Rep. Lance Gooden

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to classify establishments that implement Sharia law as discriminating on the basis of religion. It would directly affect businesses and organizations that follow or apply Islamic legal principles in their operations. The key mechanism adds a new provision to existing civil rights law, allowing affected parties to claim religious discrimination if an establishment uses Sharia law. The bill does not define what constitutes implementing Sharia law or establish specific enforcement procedures beyond the existing civil rights framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to add 7-hydroxymitragynine to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, classifying it as a controlled substance. The legislation specifically excludes naturally occurring 7-hydroxymitragynine found in kratom plants from this classification while including synthetic versions. This change would require federal regulation of synthetic forms of the compound but would not affect kratom products containing the substance in its natural state. The bill directly impacts pharmaceutical manufacturers and synthetic drug producers who would need to comply with new federal scheduling requirements.

Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign persons (individuals and entities) that are involved in Iran's petroleum sector as well as certain associated persons. The bill also requires or authorizes actions to facilitate the enforcement of sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person that, after the bill's enactment, knowingly engages in any transaction related to the processing, export, or sale of oil, condensates, gas, liquefied natural gas, or other petrochemical products in whole or in part from Iran. The President must also impose sanctions on certain foreign persons associated with a sanctioned individual or entity. For example, the President must sanction the subsidiaries and corporate officers of a sanctioned business. The bill provides certain exceptions to these sanctions, including specifying that sanctions do not apply to the importation of goods or to conducting or facilitating transactions for humanitarian assistance. The Department of State must establish an interagency working group that shall seek to establish a multilateral contact group to coordinate international efforts to enforce sanctions on Iran. The bill expands the State Department rewards program to authorize a reward payment to any individual who furnishes information leading to the identification of a person (1) subject to sanctions under this bill, or (2) that has attempted or is attempting to evade sanctions under this bill.

Maddy summaryHR 7678, the Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act, prohibits federal funding for state or local databases that track lawfully owned firearms or their owners. The bill allows federal funding for databases recording lost or stolen firearms but bans it for databases listing legal gun ownership. This means states cannot use federal money to create or maintain systems that compile information about legally owned guns. The bill directly affects state and local governments that rely on federal funds for firearm ownership databases.

Respect State Housing Laws Act This bill eliminates a provision that requires a 30-day notice period before a landlord may begin eviction proceedings against a tenant in federally assisted or federally backed housing.

Maddy summaryHRES 1076 is a House resolution recognizing the 10th anniversary of the first U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export shipment from the lower 48 states, which occurred on February 24, 2016. The resolution celebrates this milestone as a historic achievement in American energy production, highlighting its role in supporting over 273,000 annual jobs and $400 billion in economic growth over the past decade. It honors the workers and communities involved and acknowledges LNG exports' contribution to U.S. economic growth, energy security, and global partnerships. The resolution has no binding effect or policy changes - it solely expresses recognition of a past event.

Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act This bill removes less-than-lethal projectile devices (e.g., certain TASERs) from regulation under the Gun Control Act. The term less-than-lethal projectile device means a device that (1) is not designed or intended to expel (and may not be readily converted to discharge) commonly used ammunition or projectiles exceeding a velocity of 500 feet per second; (2) is designed and intended to be used in a manner not likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; and (3) does not accept (and cannot be readily modified to accept) an ammunition feeding device. The bill also requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine whether a device satisfies the definition of a less-than-lethal projectile device within 90 days of a request.

Maddy summaryHR 7612 (End Sanctuary Cities Act of 2026) prohibits state and local government officials from interfering with federal immigration enforcement by blocking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requests for "reasonable advance notice" (at least 48 hours) about releasing criminal aliens. It directly affects local leaders who establish policies restricting such notice, imposing criminal penalties: up to 25 years in prison for failures leading to the release of individuals convicted of murder, rape, or sex offenses against minors. Penalties decrease to 5-10 years for serious violent felonies and 30 days-6 months for other criminal offenses. The law creates new federal criminal charges under Title 18, Section 1925, targeting officials who obstruct DHS compliance with immigration laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect detailed information about sponsors before placing unaccompanied migrant children with them, including background checks, addresses, immigration status, and DNA proof for relatives. It mandates in-person home visits, electronic monitoring for non-citizen sponsors, and a $5,000 bond to ensure children attend immigration hearings. HHS must share all collected data with Homeland Security (DHS), which must verify sponsors’ immigration status and may initiate removal proceedings for unlawfully present sponsors. The bill also requires follow-up checks and reporting to child safety authorities if contact with sponsors is lost, directly affecting unaccompanied migrant children and their sponsors.

Maddy summaryThe Tribal Warrant Fairness Act updates federal law to ensure Indian tribes have equal standing with local and state governments in specific law enforcement contexts. It amends the U.S. Marshals Service statute to explicitly include "Tribal fugitive matters" when requested by an Indian Tribe, and revises the Presidential Threat Protection Act to add "Indian Tribes" and "Tribal law" to relevant provisions. These changes directly affect tribal governments by requiring federal agencies to recognize tribal requests and jurisdiction in warrant-related matters and threat protection. The bill makes no new policy but clarifies existing federal procedures to include tribal authorities on par with local and state entities.