[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3968 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3968

To require within 90 days an assessment of, and a national strategy for 
  addressing, the Year 2000 computer problem to ensure that critical 
 public and private services to the American public are not disrupted, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 1998

   Mr. Leach (for himself, Mr. LaFalce, Mrs. Roukema, Mr. Vento, Mr. 
 Baker, Mr. Lazio of New York, Mr. Bachus, and Mr. Castle) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, and 
 in addition to the Committees on Government Reform and Oversight, and 
    Banking and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require within 90 days an assessment of, and a national strategy for 
  addressing, the Year 2000 computer problem to ensure that critical 
 public and private services to the American public are not disrupted, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Year 2000 Readiness Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress hereby finds the following:
            (1) Congressional hearings have documented that there are 
        enormous national interest economic implications of the Year 
        2000 technology challenge for critical national 
        infrastructures, including banking and finance, energy, 
        telecommunications, transportation, and vital human services.
            (2) The private sector costs of year 2000 remediation are 
        likely to be significant with the Board of Governors of the 
        Federal Reserve System estimating, in recent congressional 
        testimony, such costs at roughly $50,000,000,000.
            (3) Although critical national infrastructures are 
        interdependent, with domestic and international banking 
        operations heavily dependent on telecommunications and power 
        infrastructures, there is neither a national nor an 
        international framework for ensuring that all such 
        infrastructures will be ready for the Year 2000.
            (4) In an April 1998 report to Congress entitled, ``Year 
        2000 Computing Crisis: Potential for Widespread Disruption 
        Calls for Strong Leadership and Partnerships,'' the General 
        Accounting Office recommended that the President's Council on 
        Year 2000 Conversion quickly formulate a comprehensive picture 
        of the Nation's Year 2000 readiness and establish an effective 
        approach to promote public-private partnerships to resolve the 
        Nation's Year 2000 crisis.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
            (1) Year 2000 computer problem.--The term ``Year 2000 
        computer problem'' means, with respect to information 
        technology, any problem which prevents such technology from 
        accurately processing, calculating, comparing, or sequencing 
        date or time data--
                    (A) from, into, or between--
                            (i) the 20th and 21st centuries; or
                            (ii) the years 1999 and 2000; or
                    (B) with regard to leap year calculations.
            (2) Year 2000 Conversion Council.--The term ``Year 2000 
        Conversion Council'' means the President's Council on Year 2000 
        Conversion established under section 2 of Executive Order No. 
        13073, issued on February 4, 1998.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF YEAR 2000 COMPUTER PROBLEM.

    Before the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Chairperson of the Year 2000 Conversion 
Council shall submit to the Congress a national assessment of the Year 
2000 computer problem covering all critical national infrastructures 
and key sectors of the economy, including banking and finance, energy, 
telecommunications, transportation, and vital human services which 
protect the public health and safety, water supply, and environment.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO ADDRESS YEAR 2000 COMPUTER PROBLEM.

    (a) In General.--Consistent with the spirit of the Government 
Performance and Results Act of 1993, the Chairperson of the Year 2000 
Conversion Council shall prepare, and submit to the Congress with the 
assessment required under section 4, a national strategy to ensure that 
the most critical services provided by Federal, State, and local 
governments as well as key sectors of the economy will be prepared for 
the Year 2000 date change, including the sectors involved in the 
provision of banking and financial services (especially financial 
services involving Federal and State payments to individuals and access 
to individual transaction accounts at financial institutions), the 
provision and distribution of power and fuel, the provision of 
telecommunication and transportation services, and the sectors which 
are involved in or have an impact on the public health and safety, 
water supply, and environment.
    (b) Personnel.--
            (1) In general.--In preparing the strategy, the Chairperson 
        of the Year 2000 Conversion Council shall include a plan for 
        ensuring the availability of an adequate supply of technical 
        personnel to remedy the Year 2000 computer problem in the 
        private sector as well as the Federal Government before 
        December 31, 1999, and, in formulating such plan, shall make 
        recommendations relating to any need to raise immigrant visa 
        ceilings under the Immigration and Nationality Act for such 
        purpose.
            (2) Consideration of need for federal technology 
        information service.--In preparing the plan under paragraph 
        (1), the Chairperson of the Year 2000 Conversion Council 
        shall--
                    (A) make recommendations relating to the capacity 
                of the Federal Government to attract and retain 
                individuals of high-quality technology competence;
                    (B) consider whether a Federal technology 
                information service should be established in a form 
                similar to the Senior Executive Service; and
                    (C) submit a report on the findings and conclusions 
                of the Chairperson to the Congress before the end of 
                the 6-month period beginning on the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
    (c) Efforts at International Financial Institutions to Solve Year 
2000 Computer Problem.--In preparing the strategy, the Chairperson of 
the Year 2000 Conversion Council, in consultation with the Chairman of 
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary 
of the Treasury, shall include--
            (1) the goals and strategies the United States will pursue 
        at the Bank for International Settlements, the Group of Ten 
        Industrialized Nations, the European Union, and elsewhere to 
        encourage an international effort to ensure readiness for the 
        Year 2000 at banks and other financial institutions; and
            (2) the initiatives which the representatives of the United 
        States to the International Monetary Fund, International Bank 
        for Development and Reconstruction, and other international 
        development banks are taking to engage such institutions in 
        providing funding or technical assistance to developing 
        countries for remedying the Year 2000 computer problem in such 
        countries.

SEC. 6. QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORTS REQUIRED.

    (a) In General.--Beginning after the submission of the report on 
the national assessment and strategy under sections 4 and 5, the 
Chairperson of the Year 2000 Conversion Council shall submit a 
quarterly report to the Congress on the progress that has been made 
since the submission of the prior report in solving the Year 2000 
computer problem in all critical infrastructures and key sectors of the 
economy and in developing a contingency plan.
    (b) Final Report.--The final report submitted under subsection (a) 
shall assess the ongoing Year 2000 and other date-related problems that 
will occur in the future as temporary Year 2000 renovations lapse or 
other fail dates occur in computer systems.
    (c) Sunset.--No reports shall be required under subsection (a) 
after December 31, 2001.

SEC. 7. REVISION OF FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION TO PROVIDE FOR 
              CERTAIN PENALTIES FOR CONTRACTORS THAT VIOLATE YEAR 2000 
              REQUIREMENT.

    In the case of any person who enters into a contract with a Federal 
agency, and who knowingly provides goods or services to the agency 
under the contract that are not Year 2000 compliant (as that term is 
defined in section 39.002 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, as 
adopted on August 22, 1997), the Federal Acquisition Regulation may be 
revised to provide for an appropriate period for which such person 
shall not be eligible for award of any contract by any Federal agency. 
Any restrictions developed pursuant to this section may, at the 
discretion of the applicable Federal agency, be waived if the new goods 
or services are Year 2000 compliant.
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