Center of Excellence

By Benton Ives-Halperin, CQ Staff

Homeland security and health officials unveiled a checklist last week that outlines steps businesses can take to prepare for a pandemic. Although experts generally agreed the checklist is a step in the right direction, some worry that small businesses could struggle to keep up with preparations.

The checklist includes several broad pandemic-related circumstances for which businesses should prepare, including planning for an outbreak’s impact on operations and setting procedures for working during one.

Pandemic Flu Checklist
Pandemic Flu Business Letter
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By Patrick Yoest, CQ Staff

The creator of a voluntary program that verifies employees’ identification now wants to see mandatory checks instituted, but critics say the program would create a costly, error-prone database of personal information.

Basic Pilot, created in a 1996 immigration reform law (PL 99-603), matches Social Security numbers submitted by employees against the Social Security Administration database. The system is run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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By Tim Starks, CQ Staff

A House subcommittee will take the beginning steps Wednesday toward federal regulations that dictate the sale and storage of ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer that terrorists have used to create explosives.

The Homeland Security Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack is scheduled to mark up legislation (HR 3197) authorizing the Department of Homeland Security to write the regulations.
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By Benton Ives-Halperin, CQ Staff

A recent large-scale civilian exercise to test terrorism responses — the Top Officials Exercise (TOPOFF) — was generally successful, but auditors said hurdles remain, including questions about coordination and who pays for the program.

In a report released Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general called the April 2005 exercise the “most ambitious civilian terrorism response exercise every conducted.” Auditors wrote that “overall, objectives were addressed and met.”
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