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Sens. Moran, Thune, Young Introduce Bill to Modernize E-SIGN

Provides Timely Update to Expand and Streamline Consumer Access

Jul 02 2020

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) – members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over technology and consumer protection – today introduced the E-SIGN Modernization Act, legislation that would streamline how consumers consent to receiving electronic documents like bank statements, account information and contracts.

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN) became law in 2000 and provides a framework for how transactions involved in interstate or foreign commerce can be completed using electronic signatures and electronic documents.

“Given the major advancements in technology and consumer accessibility that have occurred in the past two decades since the E-SIGN Act was first enacted, it’s time to modernize this law,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation is a timely update to expand consumer access to online and mobile financial services in line with modern practices.”

“As technology continues to advance and transform, so too should the laws that govern it,” said Sen. Thune. “Computers, smart phones, and other devices are more reliable and accessible than ever before. This legislation makes necessary updates to E-SIGN to reflect these advancements in technology and make it easier for consumers to receive documents electronically.”

“During this challenging time, Americans are increasingly faced with outdated barriers to accessing critical documents and bank statements electronically,” said Sen. Young. “The E-SIGN Modernization Act will streamline this decades-old system and allow more people to access their bank information from a computer or other electronic device.”

E-SIGN currently requires consumers to reasonably demonstrate that they can access documents electronically before they can receive an electronic version, which is an outdated requirement that is no longer necessary given advancements in technology. The E-SIGN Modernization Act would remove this requirement, so once a consumer is provided with disclosure information and consents to receiving documents electronically, he or she can obtain them through those means.

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WASHINGTON – Today, during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) hearing, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) questioned our country’s top health officials on Operation Warp Speed, the government project to research, manufacture and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine on an expedited timeline.

The witnesses at today’s hearing included Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director of National Institutes of Health; Dr. Robert R. Redfield, Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dr. Gary Disbrow, acting director of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

“Today, I heard from Dr. Collins and Dr. Redfield on the progress being made on developing a vaccine for COVID-19 and the measures that need to take place to make certain a vaccine is safely and efficiently distributed when it is available,” said Sen. Moran following the hearing. “It is not only vital that we are prepared to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine, but that we also learn from this pandemic so we are better prepared for any future diseases that may threaten our country.”

Click Here to Watch Sen. Moran’s Questioning

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) voted to confirm Cory T. Wilson as a United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, marking the 200th judge confirmed during President Donald Trump’s Administration — the most Senate-confirmed judges at this point of a presidency in that last 40 years.

 “As a member of the U.S. Senate, I have the responsibility to evaluate and confirm judges who will uphold the Constitution, deliver justice and preserve our freedoms,” said Sen. Moran. “My colleagues and I have worked diligently with the president and the administration to fill judicial vacancies across the country, and today, the Senate achieved the historic milestone of confirming the 200th Trump-appointed judge. These judges, including Judge Broomes and Judge Teeter serving in Kansas, will have a generational impact on our country.”

 Kansas Judicial Confirmations during the Trump Administration:

  • John Broomes was confirmed as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas in April of 2018.
  • Holly Teeter was confirmed as a United States District Court Judge for the District of Kansas in August of 2018.

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WASHINGTON — The Kansas State Finance Council approved a plan to distribute $400 million in federal resources for COVID-19 to Kansas counties, allowing each county to use the funding to tackle specific challenges and needs. Congress passed the CARES Act to provide relief and help support local governments with the resources they need to safely reopen our economy, and Sen. Moran is pleased to see this relief reaching Kansas communities statewide.

The state’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce developed the plan to distribute the funding, and the first wave will be used for health-related expenses to aid in preventing the spread of the virus, support local health care providers and more. With the distribution of these funds, all 105 of Kansas’ county governments will have received federal dollars to help them navigate the challenges of COVID-19.

The funding will be distributed to counties based on population with additional aid going to counties that were hit harder by the virus and suffered the highest unemployment rates.

To view the funding level for your county, please click here.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) – announced this week the U.S. Penitentiary (USP) in Leavenworth received $356 million to construct a new Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) and a satellite Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Leavenworth. The funding announcement has received praise from leaders in Leavenworth, Kansas City and Federal officials. Please see the statements in support of the Leavenworth Penitentiary project.

Mike Griswold, Leavenworth Mayor:

“Today is an exciting and important day in the history of the First City of Kansas. The announcement of a plan to construct a new prison to replace the current U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth represents a continuation of the City's century (+) long relationship with our great federal partner, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The city values this relationship and wishes to thank BOP leadership for their expertise and professionalism in the years leading up to this moment. 

“Senator Moran has been the champion in Congress for the new prison and we thank him for his due diligence, perseverance, and ability to keep all parties informed and moving forward. His strong and consistent leadership has been instrumental in the decision to construct a new federal penitentiary to Leavenworth. City elected and appointed officials and the citizens we serve, appreciate his work, which will benefit the city, county, state and nation in the decades ahead.”    

Brandon Johannes, President and CEO, Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce:

“The Leavenworth-Lansing Area has always had a strong, positive, and mutually beneficial relationship with the federal government; one cannot overstate just how much that relationship means to our community, particularly with regard to employment and economic development opportunities. It was only natural, then, that Senator Moran, the Bureau of Prisons, and the City of Leavenworth would, together, succeed in bringing to fruition a project of such magnitude. Thanks to their tireless efforts, perseverance, and unanimity, our community will see and experience the opportunities and benefits of both the new Federal Correctional Institute and Federal Prison Camp for years to come.”

Steve Jack, Executive Director, Leavenworth County Development Corporation:

“The construction of a new penitentiary and the extraordinary level of capital investment will mean hundreds of construction jobs for Leavenworth and the retention of more than 300 employees at the new facility for many years to come. Credit to Sen. Moran’s leadership and the City of Leavenworth’s consistent communications that federal expenditures in Leavenworth are solid investments.” 

Joe Reardon, President and CEO, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce:

“The KC Chamber applauds the allocation of federal funding for the construction of new facilities in Leavenworth for the federal prison and appreciates Senator Moran’s leadership and work to secure this funding. The KC Chamber is pleased to see this modernization effort planned for the Leavenworth system and is hopeful the US Bureau of Prisons will take this opportunity to design a state-of-the-art facility accounting for rehabilitative and educational programs to ensure prison residents will be prepared to reenter society with the skills needed to participate in our country’s workforce and enjoy healthy engagement in our communities. The KC Chamber stands ready to work with the Bureau of Prisons, the City of Leavenworth and Senator Moran’s office to ensure successful reentry programs are a part of this institution’s design.”

Michael Carvajal, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons:

“Chairman Moran is a great partner for federal law enforcement in Kansas and across the nation and we appreciate his steadfast support for our efforts to keep the American people safe. The Bureau of Prisons appreciates his support for this project.”

Kansas State Senator Kevin Braun:

“We are so appreciative to Senator Jerry Moran for his dedicated service to bring this incredible opportunity to Leavenworth County and the state of Kansas. He has consistently shown his commitment to my Senate District with ongoing support for projects on Fort Leavenworth and now with Federal Corrections. He is an example of what can happen when you elect the right people.” 

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran:

“After nearly 20 years of preparation, I am pleased this project is now fully funded and I look forward to breaking ground in the near future. This project will bring the Leavenworth prison system into the 21st century, while also providing hundreds of jobs during the multi-year construction of the facilities. At a time when federal prisons are closing around the country, this project will secure jobs for Kansans for decades. This is one of the largest federal projects undertaken in Kansas in the last few years, and I will continue to work with the city of Leavenworth and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to get this project to completion. Leavenworth officials have worked hard to get us to this point and a lot of credit and accolades go to Mayor Griswold, City Manager Kramer and those who preceded them.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) today introduced legislation to authorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to work with other countries to strengthen pilot training standards and enable the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to further enhance worldwide aviation safety and training standards.

The Foreign Civil Aviation Authority Assistance and Capacity-Building Act of 2020 provides funding for the FAA to provide technical assistance to civil aviation authorities around the world to improve pilot training in critical areas like automation and human-machine interface. This authorization doubles the funding available to the FAA to provide these capacity building programs. It also provides funding to help establish a working group at ICAO – a specialized agency that sets international civil aviation requirements and standards – on raising international pilot training standards.

“Multiple reports regarding the 737 MAX accidents highlighted concerns about the human-machine interface in the cockpit,” said Sen. Moran. “This bipartisan legislation would provide resources to help establish the International Civil Aviation Organization’s working group created to implement recommendations on human-machine interface and advance our aviation safety. In addition, this legislation would allow for increased engagement by the FAA to promote collaboration and data sharing on an international level. We must continue to advance aviation safety in a holistic manner and ensure tragic accidents like the 737 MAX in Ethiopia and Indonesia do not happen again. I look forward to our continued work on this important issue and encourage my colleagues to support this legislation to improve aviation safety.”

“This legislation will enable the FAA to strengthen pilot training in other countries,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This new work on pilot training standards at the International Civil Aviation Organization will raise the safety bar across the globe.”

“Following the tragic airplane crashes of the Boeing 737 Max in Indonesia and Ethiopia and the subsequent investigations, we must ensure that international pilot training requirements meet the highest standards to help prevent similar tragedies in the future,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “The Foreign Civil Aviation Authority Assistance and Capacity-Building Act will help improve international pilot training and enhance the safety of foreign air transportation systems by helping the U.S. work with our international partners to develop important safety standards for the aviation workforce and industry.”

“Since the tragic accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, Congress has held—and continues to hold—hearings examining what occurred and how we can make sure such incidents do not happen again,” said Sen. Capito. “One of the concerns in the wake of these recent crashes has been the usage of automation in the cockpit and pilot training on those systems. Our legislation builds upon the work the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been doing with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the in-country technical assistance the FAA provides to other countries to improve aviation safety.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) – today applauded the introduction of Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act. Sen. Moran is an original cosponsor of the JUSTICE Act.

“Americans cannot look the other way after witnessing the actions that killed George Floyd,” said Sen. Moran. “Today, I joined Sen. Tim Scott and my colleagues in the Senate in introducing the JUSTICE Act aimed at making significant progress towards improving police and community relations across the country while also providing the accountability we expect from our police departments.”

“Kansas law enforcement officers work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, and the JUSTICE Act would reform police training and create more transparency and trust, which is critical to the health and wellbeing of our communities,” continued Sen. Moran. “As CJS Chairman, I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fulfill the commitments made in the JUSTICE Act.”

The JUSTICE Act is endorsed by the Major County Sheriffs, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, The National Sheriffs Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association and Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

The full text of the JUSTICE Act is here, and a section by section analysis is here. A summary provided by Sen. Scott’s office is below.

Law Enforcement Reform

  • The JUSTICE Act strengthens the training methods and tactics throughout law enforcement jurisdictions, especially regarding de-escalation of force and the duty to intervene, providing law enforcement with new funding to do so, and will also end the practice of utilizing chokeholds
  • Additionally, the bill will reform hiring practices by providing more resources to ensure the makeup of police departments more closely matches the communities they serve
  • The JUSTICE Act also ensures when a candidate is interviewed, the department looking to hire will have access to their prior disciplinary records
  • Too often, after a tragic incident, we have learned the offending officer had a disciplinary past in another jurisdiction of which their current employer was unaware

Accountability

  • Studies show that when body cameras are properly used violent encounters decrease significantly
  • The JUSTICE Act will put more body cameras on the streets, and ensure that departments are both using the cameras and storing their data properly
  • JUSTICE also requires a report establishing best practices for the hiring, firing, suspension, and discipline of law enforcement officers

Transparency

  • Currently, only about 40 percent of police officers from jurisdictions nationwide report to the FBI after an incident where an officer has discharged his or her weapon or used force
  • The bill will require full reporting in these two areas
  • There is also very little data as to when, where and why no knock warrants are used, and the JUSTICE Act will require reporting in this area as well

Additional Steps

  • The JUSTICE Act will finally make lynching a federal crime
  • It also creates two commissions to study and offer solutions to a broader range of challenges facing black men and boys, and the criminal justice system as a whole

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – today announced the U.S. Penitentiary (USP) in Leavenworth will receive $356 million to construct the new Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) and a satellite Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Leavenworth.

“After nearly 20 years of preparation, I am pleased this project is now fully funded and I look forward to breaking ground in the near future,” said Sen. Moran. “This project will bring the Leavenworth prison system into the 21st century, while also providing hundreds of jobs during the multi-year construction of the facilities. At a time when federal prisons are closing around the country, this project will secure jobs for Kansans for decades.”

“This is one of the largest federal projects undertaken in Kansas in the last few years, and I will continue to work with the city of Leavenworth and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to get this project to completion,” continued Sen. Moran. “Leavenworth officials have worked hard to get us to this point and a lot of credit and accolades go to Mayor Griswold, City Manager Kramer and those who preceded them.”

This project will replace older buildings at USP Leavenworth and help modernize the Leavenworth prison system. The new facilities will be built on land owned by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the BOP is currently conducting an environmental impact study before construction can begin.

Congress appropriated $175 million for this project in FY2019 and the additional $181 million in FY2020.

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Stop Seniors Scams Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection – and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) – ranking member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging – to help prevent scammers from taking advantage of seniors.

The bill would create a federal advisory council to develop educational materials for retailers, financial institutions and wire transfer companies to train employees on how to spot and stop financial scams at the point of sale.

“Our nation’s seniors are among the most vulnerable consumers in this digital age, and scammers frequently target seniors to steal their money, identity and dignity,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation would bring industry and government leaders together to make certain we are doing all we can to protect seniors. I appreciate the Senate passing this legislation and urge the House of Representatives to bring this important legislation to the floor for a vote.”

“Far too often, older Americans are targeted and victimized by scam artists who coerce and threaten legal action against our older loved ones if ‘payment’ is not made immediately, often through a wire transfer or gift card,” said Sen. Casey. “And these scammers are always creating new ways, such as recent coronavirus-related schemes, to scare seniors out of even more money. I am pleased that the Senate passed the Stop Senior Scams Act because it brings us one step closer to ensuring that retailers, banks and others have the most up-to-date information available to help prevent seniors from losing one more penny to these unscrupulous actors. I hope the House will take up and pass this legislation quickly.”

If you or a loved one receives a suspicious call, contact the office of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt to file a complaint https://ag.ks.gov/complaint-center.

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