Sen. Rick Scott

Transaction and Sourcing Knowledge Act or the TASK Act This bill requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to mandate the reporting of certain information by publicly traded companies. Specifically, companies must report on the sourcing and due diligence involving products imported into the United States utilizing forced labor from Xinjiang, China; transactions with companies on the Department of Commerce's trade restriction list or designated as Chinese military-industrial complex companies; and for U.S. companies with facilities in China, whether there is a Chinese Communist Party committee in the operations of the company, and a summary of that committee's activity.

Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act of 2022 This bill limits executive authority to (1) suspend or defer federal student loan payments or interest accrual on such loans, and (2) cancel federal student loans. Specifically, the bill prohibits the President or the Department of Education (ED) from suspending or deferring federal student loan payments or the accrual of interest on such loans for borrowers with annual household incomes over 400% of the federal poverty line. Further, ED may only suspend or defer federal student loan payments or the accrual of interest for such loans for a total of 90 days after the declaration of a national emergency by the President. ED must submit recommendations to Congress on relief necessary for recipients of student financial-aid assistance. Additionally, the bill prohibits the President or ED from cancelling the outstanding balances or portions of balances on student loans due to the COVID-19 national emergency or any other national emergency. Executive or regulatory action to suspend or defer federal student loan payments or to cancel federal student loans shall be subject to congressional review. The bill also revises the definition of affected individual for purposes of the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003 to exclude from relief under the act (1) an individual who resides or is employed in an area that is declared a disaster area in connection with a national emergency; or (2) an individual who suffered direct economic hardship as a direct result of a war, military operation, or national emergency.

Sanction Transactions Originating from Pernicious Chinese Companies and Policies Act of 2022 or the STOP CCP Act of 2022 This bill prohibits U.S. persons (generally individuals and entities subject to U.S. jurisdiction) from trading in the publicly traded securities of certain entities that operate or have operated in certain sectors in China, including the defense or surveillance technology sectors.

Russia and Belarus SDR Exchange Prohibition Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from engaging in any transaction involving the exchange of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) held by Russia or Belarus. The SDR is an international reserve asset maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) based on contributions from IMF member countries. SDRs may be exchanged between member countries and may also be exchanged for currencies. Treasury must also (1) vigorously advocate for IMF member countries to prohibit transactions involving the exchange of SDRs held by Russia or Belarus, and (2) direct U.S. representatives to the IMF to oppose any allocation of SDRs to Russia or Belarus. The bill's provisions shall be in effect until the earlier of (1) five years after this bill's enactment, (2) 30 days after the President reports to Congress that the governments of Russia and Belarus have ceased aggression directed at undermining Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, or (3) the date on which the President reports to Congress that termination of the provisions is in the national interest of the United States.

Maddy summarySRES 593 is a Senate resolution honoring former U.S. Senator Kaneaster Hodges, Jr. of Arkansas, who served from 1977 to 1978. The resolution expresses the Senate’s "profound sorrow" at his death and directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy to his family. It also calls for the Senate to adjourn as a mark of respect. This is a ceremonial resolution with no policy provisions or direct impact on legislation or constituents.

This resolution honors the life and memory of Jereima "Jeri" Bustamante and encourages the recipients of the Jereima Bustamante Memorial Scholarship to carry on her legacy.

This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the case of Peng Shuai is directly related to broader international concerns around the freedom of speech and safety in China. The resolution expresses that the failure of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to clearly and forcefully challenge the claims of China concerning Peng's safety raises questions about the ability and willingness of the IOC to stand up for the human rights of athletes participating in the Olympic and Paralympic games in Beijing, as well as in future games. The resolution also expresses that China should (1) allow Peng to provide independent and verifiable proof of her own whereabouts and safety without retribution, (2) allow Peng to engage directly with the Women's Tennis Association and the United Nations to independently verify her safety and explain her absence from public life since making her allegation, (3) open an independent and transparent investigation into Peng's allegations against former senior Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, (4) publicly commit to holding sexual violence abusers accountable, (5) cease all censorship of reporting and discussions of Peng's case, and (6) allow Peng to leave China if she so desires and prevent any retaliation against her family members remaining there. Finally, the resolution expresses that, by failing to clearly and forcefully challenge the Chinese Communist Party's narrative, the IOC has failed to uphold its own stated commitments with regard to respect for international conventions on protecting human rights.

This bill terminates General License No. 8A, which was issued by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to authorize energy-related transactions involving specified Russian financial institutions. Further, the bill applies property-blocking sanctions to those Russian financial institutions listed in the license.

Locating the Inefficiencies of Bureaucratic Edicts to Reform And Transform the Economy Act or the LIBERATE Act This bill establishes the Regulatory Oversight and Review Task Force to evaluate, and provide recommendations for modification, consolidation, harmonization, or repeal of, federal regulations or guidance that impose substantial burdens on U.S. industries or inhibit other economic interests.

Protecting American Capital Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to annually report to Congress on portfolio investments made by U.S. persons in China. The report must include the U.S. persons making the investments, including state pension funds and those making more than 2% of the total annual investments; and the Chinese entities receiving the investments, including Chinese entities subject to U.S. sanctions and Chinese entities receiving more than $100 million. The initial report must include investment information back to January 1, 2008.