Senator Cornyn

Cornyn Passed Most Bills Into Law Last Congress

January 17, 2023

AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has ranked first among Members of Congress in number of bills sponsored that were enacted into law during the 117th Congress with a total of 34 bills, according to GovTrack.

Legislation Sen. Cornyn sponsored or led on the Republican side that was enacted into law as standalone bills during the 117thCongress include:

  • PROTECT Our Children Act: Reauthorizes the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program to combat child exploitation across the country.
  • Abolish Human Trafficking Reauthorization Act: Strengthens key programs supporting survivors of human trafficking and provides resources to law enforcement officials.
  • Respect for Child Survivors Act: Improves the treatment of FBI child victim witnesses by requiring trauma-informed experts to be a part of any interview with a victim who reports child abuse or trafficking to the FBI.
  • Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act: Requires online publication of financial disclosure reports for federal judges and mandates they submit periodic transaction reports for certain securities transactions.

In addition, Sen. Cornyn had 17 bills he introduced or co-led substantially incorporated into other legislation that was signed into law, including:

  • Texas provisions in the FY23 and FY22 National Defense Authorization Act:
    • Texas Coastal Spine Authorization Act: Authorizes the construction of a large-scale coastal storm risk management and coastal barrier protection system.
    • Protecting our Servicemembers through Proven Methods Act: Directs the Secretary of Defense to collect comprehensive data on the causes of sexual assault, harassment, and domestic violence in the military.
    • DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act: Instructs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to develop and execute a plan to combat the use of tunnels by cartels and other transnational criminal organizations.
    • Authorized $677.4 million for military construction projects in Texas.
    • Raised troops’ pay by 4.6% in FY23 authorization and 2.7% in FY22 authorization.
  • 9/11 Victims Compensation: Provides a catch-up payment for thousands of 9/11 victims, spouses, and dependents who were unfairly excluded from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund when it was first established in 2015.
  • HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act: Provides a temporary waiver of medical exam requirements so Afghan interpreters and translators who assisted U.S. troops during the War on Terror can quickly immigrate to the United States and avoid persecution in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
  • Debt Bondage Repair Act: Protects victims of human trafficking as they regain their financial freedom and rebuild their lives after enduring the horrors of abuse, including financial exploitation.
  • VITAL Assessment Act: Provides critical mental health care and support to student veterans by improving the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Integration Academic Leadership (VITAL) Program.