The Dept. of Transportation hopes this year to run initial field tests of its Next Generation 911 project but needs a location, Laurie Flaherty, a leader of the program for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), said Tues. Key decisions on the program will be made the next few months, Flaherty told the National Emergency Number Assn.’s annual D.C. meeting.
The Departments. of Defense and Energy are nearly ready to test airborne communications systems designed to stand in for land-based systems in a major emergency. The communications craft, part of the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), would be sent aloft on short notice by the President.
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) urged Congress to provide civil remedies for people affected by National Security Letter (NSL) procedure violations (WID March 12 p1) and to curb FBI collection of data outside Patriot Act boundaries. Congress should set explicit limits on FBI use of “exigent letters,” the group said. The letters are supposed to be reserved for emergencies in which phone, Internet and other records are needed quickly -- but the FBI uses them in some everyday cases. CDT supports Rep. Harman’s (D-Cal.) HR-5470, pending in the House Financial Institutions Subcommittee, though it lacks the controls CDT wants. Under HR-5470, NSLs couldn’t be issued without Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court or a magistrate judge’s approval and the govt. would have to show a link between data sought and a terrorist or foreign power. The bill also would require expedited electronic filing of requests for NSLs and expand congressional oversight of NSL practice.
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) urged changes to deal with National Security Letter (NSL) procedure violations (CD March 12 p2) and to curb FBI collection of data outside Patriot Act boundaries. Congress should set explicit limits on FBI use of “exigent letters,” the group said. The letters are supposed to be reserved for emergencies in which phone, Internet and other records are needed quickly -- but the FBI uses them in some everyday cases. CDT supports Rep. Harman’s (D-Cal.) HR-5470, pending in the House Financial Institutions Subcommittee, though it lacks the controls CDT wants. Under HR-5470, NSLs couldn’t be issued without Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court or a magistrate judge’s approval and the govt. would have to show a link between data sought and a terrorist or foreign power. The bill also would require expedited electronic filing of requests for NSLs and expand congressional oversight of NSL practice.
FBI use of National Security Letters (NSLs) to collect electronic records in terror inquiries seems likely to succeed govt. electronic surveillance as a font of congressional ire. An unclassified DoJ Inspector Gen. report released Fri. found 48 “possible” violations of NSL procedure in collecting Web browsing, e-mail, phone and library records on those under no suspicion of wrongdoing, nearly 1/2 previously unreported by FBI agents. Senate and House Judiciary Committee leaders promised hearings, while Attorney Gen. Alberto Gonzales blamed “sloppy” work for the violations.
FBI use of National Security Letters (NSLs) to collect electronic records in terror inquiries seems likely to succeed govt. electronic surveillance as a font of congressional ire. An unclassified DoJ Inspector Gen. report released Fri. found 48 “possible” violations of NSL procedure in collecting phone, e-mail, and library records on those under no suspicion of wrongdoing, nearly 1/2 previously unreported by FBI agents. Senate and House Judiciary Committee leaders promised hearings, while Attorney Gen. Alberto Gonzales blamed “sloppiness” for the violations.
The Tenn. Senate passed a “robo-call” telemarketing bill (SB-125) barring use of automatic dialing and announcing systems to call anyone on the state or national no-call list. The robo-call curb would include political bodies. Exemptions include use by employers to reach workers, use by schools to reach students and parents and use by safety agencies sending emergency alerts. The Tenn. House Utilities & Banking Subcommittee advanced another telemarketing bill (HB-390) that would prohibit telemarketers from concealing their identities from caller ID subscribers. Violators could be fined up to $2,000 per offending call.
Funds to upgrade 911 systems are included in an amendment to the national security bill (S-4) offered late Wed. by Sens. Stevens (R-Alaska), Clinton (D-N.Y.), Inouye (D-Hawaii), Hutchinson (R-Tex.) and Smith (R-Ore.). The amendment, once a standalone bill, would let NTIA borrow up to $43.5 million against anticipated spectrum auction revenue. “Because the money is only advanced, the Congressional Budget Office has said that this amendment does not score,” Steven said in his floor speech. That means it wouldn’t affect the official deficit. According to the National Emergency Number Assn., 80% of the U.S. is E-911- capable, but what isn’t involves a much of rural America, including half the nation’s counties. Public safety officials back the amendment, Stevens said. The amendment isn’t controversial and is expected to be included in the final package, set for a possible vote Tues.
The Senate late Wed. shot down 75-21 an attempt to remove the Interoperable Emergency Communications Act from the 9/11 homeland security bill. The Interoperability bill would set up a Dept. of Commerce grant program financed with proceeds from the license auction planned as part of the transition to DTV. The Bush Administration wants the grants handled by the Dept. of Homeland Security (CD March 5 p1).
The Senate killed an amendment to the national security bill (S-4) that would have put more money into first responder grants affecting some emergency communications programs (CD March 6 p1), on a 50-49 vote late Tues. Sen. Leahy (D-Vt.) led the fight for the amendment, one of 3 aimed at changing the formula for distributing federal grants. Leahy favored an approach that would help small and mid-size states get bigger shares of the pie, raising the state share of overall federal funding from the proposed 0.45% to 0.75%. Sen. Feinstein’s (D-Cal.) amendment would have cut per-state allotments to 0.25%, as a House bill (HR-1) proposes. Feinstein’s amendment failed 56-43. Sen. Obama’s (D-Ill.) amendment, which failed 59-40, would have kept the formula at 0.45% for border states, setting interior state funding at 0.25%. S-4 proposes setting interoperability communications funding for all states at 0.75% of federal funding.