Rep. Shontel M. Brown

Maddy summaryHRES 746 is a non-binding resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives condemning all political violence - including attacks on elected officials, candidates, and public figures - and rejecting rhetoric that dehumanizes opponents. It specifically urges law enforcement to investigate and prosecute such violence, calls on public officials and media to avoid inflammatory language, and references recent incidents like the 2025 assassination of activist Charlie Kirk and targeted shootings of Minnesota legislators. The resolution does not create new laws but formally expresses the House’s commitment to protecting public servants and promoting peaceful political discourse. It directly affects the House’s public stance and serves as a call to action for officials, media, and communities to foster civil engagement.

Maddy summaryHRES 744 is a non-binding House resolution supporting the designation of September 21-27, 2025, as "Gold Star Families Remembrance Week." It honors families who lost members in military service (Gold Star Families) and families of veterans, recognizing their sacrifices. The resolution encourages Americans to observe the week through community service and by celebrating the lives of those who died defending the U.S. It does not create new laws or policies but formally recognizes these families annually. This is a commemorative measure, not a legislative change.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $5 million annually (2026-2030) to states for collecting de-identified stillbirth data through existing health systems, including risk factor analysis. It also provides $1 million yearly to develop standardized guidelines for healthcare providers and public educational materials about stillbirths, requiring consultation with medical professionals, bereavement organizations, and affected families. The bill mandates that all data collection complies with privacy laws and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publish a public report on stillbirth guidelines within five years. It directly affects state health departments, healthcare providers, and families experiencing stillbirth by improving data quality and access to resources.

Maddy summaryThe Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2025 requires U.S. colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to create and distribute clear anti-harassment policies covering harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, or religion. These policies must explicitly prohibit harassment in all settings - including online, on campus, off-campus housing, and during school-sponsored activities - and outline reporting procedures and support services for victims. The bill also establishes a $50 million annual grant program to fund schools developing prevention programs, victim support services, or staff/student training on recognizing and addressing harassment. Grants are competitive, require annual reporting on effectiveness, and must be used to improve existing efforts without replacing existing civil rights laws like Title IX.

Maddy summaryHJRES 122 proposes a constitutional amendment that would grant Congress and states explicit authority to regulate campaign contributions and spending intended to influence elections. It would allow for reasonable, viewpoint-neutral limits on how much money candidates and others can raise or spend, as well as enable public financing systems to reduce private wealth's influence in campaigns. The amendment would permit distinguishing between individuals and corporations in campaign finance rules, potentially banning corporate spending to influence elections. It explicitly states this amendment would not affect the freedom of the press.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline to establish a dedicated "Press 3" option (via IVR) for LGBTQ+ youth seeking crisis support, directly affecting LGBTQ+ youth who face a four times higher suicide risk than peers. It mandates that at least 9% of funds allocated for the lifeline's services be reserved specifically for these specialized LGBTQ+ youth services. The bill amends existing law to formalize this dedicated resource, building on current services that handled over 1.5 million contacts from LGBTQ+ youth in 2025. This creates a concrete policy change for accessing tailored crisis support without altering other lifeline operations.

Maddy summaryHR 5443, the Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025, expands federal housing anti-discrimination protections to include "source of income," "veteran status," and "military status." It defines "source of income" broadly to cover housing vouchers, Social Security benefits, child support, and other lawful income sources like savings or gifts. The bill adds these categories to all existing anti-discrimination provisions in the Fair Housing Act, prohibiting housing providers from refusing to rent or sell based on these factors. This directly affects renters and homeowners using housing assistance, veterans, active military members, and individuals receiving non-wage income.

Maddy summaryThe FAMILY Act would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program that provides wage replacement benefits for workers needing time off for caregiving or medical reasons. It defines "qualified caregiving" to include caring for a family member with a serious health condition, personal medical needs, or recovery from violence (including domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking). Benefits would be calculated based on earnings, with a minimum monthly benefit of $580 and maximum of $4,000, administered by a new Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration. Eligible individuals would need to have worked for at least 8 quarters in the previous year and file an application with required documentation, while existing state paid leave programs would continue to operate alongside this federal program.

Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.) On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden. The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.

Maddy summaryThe George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 would establish a National Police Misconduct Registry to track officer complaints, disciplinary actions, and misconduct records across all law enforcement agencies. It would require law enforcement agencies to implement body-worn camera programs with specific recording and retention policies, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants in drug cases, and reform qualified immunity to make it easier to hold officers accountable for misconduct. The bill mandates comprehensive data collection on use of force incidents, requiring agencies to report detailed information about stops, searches, and force used, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and other demographics. These provisions would directly affect all Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies that receive federal grant funding, with requirements for policy changes, training, and data reporting.