[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3504-S3506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Warner, and Mr.
Rubio):
S. 1846. A bill to require a review and controls on the export of
items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses; to the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print my bill for
introduction in the Congressional Record. The bill's purpose is to
require a review and controls on the export of items with critical
capabilities to enable human rights abuses.
So ordered.
S. 1846
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Surveillance and free speech
Protection Enhancement in Export controls for Censorship and
Human rights Act of 2021'' or the ``SPEECH Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. REVIEW AND CONTROLS ON EXPORT OF ITEMS WITH CRITICAL
CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United
States to use export controls to the extent necessary to
further the protection of internationally recognized human
rights.
(b) Review of Items With Critical Capabilities to Enable
Human Rights Abuses.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and as appropriate thereafter,
the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of State,
the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other
Federal agencies as appropriate, shall conduct a review of
items subject to controls for crime control reasons pursuant
to section 742.7 of the Export Administration Regulations.
(c) Controls.--In furtherance of the policy set forth in
subsection (a), not later than 60 days after completing the
review required by subsection (b), the Secretary, in
coordination with the heads of other Federal agencies as
appropriate, shall determine whether additional export
controls are needed to protect human rights, including
whether--
(1) controls for crime control reasons pursuant to section
742.7 of the Export Administration Regulations should be
imposed on additional items, including items with critical
capabilities to enable human rights abuses involving--
(A) censorship or social control;
(B) surveillance, interception, or restriction of
communications;
(C) monitoring or restricting access to or use of the
internet;
(D) identification of individuals through facial or voice
recognition or biometric indicators; or
(E) DNA sequencing; or
(2) end-use and end-user controls should be imposed on the
export, reexport, or in-country transfer of certain items
with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses that
are subject to the Export Administration Regulations if the
person seeking to export, reexport, or transfer the item has
knowledge, or the Secretary determines and so informs that
person, that the end-user or ultimate consignee will use the
item to enable human rights abuses.
(d) Cooperation of Other Agencies.--Upon request from the
Secretary, the head of a Federal agency shall provide full
support and cooperation to the Secretary in carrying out this
section.
(e) International Coordination on Controls to Protect Human
Rights.--It shall be the policy of the United States to seek
to secure the cooperation of other governments to impose
export controls that are consistent, to the extent possible,
with the controls imposed under this section.
[[Page S3505]]
(f) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1752(2)(A) of the Export
Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4811(2)(A)) is
amended--
(1) in clause (iv), by striking ``; or'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in clause (v), by striking the period and inserting ``;
or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(vi) serious human rights abuses.''.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) End-user; knowledge; ultimate consignee.--The terms
``end-user'', ``knowledge'', and ``ultimate consignee'' have
the meanings given those terms in section 772.1 of the Export
Administration Regulations.
(2) Export; export administration regulations; in-country
transfer; item; reexport.--The terms ``export'', ``Export
Administration Regulations'', ``in-country transfer'',
``item'', and ``reexport'' have the meanings given those
terms in section 1742 of the Export Control Reform Act of
2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
______
By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Young):
S. 1847. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to
establish a community college and career training grant program; to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, amid high unemployment rates across the
Country exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses continue to
face challenges in hiring the skilled workers they need to grow and
thrive. Simultaneously, individuals looking for work may not have the
skills and support that they need to enter or renter--and remain--in
the workforce. Unfortunately the pandemic has slowed the number of
students attending some form of postsecondary education, but even prior
to the pandemic the supply of middle-skilled workers, whose work
requires more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree,
fell short of industry demand. It's important that States make
strategic investments now to set students up for success in the
constantly-evolving labor market, and the best training for high-wage,
high-skill, or in-demand jobs is often offered by community colleges.
For many people seeking a job, attending a community college is the
most affordable and accessible pathway to higher paying employment
opportunities. In Virginia, we have 23 community colleges that serve an
estimated 400,000 people across the state, providing them opportunities
to earn an associate's degree, certifications or licensures in some of
the most cutting-edge and in-demand fields in our workforce. The impact
of community colleges nationwide is even greater, and our rapidly
changing economy demands increased investment in the pathways these
institutions provide to keep up with changing skill demands. The
rapidly changing U.S. economy demands agile education and workforce
development systems that can keep up with changing skill demands.
Today, I am proud to reintroduce the Assisting Community Colleges in
Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act with Senator Young.
This bill builds on lessons learned from the Trade Adjustment
Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program
(TAACCCT), and provides grants to community colleges to partner with
private and public sector entities to create innovative career pathways
directly between two-year institutions and employers. The ACCESS to
Careers Act also provides grants to states and community colleges to
scale evidence-based strategies that will help prepare our students
with the skills necessary to succeed in our in-demand industry sectors
and occupations. These grants can be used to expand dual enrollment,
work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeships, and other pathways
to best meet the skill needs of students and employers in our evolving
workforce. The bill also emphasizes the importance of student services
to ensure that students have the support they need to complete their
programs.
As our Country begins to recover from the widespread job losses we've
seen over the last year, the success of our economy will depend on our
ability to provide people with the resources they need to quickly enter
or reenter the workforce. This legislation makes strategic investments
in students to ensure they have access to programs that properly
prepare them for good-paying, in-demand jobs as we continue to build
back better. The ACCESS to Careers Act represents a necessary step to
take the evidence-based innovations we've seen on the local level to
scale in order to fill jobs in high-needs industries. I strongly
encourage my colleagues in the Senate to consider this commonsense,
bipartisan legislation.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr.
Menendez, Mr. Portman, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Young, Ms. Smith, and
Mr. Kaine):
S. 1860. A bill to amend the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention
Act to provide for additional procedures for families with children
under the age of 6, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1860
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lead-Safe Housing for Kids
Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING
PREVENTION ACT.
Section 302(a) of the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention
Act (42 U.S.C. 4822(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) Additional procedures for families with children
under the age of 6.--
``(A) Risk assessment.--
``(i) Definition.--In this subparagraph, the term `covered
housing'--
``(I) means housing receiving Federal assistance described
in paragraph (1) that was constructed prior to 1978; and
``(II) does not include--
``(aa) single-family housing covered by an application for
mortgage insurance under the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C.
1701 et seq.); or
``(bb) multi-family housing that--
``(AA) is covered by an application for mortgage insurance
under the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
``(BB) does not receive any other Federal housing
assistance.
``(ii) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2021,
the Secretary shall promulgate regulations that--
``(I) require the owner of covered housing in which a
family with a child of less than 6 years of age will reside
or is expected to reside to conduct an initial risk
assessment for lead-based paint hazards--
``(aa) in the case of covered housing receiving tenant-
based rental assistance under section 8 of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), not later than 15 days
after the date on which the family and the owner submit a
request for approval of a tenancy or lease renewal, whichever
occurs first;
``(bb) in the case of covered housing receiving public
housing assistance under the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.) or project-based rental
assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), not later than 15 days after the
date on which a physical condition inspection occurs; and
``(cc) in the case of covered housing not described in item
(aa) or (bb), not later than a date established by the
Secretary;
``(II) provide that a visual assessment alone is not
sufficient for purposes of complying with subclause (I);
``(III) require that, if lead-based paint hazards are
identified by an initial risk assessment conducted under
subclause (I), the owner of the covered housing shall--
``(aa) not later than 30 days after the date on which the
initial risk assessment is conducted, control the lead-based
paint hazards, including achieving clearance in accordance
with regulations promulgated under section 402 or 404 of the
Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2682, 2684), as
applicable; and
``(bb) provide notice to all residents in the covered
housing affected by the initial risk assessment, and provide
notice in the common areas of the covered housing, that lead-
based paint hazards were identified and will be controlled
within the 30-day period described in item (aa); and
``(IV) provide that there shall be no extension of the 30-
day period described in subclause (III)(aa).
``(iii) Exceptions.--The regulations promulgated under
clause (ii) shall provide an exception to the requirement
under subclause (I) of such clause for covered housing--
``(I) if the owner of the covered housing submits to the
Secretary documentation--
``(aa) that the owner conducted a risk assessment of the
covered housing for lead-based paint hazards during the 12-
month period preceding the date on which the family is
expected to reside in the covered housing; and
[[Page S3506]]
``(bb) of any clearance examinations of lead-based paint
hazard control work resulting from the risk assessment
described in item (aa);
``(II) from which all lead-based paint has been identified
and removed and clearance has been achieved in accordance
with regulations promulgated under section 402 or 404 of the
Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2682, 2684), as
applicable;
``(III) if--
``(aa) lead-based paint hazards are identified in the
dwelling unit in the covered housing in which the family will
reside or is expected to reside;
``(bb) the dwelling unit is unoccupied;
``(cc) the owner of the covered housing, without any
further delay in occupancy or increase in rent, provides the
family with another dwelling unit in the covered housing that
has no lead-based paint hazards; and
``(dd) the common areas servicing the new dwelling unit
have no lead-based paint hazards; and
``(IV) in accordance with any other standard or exception
the Secretary deems appropriate based on health-based
standards.
``(B) Relocation.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2021,
the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to provide that a
family with a child of less than 6 years of age that occupies
a dwelling unit in covered housing in which lead-based paint
hazards were identified, but not controlled in accordance
with regulations required under subparagraph (A)(ii), may
relocate on an emergency basis and without placement on any
waitlist, penalty (including rent payments to be made for
that dwelling unit), or lapse in assistance to--
``(i) a dwelling unit that was constructed in 1978 or
later; or
``(ii) another dwelling unit in covered housing that has no
lead-based paint hazards.''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the
amendments made by section 2 such sums as may be necessary
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
______
By Mr. HAWLEY (for himself and Mr. Braun):
S. 1867. A bill to require the Director of National Intelligence to
declassify information relating to the origin of COVID-19, and for
other purposes; considered and passed.
S. 1867
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Origin Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Department of State released a fact sheet on
January 15, 2021, about the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)
which stated the following:
(A) ``The U.S. government has reason to believe that
several researchers inside the WIV became sick in autumn
2019, before the first identified case of the outbreak, with
symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal
illnesses.''.
(B) ``WIV researchers conducted experiments involving
RaTG13, the bat coronavirus identified by the WIV in January
2020 as its closest sample to SARS-CoV-2.''.
(C) ``Despite the WIV presenting itself as a civilian
institution, the United States has determined that the WIV
has collaborated on publications and secret projects with
China's military.''.
(2) Former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Robert Redfield, stated in March 2021 that, ``the
most likely etiology of this pathogen in Wuhan was from a
laboratory'' and noted that, ``[i]t is not unusual for
respiratory pathogens that are being worked on in a
laboratory to infect the laboratory worker.''.
(3) Director-General of the World Health Organization
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged in March 2021 that
the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have originated
in a laboratory and said this hypothesis ``requires further
investigation, potentially with additional missions involving
specialist experts.''.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) identifying the origin of Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) is critical for preventing a similar pandemic from
occurring in the future;
(2) there is reason to believe the COVID-19 pandemic may
have originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology; and
(3) the Director of National Intelligence should declassify
and make available to the public as much information as
possible about the origin of COVID-19 so the United States
and like-minded countries can--
(A) identify the origin of COVID-19 as expeditiously as
possible, and
(B) use that information to take all appropriate measures
to prevent a similar pandemic from occurring again.
SEC. 4. DECLASSIFICATION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE ORIGIN
OF COVID-19.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall--
(1) declassify any and all information relating to
potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and
the origin of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19),
including--
(A) activities performed by the Wuhan Institute of Virology
with or on behalf of the People's Liberation Army;
(B) coronavirus research or other related activities
performed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology prior to the
outbreak of COVID-19; and
(C) researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology who fell
ill in autumn 2019, including for any such researcher--
(i) the researcher's name;
(ii) the researcher's symptoms;
(iii) the date of the onset of the researcher's symptoms;
(iv) the researcher's role at the Wuhan Institute of
Virology;
(v) whether the researcher was involved with or exposed to
coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology;
(vi) whether the researcher visited a hospital while they
were ill; and
(vii) a description of any other actions taken by the
researcher that may suggest they were experiencing a serious
illness at the time; and
(2) submit to Congress an unclassified report that
contains--
(A) all of the information described under paragraph (1);
and
(B) only such redactions as the Director determines
necessary to protect sources and methods.
____________________