Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 890) condemns Hamas for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people - including 40 U.S. citizens - and took hostages. It supports three specific outcomes: ensuring Israel's long-term security, preventing Hamas from regaining power in the region, and securing the safe return of U.S. hostages held in Gaza. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but expresses the Senate's position. The resolution was introduced by 45 Senators and passed unanimously on September 25, 2024.

Maddy summaryThe Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 establishes the Office of Judicial Integrity to address workplace discrimination and misconduct complaints within the federal judiciary. The bill creates a Board of Directors to oversee the Office, which will handle claims from covered employees (including court staff, judges' personnel, and other judicial branch workers) alleging violations of anti-discrimination laws. The Office will provide a structured process including preliminary reviews, mediation, hearings, and appeals for resolving workplace complaints, while requiring annual reports on complaints and resolutions. The Act extends protections under existing civil rights laws to judicial branch employees and creates a confidential reporting system to support covered employees.

Maddy summaryThe SOLES Act (S 5184) adjusts Medicare payments for outpatient services at sole community hospitals located in noncontiguous states like Alaska and Hawaii. If the standard Medicare payment under the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) is lower than the previous rate (pre-BBA), the bill requires an additional payment equal to 94% of the difference. This change applies to services provided on or after January 1, 2025. The law directly affects hospitals in Alaska and Hawaii that serve as the sole emergency care providers in their communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the "Hello Girls" - 223 women who served as Army Signal Corps telephone operators in WWI. They connected 26 million calls in France, worked 12-hour shifts under combat conditions, and were denied veteran benefits for 60 years despite wearing uniforms and facing combat hazards. The medal recognizes their pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and the decades-long struggle for recognition as soldiers. It directs the Treasury to strike the medal and place it in the Smithsonian for public display at institutions like the National WWI Museum.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 110) seeks to block a National Park Service rule that would have regulated hunting and trapping in Alaska national preserves. It directs Congress to disapprove the rule (published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2024) under a specific statutory process, which would prevent the rule from taking effect. If passed, the resolution would directly affect hunting and trapping activities in designated Alaska preserves by invalidating the NPS rule.

Maddy summaryThe Arctic Research and Policy Amendments Act of 2024 updates the 1984 Arctic Research and Policy Act to strengthen U.S. coordination of Arctic research. It adds a non-voting Alaska representative to the Arctic Research Commission and revises compensation rules for members (capping annual service at 90 days for non-Chair members). The bill mandates annual joint meetings between the Commission and the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee to develop a unified research infrastructure plan and budget. Additionally, it creates an annual $10,000 award for excellence in Arctic research and adds the Department of Agriculture and other agencies as lead entities for Arctic research coordination.

Maddy summaryS 5074, the PRO Veterans Act of 2024, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide quarterly briefings to Congress about its budget and any shortfalls for three years after enactment. It prohibits bonuses for senior VA and Office of Management and Budget employees during fiscal years when the VA requests additional funding outside standard budget processes, aiming to prevent spending during budget gaps. The bill also mandates a report to Congress detailing all VA positions created since October 2022, including job descriptions, pay, bonuses, and remote work policies. These provisions apply directly to VA and OMB senior leadership and end after three years.

Maddy summaryThe Fire Ready Nation Act of 2024 establishes a coordinated fire weather services program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve wildfire prediction, response, and recovery. It requires development of advanced weather models, enhanced observational systems (including satellite and drone technologies), and impact-based decision support tools for emergency personnel. The bill creates an Incident Meteorologist Service to provide on-site weather support during wildfires and authorizes $15 million for fiscal year 2025, increasing to $50 million by 2029. This legislation directly affects Federal agencies, State and local emergency responders, and communities in wildfire-prone areas.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to strengthen federal efforts addressing harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. It requires a federal Task Force to produce a comprehensive Action Strategy every five years examining causes, ecological consequences, economic impacts, and potential solutions for HABs across diverse water systems. The bill establishes a National Harmful Algal Bloom Observing Network to integrate monitoring capabilities and creates a National-Level Incubator Program to develop new prevention and mitigation strategies through merit-based funding. It authorizes $19.5 million annually for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and $8 million for the Environmental Protection Agency from 2024 through 2028 to implement these initiatives, directly affecting federal agencies, coastal communities, and industries dependent on healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Maddy summaryThis bill would recognize five southeastern Alaska Native communities (Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell) that were excluded from the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act by authorizing them to form Urban Corporations. It would provide each community with approximately 23,040 acres of Federal land (divided into specific parcels), along with shareholder shares in the new corporations. The bill includes provisions for land conveyance within two years of incorporation, public access rights for subsistence and recreation, and mechanisms for negotiating access to roads and facilities. It also establishes settlement trusts for community health, education, and cultural preservation, with the Secretary required to convey land within two years of the Urban Corporation's formation.