Sen. John Kennedy

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to restrict exemptions for foreign agents representing certain entities. It prohibits exemptions for agents of foreign corporate or government entities owned by countries listed in the State Department's "country of concern" definition (e.g., Russia, China, Iran). The bill creates a new process requiring congressional approval via a specific joint resolution to add or remove countries from the "concern" list, with proposals submitted to designated Senate and House committees. The changes expire after 5 years from enactment. (Note: The title "PAID OFF Act" is misleading; the bill focuses on foreign influence transparency, not financial relief.)

Maddy summaryThe Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2026 expands Medicare coverage for clinical psychologists by introducing financial incentives and removing certain administrative barriers. Starting in 2028, clinical psychologists working in designated rural and underserved areas will receive an additional 10 percent payment for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The bill also allows clinical psychologists to provide care or supervision in various settings, including outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, and home health services, as long as state laws permit it. These changes aim to increase access to mental health services by formally recognizing the role of clinical psychologists in Medicare-covered care.

Maddy summaryThe MERIT Act amends federal accreditation standards to require colleges and universities to stop giving preferential treatment in admissions based on an applicant's relationship to alumni or donors. This rule defines such favoritism as making an admissions decision where that relationship is the main deciding factor, though it allows institutions to consider demonstrated interest if criteria are clear and accessible to everyone. The bill also includes a specific exemption for faith-based schools to make admissions consistent with their religious values and requires the Department of Education to report on compliance efforts every two years. Additionally, the legislation directs the Department of Education to study how to collect data on the prevalence of legacy and donor admissions without creating a private database of personally identifiable information.

Maddy summaryThe Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act of 2026 updates the Clean Air Act to broaden the definition of renewable biomass eligible for carbon credits. It specifically includes wood and paper residuals from manufacturing, as well as trees and shrubs from certified non-Federal lands and public forests used for fuel reduction or ecological restoration. The bill also allows vegetation cleared from defensible space around buildings and wildfire risk reduction projects in the wildland-urban interface to be counted. These changes require specific certifications from landowners or federal agencies to verify that the materials come from sustainable sources and are not suitable for use as sawlogs.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes updating the Internal Revenue Code to automatically adjust income thresholds for the Additional Medicare Tax starting in tax years after 2026. It directly affects high-income earners and self-employed individuals by ensuring the dollar limits used to calculate this tax increase annually based on inflation data. The law requires these thresholds to be multiplied by a specific cost-of-living adjustment factor and rounded up to the nearest thousand dollars. By indexing these limits to inflation, the measure aims to maintain the tax's intended reach on high incomes as the value of money changes over time.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to automatically increase the income thresholds used to determine how much of Social Security benefits are subject to federal income tax. Starting in 2027, the specific dollar limits would be adjusted annually based on the official cost-of-living adjustment, with any resulting amounts rounded up to the nearest hundred dollars. The change directly affects retirees and other individuals who receive Social Security payments, ensuring that the income levels triggering taxes on those benefits keep pace with inflation. By updating these thresholds, the legislation aims to prevent the taxable portion of benefits from growing disproportionately as prices rise over time.

Maddy summaryThe Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2026 adds new federal penalties for intentionally causing collisions with commercial motor vehicles. It directly affects drivers who stage these accidents and those who arrange for others to do so. Under the bill, a driver who intentionally crashes into a commercial truck faces up to 20 years in prison, while causing serious injury or death in such a staged event carries a minimum sentence of 20 years. The law also holds organizers of these staged crashes criminally liable under the same sentencing guidelines. Prosecution under this federal statute is barred if the individual has already been convicted or acquitted for the same act in state court.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors the life and legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Olin Graham from South Carolina. It formally acknowledges his extensive career in the military, state government, and Congress, noting his service as a Senator and his roles as Chairman of the Judiciary and Budget committees. The Senate expresses its sorrow over his death and requests that this tribute be shared with the House of Representatives and Graham's family.

Maddy summaryThe Ratepayer Protection Act establishes a new federal standard to protect utility customers from high electricity bills caused by large industrial users. It defines "large-load customers" as non-residential entities with a peak power demand of 100 megawatts or more that primarily use electricity for data centers and computing. Under this bill, these customers must pay for the full cost of any power plant, transmission line, or distribution upgrade needed to serve them, including costs incurred if the customer leaves the utility early. Additionally, utilities are required to obtain financial guarantees from these large customers before making such infrastructure investments. State regulators must review and implement these rules within two years, unless a state has already enacted similar protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a comprehensive sanctions framework targeting the Russian government and its affiliated entities in response to ongoing military actions. It authorizes the President to block assets, revoke visas, and prohibit financial transactions for Russian officials, military leaders, and foreign persons supporting Russia's defense industry or undermining Ukraine. The legislation also bans U.S. investments in Russian energy sectors, prohibits the purchase of Russian sovereign debt, and imposes high tariffs on Russian imports while restricting crude oil purchases by specific foreign nations. Additionally, the bill prevents Russian companies from listing on U.S. stock exchanges and includes mechanisms for terminating sanctions only if Russia signs a peace agreement accepted by Ukraine and ceases hostilities.