Sen. Richard J. Durbin

This resolution designates September 2022 as National Voting Rights Month, encourages people to uphold the right to vote, encourages Congress to pass certain voting rights legislation, recommends the development of a curriculum in public schools and universities regarding voting, encourages the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special Representative John R. Lewis stamp during the month of September, and invites Congress to allocate funds for public service announcements regarding elections.

Election Worker Protection Act of 2022 This bill addresses certain protections for election workers. Among other provisions, the bill (1) establishes grants for the recruitment, training, and safety of election workers; and (2) makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or harass an election worker with the intent to interfere with the official duties of, or retaliate against, the worker.

Non-Recognition of Russian Annexation of Ukrainian Territory Act This bill prohibits any federal agency from taking any action or extending any assistance that recognizes or implies recognition of Russia's sovereignty over any internationally recognized territory of Ukraine, including its airspace and territorial waters.

Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2022 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2022 This bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosures of campaign expenditures, and requiring additional disclosures regarding certain political advertisements. Specifically, the bill expands existing foreign money prohibitions to include disbursements for paid web-based or digital communications and federal judicial nomination communications. It also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda. The Government Accountability Office must, for each four-year election cycle, study and report on the incidence of illicit foreign money in federal elections. Next, the bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Covered organizations (e.g., corporations, labor organizations, and political organizations) must, within 24 hours, file reports with the Federal Election Commission to disclose campaign expenditures of more than $10,000 during an election cycle. The bill also requires organizations to provide additional disclosures regarding political advertisements, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.

Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and expands programs for runaway, homeless, and disconnected youth, including resources and services to support youth victims of human trafficking and youth at risk of being trafficked.

Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park Act This bill provides for the establishment of the Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park in Collinsville, Illinois; Monroe, Madison, and St. Clair Counties, Illinois; and St. Louis City County, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System. The Department of the Interior may acquire lands and interests within the boundary of the park by donation, purchase, or exchange, except that any land owned by such states or a political subdivision of one the states may be acquired only by donation. Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with such states and their political subdivisions, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, and individuals to (1) identify, interpret, and restore nationally significant historical or cultural and natural resources related to the life of the Mississippi culture within the park, subject to the condition that such an agreement must provide for reasonable public access; and (2) conduct research related to Mississippian culture.

Springfield Race Riot National Monument Act This bill establishes the Springfield Race Riot National Monument in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System to preserve, protect, and interpret the resources associated with the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and its role in the forming of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15, 2022; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.

Maddy summarySRES 780 is a Senate resolution designating September 2022 as "National Workforce Development Month." It does not create new laws or funding but formally acknowledges the importance of workforce development programs. The resolution supports existing federal initiatives like the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which helps workers gain skills through training, career pathways, and job placement services. It recognizes that these programs assist millions of people, including those with low incomes, veterans, and individuals with disabilities, by connecting them to employment opportunities.

Maddy summaryS. Res. 775, introduced by Senators Durbin, Coons, and Blumenthal on September 20, 2022, is a Senate resolution condemning violence and threats against Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employees. It specifically addresses threats following an August 8, 2022, FBI search of a former president’s residence, including calls to defund the FBI and comparisons of the FBI to the Nazi Gestapo. The resolution urges all public officials to reject political violence and honors FBI employees for their service in executing lawful warrants. It emphasizes that the U.S. resolves disputes through political processes, not violence.