Sen. Thom Tillis

HBCU Research, Innovation, Security, and Excellence Act or the HBCU RISE Act This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a pilot program to increase capacity for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that are designated as high research activity status to achieve very high research activity status. High research activity status (known as R2 status) and very high research activity status (known as R1 status) are classifications by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. In carrying out the pilot program, DOD must award grants for key areas of scientific research to HBCUs that are classified as high research activity status institutions. DOD may expand the program to other HBCUs beyond those that are classified as high research activity status if DOD determines that the program can support such an expansion. DOD must annually establish a list of key areas of scientific research for which grant applicants may seek funding.

Ethiopia Peace and Stabilization Act of 2022 This bill addresses U.S. efforts to support a peaceful, democratic Ethiopia and bring an end to the country's civil conflict. The President may provide support for efforts (1) by the African Union or other credible entities to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict across Ethiopia; (2) to engage in peace building, mediation, and community reconciliation; and (3) to pursue accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ethiopia. The Department of State must develop and implement strategies to support democracy, rule of law, and human rights in Ethiopia. The State Department must also ensure the implementation of a strategy, to be developed by the U.S. Agency for International Development, to support conflict mitigation and management, reconciliation, and trauma healing for Ethiopians affected by the conflict. The President must impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that have engaged in certain actions related to the conflict in Ethiopia, such as taking significant actions to undermine efforts to end the conflict or deriving significant benefit from efforts to impede the transition to democracy. The bill also (1) prohibits the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation from providing support for economic development projects in Ethiopia, (2) suspends any U.S. security assistance to the government of Ethiopia, and (3) requires U.S. representatives at international financial institutions to oppose any loan or extension of assistance to the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea. These restrictions shall continue until there is a resolution of the civil conflict.

Small Lenders Exempt from New Data and Excessive Reporting Act or the Small LENDER Act This bill exempts certain financial institutions and transactions from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reporting requirements with respect to data about small business credit applications. Under the bill, the requirements apply only to financial institutions that originate at least 500 credit transactions to small businesses in each of the preceding two years. The bill further defines small businesses as those with annual revenue of $1 million or less. Currently, the CFPB has proposed a rule that the requirements apply only to financial institutions that originate at least 25 annual credit transactions to small businesses in each of the preceding two years. The rule further defines small businesses as those with annual revenue of $5 million or less.

Restoring Shareholder Transparency Act of 2022 This bill limits corporate shareholder proposals and revises proxy voting protocols for shareholders. Current shareholder proposal rules address who is eligible to submit shareholder proposals for a vote and the dissemination of information to voters through a proxy statement. Under the bill, a company is not required to comply with these shareholder proposal rules. Instead, a company may opt-in to these rules. The bill also revises these rules to require a shareholder hold at least 1% of the market value of the company's securities in order to submit a shareholder proposal. Under current rules, a shareholder's ability to submit a proposal depends upon the dollar amount of shares held and the length of time the shares have been held. It also revises these rules to provide that a company's allowed bases for exclusion of a proposal apply without regard to whether the proposal relates to a significant social policy issue. Under current guidance, a shareholder proposal may overcome a company's exclusion if the proposal is of social policy significance. Finally, the bill generally prohibits proxy voting advice furnished by a person who provides such advice for a fee.

Equal Opportunity for all Investors Act This bill expands who may be considered an accredited investor for purposes of participating in private offerings of securities. Certain unregistered securities may only be offered to accredited investors. Specifically, the bill allows an individual to qualify through an examination established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a state securities commission, or certain self-regulatory organizations. The examination must measure whether an individual understands and appreciates the risks and opportunities of investing in securities, must be designed to ensure that an individual with financial sophistication or training would be unlikely to fail, and may be designed and/or administered by an approved person. Currently, accredited investors must satisfy certain requirements indicating their reduced exposure to financial risk, including those related to income, net worth, or knowledge and experience. The bill also allows purchasers to self-certify that they meet the income or net worth requirements. Further, the bill allows a person to qualify as an accredited investor by satisfying certain investment or transaction requirements. Finally, the SEC may review and adjust the definition of accredited investor, except for the net worth standards, at its discretion. Currently, the SEC must perform this review every four years.

Dodd-Frank Material Disclosure Improvement Act This bill eliminates disclosure requirements applicable to issuers of securities. Specifically, it eliminates requirements to disclose the ratio of an issuer's median employee pay to its Chief Executive Officer pay; the use of conflict minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the issuer; health and safety information of mines operated by the issuer; and payments by an oil, natural gas, or mineral extractor to a foreign government or to the federal government.

Maddy summarySRES 565 is a ceremonial Senate resolution honoring the late Representative Don Young (R-AK), who served 49 years in the U.S. House of Representatives - the longest tenure of any Alaska representative and the 45th Dean of the House. The resolution commemorates his life, service, and legacy, including his work on landmark legislation like the Trans-Alaska Pipeline authorization and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. It contains no policy changes or new laws; instead, it directs the Senate to mourn his passing, honor his bipartisan service, and transmit a copy to his family. This is a purely symbolic resolution with no direct impact on constituents or legislation.

Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2028 and otherwise revises grants for local and regional children's advocacy centers (CACs). CACs coordinate a multidisciplinary response to child abuse.

Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to report on (1) targeted attacks on law enforcement officers, (2) the feasibility of incorporating such attacks into existing crime reporting systems, and (3) the mental health resources that are available to law enforcement officers.

This bill reestablishes an initiative related to China within the National Security Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and outlines the goals and requirements for this initiative. In 2022, DOJ ended a program named the China Initiative. This bill reestablishes and renames it the CCP Initiative to (1) counter nation-state threats to the United States; (2) curb spying by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on U.S. intellectual property and academic institutions; (3) identify and prosecute individuals engaged in trade secret theft, hacking, and economic espionage; and (4) protect U.S. critical infrastructure from foreign threats. DOJ must annually brief specified congressional committees on the progress and challenges of the initiative. The initiative terminates six years after enactment of this bill.