Rep. John H. Rutherford

Maddy summaryThis House resolution marks the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment and honors its original sponsor, Congressman Henry Hyde. It asserts that the amendment has prevented over 2.6 million abortions by restricting federal funding for elective procedures. The text emphasizes that this policy protects taxpayer conscience rights by ensuring public money is not used to finance abortions. Additionally, it encourages Americans to reflect on the history of the amendment and the total number of abortions performed since the Roe v. Wade decision.

Maddy summaryThis House resolution supports designating the week of September 20 through September 26, 2026, as "Gold Star Families Remembrance Week." It aims to honor the families of service members and veterans who have died in the line of duty. The bill encourages Americans to observe this annual week by performing acts of community service and celebrating the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Maddy summaryThis bill officially changes the title of the U.S. Secret Service's uniformed officers from "Uniformed Division" to "Police" across multiple federal laws. The legislation directly affects the personnel and legal references within the U.S. Code by updating specific sections in Titles 2, 5, 10, 18, 28, and 31. By making these text replacements, the bill ensures that the agency's officers are consistently referred to as police in official statutes and regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias starting January 1, 2028. It defines eligible tests as FDA-cleared genomic blood tests, blood product analyses, or equivalent medical imaging methods (like protein expression or whole genome sequencing) that detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. Medicare beneficiaries would receive this coverage without cost-sharing for these specific screenings. The bill amends Medicare coverage rules to explicitly include these tests under Section 1861(nnn) of the Social Security Act.

Save Our Sequoias Act This bill provides for the conservation of giant sequoia trees ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) in California. Specifically, it provides statutory authority for the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition and outlines the coalition's duties. The coalition must submit a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment and annually update it. The information from the assessment must be made available so the information can be integrated into certain other plans. The coalition must also create and maintain a website that contains the assessment, educational materials, searchable information about individual giant sequoia groves, and a searchable database to track the status and costs of reforestation and rehabilitation activities. In addition, the bill declares an emergency on certain public lands and allows officials to carry out protection plans during the emergency to respond to the threat of wildfires, insects, and drought. The emergency expires after seven years. The Department of the Interior must develop and implement a Giant Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy. Finally, the bill establishes a variety of programs and funds to support the conservation of giant sequoias.

Maddy summaryHR 2004, titled "Tyler’s Law," requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study how often hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl during overdose cases (beyond standard drug tests), including associated costs, patient benefits/risks, and impacts on privacy and patient-physician relationships. The study must be completed within one year of the bill's enactment. Based on the study results, the Secretary must issue guidance within six months on whether emergency departments should routinely test for fentanyl, how to inform clinicians about test contents, and how such testing may affect future overdose risks and health outcomes. This bill directly affects hospital emergency departments and patients experiencing overdoses by shaping future testing protocols.

National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act. [ sic ] This bill temporarily directs the Department of the Interior to award a grant to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with operating and enhancing the community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs of the National Law Enforcement Museum.

Maddy summaryThe Emergency Responders Mental Health Training Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a pilot fellowship program that funds postbaccalaureate training for mental health and substance use disorder professionals. This initiative aims to increase the number of culturally competent practitioners who understand the unique stressors, duties, and confidentiality requirements faced by emergency response providers such as police, firefighters, and EMTs. The bill authorizes $10 million in annual appropriations for fiscal years 2028 through 2033 to support these fellowships across fields including psychiatry, nursing, social work, and psychology. Additionally, the Secretary must submit reports to Congress two and five years after the program's establishment to evaluate its efficiency, impact on patient outcomes, and overall effectiveness.

Maddy summaryHR 5267, the American Franchise Act, clarifies when franchisors can be considered joint employers of franchisee employees under federal labor laws. It defines "substantial direct and immediate control" over essential employment terms like wages, benefits, hours, hiring, and discipline - requiring franchisors to actively set these terms to be deemed joint employers. The bill explicitly excludes routine brand standards, training, or minimal safety requirements from constituting such control. This directly affects franchisors and franchisees by limiting joint employer liability to cases where franchisors exert significant, ongoing influence over core employment decisions. The law applies prospectively to new cases after enactment, not past disputes.

Maddy summaryThis House resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first admission of women to the United States service academies in 1976. It specifically honors the pioneering female cadets and midshipmen of the Class of 1980 who entered West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy. The bill recognizes the challenges these early women faced and their role in establishing gender integration within military training institutions. Additionally, it encourages the service academies to continue documenting and preserving the history of women's leadership in the Armed Forces.