Rep. Brandon Williams

Maddy summaryHRES 1330 is a non-binding resolution supporting Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June. It recognizes the significant impact of Alzheimer’s disease on millions of Americans, including high prevalence among women and racial/ethnic minorities. The resolution encourages the public to educate themselves about Alzheimer’s, advocate for research and support services, and offer assistance to affected individuals, families, and caregivers. It does not create new programs, funding, or legal obligations. The resolution is directed at raising public awareness and fostering community support during the designated month.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Higher Education Act to require colleges to disclose how they respond to campus "civil disturbances" (defined as protests, riots, or strikes disrupting safety or learning). It mandates that institutions include this disclosure in their security policies and that accrediting agencies monitor compliance with this new requirement. The bill directly affects public and private colleges receiving federal funding, as well as their accreditors. It does not cut funding for colleges or ban protests, but instead focuses on transparency about campus security responses to disruptive events.

Maddy summaryHR 8859, the Deafblind DATA Act, requires the Census Bureau to create and publish a new annual table starting in 2026 showing the number of people in the U.S. who reported both hearing and vision loss in the American Community Survey. This table will display data by state, including sex, race, age, and economic factors like employment and income, without revealing personal details. The bill directly addresses the lack of a centralized count for deafblind individuals, who currently aren't accurately represented in census data. By cross-referencing existing survey responses, the Act aims to provide a clearer national picture to better understand and serve this population's needs.

Maddy summaryHR 8821, the HOPE with Fertility Services Act, requires group health plans and health insurance issuers that cover obstetrical services to provide comprehensive coverage for infertility treatments and fertility preservation when medical treatments (like cancer therapy) cause or risk iatrogenic infertility. It defines infertility broadly and mandates coverage for procedures like IVF, egg freezing, and ovulation induction, while allowing standard cost-sharing but prohibiting insurers from discouraging or penalizing these services. Insurers must annually submit analyses of their coverage rules for these treatments to the Secretary of Labor for 5 years after enactment, with potential civil penalties for noncompliance. The law applies to all applicable plans starting January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHR 8809, the Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard Act of 2024, requires businesses like shippers, brokers, and freight forwarders (but not individual shippers) to verify a motor carrier’s safety compliance before shipping goods. Specifically, they must confirm the carrier is properly registered, has required insurance, and meets all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) safety standards - verified through a public FMCSA status check - within 45 days before shipment. The bill also directs the Transportation Secretary to update safety fitness regulations within one year to include these verification requirements. Individual shippers are exempt from these checks and are automatically considered reasonable in carrier selection.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Northern Border Security Review Act to establish a new annual deadline for threat analysis (September 2, 2025, and each year after) and requires the Department of Homeland Security to update its northern border strategy within 90 days of each analysis. It mandates that the Secretary provide a classified briefing to congressional committees within 30 days of each threat analysis and develop performance measures for U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations to secure the northern border in air and maritime areas within six months of enactment. The bill directly affects the Department of Homeland Security and congressional committees by imposing specific reporting deadlines and review requirements. These changes focus on improving the frequency and structure of security assessments without altering existing border security operations.

Maddy summaryHR 5012 (SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023) authorizes federal funding to improve stillbirth research and data collection. It provides $5 million annually for states to collect standardized stillbirth data (including risk factors) while protecting privacy, $1 million annually for developing public educational materials and data collection guidelines, and $3 million annually for medical fellowships training pathologists in perinatal autopsy and stillbirth research. The bill directly affects state health departments, medical professionals (like obstetricians and pathologists), and families who experience stillbirth by improving data quality for future research. It requires federal reports on guidelines and program effectiveness within five years but does not provide direct medical care or financial assistance to families.

Maddy summaryHR 537 authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor 60 diplomats who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust by issuing visas and passports against their governments' orders, risking expulsion and personal danger. The medal will be presented to the next of kin of these diplomats, alongside representatives from their home countries, and permanently displayed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs, with proceeds going to the U.S. Mint. This legislation recognizes the diplomats' humanitarian actions without creating new government programs or altering existing laws.

Maddy summaryHRES 965 is a non-binding resolution calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan since August 2022. It directly affects Corbett (held in poor conditions without charges) and other Americans detained by the Taliban. The resolution demands the Taliban release Corbett unconditionally, urges respect for his human rights, commends Qatar’s role as U.S. protecting power, and condemns the Taliban’s practice of detaining U.S. citizens. It does not create new law but formally expresses congressional support for Corbett and other wrongfully detained Americans.

Maddy summaryHR 8653 authorizes the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Major Thomas D. Howie, a U.S. Army officer who died during the Battle of Normandy in WWII. The bill specifies the medal will be presented to his nephew, Tom Howie, or his next of kin, and then permanently displayed at The Citadel Museum. It also permits the U.S. Mint to produce and sell bronze duplicates to cover costs. This is a commemorative measure honoring Major Howie's military service and sacrifice, with no substantive policy changes.