Rep. Julie Johnson

Maddy summaryHR 1269, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025, expands benefits for public safety officers (like police and firefighters) who develop certain cancers linked to their work. It adds 22 specific cancers - including lung, mesothelioma, and breast cancer - to the list of conditions presumed to be "exposure-related" and sustained in the line of duty. This presumption applies if the officer served at least 5 years, was diagnosed with the cancer within 15 years after last active duty, and the cancer directly caused death or permanent disability. The bill also establishes a process for adding new cancers every 3 years based on medical evidence from agencies like NIOSH, and allows claims to be filed within 3 years of the law's enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 1255, the Investing in Our Communities Act, amends tax code rules for advance refunding bonds used by local governments and public entities. It restricts how certain bonds (particularly private activity bonds and older bonds issued before 1986) can be refinanced, limiting the number of times they can be advanced refunded and requiring debt service savings. Key provisions include banning "abusive" transactions for financial advantage, setting specific redemption timelines, and capping nonpurpose investments from refunded bonds. This directly affects municipal bond issuers who use advance refunding strategies to manage debt. The bill focuses on clarifying tax code compliance, not on community investment outcomes.

Maddy summaryHR 1196 prohibits using federal funds to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, as defined by law. It requires the Secretary of State to certify annual compliance with this restriction to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees. The bill directly affects USAID's operational status and U.S. foreign aid programs by preventing congressional or executive actions that would dismantle or merge the agency, maintaining its role in U.S. international development efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts access to Treasury payment systems (including the Bureau of the Fiscal Service) to only Treasury employees with a "fully successful" performance rating and at least one year of civil service, or contractors/outsiders with security clearances, required privacy/cybersecurity training, ethics agreements, and no conflicts of interest. It treats non-government users accessing these systems as government employees for ethics rules and defines specific actions (like stopping payments) as "personal and substantial participation" in government matters. The Treasury Inspector General must investigate any unauthorized access within 30 days and report to Congress, detailing the breach, security risks, and any halted payments. The bill directly affects Treasury staff, contractors, and any external entities accessing federal payment systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Lubbock, Texas, as the "General Bernie Mittemeyer VA Clinic" upon enactment. It updates all official references in federal laws, documents, and records to reflect this new name. The bill does not alter services, funding, or operations at the clinic - its sole purpose is to honor General Bernie Mittemeyer through a ceremonial naming designation. This change affects only the clinic's official identification within federal systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands 529 college savings account flexibility by allowing funds to cover costs for industry-recognized postsecondary credentials, not just traditional degrees. It defines "qualified expenses" to include tuition/fees for recognized credential programs (like certifications or apprenticeships), required testing fees, and continuing education needed to maintain credentials. To qualify, programs must meet specific criteria, such as appearing on state lists under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or being listed in VA or Defense directories. The change applies to 529 distributions made after the law's enactment, giving families more options to use these accounts for job-focused training.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 120) expresses the U.S. House of Representatives' condemnation of Azerbaijan's treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, a detained academic and economist. It urges Azerbaijan to immediately release Dr. Ibadoghlu, who was arrested in 2023 without evidence, subjected to severe beatings, poor prison conditions, denied medical care and legal access, and later placed under house arrest with a travel ban. The resolution specifically calls for his "immediate and unconditional release" and directs the Secretary of State to prioritize his well-being and release in diplomatic engagements with Azerbaijan. It directly addresses the Azerbaijani government's actions toward Dr. Ibadoghlu and his family, who face ongoing harassment.

This bill allows a national of the Czech Republic to qualify for E-1 nonimmigrant status if the Czech Republic provides similar nonimmigrant status to U.S. nationals. E-1 classification allows nationals of certain countries (i.e., those with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, those under a qualifying international agreement, or those deemed to qualify through statute) to be admitted solely to engage in international trade, along with their families and employees.

Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location except in exigent circumstances, such as the imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to any person. Sensitive locations include  health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; child care facilities; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers’ offices; facilities used as polling places; certain labor union facilities; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected individual may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.

Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025 This bill requires or authorizes certain actions related to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The bill requires the Department of Justice to appoint an assistant U.S. attorney in each judicial district to coordinate and supervise the investigation and prosecution of various crimes related to postal services (for example, assault on a postal service employee, breaking into a post office, or obstruction of mails). The bill also requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend sentencing guidelines to provide that the assault or robbery of a postal employee shall be treated the same as the assault of a law enforcement officer. Additionally, the bill authorizes appropriations for the USPS to install high security collection boxes and replace older versions of the universal mailbox key with electronic versions.