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.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act aims to improve housing stability for current and former foster youth by expanding their access to federal housing assistance and supportive services. It amends existing laws to allow states to use funding for services such as financial literacy counseling, help with lease contracts, and assistance with security deposits and moving costs. The bill also clarifies that these supportive services do not count toward spending limits on room and board, enabling more funds to be used for housing support. Additionally, it requires the Departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development to create joint guidance within a year to better coordinate programs for youth aging out of foster care. Finally, the act mandates a report to Congress within three years detailing how many eligible youth are receiving housing aid and the outcomes of these programs.
Maddy summaryThe Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2025 allows federal appellate and district court judges to permit media coverage of court proceedings - including photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising - at their discretion. It requires judges to obscure witnesses' faces and voices upon request (for non-parties), prohibits broadcasting jurors or attorney-client conferences, and mandates that the Judicial Conference create mandatory guidelines within six months for protecting vulnerable witnesses like crime victims or minors. The law includes a three-year sunset for district court media authority and prohibits interlocutory appeals of judges' media coverage decisions. This bill directly affects federal courts, media organizations, and witnesses, balancing public access with due process and witness safety protections.
Maddy summaryS 1146, the "Cameras in the Courtroom Act," requires the U.S. Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all publicly open court sessions. This directly affects the Supreme Court (as the entity implementing the rule) and the public (who would gain access to live coverage of proceedings). The bill's key provision states that the Court may block TV coverage in a specific case only if a majority of justices determine it would violate a party's fair trial rights. The law does not mandate coverage but sets a default rule allowing it unless the Court unanimously decides otherwise for due process reasons.
Maddy summaryThe SABER Act of 2026 expands the permissible uses of the Ukraine Support Fund to allow the Ukrainian government to purchase defense articles and services specifically for responding to and recovering from Russian aggression. This legislative change directly affects the administration of U.S. foreign aid by modifying existing statutes to include these new categories of spending. The bill removes previous restrictions that limited the fund's use, thereby providing Ukraine with greater flexibility to address the consequences of the ongoing conflict.
Maddy summaryS 825 requires the Justice Department to develop a report within 150 days on programs providing evidence-based mental health care for public safety officers, including police, firefighters, EMTs, and 911 dispatchers. The report must outline how to deliver trauma-informed care, peer support, and family services through in-person or telehealth options, while ensuring confidentiality for officers seeking help. It also needs to detail administrative efficiency across states and territories, draft necessary grant conditions, and estimate annual funding needs. This bill does not fund programs but sets a framework for future action based on the high rates of PTSD and suicide among these frontline workers.
Maddy summaryS 736, the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, amends federal law to increase penalties for providing prohibited items (like phones) to prison inmates. It adds a maximum 2-year prison term for knowingly supplying phones to inmates, specifically targeting violations related to phone trafficking. The bill also requires the Bureau of Prisons to review and update its policies within one year of enactment to better prevent inmate access to prohibited objects and enhance safety for both incarcerated individuals and staff. These changes directly affect prison staff, correctional facilities, and individuals involved in supplying contraband to inmates.
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires states to develop and annually update "family partnership plans" to improve recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families. The plans must include specific data on foster family demographics, unutilized capacity, barriers to recruitment (especially racial/ethnic matching), and input from foster parents and youth. States must report this data to Congress annually, detailing challenges like why families stop fostering or adoptions fail. The law directly affects all states administering foster care programs under federal guidelines. It mandates concrete data collection and reporting to address gaps in family recruitment and placement stability.
Maddy summaryThe Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act expands legal protections for firearm manufacturers and sellers by immediately dismissing any lawsuits currently pending against them that allege harm caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of their products. The bill defines these protected cases as those where the injury resulted from a third party's illegal actions rather than a defect in the product itself, while explicitly excluding claims involving negligent entrustment, specific federal violations, or design defects. To enforce these protections, the law allows defendants to remove such cases from state courts to federal court and grants them the right to appeal dismissal orders immediately. Additionally, the legislation preempts state and local laws that attempt to hold these companies liable for product misuse and provides for attorney's fees for defendants who successfully assert their immunity.