Rep. Julia Brownley

Maddy summaryHR 2585, the Armenian Genocide Education Act, establishes a federal program through the Library of Congress to develop educational resources about the 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide for K-12 schools. It requires the Librarian to create and distribute accurate teaching materials, provide teacher training workshops, and maintain an online resource hub focused on the genocide's history, lessons, and prevention of hate. The program directly supports local educational agencies, independent schools, and educators by offering professional development and curriculum resources. It defines key terms like "denial" and "distortion" to guide the educational content, aiming to improve understanding of this historical event and its relevance to preventing modern-day hate crimes.

Maddy summaryHR 2586, the Reentry Act of 2025, amends Medicaid rules to allow incarcerated individuals to receive Medicaid coverage during the 30 days immediately before their release from prison or jail. This directly affects people leaving correctional facilities, ensuring they can access health care as they transition back into communities. The bill requires a report within 18 months analyzing current health care standards in prisons, the number of people who would gain coverage, and current discharge practices to improve Medicaid enrollment for newly released individuals. The report will also assess how to better connect people with community health services and addiction treatment after release.

Maddy summaryHR 2535, the FEMA Temporary Housing Assistance Improvement Act, clarifies that insurance payments cannot be counted as a "duplication of benefits" when determining eligibility for FEMA temporary housing assistance after a disaster. This means disaster survivors who receive insurance payouts for housing damage will not have their FEMA housing aid reduced or denied because of those payments. The bill amends the Stafford Act to explicitly state that the President must not consider insurance a duplication of benefits under Section 312. It directly affects individuals and families seeking FEMA housing assistance following federally declared disasters.

Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025   This bill imposes penalties on certain persons (individuals and entities) if the President determines that the Russian government or a person acting at Russia's direction is involved with (1) refusing to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine; (2) violating a negotiated peace agreement; (3) initiating another invasion of Ukraine; or (4) overthrowing, dismantling, or seeking to subvert the Ukrainian government.   If the President makes such a determination, the bill requires certain actions including the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on specified persons such as the Russian president, certain Russian military commanders, and any foreign person that knowingly provides defense items to the Russian armed forces; the President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services; the President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported into the United States from countries that knowingly engage in the exchange of Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services; the Department of the Treasury must impose property-blocking sanctions on any financial institution organized under Russian law and owned wholly or partly by Russia, and any financial institution that engages in transactions with those entities; and the Department of Commerce must prohibit the export, reexport, or in-country transfer to or in Russia of any U.S.-produced energy or energy product.

Maddy summaryThe Nutrition CARE Act of 2025 requires Medicare to cover medical nutrition therapy services for beneficiaries with eating disorders starting January 1, 2026. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders, including an estimated 1.6 million people on Medicare Part B, with specific focus on underserved groups like 420,500-560,700 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color beneficiaries. The bill mandates coverage through registered dietitians or nutrition professionals, requiring at least 13 hours of services in the first year (including initial assessment) and 4 hours annually thereafter, with referrals from physicians or psychologists. This addresses a current gap where Medicare does not cover medical nutrition therapy for eating disorders at any treatment level. The policy change aims to improve access to a critical treatment pillar for a condition with high mortality rates and significant healthcare costs.

Maddy summaryHR 2485, the Arts Education for All Act, requires states and school districts to integrate arts education into K-12 curricula and report on its availability. It mandates states to describe how they will support arts courses, increase certified arts educators (especially in high-need schools), and use arts to enhance teaching in core subjects like math and science (Section 202). Schools must track and report on arts course offerings, teacher qualifications, and student access - including disaggregated data by school poverty levels (Section 203). The bill also expands arts access in juvenile justice programs (Section 301) and funds research on effective arts education methods (Section 401). It directly affects public schools, arts educators, and youth in after-school and correctional settings.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to launch a national public education campaign about abortion access. The campaign must provide medically accurate information on where to obtain abortion services (including medication abortion), legal rights for out-of-state care, identifying misleading anti-abortion centers, spotting disinformation, and protecting personal health data. It specifically targets underserved communities like people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, rural residents, and those with low incomes, while prohibiting the promotion of misinformation or abstinence-only programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a federal grant program to fund mental health crisis response training for law enforcement and corrections officers. It provides up to $10 million annually for state, local, and tribal agencies to cover training costs, including travel and lodging, for officers responding to mental health crises. The training must be evidence-based, developed with healthcare professionals and people with lived mental health experience, and cover de-escalation, empathy, community resources, and safety protocols. Agencies applying must demonstrate current training gaps, officer safety records, and how the training will reduce injuries to officers and the public during mental health emergencies. The grants are supplemental to existing funding and require annual reporting on training participation and outcomes.

Maddy summaryHR 2487, the Transgender Health Care Access Act, aims to improve access to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals by funding training and education for healthcare providers. The bill provides $10 million annually for medical schools to develop curricula on gender-affirming care and culturally competent treatment, and $15 million annually for grants to train medical residents, nurse practitioners, and community health centers serving transgender patients. It specifically targets rural providers through $5 million annually for collaborative networks to expand care in underserved areas. The legislation requires a report to Congress within two years detailing progress in improving health equity for transgender populations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Agriculture Climate Scientific Research Advisory Committee to develop national research priorities for climate-smart agriculture and standardize data collection protocols, and creates a Rural Climate Alliance Network to connect agricultural producers, researchers, and technical assistance providers. The committee will identify research gaps, develop biennial research agendas, and recommend annual budget priorities for climate research. The network will facilitate sharing of climate data, improve communication about climate risks, and support implementation of climate-resilient practices across the agriculture sector. These changes aim to strengthen coordination of climate-related research, data systems, and technical assistance to better address climate change impacts on farming and rural communities.