The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to heighten enforcement of the children’s sleepwear standard, and fully investigate reports of non-compliant products, in a Sept. 16 letter to the Commission. Despite the Commission’s clear stance on the issue, stated in a 1996 Sleepwear and Loungewear Position letter that was re-issued in 2011 (See Ref: [11122711]), AAFA said that “the existence of non-compliant sleepwear that remains on the market and continues to be sold year after year” indicates that the “rules have been relaxed through non-enforcement.”

Intelligence officials will brief the House Judiciary Committee this week on how the government makes use of its surveillance abilities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The committee plans a classified hearing, open only to members of the committee and committee staff with appropriate security clearance, Wednesday at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn. “Recent leaks about surveillance programs operated by the National Security Agency have raised legitimate concerns and questions about whether there are sufficient protections for Americans’ civil liberties and privacy and whether there is adequate oversight and transparency of the programs,” said House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., in a statement. He wants laws “executed in a manner that complies with the law and protects Americans’ civil liberties,” noting the thorough review this week would be to determine if legal changes are necessary. House Judiciary had an open hearing on these issues in July and now this closed hearing “will afford Members the opportunity to further probe how these surveillance programs are operated,” the hearing notice said. The hearing’s witnesses include Deputy Attorney General James Cole; Robert Litt, general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; NSA Deputy Director John Inglis; and Andy McCabe, assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division.

Intelligence officials will brief the House Judiciary Committee this week on how the government makes use of its surveillance abilities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The committee plans a classified hearing, open only to members of the committee and committee staff with appropriate security clearance, Wednesday at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn. “Recent leaks about surveillance programs operated by the National Security Agency have raised legitimate concerns and questions about whether there are sufficient protections for Americans’ civil liberties and privacy and whether there is adequate oversight and transparency of the programs,” said House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., in a statement. He wants laws “executed in a manner that complies with the law and protects Americans’ civil liberties,” noting the thorough review this week would be to determine if legal changes are necessary. House Judiciary had an open hearing on these issues in July and now this closed hearing “will afford Members the opportunity to further probe how these surveillance programs are operated,” the hearing notice said. The hearing’s witnesses include Deputy Attorney General James Cole; Robert Litt, general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; NSA Deputy Director John Inglis; and Andy McCabe, assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division.

The advent of 3D printing may raise enough questions about patent law to encourage a push for legislative or regulatory changes, said several intellectual property attorneys in recent interviews. The technology could spur discussion about a patent law modeled after the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which grants safe harbor to websites that unknowingly host files that infringe copyright, they told us. No such law exists for files that infringe on patent rights, they said. While aides in both chambers told us Congress will take up some narrow legislation aimed at patent assertion entities this fall, the attorneys said neither that legislative debate nor the House Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee’s ongoing review of copyright is likely to address intellectual property issues in 3D printing.

More than a dozen House members from California asked the FCC to investigate location accuracy problems of wireless 911 calls. House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., released the letter (http://1.usa.gov/14RMsHb) in a press release Thursday, citing an August CalNENA report (CD Aug 14 p4). “We urge you to carefully review all available data, including the CALNENA report and relevant mobile carrier information, to determine the underlying factors for this trend,” the 13 representatives wrote in their letter to FCC acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn. The letter also urges the FCC to “proceed expeditiously” in adopting a proposed rulemaking to improve indoor location accuracy for wireless calls. Four senators also sent Clyburn a letter Thursday, which said the recent report “raises concerns.” They urged the FCC to consider such accuracy issues at an upcoming Public Safety Bureau workshop. That letter was signed by Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

The FCC Wireless Bureau scheduled an auction of the H-block for Jan. 14, closing off the possibility it will be paired with the AWS 3 M-block for a bigger auction later in the year. The move Friday came after Dish Network offered assurances that it would offer a $1.6 billion bid for the band (CD Sept 13 p13), FCC sources said. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel had repeatedly urged the FCC to delay the sale, while Commissioner Ajit Pai pushed for a Jan. 14 auction to put the spectrum in play (CD Aug 19 p1). The H-block is adjacent to the PCS band and the auction is widely expected to produce significant carrier interest.

The FCC’s tribal engagement rules raise Administrative Procedure Act, First Amendment, and Paperwork Reduction Act concerns, officials from USTelecom, CTIA and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association told agency officials Wednesday, an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/15ViyaV). The groups repeated their 2012 request that the commission clarify its “further guidance” rules on tribal engagement are “intended to provide a best practices guide.” They also said there’s a need for written guidance clarifying that Form 481 reports need not address compliance with the rules.

U.S. intelligence agencies must embrace more transparency after the surveillance revelations of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told crowds at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance conference Thursday in Washington. “It’s clear if we keep these tools at all, they'll be legislatively amended” and could do with more oversight, he said, describing the changes the government has embraced.

Nominees for the FCC and FTC advanced a step in the Senate this week, but it remains unclear when the agencies will get new commissioners. The Senate Commerce Committee set its hearing on FCC nominee Mike O'Rielly and FTC nominee Terrell McSweeny for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in 253 Russell (CD Sept 12 p1). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., “is going to want to move all of them together,” Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld told us, referring to the FCC nominees being paired and put forward with McSweeny. “That could conceivably happen at any time.” Observers were optimistic about how fast Congress might advance the FCC nominees while remaining cautious on the FTC nominee.

U.S. intelligence agencies must embrace more transparency after the surveillance revelations of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told crowds at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance conference Thursday in Washington. “It’s clear if we keep these tools at all, they'll be legislatively amended” and could do with more oversight, he said, describing the changes the government has embraced.