[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.

                          ____________________