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Sen. Moran Floor Remarks In Support of Michelle Bowman's Nomination to Federal Reserve Board
Jun 11 2018
Sen. Moran, Reps. Kinzinger and Schrader Introduce Accurate Labels Act
Bipartisan legislation would provide consumers with clear, accurate, meaningful information on packaging labels
Jun 07 2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security – and U.S. Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) today introduced the Accurate Labels Act, bipartisan legislation to provide American consumers nationwide with clear, accurate, meaningful nutrition information and prevent the issuance of inaccurate labels that mislead consumers and drive up prices. The Accurate Labels Act would amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to ensure consumers continue to benefit from the nutritional and allergy information on packaging today.
“Congress has an important role to play in making certain Americans have the best possible information when making purchasing decisions,” said Sen. Moran. “Our labeling requirements on the federal, state and local levels must be based on credible science so we can provide consumers with accurate, relevant and critical information pertaining to nutritional facts. Not only do inaccurate labels confuse consumers, they increase prices at the point of sale and create unnecessary new regulatory burdens placed on farmers and small businesses.”
“Consumers deserve full transparency on the products they’re buying, no matter where they live or shop. Often times, due to various state laws, items are incorrectly labeled with warnings about harms that do not exist. This inaccuracy creates confusion and fear for the consumers, desensitizes the public from heeding serious warnings on health risks, and imposes unnecessary and costly regulatory burdens for producers,” said Rep. Kinzinger. “Today, I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with my colleagues, Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), that establishes science-based criteria for labeling requirements, but also ensures that legitimate risks are taken seriously. The Accurate Labels Act is a commonsense measure to ensure consumers have clear and accurate product labels.”
“It’s time to bring science and reason back into the way we label products for the benefit of the American people,” said Rep. Schrader. “When we have mandatory cancer warnings on a cup of coffee, something has gone seriously wrong with the process. We now have so many warnings unrelated to the actual health risk posed to consumers, that most people just ignore them. Enough is enough. We have a responsibility to ensure that consumers are presented with accurate information that is consistent, based on science, and provides a real value to the public to help make informed decisions on the safety of what they can consume.”
U.S. Representatives Buddy Carter (R-Georgia), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Filemon Vela (D-Texas) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) joined in introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House, H.R. 6022.
The Accurate Labels Act ensures that consumers have access to accurate and easy-to-understand product information by:
- Establishing science-based criteria for all additional state and local labeling requirements;
- Allowing state-mandated product information to be provided through smartphone-enabled “smart labels” and on websites, where consumers can find up-to-date, relevant ingredients and warnings; and
- Ensuring that covered product information is risk-based.
This legislation is supported by the American Chemistry Council, the Coalition for Accurate Product Labels, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
"The Accurate Labels Act is urgently needed legislation to require states to ‘show their work’ and document the science behind labeling mandates," said President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Chuck Conner. "State labeling requirements are confusing consumers and hurting farmers, manufacturers and small businesses. The Accurate Labels Act is a win for anyone interested in accurate, science-based product labeling.”
Text of the legislation, S. 3019, is available here.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies – today attended the S.2372, The John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks, or VA MISSION Act, of 2018 signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. The VA MISSION Act improves, expands and modernizes the VA Choice program and includes several provisions introduced by Sen. Moran and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Following signage, Sen. Moran released the following statement:
“I am proud the VA MISSION Act, which will empower our veterans and dramatically improve and modernize their healthcare services, is now signed into law. This legislation includes numerous provisions Sen. McCain and I worked on together to abolish arbitrary Veterans’ Choice Program guidelines, increase telemedicine services, support rural hospitals, allow veterans to utilize walk-in care clinics and provide strategic planning to improve the VA’s integrated healthcare system. I am grateful for the president’s support of this bipartisan legislation and for his work to help get it across the finish line. I look forward to the relief the VA MISSION Act will provide for veterans in Kansas and across the nation.”
Items to note:
- Prior to voting on this bill in the Senate, Sen. Moran spoke on the Senate floor in support of the VA MISSION Act and listed 12 ways this legislation provides for our nation’s heroes.
- Sen. Moran and Sen. McCain priorities included in the VA MISSION Act can be found under Sections 101, 104, 106, 108, 111, 131 and 132.
Timeline of Sen. Moran’s work on the Veterans Choice Program:
-2014-
June 3, 2014: Sen. Moran joined Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to introduce the Veterans Choice Act.
June 11, 2014: The Senate passed Sen. Moran’s legislation to establish the Veterans Choice Program.
August 7, 2014: The Veterans Choice Program was signed into law by President Barack Obama.
December 15, 2014: Sen. Moran introduced legislation to improve the Veteran Choice Program’s 40-mile eligibility rule.
-2015-
January 22, 2015: Sen. Moran spoke on the Senate floor regarding his legislation to improve the Choice Program’s 40-mile rule.
February 26, 2015: Sen. Moran questioned VA Secretary McDonald about flawed implementation of Choice Program.
May 22, 2015: Senate unanimously passed Sen. Moran’s legislation to improve 40-mile Choice Act eligibility criteria.
July 23, 2015: Sen. Moran expressed concern with VA budget shortfall in Community Care accounts.
December 2, 2015: Sen. Moran urged VA Deputy Secretary Gibson to improve Choice Act implementation.
-2016-
March 7, 2016: Sen. Moran joined Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to introduce the Veterans Choice Improvement Act.
-2017-
January 20, 2017: Sen. Moran urged President Donald Trump to work with Congress to improve the Veterans Choice Program
January 24, 2017: Sen. Moran was selected as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.
February 1, 2017: Sen. Moran pressed VA Secretary nominee Shulkin on Choice Program eligibility criteria.
March 8, 2017: Sen. Moran joined Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to introduce legislation to improve and extend the Veterans Choice Program.
April 3, 2017: The Senate passed legislation to preserve the Veterans Choice Program.
April 19, 2017: The Veterans Choice Improvement Act was signed into law. Sen. Moran and Sen. McCain authored an op-ed on the Veterans Choice Program, “A great day for veterans and Veterans Choice.”
June 7, 2017: Sen. Moran questioned Secretary Shulkin on the Choice Program at Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.
June 21, 2017: Sen. Moran convened hearing with Secretary Shulkin and questioned Choice budget shortfall and VA’s recent changes to Choice Program; sent letter to Secretary Shulkin regarding financial mismanagement at the VA.
July 27, 2017: Sen. Moran spoke on Senate floor urging colleagues to pass legislation to fund the Veterans Choice Program and fix the budget shortfall.
August 2, 2017: Sen. Moran voted for additional funding to maintain the Veterans Choice Program.
October 24, 2017: Sen. Moran discussed the importance of the Veterans Choice Program with President Trump during a Senate policy meeting.
December 4, 2017: Sen. Moran and Sen. McCain introduced legislation to reform the VA into a 21st century healthcare system, integrating VA services and VA community care programs to increase veterans’ access to timely, quality care.
December 15, 2017: Sen. Moran and Sen. McCain authored the op-ed, “Health Care for Veterans Needs Another Big Fix,” explaining the fundamental problems with the VA they sought to fix with their legislation.
-2018-
January 17, 2018: Sen. Moran questioned Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin about the implementation of access standards for veterans to be eligible for community care under proposed Choice legislation.
April 3, 2018: Sen. Moran authored an op-ed, “Status Quo in VA Culture Shouldn’t Put Bureaucracy Ahead of Vets,” highlighting the need for strong leadership at the VA to implement critical reforms to VA healthcare and VA community care programs.
May 3, 2018: Sen. Moran worked to strengthen VA reform legislation, increasing Congressional oversight and modernizing the VA to provide the best possible care for veterans.
May 17, 2018: Sen. Moran honored Sen. McCain on the Senate floor and advocated for passage of legislation in his name to reform the VA.
May 22, 2018: Sen. Moran took to the Senate floor to share with his colleagues his top reasons to vote in favor of the VA MISSION Act.
May 23, 2018: Sen. Moran voted in favor of the VA MISSION Act on the Senate floor.
June 6, 2018: Sen. Moran attended the VA MISSION Act signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
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Sen. Moran Urges Swift Confirmation of Peter Feldman to Consumer Product Safety Commission
Jun 05 2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection – today urged swift confirmation of Peter Feldman, currently a senior counsel at the Commerce Committee, as a commissioner on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
“Peter’s longtime efforts advising the Commerce committee have been invaluable to our work protecting American consumers. His expertise in regards to the issues before the Commission and extensive qualifications will be an asset as the Commission gets back on track in advancing product safety policies that reflect the principles of sound regulation. I am hopeful Peter’s nomination will move expeditiously through the Senate to restore stability at the Commission going forward.”
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Following Calls from Sen. Moran and Colleagues, FCC Supports Mobility Fund Challenge Process Extension
May 31 2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Commerce Committee – today commended Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai for his support of a 90-day extension to the challenge process for the map of eligible areas for Mobility Fund Phase II support. The FCC’s presumptive eligibility map will help determine up to $4.53 billion in support for rural wireless broadband expansion over the next 10 years.
“Reliable access to broadband is important to growing a business, strengthening a community or bringing an idea to market for Kansans, which is why it is imperative that the eligibility map for Mobility Fund Phase II support accurately reflects the areas in most need of these mobile services,” said Sen. Moran. “We must make certain we are prioritizing broadband expansion to rural and unserved areas based off of reliable mapping information. I appreciate Chairman Pai taking seriously our concerns about the Mobility Fund Phase II challenge process, and I look forward to continuing our work to close the digital divide.”
“Extending the Mobility Fund Phase II presumptive eligibility challenge process by 90 days will give Kansas residents more opportunities to provide necessary data to the FCC,” said Kansas Farm Bureau President Rich Felts. “An extension means we are able to better represent the need for reliable, fast cell phone coverage in rural areas of the state. We thank FCC Chairman Pai and Senator Moran for their commitment to the challenge process.”
“We thank Senators Moran and Roberts for joining the bipartisan group of Senators urging a closer look at the FCC’s map of areas eligible for Mobility Fund Phase II support,” said Nex-Tech Wireless President and CEO Jon Lightle. “We proudly serve a rural part of Kansas and are passionate that our neighbors have access to the latest mobile broadband services. It is critical to get the map right before auctioning off billions of dollars in support to make sure Kansas is not left behind, and I appreciate Chairman Pai’s commitment to fixing the underlying data.”
The chairman’s announcement of support for the 90-day extension came in response to legislation and a letter led by Sens. Moran, Wicker (R-Miss.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H). The senators are concerned that there are significant flaws in the current map, which purportedly shows areas that are served by 4G LTE service based on initial data collections.
Areas that are unserved by 4G LTE would be eligible for up to $4.53 billion in support for wireless broadband expansion. The map shows many areas of the senators’ states to be covered, when on-the-ground experience suggests otherwise. The senators planned for the 90-day change to allow additional outreach to stakeholders and give challengers more time to assemble the necessary data to challenge the eligibility map in their area.
Read the full text of the FCC’s announcement below, or view a PDF copy here.
Dear Senator Moran:
Thank you for your letter regarding the Commission's Mobility Fund Phase II. Many rural Americans have waited far too long to get access to the high-speed mobile broadband that is common in our nation's largest cities. Despite promises made in 2011, the Mobility Fund Phase II lay largely dormant until February 2017, when the Commission finally committed itself to get this fund up and running. With $4.53 billion in investment for rural America over the next ten years, the Mobility Fund Phase II is a critical means of ensuring every American has next-generation mobile connectivity. And to make sure that we're not duplicating private capital but instead targeting those areas without access, we standardized our mobile broadband data collection and launched a robust challenge process.
I am committed to ensuring that the challenge process will produce a high-quality map. To this end, we made sure state, local, and Tribal governments-not just carriers-were able to participate. We sent Commission staff to hold on-site training events in New Mexico, Kansas, West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, and Washington state, with another planned for tomorrow in Mississippi. We released a map of areas most susceptible to challenge, that is those where only one unsubsidized carrier reported offering service, so that challengers could better target their efforts. We also changed the parameters of speed testing for challengers, reducing the number of measurements required to successfully challenge an area. And we hope to release the list of qualifying handsets to the public in the next two weeks so that local governments can more easily enlist volunteers.
Nevertheless, I agree with you that the agency should be exercising its discretion to ensure that the challenge process is as robust as possible. Accordingly, I support extending the challenge process window by 90 days and have directed the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force to figure out the procedural steps necessary to do just that. By lengthening the period during which challenges can be submitted, challengers will have an opportunity to conduct additional tests, which in turn means a more accurate map for carrying out the Mobility Fund Phase II auction.
Like you, the Commission is focused on ensuring that our limited universal service funds are effectively and accurately targeted to areas that lack unsubsidized 4G LTE service. This is a vital part of our strategy toward closing the wireless dimension of the digital divide. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,
Ajit Pai
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Bipartisan Group Calls on FCC to Extend Challenge Process for Map to Determine $4.53 Billion in Rural Broadband Support
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today led a group of 30 bipartisan senators in asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to extend the challenge process for the map of eligible areas for Mobility Fund Phase II support. The FCC’s presumptive eligibility map will help determine up to $4.53 billion in support for rural wireless broadband expansion over the next 10 years.
“While you have noted that state, local, and Tribal governments can participate in the challenge process, absent additional direction, they may remain unaware or unprepared to do so,” the senators wrote. “We appreciate and encourage additional outreach to state, local, and Tribal governments on how they can participate in the challenge process.”
The letter follows efforts by Sens. Moran, Wicker, Hassan and others to highlight the significant flaws in the current map, which purportedly shows areas that are unserved by 4G LTE service. The map shows many areas of the senators’ states to be covered, when on-the-ground experience suggests otherwise.
The senators have asked the FCC to extend the challenge process window by 90 days to allow additional outreach to stakeholders, and to allow challengers to assemble the necessary data to challenge the eligibility map in their area.
In addition to Sens. Moran, Wicker and Hassan, the letter was signed by Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Angus King (I-Maine), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Deborah Fischer (D-Neb.).
The letter reads in full:
Dear Chairman Pai:
As you know, many of us have expressed concern about the accuracy of the Federal Communications Commission’s map of eligible areas for Mobility Fund Phase II Support (MFII). This map is intended to reflect areas that lack unsubsidized mobile 4G LTE service, but it unfortunately falls short of an accurate depiction of areas in need of universal service support. Therefore, the FCC’s challenge process will play an outsized role in determining appropriate eligible areas for MFII support. Communities in our states that are not initially eligible or successfully challenged will be ineligible for up to $4.53 billion in support over the next 10 years, exacerbating the digital divide and denying fundamental economic and safety opportunities to rural communities.
While you have noted that state, local, and Tribal governments can participate in the challenge process, absent additional direction, they may remain unaware or unprepared to do so. We appreciate and encourage additional outreach to state, local, and Tribal governments on how they can participate in the challenge process. However, with less than 100 days remaining and additional state outreach presentations not yet completed, MFII challengers will struggle within the current timeframe to provide requisite information that will correct significant flaws in the current map. Additionally, the parameters for challenges have already changed once during the existing challenge timeframe through the Order on Reconsideration on April 30, 2018, altering existing measurements for challenges.
In recent testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, you expressed that the FCC has “some flexibility [for] an extension of time” to ensure sufficient time for state and local governments, as well as carriers and other potential challengers, such as state farm bureaus, to fully participate in the process. To provide this additional time and encourage participation in the challenge process, we urge you to extend the current challenge process window by 90 days.
The MFII process presents an opportunity to take significant steps to address the digital divide and preserve and expand mobile broadband in rural areas. We strongly urge you to ensure this opportunity is available to all communities deserving support through compiling accurate data that reflects our constituents’ experience, including providing additional time for challengers to submit data, conducting additional information sessions for state, local, and Tribal governments, and providing Congress with an update on final eligible areas before conducting an auction of support.
For a PDF copy of the letter, click here.
For more information on the FCC Mobility Fund Phase II process, click here.
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today released the following statement regarding the passing of Former Kansas State Senator Don Steffes:
“I am saddened by the passing of my friend and former Kansas State Senate colleague Don Steffes. I spoke with Don recently and he was spirited as ever — I now feel especially grateful for that conversation and our years of friendship. As colleagues in the Kansas Senate, Don and I shared a passion for preserving Kansas' rural way of life. Don served as president of a community bank in his hometown of McPherson and eventually as chair of the Kansas Bankers Association. He was an economic development leader in our state, serving as the first managing officer of the Kansas Development Credit Corporation, manager of the McPherson Chamber of Commerce and executive vice president of the McPherson Industrial Development Corporation.
“With such a distinguished professional background, Don had a wealth of wisdom to offer and I am grateful that he was willing to share it with me. I am a better public servant and a better person for having known and worked alongside my friend Don Steffes. Robba and I extend our deepest sympathies to Don's loving family during this difficult time.”
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) – co-chairs of the Senate Aerospace Caucus – introduced the Aeronautics Innovation Act (S. 2977) to help boost innovation, research and development in the aeronautics industry. The bill would provide a five-year funding commitment to advance innovation and supplement research in the field.
In 2016, the U.S. aerospace and defense industry produced more than 2.4 million jobs and generated more than $872 billion in revenue. However, without the proper strategy and investment, the U.S. risks falling behind other industrialized nations in developing and advancing the next generation of aircraft. Forecasts estimate that the world’s demand for passenger aircraft fleet above 100 seats will double over the next 20 years, generating new plane orders between 35,000 and 40,000 worth more than $5 trillion by 2035.
“The future of our aerospace industry depends on our investment in research, testing and manufacturing,” said Sen. Moran. “Kansas has demonstrated the significant impact a commitment to forward-thinking can have, and continues to play a prominent role in the national aerospace industry. Across the country, the industry is poised to make groundbreaking discoveries, perfect new technology and build better and more efficient aircraft. The investment that can be made by passing this legislation will make certain that our successes can continue into the next generation.”
“In order for the U.S. to boost its competitive edge in aeronautics, Congress must enact policies that invest in long-term research and development,” said Sen. Warner. “With countries across the globe looking to profit from record demand in the coming years for commercial aircraft, competition is fierce to lead the way in developing next-generation technology. This bill lays out a blueprint for how the U.S. can lead the world in a new age of manufacturing, where we can build the safest, quietest, most-fuel efficient and environmentally friendly planes available. Virginia is home to a thriving aerospace industry with leading federal facilities such as NASA Langley, and this bill will continue to support the nation’s next-generation capabilities in this important industry.”
“We applaud Senators Warner and Moran, the Senate Aerospace Caucus Co-Chairs, for championing the Aeronautics Innovation Act, which will provide continuity and budget stability for aeronautics research,” said Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Eric Fanning. “American industry partners are the leaders of innovation and need to maintain our competitive edge. If enacted, this legislation will boost our economy and protect our national security, ensuring American technological superiority in air and space.”
“We applaud Senators Moran and Warner for introducing this bill, which supports critical innovations and recognizes the importance of aviation manufacturing in the U.S., an industry that creates over 500,000 jobs and produces over $342 billion in economic activity,” said General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce. “This legislation will support research in new sectors of the industry, including electric propulsion, simplified air vehicle operation and increased vertical takeoffs and landings, as well as research efforts on unmanned aircraft systems and supersonic flight. These rapidly developing initiatives will allow for safer and more efficient aviation products, provide more high-quality engineering and manufacturing jobs, further contribute to the economy and keep the U.S. competitive in the global aviation market.”
“With recent advances in science and engineering, there are many emerging technologies that will accelerate the development of aerospace vehicle performance during the next decade,” said National Institute for Aviation Research Executive Director John Tomblin. “The investments outlined in the Aeronautics Innovation Act ensure that the strategic integration of these technologies will provide for the next major gains in vehicle performance and provide assurance of the US competitive advantage in the aerospace industry.”
“We applaud Sen. Moran and Sen. Warner for their leadership supporting efforts of the aerospace industry to design, industrialize and certify the next generation of aircraft,” said Spirit AeroSystems President and CEO Tom Gentile. “This aligns with Spirit’s strategy to provide commercial and defense customers with innovative, cutting-edge composite designs and manufacturing processes. We look forward to seeing this bill pass Congress to establish the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program.”
“The National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) is excited to support this important legislative initiative, which will ensure continued U.S. leadership in aeronautics amid increased worldwide competition and investments by other governments,” said National Institute of Aerospace President and Executive Director Dr. Douglas O. Stanley. “Aeronautics is a critical industry for our economy and national defense and represents a significant portion of our nation’s exports. The Aeronautics Innovation Act will not only increase our investments in aeronautics research but will also re-focus them on critical innovative growth areas such as: unmanned aerial systems, autonomy, urban air mobility, composite materials, as well as flight test vehicles to demonstrate these technologies so U.S. companies can then take advantage of them.”
The Senate bill is also endorsed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the Small UAV Coalition, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), Spirit AeroSystems and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University.
Key provisions of the Aeronautics Innovation Act include:
- Authorizing robust funding levels for NASA’s Aeronautics directorate over the next five years.
- Ensuring sustained Congressional support for the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s (ARMD) Strategic Implementation Plan, a forward looking strategy that supports the future needs of aviation communities.
- Building on the success of NASA’s Advanced Composites Consortium to enhance public-private collaboration on transformative aeronautics research necessary to maintaining competitive advantages in aircraft manufacturing.
- Establishing a national policy for aeronautics research that will maintain U.S. superiority in air capabilities and aviation industrial leadership.
- Establishing a new series of experimental plane, or “X-Plane,” programs rooted in ARMD’s strategic plan that will restore NASA’s capacity to see legacy priority initiatives through to completion and achieve national economic and security objectives.
- Directing NASA’s continuing support of unmanned aircraft system development, particularly unmanned traffic management and on-demand mobility technologies.
- Creating the 21st Century Aeronautics Research Capabilities Initiative, a program designed to modernize NASA’s aeronautics facilities, such as wind tunnels and modeling & simulation capabilities.
This is the companion bill to bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Steve Knight (R-Calif.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and others in the House of Representatives.
The full text of the Senate bill can be found here.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) along with cosponsors Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) joined Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) in introducing the bi-cameral Kelsey Smith Act Thursday, ahead of National Missing Children’s Day. This legislation, which has already been signed into law in 22 states, will help law enforcement save lives by requiring wireless communications providers to provide call location information to law enforcement officials when responding to a call for emergency service or in an emergency situation that involves the risk of death or serious physical harm.
The legislation is named after Kelsey Smith, who was abducted in broad daylight from an Overland Park, Kansas department store and murdered on June 2, 2007. The abduction was captured on the store’s security camera leaving little doubt of the emergency nature of the circumstances. Four days after she disappeared, authorities were able to locate Kelsey’s body after her wireless provider released the “ping” or “call location” information from her cell phone. Providing this information as fast as possible is critical to ensure law enforcement officials can rescue victims in imminent danger of death or serious harm when every second counts.
It also ensures that a professional law enforcement official in the field, not your phone company, is able to determine if your loved one is in an emergency situation. The privacy of every Kansan and American is extremely important and this legislation strikes the appropriate balance between the ability of law enforcement to help individuals in grave danger, while also ensuring the proper checks are in place to guard against government overreach.
"Kelsey Smith’s tragic abduction sent shockwaves through our community,” said Sen. Moran. “I’m thankful to have worked with the Smith family for a number of years to gain support for the Kelsey Smith Act and to ultimately prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future. This legislation will make certain first responders have the tools they need to locate children who have been abducted, and I urge my colleagues to support this sensible bill to help save children’s lives.”
“This common sense legislation will help save children’s lives by making it easier for law enforcement to find children and loved ones who are abducted,” said Sen. Roberts. “I’ve worked with my colleagues and the Smith family for years to pass this legislation, which is already law in 22 states. Expediting the process of locating a cell phone could have helped save Kelsey’s life, and I hope we can pass this bill to save the lives of other innocent children who are abducted in the future.”
“Today on National Missing Children’s Day, we’re reminded of what happened to Kelsey Smith almost 11 years ago. After Kelsey’s abduction, it took four excruciating days for law enforcement to finally obtain the location data from her cell provider so police could find her. In her memory, I am reintroducing the Kelsey Smith Act in the House to make sure what happened to her never happens again,” said Rep. Yoder. “I want to thank Greg and Missey for their advocacy, and I will continue to advance the Kelsey Smith Act to give law enforcement the tools they need to protect us and to make sure no parent goes through what Greg and Missey Smith endured.”
Smith’s parents, Missey and Greg have fought to successfully pass this legislation in 22 states and are continuing to work to make it federal law. “If your child was missing would you not want law enforcement to have every tool available to find your child? The Kelsey Smith Act provides just that. Losing a child is life changing. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, from Kansas, said it best, ‘there’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were,’” said Missey and Greg Smith.
“Over my 22 year law enforcement career with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, 17 years have been spent in our dispatch/911 center. During that time, the Kelsey Smith Law has been the single most important piece of legislation related to potentially saving the lives of suicidal subjects, assisting endangered children and addressing life threats when cell phone location is necessary and seconds count,” said Captain Scott Boden, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. “The difference this law has made cannot be overstated and I look forward to the day it becomes available across the country as a resource to assist first responders in their most critical service, saving lives.”
“Twenty-two states have passed the Kelsey Smith Act and I can assure you that because of this law, lives have been saved. Time is of the essence in these types of incidents and the narrow exception for law enforcement to act with immediacy is key here. For this not to be federal law seems unjust to those who have loved ones in harm’s way and this type of intervention can and will save lives,” said retired Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning.
“Both Kansas and Missouri have had Kelsey’s Law in place for years, and there have been success stories that illustrate it has helped public safety agencies locate wireless headsets in emergency situations,” said Eric Winebrenner, Director of Public Safety at Mid-America Regional Council. “The proposed Kelsey Smith Act would extend this benefit to all public safety answering points across the nation, which could save countless lives.”
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