Recent CRS Reports on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

From Steven Aftergood and the Federation of American Scientists, the following links: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: An Overview of the Statutory Framework and Recent Judicial Decisions, updated September 22, 2004 (90 pages, PDF) Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: Selected Legislation from the 108th Congress, updated September 30, 2004

Subjects: Government Documents, Legal Research

Second Anti-Spyware Bill Passed By House This Week

“The House Judiciary Committee passed the Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2004, H.R. 4661, which was introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte. This bipartisan legislation addresses the most egregious activities that are conducted via spyware and make those activities criminal offenses.” [Link to press release from Rep. Bob Goodlatte] See also House Rpt. 108-698 – …

Subjects: Congress, Cybercrime, Legislation, Privacy

Appeals Court Will Rehear Email Wiretapping Case

Appeals Court Re-Opens E-Mail Snooping Case: “Privacy advocates and the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) will get their day in court, again, to appeal a three-judge panel ruling that allows e-mail providers to store and copy their customers’ e-mails.” Via EPIC, Order, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit, United States v. Councilman, October 5, 2004. …

Subjects: Courts, E-Mail, Privacy

Formation of Gov’t Commission on Health IT Standards

“The CIO of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation is among the health-industry executives named to an 11-member federal commission to help the nation develop and implement health-IT standards that will serve as the foundation for establishing a system for universal electronic health records.” [Link] Reference: House Rpt. 108-391 – Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, E-Records, Legislation

Report on Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction

Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence on Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction, which was prepared by Charles Duelfer, chief weapons inspector for the Iraqi Survey Group. This report is in three volumes, comprising 1000 pages, PDF. September 30, 2004. [Link to table of contents, from the CIA website] Key …

Subjects: Government Documents

House Gives Overwhelming Approval to Spy Act

The SPY Act, H.R. 2929, To protect users of the Internet from unknowing transmission of their personally identifiable information through spyware programs, and for other purposes, was approved today by the House. See the accompanying House Report 108-619. See also this related posting, Spy Act Receives Strong Endorsement from House Cmte, the Software Principles Yielding …

Subjects: Congress, Legislation, PC Security, Privacy

CRS Updates Report on Data Quality

CRS Report, The Information Quality Act: OMB’s Guidance and Initial Implementation, Updated September 17, 2004. “In December 2000, Congress passed and the President signed the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (P. L. 106-554). Section 515 of that more than 700-page bill has subsequently been referred to as the “Data Quality …

Subjects: Government Documents