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ARLINGTON, VA – The Electronics Industries Alliance reports Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) introduced the Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership (SKIL) Bill on Wednesday. The legislation includes provisions crucial to companies in the U.S. information and communications technology industry that employ highly educated foreign professionals. An identical measure, S. 1083, was introduced last week by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

The EIA said Congress should reform the H-1B and employment-based visa programs this year to allow U.S. technology companies to hire the skilled workers they need to compete. The association urged lawmakers to make SKIL part of any comprehensive immigration reform package.

The SKIL Bill will raise the H-1B cap from 65,000 to 115,000; apply the current 20,000 cap exemption to those with a master's degree or higher from an institution of higher education in a foreign country, not just the U.S.; raise the limit on employment-based visas from 140,000 to 290,000 per year; extend post-degree employment for optional practical training to 24 months for all F visa students; create a new F-1 visa for students coming to pursue a U.S. STEM bachelor's or higher degree; create a pre-certification program to streamline the adjudication process for petitions for employers with a track record of compliance; and permit domestic visa revalidation/renewal.

In addition, U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) sponsored The High Tech Worker Relief Act to make more H-1B visas available in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 and exempt U.S. advanced degree holders from the cap.

IRVINE, CA – EMS firm ACC Electronix Inc. has purchased its second Mimot Advantage 2 placement system. ACC bought its first Advantage 2 last year.

FRANKLIN, MA – On May 17, Speedline Technologies will present a free one-hour Webcast on wave soldering process optimization. The Webcast starts at 11 am Eastern, and will emphasize process control and repeatability. Conveyance, fluxing, preheating and the wave solder module will be covered. Process-related topics will include product design, process definition, flux selection and application, solder wave forms, process instrumentation and control. Also to be discussed: tools and techniques for creating and maintaining engineering control and repeatability. For more information and to register, go to www.speedlinetech.com/seminars.

TORONTO – Adeptron Technologies Corp. announced an agreement to acquire San Jose-based EMS provider Pacific Circuit Assembly for $2.25 million. The acquisition is expected to close within 45 days. The deal gives Adeptron its first facility in the U.S. Adeptron also runs three plants in Canada. PCA is expected to provide full turnkey manufacturing solutions as result of the deal. PCA had 2006 sales of approximately $3.2 million. Adeptron expects to finance the majority of the proposed acquisition using internal finances and the remainder through shares offered to PCA principals.

WASHINGTON, DC – To help curb piracy, the U.S. has filed two World Trade Organization cases against China: one regarding deficiencies in China's legal body to protect and enforce copyrights and trademarks on various products, and the second on the country's distribution barriers to trade in books, music, videos and movies. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. consultation request on IPR protection and enforcement seeks to eliminate structural barriers that grant pirates and counterfeiters in China safe harbor to avoid criminal liability. It also aims to reduce the volume of counterfeit goods crossing the border into China and to provide copyright owners more tools to prevent unauthorized copies in the country. According to a Xinhua report, China has recently ordered that anyone caught with 500 pirated discs will face criminal penalties, compared to the previous penalty for owning 1,000 pirated discs. In addition, fines for piracy were raised to up to 15 times a pirate's illegal gains, the report said. Fines for smaller offenders were also increased. However, the USTR statement held that wholesalers and distributors would continue to be able to operate below high thresholds without fear of criminal liability.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – Design Solutions Inc. has opened a design center in Munich. The site provides electronics engineering, design, simulation, and prototype manufacturing services. The center also includes a high-level FPGA and ASIC development group. Software manager Stefan Dragomir was named to manage the branch. DSI currently has seven locations in the U.S. and two in Europe.