Sen. John Kennedy

No People's Liberation Army in Logistical Operations and Other Pertinent Humanitarian Operations Leading to Endangered Security Act or the No PLA LOOPHOLES Act This bill increases restrictions on military-to-military exchanges or contacts between the U.S. Armed Forces and the Chinese military. Specifically, the bill expands an existing prohibition on exchanges or contacts that include inappropriate exposure to advanced logistical operations to cover logistical operations instead. Additionally, the bill eliminates an exception to the prohibited exchanges or contacts in the case of search and rescue or humanitarian operations or exercises.

This bill revises membership of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Currently, the Comptroller of the Currency and the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have statutorily designated seats on the five-member board. The bill removes this requirement and bars any officer of either agency from holding seats on the board. Additionally, the bill revises the continuation of service requirements to limit a board member's service beyond the end of their term.

Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments Act of 2022 or the SNOOP Act of 2022 This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.

Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Services Company, known collectively as the Ghost Army , in recognition of unique and highly distinguished service during World War II.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates January 2022 as "National Mentoring Month" to raise awareness about mentoring's benefits for youth development and community engagement. It highlights how mentoring improves academic achievement, reduces delinquency, and supports vulnerable youth, but does not create new policies or allocate funding. The resolution serves as a symbolic recognition by the Senate, encouraging broader support for existing mentoring programs. It directly affects public awareness and advocacy efforts, not specific individuals or institutions.

Maddy summaryS 3517 updates the legal map defining the Red River National Wildlife Refuge's boundaries by replacing a 2000 map with a 2021 map reflecting current acquisition boundaries. This procedural change ensures the refuge's official boundary description aligns with the most recent management documentation. The bill does not alter the refuge's land area, conservation purpose, or legal protections. It directly affects refuge management operations and land use planning within the updated boundary.

Coronavirus Origin Validation, Investigation, and Determination Act of 2022 or the COVID Act of 2022 This bill requires the President to impose sanctions and take other actions related to COVID-19 if certain conditions are not met. Specifically, if the President is unable to certify within 90 days of this bill's enactment that China's government has allowed a transparent international forensic investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and certain laboratories in the city of Wuhan, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against (1) individuals with leadership positions in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); and (2) officials of the Chinese Communist Party, China's military, or China's State Council who were involved in concealing or restricting information about the initial COVID-19 outbreak in China. If the certification cannot be made, the President must also (1) prohibit federal funding for collaborative projects between U.S.-based researchers and CAS researchers in any academic field, and (2) prohibit U.S.-based researchers and institutions that receive federal funding from engaging in certain research on viruses with individuals or institutions based in China.

Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2022 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Constance Baker Motley in recognition of her contributions and service to the United States in advancing civil rights as an attorney, elected official, and judge.

Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act This bill requires the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation within the Securities and Exchange Commission to report on issues encountered by rural-area small businesses.

Bear Poaching Elimination Act of 2022 This bill makes it unlawful for a person to knowingly import, export, sell, purchase, possess, transport, deliver, or receive bear viscera or related products except for limited acts carried out solely to enforce wildlife protection laws.