Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Maddy summaryS 1217 expands credit access under the Farm Credit Act to businesses that provide services directly supporting fishing operations. It amends the Farm Credit Act to include "persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of aquatic products services directly related to their operating needs" as eligible for credit from Farm Credit Banks and Production Credit Associations. This change specifically affects service providers (like equipment suppliers or processors) supporting commercial fishing businesses, not the fishermen or harvesters themselves, by adding them to existing credit eligibility criteria.

Maddy summarySRES 147 is a Senate resolution expressing the chamber's position that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) should remain an independent federal agency and not face privatization. It does not create new laws but urges Congress to take action to protect USPS’s current status as a self-sustaining, constitutionally mandated entity serving all communities. The resolution cites USPS’s role in supporting a $1.9 trillion mailing industry, employing over 7.9 million Americans, and maintaining universal service - including critical rural access - without taxpayer subsidies. It emphasizes that privatization could raise prices, reduce services, and harm e-commerce and national infrastructure. The resolution is non-binding and solely reflects the Senate’s expressed view on preserving USPS’s public mission.

Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act of 2025 This bill establishes a new investment tax credit in the amount of 30% of the basis of any hydropower improvement property. The bill defines hydropower improvement property as property that adds or improves fish passage at a qualified dam; maintains or improves the quality of the water retained or released by a qualified dam; promotes downstream sediment transport and habitat maintenance; upgrades, repairs, or reconstructs a qualified dam to meet safety and security standards; improves public uses of, and access to, public waterways impacted by a qualified dam; removes an obsolete river obstruction; or places into service an approved remote dam. Further, written approval for hydropower improvement property must be obtained from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or state or local officials prior to January 1, 2035. The bill also allows an election to claim the investment tax credit for qualified progress expenses for some types of hydropower improvement property in advance of such property being placed into service. Any investment tax credit amount claimed for qualified progress expenses reduces the amount of the investment tax credit that may be claimed once the hydropower improvement property is placed into service.  The bill authorizes certain entities, including tax-exempt and governmental entities, to treat the investment tax credit for hydropower improvement property as a payment of tax and receive a refund of any overpayment (also known as elective pay).  Finally, the investment tax credit for hydropower improvement property may be transferred (i.e., sold).

Maddy summarySRES 142 is a Senate resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women. It highlights specific achievements, including over 4,400 women serving in the military as of 2025, more than 11,600 women owning businesses as of 2024, and historical roles in fields like science, medicine, and cultural preservation. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws or allocate funds but publicly honors these women’s contributions to communities, tribal sovereignty, and U.S. history without mandating policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJRES 38) declares the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) valid under the U.S. Constitution, despite an expired 1972 ratification deadline. It asserts that the ERA, approved by 38 states (three-fourths of the total), is now part of the Constitution as if the deadline had never existed. The resolution specifically overrides the time limit set in the 1972 congressional resolution that originally proposed the ERA. It does not alter the ERA's content or create new rights, but formally recognizes its constitutional status based on existing state approvals.

Maddy summaryThe BAH Restoration Act changes how the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is calculated for military members stationed in the United States. It requires BAH amounts to equal the actual monthly cost of adequate housing in a member's area, as determined by the Secretary of Defense, adjusted for the member's pay grade and dependency status (e.g., whether they have a spouse or children). This policy directly affects all uniformed service members receiving BAH while serving in the U.S., replacing previous calculation methods with a standard tied to local housing expenses. The bill ensures housing allowances more closely reflect real-world costs in each location.

Maddy summaryThe Mining Schools Act of 2025 creates a Department of Energy grant program to fund mining education at eligible colleges and universities. It directly affects accredited mining engineering programs and specific public university departments in states with significant mining economies, aiming to recruit students and strengthen training in critical mineral extraction, environmental reclamation, and domestic supply chains. Grants - limited to 10 annually - must support curriculum focused on rare earth elements, recycling technologies, reducing environmental impacts, and meeting U.S. energy mineral needs. The program authorizes $10 million yearly for fiscal years 2026-2033, with oversight by a Mining Professional Development Advisory Board.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include military spouses. It adds "qualified military spouse" as a new category eligible for the credit, meaning employers who hire spouses of active-duty service members can claim the tax benefit. To qualify, a spouse must be certified by a local agency as married to an Armed Forces member at the time of hire. The change applies to hires occurring after the law's effective date, directly affecting military spouses seeking employment and employers who hire them.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Major Richard Star Act (S 1032), allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both their military retired pay and Veterans Affairs disability compensation simultaneously. It amends U.S. Code sections to remove the automatic reduction in retired pay that previously forced these veterans to choose between the two payments. The key change ensures veterans with combat-related disabilities qualify for full retired pay without offset against their VA disability benefits, effective for payments starting after the bill's enactment date. This directly affects veterans receiving military retired pay under Chapter 61 who also qualify for VA disability compensation for combat-related injuries.

Maddy summaryS 1052 extends funding for the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System through 2033 at $75 million annually (up from $55 million), replacing the previous authorization ending in 2023. It modernizes the system by requiring new technologies like advanced digital telemetry networks, infrared cameras, and satellite systems for real-time monitoring. The bill also establishes a committee with state agencies, universities, and volcano observatories to oversee implementation and updates the management plan requirements to occur every 5 years. This reauthorization directly affects federal volcano monitoring agencies and state emergency management partners responsible for eruption preparedness.