Sen. John Cornyn

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Education rule published on July 6, 2022, concerning final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for the Charter Schools Program.

This bill permanently prohibits certain federal employees in the intelligence community, after their federal employment, from taking positions serving specified foreign countries.

Improving Government Efficiency and Workforce Development through Federal Executive Boards Act of 2022 This bill addresses the perpetuation, administration, and funding of Federal Executive Boards. Specifically, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA), shall continue to support the existence of the Federal Executive Boards in geographic areas outside the District of Columbia (DC) metropolitan area. Federal Executive Board means an interagency entity established by OPM, in coordination with OMB and GSA; located in a geographic area with a high concentration of federal employees outside the DC metropolitan area; focused on strengthening the management and administration of agency activities and coordination among local federal officers to implement national initiatives in that geographic area. OPM must develop a set of criteria to establish and evaluate the number and locations of such boards that (1) factor in contemporary federal workforce data as of the date of this bill's enactment; and (2) is informed by annual changes in workforce data, including the geographic disbursement of the federal workforce and the role of remote work options. The bill sets forth provisions regarding administration and oversight, and governance and activities, of such boards. OPM, in coordination with OMB and GSA, must establish a Federal Executive Board Fund within OPM for financing essential board functions for the purposes of staffing and operating expenses.

Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act of 2022 This bill directs the President to establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic risk and addresses related issues.  The President, with support from the committee, shall supplement each Federal Interagency Operational Plan to include a strategy to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of the civilian population affected by catastrophic incidents. The Department of Homeland Security shall lead an exercise as part of the national exercise program to test and enhance the operationalization of the strategy.

Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act This bill requires the President to report to Congress on atrocities committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine since February 24, 2022. Specifically, the report must describe in detail (1) U.S. government efforts to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence related to war crimes and other atrocities committed during the invasion; (2) media, public diplomacy, and information operations to make the Russian people, including their military and political leaders, aware of efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible for such atrocities; and (3) the process for a domestic, foreign, or international court or tribunal to obtain information from the U.S. government related to such atrocities.

Protecting America from Narcotics and Illicit Chemicals Act of 2022 or the PANIC Act of 2022 This bill expands the definition of major illicit drug producing country to include a country that is a significant direct source of certain drugs (or precursor chemicals for producing such drugs) that are significantly affecting the United States. The bill also expands the definition of major drug-transit country to include countries through which certain synthetic drugs are transported. (Under current law, a country designated a major illicit drug producing country or major drug-transit country may be eligible for certain U.S. foreign assistance, including transfers of excess defense articles. However, a designated country that fails to adhere to commitments related to drug control measures may be barred from receiving other forms of foreign assistance and may also be subject to trade restrictions.)

Stop Russian Government and Oligarchs from Limiting Democracy Act of 2022 or the Stop Russian GOLD Act of 2022 This bill directs the President to impose property-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals or entities that knowingly participate in a significant transaction for the sale, supply, or transfer of gold to or from Russia or the Russian government. The President may also impose visa-blocking sanctions on the foreign individuals subject to these property-blocking sanctions.

Protecting our Servicemembers through Proven Methods Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to include new elements in its annual primary prevention research agenda, for example, a focus on whether and to what extent sub-populations of the military community may be targeted for interpersonal violence more than others. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress (1) comparing the DOD's sexual harassment and prevention training with similar programs at other federal departments and agencies; and (2) that includes relevant data collected by colleges, universities, and other relevant outside entities on hazing, bullying, and interpersonal and self-directed violence.

TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act or the TRANSLATE Act This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop a plan to ensure that TSA material disseminated in major airports is better understood by people accessing such airports, including by foreign language speakers and people with vision or hearing impairments. In developing a plan, the TSA must take into consideration data regarding international enplanement and local populations surrounding major airports. The Government Accountability Office must also review the implementation of the plan.

Interdiction for the Protection of Child Victims of Exploitation and Human Trafficking Act This bill expands the scope of grants that are awarded through the Department of Justice for specialized human trafficking training and technical assistance for service providers to include Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs that build law enforcement capacity to address human trafficking.