Sen. Ted Cruz

Maddy summaryThe Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2025 requires the Comptroller General of the United States to audit the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors and Federal Reserve banks within 12 months of the law's enactment. The audit must be completed within that timeframe, and a detailed report of findings, conclusions, and recommendations must be submitted to Congress within 90 days of completion. This report will be shared with congressional leaders and made available to any member of Congress who requests it. The bill directly affects the Federal Reserve System by imposing new transparency requirements for its operations and financial activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Public Health Service Act to formally define "short-term limited duration insurance" (STLDI) as health insurance plans with contracts expiring within 12 months of their start date. It allows these plans to include renewal options without premium increases based on health status. The definition directly affects health insurance issuers selling STLDI and consumers purchasing these temporary coverage options. This change creates a clear regulatory category for short-term plans but does not alter their availability or requirements beyond the defined terms.

Sentencing Accountability For Exploitation Act or the SAFE Act This bill directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements applicable to federal criminal offenses involving the production, receipt, transport, shipment, or distribution of child sexual abuse material to (1) account for the actual and potential harm from the offense and changes since the last amendments with respect to the typical offense behavior and modern technologies, and (2) better reflect the spectrum of offender culpability.

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 summaryThe Back the Blue Act of 2025 creates new federal criminal offenses for killing or assaulting law enforcement officers, judges, and certain public safety personnel (including firefighters and first responders) while they are on duty or because of their official status. It increases penalties for these crimes, including minimum 10-year prison terms for killing officers and longer sentences for assaults causing serious injury, with the death penalty possible for killings. The bill also adds a "flight to avoid prosecution" provision for those fleeing to evade charges for killing officers, expands law enforcement officers' rights to carry firearms in certain circumstances, and limits federal habeas corpus relief for individuals convicted of killing law enforcement officers. This legislation directly affects law enforcement officers, judges, and public safety personnel, as well as individuals who commit violence against them.

Maddy summaryThis bill reorganizes procedural rules for Inspector General (IG) investigations within the Department of Justice (DOJ). It removes specific language that previously restricted IG access to certain allegations involving DOJ personnel, streamlining the investigation process. The key change eliminates an exception clause in existing law, allowing IGs to investigate all DOJ personnel allegations without that prior limitation. This affects how DOJ investigations are conducted but does not create new policies or change substantive rights. (Procedural bill; summary focuses on specific legal reorganization.)

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and private security personnel to handle breast milk, baby formula, and related cooling items (like ice packs) with proper hygiene during airport security screenings. It mandates that TSA issue updated hygiene guidelines within 90 days (and every five years) after enactment, developed with maternal health organizations, to minimize contamination risks. The bill also requires a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General audit within one year to assess compliance and evaluate how screening technologies impact the handling of these items. The policy directly affects traveling parents and caregivers transporting infant essentials.

Maddy summaryThe RECAPTURE Act (S 3259) changes how leftover federal broadband funding is handled under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It requires that any unspent funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program not specifically designated for a project must be deposited into the federal Treasury to reduce the deficit, while funds designated for specific projects remain available to the grant recipient. This applies directly to states and local governments that received BEAD grants but have unused funds. The bill ensures unallocated broadband funds are redirected toward deficit reduction rather than remaining unspent.

Maddy summaryThe Stop TSP ESG Act (S 3263) amends Section 8438(f) of title 5, U.S. Code, to require the Thrift Savings Fund (TSP) to exercise voting rights on securities through a qualified professional asset manager instead of the TSP Board. The bill's title indicates it aims to prevent the TSP from using Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria in investment decisions. This change would directly affect the TSP, which manages retirement savings for federal employees. The key mechanism replaces the current authority of the TSP Board to vote directly with a mandatory requirement to engage an external qualified professional asset manager for voting.