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ACM Washington Update v. 1.1
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Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 16:43:25 -0400
From: Lauren Amy Gelman
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WASHINGTON UPDATE
U.S. Office of Public Policy of the Association for Computing
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April 24, 1997 Volume 1.1
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INTRODUCTION
USACM ACTIVITIES USACM Criticizes Interim Rule on Cryptography USACM Supports Internet Friendly Legal Citations Proposal
POLICY BRIEFS Cryptography Legislation Introduced in House and Senate Consumer Risks Associated With Year 2000 Problem Cited FCC Releases Staff Working Paper on Internet Policy Social Security Number Protection On-Line NSF Announces New Computer Partnerships Bill Would Require ISPs to Offer Blocking Software Legislation Introduced on Internet Tax and On-Line Gambling The Science Budget Supreme Court Hears Reno v. ACLU Clinton Forms Advisory Committees AAAS Releases Annual R&D Budget Analysis Hale-Bopp Discoverer Urges More Funding For Science Research
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This is the first issue of a bi-weekly electronic publication of the U.S. Public Policy Office of the Association for Computing (USACM). The Association for Computing is an international professional society whose 75,000 members (60,000 in the U.S.) represent a critical mass of computer scientists in education, industry, and government. The USACM provides a means for promoting dialogue on technology policy issues with United States policy makers and the general public. The WASHINGTON UPDATE will report on activities in Washington which may be of interest to those in the computing and information policy communities and will highlight USACM's involvement in many of these issues.
To subscribe to the ACM WASHINGTON UPDATE send an e-mail to listserv@acm.org with "subscribe WASHINGTON-UPDATE" (no quotes) in the body of the message.
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+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ USACM ACTIVITIES =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
USACM CRITICIZES INTERIM RULE ON CRYPTOGRAPHY The USACM submitted comments on the Interim Rule issued by the Department of Commerce with regard to "Encryption Items Transferred From the United States Munitions List to the Commerce Control List." The USACM believes it is in the best interest of the U.S. government to promote the widespread use of strong encryption. From our perspective the Interim Rule fails to recognize the legitimate needs and interests of academic, professional, scientific, and ordinary users of telecommunications technology. Thus, the Interim Rule must be modified before it can resolve the many problems with the current export controls on encryption technologies. http://info.acm.org/usacm/usacm_crypto_comments.html
USACM SUPPORTS INTERNET FRIENDLY LEGAL CITATIONS PROPOSAL The USACM wrote a letter supporting the American Bar Association's proposal for new standard for legal citations on March 14, 1997. The USACM believes that the government should enable citizens access to legislative, judicial and executive branch information through the Internet and that such information should be available in standard formats to promote broad and effective access. http://info.acm.org/usacm/usacm_aba_cites.html
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CRYPTOGRAPHY LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN HOUSE AND SENATE: A hearing was held on March 21, 1997 on the "Pro-CODE" legislation (S.377) reintroduced by Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) this session. The bill would relax export controls on cryptography to promote commerce and privacy on the Internet. One new provision in the bill would create a secret Information Security Board that would give law enforcement agencies special access to the development of new plans for privacy enhancing technologies. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the "Encrypted Communications Privacy Act" (S.376). The bill would protect the right to use encryption, but would criminalize the use of encryption in furtherance of a crime and also sets up a legal framework to promote key escrow. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) re-introduced the "Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act" (H.R. 695) and a hearing was held on the bill on March 22, 1997. The bill, which has over 50 cosponsors, relaxes cryptography export controls and prohibits mandatory key escrow. It also creates new criminal penalties for using encryption to further a criminal act.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ CONSUMER RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH YEAR 2000 PROBLEM CITED Rep. Constance A. Morella, chair of the Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Technology, along with several of her colleagues sent a letter to the Clinton Administration requesting information on the Year 2000 problem. The Year 2000 problem involves embedded microchips which have internal timers which are programmed with the "19" prefix. When the year 2000 is ushered in, computers which are programmed with the "19" prefix will interpret the year to be 1900 not year 2000. The letter was drafted after a hearing in which several witnesses reiterated their concerns about potential serious safety consequences associated with the Year 2000 problem.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ FCC RELEASES STAFF WORKING PAPER ON INTERNET POLICY On March 27, 1997 The FCC's Office of Plans and Policy (OPP) released a staff working paper analyzing the implications of the Internet for the FCC and telecommunications policy. "Digital Tornado: The Internet and Telecommunications Policy," was written by Kevin Werbach, Counsel for New Technology Policy. The working paper is not an official statement by the FCC. The paper suggests that the FCC, and other government agencies, should seek to limit regulation of Internet services. Werbach states: "Because it is not tied to traditional models or regulatory environments, the Internet holds the potential to dramatically change the communications landscape. The Internet creates new forms of competition, valuable services for end users, and benefits to the economy. Government policy approaches toward the Internet should therefore start from two premises: avoid unnecessary regulation, and question the applicability of traditional rules." http://www.fcc.gov/
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER PROTECTION ON-LINE The House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Social Security will hold a hearing on the Social Security Internet site on May 6, 12997. The hearing was prompted by the recent on-line availability of the PEBES (Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement) database system, a Website developed and maintained by the Social Security Administration. The website was designed to make an individual's PEBES more accessible. However PEBES was removed from the Internet because of widespread complaints about the privacy implications of using social security numbers as passwords. http://www.ssa.gov
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ NSF ANNOUNCES NEW COMPUTER PARTNERSHIPS The National Science Board chose two recipients for the National Science Foundation's new Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure program. The National Computational Science Alliance (NCSA) led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the National Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (NPACI) led by the University of California, San Diego have been chosen for awards. The NCSA proposal lays out a vision for a distributed environment whose goal is to prototype a national information infrastructure that enables the best computational research in the country. The NPACI proposal includes a national-scale metacomputing environment with diverse hardware and several high-end sites. http://www.nsf.gov:80/od/lpa/start.html
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ BILL WOULD REQUIRE ISPS TO OFFER BLOCKING SOFTWARE On March 20, the "Family-Friendly Internet Access Act of 1997" (HR 1180) was introduced by Rep. Joseph McDade (R-Pa) which mandates that Internet access providers provide their customers with software that enables them to block their children's access to unsuitable Internet material. The proposed legislation would require that the screening software be made available at the time a customer contracts for the provision of Internet access services. The software would have to be free of charge or priced at cost. The bill is similar to one introduced Feb. 13 in the Texas House of Representatives (2 EPLR 254).Excluded under HR 1180's definition of an Internet access provider are common carriers providing only transmission and routing services.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ LEGISLATION INTRODUCED ON INTERNET TAX AND INTERNET GAMBLING Congressman Rick White (R- WA), Congressman Chris Cox (R-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the "Internet Tax Freedom Act" which would 1) place a moratorium on taxes on the Internet or interactive services 2) establish a task force to determine how the federal government should deal with the tax issue and 3) prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from setting rates for Internet services. Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) has introduced the "Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1997" which would make illegal the transmission of any information related to gambling, including bets wagers, or the chance to win a prize or lottery. An ISP would be required to cut off Internet access only following a written note from a law enforcement agency and would not be held liable for any damages.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ THE SCIENCE BUDGET On April 16, the House Science Committee, passed ten authorization bills under the direction of the new Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).The bills authorized a total increase of just less than 3 percent over FY 1997 funding levels for the R&D programs the Committee controls. The NSF funding for FY98 represents a 3 percent increase over FY97, and would authorize a total of $3.505 billion for FY98 -- a 7.2 percent increase. The bills also authorized funding for all of NIST's programs, including the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). Sensenbrenner noted that, "unlike the previous chair, who was philosophically opposed to the ATP, I am not." However Congressman Harold Rogers (R-KY), Chairman of the House Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Subcommittee stated that he wants to shut down ATP at an appropriations hearing on the Commerce Department's science and technology programs. The entire process was notably bi-partisan as compared to last years House Science Committee mark- up which was ostensibly contentious. In the Senate, a new bill, "The National Research Investment Act of 1997" (S. 124) is being introduced by Senator Gramm (R-TX). It would authorize the doubling over a decade of most of the non-R&D budgets of the federal government.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SUPREME COURT HEARS RENO V. ACLU The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Reno v. ACLU, the legal challenge to the Communications Decency Act on March 19. The law, which prohibits the electronic transmission or display of indecent materials to minors, was ruled unconstitutional by a three judge panel in Philadelphia. A ruling from the Court is expected by June.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ CLINTON FORMS ADVISORY COMMITTEES On February 11, President Clinton issued an executive order forming the "Advisory Committee on High Performance Computing and Communications, Information Technology, and the Next Generation Internet." The Committee will provide assistance to the National Technology and Science Council (NTSC) on "all areas of high performance computing, communications and information Technologies." Bill Joy and Ken Kennedy will Co-chair the Committee. The Clinton Administration is requesting nominations for representatives to serve on the Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters. The President will appoint up to 15 members who represent diverse views from the commercial and noncommercial broadcasting industry, computer industries, producers, academic institutions, public interest organizations, and the advertising community. Members will be asked to provide advice to the Administration on the public interest obligations that digital television broadcasters should assume. http://www.ntia.doc.gov.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AAAS RELEASES ANNUAL R&D BUDGET ANALYSIS The American Association for the Advancement of Science released its latest analysis of R&D funding trends to the Presidents Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology on March 6. The presentation materials, preceded by a short text narrative, are available on AAAS WWW site in PDF format at http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/rd/rdwwwpg.htm.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ HALE-BOPP DISCOVERER URGES MORE FUNDING FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH Alan Hale, the co-discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp has written a letter to the science community in which he argues that "Based upon my own experiences, and those of you with whom I have discussed this issue, my personal feeling is that, unless there are some pretty drastic changes in the way that our society approaches science and treats those of us who have devoted our lives to making some of our own contributions, there is no way that I can, with a clear conscience, encourage present-day students to pursue a career in science." He requests that other scientists e-mail any negative career stories about him at ahale@nmsu.edu and let him know if you would prefer to remain anonymous when he shares these stories with the press and the government.
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=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= The ACM Washington Update is a biweekly publication of the U.S. Public Policy Office of the Association for Computing HTTP://www.acm.org/USACM The USACM office is at 666 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20003. 202/298-0842 (tel), 202/547-5482 (fax). To subscribe to the ACM Washington Update send an e-mail to listserv@acm.org with "subscribe WASHINGTON-UPDATE" (no quotes) in the body of the message.
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