Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution expresses support for designating May 5, 2026, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The bill calls on the public and organizations to commemorate the victims and show solidarity with their families. It also recommends that the Department of Justice commission a new study to update statistics on the crisis, noting that the previous data is over a decade old.

Maddy summaryThe Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act directs the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services to expand research, education, and clinical training focused on menopause and mid-life women’s health. It authorizes funding to create Centers of Excellence, launch public awareness campaigns, and develop training programs for health care providers to better diagnose and treat menopausal symptoms. The bill also requires the government to collect data on health disparities and report progress annually to Congress, with a specific focus on improving care for women in rural and underserved areas.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors the life and legacy of Dirk Kempthorne, a former U.S. Senator, Governor of Idaho, and Secretary of the Interior. It formally acknowledges his public service across various roles, including his work on environmental conservation, veterans' support, and economic development in Idaho. The Senate expresses its sorrow over his death and directs that a copy of the resolution be sent to his family. Additionally, the Senate stands in adjournment as a final mark of respect to his memory.

Maddy summaryThis bill reauthorizes the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System through 2030, updating the 2009 law to replace "Council" with "Committee" (specifically the Ocean Policy Committee) throughout. It expands the system's scope to include meteorological observations and data management systems, requiring collaboration between regional observing systems and federal agencies. The bill authorizes $56 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030, mandating at least 7.5% of funds support existing regional coastal observing systems. It directly affects federal agencies, regional observing networks, and coastal states by updating governance and funding mechanisms for ocean and weather data collection.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows hydropower project license holders to request up to 6 additional years to begin construction on projects that received licenses before March 13, 2020. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) may grant extensions in two-year increments, but the total extension cannot exceed six years. For licenses expiring after December 31, 2023, FERC can reinstate them to immediately apply the extension.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act This bill repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that have been subject to specified regulatory actions (e.g., civil penalties) for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must still disapprove such programs for up to two years; however, the CMS must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight of the program for purposes of rescission. The bill also allows Medicaid and Medicare providers (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) to access, through the National Practitioner Data Bank, disciplinary information for affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners, as reported by state licensing authorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It directly affects the spouses of veterans whose death was caused by ALS, specifically those who died on or after October 1, 2022. The key provision amends a law to treat veterans who died from ALS as if they had the disease for the required period before death, removing a prior time requirement for compensation eligibility. This change ensures surviving spouses qualify for the same benefits previously available only to veterans with longer ALS diagnoses.

Maddy summaryThis resolution asks the Senate to recognize April 2026 as the 'Month of the Military Child' to honor the over 1.6 million children connected to the military. It encourages the public to observe this month with ceremonies and activities that show appreciation for these families. The bill does not create any new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the contributions of military children.

Maddy summaryThe PHS ACCESS Act allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to send Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers to work with Urban Indian organizations to support health department functions. It also changes how these officers are appointed by giving the Secretary more flexibility to grant service credit based on specific needs rather than requiring it automatically. Under the new rules, the Secretary must create clear criteria that prioritize appointees serving in rural areas, regions with workforce shortages, locations with limited healthcare access, or those working with Indian tribes and Urban Indian organizations. Additionally, these criteria will be regularly reviewed to ensure they match current workforce demands.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a comprehensive research and development framework to advance next-generation geothermal technologies, specifically targeting enhanced geothermal systems, closed-loop systems, and supercritical geothermal energy. It directs the Department of Energy to create a new research program that awards milestone-based grants for deep drilling projects and establishes a center of excellence to coordinate efforts across universities, national laboratories, and private partners. Key provisions include updating federal data repositories to standardize subsurface information, commissioning deep exploration boreholes to map heat and rock properties, and funding innovations in drilling equipment, power generation efficiency, and water usage. The legislation also mandates periodic reports on the commercialization barriers of these technologies and authorizes $5 million annually through 2031 to support these initiatives.