Rep. Deborah K. Ross

This concurrent resolution expresses opposition to the application of criminal laws to pregnancy outcomes and affirms that people deserve access to high-quality health care without fear of reprisal or punishment.

Maddy summaryHJRES 53 proposes a constitutional amendment to ban slavery and involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment. Currently, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution permits such punishments for crimes, creating a legal loophole. If ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures, this amendment would eliminate that exception nationwide, making it unconstitutional to impose forced labor or slavery as part of criminal sentences. The change would directly affect all states' criminal justice systems, particularly prison labor practices, by prohibiting these punishments for any offense.

This resolution expresses the sense that the federal government should adopt a global health solidarity strategy to end medically avertable deaths and respond to the full burden of disease in poor countries; the federal government should use laws and diplomatic influence to stop ongoing economic harms to the global South; and it is the duty of the federal government to issue reparations, including for slavery and colonialism.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQIA+ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

This resolution supports access to contraception and related reproductive health services, including by affirming the substantive due process rights that protect such access.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the proposed constitutional amendment known as the Equal Rights Amendment has been duly proposed by Congress and ratified by the states and is therefore valid as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. (The proposed amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.)

This resolution states that an efficient legal immigration system advances American values, interests, and prosperity. It also calls upon U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reduce and ultimately end processing delays while ensuring reliable, thorough, and fair adjudications without imposing unwarranted fees.

Maddy summaryHRES 437 is a symbolic House resolution designating June 4, 2021, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2021 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or policies but calls on the public to wear orange, increase awareness of gun violence, and focus on community safety efforts during summer months. The resolution references statistics on gun deaths and honors Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old victim of gun violence, to highlight the issue. It has no direct legal effect on individuals or communities but aims to promote public discussion.

Improving Access to Safe Medicines Act of 2022 This bill requires the Drug Enforcement Administration to issue a proposed rule to remove a drug from scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act within 180 days of a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration to do so.

Maddy summaryHR 8936, the Circuit Court Judgeships Act of 2022, authorizes additional judgeships for specific U.S. Courts of Appeals. It adds 1 judge to the First, Sixth, and Eighth Circuits; 7 to the Second; 2 to the Fourth; 13 to the Fifth; 16 to the Ninth; and 10 to the Eleventh Circuit. The bill amends a table in federal law to reflect these increased judicial staffing levels. This change directly affects the operational capacity of these federal appellate courts by expanding their bench size.