From Presidential Management Fellow to Legislative Director

Connor Jennings has taken on a new position as Legislative Director for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, where he will focus on international affairs issues.

Jennings previously served as a Budget Policy Adviser at the Senate Budget Committee from October 2025 through March 2026.

His new position places him at a committee chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) serving as Ranking Member. The committee has an active legislative agenda spanning consumer protection, technology, transportation, and ocean policy.

The Committee He Directs

A business meeting on children's online safety was held on August 5 where the committee considered several bills in this area, including S.737, which requires certain interactive computer services to adopt technology verification measures to ensure users are not minors; S.1748, legislation to protect the safety of children on the internet; S.4199, which requires entities making artificial intelligence chatbots available to minors to implement certain safe design features; S.4407, requiring family accounts for children to use AI chatbots and verifiable parental consent for teens; and S.5171, which requires a study of AI-enabled toys and development of a joint action plan regarding their marketing and sale.

The committee also held a hearing on intelligent networks on July 30.

Among recent bills the committee has considered, S.5332, sponsored by Sen. Cantwell, directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain the Cooperative Institute Program for scientific collaboration. The bill was introduced on August 6 and currently has a status of Introduced.

Other recent bills include S.5273, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), which improves fisheries stock assessments by incorporating eDNA technology and was introduced on August 6 with 7 cosponsors; and S.5278, sponsored by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), which prohibits the speculative sale of event tickets and was introduced on August 6 with no cosponsors.

The committee has also considered S.5281, which amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to modify civil penalty provisions for product safety standard violations; S.5302, which creates national standards for labeling materials as recyclable, compostable, reusable, and refillable; S.5294, which establishes manufacturing and content requirements for railroad freight cars on the U.S. general railroad system; S.5311, which improves safety of aircraft air supply systems; and S.5310, which supports development of the U.S. robotics industry.

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