Volume 145, No. 56 covering the 1st Session of the 106th Congress (1999 - 2000) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“YEAR 2000 ACT” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E737-E738 on April 22, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
YEAR 2000 ACT
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HON. JAMES A. BARCIA
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 22, 1999
Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Year 2000 Act. Everyone in this House is aware of the Year 2000 computer problem and the federal government's effort to fix its computer systems. The Subcommittee on Technology, of which I am the Ranking Member, has taken the lead in holding hearings on the Y2K issue. We have spent a lot of time reviewing Federal efforts and promoting companies sharing information on the Y2K problem. However, there are several gaps in our Y2K efforts, the intent of this legislation is to fill in these gaps. This bill has six very specific goals: (1) to raise consumer awareness and to create a consumer Y2K checklist; (2) to raise small and medium-
sized businesses Y2K awareness and create a Y2K self-assessment checklist for the Nation's small and medium-sized companies: (3) to ensure that Federal agencies have worked with outside entities to ensure that all date sensitive data exchanges are Year 2000 compliant;
(4) require a report to Congress on the economic implications to the United States of the global Y2K problem; (5) raise Y2K awareness in the health care sector and disseminate a list of Y2K compliant biomedical devices and other health care equipment that could lead to life threatening situations due to a Y2K related failure; and (6) raise Y2K awareness in the water utility sector and disseminate a list of Y2K compliant products and equipment used in key elements of the water utility sector.
With this information in hand, I believe that the public and Congress will be able to make the right decisions and avoid the panic which is so often predicted in articles about the Y2K computer crisis.
During the Subcommittee on Technology's hearing on the Y2K issue, I have constantly been struck by the lack of specific information on the exact nature and magnitude of the problem. Other than federal agencies, witnesses have been able to provide little more than anecdotal evidence and generalities. However, there is agreement that computer hardware and software, as well as embedded microchips found in many consumer products could possibly fail as a result of the Year 2000 computer problem. In talking with my constituents, I find that they are generally aware of the problem, but do not know how it impacts them nor do they know what specific actions they can take to minimize the impact of the Y2K problem in their lives. This bill requires the Undersecretary for Technology at the Department of Commerce to develop a Year 2000 self-assessment checklist for consumers; provide a resource center for consumers of all federal government Year 2000 computer problem resources; a listing of all GSA approved Year 2000 compliant products; and conduct a series of public awareness announcements and seminars on the impact of the Y2K problem on consumer products and services. These goals are consistent with the recommendations made by witnesses who have appeared before the Subcommittee on Technology.
The situation facing small and medium-sized businesses mirrors that of consumers. The Nation's more than 381,000 small- and medium-sized manufacturers contribute more than half of the country's total value in manufacturing. However, as of 1998, 75 percent of all companies with fewer than 2000 employees had not yet started Year 2000 remediation projects.
Small and medium-sized companies are an integral part of the business supply chain. Increasingly, they rely on computers for their manufacturing operations, for accounting and billing practices, and to meet just-in-time order and delivery concepts. To assist our small- and medium-sized manufacturers meet the Y2K challenge, this bill requires that the National Institute of Standards and Technology and highly successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to work with the Small Business Administration to define the Year 2000 problem and develop best practices to attack the problem, develop a Year 2000 self-
assessment checklist, and list all federal government Y2K resources including the General Services listing of approved Y2K compliant products.
Federal agencies make thousands of date sensitive data exchanges on a daily basis. These data exchanges include social security information, Medicare, information related to the air traffic control system, financial transactions, and the list goes on and on. Consequently, as federal computer systems are converted to process year 2000 dates, the associated data exchanges must also be made Year 2000 compliant. The testing and implementation of Year 2000 compliant data exchanges must be closely coordinated with exchange partners. Agencies must not only test its own software, but effective testing includes end-to-end testing, and agreed upon date formats with all exchange partners. If these Year 2000 data exchanges do not function properly, data will not be exchanges between systems or invalid data could cause receiving computer systems to malfunction. In other words, regardless of federal efforts to fix its own computer systems, unless their data exchange partners have Y2K compliant systems the computer network as a whole will fail. A recent GAO report ``Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Actions Needed on Electronic Data Exchanges'' found that federal agencies had made little progress in addressing this data exchange issue. The GAO made specific recommendations for federal government actions. This legislation is based on the GAO's recommendations and would help ensure that federal agencies address the data exchange issue fully. The legislation requires agencies to establish a test schedule with data exchange partners, notify exchange partners of the implications and consequences of non-compliance, develop contingency plans and report to Congress quarterly on their progress.
The bill also requires Secretary of Commerce to report to Congress on the international implications of the Y2K problem and its potential impact on the U.S. economy. Again, we lack specific information on how other countries are addressing the Y2K issue. However, the international implications are profound, disruptions in international financial services, international air travel, international telecommunications, and international commercial transactions to name a few. However, it is nearly impossible to make contingency plans in the face of little and inadequate information. And as I mentioned earlier, it is the lack of information that leads to panic and uncertainty. I believe that such an international assessment could be a guide post for federal and private sector actions.
The Senate Committee on the Year 2000 recently released their report on the extent of the Y2K problem. In that report was a sectoral analysis that specifically recognized the significant potential for Y2K problems within the health care and water utility sectors. In an effort to address these findings, this legislation requires the development of a Y2K self-assessment checklist, an explanation of the problem and identification of best practices for resolution, and a list of Federal Government Y2K computer problem information resources for each sector.
Additionally, this bill requires the Food and Drug Administration, in consultation with the Veterans' Administration, to develop a list of biomedical devices and other products used by health care providers that are both Y2K compliant and or could lead to life-threatening situations due to a Y2K related failure. Also included will be an indication of whether the Year 2000 compliance of such equipment has been independently verified. Similarly, the Environmental Protection Agency is required to list the Y2K compliant products and equipment used in key elements of the water utility sector, including whether the Y2K compliance of these products has been independently verified.
In closing, this legislation is one of many important issues that need to be addressed. Nevertheless, I believe the most important element of any Y2K strategy is informing consumers and medium-sized businesses on how the Year 2000 computer problem could affect them. The public, as well as those sectors particularly sensitive to Y2K problems, need to know what questions to ask and how to determine their Y2K readiness. I am confident this legislation provides the necessary framework to accomplish this and I urge its swift passage.
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