Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy's, D-Vt., online privacy bill has won over privacy advocates including the Center for Democracy and Technology, but the National District Attorneys Association remains concerned that the bill doesn't go far enough to spell out when and how law enforcement officials can access consumer data online. The legislation would require warrants for officials to access consumer emails and data stored in the cloud, but it also doubles the amount of time officials have to notify consumers that their data has been accessed. The changes caused some concern when they were first reported, but privacy groups appear to support the bill regardless. Leahy plans to mark up his legislation on Thursday and attach it to an unrelated video rental privacy measure supported by Netflix.
While Leahy's bill doesn't go as far as some privacy groups would like, they believe it is their best shot at updating 25-year-old data privacy laws. Proponents hope the debate over Leahy's measure sparks a broader debate on data privacy in the next Congress; Congress is widely expected to consider online privacy legislation next year, though at the moment there doesn't appear to be enough support to pass sweeping new regulations on how Web companies must handle consumer data. Leahy's bill may also face resistance from House Republicans, who are sure to be sympathetic to any concerns aired by law enforcement. However, two lawmakers in the House have both offered their own bill to end warrantless seizures of consumer data: Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, (HR 2168) and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., (HR 6529).
House Sets Vote on Modified Visa Bill for Friday: GOP leaders in the House have set a vote on Friday on a bill (HR 6429) that would abolish the visa lottery program and award those 55,000 green cards to to immigrants who earn graduate degrees from American universities in STEM fields. A similar measure did not pass the House in September under suspension of the rules, which requires two-thirds support. The legislation would also make it easier for family members of green card holders to move to the United States while they await their own green cards, in an attempt to gain Democratic support for the legislation. Both parties support expanding skilled immigration and making it easier for immigrants trained in STEM fields to stay in the United States, but Democrats would like to see the changes as part of a larger, comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system. Lamar Smith to Chair Science Committee: Current House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith will chair the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in the 113th Congress. Smith fended off challenges from fellow Texas Republican Ralph Hall and Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin. He argued it is important for the U.S. to remain competitive in space and for NASA to have a unifying mission. The Committee will consider renewals of the authorizations of both NASA and the American COMPETES Act next year, as well as a slate of R&D initiatives and STEM education programs. House Creates DHS Management Panel: The House passed a bill (HR 5913) on Tuesday that would establish an eight-member advisory panel to improve the Department of Homeland Security's management of contracting and acquisitions. A recent House Homeland Security Subcommittee investigation found major challenges in the department's contracting practices, including poor acquisition management of a high-tech border surveillance system. The GAO found similar concerns in a report issued in September. DHS is one of the largest federal agencies, which traditionally struggle with procuring and deploying large-scale information technology systems. Chaffetz Calls for "Fair and Equal" Radio Royalties: Rep. Jason Chaffetz penned an op-ed last night calling for an update to the royalty rates paid by Web radio providers, which are more than six times the rates paid by satellite and cable radio companies. The Utah Republican has introduced legislation with Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., that would provide a single standard for all digital radio companies. Web radio providers argue the current system puts them at a significant disadvantage compared to other non-terrestrial radio companies, as they must pay a much larger portion of their revenue toward royalties. Chaffetz argues Internet radio has helped promote musicians and generated money via copyright payments. McCaul Eyes Cyber Issues After Winning Homeland Security Chair: Mike McCaul will lead the House Homeland Security Committee in the 113th Congress, putting cybersecurity squarely back on the forefront of that panel's agenda. The Texas Republican offered his own cybersecurity measure (HR 2096) focused on research and development while on the House Science Committee; that legislation was one of the cyber bills passed by the House this spring. But McCaul still thinks the Homeland Security Committee needs to get involved, especially if the Senate does not act on cybersecurity. The cyber bill passed by the House earlier this year (HR 3674) drew opposition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for being too close to the Senate bill (S 3414) that establishes voluntary security best practices for critical infrastructure providers. McCaul said passing cybersecurity legislation "the single highest priority in the next Congress." Quotable: “Every day we wait, the threat gets worse. We need to pass a robust cybersecurity bill out of the Homeland Security Committee. That’s what I would be committed to doing as chairman.” -- House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul.