Sen. James E. Risch

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Geothermal Ombudsman and a Permitting Task Force within the Bureau of Land Management to improve how geothermal energy projects on public lands are approved. The Ombudsman will serve as a liaison between different BLM offices and project applicants, help resolve disputes, track permit processing times, and develop better practices for geothermal leasing. The Task Force, led by the Ombudsman, can temporarily assign specialized staff from other parts of the Department to assist with geothermal projects and may offer retention bonuses to keep experienced workers. The law also requires the Ombudsman to submit annual reports to Congress on the Task Force's activities and the effectiveness of geothermal permitting.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting American Taxpayers Act is a comprehensive bill designed to combat government fraud, recover misused funds, and strengthen oversight across various federal programs. It directly affects federal agencies, state governments administering public assistance, small businesses, veterans, and contractors by imposing new reporting requirements, extending statutes of limitations for fraud cases, and restricting financial assistance to entities linked to foreign agents or the Taliban. Key mechanisms include requiring child care payments to be based on recorded attendance rather than enrollment, mandating investigations into sudden spikes in health care spending, prohibiting small businesses with convicted fraudsters from receiving loans, and creating a new officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs dedicated to scam prevention. Additionally, the legislation rescinds unspent pandemic-era funds for deficit reduction, expands whistleblower protections for defense and non-defense contractors, and establishes stricter rules against transferring public assistance money abroad via remittance transfers.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses support for designating July 10, 2026, as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day to honor the workers who maintain the nation's electricity grid. The bill honors these employees for their critical role in keeping power running daily and for their dangerous work restoring service during disasters and extreme weather. It also commemorates the 130th anniversary of the death of Henry Miller, the first president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who died while restoring power. Finally, the resolution encourages Americans to observe this day with reflection on the sacrifices made by lineworkers over the past century.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution commemorates the fourth anniversary of the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the previous federal right to abortion. The document expresses the Senate's support for state authority to regulate abortion and acknowledges the work of pregnancy centers that assist expectant mothers. It formally declares the Senate's commitment to protecting unborn life and supporting families, while noting the ongoing policy challenges related to abortion access. As a symbolic measure, the bill does not create new laws or alter existing regulations but serves to record the Senate's stance on the issue.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026, prohibits physicians from performing abortions that involve dismembering an unborn child piece by piece or crushing it with instruments, with the specific intent of causing the child's death. The law defines an "unborn child" as a human organism from fertilization until birth and allows for exceptions only when the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother due to a physical disorder, illness, or injury. While it bans this specific method, the bill explicitly states that other abortion methods remain legal for reasons such as rape or incest, and it removes the previous federal ban on partial-birth abortions from the legal code. Violators face criminal penalties including fines and up to two years in prison, while women undergoing these procedures are immune from prosecution. Additionally, the bill creates a civil remedy allowing women or parents of minors to sue physicians for money damages, psychological injury, and punitive damages if the ban is violated.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts how nonmilitary foreign assistance funds can be used by prohibiting organizations from supporting abortion, gender ideology, or discriminatory equity ideology outside the United States. It requires recipients of these funds to agree not to provide or promote these specific activities, mandates that U.S. organizations keep their foreign aid programs physically and financially separate from such work, and allows the Secretary of State to require foreign governments to place funds in segregated accounts to prevent misuse. The legislation defines prohibited concepts narrowly, such as defining sex strictly by biological classification and limiting exceptions for abortion to cases where a woman's life is in immediate danger. While the rules apply to foreign and international organizations receiving U.S. aid, U.S.-based nonprofits are exempt from the ban on providing these services domestically but must still ensure their foreign-funded projects do not engage in them.

Maddy summaryThe Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act expands the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act to include employees working in outdoor recreational outfitting and guiding services. This change directly affects workers employed by businesses that primarily provide equipment rentals or guided outdoor activities, ensuring they are covered under federal labor standards. By adding these specific job categories to the list of exempt positions, the bill clarifies that such employees are eligible for minimum wage and overtime pay provisions. The legislation aims to standardize labor conditions for this sector without altering other existing rules or making predictions about future impacts.

Maddy summaryThe America the Beautiful Act reauthorizes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund through 2033, increasing its annual funding from $1.9 billion to $2 billion. It requires that projects funded by the Legacy Restoration Fund must secure at least 15% of their costs from public donations, which will be solicited through public awareness campaigns, donation locations at recreation sites, and during the purchase of recreation passes. The bill also mandates new reporting requirements for deferred maintenance and disposal of assets no longer serving public interest, while ensuring donations are credited to the Fund and allocated to specific projects.

Maddy summaryThe Duty Status Reform Act reorganizes federal laws to consolidate how reserve military members are ordered to active duty, creating a unified framework that applies to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Space Force. The bill establishes four distinct categories of duty - ranging from mandatory training and remote assignments to emergency mobilization - and aligns the benefits, pay, and survivor protections for National Guard members with those of other reserve components. It also updates the legal definition of a "contingency operation" to include these new reserve duty categories and repeals older, overlapping statutes to streamline the system. Notably, the legislation includes a transition provision that delays the law's effective date by ten years, allowing time for agencies to prepare for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution designates June 6, 2026, as National Naloxone Awareness Day to highlight the importance of naloxone in reversing opioid overdoses. The measure aims to educate the public, healthcare providers, and first responders on how to recognize overdose signs and safely administer the medication. It also encourages federal, state, and local governments along with private organizations to support efforts that increase access to and distribution of naloxone.