risk assessment, prevention, detection, and recovery. It mandates new cybersecurity standards for healthcare entities, such as multifactor authentication for systems holding protected health information, encryption requirements, and mandatory audit protocols. The bill also updates breach reporting rules to require public disclosure of corrective actions and security practices considered during investigations, while creating grants to help rural healthcare providers adopt cybersecurity best practices. Additionally, it establishes training programs for healthcare cybersecurity staff and requires HHS to issue guidance on recognizing security practices that may reduce fines for covered entities. These provisions directly affect hospitals, clinics, and health organizations handling protected health information.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled Sammy's Law, requires large social media platforms with over 100 million monthly users or $1 billion in annual revenue to provide real-time access to third-party safety software providers. These platforms must create application programming interfaces that allow children under 17 or their parents to delegate control over the child's online interactions, content, and account settings to approved safety software providers. The third-party providers must register with the Federal Trade Commission, agree not to sell user data, and delete data within five days after a delegation ends. The bill also prohibits states from creating their own conflicting regulations on this matter and gives the FTC authority to enforce compliance.