The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held a meeting 18 July to hear public recommendations on the assignment of payment levels for new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) laboratory codes.

The House Committee on Homeland Security introduced and approved legislation in June to implement recommendations of the congressionally mandated Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission's 2009 report, "World at Risk."

Representatives of the ASM Public and Scientific Affairs Board (PSAB) were invited to meet with the Federal Experts Security Advisory Panel (FESAP) on 21 July to discuss the Panel's recommendations, which have been provided to the Select Agent Program, to focus higher personnel and physical security requirements on 11 agents considered to be the most dangerous pathogens and to remove about 25 agents and toxins from the Select Agent list.

The FDA Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee met 29 June to discuss the possible reclassification of nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) rapid M. tuberculosis (MTB) diagnostics and the classification of Interferon Gamma Release Assays (IGRAs).

The NIH Office of Biotechnology Activities (NIH OBA) invited ASM to participate in and serve on the planning committee for their recent biennial conference that focused on biosafety issues and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversight of laboratory research involving emerging technologies.

ASM offers travel grants to increase the participation of underrepresented minority (URM) groups in the ASM General Meeting.