Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Investing in New Strategies for Upgrading Lower Attaining Efficiency Buildings Act of 2021 or the INSULATE Buildings Act of 2021 This bill establishes two grant programs under the State Energy Program of the Department of Energy (DOE). Under the first grant program, DOE must provide grants to states for revolving loan funds. States may use the fund to provide loans to eligible businesses and homeowners for energy audits and upgrades to reduce energy consumption. Under the second grant program, DOE must provide grants to states for training energy auditors.

Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 This bill eliminates certain restrictions relating to Medicare coverage of mental health services that are provided through telehealth. Current law allows for coverage of such services regardless of the geographic location of the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as long as the beneficiary previously received in-person services and continues to receive in-person services at specified intervals. The bill eliminates these in-person requirements.

Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of custom fabricated breast prostheses following the surgical removal of the breast (i.e., a mastectomy), including replacements of such prostheses. Currently, Medicare covers surgically implanted breast prostheses, as well as some external breast prostheses (e.g., post-surgical bras).

This resolution condemns the recent rise in anti-Semitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish Americans. The resolution (1) recommits to combating anti-Semitism in all forms; and (2) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to denounce and combat all manifestations of anti-Semitism. The resolution urges the President to continue the leadership role of the United States in combating anti-Semitism internationally, advance accurate Holocaust education and counter Holocaust denial and distortion, ensure the physical security of Jewish institutions and organizations, and produce an analysis that accounts for the level and scope of the threat that anti-Semitism poses to the people of the United States. The resolution urges law enforcement agencies to fully participate in the data collection process of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve anti-Semitic hate crime data collection.

Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies a program providing special immigrant visas to eligible citizens or nationals of Afghanistan who assisted U.S. efforts there and addresses related issues. The bill extends the program through 2023 and increases the number of visas available. An individual may become eligible for a visa after assisting U.S. efforts in Afghanistan for one year, whereas currently some individuals must have served for two years. Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties with a NATO mission in Afghanistan, the bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties. The bill removes a requirement that the individual has experienced or is facing an ongoing serious threat due to their assistance to the United States or NATO. The Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security may postpone the program's medical examination requirement. An individual who received a postponement must undergo a medical exam within 90 days of admission into the United States. The bill also expands surviving family member benefits for the Afghanistan program (and a similar program for Iraq) to a surviving spouse or child of an individual who submitted an application to the Chief of Mission that would have been approved but for the individual's death. Currently, such survivor benefits only apply if the deceased individual's petition was approved.

Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 This bill accelerates and expands certain changes that are scheduled to take effect relating to the coverage of cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under Medicare. Currently, such programs require physician supervision. Effective January 1, 2024, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists may also supervise these programs. The bill expedites the effective date of these changes to January 1, 2022, and also allows these practitioners to administer programs in their offices, prepare and sign treatment plans, and prescribe exercise.

This bill revises requirements for the tax exclusion for contributions to the capital of a corporation. Specifically, the bill allows an exclusion for certain amounts received by a regulated public utility that provides water or sewerage disposal services.

Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2021 This bill modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent under the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium. Additionally, the bill authorizes such coverage of dependents without a premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer sponsored plan.

Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish specified grant programs to support positive maternal health care outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Specifically, HHS must award grants to (1) develop best practices to reduce preventable maternal mortality, and (2) train health care professionals to reduce and prevent discrimination when providing maternal health services. In addition, HHS may award grants to establish evidence-informed, integrated health care services to pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. The bill also provides statutory authority for a grant program that supports perinatal quality collaboratives. These are networks of perinatal care providers and public health professionals that work to improve pregnancy outcomes through continuous quality improvement. HHS also must (1) contract with an independent research organization to study and make recommendations on trainings for health professional schools and education programs on reducing and preventing discrimination in the provision of maternal health services, and (2) address pregnant and postpartum women and their infants in public awareness initiatives related to vaccinations.

Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act or the Rural MOMS Act This bill expands initiatives to address maternal health in rural areas. The bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish rural obstetric networks. These networks must foster collaboration to improve birth outcomes and reduce maternal morbidity in rural areas. HRSA also must award demonstration grants to medical schools and other health professional training programs to support education and training on maternal health in rural areas. In addition, the bill incorporates maternal health services in certain telehealth grant programs. It also revises various research and other activities of the Department of Health and Human Services that pertain to maternal health.