Sen. Thom Tillis

Enhanced Election Security and Protection Act This bill makes various changes related to federal elections. Among other elements, the bill (1) reauthorizes through FY2027 the Election Assistance Commission, (2) increases penalties related to crimes against federally protected voting activities, and (3) requires the U.S. Postal Service to take certain actions related to federal election mail.

This resolution expresses that the Senate continues to refuse to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimately elected leader of Belarus; condemns the ongoing harassment and persecution of opposition leaders, civil society activists, human rights defenders, and independent media carried out by the Lukashenka regime; urges the immediate release, without preconditions, of all political prisoners in Belarus; calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in Belarus and conducted in a manner that meets international standards and includes independent election monitoring; and encourages President Biden to swiftly appoint a new Special Envoy for Belarus to support the pro-democracy movement in Belarus.

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the amounts payable for wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the VA must increase the amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients that is effective on December 1, 2022. The bill requires the VA to publish the amounts payable, as increased, in the Federal Register. The VA is authorized to make a similar adjustment to the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who have not received compensation for service-connected disability or death.

This resolution designates June 2022 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2022, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. The resolution supports (1) the education of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their families, and the public about post-traumatic stress; and (2) efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress. The resolution also encourages the leadership of the Armed Forces to support treatment of members of the Armed Forces who suffer from post-traumatic stress.

This joint resolution nullifies a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule published on April 26, 2022, concerning regulatory definitions and identification of firearms.

Prohibiting Federal Emergencies for Abortion Act This bill prohibits the President and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from declaring a federal emergency relating to abortion. Specifically, neither the President nor HHS may declare a national emergency for purposes of (1) promoting, supporting, or expanding access to abortion; or (2) taking adverse action against or litigating against states that prohibit or otherwise restrict abortion.

Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act This bill modifies provisions relating to Medicare payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory services, including by requiring payment rates for certain widely available clinical diagnostic laboratory tests to be based on a statistical sampling of private sector rates.

Safeguarding Awards for Victims and Enforcement Settlements Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the federal government from entering into or enforcing a settlement agreement on behalf of the United States that provides for a payment to any person or entity other than the United States that is not a party to a dispute. The bill provides exceptions to allow certain payments, including those that (1) remedy actual harm (including to the environment) caused by the party making the payment, and (2) constitute a payment for services rendered in connection with the case.

This resolution designates June 26, 2022, as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and expresses support for efforts to address substance use and prevent drug trafficking and production.

Otto Warmbier Countering North Korean Censorship and Surveillance Act of 2021 This bill authorizes sanctions related to censorship in North Korea and addresses related issues. The President may impose property-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for implementing or facilitating North Korea's censorship laws and surveillance. For the individuals that meet such criteria, the President may also impose visa-blocking sanctions. The bill also authorizes the U.S. Agency for Global Media to provide increased broadcasting and grants for various purposes, including the development of internet freedom tools to facilitate information sharing related to North Korea and the restoration of the agency's broadcasting capacity to North Korea.  The President must submit to Congress a strategy to combat North Korea's information environment. The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury must jointly report to Congress each year on U.S. government activities related to the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea.