Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to fund research on early detection and treatment of uterine fibroids, with a focus on reducing health disparities. It authorizes grants to states for screening programs (including advanced imaging), patient navigation services, and public education campaigns - prioritizing areas with socially vulnerable populations at higher risk. States receiving funds must implement evidence-based strategies to improve access to early intervention. The bill also requires regular reports to Congress on grant outcomes and research findings related to fibroid treatment disparities and related conditions like Asherman’s Syndrome.

Payment Choice Act of 202 3 This bill requires retail businesses to accept cash as a form of payment for on-site sales of $500 or less, and it prohibits them from charging cash-paying customers a higher price compared to customers not paying with cash. Businesses covered by this bill are those engaged in the business of selling or offering goods or services at retail to the public that accept in-person payments at a physical location. The bill provides for enforcement through preventative relief, damages, and civil penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 3944, Public Law 118-57) renames a specific U.S. Postal Service facility at 120 West Church Street in Mount Vernon, Georgia, as the "Second Lieutenant Patrick Palmer Calhoun Post Office." It directly affects the official designation of that post office location and any future references to it in federal documents. The bill requires all federal records, maps, and documents to use the new name instead of the previous designation. As a naming resolution, it has no policy impact beyond this ceremonial renaming.

Maddy summaryHR 8231, the James Earl Jones Congressional Gold Medal Act, authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to actor James Earl Jones in recognition of his distinguished career in theater and film, and his role in advancing inclusion and equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds in the entertainment industry. The Treasury will strike the medal with an image and inscription of Jones, and may produce and sell bronze duplicates to cover costs, with proceeds deposited into the U.S. Mint's public enterprise fund. This bill serves as a ceremonial honor with no new legal requirements or policy changes.

Maddy summaryThe CROWN Act of 2024 prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or style commonly associated with race or national origin, such as braids, locs, cornrows, twists, or afros. It directly affects individuals - particularly people of African descent - who face workplace, school, housing, or public accommodation discrimination due to natural or protective hairstyles. The bill expands existing federal civil rights laws (like Title VI, the Fair Housing Act, and Title VII) to explicitly include hair-based discrimination, requiring compliance in federally funded programs, housing, employment, and public spaces. It clarifies that grooming policies targeting these hairstyles violate anti-discrimination protections without creating new legal standards.

Maddy summaryThis resolution symbolically recognizes April 11-17, 2024, as the seventh annual "Black Maternal Health Week." It highlights the disproportionately high maternal mortality and morbidity rates faced by Black women in the U.S., citing data showing Black women are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. The resolution emphasizes systemic racism, healthcare inequities, and barriers like limited access to care as key factors contributing to these disparities. It calls for policy action - including support for the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act - but does not create new laws or allocate funding.

Maddy summaryThe Broadcast VOICES Act creates a new tax certificate program to encourage broadcast station ownership by socially disadvantaged individuals (defined as women or people who have faced racial/ethnic prejudice). It requires the Federal Communications Commission to submit biennial reports to Congress on the number of minority and women-owned broadcast stations and to provide recommendations for increasing such ownership. The program establishes rules including a $50 million limit on qualifying sales, a 2-3 year minimum holding period for stations owned by socially disadvantaged individuals, and tax benefits treating qualifying sales as "involuntary conversions" for tax purposes. The bill also creates a tax credit for contributions to entities training socially disadvantaged individuals in broadcast management. The tax provisions of the bill will expire 16 years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends annual funding for the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program, authorizing $65 million each year from fiscal years 2026 through 2035. It directly affects state, local, and tribal governments by providing continued federal grants to support recycling infrastructure projects like modernizing processing facilities or improving collection systems. The key provision modifies an existing section of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to extend the funding period without changing the program's structure or eligibility. The bill does not create new requirements or alter how grants are awarded.

Maddy summaryHR 8061, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024, ensures stable funding for the Crime Victims Fund by directing certain False Claims Act collections into it from 2024 through 2029. Specifically, it adds a provision requiring that amounts collected under the False Claims Act (excluding whistleblower rewards and government reimbursement for damages) be deposited into the fund during this period. This directly affects crime victims who rely on the fund for services like counseling and emergency aid, as it prevents potential shortfalls in funding. The bill makes a concrete policy change by redirecting specific federal civil penalties into the fund, rather than altering the fund's existing purposes or eligibility rules.

Maddy summaryThe Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2024 extends funding for existing federal reentry programs through 2029, replacing previous 2019-2023 funding periods. It specifically adds new provisions requiring state and local reentry projects to include peer recovery services, substance use disorder treatment, case management, overdose reversal medications, and reentry housing. These changes directly affect state/local governments, prisons, and nonprofit organizations administering reentry services for people returning to communities after incarceration. The bill does not create new programs but continues and refines current initiatives focused on reducing recidivism through evidence-based support.