WHO member states adopt pandemic agreement
Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) voted to adopt the world’s first Pandemic Agreement, that boosts global collaboration as part of the response to future pandemics. The agreement is the result of more than three years of intense negotiations, officials said, that came as a... Read More »
FEMA to make available $396M for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will make $360 million in funding available through the Fiscal Year 2024 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The program funds fire prevention programs and supports firefighter health and safety research and... Read More »
Legislation would reauthorize the Community Oriented Policing Services program
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would reauthorize the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and double federal funding. The More Funding for COPS Act would formally reauthorize the program that hasn’t been reauthorized since... Read More »
Bipartisan bill would protect military installations from unauthorized drones
A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and August Pfluger (R-TX) would help secure the airspace around military bases, officials said. The Comprehensive Operations for Unmanned-System Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response (COUNTER) Act would expand the definition of a... Read More »
Legislation would improve visibility of medicine supply chains
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would improve federal coordination and visibility of medicine supply chains. The Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply Act would directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with other relevant... Read More »
DHS technology partner launching first responder solution
New Jersey-based MaXentric Technologies LLC, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) technology to industry partner, will make commercially available a first responder solution to law enforcement agencies nationwide. The radar-based Detect Presence of... Read More »
Michigan man arrested for planning terrorist attack
Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, a 19-year-old former member of the Michigan Army National Guard, recently was arrested after attempting to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Mich., on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.... Read More »
Legislation would improve police preparedness
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would improve officer readiness, enhance public trust, and make communities safer. Smaller or under-resourced jurisdictions often lack the ability to offer advanced training on their own. The Law Enforcement... Read More »
Legislation would extend the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would extend the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 for an additional 10 years. CISA incentivizes companies to voluntarily share cybersecurity threat indicators with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Threat... Read More »
CBP reports “dramatic” change in operations at the border
According to statistics released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for April, border agents patrolling the southern border are up and the number of immigrants entering the country are down. The monthly reporting, which can be viewed on the agency’s stats and summaries webpage, show... Read More »
Bill to address port staffing shortages reintroduced
Legislation aimed at addressing personnel shortages at ports of entry was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate last week. U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) reintroduced the Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act to fully staff America’s airports, seaports and land ports of entry... Read More »
Global Congress issues recommendations on chemical security threats
The Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats released recommendations at its fifth plenary meeting last week to boost global action against chemical security threats. The meeting included 300 delegates from more than 100 countries and six international... Read More »
Legislation will seek to reform FEMA, federal disaster assistance programs
Bipartisan legislation soon to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and federal disaster assistance programs. U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman, and Rick Larsen (D-WA)... Read More »
Bill introduced to eliminate unfair overtime limits on police
Legislation that would guarantee federal law enforcement officers are paid the compensation they have earned was introduced in the House on May 8. The bill, the Law Enforcement Officer Fair Retirement Act, was introduced by U.S. Reps. Nellie Pou (D-NJ), Don Bacon (R-NE), Gerry Connolly (D-VA)... Read More »