Rep. Roger Williams

Maddy summaryThis bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the 761st Tank Battalion (known as the "Black Panthers"), the first predominantly Black armored unit in World War II's European Theater. It recognizes their combat service from 1944-1946, including key roles in the Battle of the Bulge and breaking the Siegfried Line, despite facing racial prejudice during and after the war. The medal will be displayed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, with bronze duplicates available for sale to cover costs. The bill commemorates the battalion's 130,000 enemy casualties inflicted, 50% casualty rate, and their 1978 Presidential Unit Citation. It does not create new laws or affect current policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Education to publish detailed information about career and technical education (CTE) programs on its website, including average completion time, program cost, post-graduation employment rates, and state-specific funding opportunities under the Perkins Act. It also mandates adding a one-page summary of this CTE data to the FAFSA application, requiring students to acknowledge it during the initial financial aid process. The policy directly affects students applying for federal student aid by making CTE pathways visible early in their decision-making. No new funding is authorized for these requirements, relying instead on existing resources to update website content and integrate the FAFSA disclosure.

Maddy summaryHR 1551, the Protect and Serve Act of 2025, creates a new federal criminal offense for intentionally harming law enforcement officers under specific circumstances. It imposes harsher penalties, including up to 10 years in prison for serious injury or life imprisonment if death occurs, kidnapping is involved, or a firearm is used. The law applies when the crime crosses state lines, involves interstate weapons, occurs on federal property, or targets federal officers. Prosecutions require the Attorney General’s written certification, considering factors like prior state convictions and public safety impact. The bill directly affects law enforcement officers and federal prosecutors by expanding federal jurisdiction for certain violent crimes against them.

Maddy summaryHR 1575, the "No American Land for Communist China Act," prohibits the People's Republic of China government and businesses with 25% or more Chinese government ownership from purchasing real estate adjacent to specific federal lands. The bill directly affects Chinese government agents and Chinese-affiliated businesses seeking to buy property near lands managed by the Departments of Interior, Defense, Agriculture (Forest Service), and Energy, as well as Indian country. Key provisions require the President to take necessary actions to block such purchases, defining "covered Federal lands" broadly to include national parks, military bases, and tribal lands. The law aims to prevent foreign government influence over land near sensitive U.S. properties through a clear purchase restriction.

Maddy summaryThe Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025 amends the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy to expand its role in representing small businesses. Specifically, it adds a new duty requiring the Office to advocate for small business interests before foreign governments and international entities on regulatory and trade issues that affect them. The bill also makes minor technical corrections to existing statutory language, such as updating "serviced-disabled" to "service-disabled" and adjusting phrasing in the Office's primary functions. This change directly affects the Office of Advocacy and small businesses seeking international regulatory and trade support. The bill focuses on clarifying and broadening the Office's existing advocacy responsibilities rather than creating new programs.

Maddy summaryHR 825 prohibits financial assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) for small businesses where an associate (officer, director, owner over 20%, or controlling entity) is finally convicted of financial misconduct related to specific covered loans or grants. It directly affects small businesses associated with individuals convicted of fraud involving SBA pandemic loans (like those under Section 7(b) during COVID-19) or pandemic relief grants (from the American Rescue Plan Act or Economic Aid Act). The bill adds new ineligibility rules to the Small Business Act, barring most SBA assistance except for standard Section 7(b) loans, while defining "finally convicted" as a conviction no longer subject to appeal. This targets fraud in federal aid programs by blocking assistance to businesses linked to convicted individuals.

Dentist and Optometric Care Access Act of 2025 or the DOC Access Act of 20 25 This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from setting rates for items and services, except for dental cleanings, provided by a doctor of optometry, of dental surgery, or of dental medicine (or an employer of such a doctor) for which the plan does not pay a substantial amount. Additionally, an agreement between a plan and such a doctor for limited scope dental or vision benefits may last longer than two years only with the prior acceptance of the doctor for each term extension. Plans also may not restrict such a doctor's choice of laboratories or suppliers. Such doctors may elect to waive the application of the payment amount and choice of laboratories provisions of this bill. The bill does not supersede state laws regarding health insurers and dental or vision benefit plans.

Maddy summaryHR 1494, the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act, requires online marketplaces (like Amazon or eBay) to collect the federal excise tax on sporting goods sold through their platforms, rather than leaving this responsibility to individual sellers. It specifically targets platforms that host third-party seller listings and facilitate transactions for goods imported from outside the U.S. The bill treats these marketplaces as the "importer" for tax purposes, making them liable for the tax on qualifying sporting goods sales. This change applies to sales after a 60-day grace period following the bill's enactment, with no impact on taxes already owed by other parties.

Maddy summaryHR 1502 authorizes the creation of a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the volunteers and communities (primarily from Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas) who supported the North Platte Canteen during World War II. The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to design and strike the medal, which will be presented to the individuals who contributed to the canteen’s operations and then permanently displayed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, Nebraska. It also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs, with proceeds going to the U.S. Mint. This is a commemorative measure recognizing historical service, not a policy change affecting current laws or programs.

Maddy summaryHR 1513, the "Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Program Act," terminates two existing federal programs that funded electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The bill repeals the authorization for grants supporting EV charging stations and eliminates the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, which distributed funds to states for building charging networks. It also rescinds unobligated funds previously allocated to these programs. This bill directly affects the Department of Transportation's ability to support EV charging infrastructure development through these specific funding mechanisms. The policy change removes federal financial support for expanding public EV charging networks under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.