[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2948 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2948

 To direct the Comptroller General to enter into arrangements with the 
    National Academy of Sciences and the Librarian of Congress for 
  conducting a study on the feasibility and costs of implementing an 
 emergency electronic communications system for Congress to ensure the 
 continuity of the operations of Congress during an emergency, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2003

  Mr. Langevin (for himself, Mr. Baird, Mr. Bereuter, Mr. Kennedy of 
Rhode Island, Mr. Wynn, and Mr. Crowley) introduced the following bill; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Comptroller General to enter into arrangements with the 
    National Academy of Sciences and the Librarian of Congress for 
  conducting a study on the feasibility and costs of implementing an 
 emergency electronic communications system for Congress to ensure the 
 continuity of the operations of Congress during an emergency, 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. STUDY OF EMERGENCY ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FOR 
              CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General shall enter into--
            (1) an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences 
        for conducting a study on the feasibility of, and the costs 
        associated with, the implementation of an emergency electronic 
        communications system for Congress which would ensure the 
        continuity of the operations of Congress during an emergency 
        (including an emergency under which Congress would be unable to 
        assemble at a single location); and
            (2) an arrangement with the Librarian of Congress for 
        conducting a study to identify any constitutional and 
        procedural issues which may arise under the implementation of 
        such a system.
    (b) Elements of Arrangement With National Academy of Sciences.--
Under the arrangement entered into under subsection (a)(1), the 
National Academy of Sciences shall include in the study--
            (1) the identification and evaluation of issues relating to 
        security, authentication, and usability under the electronic 
        communications system, and shall identify options for 
        addressing these issues; and
            (2) an evaluation of the effects of such a system on the 
        operations of Congress (including the deliberations of members 
        and committees) and the ability of the public to observe and 
        interact with Congress, based on current understandings of the 
        effects of comparable systems on governments and other 
        institutions, and the identification of options for mitigating 
        any negative effects.

SEC. 2. REPORTS.

    (a) Deadline.--Under the arrangements entered into under section 
1(a), the National Academy of Sciences and the Librarian of Congress 
shall each submit a report on the study conducted under the applicable 
arrangement to the Comptroller General not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Transmission of Consolidated Report to Committees.--Upon 
receiving the reports under subsection (a), the Comptroller General 
shall transmit the reports in a consolidated version to the Committee 
on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, together with a 
version of the report which is appropriate for release to the public.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

     There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the 
arrangement entered into under this Act not more than $800,000.
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