ASME offers training on its public policy process

The biennial Public Affairs Leadership Conference (PALC), sponsored by the Council on Public Affairs, will take place in historic Alexandria, Va., outside of Washington, Sept. 23-25.

PALC is a training session for ASME members who are interested in the Society's Public Affairs programs. The conference objectives are to involve ASME members in the public policy process, provide insight on how to work effectively with the news media to increase public awareness of engineering, encourage the participation of women and minorities in mechanical engineering and ASME, and discuss emerging issues and trends affecting engineers.

Participants will also have the oppor-tunity to meet with their congressional representatives.

Registration information on PALC, as well as a detailed program agenda, may be viewed at www.asme.org/gric/palc. For additional information, contact Allian Pratt at (202) 785-3756 or at pratta@asme.org.

ASME participates in Department of Defense Hill Day

ASME joined with the Coalition for National Security Research (CNSR) in sponsoring a Department of Defense (DOD) Hill Day on Capitol Hill.

The day-long event featured a briefing by Pentagon officials on DOD's research and development program, an awards luncheon honoring members of Congress who have championed DOD science and technology, and displays of technical innovations developed by military research laboratories under DOD funded research.

Participants also visited their elected representatives on Capitol Hill to urge policy makers to strengthen DOD's science and technology research program in fiscal year 2002.

CNSR is a group of engineering, scientific, mathematical and behavioral societies, universities and industrial associations that advocates increased funding for DOD's science and technology programs.

For more information on DOD research and development issues in general, contact Kathryn Holmes at (202) 785-3756 or at holmesk@asme.org.

EED releases statement on FY 2002 EPA budget request

ASME's Environmental Engineering Division (EED) of the Council on Engineering recently released its position statement on the fiscal year 2002 budget request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The statement focused on EPA's Science and Technology budget, the majority of which is allocated to the Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD).

Because of the complex, multidisciplinary nature of environmental issues, the EED believes it is imperative that EPA base its actions on sound science and engineering. The position statement advocates: stronger input and greater involvement of the EPA's Science Advisory Board in helping set EPA research priorities; focusing on national environmental priorities that impact human health, ecosystem health and climate; education of future environmental professionals and building interdisciplinary teams through the support of extramurally funded research; and building a strong science, engineering and technology base, within EPA and through partnerships with industry and government.

In a related action, ASME was one of several engineering societies to endorse a letter to House Science Committee members urging support for H.R. 64, a bill to establish the position of deputy administrator for Science and Technology at the EPA. The proposed legislation would also designate the assistant administrator of ORD as chief scientist of the EPA.

To view a copy of the position statement and/or the letter, go to www.asme.org/gric/ps01.html. For information on environmental issues in general, contact Kathryn Holmes at (202) 785-3756 or at holmesk@asme.org.

Group calls on Congress to enact association health plan legislation

ASME's vice president of Member Interests and Development recently sent a letter to all members of Congress, urging them to support legislation to strengthen and expand association health plans.

In his letter, Joseph H. Cook, Jr. noted that H.R. 1774, the bipartisan Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2991, "will allow ASME and other bona fide professional societies and associations to offer greater access and choice in health care options to their members."

Currently, some 19,000 ASME members in nine states have no access to the Society's comprehensive major medical plan due to state requirements.

A copy of the letter may be viewed at www.asme.org/gric/ps/2001/01-28.html.

For more information, contact Patti Burgio at (202) 785-3756 or at burgiop@asme.org.

— Mary Legatski
ASME Government Relations

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