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ACM
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USACM Adds Signature
to Electronic Voting Resolution
USACM Signs Brief in
Support of Access to Facts
New Panels to Oversee
Department of Homeland Security
Omnibus
Appropriations Legislation for FY 2003 Signed into Law
USACM Executive
Committee Discusses Policy Activities
108th Congress to Consider Technology
Legislation
President Bush Signs
Cyber Security Plan
Plan for Terrorist
Threat Information Sharing Center Proposed
Pentagon Creates Boards to Oversee TIA Project
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INTRODUCTION
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USACM Adds Signature to Electronic
Voting Resolution
USACM recently endorsed a statement supporting the inclusion of a voter
verified audit trail capacity in direct recording electronic (DRE) voting mach-
ines used to facilitate local, state, and national elections. Spearheaded by
USACM member David Dill, the resolution recognizes that the voter verified
audit presents the best opportunity for accuracy in the tabulation of election
results. The resolution is consistent with USACM efforts to educate members
of Congress, local elected officials, and the media regarding the vulnerabilities
of certain computer technologies when applied to electronic voting. In addition,
USACM recently sent a letter to
that a voter-verified audit trail be one of the essential requirements for certifica-
tion of new voting systems.
In related news, the 2003 Fiscal Year Appropriations Legislation signed into
law by President Bush on February 20 provides $1.5 Billion to assist states
in updating to e-voting
technology. The National
Technology was funded $500,000 for its advisory capacity in the develop-
ment of voluntary standards for e-voting systems.
To review the Election Reform Legislation, see:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/Legislation/ElectionReformConference.pdf
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USACM recently joined a diverse collection of library, higher-education, and
computing groups in submitting an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in
Dastar v. Twentieth Century Fox. The brief explains to the court the potential
damaging impact of reversing the Constitutionally based policy of leaving facts
in the public domain where there can be incorporated into new works. Of part-
icular concern to the research and education community, an earlier ruling by the
Ninth Circuit Court regarding Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act could impact
the Supreme Court’s 1991
decision in Feist v. Rural Telephone. In that
land-
mark case, the Supreme Court interpreted the U.S.
Constitution as prohibiting
copyright protection for the facts contained in a
database.
To review a 1998
database letter signed by USACM and other leading scientific
societies, see:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/IP/presidents-letter-998.html
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Congress continues reorganization to address the creation of the new Depart-
ment of Homeland Security. The House Committee on Appropriations created
a new Subcommittee on Homeland Security led by Chairman Harold Rogers
(R-KT), and Ranking Member Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN). In addition, the
House assigned 42 members to a new Committee on Homeland Security.
The Senate Committee
on Appropriations will create a new Subcommittee to
have oversight for the Department of Homeland
Security, the Transportation
Security
Administration, the Coast Guard, and a host of smaller agencies.
This reorganization
by the Senate Committee on Appropriations would keep
the total number of subcommittees to 13.
To review the House
Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittees, see:
http://www.house.gov/appropriations/sub.htm
To review the Senate
Subcommittee on Appropriations, see:
http://appropriations.senate.gov/
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On
idated Appropriations Resolution, 2003.” This bill provides spending to federal
government agencies for the balance of Fiscal Year 2003.
This appropriations legislation funds a number of computing, math, science and
engineering initiatives. The National Science Foundation received a 13% increase
for the work of the Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering Directorate.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology received $359,411,000 to fund
the research activities of its labs under the Scientific and Technical Research and
Services portion of its budget.
The law also funds a number of rural distance learning and telemedicine programs
including $56,941,000 for a rural Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program,
$300,000,000 for distance learning initiatives, $80,000,000 for a program to pro-
mote telemedicine, and $42,813,000 in grants for translators to facilitate broad-
cast digital signals to support distance learning and telemedicine. Finally, $10,000,000
in grant funds is provided to support for broadband and transmission of local dial-
up Internet services for rural communities.
To encourage the study of math and science in K-12 education, the math and
science partnership program at the Department of Education will receive $101
million, up from the $12.5 million proposed by the Bush administration last year.
To review H.J. Res 2, continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2003, see:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.j.res.00002:
To review the House Committee on Appropriations’ Summary of the Bill, see:
http://www.house.gov/appropriations/news/108_1/04omnibus.htm
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On February 9, members of the USACM Executive Committee met in
review 2002 activities and discuss policy objectives for 2003.
USACM achievements for 2002 included testifying before Congress regard-
ing the importance of cyber security research and development and the need to
remove legal impediments to research such as the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act (DMCA). In addition, USACM had a demonstrated impact in helping
policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of the technical issues associ-
ated with electronic voting and the Pentagon’s Total Information Awareness
project. Finally, USACM crafted numerous statements and signed several
legal briefs on issues of importance to ACM and the computing community in
areas including intellectual property, cyber security, privacy, and Internet Gover-
nance.
USACM is expected to be active in a variety of policy matters as policymakers
consider legislation to provide relief from conflicts to research presented by the
DMCA, establish minimum technology security standards for government agen-
cies, and to create new restrictions on the access to the results of fundamental
research. The ACM Public Policy Office is working with USACM to formulate
a comprehensive public policy agenda to address these and other emerging poli-
cy issues.
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During the 108th Congress, which began in January, Members of the House
and the Senate have introduced a number of bills relating to cyber security,
digital piracy, identity-theft protections, spam limits, broadband expansion,
Internet gambling and copyright protection.
With three bills introduced regarding nanotechnology there appears to be strong
legislative interest in this area. The nanotechnology bills include the Nanoscience
and Nanotechnology Advisory Board Act of 2003, the Nanotechnology Research
and Development Act of 2003, and the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research
and Development Act are now in the House and Senate.
USACM will continue to monitor the introduction of IT related legislation for the
108th Congress. For a List of key IT Legislation and links, see:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/Legislation/TechLeg108th.htm
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The cyber security plan signed this month by President Bush will give the task
of implementing the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace to the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security. The plan has five priorities: planning and resource
allocation; information sharing and indications and warnings; personnel surety,
building human capital, and awareness; technology and research & develop-
ment; and modeling, simulation and analysis.
The plan’s goal is to secure the national information infrastructure and rein-
force the security of the global information infrastructure. The plan calls for a
coordinated international effort industry, Academia, and government will work
together to address problems, identity threats, and provide workable solutions
to secure cyberspace.
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This spring the Bush administration plans to set up a central facility for the
analysis of terrorism-related data collected by different agencies through-
out the federal government. The proposed centralized facility called the
from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the FBI,
and the CIA.
The new center may resolve problems with cross-agency information
sharing cited as contributing factors in intelligence failures leading to the
appoint a top government official to lead the center and report directly to
him. The FBI and CIA components will continue to report to their respect-
tive organizations.
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Pentagon Creates Boards to Oversee TIA Project
The Department of Defense has announced the creation of two boards to
provide oversight of the Total Information Awareness Project (TIA). The
two boards, an internal oversight board and an outside advisory committee,
will work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),
as it continues its research. According to Pentagon officials, the boards will
monitor TIA’s development and dissemination of products to ensure they are
consistent with
The internal oversight board will oversee and monitor the manner in which
terrorist tracking tools are transitioned for real world use. The outside advisory
board will be convened as a federal advisory committee and will comply with
all the legal and regulatory requirements for such bodies. The committee will
advise the Secretary of Defense on the range of policy and legal issues that
are raised by the development and potential application of advanced techn-
ology.
In January, USACM sent a letter to Congress recommending a rigorous
independent review of the TIA program is being developed by the Depart-
ment of Defense as part of an effort to counter terrorism. USACM raised
concerns with the serious security, privacy, economic, and personal risks
associated with the program. Finally, USACM suggested a thorough exami-
nation of the technical feasibility and practical reality of the entire program.
Congress recently adopted an amendment to the FY2003 omnibus appro-
priations bill that makes future Pentagon spending on the program condi-
tional upon a full explanation of the data-mining plan and assessment of its
impact on civil liberties. The amendment also prevents deployment of the
surveillance program until it receives congressional approval, except for
national security reasons. The omnibus appropriations bill was recently
enacted into law with the TIA amendment.
To review the USACM letter regarding TIA, see:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/Letters/tia_final.html
To review the Pentagon’s announcement of the oversight boards, see:
http://www.dod.gov/news/Feb2003/b02072003_bt060-03.html
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For earlier editions of the ACM Washington Update. Should you
have
questions, comments, suggestions or recommendations regarding public
policy issues or USACM activities, please contact the ACM Public
Policy Office located in
or calling 202-478-6312.
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