Rep. André Carson

Maddy summaryHR 1638, the CROWN Act of 2025, prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyle that is commonly associated with race or national origin, particularly affecting Black individuals who wear natural or protective styles like braids, locs, cornrows, twists, or Afros. The bill explicitly expands protections under existing federal civil rights laws (including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act) to cover hair-based discrimination in federally funded programs, housing, public accommodations, employment, and equal rights. It requires schools, employers, and other entities receiving federal funds to eliminate grooming policies that disproportionately target these hairstyles. The law clarifies that such discrimination violates federal law and provides enforcement through existing civil rights mechanisms.

Maddy summaryEthan's Law requires gun owners to store firearms securely in homes where minors live or where residents are legally prohibited from owning guns. It makes it unlawful to leave firearms unsecured if a minor or ineligible person could access them, with fines of $500 per violation and harsher penalties if injury or death occurs. The bill creates a federal grant program to help states implement similar secure storage laws and treats unsafe storage as negligence in legal cases. It directly affects households with children or residents who cannot legally possess firearms, aiming to reduce accidental shootings and unauthorized access.

Maddy summaryHRES 155 is a symbolic congressional resolution expressing strong U.S. support for Ukraine during Russia’s third year of invasion. It condemns Russia’s war crimes - including attacks on civilians, forced deportations of children, and infrastructure destruction - and demands Russia’s immediate withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory. The resolution reaffirms U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, insisting Ukraine must be central to any peace negotiations. It also calls for accountability for Russian leaders and the safe return of kidnapped Ukrainian children. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but formalizes U.S. diplomatic stance.

Maddy summaryHRES 160 designates January 2025 as "National Mentoring Month" to highlight the positive impact of mentoring relationships on young people. The resolution emphasizes how mentoring improves academic performance, mental health, career readiness, and social skills - particularly for underserved youth - and addresses the "mentoring gap" where one in three young people lacks a supportive adult outside their family. It calls for expanding mentoring programs in schools, communities, and workplaces without creating new laws or funding. As a symbolic resolution, it aims to raise public awareness and encourage participation in existing mentoring initiatives.

Maddy summaryHRES 159 is a symbolic resolution expressing the U.S. House of Representatives' support for designating February 24-28, 2025, as "Public Schools Week." It does not create new laws or allocate funds but aims to highlight the importance of public schools in communities. The resolution cites reasons such as public schools serving 90% of U.S. students, fostering critical thinking, and requiring equitable funding - though these are context, not policy changes. It directly affects public schools and their communities by raising awareness of their role in education. As a non-binding resolution, it has no direct impact on school operations or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows physical therapists to use temporary replacement staff (locum tenens) under Medicare, similar to how physicians currently can. It directly affects physical therapists providing outpatient services and Medicare beneficiaries relying on those services. The key change modifies Medicare rules to apply the same provisions for physical therapy services as are already used for physician services. This means physical therapists can more easily fill temporary staffing gaps without disrupting patient care. The amendment applies to services provided after the bill's enactment date.

Maddy summaryHR 1548, the "Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act," amends U.S. trade laws to strengthen enforcement of antidumping and countervailing duty regulations. The bill creates new rules for handling multiple investigations on the same merchandise (successive investigations), addresses market distortions in foreign countries that affect production costs, and improves mechanisms to prevent companies from circumventing existing duties. It also establishes procedures for investigating currency undervaluation as a form of subsidy and strengthens requirements for importers to certify compliance with trade laws. These changes primarily affect U.S. importers of foreign goods, foreign exporters, and the Department of Commerce, which administers these trade enforcement mechanisms.

Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2025 This bill provides continuing appropriations to the Coast Guard for pay and benefits when there is a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse. Under the bill, a  Coast Guard-specific funding lapse occurs when (1) a bill providing appropriations for the Coast Guard for a fiscal year has not been enacted before the beginning of that fiscal year, and no joint resolution providing continuing appropriations for the Coast Guard is in effect; and (2) a bill providing appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) for the fiscal year has been enacted before the beginning of the fiscal year, or a joint resolution providing continuing appropriation for DOD is in effect.  If a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse occurs, the bill provides appropriations to the Coast Guard for pay and allowances for military members of the Coast Guard who perform active service or inactive-duty training; pay and benefits for certain civilian employees and contract employees; the payment of a death gratuity; payments for travel related to funerals, the dignified transfer of remains, and unit memorial services; and the temporary continuation of the basic allowance for housing for dependents of members of the Coast Guard dying on active duty. The bill generally provides the appropriations to the Coast Guard until the earlier of the enactment of specified Coast Guard appropriations legislation, the termination of the availability of appropriations for DOD, or two weeks after the beginning of the Coast Guard-specific funding lapse.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses support for designating February 16, 2025, as "International Black Aviation Professionals Day." It requests the President issue a proclamation encouraging schools to teach about Black aviation pioneers' contributions and support opportunities for Black Americans in the field. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but aims to raise public awareness of historical figures like Bessie Coleman, the Tuskegee Airmen, and Katherine Johnson. It affects recognition efforts rather than direct policy changes, focusing on honoring past contributions to aviation.

More Options to Develop and Enhance Remote Nutrition in WIC Act of 2025 or the MODERN WIC Act of 2025 This bill permanently allows individuals to remotely certify their eligibility for, and receive benefits through, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Specifically, the bill requires that a state agency allow an individual seeking a WIC certification, recertification, or a nutritional risk evaluation to do so by phone or through video teleconference, in addition to the in-person option. A state agency has 90 days to collect data for a nutritional risk evaluation for a remotely certified individual. Further, a state agency may consider an applicant who meets the income eligibility standards to be temporarily eligible on an interim basis to participate in the program and may certify the individual for immediate participation without waiting for a nutritional risk evaluation. The bill also allows states to provide benefits on WIC electronic benefit transfer cards through mail or remote issuance instead of requiring participants to pick up or reload benefits in person at a WIC office. Further, the Department of Agriculture must report to Congress about the use of remote technologies and other digital tools in the WIC program. Currently, individuals are generally required to be physically present to certify their WIC eligibility and receive benefits, with exceptions. The Food and Nutrition Service  has temporarily waived these requirements and allowed remote certification and benefits using authorities that were provided by laws that were enacted to address COVID-19.