Rep. Terri A. Sewell

Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act This bill allows state Medicaid programs to establish health homes to provide coordinated care for individuals with sickle-cell disease. (Under current law, state Medicaid programs may establish health homes to provide coordinated care for individuals with specified chronic conditions.) States must ensure that such care includes dental and vision services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue best practices for states on how to design and implement such health homes.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends preferential U.S. trade benefits for Haitian exports until 2037 (previously ending in 2025) under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. It requires Haitian producers to comply with core labor standards and Haitian labor laws related to minimum wages, working hours, and safe conditions to maintain these benefits. The bill also creates a new technical assistance program where the U.S. Trade Representative will work with Haitian government agencies, businesses, labor groups, and trade support institutions to boost exports - focusing on agricultural processing, apparel sector competitiveness, and export strategy development. These changes directly affect Haitian exporters seeking U.S. trade preferences and U.S. agencies administering trade programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most health insurance plans to cover HIV prevention services - including PrEP and PEP drugs, related lab tests, counseling, and monitoring - without cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) or prior approval. It applies to private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid/CHIP, and federal employee health plans, directly affecting people who use HIV prevention medications. Key provisions mandate 100% coverage for FDA-approved HIV prevention drugs, eliminate cost-sharing for these services, and prohibit insurers from requiring preauthorization for them. The bill defines covered services to include all necessary components of HIV prevention care as outlined in current public health guidelines.

Maddy summaryHR 5126, the HIV Prevention Now Act, appropriates $2.165 billion for the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention for fiscal year 2026. This funding is in addition to existing CDC appropriations and must be used exclusively by that specific center for its programs, with no transfer to other entities. The bill directly affects the CDC's public health operations by providing dedicated resources for prevention and treatment programs targeting HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs, and tuberculosis. It does not create new policies or alter eligibility but ensures sustained funding for existing prevention efforts at the federal level.

Maddy summaryHR 5142, the Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025, prevents payment cuts to Medicare home health providers for 2026 and 2027. It requires the Medicare Secretary to adjust payment rates to fully offset two planned negative adjustments (-4.059% and -5.0%) that would have reduced payments under the 2026 rate update rule. This ensures home health agencies receive full reimbursement for services during those years without further reductions based on prior payment formulas. The bill directly affects home health providers who rely on Medicare payments for patient care.

Maddy summaryHR 5073, the INFORM Act of 2025, requires immigration authorities to notify the immediate family of a detained individual within 24 hours if they are transferred to a different detention facility. This applies directly to immigrants held under U.S. immigration law and their immediate family members, defined as parents, children, spouses, and certain extended family like step-relatives or domestic partners. The law mandates that notifications include the reason for the transfer and full contact details (name, address, phone number, and point of contact) for the new facility. It establishes a specific timeline and content requirement for these notifications to improve transparency during detention transfers. The bill focuses on procedural changes for facility transfers, not on altering detention policies or immigration eligibility.

Maddy summaryHJRES 113 designates August 20 as Slavery Remembrance Day to commemorate the arrival of the first 20 enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619 and honor the enduring legacy of slavery. The resolution requests the President issue a proclamation encouraging the public to observe this day through ceremonies and activities that acknowledge slavery's horrors and its lasting impacts. It includes historical context about the transatlantic slave trade, the Middle Passage, and figures like Harriet Tubman, while posthumously recognizing Reconstruction-era Black Congress members. As a symbolic commemorative resolution, it does not create new laws or directly affect any group, but serves to raise awareness about slavery's history and consequences.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HJRES 115) terminates a presidential emergency declaration made on August 11, 2025, which claimed a "crime emergency" in Washington, D.C. It directly affects the District of Columbia by ending federal restrictions that prevented D.C. from using $1 billion in locally-raised funds for public safety, law enforcement, fire services, and schools. The resolution cites that the emergency declaration was legally flawed - section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act does not permit federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department - and notes that D.C. violent crime has reached a 30-year low. The bill formally ends the emergency under the DC Home Rule Act, restoring D.C.'s authority over its own budget and public safety resources.

Maddy summaryHR 4961, the Public Utility Remediation and Enhancement for Water Act, creates a federal grant program to help municipal water systems address harmful chemicals like PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) in drinking water. The bill authorizes $200 million annually (2026-2028) to fund 75% of costs for planning, building, or upgrading treatment systems to prevent or treat these emerging contaminants. It directly affects publicly owned water treatment facilities by providing financial support to comply with federal water pollution standards for these chemicals. The program requires states to manage grants similarly to existing water fund programs, with non-federal funds covering the remaining 25% through local or private sources.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act to clarify that Social Security benefits (income under Title II of the Social Security Act) are not counted when determining eligibility for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. It directly affects seniors receiving Social Security who rely on SNAP for food assistance, ensuring their Social Security payments do not reduce their SNAP benefits. The key change adds Social Security income to the list of non-countable resources under SNAP rules. The amendment takes effect 90 days after the bill is enacted.