Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
Democrat · AL · 8 bills sponsored
Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2025
# Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary This bill would expand Medicare coverage for heart and lung rehabilitation programs by allowing more healthcare professionals to provide these services. Currently, these rehabilitation programs—which help patients recover after heart attacks or heart surgery through supervised exercise and education—are limited in who can deliver them. The bill would permit physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to run these programs in their own offices, create treatment plans, and prescribe exercise routines, rather than requiring a doctor to do so. The change would primarily affect Medicare patients recovering from cardiac events and the healthcare providers who treat them. By allowing more types of qualified professionals to administer these programs, the bill aims to make rehabilitation services more accessible and available in more locations, potentially reducing wait times and travel burdens for patients. The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House.
Rural Health Training Opportunities Act
# Rural Health Training Opportunities Act Summary **What the Bill Would Do** The Rural Health Training Opportunities Act (HR 5377) aims to expand healthcare training and educational opportunities in rural America. While specific provisions aren't detailed in the available information, bills with this title typically focus on increasing the number of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals willing to work in underserved rural communities—a persistent shortage affecting healthcare access in farming and remote areas. **Who It Affects** This bill would primarily benefit rural communities struggling with healthcare worker shortages, patients in those areas seeking better access to medical care, and potentially healthcare professionals through training programs or incentives to practice in rural regions. Educational institutions that train healthcare workers could also be involved in implementing any new programs. **Current Status** The bill is currently in committee, meaning it has been introduced but hasn't yet advanced to a full vote in the House of Representatives. As with many bills in committee, it may be debated, amended, or remain pending as Congress addresses other priorities. For the most current details on specific provisions, you can check Congress.gov.
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
# Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 - Summary **What It Does:** This bill would increase the number of medical residency positions that hospitals can fill while receiving Medicare funding. It would add 2,000 new residency positions per year from 2026 through 2032, with individual hospitals able to add up to 75 positions during that period. The bill prioritizes rural hospitals and areas with healthcare shortages, and requires at least one-third of new positions to go to hospitals already training more residents than current limits allow. It also requires a government study on how to recruit more doctors from rural, low-income, and minority communities. **Who It Affects:** This bill primarily affects hospitals, medical schools, and the doctors-in-training (residents) who fill these positions. Patients in rural and underserved areas could benefit from more available physicians. Medicare would bear the cost of funding these additional positions. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee (as of the 119th Congress), meaning it has been introduced but hasn't advanced to a full chamber vote yet.
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program regarding treating pregnancy as a qualifying event for enrollment in TRICARE Select.
# HR 4381 Summary **What the Bill Would Do:** This bill would require the U.S. Department of Defense to create a pilot program that allows pregnant women to enroll in TRICARE Select (the military's health insurance plan for military families and retirees) without waiting for a standard enrollment period. Currently, pregnancy is not automatically considered a "qualifying event" that permits immediate enrollment, meaning pregnant women may have to wait until the next open enrollment window to access coverage through this plan. **Who It Affects:** The bill would primarily benefit pregnant women who are eligible for TRICARE (typically spouses and dependents of active-duty military members, retirees, and veterans) but are not currently enrolled in military health coverage. It would give them faster access to prenatal care and delivery services without delays. **Current Status:** HR 4381 is currently in committee, meaning it has been introduced but has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. The bill was introduced by Representative Terri A. Sewell (D-Alabama).
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
# Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 Summary **What the Bill Would Do** This bill aims to address the shortage of resident physicians (doctors in training) in the United States. While specific provisions aren't detailed in the available information, bills with this title typically focus on increasing the number of training positions available for doctors completing their medical education. This could involve increasing federal funding for medical residency programs or removing caps on how many residency positions can be created. **Who It Affects** The bill would primarily affect medical schools, teaching hospitals, and aspiring physicians. It could also have broader impacts on patient care, as residency positions are crucial to producing the next generation of doctors. Rural and underserved areas that struggle to attract physicians could potentially benefit from expanded training opportunities. **Current Status** The bill (HR 3890) was introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) and is currently in committee review. This means it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full House. For specific details about the bill's exact provisions, you can check Congress.gov or the sponsor's official website.
Bridge to Medicaid Act of 2025
# Bridge to Medicaid Act of 2025 Summary **What the Bill Would Do** The Bridge to Medicaid Act of 2025 would create a temporary pathway to Medicaid coverage for individuals transitioning between health insurance plans. While specific provisions aren't detailed in the available information, bills with this title typically aim to prevent gaps in health insurance coverage by establishing a short-term Medicaid eligibility bridge for people who lose employer-based insurance or experience other qualifying life events. **Who It Affects and Current Status** This bill would primarily affect individuals who experience interruptions in private health insurance coverage. The legislation is currently in committee, meaning it's still in the early stages of the legislative process and hasn't yet been debated or voted on by the full House. As a result, it has not become law. **Note:** The official summary details for this bill are limited in the available records. For more specific information about the exact provisions, eligibility requirements, or implementation mechanisms, you would need to review the full bill text on Congress.gov.
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025
# Summary: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 **What It Does:** This bill would restore a federal oversight system for voting law changes in certain states and counties. Under the bill, jurisdictions with a history of voting rights violations would need to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal court before implementing changes to their voting practices. This approval process is called "preclearance." The bill sets specific triggers: states with 15 or more voting violations in the past 25 years, or 10+ violations (with at least one by the state itself), or 3+ violations where the state runs elections would all be subject to this 10-year oversight period. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily affects state governments and local election officials in jurisdictions with documented histories of voting rights violations. It also impacts voters in those areas, potentially providing additional protections when voting rules change. The bill is named after civil rights icon John Lewis and addresses concerns that recent Supreme Court decisions weakened voting rights protections. **Current Status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full House. As a Democratic-sponsored bill in a Republican-controlled Congress, its prospects for passage remain uncertain.
Rosa Parks Day Act
# Rosa Parks Day Act Summary **What It Would Do** The Rosa Parks Day Act would establish Rosa Parks Day as an official federal holiday in the United States. If passed, this would designate a specific day—likely February 4th, Rosa Parks' birthday—as a national day of observance to honor her legacy and contributions to the civil rights movement. **Who It Affects and Key Details** This bill would affect all Americans, particularly federal employees who would receive the day off, and government offices, banks, and postal services would close. The holiday would commemorate Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist famous for her 1955 refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama—an act of civil disobedience that helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a pivotal moment in the fight against racial segregation. The bill was introduced by Representative Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) from Alabama. **Current Status** As of now, the bill remains in committee and has not been brought to a vote in Congress. It has not advanced to the full House floor for consideration.