Telecom
Congress Finalizes DTV Deadline As Feb. 17, 2009
     The House this week cleared a bill that would set Feb. 19, 2009, as the "hard date" to end analog television signals and complete the transition to digital television. The passage of the language, which is included in broader budget legislation, would push key DTV implementation issues to the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Broadcasters agreed to the 2009 date, and it has been strongly supported by the technology, public-safety, wireless and cable industries. When broadcasters vacate the spectrum, 108 megahertz of prime radio frequencies will be available for police and firefighters, and for wireless, high-speed Internet devices. After the DTV deadline is finalized, the electronics industry and retailers are poised to launch publicity campaigns about the need to purchase digital televisions or obtain boxes to convert digital signals for viewing on older TV sets by the 2009 deadline. The bill would provide up to $1.5 billion in subsidies for the converter boxes.

On The Hill
Senate Votes To Extend PATRIOT Act Through March 10
     Congress cleared legislation to extend the anti-terrorism law known as the PATRIOT Act unchanged through March 10. Sixteen provisions of the law would have expired Friday if Congress did not act. The House voted for a five-week extension on Wednesday, and the Senate cleared the measure Thursday. In other news, the Senate approved for a second time $70 billion in tax cuts, clearing a procedural hurdle to conference negotiations with the House. The Senate agreed to a substitute that lengthens extensions for non-controversial provisions like the research and development tax credit. Also this week, House Republicans elected John Boehner of Ohio as majority leader in an upset over Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri.

White House
Techies Praise Bush's Emphasis On Education, Research
     Technology industry officials lauded the State of the Union speech delivered by President Bush and said the White House has finally heard their pleas for better science and math education, and improved funding for basic research. "Tonight I announce an American competitiveness initiative to encourage innovation throughout our economy, and to give our nation's children a firm grounding in math and science," Bush said. He outlined a proposal ripped almost entirely from the lobbying playbook of the tech and university research communities. The plan calls for spending $136 billion over the next decade to boost R&D spending, strengthen education and foster innovation. Bush will request $137 billion for R&D spending in fiscal 2007, $5 billion more than his fiscal 2006 request. Despite that focus in the speech, Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, still rank far behind former President Clinton when it comes to highlighting technology in State of the Union addresses.

Privacy
Lawmakers Heighten Their Push For Cellular Privacy
     House and Senate lawmakers jump-started their push for legislation to target the sale of cellular telephone records over the Internet. At a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, headed by Joe Barton, R-Texas, the chairman said he and ranking Democrat John Dingell of Michigan soon will offer legislation to make it illegal for third parties to access the information, a practice known as pretexting. "This is an invasion of personal privacy, and if I have anything to do with it, it won't be allowed to continue very much longer," Barton said. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is working with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to craft a related bill in the upper chamber. The House and Senate Judiciary Committee chairmen also are involved in the debate.

Telecom
Committee Turf Battle Looms For Telecom Measure
     The House Judiciary Committee plans to assert jurisdiction over telecommunications legislation emerging from the House Energy and Commerce panel, setting the stage for a classic turf battle. The issue could go to Judiciary if it involves copyright law or antitrust issues. Involvement by Judiciary, which is headed by regional Bells critic James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., would be significant, and it does not sit well with Bell companies, which favor a bill being drafted by Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas. "None of [the Energy and Commerce drafts] has anything in it that would seem to be under Judiciary's jurisdiction," BellSouth spokesman Bill McCloskey said. He conceded, however, that it is "not unusual" for Judiciary to seek authority on telecom issues.

Civil Liberties
Lawmaker Chastises Tech Firms Over China Policy
     U.S. technology companies that have caved to the Chinese government's Internet censorship policies ought to be "ashamed" of their complicity with China, a House member said at a hearing on China's human rights abuses. "Instead of supporting such customers by using their considerable resources to develop new technologies to bypass government gatekeepers, the Internet companies have agreed themselves to guard the gates," California Republican Tom Lantos said at a Congressional Human Rights Caucus briefing. Absent from the briefing were representatives from Cisco Systems, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. The State Department also did not send a witness. The companies have been criticized for complying with Chinese legal mandates to filter Web content found to be socially damaging.

On The Hill
Sen. Shelby Outlines Banking Committee's Priorities
     Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby outlined issues this week that he expects will rank high on his panel's agenda for 2006, including the passage of legislation to curtail data-security breaches. Shelby, R-Ala., said the committee is "working hard" to draft a bill that would establish standards for notifying consumers when their financial records are released without authorization. "We want to do it right," he said, noting that sometimes technology outpaces the legislative process. According to a statement from Shelby, the legislation will be designed to complement protections found in the financial-services law known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as well as under credit-reporting law.

Intellectual Property
Copyright Office Outlines Plan For 'Orphan Works'
     The Copyright Office has offered a plan to set free troves of creative works that are trapped in obscurity by uncertain ownership status. A 207-page report from the office recommends that entities or individuals who want to use such "orphan works" should conduct "reasonably diligent" searches for the owners to get permission first. About 850 potential users of such works submitted comments on how legislators should deal with the problem. The Copyright Office held a series of roundtables last year to gather ideas on the issue. The report outlines many of the participants' suggestions and includes reasons why the office adopted or rejected them. Among other things, the report suggested that trade associations for the various creative industries maintain databases of copyright registration information that potential users of other people's works could access to find owners.