[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 75 (Thursday, May 5, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2360-S2361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. REED:
  S. 4148. A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to complete and 
publish a study and develop a plan relating to the ability of the 
electric system to meet the electricity demand of new electric vehicle 
charging infrastructure, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Electric Vehicle 
Grid, Improvement, and Development Act, which would take important 
steps to prepare our electric grid for the deployment of the electric 
vehicle charging infrastructure that is essential to meeting our 
climate goals.
  Our Nation's dependence on fossil fuels has created serious 
challenges for our security, economy, and environment. The 
electrification of our transportation system will play a crucial role 
in confronting those challenges. Indeed, electric vehicles will help 
reduce our dependence on oil, lower carbon emissions and save Americans 
money at the pump.
  The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act took great 
strides in advancing the deployment of electric vehicles. The bill 
provided $15 billion for electric vehicles, including $7.5 billion to 
create a national network of electric vehicle charging stations. Of 
these funds, Rhode Island should receive $23 million for the deployment 
of new charging stations across the State.
  Investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure must be 
paired with grid readiness measures to ensure we can decarbonize as 
quickly as possible. To that end, the EV GRID Act would direct the 
Department of Energy to complete a study on the anticipated demand of 
electric vehicle charging infrastructure on our electric grid. It would 
also direct the Department, once the study is completed, to submit a 
plan with recommendations for policymakers to help the electric system 
meet demand.
  This bill is critical to ensuring a smooth transition toward a 
cleaner, decarbonized transportation sector. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in supporting this commonsense legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Brown):
  S. 4155. A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to authorize 
extraterritorial jurisdiction; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  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. 4155

       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 ``Alien Tort Statute 
     Clarification Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Since its founding, the United States has been a 
     proponent of international law and a champion of universal 
     human rights. Section 1350 of title 28, United States Code 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Alien Tort Statute''), 
     originally enacted as part of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
     establish the judicial courts of the United States'', 
     approved September 24, 1789 (1 Stat. 73), continues to serve 
     important purposes in providing remedies to victims of 
     violations of international law and for holding perpetrators 
     of human rights violations accountable.
       (2) Some international law violations have been addressed 
     in part by other statutes. But the Alien Tort Statute remains 
     an important tool for addressing international law 
     violations.
       (3) Human rights abusers continue to seek refuge in the 
     United States, including foreign government and military 
     officials and leaders of death squads and other violent 
     groups. This undermines the standing of the United States and 
     its capacity to speak with authority on matters of human 
     rights.
       (4) When corporations commit or aid and abet human rights 
     violations directly and through their supply chains, they 
     should be held accountable. Failing to do so erodes the 
     foreign policy interests of the United States and the 
     priorities of Congress.
       (5) Impunity for corporations who violate human rights 
     unfairly disadvantages businesses that respect and uphold 
     human rights. Companies that respect human rights should have 
     a level playing field with companies that do not, such as 
     those that would continue to do business in areas of the 
     world known for mass atrocities or war crimes, including the 
     Xinjiang region of the People's Republic of China or in the 
     Russian Federation amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
       (6) In many countries where human rights abuses occur, 
     victims are unable to obtain justice because of ongoing 
     conflicts and violence, corruption, and inadequate rule of 
     law. In many such cases, a suit under the Alien Tort Statute 
     is the only option for redress and accountability.
       (7) The international law violations for which the Alien 
     Tort Statute provides a remedy are universal and the Alien 
     Tort Statute is a testament to the rule of law in the United 
     States.
       (8) The Alien Tort Statute should be available against 
     those responsible for human rights abuses whenever they are 
     subject to personal jurisdiction in the United States, 
     regardless of where the abuse occurred.

     SEC. 3. EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

       Section 1350 of title 28, United State Code, is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The 
     district''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Extraterritorial Jurisdiction.--In addition to any 
     domestic or extraterritorial jurisdiction otherwise provided 
     by law, the district courts of the United States have 
     extraterritorial jurisdiction over any tort described in 
     subsection (a) if--
       ``(1) an alleged defendant is a national of the United 
     States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
     (as those terms are defined in section 101 of the Immigration 
     and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)); or
       ``(2) an alleged defendant is present in the United States, 
     irrespective of the nationality of the alleged defendant.''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA:
  S. 4158. A bill to amend the small business laws to create certain 
requirements with respect to the SBIR and STTR program, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the 
``Encouraging Small Business Innovation Act,'' which I introduced 
today.
  During National Small Business Week, we are celebrating the 
resiliency of our Nation's entrepreneurs who are leading our economic 
recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
  To promote a strong recovery for the 32.5 million small businesses 
across the country, Congress should bolster Federal programs that 
support these entrepreneurs and innovators.
  For more than 40 years, the Small Business Innovation Research and 
Small Business Technology Transfer Programs have spurred innovation, 
job creation, and economic growth.
  These programs have generated breakthroughs in a wide range of 
sectors, including agriculture, defense, energy, healthcare, and 
transportation.

[[Page S2361]]

  Today, the Small Business Administration and 11 participating Federal 
Agencies leverage the SBIR and STTR Programs to help small innovative 
firms explore their potential and increase the commercialization of 
innovations arising out of Federal research and development.
  While these critical programs have invested more than $40 billion in 
small businesses, many firms, especially those that are minority- or 
women-owned, still face considerable barriers to participation.
  As we look to spur innovation and drive small business growth, 
Congress should improve the diversity of these programs, enhance access 
to capital, and expand the eligible uses of funds to better support the 
needs of U.S. small businesses.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to increase the 
effectiveness of the SBIR and STTR Programs by improving diversity, 
enhancing access to capital, and expanding the eligible uses of funds.
  This bill would direct participating Federal Agencies to use a 
portion of their SBIR allocation to conduct outreach and provide 
technical assistance to underserved populations and states.
  It would also allow Small Business Investment Companies to 
participate as investors in SBIR and STTR projects and permanently add 
testing and evaluation activities permanently as an eligible expense, 
which can be resource-intensive for small firms, across all relevant 
agencies.
  Additionally, this bill would require participating Federal Agencies 
to conduct a joint annual meeting to share best practices for improving 
data collection and streamlining processes across the programs.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill to improve 
the effectiveness of the SBIR and STTR Programs.

                          ____________________