National Wildlife Federation, Lara Bryant: “Today, the farm bill passed the Senate by a vote of 68-32, its final major hurdle to becoming law for next five years. The White House reports that President Obama will sign the bill, so after a long, long wait, and lots of hard work, wildlife lovers can celebrate a farm bill that… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Final Report – National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force
“The National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force delivered it final report yesterday. You can find the full report to the President and Congress here. The Commission’s website has more information including links to the information from various hearings and other information they gathered in doing their work. In 2012 the Commission was congressionally mandated (PL… Continue Reading
Federal News Radio – White House calls for major changes to DATA Act
“The White House wants major revisions to the Senate’s version of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014. Among the biggest changes is the decision to move away from standards and toward open data structures to publish information, according to a marked up version of the DATA Act obtained by Federal News Radio. OMB gave the bill to… Continue Reading
CRS – Identity Theft: Trends and Issues
Identity Theft: Trends and Issues, Kristin Finklea, Specialist in Domestic Security. January 16, 2014. “Policymakers continue to be concerned with securing the economic health of the United States—including combating those crimes that threaten to undermine the nation’s financial stability. Identity theft, for one, poses both security and economic risks. By some estimates, identity fraud cost Americans nearly $21 billion in… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Critical Infrastructure Protection
SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACT – Information on Mortgage Protections and Related Education Efforts, GAO-14-221, Jan 28, 2014: “The number of servicemembers with mortgages eligible for Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) mortgage protections is unknown because servicers have not collected this information in a comprehensive manner. Based on the limited and nongeneralizeable information that GAO obtained from the… Continue Reading
New GAO Report on Fair Labor Standards Act
FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT: The Department of Labor Should Adopt a More Systematic Approach to Developing Its Guidance, GAO-14-69, Dec 18, 2013 “Substantial increases occurred over the last decade in the number of civil lawsuits filed in federal district court alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended (FLSA). Federal courts in most… Continue Reading
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Issues Report on NSA Massive Metadata Surveillance
Report on the Telephone Records Program Conducted under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and on the Operations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. January 23, 2014. “The PCLOB is an independent bipartisan agency within the executive branch established by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.6 The Board is comprised of… Continue Reading
CDT – President Supports End to NSA Bulk Collection; Fails to Provide Clear Path Forward
News release: “Far more needs to be done to restore the faith of the American people and repair the damage done globally to the U.S. reputation as a defender of human rights on the Internet. We certainly welcome judicial review of metadata queries, the support for more transparency about surveillance, a voice for civil liberties… Continue Reading
Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information
CRS – Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information, M. Maureen Murphy, Legislative Attorney, January 9, 2014 “One of the functions transferred to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) under P.L. 111-203, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), is authority to issue regulations and take enforcement actions under the two major federal statutes that specify conditions under… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Federal-Highway Aids, Medicare, Property and Casualty Insurance, Public Transit
FEDERAL-HIGHWAY AIDS – Federal Highway Administration Could Further Mitigate Locally Administered Project Risks, GAO-14-113, Jan 16, 2014 MEDICARE – Continuous Insurance before Enrollment Associated with Better Health and Lower Program Spending, GAO-14-53, Dec 17, 2013 PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE – Effects of the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2010, GAO-14-136, Jan 16, 2014 PUBLIC TRANSIT – Challenges Funding, Investing in… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Clean Water Act, Cruise Vessels, Space Acquisitions, VA Surgical Implants
CLEAN WATER ACT – Changes Needed If Key EPA Program Is to Help Fulfill the Nation’s Water Quality Goals, GAO-14-80, Dec 5, 2013 CRUISE VESSELS – Most Required Security and Safety Measures Have Been Implemented, but Concerns Remain About Crime Reporting, GAO-14-43, Dec 20, 2013 SPACE ACQUISITIONS – Assessment of Overhead Persistent Infrared Technology Report, GAO-14-287R, Jan 13, 2014 VA… Continue Reading
State Regulations and Their Protection of Electronic Book Data
A New Approach to Digital Reader Privacy: State Regulations and Their Protection of Electronic Book Data, Andrew A. Proia. Indiana Law Journal, Vol. 88, No. 4, 2013. “On October 3, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Reader Privacy Act into law. Currently, book service providers within California are prohibited from disclosing to third parties personal… Continue Reading
