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

Maddy summaryHRES 459 is a resolution expressing the House of Representatives' support for designating June 2, 2023, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2023 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It encourages the public to wear orange, promote gun safety awareness, and discuss community safety measures during this time, particularly highlighting the summer months when gun violence often increases. The resolution references statistics on gun violence deaths and pays tribute to victims like Hadiya Pendleton, but does not create new laws or impose requirements.

Maddy summaryHRES 455 is a symbolic House resolution expressing support for Black service members who died protecting the U.S. during military conflicts while facing racism in the Armed Forces and systemic inequities. It acknowledges their historical contributions and struggles, citing examples from the Revolutionary War through the Global War on Terror. The resolution has no legislative effect - it solely affirms recognition on Memorial Day without proposing policy changes or requiring action. As a non-binding resolution, it directly affects public acknowledgment of this group but does not alter military policies or address systemic issues.

Adult Day Center Enhancement Act This bill requires the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to carry out various activities related to adult day programs. These programs provide care to individuals living with neurological diseases or conditions (e.g., Parkinson's disease or traumatic brain injury). Specifically, the ACL must conduct a survey that identifies successful programs, programs that serve young adults, and financial support that the ACL provides to programs; develop best practices for establishing adult day programs; and award grants to programs that support younger people.

Maddy summaryThe HERO Act creates a national data system to track suicides among public safety officers (including police, firefighters, and EMTs) and requires annual reports broken down by age, gender, occupation, and status (volunteer, career, etc.). It establishes grants for peer-led mental health support programs within fire departments and EMS agencies, where trained fellow responders provide confidential counseling. The bill also mandates development of educational resources for mental health professionals on first responder-specific stressors and evidence-based PTSD treatment strategies. All data collection and reporting include strict privacy protections to prevent misuse of information for denying survivor benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the VROOM Act, protects consumers from rental car companies that overbook vehicles and fail to honor confirmed reservations. It requires companies to offer customers a choice between an upgraded vehicle at no extra cost, a downgraded vehicle with a price difference refund, or a cash penalty equal to twice the rental price (capped at $500 per day). The law applies to rental companies with fleets of 35 or more vehicles and covers rentals under four months, while giving the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce these rules and allowing states and individuals to file lawsuits against violators.

Maddy summaryThe Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2023 requires states to establish a policy mandating annual suicide prevention training for school staff and high school students (grades 9-12). The training must be evidence-based, cover recognizing suicide warning signs, appropriate responses, and referrals to mental health services, while including cultural competency. It allocates $48 million in federal funds, with at least 15% dedicated to supporting this training program, and requires states to collaborate with mental health experts. The bill directly affects school staff and high school students in states that adopt the policy and receive federal funding.

Maddy summaryHR 3619, the Toxic-Free Beauty Act of 2023, bans the intentional addition of specific chemicals - including formaldehyde, certain parabens, phthalates, mercury, and two dyes - to cosmetic products sold across state lines. It directly affects cosmetic manufacturers and retailers, requiring them to reformulate products to remove these substances. The ban prohibits these chemicals in cosmetics introduced into interstate commerce starting January 1, 2025. This policy change updates federal safety standards under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to restrict the use of identified chemicals in beauty products.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes research programs to study health impacts of cosmetic chemicals on communities of color and professional salon workers. It requires manufacturers to provide translated safety data sheets for professional cosmetics in multiple languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean. The bill funds two resource centers: one focused on beauty justice for communities of color and another specifically for salon worker health and safety. It also allocates funds for research into developing safer cosmetic alternatives, particularly for products marketed to women and girls of color and used by salon workers.

Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2023 This bill imposes disclosure and labeling requirements on cosmetic products that contain certain ingredients. A cosmetic product that fails to meet such requirements may not be sold. Within two years of this bill's enactment, a cosmetic product's labeling or packaging must include a full list of its ingredients, as well as a specified statement that directs consumers to the brand owner's website for the health impacts of any ingredient that (1) is identified on specified lists of harmful or potentially harmful chemicals, such as chemicals identified as carcinogenic to humans by the Environmental Protection Agency or toxic air contaminants under California regulations; or (2) must be disclosed under certain European Union laws and is present in a product above specified concentrations. The Food and Drug Administration must publish and periodically update on its website a list of the ingredients subject to this requirement. Within one year of this bill's enactment, a brand owner must disclose the full list of ingredients for each cosmetic product on its website, as well as whether a cosmetic product contains any fragrance or flavor ingredient that is subject to this bill's labeling or packaging requirement and, if so, the ingredient's functional purpose.

Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to maintain a list of certain nonfunctional constituents in cosmetics that are harmful to human health or the environment, authorizes the FDA to request from a brand owner (i.e., the entity bringing a cosmetic to market) certain information about a cosmetic's ingredients, and addresses related issues. For each listed nonfunctional constituent, the list must identify the ingredient or cosmetic (or category of ingredient or cosmetic) in which the constituent is known or reasonably expected to be present. The FDA must also (1) establish procedures for petitions to add substances to the list, (2) issue guidance for industry related to testing and detecting such nonfunctional constituents, and (3) establish a committee to provide advice on creating the list and developing the required industry guidance. Within a year of a nonfunctional constituent being added to the list, a supplier of an ingredient or cosmetic must test for that constituent and provide a brand owner the results and other information before selling the ingredient or cosmetic to the brand owner. A supplier of an ingredient or cosmetic must provide additional information about the item upon a brand owner's request. Brand owners must maintain records with information about the suppliers of ingredients and raw materials used in their cosmetics and provide such information to the FDA upon request. The bill also imposes civil penalties for brand owners and suppliers that violate this bill's provisions.