Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar

Afghan Adjustment Act This bill expands eligibility for special immigrant visas to certain Afghan nationals (and accompanying spouse and children) and addresses related issues. The Department of Homeland Security may provide such visas to Afghan nationals who provided qualifying service as a member of the Afghan Air Force or other specified entities and meet eligibility requirements, such as passing a background check. Currently, special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals are generally only available to those who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Such visas shall also be available to an Afghan national who is a qualifying relative of a veteran or member of the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill also modifies procedures for providing lawful permanent resident status to certain classes of Afghan nationals, such as by (1) providing a streamlined process with specified vetting requirements for certain individuals, including those who provided support to the U.S. government in Afghanistan; and (2) preserving the eligibility of certain battered spouses whose eligibility for such status stemmed from a marriage that has terminated. Furthermore, the Department of State (1) must respond to inquiries from Members of Congress about specific applications from Afghan nationals seeking special immigrant or refugee status; and (2) establish an office in Afghanistan to perform certain tasks, such as issuing visas, if no U.S. embassies are operational in Afghanistan. The President must establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy to assist Afghan nationals who qualify for admission to the United States.

Advanced Border Coordination Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to establish at least two Joint Operations Centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The centers shall provide centralized operations hubs for (1) coordinating operations between federal, state, local, and tribal agencies as needed; and (2) coordinating and supporting border operations, including detecting criminal activity, such as activity related to transnational criminal organizations and illegal border crossings.

Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop scenario-based training curricula (or identify existing curricula) that includes topics such as alternatives to the use of force, de-escalation tactics, and safely responding to an individual experiencing a mental, behavioral health, or suicidal crisis. The bill also directs DOJ to make grants to states for costs associated with providing the training to law enforcement officers or mental health professionals.

Making the CFPB Accountable to Small Businesses Act of 2022 This bill eliminates the requirement that financial institutions must collect data regarding loans made to women-owned, minority-owned, or small businesses. In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must justify its decision to not adopt certain alternatives to regulations applicable to small entities.

Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022 This bill eliminates the statute of limitations for a minor victim of a human trafficking offense or federal sex offense to file a civil action to recover damages.

Secure Every School and Protect Our Nation’s Children Act or the STOP II Act This bill reauthorizes and supports various grants to enhance school safety and security initiatives. It also provides statutory authority for the federal clearinghouse of school safety resources. (The clearinghouse identifies and publishes best practices and recommendations for school safety for use by state and local educational and law enforcement agencies, institutions of higher education, health professionals, and the public.)

School Watch and Tactics Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Justice to develop, disseminate, and publish best practices for occupation-specific education for school resource officers.

School Resource Officer Assessment Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Justice and the Department of Education to conduct and submit to Congress a survey of the assignment of school resource officers at public elementary and secondary schools.

DHS Transnational Criminal Investigative Units Supplemental Pay Act This bill authorizes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide stipends to vetted foreign members of transnational criminal investigative units.

Pathways to Policing Act This bill authorizes the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to award grants to states, local governments, and law enforcement agencies to support recruitment of law enforcement officers. In particular, these grants may be used for (1) marketing and recruitment campaigns to encourage candidates to seek careers in law enforcement; and (2) developing, operating, or expanding Pathways to Policing programs (e.g., programs that facilitate entry into full-time law enforcement positions for certain candidates).