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anthrax attacks, and a number of high profile biosafety violations at
high-containment labs, biosecurity issues have piqued the attention of a number of federal policymakers. The National Science Advisory Board
on Biosecurity (NSABB), which is charged with oversight of dual use research - life sciences research which can be misused for harmful
purposes – released a report in December recommending both voluntary and mandatory biosecurity education for federally funded scientists.
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Inside (The Beltway) Scoop
After weeks of discussion and marathon negotiations (including the efforts of three Republican Senators to forge a
bipartisan compromise) the democratically controlled Congress accomplished its previously stated goal of sending a massive economic stimulus
bill to the White House prior to the President’s Day recess. President Obama signed the $789 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 (HR 1) into law on Feb. 17th at a special ceremony in Denver, Colorado four days after it cleared the House of Representatives by a
vote of 246-183 and the Senate on a 60-38
vote. The bill includes more than $15 billion for a variety of investments in science facilities,
research programs and instrumentation, as well as $1 billion to repair and renovate Veterans Administration medical facilities.
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Institute of Medicine Releases Report on HIPAA Privacy Rule
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released a new report titled "Beyond the HIPAA Privacy Rule: Enhancing Privacy, Improving Health through
Research." The report concludes that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule impedes important health
research and does not protect privacy as well as it should. The IOM committee recommended developing a new framework for ensuring privacy in
all health research conducted in the United States regardless of the source of funding.
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FASEB Launches 111th Congress Information Center
Earlier this month FASEB launched a comprehensive
resource for tracking members, legislation, and events of the 111th Congress. “We are
pleased to announce a new resource to help scientists connect to their members of Congress,” said FASEB President Richard Marchase, Ph.D.
The 111th Congress Information and Advocacy Center features
profiles of each of the freshman members of Congress and provides a one-stop-shop
for legislative information and advocacy resources, including science policy information, current funding levels for federal research and
science programs, congressional hearing schedules, links to key congressional committees, and access to the FASEB Legislative Action Center.
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