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U.S. Employment-Based Immigration Policy [June 22, 2022]
From the Introduction: "Each year, the United States grants lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, or 'green cards,' to 140,000 'employment-based (EB) immigrants' and their family members. LPRs can live and work permanently in the United States and can become U.S. citizens through the naturalization process. This pathway is part of a broader permanent immigration system established by federal law--as part of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)--that limits annual worldwide permanent immigration to 675,000 persons. Exemptions from this limit and the granting of LPR status to qualified refugees, asylees, and others results in roughly 1 million foreign nationals receiving green cards each year. [...] This report begins by explaining the permanent employment-based immigration system, its numerical limits, and its processes. It next describes key employment-based immigration trends, including a brief review of relevant economic and demographic trends. The report then discusses several categories of nonimmigrant (temporary) workers that are intertwined with the permanent immigration system. It continues with a review of policy proposals for revising employment-based immigration, including the key findings of a 1997 congressional commission on immigration reform. The report then discusses key elements of prominent immigration reform bills introduced since 2000 that pertain to employment-based immigration. It ends with concluding observations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kandel, William; Wilson, Jill, 1974-; Donovan, Sarah A.
2022-06-22
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Department of Veterans Affairs: Claims Process and Compensation and Pension Exams by Contracted Physicians [June 22, 2022]
From the Introduction: "The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of benefits and programs for veterans and their families. Some of these benefits and programs include disability compensation, pension and fiduciary services, education assistance, vocational and employment training, and survivor benefits. Two divisions within VBA specifically address monetary benefits for disabled veterans: The Compensation Service oversees disability compensation for veterans who have disabilities, illnesses, or conditions that resulted from military service, and the Pension and Fiduciary Service oversees the needs-based benefit program for wartime veterans such as veterans' pensions. To apply for these benefits, specifically disability compensation or a pension, the veteran submits an application, either via paper or electronically, to his or her local VA Regional Office (VARO). The application then goes through VA's adjudication process, and at that point VA has a 'duty to assist' the veteran through the claims process. VA's 'duty to assist' ranges from informing the veteran of missing information from the application to assisting the veteran in gathering evidence from private and federal entities to providing the veteran with a compensation and pension (C&P) exam when necessary. [...] A C&P exam is a medical examination conducted by a licensed physician to evaluate the veteran's disability, illness, or condition and determine the level of severity [...] This report provides an overview of both VA's claims process and C&P exams, as well as other topics of interest to congressional staff and constituents."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Salazar, Heather M.; Breslauer, Tamar B.; Davis, Carol D. . . .
2022-06-22
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: Estimated Budgetary Effects of S. 2938, Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, as Amended by Senate Amendment Number 5099
From the Document: "Title I would amend the Medicaid program to promote access to mental health services in communities and schools. Section 11001 would expand Medicaid's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics demonstration by allowing all states and the District of Columbia to participate in the demonstration. (Under current law nine states are authorized to implement the demonstration.) The provision would permit new states to operate their demonstrations for four years and, for the nine states currently partcipating [sic], increase the number of years they can operate their demonstrations. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that the provision would increase direct spending because payment rates for services provided in certified community behavioral health clinics would be higher under the demonstration than under current law. [...] Sec. 12004 would codify the prohibition of straw purchasing and trafficking of firearms and enhance penalties. [...] Section 13101 would delay for one year the implementation of a rule affecting the treatment of pharmaceutical manufacturers' rebates in Medicare Part D. Section 13201 would appropriate $7.495 billion for the Medicare Improvement Fund. Title II would impose private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). CBO estimates that the aggregate cost of those mandates would not exceed the threshold established in UMRA ($184 million in 2022, adjusted annually for inflation). The bill would impose private-sector mandates on dealers of firearms and eligible firearm buyers under 21 years of age, and private sellers of firearms. Section 12001 would extend the waiting period to complete firearms transactions for some eligible individuals under 21. Section 12002 would require certain unlicensed individuals who sell firearms for profit to obtain a Federal Firearms License (FFL)."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-06-22
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H. Rept. 117-122: Satellite Cybersecurity Act, Report to Accompany S. 3511, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, June 21, 2022
From the Highlights: "S. 3511, the Satellite Cybersecurity Act, requires the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to develop a publicly available online clearinghouse of cybersecurity resources, recommendations, and other appropriate materials specific to commercial satellite systems (CSS) owners and operators, including materials tailored for small businesses. The bill also requires CISA to consolidate voluntary cybersecurity recommendations, including recommendations collected from external sources, such as public and private subject matter experts, designed to assist in the development, maintenance, and operation of CSS, and for these recommendations to be included in the clearinghouse. In implementing the bill, the bill also requires CISA to carry out the implementation as a public-private partnership to the greatest extent practicable, to coordinate with the heads of appropriate federal agencies, and to consult with entities outside the federal government with expertise in CSS or cybersecurity of CSS including private, consensus organizations that develop relevant standards. Additionally, S. 3511 requires the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with other federal agencies, to study and provide a report to Congress on the effectiveness of efforts of the federal government to improve the cybersecurity of CSS and any resources made available by agencies to support the cybersecurity of CSS. The bill requires the report to detail interdependence of critical infrastructure and CSS, the extent to which threats to CSS are part of critical infrastructure risk analyses and protection plans, the extent to which federal agencies rely on CSS, and risks posed by foreign ownership or foreign-located CSS physical infrastructure."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-21
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S. Rept. 117-121: Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act of 2021, Report of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs United States Senate to Accompany S. 2150, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, June 21, 2022
From the Document: "The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 2150) to prevent catastrophic wildland fires by establishing a commission to study and recommend wildland fire prevention, mitigation, suppression, management, and rehabilitation policies for the Federal Government, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. [...] S. 2150, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act of 2021, establishes a commission to study the nation's wildland firefighting strategy and recommend specific policies to improve that strategy. The bill requires the commission to include a number of representative stakeholders, including federal agencies, state, local, and tribal government officials, and wildland firefighters. The bill also tasks the commission with making recommendations and reporting to Congress on forest management, aerial firefighting equipment needs, federal spending and budgeting for wildland fires, and long-term management strategies."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-21
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Global Trends in Democracy and Authoritarianism: Challenges to Press Freedom [June 21, 2022]
From the Document: "Some Members of Congress have expressed concern over global challenges to press freedom. According to a recent United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report, approximately 85% of the world's population experienced a decline in press freedom in their country between 2016 and 2020. Some Members of the 117th Congress have proposed legislation seeking to bolster U.S. foreign policy responses to this trend."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weber, Michael A.
2022-06-21
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H. Rept. 117-380: 21st Century President Act, Report to Accompany H.R. 3285, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, June 21, 2022
From the Document: "The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 3285) to amend gendered terms in Federal law relating to the President and the President's spouse, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. [...] H.R. 3285, the '21st Century President Act,' would amend gendered terms in section 879 of title 18 of the United States Code, which provides that it is a criminal offense to threaten to kill, kidnap or inflict bodily harm upon the President, the President's spouse, and certain other individuals. [...] Our Nation has long struggled with voting and equality in representation. For example, the U.S. Constitution did not recognize women's right to vote until it was amended in 1920, with the adoption of the 19th Amendment. It would take another 96 years before a major political party would nominate a woman for candidacy in a presidential election. In the 2020 presidential election, the major party candidates included one member of the LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning] community and six women. It is time that section 879, the statute concerning threats against former Presidents and Vice Presidents and their families, be revised to remove outdated terms such as, 'wife,' 'her,' and 'widow' in the statute."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-21
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European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) [Updated June 21, 2022]
From the Document: "The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the first international financial institution of post-Cold War Europe, was founded in 1991 to ease the path of the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union from planned to free-market economies. Its geographic area has expanded over time and, today, the EBRD finances projects in 37 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In October 2021, Algeria became the 73rd member of the EBRD. The United States is a founding member of the EBRD and is the single largest shareholder with a 10% share of the Bank's capital. U.S. membership in the EBRD is authorized by P.L. [Public Law] 101-513, the 'European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Act' (22 U.S.C. [United States Code] §290l et seq.). The EBRD is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The Bank was originally designed to function differently than other multilateral development banks in two key ways: first, it was given a political mandate to support democracy; and second, it was designed to support the development of the private sector in the former communist countries. Changes in Europe over the past two decades were viewed to make both mandates less pressing, leading the Bank to expand its membership. Russia's expanded war on Ukraine, some argue however, underscores the importance of the EBRD maintaining robust operations in Eastern and Central Europe. EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, former Director General of the French Treasury, was elected in October 2020 for a four-year term."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weiss, Martin A.
2022-06-21
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Student Loans: A Timeline of Actions Taken in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic [June 21, 2022]
From the Document: "Since the onset of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] national emergency, lawmakers and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) have made available a number of waivers and flexibilities for federal student loan borrowers. For most borrowers, these flexibilities include the suspension of (1) interest accrual, (2) the requirement that borrowers make monthly payments on their loans, and (3) involuntary collections activities, as well as waivers of requirements to qualify for various student loan forgiveness or discharge benefits. While Congress authorized a subset of these flexibilities for a temporary period, ED has extended those flexibilities numerous times since their initial expiration and has effectuated other flexibilities. This In Focus provides an overview of the Higher Education Act (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended) Title IV federal student loan programs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic-related flexibilities and a timeline of actions taken by lawmakers or ED authorizing, effectuating, or extending such flexibilities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hegji, Alexandra
2022-06-21
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Public Law 117-150: State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2021
From the Document: "An Act [t]o amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for engagements with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, and for other purposes."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-21
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 21, 2022: Dispensing of Oral Antiviral Drugs for Treatment of COVID-19 by Zip Code-Level Social Vulnerability -- United States, December 23, 2021-May 21, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Dispensing of Oral Antiviral Drugs for Treatment of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] by Zip Code-Level Social Vulnerability -- United States, December 23, 2021-May 21, 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-06-21
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: Estimated Budgetary Effects of S. 4136, the Water Resources Development Act of 2022
From the Document: "CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that enacting S. 4136 would increase direct spending by $2 billion over the 2022-2032 period and would not affect revenues. CBO has not completed an estimate of the bill's effects on spending subject to appropriation. S. 4136 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-06-21
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1687, Small Business Cyber Training Act of 2022
From the Document: "S. 1687 would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a certification program for employees of small business development centers (SBDCs) to assist small businesses on cyber security planning. The bill would authorize the SBA to spend up to $350,000 each year to reimburse SBDCs for certification costs. On that basis, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 1687 would cost $2 million over the 2022-2027 period to fund certification programs at 62 lead SBDCs. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-06-21
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 21, 2022: Hospitalization and Emergency Department Encounters for COVID-19 After Paxlovid Treatment -- California, December 2021-May 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Hospitalization and Emergency Department Encounters for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] After Paxlovid Treatment -- California, December 2021-May 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-06-21
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H. Rept. 117-379: Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022, Report Together with Minority Views to Accompany H.R. 6538, June 21, 2022
From the Document: "The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 6538) to create an Active Shooter Alert Communications Network, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass. [...] H.R. 6538, the ''Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022,'' would adapt an existing alert system to establish an Active Shooter Alert Network, enabling law enforcement to send active shooter alerts within their communities. This legislation tasks the Department of Justice with the creation of a network for state and local law enforcement to send geo-targeted active shooter alerts through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)--the infrastructure currently used for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts and severe storm warnings--to better warn the public of ongoing, active shooter incidents. It provides for the establishment of best practices for law enforcement agencies who choose to use this existing infrastructure for active shooter incidents. It also requires the Attorney General to appoint an Active Shooter Alert Coordinator within the Department of Justice to coordinate and develop the best practices, along with an advisory panel, and provide support for the implementation of active shooter alert systems."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-21
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Permanent Immigration Options for Afghans with Immigration Parole [June 21, 2022]
From the Introduction: "Since late July 2021, tens of thousands of Afghan nationals whose evacuation from Afghanistan was facilitated by the U.S. government have been relocated to the United States. These evacuations were prompted by the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in the spring and summer of 2021. Some of the Afghan evacuees who were relocated to the United States were U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and, as such, can reside permanently in the United States. Others had been issued special immigrant visas (SIVs) based on their work for the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan and became LPRs upon admission to the United States. Still others held valid nonimmigrant (temporary) visas. The overwhelming majority (numbering more than 70,000), however, did not have a U.S. immigration status or visa and were granted immigration parole at their U.S. port of entry by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). A person granted immigration parole (parolee) can temporarily remain in the United States but does not have a set pathway to LPR status. [...] Reportedly, policymakers are engaged in discussions about the future immigration status of Afghan parolees. To assist Congress in considering these issues, this report focuses on one key question: What are the options for Afghan parolees to obtain permanent immigration status? The report begins with an overview of the immigration circumstances of Afghan nationals in the United States, focusing in particular on immigration parole. It then turns to available immigration mechanisms for Afghans to potentially obtain LPR status, such as the Afghan SIV programs and asylum. Finally, it considers proposals to establish a new statutory mechanism to enable Afghan nationals in the United States to obtain LPR status."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bruno, Andorra
2022-06-21
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MCDP 8 - Information
From the Conclusion: "For the Marine Corps to remain competitive as a joint-force contributor, Marines must embrace the information warfighting function as a core element of their planning, training, and education. We must also recognize that the global visibility afforded by the modern information environment demands that we leverage all our exercises and training, particularly with allies and partners, for maximum effect and influence. This requires us to change the way we think about competing and fighting with information. This includes integrating information with all warfighting functions, maintaining command narratives, ensuring information is central to planning, and keeping pace with an ever changing information environment, emerging technologies, and swiftly evolving threats."
United States. Marine Corps
2022-06-21
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Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol: 06/21/22 Select Committee Hearing [video]
This is the June 21, 2022 video recording of the Select Committee hearing on "Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol." The duration of the video is two hours, forty-nine minutes and twenty-five seconds.
United States. Congress. House. Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol
2022-06-21
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Security of the Federal Judiciary: Background and Recent Congressional Legislation [Updated June 17, 2022]
From the Document: "The July 2020 fatal attack [hyperlink] of a family member at the home of a federal judge in New Jersey has continued to prompt calls for enhanced security for federal judges and their families. This attack underscored ongoing concerns related to judicial security, particularly given the increase in the number of threats against federal judges and other judiciary personnel. Specifically, according to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) [hyperlink], there were 4,511 threats and inappropriate communications against federal judges, other federal court employees, and jurors during FY2021. This represented a 387% increase over threats and inappropriate communications that occurred during 2015 (when there were 926 such incidents [hyperlink]). Most recently, in May 2022, following the unauthorized release of a controversial draft opinion [hyperlink] for a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court [hyperlink] and protests [hyperlink] related to the draft opinion, an 8-foot 'nonscalable' fence was erected around the Supreme Court building [hyperlink]. Attorney General Merrick Garland also directed the USMS to provide 'around-the-clock security' [hyperlink] for the Court's Justices, including at their private residences. These measures were not taken to prevent peaceful protests, but to deter what Attorney General Garland described as 'violence or threats of violence against judges' [hyperlink] and other public servants."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McMillion, Barry J.
2022-06-17
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H. Rept. 117-375: Prevent Exposure to Narcotics and Toxics Act of 2021, Report to Accompany H.R. 5274
From the Purpose and Summary: "H.R. 5274, the 'Prevent Exposure to Narcotics and Toxics Act of 2021' amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide training for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel on the use of containment devices to reduce exposure to fentanyl and other potentially lethal substances when engaged in inspections and other border security-related activities. The legislation also ensures the availability of containment devices for CBP personnel at risk of accidental exposure to synthetic opioids in the course of carrying out their official duties."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-17
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 17, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Extreme Heat Exposure: Access and Barriers to Cooling Centers -- Maricopa and Yuma Counties, Arizona, 2010-2020"; "Genetic Characterization of Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 Viruses During Initial Use Phase Under Emergency Use Listing -- Worldwide, March-October 2021"; "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Cases and Hospitalizations Among Medicare Beneficiaries With and Without Disabilities -- United States, January 1, 2020-November 20, 2021"; "Trends in Acute Hepatitis of Unspecified Etiology and Adenovirus Stool Testing Results in Children -- United States, 2017-2022"; "'Notes from the Field': COVID-19-Associated Mortality Risk Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents and Community-Dwelling Adults Aged ≥65 Years - Illinois, December 2020 and January 2022"; "'Notes from the Field': Diagnosis and Investigation of Pneumonic Plague During a Respiratory Disease Pandemic -- Wyoming, 2021"; and "'QuickStats': Percentage Distribution of Heat-Related Deaths, by Age Group -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2018-2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-06-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 4145, Consumer Protection Remedies Act of 2022
From the Document: "S. 4145 would restore the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) authority to obtain monetary relief through restitution or disgorgement, which was struck down by the decision in 'AMG [Affiliated Managers Group] Capital Management, LLC [limited liability company] v. [versus] FTC.' Whereas restitution requires violators to compensate victims for their monetary loss, disgorgement strips violators of monetary profits obtained from illegal activity. When the FTC cannot return that monetary relief to harmed consumers, the money is remitted to the Treasury and thus increases revenues. [...] CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that enacting S. 4145 would increase net revenues by $45 million over the 2022-2032 period."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-06-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6493, Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2022
From the Document: "H.R. 6493 would amend the Alcohol and Substance Misuse Prevention Program (currently the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program) and authorize the appropriation of $15 million for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028 for grants to institutions of higher education to develop and implement programs that reduce or prevent alcohol and drug use. [...] The bill also would add new requirements to those institutions' alcohol and substance misuse prevention programs in order for them to maintain eligibility for assistance under any federal program. Finally, the bill would require the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop and issue guidance for the best practices on implementing those programs. [...] CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the bill would cost $56 million over the 2022-2027 period and $49 million after 2027."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-06-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5274, PREVENT ACT of 2021
From the Document: "H.R. 5274 would require Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to provide officer training on how to use containment devices to prevent secondary exposure to fentanyl and other potentially lethal substances. The bill also would require CBP to provide containment devices for officers, agents, and other personnel who are at risk of accidental exposure to synthetic opioids. CBP is currently carrying out activities similar to those required by H.R. 5274. Thus, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the bill would not have a significant cost; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-06-17
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Strategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the People's Republic of China
From the Executive Summary: "The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was enacted on December 23, 2021, to strengthen the existing prohibition against the importation of goods made wholly or in part with forced labor into the United States and to end the systematic use of forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang). Among its mandates, the UFLPA charged the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), chaired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to develop a strategy for supporting the enforcement of Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. § 1307) to prevent the importation into the United States of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China (PRC). This strategy incorporates input from various public and private-sector stakeholders. It incorporates significant contributions from FLETF members and observers and takes into account public comments received through the FLETF's Federal Register request for information and the UFLPA public hearing."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans
2022-06-17
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H. Rept. 117-377: Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training Act, Report to Accompany H.R. 7777, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, June 17, 2022
From the Purpose and Summary: "H.R. 7777, the 'Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training Act,' authorizes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to establish the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative (the 'Initiative' to strengthen the skills of the cybersecurity workforce related to securing industrial control systems. Through the Initiative, CISA provides no-cost virtual and in-person courses and trainings on cybersecurity for industrial control systems (ICS). In carrying out the Initiative, the bill directs CISA to engage in collaboration with the Department of Energy's National Laboratories and consultation with Sector Risk Management Agencies and, as appropriate, the private sector. Additionally, the bill directs CISA to provide an annual report on the Initiative, along with any plans and recommendations for expanding and strengthening industrial control systems cybersecurity education and training."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-06-17
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Selected Federal Financial Assistance for Emergency Response to Extreme Heat [Updated June 17, 2022]
From the Introduction: "Summer 2021 brought extreme heat to many areas of the United States,1 with a historic 'heat dome' setting temperature records in multiple states.2 As of May 2022, the National Weather Service's 'Seasonal Temperature Outlook' for summer 2022 'favors above normal temperatures' for much of the country. [...] This report provides a brief overview of existing federal resources available to respond to the impacts of extreme heat on humans and communities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lee, Erica A.; Wyatt, Taylor R.; Horn, Diane P. . . .
2022-06-17
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 22 Issue 24, June 16, 2022
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "2022 Crash Responder Safety Week planning webinars"; "Office for Bombing Prevention releases mass bomb threat awareness products"; "CISA's [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's] Secure Tomorrow Series Toolkit builds risk awareness, improves planning for future risks to critical infrastructure"; "NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology], FirstNet launch Public Safety Immersive Test Center, focused on location services and user interface research"; "Sector Spotlight: Cyber-Physical Security Considerations for the Electricity Sub-Sector"; "Arizona hospital says SSNs [social security numbers] of 700,000 people leaked during April ransomware attack"; "National Cyber Director: Mandates coming to secure commercial information technology"; "ICS [Information and Computer Science] Patch Tuesday: Siemens, Schneider Electric address over 80 vulnerabilities"; and "RSA 2022: NIST releases draft Zero-Trust Architecture guide."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2022-06-16
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Coastal Navigation: Authorized Purposes of Jetties, Breakwaters, and Other Structures Can Impact Corps' Maintenance and Repair
From the Document: "The movement of commerce and the presence of water recreation involve the ability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to provide safe, reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation systems. As part of the Corps' primary missions, the agency is tasked with maintaining and repairing coastal navigation structures that are part of harbors and ports. The Corps' activities, including the type and scope of coastal navigation structures that the Corps may construct and maintain, are authorized by Congress. Corps officials said the authorization usually refers to the document or report recommending the project to Congress, which Congress then references in the legislation--typically a Rivers and Harbors Act or Water Resources Development Act--authorizing the project. These reports can include specific dimensions for the projects, according to the officials. The Corps is permitted to build or improve a structure, consistent with its authorization. [...] A report accompanying the 2020 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill includes a provision for us to review how to increase the Corps' capacity to repair and maintain existing projects before they deteriorate to the point of failure. This report describes what factors, if any, affect the Corps' ability to consider impacts not directly related to navigation when determining which existing coastal navigation structures to maintain and repair. To address this objective, we selected examples, reviewed documents, and interviewed officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Feinstein, Dianne; Kennedy, Kevin (Kevin John), 1955-; Kaptur, Marcy . . .
2022-06-16
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Combatting Online Harms Through Innovation
From the Executive Summary: "The deployment of AI [artificial intelligence] tools intended to detect or otherwise address harmful online content is accelerating. Largely within the confines -- or via funding from -- the few big technology companies that have the necessary resources and infrastructure, AI tools are being conceived, developed, and used for purposes including combat against many of the harms listed by Congress. Given the amount of online content at issue, this result appears to be inevitable, as a strictly human alternative is impossible or extremely costly at scale. Nonetheless, it is crucial to understand that these tools remain largely rudimentary, have substantial limitations, and may never be appropriate in some cases as an alternative to human judgment. Their use -- both now and in the future -- raises a host of persistent legal and policy concerns. The key conclusion of this report is thus that governments, platforms, and others must exercise great caution in either mandating the use of, or over-relying on, these tools even for the important purpose of reducing harms. Although outside of our scope, this conclusion implies that, if AI is not the answer and if the scale makes meaningful human oversight infeasible, we must look at other ways, regulatory or otherwise, to address the spread of these harms."
United States. Federal Trade Commission
Atleson, Michael
2022-06-16