Supported emergency communications funding. Congressman Forbes voted for S.1694, which extends funding for an emergency communications grant program established under the Digital Television Transition Act. The program will help states to supply critical communication equipment for first-responders.This legislation passed by a vote of 420-0.

Supported the importance of computer science. Congressman Forbes voted for H.Res. 558 to establish National Computer Science Week, December 7-11, 2009, to encourage educators and policymakers to improve education and participation in computer science. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring science, engineering or technical training will increase 24 percent between 2004 and 2014 to 6.3 million. However, the United States share of the world's science and engineering doctorates is predicted to fall to 15 percent by next year.  The resolution passed the House by a vote of 405-0.  

Supported Cyber Security Awareness Month. Congressman Forbes voted for H.Res. 797 which declares the House of Representatives intention to enhance the state of cyber security in the United States.  The resolution passed the House by a vote of 415-0.

Supported local broadcast programming for satellite television subscribers.  Congressman Forbes voted for H.R. 3570 in the House Judiciary Committee. This bill extends the compulsory copyright license that permits satellite carriers (DirecTV and Dish Network) to deliver local broadcast signals to subscribers. This will ensure that satellite television viewers are able to keep abreast of local news and events.  This bill was unanimously passed in the Committee.

Opposed new federal funding for programs unless they prove beneficial results. Congressman Forbes opposed H.R. 3246, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009. This bill seeks to establish long term, sustained funding on a broad range of areas from commercial technologies to exploratory research. The bill would cost up to $2.4 billion and provides grants without any guarantee or accountability of positive results.   This bill passed the House by a vote of 312 - 114.

Spoke at the Fourth Annual Congressional Expo and highlighted M&S technology as a leading training tool across a breadth of industries. The event featured industry leaders from defense, engineering and medicine offering the latest simulation technology from across the country, including Virginia. Congressman Forbes along with Members of Congress discussed the importance of this technology in saving lives and keeping cost low in these tough economic times. Congressman Forbes is the Founder and Co-Chairman of the Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Caucus.

Voted to oppose, S. 352, the DTV Delay Act.  This bill would delay the transition of television broadcasting from analog to digital to June 13, 2009. The delay in the transition (from the original date of February 17^th) would require an additional $650 million in taxpayer money contained in the economic stimulus bill.  Only half of the $1.5 billion in original money slated for the transition has already been spent, while 94.3% of households are already prepared for the DTV transition.  Because the telecommunications industry has spent over $1 billion preparing for the switch to digital television, delay will make it less likely, not more, that consumers are prepared.  Perhaps most importantly, delay will jeopardize the clearing of spectrum for emergency services personnel, which has been endorsed by the 9/11 Commission.  DTV Delay Act passed the House by a vote of 264 - 158 and is currently awaiting action by the President.

Introduced H.R. 855, the Enhancing SIMULATION (Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now) Act of 2009, in this 111^th Congress.  This bill would improve the quality of healthcare in the United States by reducing medical error and cutting healthcare costs.  The Enhancing SIMULATION Act of 2009 would:

    --Create medical modeling and simulation (M&S) Centers of Excellence across America to provide leadership and research into advancing the field; 
    --Establish medical M&S grants for academic and professional organizations; 
    --Promote innovation in medical M&S within the Department of Health & Human Services; and
    --Establish a coordinating council for federal government collaboration on medical M&S efforts.

The increased use of medical M&S has the potential to increase doctor skill and proficiency, save money, and, most importantly, save lives.  Medical simulation technologies – a relatively new field - provide training and feedback in which the learner practices tasks and processes in life-like scenarios using models or virtual reality.  This legislation would provide measurable benefits to patients by improving patient safety, to consumers and taxpayers by lowering costs, to communities by the creation of more high-tech jobs, and to physicians and insurers by lowering malpractice rates and claims.  Congressman Forbes originally introduced the Enhancing SIMULATION Act in the 110th Congress.

Addressed the 4^th Annual Modeling and Simulation Leadership Summit on February 2, 2009 in Norfolk VA.   Over 220 personnel from defense, industry and academia participated in the only major M&S conference devoted to federal, state, and local M&S policy.  Congressman Wittman (VA-01) and Congressman Scott (VA-03) also participated in the event.  For more information on the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus, click here.

Supported H.R. 3402, the Calling Card Consumer Protection Act. This bill is designed to address fraud in the prepaid telephone calling card industry by requiring card distributors to disclose the card’s total value in dollars or number of calling minutes, a description of all terms and conditions, and the service provider’s name, customer service number, and hours of service.  

Supported H.R. 7084, the Webcaster Settlement Act. This bill permits the Copyright Royalty Board to continue negotiations pertaining to royalty rates for the use of music over Internet radio services. Because Internet radio royalties operate under a government license, Congressional authority is required to allow any negotiated settlement to take effect. This bill does not affect the scope of performance rights or any underlying copyright law.

Supported S. 2607, the DTV Transition Assistance Act.  In February, 2009, all television broadcasts will convert to a digital format.  This bill directs the Department of Commerce to provide educational and technical assistance to citizens in advance of that transition in order to minimize problems. 

Supported H.Res. 1260, recognizing the goals and ideals of National Internet Safety Month.  This resolution calls on parents, educators, law enforcement, community leaders, Internet service providers, and volunteers to increase their efforts to raise the level of awareness for the need for online safety in the United States.

Secured $800,000 for the Virginia Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Center (VMASC) at Old Dominion University in H.R. 5658 to develop modeling and simulation (M&S) standards for the Department of Defense.   In addition to the work to be accomplished on M&S standards, VMASC recently signed a joint cooperation agreement with the U.S. Joint Forces Command in Suffolk, Virginia.

Voted in favor of H.R. 3919, the Broadband Census of America Act of 2007. H.R. 3919 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit a report showing the prices, the advertised and actual speeds, and the availability of broadband services throughout the country, and comparing them to those of other leading nations. The bill would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop and maintain a broadband inventory map that depicts the deployment and availability of broadband service capabilities in the U.S. This map must be capable of breaking down the information for each State and for each county or parish. H.R. 3919 would establish a NTIA grant program to assist with the local planning and development of broadband capacity.

Supported H. Res. 455, legislation that supports the goals and ideals of National Internet Safety Month, celebrated in June 2007. For suggestions on teaching internet responsibility to children, visit the Creating Internet Accountability page on Congressman Forbes' website.

Introduced H. Res. 487, a resolution recognizing the contributions of modeling and simulation (M&S) and recognizing M&S as a National Critical Technology. Historically, a National Critical Technology is one that has particular value to the national security of the United States and/or significant economic impact on the country. H. Res. 487 was referred to the House Science Committee, where it passed unanimously by voice vote. It now faces consideration by the full House.

Voted in favor of H.R. 964, the Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPY-ACT). The SPY ACT takes steps to protect consumer computers from unwanted and unauthorized "spying" from spyware software. The FTC defines spyware as software "that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge and which may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or asserts control over a computer without the consumer's knowledge." Spyware can be used to obtain personal information such as passwords to bank accounts, and it can record internet site history for targeted advertisements. The spyware can collect this information and then transmit it to a remote user for fraudulent purposes.

Voted in favor of H.R. 1868, the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007, which would fund the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), by increasing NIST's lab and construction budget by 100% over the next three years. NIST laboratories also advance the American Competitiveness Initiative by conducting research on the nation's technologies to continually improve products and services.

Voted in favor of H.R. 1867, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007, which would increase funding for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) educational programs in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. NSF is one of three agencies that advances the American Competitiveness Initiative, a program which is working to make America the most innovative and competitive economy in the world by doubling the federal government's investment in physical science research over 10 years. This legislation would encourage NSF to foster more dynamic relationships between academia and industry to spawn U.S. competitiveness.

Cosponsored The Phone Act, H.R. 740, which would make it a federal offense for using false caller ID information or for using an individual's caller ID information without their permission. This practice, more commonly known as "spoofing," makes a call appear to have come from any phone number the caller wishes. The practice has been linked to identity theft and other scams.

Joined Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY) in sending a letter to other Members of Congress urging their support of The Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Opportunity Act, which would help eliminate the technology gap at Minority Serving Institutions.

Voted in favor of H.R. 390, The Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act, which authorizes the National Archives to create an online database for African-Americans to research their genealogical ancestry back to the times of slavery. H.R. 390 passed the House of Representatives on January 22, 2007.