Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Community Re-Entry through Addiction Treatment to Enhance Opportunities Act or the CREATE Opportunities Act This bill establishes the Medication-assisted Treatment Corrections and Community Reentry Program in the Department of Justice. Under the program, the National Institute of Corrections may award grants to support state or local programs that provide medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who have opioid-use disorders.

State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding. Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024. Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.

Delivering Optimally Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act of 2021 or the DOULA for VA Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a five-year pilot program to furnish doula services to pregnant veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. The program must furnish doula services through eligible entities by expanding the VA's Whole Health model to measure the impact that doula support services have on birth and mental health outcomes of pregnant veterans. The Whole Health model is a holistic approach that looks at the many areas of life that may affect health in order to make a health plan suited for each individual based on his or her health goals.

Maddy summarySRES 421 is a symbolic Senate resolution supporting National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It formally recognizes the goals of this observance, commends domestic violence victim advocates, service providers, crisis hotline staff, and first responders, and acknowledges survivors' strength. The resolution expresses the Senate's sense that Congress should continue raising awareness about domestic violence and supporting programs that assist survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and prevent future violence. This resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding but serves as a statement of congressional support for existing efforts.

Judicial Efficiency Improvement Act This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into two judicial circuits: (1) the Ninth Circuit, and (2) a new Twelfth Circuit. The new Ninth Circuit shall be composed of California, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The new Twelfth Circuit shall be composed of the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The bill creates two additional circuit court judgeships for the Ninth Circuit. It creates 77 additional district court judgeships in specified judicial districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. Additionally, it converts eight temporary district court judgeships to permanent judgeships in specified judicial districts in Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas.

Judicial Reorganization Act of 2021 This bill creates a new U.S. Court of Appeals by dividing the current U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The newly created U.S. Court of Appeals for the Twelfth Circuit shall have jurisdiction over Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit shall retain jurisdiction over California, Guam, and Hawaii.

State-Based Education Loan Awareness Act This bill excludes certain arrangements or agreements regarding education loans from the definition of a preferred lender arrangement . A preferred lender arrangement is an arrangement or agreement between a lender and an institution of higher education (IHE) that receives federal funding or assistance (1) under which a lender issues education loans to students attending the IHE; and (2) that relates to the IHE recommending, promoting, or endorsing the education loan products of the lender. The bill provides that arrangements or agreements made under a state-based education loan program or that are funded, insured, or guaranteed by any federal agency other than the Department of Education do not meet the definition of a preferred lender agreement for purposes of certain required disclosures to student borrowers.

Federal Courts of Appeals Modernization Act This bill establishes the Commission on Structural Alternatives for the Federal Courts of Appeals. The commission must (1) study the current structure of the federal courts of appeals, with particular reference to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and (2) recommend changes to promote the expeditious and effective disposition of cases.

Arctic Diplomacy Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State. The position shall maintain continuous observation and coordination of matters pertaining to foreign policy in the Arctic, including trade, the environment, and political-military affairs.

Student Loan Repayment Freedom Act This bill allows a federal student loan borrower to terminate repayment under an income-based repayment plan and instead elect to repay such loan under any other repayment plan for which the borrower is eligible. Currently, a federal student loan borrower repaying under an income-based repayment plan may only change to the standard repayment plan.