Sen. Thom Tillis

Maddy summaryS 2814, the Transit Crime Reporting Act of 2025, requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to annually report crime statistics on federally funded transit systems (like buses and trains receiving federal funding) to Congress, broken down by violent and non-violent incidents. It also establishes a 12-member task force - featuring transit agency leaders, law enforcement, transit workers, and national transit associations - to develop safety recommendations for Congress within two years. The bill directly affects all transit agencies receiving federal funds under specific laws, mandating improved transparency in crime data reporting. Its key mechanisms are the annual crime reports and the task force’s structured process for generating safety recommendations, without implementing new safety measures itself.

Maddy summarySRES 385 is a Senate resolution recognizing suicide as a serious public health issue in the U.S. and supporting the designation of September as "National Suicide Prevention Month." It does not create new laws or funding but formally acknowledges suicide statistics (e.g., 49,000 annual deaths, 1 death every 11 minutes) and emphasizes suicide prevention as a priority. The resolution promotes awareness that suicide has no single cause and encourages access to mental health services, without specifying policy changes or requiring government action. It is a symbolic gesture by the Senate, not a binding legislative measure.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 2770 (Share the Savings with Seniors Act), changes Medicare Part D drug coverage for seniors taking specific chronic medications. It requires that for covered chronic care drugs (like blood glucose regulators, anticoagulants, and certain inhalers), beneficiaries pay no more than the drug’s actual negotiated price (net price) for costs below the deductible, and coinsurance above the deductible must be based on that net price. The rules apply to plan years starting January 1, 2027, directly affecting Medicare Part D enrollees using drugs in the defined categories. The bill clarifies that cost-sharing for these drugs cannot exceed the negotiated price, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors on long-term medications.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires advance funding for key tribal programs starting in fiscal year 2026. It mandates that new budget authority for specific accounts - like operations, education, health services, and construction at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and Indian Health Service - must be approved in advance for the following year, not just the current year. The bill also requires annual reports by July 31 detailing resource sufficiency, workload estimates, and future funding needs, with tribes consulted on budget planning. This directly affects tribal programs and services funded through these agencies, aiming to prevent annual funding delays.

Maddy summaryThe Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act creates 40,000 new immigrant visas for nurses and physicians by recapturing unused employment-based visas from fiscal years 1992 through 2024. It reserves 25,000 visas specifically for nurses and 15,000 for physicians, available to applicants who file petitions within three years of the bill's enactment. These visas are exempt from country-based limits, processed more quickly without additional fees, and require employers to attest that hiring foreign workers won’t displace U.S. healthcare workers.

Maddy summaryThe RESULTS Act (S 2761) changes how Medicare sets payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests by requiring the collection of final payment data from private payors through a qualifying comprehensive claims database. For widely available non-ADLT tests (non-Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Tests), this new system will apply to data collection periods beginning January 1, 2027, with reporting for these periods starting January 1, 2028. If data isn't available for a test, the bill establishes a default payment rate equal to the previous year's rate adjusted for inflation. This affects Medicare, clinical laboratories, and private payors by creating more accurate, market-based payment rates that better reflect final payments made by private insurers.

Maddy summaryThe Telehealth Modernization Act extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 2027, allowing more patients to access care remotely without geographic restrictions. It expands who can provide telehealth services (including audio-only visits), extends telehealth use for hospice recertification, and updates coverage for in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. The bill also extends "acute hospital care at home" program flexibilities through 2030 and requires a study on this program's effectiveness. Additionally, it includes provisions to improve telehealth access for patients with limited English proficiency and enhances Medicare coverage for virtual diabetes prevention programs. These changes primarily affect Medicare beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and telehealth service companies.

Maddy summaryS 1038, the TRACE Act, requires the Attorney General to add a data field to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NMIPS) indicating whether a missing person’s last known location was confirmed or suspected to be on federal land (like national parks or military bases). It also mandates annual reports to Congress starting in 2025, detailing the number of cases in NMIPS where federal land was involved. This directly affects law enforcement agencies using NMIPS by standardizing how they track missing persons on federal property. The bill creates no new funding or penalties but improves data collection for cases involving federal lands.

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide quarterly budget briefings to Congress, prohibits the VA from providing specified pay incentives to senior-level employees, and establishes an office to carry out customer service initiatives of the VA. Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of 2025 or the PRO Veterans Act of 2025 (Sec. 1) This section requires the VA to provide quarterly budget briefings to Congress, which must include information on any budget shortfalls the VA may be experiencing. The VA must present its plans to address or mitigate shortfalls during such briefings. Next, the section prohibits the VA from providing certain senior-level employees with a critical skill incentive, which is generally a payment bonus for employees possessing a high-demand skill or skill that is at a shortage. Specifically, the VA may not provide such an incentive to an employee in a Senior Executive Service position or other comparable position in the VA Central Office, regardless of the actual location where the employee performs the functions of the position.  Senior-level employees whose positions are primarily in the VA Central Office but perform some portion of their job function based out of non-Central Office VA facilities are eligible for an incentive for their non-Central Office work. The section also provides that an incentive may only be provided to senior-level employees on an individual basis and upon approval by specified officers (e.g., the Under Secretary for Health). The VA must report to Congress annually regarding senior-level employees who were provided a critical skill incentive. Improving Veterans’ Experience Act of 2025 (Sec. 2) This section establishes the Veterans Experience Office through FY2028 to carry out the key customer experience initiatives of the VA relating to veteran and beneficiary satisfaction with and usage of VA benefits and services. The Government Accountability Office must complete an analysis of and report on the methodology, effectiveness, and implementation of findings and feedback of veterans and beneficiaries used by the VA, including the Veterans Experience Office, to improve customer experience and satisfaction.

Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025 This bill makes several changes to the administration of bankruptcy cases, particularly by increasing certain fees, extending the sunset date of various fees, and extending the term of specified bankruptcy judgeships. The bill increases the fees paid to the trustee in Chapter 7 (liquidation) cases. The bill extends for an additional five years the fees paid quarterly to the U.S. trustee in Chapter 11 (reorganization) cases. The bill also increases the fee percentage for cases with large disbursements, subject to limitations.  Finally, temporary bankruptcy judgeships in various districts are extended for an additional five years.