Encryption
Davis: SAFE On Hold For Now
     Even though encryption legislation is still on the House floor schedule, Rep. Tom Davis, R-VA, said that House GOP leaders will likely hold off for the time being on moving the legislation, adding that there are many other issues that need immediate attention. "We're just keeping our powder dry," said Davis, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, during a briefing on the issue, but said H.R. 850 is still on the House agenda should leaders decide to move it forward.

Encryption
Finding The FIDNet Funding Loophole
     The House Appropriations Committee may have eliminated funding for the Clinton Administration's proposed federal intrusion detection surveillance system (FIDNet), but the White House found another vehicle for funding through a $600 million mid-year fiscal 2000 budget amendment. On Sept. 21, the White House's Office of Management and Budget sent up the proposed request to Congress, including $39 million for enhancing computer security and critical infrastructure protection within several agencies. The president requested $8.4 million for FIDNet to be run by the General Services Administration. In July, the White House revealed its plan to create FIDNet, but it was immediately criticized by privacy and civil liberties groups and some members of Congress who were concerned that the system would result in federal surveillance of all computer networks. In September, House appropriators denied funding designated for FIDNet in the Commerce, State and Justice appropriations bill in August.

Education
Seeking Candidates For Computer Security Program
     The Clinton Administration has asked Congress for $10 million to fund the creation of the Federal Cyber Services, a program that would train and recruit students in computer security. The money was requested in a $600 million FY 2000 budget amendment sent on Sept. 21 to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-IL. The budget amendment costs are offset by a proposed change in the tax code.

Crime
The Threat Is Out There
     Defending the nation's infrastructure of computer networks may require new approaches to information security, said a General Accounting Office report. But the list of executive departments, agencies, and congressional committees searching for a role in solving a perceived problem is rapidly expanding. Issued in response to a request from Sen. Robert Bennett, R-UT, chairman of the special committee on the Year 2000 technology problem, the GAO report found that the risks of unauthorized computer intrusions "are not being adequately addressed" in the federal government or in the private sectors.

Taxes
Permanent R&D Still Alive In Senate
     Prospects for a permanent extension of the research and development tax credit are still alive in the Senate, as Finance Committee leaders continued negotiations late in the week over a tax package that would extend some expiring tax breaks. Senate Finance Committee Chairman William Roth Jr., R-DE, included a permanent R&D tax credit in a $75 billion "extenders" package he unveiled this week. The measure also included another high-tech industry priority, a provision that would permanently extend a tax benefit allowing workers to receive up to $5,250 a year in tax-free assistance from their employers for undergraduate and graduate education. Current law only covers undergraduate courses and is set to expire May 31, 2000. While saying he still supports making the R&D tax credit permanent, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-SD, said that including it in legislation to reauthorize other expiring tax benefits could jeopardize prospects for that bill's passage.

Cyberporn
Will It Take Istook A Second Try?
     Despite being rebuffed last year, Rep. Ernest Istook, R-OK, is making another push to tie federal funding for computers and computer-related equipment for libraries and schools to the installation of software aimed at blocking children from seeing obscene materials on the Internet. Istook added an amendment aimed at curbing children's exposure to cyber-smut during subcommittee consideration this summer of fiscal year 2000 spending legislation funding labor, health and education programs. The full House Appropriations Committee approved the bill late last week.

Taxes
Bliley, Tauzin Intend To Expose Taxes On Phone Bills
     House Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley, R-VA, and telecommunications subcommittee chief Billy Tauzin, R-LA, have joined forces to expose so-called "hidden taxes" on telephone bills, including the Republican-targeted e-rate program. While H.R. 3011 doesn't single out any particular program and would require a separate line item for access fees, universal service charges and federal, state and local taxes, it would shed light on what Republicans have dubbed the "Gore tax," or discounts for Internet service and hook-ups for schools and libraries.

E-Commerce
Revised Dig Sig Bill Resembles Senate Version
     The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property passed a significantly revised version of electronic signatures legislation, H.R. 1714, that addresses state concerns over federal pre-emption of their contract laws. The substitute version of H.R. 1714, sponsored by subcommittee Chairman Howard Coble, R-NC, looks similar to a bipartisan Senate bill, S. 761, whose principal sponsor is Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-MI. Abraham's bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee and is ready for debate by the Senate, but larger party politics have prevented the bill from coming up for a vote.

Crime
House Judiciary Extends Stalking Definition
     The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime passed a bill Thursday to broaden the definition of stalking crimes to include so-called "cyberstalking" — cases in which a perpetrator uses the Internet to send threatening e-mail messages across state lines. "Given that less than half of all stalking victims are directly threatened by their stalkers, many interstate stalking victims cannot seek redress through federal criminal prosecution," said subcommittee chairman Bill McCollum, R-FL, who urged the adoption of the measure, the Stalking Prevention and Victim Protection Act, H.R. 1869.

Domains
Cybersquatting Bill Sails Through House Judiciary
     A bill to crack down on the practice of cybersquatting was no sooner introduced Thursday when it swept to passage by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, putting it on track for a full committee vote. The "Trademark Cyberpiracy Prevention Act," H.R. 3028, would prohibit the practice of obtaining Internet domain names such as those associated with famous trademarks for the purpose of selling them in the future at a substantial profit. The bill's sponsors, Rep. James Rogan, R-CA, and Rep. Rick Boucher, D-VA, have the backing of lead co-sponsors Howard Coble, R-NC, and chairman of the subcommittee, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-VA.

Net Governance
SBA Urges ICANN To Slow Down
     In an effort to give a louder voice to small businesses in the Internet's domain name registration system, the Small Business Administration is urging the Internet Corporation For Assigned Names And Numbers to extend time for public comment about ICANN policy. The Small Business Administration plans to fire off its proposal in a few weeks, making recommendations for how ICANN can handle public commentary and saying the organization currently cuts short the time for public comment on ICANN policies through its Web site.

Campaigns
Campaign Bill Could Have Net Measure
     Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, plans to introduce Internet-oriented provisions to the campaign finance reform bill that is scheduled to be debated in the Senate next week, according to an online civil rights group. The Center for Democracy and Technology said the measure will address the use of the Internet by individuals to express their political opinions. McConnell, a staunch opponent of campaign finance limits, wants to ensure that individuals who are not associated with campaigns or the political parties have the continued right to express their opinions without running afoul of Federal Elections Commission regulations. Right now it is not clear whether individuals who want to support a candidate through a Web site, are considered contributors to a campaign and have to file with the FEC.

Internet Access
Plan To Open Networks Gets Tentative Praise
     Reports that AT&T is considering opening its high-speed cable network to competing Internet service providers — after months of lobbying by ISPs and recent local government rulings mandating open cable network — were met with cautious approval Wednesday. "I'm not going out and buying champagne before I see what they're talking about," said Greg Simon, co-chair of OpenNet, a coalition of businesses, including America Online, that has lobbied Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to require that high-speed cable networks be open to competing ISPs. Simon said there are two major questions that remain about AT&T's proposed move: "What do they mean by 'open'? And what do they mean by a 'few years'?" Reactions were also mixed on the telecom front this week over whether MCI WorldCom's $115 billion bid for Sprint could create a dangerous level of consolidation in the Internet backbone market.

Business
Immigration Panel Tries To Compensate For Miscalculation
     After repeatedly being criticized for failing to correctly count how many H-1B visas have been used, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is coming under fire again for a proposal to reduce the number of the visas for this year to compensate for giving out too many last year. INS has informed members of Congress that it may have issued as many as 20,000 visas above the 115,000 allocated for FY 1999, and proposed correcting the error by reducing the amount available for this year by an equal amount, according to an aide to Rep.Lamar Smith, R-TX, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Immigration and Claims Subcommittee.

Budget
Lawmakers Call For More Science Funding
     Echoing concerns raised by scientists and others, a group of nearly 70 lawmakers have called on House Appropriators to increase funding for basic science and technology research, particularly at the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The bipartisan group of House members sent a letter Sept. 30 to House Appropriations Committee Chairman C.W. Bill Young, R-FL, and ranking Democrat David Obey, D-WI, asking them to "reverse the funding cuts" for basic science and technology research for fiscal year 2000.

On The Hill
Group Joins In On Call For Research Funding
     Joining the chorus of requests for increased federal research funding, the National Business Coalition for Federal Research asked Republican House and Senate leadership to pass a budget that funds federal research programs above the inflation rate. Members of the coalition, which includes local chambers of commerce across the United States, sent letters to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-MS, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-IL, and chairs of budget and appropriations chairs requesting more funding for federal research.

On The Hill
Spam Scandal Breathes New Life Into Bill
     A thicket of unsolicited e-mail sent by an unsuspecting Capitol Hill press secretary may have breathed new life into a dormant anti-spam bill in the House, co-sponsors of the legislation said. "I think it really has served as a wake-up call for people [in Congress] who have been protected" by their staffs against the barrage of unsolicited commercial e-mail — otherwise known as spam — said Steve Maviglio, chief of staff to Rep. Rush Holt, D-NJ. Freshmen Holt and Rep. Gary Miller, R-CA, co-sponsors of the "Can Spam Act," H.R. 2162, that would require spammers to check an Internet service provider's unsolicited e-mail policy before sending messages to its subscribers, hope that the recent e-mail barrage will help their bill get a hearing before the Commerce or Judiciary Committees. Another anti-spam proposal was set to be filed late Tuesday by Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ. An updated version of a proposal that was unsuccessful last year, the unnumbered bill would allow individuals to sue spammers.

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