Legislative Database Research Articles

Predicting the Law: Artificial Intelligence Findings from the IMF’s Central Bank Legislation Database

Predicting the Law: Artificial Intelligence Findings from the IMF’s Central Bank Legislation Database

Genetic counselling legislation and practice in cancer in EU Member States.

Somatic and germline genetic alterations are significant drivers of cancer. Increasing integration of new technologies which profile these alterations requires timely, equitable and high-quality genetic counselling to facilitate accurate diagnoses and informed decision-making by patients and their families in preventive and clinical settings. This article aims to provide an overview of genetic counselling legislation and practice across European Union (EU) Member States to serve as a foundation for future European recommendations and action. National legislative databases of all 27 Member States were searched using terms relevant to genetic counselling, translated as appropriate. Interviews with relevant experts from each Member State were conducted to validate legislative search results and provide detailed insights into genetic counselling practice in each country. Genetic counselling is included in national legislative documents of 22 of 27 Member States, with substantial variation in legal mechanisms and prescribed details (i.e. the 'who, what, when and where' of counselling). Practice is similarly varied. Workforce capacity (25 of 27 Member States) and genetic literacy (all Member States) were common reported barriers. Recognition and/or better integration of genetic counsellors and updated legislation and were most commonly noted as the 'most important change' which would improve practice. This review highlights substantial variability in genetic counselling across EU Member States, as well as common barriers notwithstanding this variation. Future recommendations and action should focus on addressing literacy and capacity challenges through legislative, regulatory and/or strategic approaches at EU, national, regional and/or local levels.

Odnos madžarsko-ameriške diaspore do angleščine kot uradnega jezika v Združenih državah Amerike

The paper examines the attitudes and opinions of the representatives of Hungarian-American communities in the United States regarding the officialization of English at the federal level. The corpora of the analysis have been built with the help of a) the websites of Hungarian-American organizations in the United States; b) the legislative database of the US Federal Congress; and the digitized versions of the printed newspapers and magazines published in Hungarian in the United States. The method of classifying the attitude patterns relies on Terrence G. Wiley’s language policy classification spectrum (1999) and on Richard Ruíz’s classic “orientations in language planning” framework (1984), expanded by Hult and Hornberger (2016). The results indicate that while Hungarian-Americans have mostly been trying to maintain their first language (in the private domain), they have also embraced English and willingly assimilated into American society, resenting the alleged ethnolinguistic separatism of Hispanic Americans and their demands for special minority-language accommodations.

Balancing Bioethics and Legal Frontiers: А Case Study of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Decision on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Background. The present work focuses on the need to protect prenatal life, which is intricately entwined with delineating the precise biological and legal juncture marking an embryo’s transition into personhood. Drawing upon bioethical insights from domestic frameworks and international jurisprudence, we compare diverse perspectives on the moral and legal standing of the embryo, including its right to life, and invoking legal principles in the context of cellular and regenerative medicine.Aim. The goal of this article is to investigate the various biosafety policy approaches governing embryonic stem cell research, ranging from outright prohibition to authorization solely for therapeutic or scientific ends. Through our analysis, we focus on the unique national context of Brazil to scrutinize the underlying rationale behind a specific legal challenge questioning the constitutionality of the BiosafetyLaw. This law, which permits the utilization of human embryonic cells for research and therapeutic purposes, raises concerns about potential infringement upon the inviolability of the right to life.Methodology. The research is based on deductive reasoning alongside formal-legal methodologies, including textual interpretation and comparative-legal analysis. The research process involved documentary, bibliographic, and virtual analytical inquiries utilizing a variety of resources such as legislative texts, monographs, academic articles, databases, and online libraries. Results. Through our examination in a distinct national context, we delineate the theoretical-philosophical and normative-ethical foundations underpinning the stances of Brazilian Supreme Court justices concerning the utilization of embryonic stem cells. Their arguments predominantly invoked significant constitutional liberties such as freedom of family planning, scientific research, and academic pursuits, intertwined with considerations of human dignity and the sanctity of life. Additionally, some justices cautioned against the potential hazards inherent in genetic manipulation.Implications. The legal and ethical ramifications of Brazil’s approach to biosafety legislation concerning embryo rights invoke the necessity for conducting neutral, unfettered scientific inquiry and regenerative therapies according to specific operational parameters. These include safeguarding the integrity of genetic inheritance, preemptive evaluation of potential risks and benefits (adherence to the precautionary principle), and ensuring informed consent for treatments. A significant hurdle consists in the need to establish robust mechanisms for overseeing research involving human embryos within the domains of biomedicine and regenerative cell therapy

A review of the landscape of state Tobacco 21 laws: Key components, research challenges, and future directions

BackgroundTo understand the impact of laws raising minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to age 21, researchers and policymakers need to recognize how recommended policy components vary across states. This paper identified and reviewed policy components across 43 jurisdictions that have enacted Tobacco 21 (T21) laws since 2015. MethodsUsing NexisUni’s database of state laws and legislation, we evaluated T21 laws in effect as of January 2024 and assessed for the incorporation of six components recommended in proposed model legislation: 1) age verification; 2) tobacco retailer licensing; 3) provisions to suspend or revoke a license; 4) unannounced inspections; 5) retailer civil or criminal penalties; and 6) provisions that allow for more stringent local laws. ResultsOnly one state included all six components we reviewed, including limiting penalties to civil fines. All jurisdictions included a provision to change the legal sales age of purchase and 37 imposed requirements on retailers to verify identification. Thirty-eight jurisdictions had licensing programs, but only 31 included license suspension or revocation provisions for underage sales. Twenty-three jurisdictions preempt localities from imposing more stringent requirements. Twenty-five jurisdictions use a mix of civil and criminal or solely criminal penalties and 21 jurisdictions have penalties for underage purchasers. ConclusionsOur database of recommended T21 components with effective dates can be merged with other datasets to facilitate policy evaluation. We discuss ways to enhance research and data collection in this area, and recommend that states update MLSA laws to adopt all recommended policy components.

State Legislation Related to School Nutrition: Predictors of Bill Passage From 2010–2019

ObjectiveThis study aimed to discover the prevalence of school nutrition state legislation and to identify the correlates of enactment. Design, Setting, and ParticipantsAn online legislative database, Legiscan, was used to collect bills related to school nutrition from the US from 2010 to 2019. Bills were coded and compiled into a study database with state-level dietary variables (obesity prevalence, fruit, and vegetable intake, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption), community variables (percent White, poverty), and bill-characteristic variables (party affiliation in legislature, strength of language, party of governor, school gardens, vegetable intake, and other salient variables). Multivariable models were built to examine predictors of bill enactment. ResultsOf the 462 bills introduced, 38.7% (n = 156) were enacted. In a multivariable model, the strength of bill language, political party affiliation, implementation of school gardens, and vegetable intake were the variables associated with bill passage. Bills with strong language were less likely to be enacted (P <0.001). Bills introduced by Democrats were more likely to be enacted (P = 0.01). Conclusion and ImplicationThis study showed a better understanding of legislative support for child nutrition via policy surveillance of bills and their correlates of enactment. This information can be used to prioritize advocacy efforts and identify ways research can better inform policy.

The Adaptation of Digital Health Solutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hungary: A Scoping Review.

Before the pandemic, digital health was merely a potential alternative to established systems of healthcare provision in Hungary. The technology was available but there was no governmental strategy regarding digital health use and development. The legal framework for digital solutions in healthcare was fragmented. COVID-19 created conditions in which digital solutions became the most feasible form of healthcare provision. We present the legislative and policy-making activities of the Hungarian government during the pandemic aimed at enhancing the organised and systematic use of these technologies. The core method used in our research is a review of legislation using the principles and methods of a systematic literature review. We searched the National Legislation Database for digital health related legislation for the period January 31, 2020 - June 1, 2022. To provide the context for the analysis, other relevant documents were identified through desk research. Although established in 2017, the electronic health records (EHRs) were only widely used after the onset of the pandemic. Hungary used temporary state of emergency regulations to facilitate an increase in the number of teleconsultations. Our search identified 7 pieces of legislation that enabled healthcare providers to put digital solutions to instant use. They defined the conditions healthcare providers must meet for teleconsultations, set what interventions may be done, what can be reimbursed and dealt with security issues. The National Health Informatics Strategy of July 2021 is complex but mainly deals with technical issues. The three basic principles of the strategy are people centeredness, digital transformation and integrated care. Hungarian digital health solutions and policies fare well in international comparison. This is due to the intensive legislative activity of the pandemic period. The National Health Informatics Strategy ensures that the digital health solutions implemented during the pandemic outlive COVID-19.

Predicting the Law: Artificial Intelligence Findings from the IMF’s Central Bank Legislation Database

Predicting the Law: Artificial Intelligence Findings from the IMF’s Central Bank Legislation Database

State-Level Abortion Policy Hostility and Unplanned Births in the Pre-Dobbs Era

An increasingly hostile policy climate has reshaped abortion access in the United States. Recent literature has studied the effects of restrictive abortion policies on reproductive health outcomes. This study is the first to investigate the association between state-level abortion policy hostility and the pregnancy intentions of women with a pregnancy resulting in live birth. Data are from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey, merged with a state-level legislative database from 2012–2018 and other state-level controls. Cross-sectional results reveal that a one-unit increase in abortion policy hostility is associated with a relative risk (odds) of having a live birth resulting from an unintended versus intended pregnancy that is 1.02 times as high (RRR = 1.02, 95% confidence interval = 1.01, 1.03). This result corresponds to a 13% increase in the predicted probability of having a live birth resulting from an unintended pregnancy between a zero-hostility and a maximum-hostility state. Models stratified by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics reveal that the association between abortion policy hostility and live birth resulting from an unintended pregnancy is particularly robust among women in younger, less educated, Medicaid, uninsured, and rural populations.

RegBR: A novel Brazilian government framework to classify and analyze industry-specific regulations.

Government transparency and openness are key factors to bring forth the modernization of the state. The combination of transparency and digital information has given rise to the concept of Open Government, that increases citizen understanding and monitoring of government actions, which in turn improves the quality of public services and of the government decision making process. With the goal of improving legislative transparency and the understanding of the Brazilian regulatory process and its characteristics, this paper introduces RegBR, the first national framework to centralize, classify and analyze regulations from the Brazilian government. A centralized database of Brazilian federal legislation built from automated ETL routines and processed with data mining and machine learning techniques was created. Our framework evaluates different NLP models in a text classification task on our novel Portuguese legal corpus and performs regulatory analysis based on metrics that concern linguistic complexity, restrictiveness, law interest, and industry-specific citation relevance. Our results were examined over time and validated by correlating them with known episodes of regulatory changes in Brazilian history, such as the implementation of new economic plans or the emergence of an energy crisis. Methods and metrics proposed by this framework can be used by policy makers to measure their own work and serve as inputs for future studies that could analyze government changes and their relationship with federal regulations.

Future Sustainable Maritime Sector: Fishing Carriers and their Adoption to the Environmental Regulations. Part I

Abstract The study explored the legislative database for the maritime sector to be sustainable and have an intact blue economy. The problem for organizations with shipowners that have fishing boats older than 20 years is stated. Decision-making authorities face challenges nowadays. To be in the fleet for the next decade, shipowners for their ships should deploy energy efficiency projects for marine system retrofitting to improve energy efficiency and meet environmental regulations. The Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan’s development principles are discussed due to the current need for its deployment from 2021, so shipowners can contribute to the fast adoption of new regulations by the International Maritime Organization. In this work it is being offered to incorporate energy management issues with guidelines for upcoming regulations as well as those that are currently enforced. To improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and cut fuel consumption costs, marine system retrofitting has been proposed. In this paper the focus is being put on studying energy management strengths and weaknesses which can lead to a qualitative understanding of the performance of the organizational structure, this work also focuses on the management settings concerning energy efficiency. If the organization wants to win by integrating energy policy, high-quality communication or promotion of energy efficiency issues should be employed. Marine plastic debris challenges fishing carriers on the African Union route. A possible beneficial solution for shipowners is discussed in this study.

Obesity prevention across the US: A review of state-level policies from 2009 to 2019.

Uniquely, state legislators may enact obesity prevention policies tailored to each state's needs and take diverse policy approaches to address obesity prevalence. The objective of this study was to identify and describe state-level obesity-related policies between 2009 and 2019. Using a database of legislation covering 2009-2019, researchers categorized obesity-related legislation by status (proposed/enacted), topic, and environment impacted. Researchers determined the number of policies proposed; enacted, by political party control; obesity prevalence, by states over time. 3256 obesity-related policies were proposed among 50 states and Washington DC between 2009 and 2019. Collectively, 18% (593) of policies were enacted; California (96), New and Jersey (57) enacted the most. Across environment and topics, the most enacted policies categorized in school environment (226) and school nutrition (150) topic area. Most policies were proposed (496) and enacted (77) in 2011. On average, Democrat-controlled states had higher enactment rates than Republican-controlled states, as did states with lower (vs. higher) obesity prevalence. States have actively pursued obesity-related legislation across multiple topics and environments from 2009 to 2019, with mixed enactment rates. Evaluating the impact of these policies, alone and in combination, will be important to determine whether these state-level efforts reduce obesity.

Measuring legislative stability: a new approach with data from Hungary

While the stability of legislation is one of the fundamental issues in political theory, comparative and quantitative analyses on the subject are in short supply in the political science literature. In this article, we propose a novel measurement scheme for legislative stability, and we also introduce a Legislative Stability Index (LSI) developed to this end. In terms of empirical evidence, our index relies on the number of legislative amendments adopted within the span of an electoral cycle, as well as the breadth of issues the amendments touch on. It is based on the frequency with which laws are amended after their adoption. Our approach uses a new law-amendment edge-type network for a new Hungarian legislative database. Amendment-type connections are discovered by an automated dictionary-based text mining method. We tested the applicability of our index in various regression models. Results show that the legislative term, the length of the law and the way it was adopted were the most significant variables in explaining variation in the stability of legislation.

Associations between state-level restorative justice policies and mental health among women survivors of intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can impact the mental health of survivors; however, little is known about the role of state-level restorative justice policies. Restorative justice policies are survivor-centered justice approaches focused on repairing harm between the survivor and perpetrator, which may buffer mental health outcomes among IPV survivors. Furthermore, the impact of restorative justice policies on mental health may be influenced by the degree of state-level support for policy implementation. This study examined the relationship between (1) IPV exposure and mental health and whether restorative justice policies moderate the relationship; and (2) whether restorative justice policy implementation support moderates the relationship between IPV and mental health among women. Data on state restorative justice policies were drawn from a U.S. restorative justice legislation database. Individual-level data on 5104 adult women were collected from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), a nationally representative study of noninstitutionalized adult women and men. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were conducted to examine associations between IPV, state-level restorative justice policies, restorative justice policy implementation support, and perceived mental health (N ​= ​5104). Women who experienced IPV had worse perceived mental health compared to women without IPV (b [95% CI] ​= ​−0.13 [−0.15, −0.11], p ​< ​0.001). The inverse relationship between IPV and survivor mental health was attenuated in states with a restorative justice policy vs. states without (b [95% CI] ​= ​0.05 [0.00, 0.09], p ​= ​0.038). The relationship between IPV and worse survivor mental health was weakest in states with high restorative justice policy implementation support (b [95% CI] ​= ​0.03 [0.00, 0.05], p ​= ​0.032). Restorative justice policies may serve as a scalable tool to reduce negative mental health sequelae related to IPV and strengthen current justice responses for IPV survivors.

Definitions of Risk in Health Surveillance: Integrative Review

<p style="text-align: justify;">It is argued that potential risk, understood as the possibility of occurrence of an event, is the most adequate definition of risk for Health Surveillance. This integrative review analyzes the definitions of risk and identifies the purposes of using potential risk within the scope of Health Surveillance. Searches were carried out on a legislation database and on four other databases. A theory and a typology of risk supported the categorization. 14 normative acts and 20 articles were selected. The 70 definitions of risk were grouped into categories: probability of an event; probability and scenarios, consequences or severity of these; uncertainty; possibility of loss; event or consequence and uncertainty about the objectives. The limitations of some definitions were pointed out, such as the difficulty of calculating the probability of events. There are divergences between articles and normative acts regarding the terminology adopted to refer to risk. The definitions are composed of diverse terms, which cannot always be differentiated. Only one article investigates the meanings that professionals attribute to risk. Potential risk, an expression that has different definitions in Brazil and Russia, is used mainly to standardize risk assessment. A convergent effort is needed to intensify the use of the Brazilian theoretical definition attributed to potential risk and to minimize the variety of terms used in the definitions of risk. <strong>Keywords: </strong>Health Surveillance, Review, Risk, Risk Management.

From Paper to Webpage: Legislation during the British Regime in Palestine in the Israeli National Legislation Database

Abstract The editorial team of the Israeli National Legislation Database endeavored to locate all the proclamations, ordinances, and ‘Orders in Council’ published from the beginning of the British military regime in Palestine to the last ‘hidden laws’ published in the waning days of the British Mandate. These documents complete the historical information on Israel state laws and shed light on the initial establishment of the legal and judicial system in Palestine, before the establishment of the State of Israel. In this paper, we describe the development of legislation under British regime, from 1917 to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. We introduce the three figures who played key roles in regulating the legislative system: Orme Bigland Clark, Norman Bentwich, and Sir Robert Harry Drayton, and describe the legislative process that was developed and the legislative procedures that prevailed at the time. The legal framework of this period, alongside the remaining Ottoman legislation, formed a solid basis for the legislative system and process for the Provisional State Council and subsequently, the Knesset.

Central bank mandates, sustainability objectives and the promotion of green finance

This article examines how addressing climate-related risks and supporting mitigation and adaptation policies fit into central bank mandates. We conduct an analysis of mandates and objectives using the IMF's Central Bank Legislation Database and compare these to sustainability-related policies central banks have adopted in practice. Out of 135 central banks, only 12% have explicit sustainability mandates, while 40% are mandated to support the government's policy priorities, which mostly include sustainability goals. However, given that climate risks can directly affect central banks' traditional core responsibilities, all institutions ought to incorporate climate-related physical and transition risks into their policy frameworks to safeguard macro-financial stability.

Designing a biometric access control concept

The current legislative and regulatory database of biometric characteristics for the security of information technologies is not informative and has an imperfect system. The main disadvantages include: the lack of system and methodology for building biometric identification/authentication for managing access to protected information resources; insufficient knowledge of all possible biometric characteristics of a person; an imperfect model of the biometric system; a static approach to assessing access control. Therefore, there is a need to develop a biometric identification/authentication system to restrict access to information resources in various areas. Accordingly, we propose to systematize the biometric system for protecting and managing access to information.

Trends in antimicrobial resistance legislation 2011-2019: A review of the US policy response to the antimicrobial resistance threat and its public health Impact.

Antimicrobial resistance is a continued global threat to public health. In recognition of this threat, the executive branch of the United States government consolidated guidelines through the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and Executive Order 13676. An analysis was conducted to assess the US government's response to this growing threat. Human and animal health legislation from 2011 to 2019 was reviewed using the congressional legislative database where 28 pieces of antimicrobial distinct legislation was identified. The majority of the bills identified were human health related and common themes found were incentivizing the development of new products, biodefense, expanded scope of use, and stewardship. Much fewer were identified pertaining to animal health; of those identified, common themes included stricter veterinary oversight, barriers to approval pathways for new products, and stewardship. The public health impact of these legislative efforts is in part related to a broader political tension of the role of government vs local authorities in managing regulatory enforcement and guidelines.

Inflation in law Making: Deep analysis of Uzbek legislation

In the following paper the notion of normative inflation and its signs have been analyzed by the authors. The pace and efficiency of law making in the Republic of Uzbekistan have been discussed with the exact statistics found out with the aid of National Database of Legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan (lex.uz) of Uzbekistan. The results of social survey, which was conducted among the professors-teachers staff and students of Tashkent State University of Law, have been revealed with a reasoned conclusion. In the conclusion the authors came into the point that the balance of adoption of normative legal acts and efficiency of law enforcement should be followed by the subjects of primarily and secondary law making.