Maddy summaryThe Children's Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 directs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study on the safety, educational impact, and marketing ethics of AI-enabled toys for children under 14. This study will specifically examine risks of physical and psychological harm, the effectiveness of parental controls, and whether a temporary sales ban is necessary. Following the study, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Product Safety Commission must create a joint action plan within two years that includes recommendations for new regulations, disclosure requirements, and public education initiatives. The bill defines AI-enabled toys as products capable of two-way interaction and applies these rules to developers and manufacturers of such items.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to formally define dyslexia as a specific learning disability. It adds a clear definition stating dyslexia involves unexpected reading difficulties due to phonological processing challenges, affecting students diagnosed with dyslexia. The bill also requires schools to provide equal access to accommodations and services for all eligible students, specifically including those from low-income families, low socioeconomic backgrounds, and limited English proficiency. These changes ensure dyslexia is explicitly recognized in federal education law and mandate equitable access to support for affected students.
Maddy summaryThe Kids Online Safety Act (S 1748) requires major social media platforms, online video games, and other "covered platforms" to implement specific safety features for minors (under 17). These features include default privacy settings that limit harmful design features like infinite scrolling and auto-play, parental controls for managing minors' accounts, and restrictions on advertising illegal products to minors. The bill also mandates annual transparency reports about how platforms are used by minors and requires platforms to provide clear notices about their content algorithms. It creates a Kids Online Safety Council to advise Congress on online safety issues for children. The law applies to platforms with more than 10 million monthly users in the U.S. and takes effect 18 months after enactment.
Maddy summaryThis bill prevents the Secretary of Education from moving specific offices and their functions to other federal agencies or contracting them out. It directly affects the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Postsecondary Education, Office of Indian Education, and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The law blocks agreements that would allow these offices to share projects, use equipment, or transfer funds to other agencies, while also stopping internal transfers of these functions to other parts of the department before outsourcing them. The only exceptions are contracts or agreements that were already active on February 1, 2025, or renewals that keep the same terms.
Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the State-Based Education Loan Awareness Act, clarifies that state-run student loan programs are not subject to certain federal rules about preferred lender arrangements. It directly affects state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other entities that offer private student loans without federal government backing. The legislation defines these state programs by requiring that they offer interest rates and fees at least as favorable as federal Direct PLUS loans and that borrowers are informed about federal loan options before taking out private loans. By making this exclusion explicit, the bill ensures state programs operate under different regulatory requirements than federally backed lending arrangements.
Maddy summaryThis bill transfers 3.372 acres of federal land in Anchorage, Alaska (specifically Lot 1A, Block 36 East Addition) to the Southcentral Foundation (SCF), a health and social services provider in Anchorage. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must convey the property via warranty deed within two years of the bill's enactment, with no cost or conditions attached to SCF. The transfer is intended to support SCF's health and social services programs on the land. The bill also clarifies that SCF won't be liable for environmental contamination existing before the transfer, while the federal government retains no reversion rights or future claims.
Maddy summaryThe Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act of 2026 authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to networks of organizations that use technology to improve health outcomes. These networks must consist of at least three entities with experience in collaborative learning and capacity building models. Recipients are required to use a shared dataset at the end of the grant period to demonstrate the impact of their work on significant public health issues such as infectious or chronic diseases. Additionally, the act extends the funding period for these grants from 2022 through 2026 to 2027 through 2031.
Maddy summaryThe POLAR Act establishes a new Directorate for Polar Programs within the National Science Foundation to oversee and advance scientific research, education, and infrastructure in the Arctic and Antarctica. This new directorate will manage logistics, support research stations and vessels, and coordinate with federal agencies and international partners to maintain a strong U.S. presence in these regions. The legislation authorizes the directorate to award grants and fellowships to universities, research institutions, and other entities, with a specific focus on incorporating indigenous knowledge and building a skilled workforce. Additionally, the act requires the creation of an advisory committee to guide program strategies and mandates annual reporting to Congress on funding priorities and progress.
Maddy summaryThe Geese House Site Conveyance Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer approximately 21,578 acres of federal land within Denali National Park and Preserve to the Doyon, Limited corporation. This transfer is subject to specific restrictions that prevent Doyon from selling the land, conducting mining activities, or developing it in ways that would damage the cultural significance of the historic Geese House site. Additionally, the bill requires the official boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve to be adjusted to exclude this land, while reserving public easements to protect the area. The legislation also allows for minor corrections to the land survey and exempts the transaction from certain standard federal land transfer regulations.
Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the EMPOWER for Health Act, extends federal funding for health workforce programs through fiscal year 2030, directly supporting medical schools, residency programs, and health education centers. It increases annual appropriations for various initiatives that train and place healthcare professionals in underserved areas, including specific programs for pediatric care and area health education centers. The legislation also updates eligibility requirements and service obligations for participants, ensuring that training programs align with current medical practice standards and that graduates serve in communities with healthcare shortages.