Sen. Dan Sullivan

Arctic Focus Act This bill directs the Coast Guard to undertake various efforts to maintain a persistent presence in the Arctic to advance the national security interests of the United States. The Coast Guard must prioritize icebreaker deployments to the Arctic; provide sufficient icebreaking activity to keep the Northwest Passage sea lanes open for commerce, national defense, rescue and recovery operations, and scientific exploration by 2030; permanently station at least one ice-breaking vessel within the Arctic by the earlier of one year after the delivery of the first Polar Security Cutter, or 2030; and continuously patrol the Arctic with at least one major Coast Guard cutter that is able to execute search and rescue operations, fisheries enforcement, pollution response, and support for national defense operations. The department in which the Coast Guard is operating must submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the ability and time line to conduct a transit of the Northern Sea Route and periodic transits of the Northwest Passage, and that includes a plan to implement the activities set forth in this bill.

Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide grants to states to implement programs that improve outreach and assistance to veterans and their families to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about veterans' benefits and programs. Specifically, the VA may provide grants to states to (1) implement or enhance outreach activities or activities to assist in the development and submittal of claims for veterans, or (2) increase the number of county or tribal veterans service officers in the state. The VA must prioritize awarding grants in areas with a critical shortage of county or tribal veterans service officers, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans, and areas with high rates of referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.

Maddy summarySRES 451 is a commemorative Senate resolution honoring the late Senator Max Cleland (D-GA), who died November 9, 2021. The resolution recognizes his service as a Vietnam War veteran (losing both legs and an arm in combat), his 50+ years of public service including roles as Georgia State Senator, Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and Administrator of the Veterans Administration, and his advocacy for veterans. It formally expresses the Senate’s "profound sorrow" and "deep regret" over his death, commemorates his legacy of service to Georgia and veterans, and requests the Secretary of the Senate transmit the resolution to his family. This is a ceremonial resolution with no policy changes or legal effect.

This resolution recognizes November 2021 as National Native American Heritage Month and the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.

Prohibiting Taxpayer Funded Settlements for Illegal Immigrants Act This bill prohibits using federal funds to make settlement payments to compensate any individuals for being separated from family members while detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection if the detention was (1) a result of the individual improperly entering (or attempting to improperly enter) the United States, and (2) in accordance with a Department of Justice memorandum that adopted a zero-tolerance policy for such improper entry into the United States.

Ensuring Representation for Survivors Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 grants for legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victim services. The bill also revises the grant program to allow states to receive a certain percentage of the total amount appropriated for grants to distribute to entities that provide legal assistance (e.g., pro bono representation and legal advocacy) to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

Choose Respect Act This bill designates October 1 as Choose Respect Day and establishes a Choose Respect national media campaign to promote awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence. The bill also requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reimplement their national 2006 Choose Respect initiative. (This initiative was designed to prevent dating violence and encouraged youth ages 11–14 to have healthy relationships.) Finally, the U.S. Postal Service must issue a semipostal stamp (a stamp sold at a premium to raise funds for causes of national public interest) related to the Choose Respect campaign.

Electronic Service for Effectiveness, Reduction of Violence, and Improved Court Efficiency Act of 2021 or the E-SERVICE Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to award demonstration grants to certain state or tribal courts to implement a program for properly and legally serving protection orders electronically. Courts that receive these grants must be part of a multidisciplinary partnership of government entities and various domestic violence stakeholders.

Having Employees Return to Duty Act of 2021 or the HERD Act of 2021 This bill addresses federal employees who comply with Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees). Specifically, the bill requires each federal agency, with respect to each agency employee who has complied with such order, to require the employee to work from that employee's duty station and to work the hours required as of February 15, 2020. If such an employee was not employed by the applicable agency as of that date, that requirement shall apply to the employee with respect to duty station and hours of the individual who occupied that position as of that date. An agency may implement different policies than, or supplemental policies to, those requirements, including by requiring social distancing at a particular work site, if the agency finds that (1) there is substantial transmission of COVID-19 within a community in which such requirements would otherwise be carried out, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and (2) implementing those different or supplemental policies will not degrade the level of service that the agency provides to the public.

Give Americans Stability at Pumps as Rising Inflation Causes Emergencies Act or the GAS PRICE Act This bill requires the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to report on any policy, regulation, or executive order with an effective date of January 20, 2021, or later that the EIA determines has increased or may increase energy prices in the United States.