Sen. Christopher Murphy

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Home Team Act of 2026, restricts professional sports leagues from prohibiting community ownership and requires teams to offer their franchises for sale to local entities before relocating or closing. It mandates that teams provide at least one year of notice before moving or eliminating a franchise, then offer the team to local governments, community cooperatives, nonprofits, or local private companies at fair market value. The legislation establishes a Treasury Department team of appraisers to determine fair prices while deducting any public stadium subsidies from the valuation, and imposes daily fines on teams that violate these rules. The law applies to major leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, WNBA, and NWSL, and explicitly preserves existing collective bargaining agreements with players.

Maddy summaryThe GUARDRAILS Act repeals a December 2025 executive order on artificial intelligence policy and prohibits federal funding for its implementation. This legislation directly affects federal agencies by removing their authority to enforce the previous executive order's framework. The bill does not create new AI regulations but instead eliminates the existing executive order that established a national policy framework for artificial intelligence.

Maddy summaryThe Data to Save Moms Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to maternal mortality review committees, prioritizing diverse community members and addressing participation barriers like training and transportation. The bill requires these committees to review cases of severe maternal morbidity and deaths linked to mental health or substance use conditions, while also consulting with community organizations to understand nonclinical factors in pregnancy-related deaths. Additionally, the act mandates a comprehensive review of maternal health data collection processes and quality measures, including a specific study on American Indian and Alaska Native individuals and grants for research at minority-serving institutions to better understand disparities in maternal outcomes.

Maddy summarySJRES 103 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule on reproductive health services for veterans. The resolution, if passed, would block the VA rule from taking effect by invoking the Congressional Review Act (Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code), meaning the rule published in the Federal Register (December 31, 2025) would have no legal force. This directly affects the VA’s ability to implement new guidelines for reproductive health services at its facilities, preserving existing policies instead. The resolution does not create new policy but halts a specific administrative rule.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, directs the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the discharge of pre-production plastic pellets and related materials into wastewater and runoff from specific industrial facilities. It requires the EPA to issue new rules within 60 days that prohibit these discharges from factories that make, use, package, or transport plastic pellets, as well as from facilities regulated under existing federal water pollution regulations. The law mandates that these new restrictions be included in all wastewater and stormwater permits issued by the EPA and state programs, as well as in performance standards for affected industrial point sources. This legislation directly impacts manufacturers and distributors of plastic pellets and aims to prevent plastic pollution from entering water systems during the production and packaging stages.

Maddy summarySJRES 116 requires the President to remove U.S. military forces from hostilities against Iran that lack a congressional declaration of war or specific statutory authorization. It specifically cites the Trump administration's Operation Epic Fury as an example of unapproved military action, referencing statements from officials calling it a "war." The resolution allows for continued defense of U.S. personnel, intelligence sharing, and support for allies attacked by Iran, but mandates withdrawal of forces engaged in unapproved hostilities. This policy change enforces the constitutional principle that Congress, not the executive, must authorize military conflict.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates March 21, 2026, as "National Day of Play" and expresses support for making the first Saturday after the Spring Equinox an annual observance. The bill encourages Americans to disconnect from electronic devices and engage in play activities to promote social connection, physical activity, and mental well-being. It recognizes the health benefits of play and community interaction, citing concerns about rising loneliness and excessive screen time. The measure does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic gesture to raise awareness about the importance of play in daily life.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Fair Prices for Local Businesses Act, amends the Clayton Act to broaden the federal prohibition against price discrimination. It expands the law's scope to cover products and services rather than just physical goods, and extends its reach to include activities that affect commerce beyond direct commercial transactions. The bill also clarifies definitions of purchasing and adds liability for entities that induce or benefit from price discrimination, while providing a higher sales threshold for smaller businesses. Additionally, it strengthens legal remedies for victims of price discrimination by establishing a presumption of injury and allowing for additional damages beyond the amount of the discrimination itself.

Maddy summaryThis bill would expand the Fair Labor Standards Act to include incarcerated workers, requiring them to receive minimum wage and overtime pay protections. It directly affects individuals working in correctional facilities, whether those facilities are run by public agencies or private contractors. The legislation defines incarcerated workers as people performing work in prisons, including prison industries and work release programs, and clarifies that certain costs like board and lodging or court-imposed fees should not be deducted from their wages. By adding these definitions and protections to the existing law, the bill aims to ensure incarcerated workers are covered under federal labor standards.

Maddy summaryS 2903, the Safe Step Act, requires health insurance plans and employers offering health coverage to establish a clear, timely process for patients or doctors to request exceptions when step therapy protocols (where insurers require trying cheaper drugs first) would harm a patient. It mandates approval for exceptions if prior drugs failed, delay would cause severe harm, a drug is unsafe, or a patient is stable on their current medication. Plans must respond to requests within 72 hours (or 24 hours in emergencies) and cover the requested drug without extra cost-sharing. The bill also requires annual reports to the government on exception requests, approvals, denials, and trends by medical condition or specialty. This directly affects patients on health plans with step therapy, their doctors, and the insurers managing those plans.