Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act
Latest action · May 19, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 19, 2025
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill awards posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Henrietta Lacks, in recognition of the contributions of her immortal cells to global health, scientific research, quality of life, and patients' rights.
Cosponsors 35
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 19, 2025 to Jul 2, 2025; 28 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-IN | André Carson | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MD | April McClain Delaney | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MS | Bennie G. Thompson | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-LA | Cleo Fields | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-IL | Danny K. Davis | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-NC | Donald G. Davis | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-PA | Dwight Evans | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-FL | Frederica S. Wilson | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MD | Glenn Ivey | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-WI | Gwen Moore | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-GA | Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MD | Jamie Raskin | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MD | Johnny Olszewski, Jr. | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-OH | Joyce Beatty | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-NJ | LaMonica McIver | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-GA | Nikema Williams | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MI | Rashida Tlaib | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-IL | Robin L. Kelly | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MD | Sarah Elfreth | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-VI | Stacey E. Plaskett | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MD | Steny H. Hoyer | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-MA | Stephen F. Lynch | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-AL | Terri A. Sewell | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-LA | Troy A. Carter | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-NC | Valerie P. Foushee | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-NY | Yvette D. Clarke | Original | May 19, 2025 |
| D-OH | Shontel M. Brown | May 23, 2025 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | May 29, 2025 | |
| D-IL | Delia C. Ramirez | Jun 13, 2025 | |
| D-GA | David Scott | Jun 20, 2025 | |
| D-NJ | Josh Gottheimer | Jun 20, 2025 | |
| D-CT | Jahana Hayes | Jun 27, 2025 | |
| D-AL | Shomari Figures | Jul 2, 2025 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Financial Services Committee | Referred May 19, 2025 |
| House | Committee on House Administration | Referred May 19, 2025 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 19, 2025Introduced in House
- May 19, 2025Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 171, no. 84, May 19, 2025, page H2147.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1893 | Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act | Related bill | May 22, 2025 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks, in recognition of her immortal cells which have made invaluable contributions to global health, scientific research, our quality of life, and patients' rights.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 19, 2025Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
