Rep. Lance Gooden

Maddy summaryHR 1610 would modernize Medicare coverage for chiropractic care by removing the current restriction that limited beneficiaries to one chiropractic service per visit. It expands coverage to include all services provided by licensed chiropractors within their state-authorized scope, aligning Medicare with VA, military, and private insurance practices. The bill requires chiropractors to complete a Secretary-approved educational webinar to cover non-spinal services, while still allowing payment for spinal manipulation treatments without this requirement. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries seeking chiropractic care and chiropractors seeking Medicare reimbursement for their services.

Maddy summaryHR 1399, the "Protect Children's Innocence Act," prohibits medical gender-affirming care for minors under 18 by making it a class C felony for providers to perform such care. The bill defines gender-affirming care broadly to include surgical procedures, hormone treatments, and certain cosmetic procedures, with exceptions for medical conditions like reproductive cancers or intersex conditions. It prohibits federal funding for gender-affirming care through programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, and bans such care in federal health facilities. The bill also prevents institutions of higher education from teaching gender-affirming care and adds immigration consequences for individuals who provide such care to minors.

Maddy summaryHR 589, the MAHSA Act, imposes U.S. sanctions on Iran's Supreme Leader, President, and affiliated entities responsible for human rights abuses and terrorism. It targets the Supreme Leader's Office, the President's cabinet, security forces involved in the crackdown following Mahsa Amini's death, and entities financing abuses. The bill requires the President to annually determine and apply existing sanctions - like property blocking and visa bans - against these individuals and entities. This directly affects Iran's top leadership and security apparatus, aiming to hold them accountable for abuses including the Morality Police's role in Amini's detention and the subsequent violent suppression of protests.

Maddy summaryHR 407, the "Protect the UNBORN Act," prohibits federal agencies from implementing or enforcing two specific executive orders issued by President Biden in 2022 (Executive Orders 14076 and 14079), which aimed to protect access to reproductive healthcare services. The bill bans the use of federal funds, including those from the 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, to carry out, administer, or enforce these executive orders. It directly affects federal agencies and programs that would otherwise comply with the Biden administration's policies on reproductive healthcare access. The bill does not create new healthcare rules but blocks the implementation of existing executive actions.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans federal funding for abortions in most cases, prohibiting the use of taxpayer money for abortion services or health insurance plans covering abortion. Exceptions allow funding for abortions resulting from rape, incest, or when a pregnancy endangers a woman's life. It requires health insurance plans sold through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces to clearly disclose any separate costs for abortion coverage and prohibits ACA subsidies from being used for plans that cover abortion (except in the specified exceptions). The law directly affects federal programs like Medicaid, ACA marketplace plans, and insurers offering health coverage to individuals using federal subsidies.

Maddy summaryHJRES 142 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a Department of Labor rule issued on April 25, 2024. It seeks to block the "Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary" (89 Fed. Reg. 32122), which defined standards for financial advisors handling retirement accounts. If passed, this resolution would make the Labor Department's rule ineffective, directly affecting retirement plan advisors and financial institutions subject to the regulation. The bill uses a specific procedural mechanism under Title 5, U.S. Code, to nullify the rule without creating new law.

Maddy summaryHR 7438 directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins. The coins will be sold to the public at face value plus surcharges ($35, $10, and $5 per coin, respectively), with all surcharge revenue paid to FWC2026 US, Inc. for U.S. soccer programs. These funds must support soccer initiatives, particularly in underserved communities and youth development, as specified in the bill. The coins are legal tender but will only be issued during 2026, with no net cost to the U.S. government.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows livestock producers and their employees to take black vultures (Coragyps atratus) that are harming or threatening livestock, bypassing the usual protections under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It directly affects ranchers and farm workers in areas where black vultures cause livestock deaths or injuries. The key provision requires annual reporting to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about any vultures taken, using a simplified form similar to existing reporting for permitted bird take. This creates a specific, limited exception to federal bird protections for livestock protection, with no new restrictions on vulture populations.

Maddy summaryThe Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act (HR 807) directs the U.S. Treasury to mint three types of commemorative coins honoring working dogs' service: $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins with specific weight and composition requirements. Each coin will carry a surcharge ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars) that will be paid directly to America's VetDogs to support their programs providing service dogs for veterans, the disabled, and others. The coins will be issued in 2027 with designs reflecting working dogs' roles in military, detection, therapy, and assistance work. The legislation specifies that all surcharge revenue must fund America's VetDogs' operations without creating new government programs. This is a commemorative measure focused on honoring working dogs' contributions through coin sales, with all surcharge funds going to a specific nonprofit organization.

Maddy summaryHR 3012 reauthorizes U.S. programs under the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 through 2028, extending funding and reporting requirements for existing initiatives. It directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to continue broadcasting independent news into North Korea, supports transparent humanitarian aid delivery, and urges China to halt forcible repatriation of North Korean refugees. The bill directly affects North Korean citizens by promoting information access and refugee protection, and North Korean refugees in China by advocating for UNHCR access and refugee rights. Key provisions include extending program deadlines, reinforcing U.S. diplomatic efforts on human rights, and calling for swift confirmation of the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues.