Sen. Mike Rounds

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes federal standards for trauma kits used by police departments receiving federal grant funding. It requires all such kits to include specific components like tourniquets, bleeding control bandages, and instructional materials from recognized medical sources, and mandates training for officers on their use. Police departments must follow these standards when purchasing kits with federal funds, though they can still assemble kits from approved components. The bill also sets requirements for maintaining and strategically placing these kits in patrol vehicles and agency facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2605) creates special hiring and pay authorities to help the Department of Defense recruit and retain cybersecurity professionals. It allows the Secretary to establish "qualified positions" outside regular civil service hiring rules, set pay up to 150% of top executive rates, and offer flexible benefits like sabbaticals or retention bonuses. The policy directly affects DoD cyber workers in critical technical roles, including new hires and current employees in converted positions. It requires an implementation plan, annual reports tracking hiring/retention metrics, and a Comptroller General assessment to evaluate effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThe Independent BROKERS TIME Act of 2025 requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to update Medicare regulations defining third-party marketing organizations (TPMOs), clarifying distinctions between TPMOs and independent agents/brokers - particularly addressing call centers outside the U.S. and lead-generation revenue models. It mandates rulemaking to create a reward for reporting Medicare marketing scams, establish a standardized registration process for independent agents to reduce regulatory burdens, and eliminate a 48-hour waiting period before agents meet with Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, it directs the Inspector General to review predatory call center practices and report findings to Congress within one year. The bill directly affects Medicare agents, brokers, and TPMOs by reshaping regulatory oversight and enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2603) reorganizes internal reporting within the Department of Defense by designating the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy as the Secretary of Defense's direct principal staff assistant for cyber policy matters. It requires the Assistant Secretary to report directly to the Secretary without any intermediate leadership, and allows them to communicate cyber policy views directly to the Secretary without needing approval from other officials. The bill does not create new policies or affect external groups; it only changes the internal chain of command for cyber policy within the Department of Defense. This procedural change aims to streamline decision-making on cyber issues at the highest level of the Pentagon.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to publicly display on its website the current interment schedule availability (how long it takes to schedule a burial) for each national cemetery, updated every 30 days. It mandates the VA to define this metric within 60 days and submit a historical data report after one year. The bill also requires the VA to continue participating in the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey and notify Congress before stopping participation or changing its own customer service survey methods. These provisions directly affect veterans' families, funeral homes, and VA administrators by increasing transparency around burial scheduling and service quality.

Maddy summaryThis bill assigns the Commander of the United States Cyber Command direct responsibility for planning, programming, and budgeting resources to train, equip, operate, and sustain the cyber mission force. It requires the Cyber Command to prepare separate budget submissions for its operations and consult with military department leaders about funding for reserve component units. Military pay and facility support remain under the control of individual military departments. The bill aims to streamline budget coordination for cyber operations within the Department of Defense.

Maddy summaryS 2600 requires the Secretary of Defense to direct the Defense Science Board to study and recommend the optimal organizational structure for digital engineering work across the Department of Defense (DoD). The study will assess current digital engineering efforts, evaluate options like creating new agencies or consolidating existing functions, and provide recommendations on structure, staffing, funding, and implementation. It directly affects DoD digital engineering activities, including AI systems, software development, and data platforms managed by military departments and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The Defense Science Board must submit a final report to the Secretary by February 1, 2027, with a congressional copy following 30 days. This is a procedural study bill with no immediate policy changes.

Maddy summaryS 2624, "Kamisha's Law," removes all time limits for prosecuting certain non-capital homicide offenses in federal court. It directly affects prosecutors and defendants in cases involving second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or attempted manslaughter under specified sections of Title 18 (e.g., sections 1111, 1112, 1114, and others listed). The bill amends federal law to allow indictments or information to be filed "at any time without limitation" for these offenses, eliminating the usual statute of limitations. This change applies only to federal prosecutions for the listed homicide crimes, not to state cases or capital offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how the U.S. Department of Defense selects states for the State Partnership Program, which matches National Guard units with partner nations. It requires the Secretary of Defense to update guidelines so that the National Guard Bureau Chief must consider: (1) how many existing partnerships a state already has, and (2) give priority to states with only one active partnership. This directly affects states seeking to join or maintain military partnerships under the program. The change aims to ensure broader geographic representation by reducing the concentration of partnerships in states with multiple partners.

Maddy summaryS 2606 requires the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command to develop a roadmap by August 2026 for collaborating with private industry on AI-powered cybersecurity tools for the Department of Defense. The roadmap must establish how the military can partner with AI developers and cybersecurity firms, including details on contracts, security clearance processes, and technology transition plans. It mandates specific elements like near-term AI use cases, industry engagement strategies, and infrastructure costs, with annual updates to Congress starting in 2028. This bill directly affects private sector companies working with the DoD on AI and cybersecurity, aiming to streamline collaboration for both defensive and offensive cyber operations.