Tag: Congress

SILVER SPRING, Md.—As part of a coalition of organizations and trade associations, the Security Industry Association (SIA) issued a letter to Congress outlining its concerns regarding potential bans on public-sector uses of facial recognition technology. The letter authors encourage the federal government to collaborate with all stakeholders to address concerns about the use of facial recognition technology and recommend that federal leaders provide a consistent set of rules across the United...

WASHINGTON—The 2014 SIA Government Summit, hosted by the Security Industry Association, will examine some of the border security and immigration projects being developed in conjunction with homeland security initiatives, according to a news release from SIA. The summit, held June 3-4 at the W Hotel in Washington, D.C., will feature experts from the public and private sectors who will examine several topics pertinent to border security. Panels will deal with security programs with state organizations,...

WASHINGTON—Hailed in some corners as a rare example of political compromise, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, known as the Ryan-Murray agreement, could also be the near-term fiscal solution integrators are looking for.Jake Parker, government relations director at the Security Industry Association, said two DHS-funded grant programs—the Port Security Grant Program and the Transportation Security Grant Program—are likely to be less hampered by the sequester in 2014 and 2015.  “Those...

WASHINGTON— In an appointment designed to bring about some shifts in the organization's direction, the Security Industry Association has hired Jake Parker, a 12-year veteran of Capitol Hill, as its new government relations director, Don Erickson, CEO of SIA, told Security Systems News.“You're going to see SIA develop more of a regulatory agenda,” he said. “Given how dysfunctional Congress has been, a lot of activity that's going to drive market opportunities is going to come...

WASHINGTON—The crisis in Syria only further roils what was already expected to be a turbulent few months in Congress leading up to the holidays. Despite the din, the Security Industry Association has developed a plan to advance some of its own objectives, of which there are many.In the forefront is the resolution on the federal budget, Don Erickson, CEO of SIA, told Security Systems News. SIA will track the resolution closely to determine what funding levels end users can expect to see. The...

WASHINGTON—Weeks into the legislative lull of August, the Security Industry Association is gearing up for Congress to return to session in September, when lawmakers in the House will tackle immigration reform.The association's approach remains less ideological than informational, Marcus Dunn, director of government relations for SIA, told Security Systems News. The focus is fixed squarely on border security, which is likely to be a major component of any immigration legislation, whether the...

ORLAND PARK, Ill.—Illinois this summer appeared poised to become the third state in the nation to adopt residential sprinkler requirements statewide, with the Illinois State Fire Marshal recommending the state's first update of its fire code in 11 years.But facing strong opposition from Chicago city officials, homebuilders' and realtors' groups, Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis on Aug. 2 withdrew his proposal to update the state fire code, NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, from the 2000 edition to the...

WASHINGTON—A major security-focused amendment to the Senate immigration bill, proposed by a pair of Senators one day before the legislation passed 68-32, might have played a critical role in making the overhaul more palatable to several more Senate Republicans.Proposed by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and John Hoeven, R-N.D., the amendment package would devote more than $40 billion over the next ten years to bolstering security and ramping up enforcement on the nation's southern border. Provisions...

VIENNA, Va.—A provision to establish Next Generation 911 became law Feb. 22 as part of the payroll tax bill, including language the alarm industry feared might allow unverified PERS calls to stream into PSAPs. But agreements have been reached that will prevent the measure from having a negative impact on central stations, according to the Alarm Industry Communications Committee.The AICC had been lobbying members of Congress since December to change H.R. 3630—the Middle Class Tax Relief...