Sen. Katie Boyd Britt

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 617) designates February 2026 as "Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month" to symbolically recognize CTE programs nationwide. It supports CTE's role in preparing students for high-demand careers by promoting workforce readiness through academic and technical skills training. The resolution encourages educators, counselors, parents, and school administrators to advocate for CTE as a valid educational pathway. As a non-binding Senate resolution, it does not create new laws or allocate funds but affirms bipartisan support for CTE's importance in workforce development.

Maddy summarySRES 618 is a Senate resolution recognizing the vital role of career and technical education (CTE) educators and work-based learning coordinators in preparing students for careers, classrooms, and life. It highlights that these professionals deliver hands-on skills training, support workforce pipelines in critical economic sectors, and address persistent shortages in CTE staffing (reported in 25 states for the 2025-2026 school year). The resolution formally commends CTE educators and coordinators for their contributions and emphasizes that improving their wages, benefits, and working conditions would help reduce staffing gaps. It does not create new programs or funding but serves as a symbolic endorsement of CTE’s importance to U.S. economic competitiveness.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act of 2026, requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update cybersecurity and digital service regulations for Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The law mandates that states issue chip-enabled EBT cards within four years, ban magnetic stripe cards on new cards, and eliminate replacement fees for cards lost, stolen, or damaged due to fraud. It also requires online transaction security measures, provides funding for retailers to upgrade payment terminals, and establishes reporting requirements to track fraud and system performance.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to require the Treasury Secretary to testify annually before Congress about the Fund's operations. It also strengthens the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program by adjusting guarantee limits and extending the program's authorization period. Additionally, the bill expands capital assistance options for community development financial institutions and creates a new lending program specifically for Native community development financial institutions to support homeownership in Tribal and Native communities.

Maddy summarySRES 615 is a Senate resolution celebrating Black History Month, acknowledging the historical contributions of African Americans to U.S. society across fields like civil rights, arts, science, and leadership. The resolution encourages all citizens to reflect on this history as part of the nation's ongoing journey toward equality, without creating new laws or policies. It specifically recognizes figures such as Frederick Douglass, Maya Angelou, and Rosa Parks, and emphasizes the importance of Black History Month in February as a time for communal learning and inspiration. This ceremonial resolution was introduced by multiple senators and passed unanimously by the Senate in 2026.

Maddy summaryThe One Nation, One Visa Policy Act (S 3857) requires all nationals of the People's Republic of China - including those from Hong Kong and Macau - to hold a valid U.S. visa for entry, eliminating visa-free access. It prohibits using Department of Homeland Security funds to allow Chinese nationals to participate in programs like the Guam and Northern Mariana Islands Visa Waiver Program. The bill enforces existing visa requirements by banning federal funding for visa-free admission under current agreements. This directly affects Chinese citizens seeking to travel to the U.S. without a visa through existing waiver programs.

Maddy summaryS 2860 (Revitalizing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals Dominance Act) aims to accelerate U.S. development of seabed mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. It directs federal agencies to expedite permits for exploration and commercial recovery of critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements - key for defense, energy, and manufacturing - while requiring a seabed mapping plan and identifying minerals essential for national security. The bill also mandates coordination with allies to support international partnerships for seabed mineral development and environmental monitoring. This primarily affects U.S. companies seeking seabed mineral rights and federal agencies managing offshore resources.

Maddy summarySRES 606 is a U.S. Senate resolution condemning the Iranian government for violently suppressing peaceful protests and the right to assemble, which has resulted in at least 6,126 reported deaths and 41,800 arrests since December 2025. It highlights Iran's use of internet blackouts, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and censorship to crush nationwide demonstrations sparked by economic hardship. The resolution calls on Iran to hold free elections, allow citizens to determine their future, and hold human rights violators accountable, while commending protesters' courage. As a symbolic resolution (not a law), it expresses the Senate's stance without imposing new legal requirements.

Maddy summaryS 3849, the Community Bank Relief Act, adjusts fee limits for payment card transactions to keep pace with inflation, directly affecting community banks that process debit and credit card payments. It amends federal law to require annual adjustments to the maximum fee banks can charge for these transactions, starting July 2026, using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from October of each year. The first adjustment uses the difference between October 2025 and October 2009 CPI values, with subsequent annual adjustments tied to the October CPI increase. This change aims to prevent fee limits from losing value over time due to inflation. The bill does not create new fees or alter bank obligations beyond this automatic adjustment mechanism.

Fighting Trade Cheats Act of 2026 This bill increases penalties for, and establishes additional enforcement mechanisms related to, fraudulent and grossly negligent violations of U.S. customs laws. Specifically, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a fraudulent violation to three times the domestic value of the merchandise. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the domestic value of the merchandise.) It prohibits a person who commits a fraudulent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a five-year period. Additionally, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a grossly negligent violation to the lesser of (1) 3 times the domestic value of the merchandise; or (2) 10 times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the lesser of the domestic value of the merchandise or four times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees.) It prohibits a person who commits a grossly negligent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a two-year period. Further, the bill applies these importation bans to an affiliated person (e.g., a family member or employee) of the person who committed the fraudulent or grossly negligent violation. The bill establishes a private right of action for an interested party (e.g., a manufacturer) affected by customs fraud or grossly negligent violations. The bill prohibits any person (or an affiliated person) who commits a fraudulent or grossly negligent violation from participating in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Importer of Record program, and further requires revocation of their importer of record numbers.