Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

This resolution encourages the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to continue its work in educating the public about the dangers of antisemitism and the origins of the Holocaust, congratulates those responsible for the creation of the museum, condemns antisemitism, supports educational and community-based programs that counter antisemitism and hate, and supports the designation of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Day.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames a U.S. Postal Service facility at 300 Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach, California, as the "Alan S. Lowenthal Post Office Building." It directly affects the postal facility and all federal documents, maps, or records referencing it. The key provision updates every official reference to the building to use the new name, ensuring consistency in government records. The bill does not change postal services, funding, or policy - only the building's official designation.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 7911 Imperial Highway in Downey, California, as the "Lucille Roybal-Allard Post Office Building." It updates all official references in federal laws, documents, and records to use this new name for the specific post office location. The change affects the facility's official identification but does not alter its operations or services.

This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day to increase awareness of health disparities and other challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires sponsors of NIH-funded or NIH-approved clinical trials (for drugs, devices, biological products, or behavioral interventions) to set specific, measurable goals for recruiting participants reflecting race, ethnicity, age, and sex - either based on disease prevalence or the U.S. population. Key mechanisms include mandating detailed plans for achieving these goals, annual reporting of demographic data (without personally identifiable information), and strategies to reduce participation barriers like virtual visits or flexible scheduling. It also requires training for researchers on diversity and health inequities, and establishes a remediation process if goals aren’t met. The law aims to improve representation in clinical trials to ensure medical research better serves all patient groups.

Maddy summaryHR 3523, the Perinatal Workforce Act, provides $15 million annually from 2024 to 2028 to expand and diversify maternity care providers. It directs HHS to issue guidance for states on recruiting diverse providers (including midwives, nurses, and community health workers) and requires grant recipients to prioritize students from racial/ethnic minority groups, implement bias training, and target health professional shortage areas. The bill also mandates annual reporting on workforce diversity and outcomes, and requires a GAO report assessing barriers to equitable access in maternal healthcare. This legislation directly affects hospitals, nursing schools, midwifery programs, and insurers by funding targeted workforce development to address racial disparities in maternal care.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that AM radio receivers be included as standard equipment in all new motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks) sold in the United States, with a rule to be issued by the Department of Transportation within one year. The rule must ensure AM radio is easily accessible on the dashboard and allows manufacturers to use digital AM radio technology instead of traditional AM. During the one-year period between the bill's enactment and the rule's effective date, manufacturers must clearly label vehicles without AM radio. The bill also directs a study to evaluate whether an alternative system could deliver emergency alerts as reliably as AM radio across the country, especially during crises.

Maddy summaryThe Maternal Vaccination Act amends public health law to specifically target vaccination outreach for pregnant and postpartum individuals and their children, directly affecting public health campaigns and health agencies. It updates existing provisions to include these groups in awareness efforts, requires new activities to increase vaccination rates - particularly among racial and ethnic minority communities - and increases annual funding from $15 million to $17 million for fiscal years 2024-2028. Key mechanisms include revising language in the Public Health Service Act to explicitly cover pregnant/postpartum individuals in campaign descriptions and adding a new requirement (Section 317(k)(1)(E)(vii)) to address vaccination equity. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to expand access and awareness, not on predicting outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe Kira Johnson Act (HR 3310) provides $100 million annually from 2024-2028 to fund community-based organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups with elevated rates of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and health disparities. It requires hospitals to establish respectful maternity care compliance programs allowing patients to report racism or bias, and mandates training for all maternity care employees to address bias, racism, and discrimination. The bill also requires annual reports on program effectiveness and studies to evaluate strategies for reducing bias in maternity care settings. These provisions directly affect hospitals, maternity care providers, community-based organizations, and pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups.

Maddy summaryThe Data to Save Moms Act allocates $10 million annually (2024-2028) to help maternal mortality review committees improve community engagement and diversity, with special focus on racial and ethnic minority groups. It requires committees to better document pregnancy-related deaths, consider nonclinical factors affecting maternal health, and collect more detailed demographic data including race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The bill also mandates a comprehensive review of maternal health data collection processes and establishes a study specifically focused on maternal health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals. Additionally, it provides grants to minority-serving institutions to research maternal health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. These provisions aim to improve data quality, community involvement, and address maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity.