Putting Investors First Act of 2023 This bill requires a proxy advisory firm to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and prohibits an unregistered proxy advisory firm from using interstate commerce to provide proxy-voting advice, research, analysis, or recommendations to any client. With respect to these firms, the bill (1) establishes procedures for both registration and termination of registration; (2) requires each firm to employ an ombudsman, designate a compliance officer, and publicly disclose conflicts of interest; (3) allows issuers to assess and comment on proxy voting recommendations; and (4) prohibits unfair, coercive, or abusive practices. The bill establishes a private right of action against a proxy advisory firm that endorses an approved proposal that is not supported by the issuer and is found to be illegal.
No Support for Terror ActThis bill establishes measures to prevent the allocation or use of certain funds to support genocide or terrorism.Specifically, the bill requires the Department of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to oppose the allocation of Special Drawing Rights to any country that is a perpetrator of genocide or a state sponsor of terrorism and to advocate that the IMF adopt a rule prohibiting such an allocation. (Special Drawing Rights are international reserve assets created by the IMF to supplement member countries' official foreign exchange reserves.)Further, the bill requires Treasury, the Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to jointly review and report on assistance provided to nongovernmental organizations and international organization to ensure such assistance is not being provided to the Taliban or other terrorist organizations. Each prime awardee of this assistance must provide evidence that all subawardees are complying with U.S. anti-terrorism financing laws.
Border Security Investment ActThis bill imposes a fee on the electronic transfer of funds (i.e., remittances) sent to certain countries and provides funding for border security activities from the collected amounts.Specifically, the fee shall apply to remittances sent through money services business to one of the five countries that had the most citizens or nationals unlawfully enter the United States in the previous fiscal year, as determined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The fee must be 37% of the amount sent.Half of the money collected by the fee must be placed in a trust fund for reimbursing border states for expenses incurred for border security enforcement measures. The other half must be placed in another trust fund for (1) deploying technology and installing physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, and (2) paying the wages and salaries of U.S. Border Patrol agents.If the amount in the trust funds exceeds a certain threshold, the excess money must be used only for deficit reduction.
Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2023 This bill addresses the redemption of securities involving the potential financial exploitation of an adult by allowing an open-end investment company to elect to comply with certain procedures. (Open-end investment management companies offer securities in pooled investment vehicles such as mutual funds.) Specifically, the bill allows for the delay of the redemption of a security issued by an open-end investment management company if the company reasonably believes the redemption involves the financial exploitation of an individual age 65 or older or an individual age 18 or older who is unable to protect his or her own interests. The company may initially delay the redemption for up to 15 days and, upon making a determination of exploitation, may delay the redemption an additional 10 days. In the event of delay, the company must hold the amounts related to the redemption in a demand deposit account. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission must make legislative and regulatory recommendations to address the financial exploitation of these adults.
Securing American Families and Enterprises from People's Republic of China Investments Act or the SAFE from PRC Investments Act This bill requires certain issuers of securities and funds traded on an exchange to report on connections to China or the Communist Party of China. In particular, an issuer with specified connections to China must annually disclose a variety of details, including whether executive-level employees, senior directors, or board members are members of the Communist Party of China; interactions with the party; expenditures in China; expenditures in the United States regarding operations and lobbying activities; and the ability of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to audit the issuer. Additionally, an exchange-traded fund that invests in a Chinese company must annually disclose about that company ownership information, party involvement, whether the company participates in specified Chinese policies or activities, any ties to U.S.-sanctioned individuals, and the types of products or services produced by the company.
Bank Privacy Reform Act This bill eliminates provisions that require financial institutions to report certain financial information to specified government agencies. Currently, financial institutions are required to report certain financial transactions (e.g., transfers of over $10,000) for the purpose of detecting illicit activity, such as money laundering or the financing of terrorism. Under the bill, such records are only obtainable through a search warrant.The bill also eliminates reporting requirements related to the beneficial ownership of certain corporate entities.