Trade Associations
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from national and international trade associations influencing the debate on federal policies.
Featured Stories
Power to Decide Earns 4-Star Rating From Charity Navigator
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy issued the following news release:
Power to Decide, the campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy, was awarded its 12th consecutive 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, which is a streak that can be claimed by less than 1% of all charities reviewed. The 4-star rating is the highest rating a charitable non-profit can receive. Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that provides donors with essential information in order to make informed decisions about charitable giving.
For more than 20 years,
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy issued the following news release:
Power to Decide, the campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy, was awarded its 12th consecutive 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, which is a streak that can be claimed by less than 1% of all charities reviewed. The 4-star rating is the highest rating a charitable non-profit can receive. Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that provides donors with essential information in order to make informed decisions about charitable giving.
For more than 20 years,Power to Decide has been a recognized as a leader in ensuring that young people have what they need to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant. Power to Decide provides reliable, relevant, and resonant sexual and reproductive health information via its direct to consumer property, Bedsider.org. The organization also has been a leader in advocating for greater access to contraceptive methods in order to avoid unplanned pregnancies. Power to Decide also serves as a trusted source for research-based solutions and works with mentors, policymakers, and entertainment media in order to further its mission.
"We are so proud to have received this prestigious recognition from Charity Navigator for the 12th consecutive time," said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, Power to Decide. "This special recognition validates our work and recognizes our efforts to ensure that every dollar of support we receive is used wisely in order to maximize our impact for young people. Our goal remains to help ensure that all young people--regardless of who they are or where they live--have access to quality sexual health information and the full range of contraceptive methods."
Power to Decide was founded in 1996 when teen pregnancy and birth rates were significantly higher. Although unplanned and teen pregnancies rates have declined significantly, women of color and women living in poverty continue to experience unplanned pregnancies at unacceptably high rates. In addition, recent research conducted by Power to Decide shows that nearly 20 million American women live in contraceptive deserts--defined by their lack of reasonable access to public health care sites offering the full range of contraceptive methods.
"Despite significant progress, we cannot declare victory. We must continue our efforts until all young people have the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child," concluded Ehrlich.
Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to ensure all people--no matter who they are, where they live, or what their economic status might be--have the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Please visit us at http://www.PowerToDecide.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
[Category: Health Care]
National PTA's Response to Federal School Safety Commission Report
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Dec. 18 -- The National Parent Teacher Association issued the following news release:
Today, after eight months of public input, commission meetings and field visits across the county, the Federal School Safety Commission released its report on ways to keep students safe at school. The report includes several recommendations aligned with National PTA positions and A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools - joint recommendations written and endorsed by our nation's leading education stakeholders and practitioners - on improved access to school-based mental and behavioral
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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Dec. 18 -- The National Parent Teacher Association issued the following news release:
Today, after eight months of public input, commission meetings and field visits across the county, the Federal School Safety Commission released its report on ways to keep students safe at school. The report includes several recommendations aligned with National PTA positions and A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools - joint recommendations written and endorsed by our nation's leading education stakeholders and practitioners - on improved access to school-based mental and behavioralhealth services, threat assessments protocols, comprehensive school safety plans, and role of school resource officers (SROs).
However, we would have liked to see the Commission include common sense proposals to limit youth access to firearms, strengthen background checks, fund gun violence research efforts, and ban assault weapons. Our association believes any effort to improve the safety of our nation's youth must be comprehensive and include gun safety and violence prevention measures.
National PTA supports positive school discipline policies that include a strong family engagement component and keep children in school and learning over exclusionary discipline. We are disappointed to see the report recommends the rescission of the 2014 school discipline guidance from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. Without this guidance, we are concerned that students of color and students with special needs will face even more disparate levels of discipline compared to their white peers.
Our association also believes that to promote positive school climates that encourage nurturing relationships, connectedness and mutual trust and respect among students, staff and families, there must be people and practices within the school building to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment. While the report focuses on the need for increased use of evidence-based frameworks to support and implement behavioral, health and mental health services, the report does not include a recommendation to increase the staffing ratios of school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and school nurses who can provide those supports.
"While the Commission's report does not explicitly recommend arming educators, National PTA believes the most effective day-to-day school climate is a gun-free campus--which includes not arming teachers and administrators. Teachers and administrators should be able to focus on their primary responsibility, which is to educate our children," said Jim Accomando, president of National PTA. "Our association opposes any attempt to use federal funds to arm or provide firearm training for educators. National PTA recognizes that school safety is a multi-faceted issue with no one clear solution for every community. We believe any effort to address school safety must involve all stakeholders who should consider a variety of factors, including the physical and psychological safety of students."
"All of us share the responsibility to create and ensure safe, supportive and welcoming learning environments. We look forward to working with the Commission, the administration, Congress, and state and local policy makers to shape policies based on evidenced-based best practices in school safety and climate, discipline, student mental health, instructional leadership, teaching and learning" said Nathan Monell, executive director of National PTA.
[Category: Education]
Leonard Named VP & Senior Economist at the Insurance Information Institute
NEW YORK, Dec. 18 -- The Insurance Information Institute issued the following news release:
* * *
- Held Top Economic Positions Previously at Insurance Brokers Aon and Alliant
Dr. Michel Leonard, CBE, has been appointed Vice President & Senior Economist at the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), with a portfolio which will include responsibilities for research, communications, and education outreach.
Dr. Leonard is an economist and data scientist who has worked for 20 years in senior-level insurance and finance positions. He has hands-on experience across the insurance value-chain, from
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NEW YORK, Dec. 18 -- The Insurance Information Institute issued the following news release:
* * *
- Held Top Economic Positions Previously at Insurance Brokers Aon and Alliant
Dr. Michel Leonard, CBE, has been appointed Vice President & Senior Economist at the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), with a portfolio which will include responsibilities for research, communications, and education outreach.
Dr. Leonard is an economist and data scientist who has worked for 20 years in senior-level insurance and finance positions. He has hands-on experience across the insurance value-chain, fromgenerating risk analytics to communicating risk outlooks. A thought leader in applied risk quantification, a subject on which he has been published widely, Dr. Leonard also is a frequent media commentator and speaker at insurance industry events.
"Throughout his career, Dr. Leonard has worked closely with underwriters, brokers, and insurance industry executives at the C-Suite level to align coverage more effectively with exposures. His insights and analysis have enabled insurers to expand and to prosper," said Sean Kevelighan, chief executive officer, I.I.I. "Dr. Leonard will be an enormous asset to the Insurance Information Institute and its audiences."
Prior to joining the I.I.I., he was Partner & Chief Data Scientist at MaKro LLC, a Fintech risk advisor. Earlier in his career, Dr. Leonard was the Senior Vice President & Chief Economist at Aon and the Chief Economist & Data Scientist at Alliant, the insurance broker owned by Blackstone and Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts (KKR).
Dr. Leonard holds a B.A. from McGill University, an MTS from Harvard University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Economy from the University of Virginia, focusing on qualitative and quantitative risk modeling. His certification stands for Chartered Business Economist (CBE).
In addition, Dr. Leonard is an adjunct faculty member in New York University's (NYU) Economics Department and at Columbia University's Department of Statistics and Data Science Institute, where he focuses on Applied Economics, Fintech, and Insurtech.
Based in the I.I.I.'s New York City office, Dr. Leonard will report into Dr. Steven Weisbart, the I.I.I.'s Senior Vice President & Chief Economist. A photo of Dr. Leonard is available online (http://email.prnewswire.com/wf/click?upn=7VDqtAz2AW-2FeY7XnbvsasY9vENPskXnMDd6PyKdW2q9pu5GbxYV-2Ff7Qd3-2BAcfYF-2FSwQWmPIoJ3KLEhkIYV3Q45EWYB1Qfqvfabv8nhr7tCI-3D_SqDlTmDwi5FykSxls1Ta7OjpIN4b7fn34tlwTrkdZWCCPFZkCui32mEXNVyllzHs3WV7zuRnZO23dQMzjubcBTJFibEhmgJLSw3SYnjtr9xM-2FyZvBFPzXiZhe440O1-2BR893OYJxQ2fuwTJKReWLS6uc-2FbkQzMH9IhmgiCLQlle1JzMG-2BpfuU9nRQRWiE-2BwXPyN5x1I0Sh5BppYOcYTkOMAv8lL44p9a0WuQADL8-2BG0YA4xy5aUKrSGadtAfOkzC-2FiCmdb2-2F7aEq0zOgSdmh-2FU2X-2FJPici2K-2Bn8BJZJvHk3CB3cEjGJHtfYqKlZ0O1EfQ).
[Category: Insurance]
IAB Tech Lab Launches Podcast Measurement Compliance Program
NEW YORK, Dec. 18 -- The Interactive Advertising Bureau issued the following news release:
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- NPR & Rawvoice/Blubrry Earn First Seals of Compliance
The IAB Technology Laboratory Podcast Measurement Compliance Program has entered the marketplace championed by major podcast publishers and platforms, signaling high demand for the guidelines that help solve podcast advertising's many measurement challenges. NPR and Rawvoice/Blubrry are the first companies to earn the Podcast Measurement Certification.
The IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement Compliance Program certifies that companies are adhering
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NEW YORK, Dec. 18 -- The Interactive Advertising Bureau issued the following news release:
* * *
- NPR & Rawvoice/Blubrry Earn First Seals of Compliance
The IAB Technology Laboratory Podcast Measurement Compliance Program has entered the marketplace championed by major podcast publishers and platforms, signaling high demand for the guidelines that help solve podcast advertising's many measurement challenges. NPR and Rawvoice/Blubrry are the first companies to earn the Podcast Measurement Certification.
The IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement Compliance Program certifies that companies are adheringto the IAB Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines, released in December 2017. These guidelines establish a common set of ad metrics for podcasts and a base set of principles that any measurement system should support.
Podcast advertising has been challenged by a lack of uniformity in measurement systems and metrics. Meaningful measurement has been thwarted by an inability to connect, track, and analyze user requests; measurement products that use dissimilar, proprietary algorithms; and a lack of an agreed-upon set of metrics and their meanings. With the Podcast Measurement Compliance Program, the IAB Tech Lab seeks to ensure these common challenges are addressed.
The IAB Tech Lab Seal of Compliance for Podcast Measurement includes the following metrics:
* Download
* Listener
* Ad Delivery
"According to the latest IAB/PwC study, podcast advertising is estimated to hit revenues of $402 million this year alone, and the marketplace is growing very rapidly, despite measurement hurdles," said Dennis Buchheim, Senior Vice President and General Manager, IAB Tech Lab. "To continue this growth, measurement practices need to become consistent, accurate, and meaningful. The Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines and Compliance Program help get us closer to this goal--and we applaud NPR and Rawvoice/Blubrry for becoming the first to be certified and all the other companies that are going through certification at this time."
"NPR is excited to lead the way in accurate and transparent metrics for podcasts, and the IAB guidelines ensure this entire skyrocketing industry speaks a common language," said Steve Mulder, Senior Director of Audience Insights, NPR. "We are committed to advancing podcast measurement on all fronts: providing critical download-based metrics according to the IAB guidelines as well as moving into listening-based metrics through our Remote Audio Data spec. This certification is a key step for us and for the industry."
"In 2008 we began work on metrics standardization, and it's the base of what we still utilize today," said Todd Cochrane, CEO, Rawvoice/Blubrry. "This certification validates what we have known and advocated for years. We are pleased and grateful to be one of the first to obtain certification, which will now be the gold standard of audited, tested, and validated podcast statistics for our 50,000-plus customers."
To learn more about the IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement Compliance Program, go to https://iabtechlab.com/compliance-programs/.
[Category: Advertising]
FDA Remanufacturing Workshop Promotes Continued Collaboration
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 18 -- The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation issued the following news release:
When it comes to the longstanding debate surrounding medical device servicing, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), independent service organizations, healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals, and others affected by this issue don't always see eye to eye. However, all agree on the importance of medical device safety and effectiveness.
It was with that spirit that stakeholders put their heads together at a Dec. 10-11 public workshop hosted by the Food
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ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 18 -- The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation issued the following news release:
When it comes to the longstanding debate surrounding medical device servicing, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), independent service organizations, healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals, and others affected by this issue don't always see eye to eye. However, all agree on the importance of medical device safety and effectiveness.
It was with that spirit that stakeholders put their heads together at a Dec. 10-11 public workshop hosted by the Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) in Gaithersburg, MD, with the goal of discussing the distinction between medical device servicing and remanufacturing. The FDA intends to use feedback from the workshop and a public docket to issue draft guidance in 2019.
According to a white paper published prior to the event, the FDA defines servicing as "the repair and/or preventative or routine maintenance of one or more parts in a finished device, after distribution, for purposes of returning it to the safety and performance specifications established by the OEM and to meet its original intended use," while remanufacturing constitutes "processing, conditioning, renovating, repackaging, restoring, or any other act done to a finished device that significantly changes the finished device's performance or safety specifications, or intended use."
During the workshop, stakeholders applied a flowchart from the white paper to real-world situations, such as patching a small hole in the liquid helium reservoir of a magnetic resonance system. The goal was to explore how decision points and definitions would be interpreted by different groups across the various scenarios, as well as to provide feedback.
"Some activities are clearly servicing, while others are clearly remanufacturing. But some activities can fall into a gray area in which it's less clear which category the activity falls under," said Patrick Bernat, director of HTM standards at AAMI. "There seems to be a shared commitment from the various stakeholders to work together on the issues that have been identified surrounding medical device servicing and remanufacturing and develop solutions. Ultimately, the main outcome from the workshop was some established groundwork for continued discussions and future collaboration."
The formation of a "collaborative community" to address the challenges associated with delivering high quality, safe, and effective servicing of medical devices was proposed by the FDA in a congressionally mandated report about the issue published in May 2018. The report said that "available objective evidence" did not support concluding there is (or isn't) a systemic problem with third-party service of medical devices; it also noted a need for more "robust, systematically-collected, quantitative data."
During this month's workshop, Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said that medical device servicers "play a critical role" in ensuring that devices remain high quality, safe, and effective but that "there are differing perspectives about what, if any, steps should be taken to ensure or continue to ensure high-quality servicing."
"Regardless, I think we can all appreciate that technology and our ecosystem continually change and, even in the absence of overt problems, we must continue to evolve," Shuren said.
Samantha Jacques, director of clinical engineering at Penn State Health, who participated in the workshop, said she appreciated that stakeholders had "ample opportunity" to provide their points of view.
"Although there was very few points all stakeholders agreed on, the topics that gathered the most support were training, quality management systems, information/evidence generation and sharing, and cybersecurity," said Jacques, who is a member of the BI&T Editorial Board. "Going forward, I hope a multi-stakeholder steering team is formed that can define and create task forces to address these priority topics and work toward defining some middle ground where all parties can agree and move forward."
To help move toward resolution of this issue, AAMI President and CEO Rob Jensen offered for the association to host the next public-private forum on the subject.
"We at AAMI believe that continuing these productive talks and potentially establishing collaborative communities will help advance patient safety in the interest of all parties," Jensen said. "We intend to provide a quality venue and a neutral site to advance this conversation."
The FDA is accepting feedback on its whitepaper (docket number FDA-2018-N-3741) at http://www.regulations.gov until Jan. 25.
[Category: Medical]
ABA Welcomes FDIC's Review of Brokered Deposit Regulations
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The American Bankers Association issued the following news release:
The American Bankers Association welcomes the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s announcement today to review its brokered deposit rules and solicit comments from the public. This is an important next step toward modernizing regulations so that they better align with how customers want to interact with their banks rather than discourage deposit taking.
Deposit taking is fundamental to banking and it's essential that banks can continue to evolve and innovate to receive and safeguard customer deposits and
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The American Bankers Association issued the following news release:
The American Bankers Association welcomes the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s announcement today to review its brokered deposit rules and solicit comments from the public. This is an important next step toward modernizing regulations so that they better align with how customers want to interact with their banks rather than discourage deposit taking.
Deposit taking is fundamental to banking and it's essential that banks can continue to evolve and innovate to receive and safeguard customer deposits andmeet the lending needs that are the engine of economic growth. While technology, business models and product types have changed, the importance of bank deposits has not.
"We appreciate Chairman McWilliams' leadership on this issue and the FDIC's decision to ask for input," said ABA president and CEO Rob Nichols. "We look forward to contributing to the discussion and working with the FDIC as it reviews its deposit rules."
Brokered deposit regulations were originally designed to restrict certain kinds of deposits that institutions in a weakened capital position could accept. But the regulations -- written over 30 years ago -- did not contemplate the advent of the internet, smart phones or how the industry has evolved along with the preferences of its customers. Moreover, brokered deposits themselves have evolved. For example, deposit regulations often don't consider how banks have changed the ways that they communicate with their customers and the rules can interfere with customer interactions, penalizing banks for finding new and innovative ways to provide deposit services.
The FDIC also expansively views deposits above a rate cap as volatile. While the rate cap is intended to prevent struggling banks from offering excessively high rates, it is often applied to healthy banks and calculated in a way that doesn't take into account differences in local markets and how banks compete.
"Brokered deposit regulations affect every bank in this country and it's our duty to our members and our members' customers to try find a better approach to the rules," said Nichols. "We think they can be updated to reflect the realities of today's marketplace and better fit how banks serve their customers."
[Category: Financial Services]
5G Americas Board Elects T-Mobile's Neville Ray as Chairman and Jim Nevelle, Kathrein USA, as Treasurer in 2019
BELLEVUE, Washington, Dec. 18 -- 5G Americas (formerly the 4G Americas) issued the following news release:
5G Americas, the industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, today announced that Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President for T-Mobile U.S., Inc. has been elected to serve as the 2019 Chairman of the 5G Americas Board of Governors. 5G Americas Board has also elected Jim Nevelle, President and CEO of Kathrein USA, to serve as the organization's Treasurer.
"Neville Ray's leadership as the Chairman of the 5G Americas Board of Governors in
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BELLEVUE, Washington, Dec. 18 -- 5G Americas (formerly the 4G Americas) issued the following news release:
5G Americas, the industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, today announced that Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President for T-Mobile U.S., Inc. has been elected to serve as the 2019 Chairman of the 5G Americas Board of Governors. 5G Americas Board has also elected Jim Nevelle, President and CEO of Kathrein USA, to serve as the organization's Treasurer.
"Neville Ray's leadership as the Chairman of the 5G Americas Board of Governors in2018 has driven the work our organization has successfully accomplished in supporting the development of 5G technology throughout the Americas as well as worldwide, and we are enthusiastic about his continued role in his re-election as Chairman for 2019 with the launch of the 5th generation of wireless technology," said Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas. "It is a further honor that Jim Nevelle will lend his considerable experience and serve as 5G Americas newly appointed Treasurer."
Neville Ray has more than 25 years of experience in the design, deployment and operational management of wireless networks in the United States and worldwide, and is recognized for his leadership in the telecommunications industry. His work comprises all aspects of wireless network deployment, including radio planning and optimization. Ray is responsible for the national management and ongoing development of T-Mobile's wireless network, as well as the company's technology innovations, IT services and operations. Ray has been a member of the 5G Americas Board for more than eight years including past terms as Chairperson.
Ray commented, "Exciting times for 5G Americas and industry stakeholders as we see the fruits of our labor evolving with the active deployment of standards-based 5G deployments. Without organizations such as 5G Americas providing technical and regulatory leadership for the connected wireless world, we would not be able to enjoy these types of successes. I am looking forward to my continuation as the Chairman in providing leadership for the strategic work at 5G Americas."
Jim Nevelle has more than 20 years of experience in the mobile industry, and serves as the top executive at Kathrein USA. Nevelle is responsible for Kathrein's strategy and development of wireless infrastructure including mobile communication antennas, broadcast solutions, connected car solutions, and radio frequency products for North America. He has been active with the 5G Americas Board of Governors for two years and is serving his first term as Treasurer.
Jim Nevelle stated, "Actively participating with the other Board members at 5G Americas has been inspirational and rewarding as we see the results of our numerous white papers and strategic efforts to expand and improve mobile technology throughout the Americas. I look forward to my new capacity on the Board and the opportunity to serve."
5G Americas' Board of Governors members include: AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Cisco, CommScope, Ericsson, Intel, Kathrein, Mavenir, Nokia, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung, Shaw Communications Inc., Sprint, T-Mobile US, Inc., Telefonica and WOM.
[Category: Telecommunications]
