Sen. John Kennedy

This joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination , which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 5, 2021. The rule requires health care providers, as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid participation, to ensure that staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for 2020 income tax returns has been eliminated.

Deterring Communist Chinese Aggression against Taiwan through Financial Sanctions Act of 2022 This bill requires sanctions and other actions if China's government makes any attempt to subject Taiwan to China's control, including by invading Taiwan's territory. If China's government makes such an attempt, the bill requires certain actions, including (1) the imposition of sanctions against Chinese nationals, citizens, and entities that participate in the attempt; and (2) a prohibition against trading in the securities of Chinese entities on national securities exchanges.

Preventing Usurpation of Power and Privileges by Extralegal Territories' Sedition Act of 2022 or the PUPPETS Act of 2022 This bill designates specified entities as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorist organizations. The bill also prohibits the Department of Defense from taking any action that implies recognition of the sovereignty of such entities over territory or airspace claimed by the governments of Ukraine, Moldova, or Georgia. Entities subject to this bill include any entities holding themselves out to be the governments of any region of Ukraine that was not elected through elections in 2019 or 2020, the Pridnestrovian Moldovian Republic, the Republic of South Ossetia, or the Republic of Abkhazia.

American Innovation and Choice Online Act This bill prohibits certain large online platforms from engaging in specified acts, including giving preference to their own products on the platform, unfairly limiting the availability on the platform of competing products from another business, or discriminating in the application or enforcement of the platform's terms of service among similarly situated users. Further, a platform may not materially restrict or impede the capacity of a competing business user to access or interoperate with the same platform, operating system, or hardware or software features. The bill also restricts the platform's use of nonpublic data obtained from or generated on the platform and prohibits the platform from restricting access to platform data generated by the activity of a competing business user. The bill also provides additional restrictions related to installing or uninstalling software, search or ranking functionality, and retaliation for contact with law enforcement regarding actual or potential violations of law. The bill establishes affirmative defenses for the prohibited conduct. The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice must designate whether an entity is a platform covered by the bill, and both must carry out enforcement activities. The bill also provides for civil penalties, injunctions, and the forfeit of profits for repeat offenders.

This resolution supports reopening the U.S. Capitol Building and Senate Office Buildings to visitors under the public visitation policies that were in place before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tracking Bad Actors Act of 2022 This bill requires federal financial regulators to jointly publish a database of persons convicted or held liable in criminal, civil, or administrative actions regarding financial services that are brought by federal financial regulators, the Department of Justice, certain self-regulating organizations, or state or local agencies that voluntarily submit such information. The Government Accountability Office must report on the database five years after the database is operational.

Save the Liberty Theatre Act of 2021 This bill provides for a land conveyance to the city of Eunice, Louisiana. The Department of the Interior shall convey to the city, by quitclaim deed and without consideration, specified parcels of the original townsite of Eunice. Upon the conveyance of such land to the city, the boundary of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, shall be adjusted to exclude the conveyed land and other specified parcels of the original townsite.

This resolution supports the designation of February 19-February 26, 2022, as National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of leaders who will change the world, and (2) celebrates 70 years of the National FFA Organization's membership magazine.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 526) formally condemns the antisemitic terrorist attack at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on January 15, 2022, where hostages were held at gunpoint. It expresses gratitude that no lives were lost, applauds law enforcement and emergency responders for their actions, and condemns antisemitism in the United States. The resolution does not create new policies or allocate funds; it is a symbolic expression of support for the Jewish community and law enforcement. It directly affects the congregation and local community by affirming their safety and the importance of religious freedom.