Sen. Bill Hagerty

Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act This bill provides for the transition of certain financial contracts away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a reference interest rate based upon the lending terms certain banks offer to each other for various lengths of time. LIBOR is set to be retired in 2023. Various financial contracts reference LIBOR as a benchmark for prevailing interest rates and use LIBOR in calculating certain payments or obligations. In the event a contract referencing LIBOR does not have a fallback or replacement rate provision in effect when LIBOR is retired, or a replacement rate is not selected by a determining person as defined by the bill, the bill provides for a transition to a replacement rate selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The bill also provides for conforming changes to these contracts, the continuity and enforceability of these contracts, and protections against liability as a result of such a transition.

Stop Russian Government and Oligarchs from Limiting Democracy Act of 2022 or the Stop Russian GOLD Act of 2022 This bill prohibits a U.S. person from engaging in a transaction with a foreign person who purchases, transacts in, or transports Russian gold.

This resolution condemns violence and threats of violence against historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and reaffirms the federal government's commitment to combating violence against HBCU students, faculty, and staff.

Energy Freedom Act This bill establishes requirements to provide for domestic energy production, including by limiting delays on oil, gas, or coal development; requiring a minimum number of annual sales of leases on federal lands and waters for oil and gas development; requiring sales of leases of federal land for wind, solar, and geothermal development; allowing the Department of the Interior to grant licenses for the exploration and mining of hardrock minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf.

This bill repeals a provision authorizing the President to waive certain sanctions related to specified Russian natural gas pipeline projects, specifically Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream (and any successor projects). The bill also makes permanent the authority to impose such sanctions.

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.

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.

H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2022 This bill modifies requirements related to H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intracompany transfers) nonimmigrant visas and contains related provisions. Provisions relating to H-1B visas include requiring the Department of Labor to review petitions for indicators of fraud or misrepresentation of material fact; requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize certain petitions, with top priority for workers with advanced degrees in science, technology, or engineering; requiring an H-1B worker to possess at minimum a bachelor's degree to meet specialty occupation requirements (currently, relevant experience may be used instead); and prohibiting an alien classifiable in certain H-1B categories from obtaining a B-1 (temporary business visitor) visa. Provisions relating to L-1 visas include requiring a waiver from Labor for an L-1 worker to be primarily stationed with an employer other than the petitioning employer; prohibiting an alien from receiving an L-1 visa to open or be employed in a new office if the alien has received two or more such visas in the last two years; and increasing the L-1 worker minimum wage to the highest of certain amounts, such as the median wage for the worker's occupational classification in the area of employment (currently, an L-1 worker must be paid at least the higher of the federal or state minimum wage). In regards to both visas, the bill (1) expands the authority of DHS and Labor to take various enforcement actions, and (2) directs DHS to conduct annual audits of a certain percentage of employers.

American Energy Independence Act of 2022 This bill addresses U.S. energy independence, the production and importation of oil and natural gas, and the rescission of specified environmental requirements. Specifically, the bill directs the President to develop a plan for the United States to achieve energy independence by 2024. The Department of Energy (DOE) must also develop a program and issue rules to ensure that the United States achieves such energy independence and becomes a net exporter of energy. The bill also addresses energy pipelines, including by approving the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline in Phillips County, Montana for the import of oil from Canada to the United States. It also provides for energy production, including by requiring regulations to be issued by DOE to reduce requirements on entities harvesting energy through hydraulic fracturing, the Department of Transportation to promote stable and affordable gasoline and diesel prices, and the Department of the Interior to promote the leasing of federal land for oil and natural gas production. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must identify and repeal certain regulations that substantially reduce energy independence. Further, the bill prohibits the use of any funds to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change. Finally, the bill rescinds (1) Executive Order 14008 about tackling climate change, (2) the 2021 proposed rule issued by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the scope of the Clean Water Act, and (3) the 2021 proposed rule issued by the EPA about methane gas emissions.

Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the legacy of Harriet Tubman as an abolitionist. The Secretary may issue coins under this bill only during the period of January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid equally to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and The Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. in Auburn, New York, for the purpose of accomplishing and advancing their missions.