This resolution commemorates the 80th anniversary of the opening of Sheppard Air Force Base and the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program.
Maddy summarySRES 501 designates the week of January 23-29, 2022, as "National School Choice Week" through a symbolic Senate resolution. The resolution encourages parents to learn about K-12 education options - including public schools, charters, private schools, and homeschooling - and urges the public to host events raising awareness of educational choice. It does not create new policies or affect any individuals or institutions, as it is a ceremonial designation focused solely on promoting public awareness. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Senate on February 1, 2022.
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.
Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O'Ree or, if unavailable, to a member of his family, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity. The amounts received from the sale of duplicate medals shall be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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.
This bill requires the President to take actions against Ansarallah, the Iran-backed movement in Yemen also known as the Houthis. Specifically, the President must designate Ansarallah a foreign terrorist organization. The President must also impose sanctions on Ansarallah and any foreign person (individual or entity) that is an official, agent, or affiliate of Ansarallah. The President must also report to Congress a determination as to whether specified foreign persons are officials, agents, or affiliates of Ansarallah.
Cybersecurity Opportunity Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to award grants to specified institutions of higher education for establishing or expanding cybersecurity education programs and opportunities. Eligible institutions include minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and universities, and grant recipients may use the funds to increase research, education, technical, partnership, and innovation capacity for cybersecurity programs, research, and training experiences.
Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy Act of 2022 or the CREATE Act of 2022 This bill expands financial assistance for, and establishes measures to support, the creative economy and art entrepreneurs. Specifically, the bill requires (1) the Small Business Administration to develop loan criteria, evaluation procedures, and technical assistance programs for small business concerns that are owned by artists and support the creative economy; and (2) the Department of Commerce to ensure that traditional economic development tools, such as business incubators and grant programs, support the arts industry and creative economy.
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.
