TONIGHT, 8 PM ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” MAJOR JEN OF THE WHITE PLAINS SALVATION ARMY ON THE HUNGER NEEDS IN WHITE PLAINS ON FIOS CH 45, OPTIMUM CH 76 IN WP AND www.wpcommunitymedia.org

Posted on October 26, 2023 by John Bailey

JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS WHITE PLAINS MAJOR JEN HEAD OF SALVATION ARMY OF WHITE PLAINS AND JOHN VORPERIAN NEW CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE WHITE PLAINS SALVATION ARMY

ON THE RECORD NUMBER OF PERSONS ASKING FOR MEALS FROM THE SALVATION ARMY THIS YEAR

IMPACTS OF COVID AFTER 2020, THE START OF THE EPIDEMIC

THE NEEDY OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON COMING UP

HOW YOU CAN VOLUNTEER FOR THE SALVATION ARMY

NEW SERVICES OF THE SALVATION ARMY

NEW MUSIC FOR KIDS WITH THE SALVATION ARMY

ENGLISH INSTRUCTION

UPCOMING EVENTS.

MEANWHILE: VACCINE COVERAGE OF POPULATION REACHING “PASSIVE POSITIVES”

Posted on October 24, 2023 by John Bailey

Fall 2023 vaccine coverage not good. Reaching “passive positives”

Our piece in Scientific American

BY DR. KATELYN JETELINA (Reprinted with permission)

OCT 24, 2023

We are approaching the end of October, and at least 10 million Americans have gotten the Fall 2023 Covid-19 vaccine. This amounts to ~3% of the eligible population (only 7% of nursing home residents). This is severely trailing typical flu vaccine coverage, just like last fall.

For those interested in nuance: Is this year trailing last year’s Covid-19 coverage too?

Well, yes, as seen in the line above. But, we are comparing apples to oranges. The end of the public health emergency meant that states were no longer required to report vaccine uptake to the CDC, but some are still reporting. So, the 2023 numbers are the bare minimum. Models considering differential reporting show Covid-19 coverage is about the same as last year.

This is nothing to brag about.

Five reasons

Covid-19 is more transmissible, more severe, has more long-term implications, and is more unpredictable than the flu.

So, why is coverage so much lower than flu?

Covid-19 circulates year-round, while flu circulates seasonally. This means that ~15% of the population was infected with Covid-19 this summer and do not need the fall vaccine yet.
Debate on eligibility. There is a debate about whether those under 65 “need” a Covid-19 vaccine. Many physicians I highly regard (but disagree with) are on the fence about recommending it for everyone. We don’t have this with flu.
Lack of access. The choppy rollout this fall is well documented. Even with distribution smoothed out, there is a lack of access. For some local health clinics, the vaccine costs more than they can afford or willing to financially risk. This is causing grave inequities. The closest place for my youngest is 50 miles away.
Fatigue. We have been hammered to get Covid-19 vaccines for the past three years. People are just… tired… of hearing about it.
Lack of resources There is now zero federal money for a Covid-19 vaccine campaign for education and outreach. Health departments are on their own, too. (The panic and neglect cycle is too real in public health.)

So what should we do?

All of us—friends, family, neighbors, schools, pharmacies, doctor offices, health departments, employers—need to be laser-focused on “passive positives.”

This approach works with organ donations. We should do it with vaccines. And it’s beyond time we leverage behavioral science to get vaccinations in arms as much as we do bench science to get vaccines in vials.

In a Scientific American piece last week, I partnered with two leading psychologists on the what, how, and why behind passive positives. Check it out HERE.

Bottom line

Increasing trust, access, and coverage of vaccines will take an all-hands-on-deck approach. We are exhausted, but it’s worth the push—fewer lives will be lost, fewer work and school days will be missed, and our quality of life will improve.

Love, YLE

“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH Ph.D.—an epidemiologist, wife. During the day, she is a senior scientific consultant to several organizations. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health world so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:

OUTBREAK OUTLOOK NORTHEAST OCTOBER 23

Posted on October 23, 2023 by John Bailey

NORTHEAST

Outbreak Outlook – Northeast – October 23

OCT 23, 2023

∙

BY DR. CAITLIN RIVERS (REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION

Welcome to the Northeast edition of Outbreak Outlook, formerly called This Week in Outbreaks! This content is only available to paid subscribers. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin

Respiratory diseases

Influenza-like illness

Influenza-like illness (ILI) actually declined in the region, dropping 2.1% during the last reporting period from 2.4% at the end of September. I think what ILI activity we are seeing is unlikely to be influenza, but rather other pathogens that cause symptoms of fever and cough or sore throat.

All states in the region are currently reporting minimal levels of ILI activity, making them green on the map.

As usual, young children have the highest rates of ILI. Now 8.2% of visits to the doctor were for ILI symptoms, up from 7.6% last week. The rates for older age groups also saw a slight increase this week, but they all remain below 4%.

Covid-19

Covid-19 activity declined in the Northeast during the last report, the activity remains higher than in other regions of the country. Northern New England remains the most heavily affected region; the number of new weekly hospitalizations has hardly decreased in the past several weeks. In Massachusetts for example, the number of new weekly hospitalizations increased in the last week, and in Maine numbers remain flat.

New York and other states to the south are better off, with all Covid-19 metrics currently declining.

RSV

RSV activity is still increasing slowly in New England states. PCR test positivity is currently around 2.5%, up from a recent low of less than 1%. RSV has been high in the South for several weeks now, so I am not surprised that the Northeast is beginning to pick up. I expect activity to continue to increase in the weeks to come.

Other Respiratory + Stomach Bugs

Seasonal coronavirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, and adenovirus all look good for the Northeast, with no concerning trends.
However, enterovirus/rhinovirus, responsible for the common cold, is currently at a high level in the region.
On a positive note, norovirus activity in the Northeast remains low!

Food recalls

The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:

New this week:

Frozen, ready to eat carne asada burritos (more info)

Previously reported:

Ion and Restore brands Sinus Spray (more info)
Organic Chicken and Beef Broth sold at Costco and Whole Foods (more info)
Whole cantaloupes sold by Eagle Produce (more info)
Not Fried Chicken sold by Life Raft Treats (more info)
If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.

In Other News

A pediatric facility in Pennsylvania experienced an outbreak of a waterborne pathogen, Mycobacterium abscessus, among its ventilator-dependent residents in 2022. The Pennsylvania Department of Health identified three cases and found lapses in infection prevention practices at the facility, including improper tracheostomy tube cleaning. The facility lacked a water management plan, leading to water contamination. Health officials recommended improved infection control measures.
Health officials identified six cases of Bartonella quintana infections among people experiencing homelessness in New York City in 2022-2023. This bacterium, which is transmitted by body lice, is the causative agent of trench fever. Symptoms range from fever to severe endocarditis. Two patients died from endocarditis-related complications.

HUDSON LINE SERVICE RESTORED FOR MONDAY MORNING RUSH HOUR, G0VERNOR REPORTS

Posted on October 22, 2023 by John Bailey

Two of Four Tracks Remain Out of Service; Railroad to Adjust Schedules to Reduce Congestion-Related Delays

Photos Taken Sunday of Crews Clearing Tracks Available Here

Governor Kathy Hochul today AT 5:30 P.M. announced that MTA Metro-North Railroad will operate on a near-normal weekday schedule on Monday following a mudslide in Scarborough on Saturday morning that prevented trains from operating between Tarrytown and Croton-Harmon.

To reduce the potential for congestion-related delays, the railroad is adjusting schedules and canceling four of the 158 trains the railroad operates on the line daily, and during peak hours, trains that operate in the reverse-peak direction will operate express between Tarrytown and Croton-Harmon.

“In the face of dangerous weather and a looming deadline, our MTA team worked around-the-clock to restore the safe, reliable service New Yorkers count on,” Governor Hochul said. “Hundreds of thousands of commuters will be able to use Metro-North to commute to work Monday morning because of this extraordinary effort. Before heading out the door, New Yorkers should check the MTA website for up-to-date service information to ensure their commute is as seamless as possible.”

Since the mudslide was reported at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, crews have worked around the clock to successful clear 350 cubic yards of soil and debris and 250 cubic yards of rock and cement walls from two of the Hudson Line’s four tracks. Crews are breaking apart the rock walls to reincorporate segments to help stabilize the slope where the mudslide occurred, and they are repositioning other segments to the shore side of the Hudson Line, transforming it into “rip-rap” that stabilizes the coastline alongside the rail line.

Work is expected will continue for days to clear the mud and debris from the remaining two tracks. Crews will spend the remaining hours on Sunday night and Monday morning rebuilding 140 feet of third rail that was crushed by the mudslide and ensuring the two operable tracks are safe for train service.

MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi said,

“I want to applaud the Metro-North workforce for their quick work recovering from this storm and helping to ensure hundreds of customers could continue their travels via a temporary shuttle bus. When duty calls, the Metro-North team springs into action and goes full-bore until the job is finished. I am very pleased they were able to restore near-normal schedules this quickly.

A restoration of service this fast also would not have been possible without the support we received from MTA Construction & Development, Westchester County, the Town of Mount Pleasant, regional law enforcement partners including the MTA PD, the Westchester County PD, the Mount Pleasant PD, and also from MTA New York City Transit which didn’t hesitate when we asked for buses to help customers.”

To reduce the potential for congestion-related delays, the railroad is canceling four of the 158 trains that operate daily on the Hudson Line. These four trains will not operate:

The 6:42 a.m. departure from Poughkeepsie, due into Grand Central at 8:18 a.m. Customers may want to consider the 6:48 a.m. departure, or the 6:25 a.m. departure, as alternatives.
Customers of the 7:08 a.m. departure from Tarrytown will be accommodated by the 6:45 a.m. train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all stops of both trains.
The 5:30 p.m. and 6:11 p.m. Poughkeepsie express trains from Grand Central will not operate. Customers may wish to consider using the 5:32 p.m. or 6:15 p.m. trains as alternatives.

To reduce congestion in the area where tracks are limited, reverse-peak trains will bypass Philipse Manor or Scarborough during the morning and evening rush hours. Customers looking to travel north to those stations in the morning will need to ride a northbound train to Ossining or Croton-Harmon to board a southbound train. Customers looking to travel south from those stations in the evening will need to ride a southbound train to Tarrytown to board a northbound train.

How Government Can be more Responsive to Senior Citizen Concerns : PAUL FEINER

Posted on October 21, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. By Paul Feiner, Greenburgh Town Supervisor. October 21, 2023:

Last week I invited residents to share thoughts with me on way in which all levels of government could be more responsive to senior citizen concerns.

I received lots of feedback from residents and spoke at the public hearing the County Office of the Aging sponsored. I’m impressed with that office –they have helped many seniors in the town with numerous problems -big and small. They are informed, helpful and really care. Here are the concerns highlighted by residents who called me or wrote to me: I will be sharing these ideas with our state and county lawmakers.

● Aging in place is near impossible with inflation, taxes and cost of living/maintenance/repairs. Need more support for middle class people who might not qualify for Medicaid, etc. just by a small amount and can’t manage when they’ve paid into the system their whole lives.

● Subsidies needed for home improvement for seniors who may not qualify for existing programs but still can’t afford to do the work required to stay safely in home.

● Gradual scale for financial assistance (for aides, assisted living),similar to scales for affordable housing. Would enable the frail elderly to live their final years in comfort and with dignity..

● Assistance in securing home repair/maintenance services for seniors who can pay but can’t easily find contractors. Perhaps – a list of contractors who would provide less expensive home repair/maintenance services to the elderly.

● Establish list of businesses that can provide senior with discounts for plumbers, pest control, lawn work, etc. A county wide list

● More Bus stops should have enclosures and benches. ● More benches should be installed on sidewalks and parks everywhere so seniors can take breaks on their walks.

● Reduce school tax by½forseniors; or another requested more specifically reduction or elimination of tax for the elderly who have lived in county for 20+ years. Another suggestion: freeze the taxes a senior pays after they reach a certain age: Example–if a senior is 80 or older and owns their home their future tax bills would stay the same for life.

● Help fund affordable assisted living ● Help fund home health aides

● More affordable housing for seniors. Need for affordable senior apartments.

● Program that pairs seniors with high schoolers for games, stories, computers support, etc.

● Allow building conversions for in-laws to allow families to stay together ● Grant tax credits to those caring for senior family members at home

● Provide seniors with more help getting transportation to doctors, supermarkets. Some doctors require a person not a taxi to bring one home after some procedures (colonoscopy)

● Computer-centric nature of most program applications: seniors often are not tech-adept and may not even own home computers or smart phones. The onerousness of navigating tech, document uploads, etc is very difficult and stressful (or impossible!) for many seniors. They often need intensive support from someone like a caseworker assigned just to them to help them navigate government program and services effectively to get the help they need.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF THE ISRAELI-PALESTINE WAR

Posted on October 21, 2023 by John Bailey

YLE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES

My utter failure to write about the public health implications of war

By DR.KATELYN JETELINA (Reprinted with Permission)

OCT 20, 2023

This week I wrote and re-wrote a YLE article to describe the complex humanitarian emergency unfolding due to Hamas’s attacks and counteracts.

A dire public health crisis is unfolding front and center.

I have written at least a dozen drafts. Had many conversations with Jewish and Palestinian friends gracious enough to provide constructive feedback. I’ve stayed up many nights. My copy editor is about to wring my neck.

I just cannot get this one quite right.

The cascade of this assault on humanity is leaving me speechless. Balancing the complex nuance and emotions while honoring the dead and suffering leaves me paralyzed.

The three words “public health crisis” don’t do justice to the darkness and suffering.

No words can do it justice. How can a string of letters:

Describe the extent of human lives lost in a terror attack 10 times more extensive than 9/11?
Depict the ruthless, brutal terror from Hamas that’s not only holding 150 Israelis hostage but the entire Gaza population hostage?
Paint a landscape of truly inhumane living conditions? Not only now, but conditions fed with neglect for years from within?
Reflect on the healthcare workers’ agonizing choice between staying with the most vulnerable patients in Northern Gaza or fleeing for their own lives? And their acts of heroism to stay behind?
Depict the (almost) certainty of ongoing suffering from pathogen outbreaks, mass displacement, and trauma for future generations?
Back the health burden with data if the “truth” is buried in the infestation of misinformation?

Everyone is losing. Every civilian with a heart is losing from the terror wreaking havoc physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Locally and worlds away. Short- and long-term.

So, I returned to a key lesson I learned during the pandemic: Words are not always what’s needed. Listening. Connecting. Processing. A space to feel. Glimmers of hope. That’s what’s needed.

So, I’m placing this YLE piece aside and doing what I can in my public health role, with the acknowledgment that I have the privilege to do so halfway around the world. And I’m going into the weekend with a piece of hope: this week’s negotiations opened pathways for humanitarian aid.

Take care of yourself.

Much love, Katelyn

A plane with medical supplies to support urgent health needs in Gaza waiting at the border in Egypt. (Source WHO)

Humanitarian aid provided by the UN on an aircraft on Thursday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before heading for Cairo. (Source: Giuseppe Cacace/Agence France-Presse- Getty Images).

WESTCHESTER DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIMI ROCAH’S “D.A. NEWS”

Posted on October 21, 2023 by John Bailey

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
DA News | Fall 2023 Page 1
FROM THE OFFICE OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIRIAM E. ROCAH

Message from DA Rocah

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and her Conviction Review Unit,
with the Innocence Project, announced on Sept. 5 the exoneration of Leonard Mack,
who served more than seven years in a New York prison for a 1975 rape in Greenburgh
that he did not commit.

This is the longest wrongful conviction in U.S. history known to the Innocence Project
to be overturned by DNA evidence.

Overturned by DNA Evidence

The Conviction Review Unit’s investigation included new DNA hit that
led investigators to a registered sex offender who then confessed to
the 1975 rape in Greenburgh

“We were able to prove Mr. Mack’s innocence, in large part, due to our independent
Conviction Review Unit’s commitment and Mr. Mack’s unwavering strength fighting to
clear his name for almost 50 years,” DA Rocah said. “This exoneration confirms that
wrongful convictions are not only harmful to the wrongly convicted but also make us all
less safe.”

DA Rocah, the CRU and attorneys representing Mr. Mack from the Innocence Project
appeared before New York State Supreme Court Judge Anne E. Minihan, who
overturned the conviction of Mr. Mack, who was accused on May 22, 1975 of forcing
two high school students at gunpoint into the woods and tying up, gagging and
blindfolding them before raping one of the girls twice, and attempting to sexually
assault the other.

Susan Friedman, the Innocence Project’s attorney for Mr. Mack said, “Mr. Mack has
lived with the stigma of this wrongful conviction for nearly five decades. His courage
and determination are why we now have indisputable scientific evidence that proves he
is innocent. Mr. Mack’s case had many of the hallmarks of a wrongful conviction,
including multiple witness misidentifications. We are grateful that the Westchester
County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit investigated Mr. Mack’s case and
reached similar conclusions.”

The CRU investigation was conducted by Bureau Chief Anastasia Heeger, Assistant
District Attorney Charity Brady and Criminal Investigator James Menton.
Longest Wrongful Conviction in U.S. History

Leonard Mack appeared in Westchester County Court with his attorneys from the Innocence Project, joined by
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and the DA’s Office’s Conviction Review Unit, when his
conviction was vacated on Sept. 5, his 72nd birthday.

In this issue, we are proud to
share the many ways the
prosecutors and staff in my
office work hard every day on
behalf of the people of
Westchester County.

From holding accountable violent
offenders, sex offenders and
those who abuse their positions
of authority, to ensuring
conviction integrity…

From looking after our seniors
who are increasingly becoming
targets of scams, to supporting
our law enforcement partners on
community outreach efforts
related to hate- and biasmotivated
crimes and incidents…

We are committed in our work
inside and outside the courtroom
to seek a fair and more equitable
justice system for everyone.

NOTABLE CASES

Alexis Rose was sentenced on Aug. 15 to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2021 Yonkers murder of Pennsylvania resident Shaun Hutchinson, a former partner of his ex-girlfriend. The defendant, in violation of an order of protection, showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s Yonkers home unannounced while the victim, the father of her child, was leaving. Following a verbal altercation with his ex-girlfriend, the defendant removed a 9mm semi-automatic gun from his waistband and shot the victim multiple times before fleeing.

Following his arrest, police recovered an empty box of ammunition, packages and invoices for 9mm firearm parts, gun cleaning kits, and gun paraphernalia from the defendant’s home. The investigation also determined that, prior to the murder, the defendant’s escalating conduct involved calling and texting his ex-girlfriend from several different phone numbers,in violation of an order of protection.

DA Rocah said: “The intersection of domestic violence and gun violence can have devastating consequences. Not only did a victim have his life taken from him, but the defendant’s obsessive control and psychological manipulation will cause lasting trauma to the woman who witnessed this cold-blooded murder of her child’s father.”

The Fall issue of DA NEWS is now available

In this issue, we share the many ways the prosecutors and staff in the Westchester County DA’s Office work hard every day on behalf of the people of Westchester County. From ensuring conviction integrity to educating our residents to be vigilant against scams targeting seniors and assisting law enforcement on the public safety response to hate- and bias-motivated crimes, read the latest on our cases of interest and office updates.

Click here
to read

HOME SECURITY REQUESTS FUNDING TO FOIL CARTELS MOVING FENTANYL THROUGH U.S. PORTS

Posted on October 21, 2023 by John Bailey

Statement by Secretary Mayorkas on the President’s Supplemental Budget Request

WASHINGTON—Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement:

“The request we have made of Congress today provides critically needed funding to equip the Department of Homeland Security with the people and tools it needs to prevent cartels from moving fentanyl through our ports of entry and to enforce our immigration laws in an orderly and effective way. At this time of unprecedented hemispheric and global challenges, we must come together to strengthen our ability to protect the American people. I strongly urge Congress to give the men and women of DHS the resources and support they need to achieve our safety and security mission.”

For more information on the resources for the Department of Homeland Security in the supplemental, please visit: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/10/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-supplemental-funding-request

WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE OCT. 20 REPORT 7 PM MONDAY WPTV FIOS CH. 45, OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 76 AND WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG RIGHT NOW!

Posted on October 20, 2023 by John Bailey

DR. CAITLIN RIVERS STATE OF COVID, FLU, RSV INFECTIONS IN THE NORTHEAST.. WESTCHESTER COVID CASES DECLINE 5TH CONSECUTIVE WEEK. 50% OF LAST OCTOBER INFECTIONS OF COVID

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK THIS WEEKEND FOILAGE SHOULD BE IN FULL SPLENDOR. (PEEKSKILL NY LAST SUNDAY

THE PLAGUE OF THE NEW NEWSWEBSITES– THE NEW PROPAGANDA. PEOPLE WATCH THEM BECAUSE THE “STORIES” THEY CHURN OUT HOURLY REINFORCE YOUR COMMITMENT TO DONALD TRUMP AND MISSTATE THE FACTS. THE NEW NEWSWEBSITES ARE PROPAGANDA UNCLEAR, OPINIONATED, YET COMPELLING, PROPELLING DONALD TRUMP BACK TO WASHINGTON

DR. KATELYN JETELINA YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON THE EFFECTS OF TELEVISION AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF DISASTERS, TERRORISM ATTACKS CREATING POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME

WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX RECEIPTS DOWN 2% IN FIRST QUARTER.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY SALES TAX RECEIPTS EVEN NO GAIN FROM LAST YEAR

WHERE IS THE INFLATION EFFECT? BUDGETS IN TROUBLE

JOBS CENTRAL OPENED BY LIFTING UP WESTCHESTER

COMMON COUNCIL FORUM COMING UP (BATTLE HILL FORUM LAST WEEK)

JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK

FOR 23 YEARS

THE BIG MIKE

HOMELAND SECURITY TO LIMIT TALENTED PROFESSIONAL INDIVIDUALS APPLYING FOR WORK VISA TO 1 APPLICATION.

Posted on October 20, 2023 by John Bailey

DHS Issues Proposed Rule to Modernize the H-1B Specialty Occupation Worker Program

USCIS seeks to update regulations with proposed rulemaking to improve program efficiency and integrity

WASHINGTON –

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would modernize the H-1B specialty occupation worker program by streamlining eligibility requirements, improving program efficiency, providing greater benefits and flexibilities for employers and workers, and strengthening integrity measures.

The H-1B program helps U.S. employers hire the employees they need to meet their business needs and remain competitive in the global marketplace, while adhering to all U.S. worker protections under the law.

“DHS continues to develop and implement regulations that increase efficiency and improve processes for employers and workers navigating the immigration system,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s priority is to attract global talent, reduce undue burdens on employers, and prevent fraud and abuse in the immigration system.”

The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, defined by statute as occupations that require highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.

The proposed rule would change how USCIS conducts the H-1B registration selection process to reduce the possibility of misuse and fraud.

Under the current process, the more registrations that are submitted on behalf of an individual, the higher chance that individual will be selected in a lottery.

Under the new proposal, each unique individual who has a registration submitted on their behalf would be entered into the selection process once, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf.

This would improve the chances that a legitimate registration would be selected by significantly reducing or eliminating the advantage of submitting multiple registrations for the same beneficiary solely to increase the chances of selection.

Furthermore, it could also give beneficiaries more choice between legitimate job offers because each registrant who submitted a registration for a selected beneficiary would have the ability to file an H-1B petition on behalf of the beneficiary.

Among additional provisions, the proposed rule would improve the H-1B program by:

Streamlining eligibility requirements – criteria for specialty occupation positions would be revised to reduce confusion between the public and adjudicators and to clarify that a position may allow a range of degrees, although there must be a direct relationship between the required degree field(s) and the duties of the position;
Improving program efficiency –The proposed rule codifies that adjudicators generally should defer to a prior determination when no underlying facts have changed at time of a new filing;
Providing greater benefits and flexibilities for employers and workers – certain exemptions to the H-1B cap would be expanded for certain nonprofit entities or governmental research organizations as well as beneficiaries who are not directly employed by a qualifying organization. DHS would also extend certain flexibilities for students on an F-1 visa when students are seeking to change their status to H-1B. Additionally, DHS would establish new H-1B eligibility requirements for rising entrepreneurs; and
Strengthening integrity measures – in addition to changing the selection process, misuse and fraud in the H-1B registration process would be reduced by prohibiting related entities from submitting multiple registrations for the same beneficiary. The rule would also codify USCIS’ authority to conduct site visits and clarify that refusal to comply with site visits may result in denial or revocation of the petition.

The 60-day public comment period starts following publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register.