Rep. Julie Johnson

Maddy summaryThis bill would require federal firearms licensees to prohibit sales of specific high-capacity rifles and shotguns to people under 21. It targets semiautomatic centerfire rifles and shotguns capable of holding more than 5 rounds in their magazines, raising the age limit from 18 to 21 for these weapons. Exceptions apply for active military members and certain government employees authorized to carry firearms. The law directly affects gun retailers and individuals under 21 seeking to purchase these specific firearms. It modifies existing federal gun sale rules without changing age requirements for other firearms.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 21 is a symbolic House resolution recognizing the persistent gender wage gap in the U.S., where women earn significantly less than men for comparable work. It cites specific data showing women overall earn 75 cents and women of color earn even less (e.g., 58 cents for Latinas) per dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the economic impact of this disparity, including annual lost wages exceeding $994 million for full-time women workers. It also highlights designated Equal Pay Days for different demographic groups to underscore the varying timelines to close the gap.

Maddy summaryThe Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens equal pay protections by expanding the definition of "sex" to include pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. It modifies employer defenses for pay disparities to require proof that any pay difference is job-related, not based on sex, and accounts for the entire pay gap. The bill prohibits employers from asking about salary history, enhances penalties for violations, and requires employers with 100+ employees to collect and report detailed pay data by race, sex, and job category. It also establishes training programs for employers on eliminating pay bias and creates a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to coordinate enforcement efforts. This legislation directly affects employers, particularly those with 100+ employees, and aims to address pay disparities impacting women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 80 would declare the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) part of the U.S. Constitution, asserting it has been ratified by 38 states (three-fourths of the states) despite the original 1972 deadline. If passed, this resolution would formally establish the ERA as a constitutional amendment, requiring all federal and state laws to align with its gender equality protections. The bill does not create new laws but confirms the ERA's status as part of the Constitution, affecting how laws are interpreted and enforced. It is a procedural step to resolve the legal dispute over the ERA's validity after decades of debate.

Maddy summaryHRES 238 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the House's position that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care during medical emergencies. It does not create new laws or alter existing regulations but formally states the House's view that abortion restrictions in emergencies endanger patients' health and lives. The resolution specifically highlights how current abortion bans put pregnant people at risk during life-threatening conditions like hemorrhage or infection, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, and low-income individuals. It serves as a symbolic statement opposing policies that restrict emergency reproductive care access.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 2199) prevents private health insurance plans from discriminating against patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) who require dialysis. It amends the Social Security Act to prohibit plans from treating dialysis coverage differently than other medical services or applying network restrictions that disproportionately harm ESRD patients. The law clarifies that plans cannot deny or limit benefits for dialysis based on a patient’s diagnosis, while preserving a plan’s right to choose which dialysis providers are in their network. It directly affects ESRD patients and their private health insurance coverage, ensuring dialysis is treated equally with other covered medical services. The bill does not require plans to include specific dialysis providers but stops them from unfairly restricting access to necessary care.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Medicare's physician self-referral rules to improve access for rural communities. It creates a new exemption for "covered rural hospitals" (defined as facilities in rural areas more than 35 miles from another hospital or critical access hospital) from certain restrictions on physicians owning hospitals. The bill also removes a prohibition on expanding existing physician-owned hospitals, allowing such expansions after the law's enactment. These changes directly affect rural hospitals seeking Medicare participation and physicians who own or operate hospitals in underserved areas.

Maddy summaryThe Air America Act of 2025 authorizes one-time payments of $40,000 to individuals who worked for Air America or its affiliated companies for at least five years during 1950-1976, or to their surviving spouses, children, or dependents. Additional payments of $8,000 per full year beyond five years are allowed. The program is capped at $60 million total funding, with claims required within two years of final regulations. Payments are a single lump sum with no ongoing benefits, and the bill explicitly states it does not create new entitlements beyond this one-time award.

Maddy summaryThe Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act (HR 2213) establishes a framework for the U.S. to form agreements with foreign countries that commit to reliable medical supply chains during emergencies. It allows the President to negotiate "trusted trade partner agreements" that reduce trade barriers (like duties and quotas) for medical goods with countries meeting specific criteria, such as maintaining open trade during health crises and protecting intellectual property. These agreements require Congressional review and approval, with ongoing monitoring to ensure partners uphold commitments. The bill directly affects U.S. trade policy, foreign governments seeking partnerships, and the medical supply industry by aiming to diversify sources and secure critical products like pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Maddy summaryHR 2092, the SPEAK Act of 2025, requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to create guidance for healthcare entities within one year of enactment. This guidance focuses on improving telehealth access for people with limited English proficiency, directly affecting health IT companies, hospitals, insurers, language service providers, and interpreters. Key provisions include best practices for using interpreters during video appointments, providing multilingual patient materials (like appointment reminders and prescriptions), and making digital health portals accessible. The bill aims to standardize language access in telehealth services without changing existing laws.