Sen. John W. Hickenlooper

Maddy summaryThe Cooperative Institute Act of 2026 establishes a formal program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to partner with non-federal academic and nonprofit research institutions. These partnerships, known as Cooperative Institutes, are designed to conduct collaborative research, support student and postdoctoral training, and expand scientific capacity in areas relevant to NOAA's mission. The bill authorizes five-year funding awards for these institutes, which can be renewed for an additional five years following a peer-reviewed performance assessment. It also sets specific procedures for selecting new partners through open competition or limited pools, allows for the co-location of federal and institutional staff, and requires detailed reports to Congress before any existing partnership is terminated or allowed to expire.

Maddy summaryThe Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a study analyzing suicide risk factors among construction workers who have died by suicide. The investigation will examine specific variables such as employment status, union membership, health insurance coverage, substance use history, financial stress, and prior mental health diagnoses. To protect privacy, all collected data must adhere to applicable federal and state laws. Within three years of the bill’s enactment, the agency is required to submit a report to Congress containing policy recommendations for addressing these identified risk factors.

Maddy summaryThe Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to identify barriers to data sharing for artificial intelligence and robotics development, while also coordinating with industry to establish standards for emerging technologies like humanoid robots. The bill requires NIST to work with the Departments of Education and Labor to create training curricula that upskill workers for the robotics sector. Additionally, it mandates that NASA prioritize licensing its robotics-related patents and technologies to the private sector to support the domestic industrial base. Finally, the Secretary of Commerce is required to submit annual reports to Congress for five years detailing the rate of robotics adoption across various industries and geographic locations in the United States.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the Department of Defense from reclassifying or renaming ongoing military contingency operations if troops are still engaged in hostilities against the same enemy, even during ceasefires or diplomatic negotiations. It requires that casualty records and statistics remain permanently attributed to the original operation, preventing administrative changes from obscuring the human cost of war or resetting cumulative counts. Additionally, the legislation ensures that service members and civilian employees retain eligibility for deployment-related benefits, awards, and leave based on the original operation designation rather than any subsequent administrative redesignation. The bill also mandates the immediate restoration of casualty records and benefits for personnel involved in operations against Iran since February 28, 2026, and requires written notice to affected families and individuals regarding these restorations.

Maddy summaryThe Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture to fund forest restoration projects on National Forest System lands affected by mountain pine beetle outbreaks. Eligible sponsors, including state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and public utilities, can receive funding for activities such as removing hazard trees, reducing wildfire fuels, reforestation, and watershed stabilization. The bill prioritizes grants for projects that protect municipal water supplies, critical infrastructure, and communities in the wildland-urban interface. Additionally, it authorizes cooperative agreements between federal agencies and local entities to facilitate coordinated monitoring, data sharing, and technical assistance for detecting and mitigating beetle infestations.

Maddy summaryThe Momnibus Act is a comprehensive legislative package designed to address maternal health disparities by expanding access to care, improving data collection, and funding community-based interventions for pregnant and postpartum individuals. Key provisions include extending WIC nutrition benefits for new mothers from six months to two years, establishing a federal task force to coordinate efforts across government agencies, and creating grant programs to support social determinants of health such as housing, transportation, and mental health services. The bill also mandates respectful maternity care training for hospital staff, requires states to restrict the shackling of pregnant individuals in prison to maintain federal funding eligibility, and authorizes significant research funding through the National Institutes of Health to study maternal mortality causes and climate change impacts on pregnancy outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe READ Act aims to improve student literacy by directing federal funding toward evidence-based reading instruction known as the science of reading, which explicitly teaches phonics and decoding while prohibiting the use of the three-cueing model. Under this bill, the U.S. Department of Education would distribute grants to states, with a specific focus on those performing in the lowest tier of reading assessments, to implement statewide policies, update teacher training standards, and provide universal early literacy screenings for all students before third grade. The legislation also requires schools to notify parents when a student is identified as at risk for reading difficulties and mandates that these notifications be provided in the family's primary language. Additionally, the act allocates funds to support high-quality instructional materials, literacy coaching for teachers, and interventions like tutoring for struggling readers, while ensuring that federal money supplements rather than replaces local education spending.

Maddy summaryThe Stroke Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct research on stroke care delivery and award grants to improve national stroke data collection and quality. The legislation authorizes funding for a national stroke registry that gathers standardized information from various types of hospitals to support quality improvement and benchmarking. Additionally, it provides grants for training emergency medical personnel, expanding telestroke services in underserved areas, and coordinating post-stroke rehabilitation. Finally, the bill funds a national public education campaign aimed at promoting stroke prevention and encouraging individuals to seek immediate treatment for symptoms.

Maddy summaryThe SUSTAIN 340B Act overhauls the federal drug discount program to tighten oversight and prevent fraud by requiring covered entities to register their contract pharmacies and child sites with the Department of Health and Human Services. It establishes a new independent data clearinghouse to track claims and stop duplicate discounts, while also mandating that health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers treat 340B providers on equal footing without imposing discriminatory reimbursement terms. The bill defines strict criteria for what constitutes a valid patient relationship and authorizes a user fee program starting in fiscal year 2031 to fund additional audits and enforcement activities. These provisions directly affect safety-net healthcare providers, drug manufacturers, and insurance companies by increasing transparency requirements and expanding the government's authority to penalize non-compliance.

Maddy summaryThe Protect College Sports Act of 2026 establishes new rules to protect student athletes and regulate college sports broadcasting by amending existing federal laws. It requires colleges and athletic associations to allow athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness without losing eligibility, while mandating that athletes disclose agreements worth more than $600 annually. The bill also introduces stricter health and safety standards, including independent medical authority for return-to-play decisions and expanded medical coverage for injuries sustained during competition. Additionally, it creates a new commission to study the future of college athletics and modifies broadcasting laws to ensure local market access for games and prevent large conferences from merging in ways that reduce the number of participating schools.