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Honoring Henrietta Lacks: Congressional Gold Medal for Medical Contributions.

This act posthumously awards a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks, whose cells (HeLa) were crucial for medical and scientific advancements. This honor acknowledges her unwitting contribution to global health and patient rights, and recognizes the historical significance of her case for modern bioethics.
Key points
Posthumous award of the Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks for her invaluable contributions to science and medicine.
Recognition of HeLa cells as the foundation for numerous groundbreaking discoveries, including vaccines and treatments for serious diseases.
Highlighting Henrietta Lacks' case in shaping modern bioethics principles and patient rights, including informed consent.
The medal will be given to the Smithsonian Institution for public display, increasing public awareness.
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Status: Introduced
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Additional Information
Print number: 119_HR_3498
Sponsor: Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]
Process start date: 2025-05-19
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure — full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source—always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 119_HR_3498.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2025-05-19.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Posthumous award of the Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks for her invaluable contributions to science and medicine.
  • Recognition of HeLa cells as the foundation for numerous groundbreaking discoveries, including vaccines and treatments for serious diseases.
  • Highlighting Henrietta Lacks' case in shaping modern bioethics principles and patient rights, including informed consent.
  • The medal will be given to the Smithsonian Institution for public display, increasing public awareness.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Introduced.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in House

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-22.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know—that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Health Media and Culture