[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9896-S9897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KERREY.
  S. 1218. A bill to assure the integrity of information, 
transportation, and telecommunications upon the arrival of the year 
2000; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


                           the millennium act

  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, one of the challenges of the 21st century 
is already upon us. It is commonly known as the year 2000 computer 
problem or the millennium bug. At issue is a programming technique that 
could lead to the malfunction of computer systems worldwide on January 
1, 2000. It is essential that government, business, and personal 
computer users take adequate steps to fix this problem in advance of 
December 31, 1999, to ensure that cyberspace enters the next millennium 
without a hitch.
  During the early years of computing, computer storage space was 
incredibly expensive. Storage space that costs only 10 cents per 
megabyte today, cost $36 per megabyte in 1972. In an effort to reduce 
storage costs, computer programmers commonly programmed date 
information using only two digits to indicate the year. For example, 
1999 would be programmed as 99. This clever space saving trick saved 
computer users millions of dollars and became industry practice because 
programmers believed that by the time the year 2000 arrived any code 
they were working on would be obsolete and out of service. 
Unfortunately, the conventional wisdom was wrong and many computer 
systems still use these programs. Computers and computer software 
programmed in this fashion may misinterpret the year 2000 as 1900. This 
electronic confusion could lead to serious malfunction or collapse of 
computers and computer networks around the world.
  Date information plays a significant role in almost all computer 
applications developed over the last 30 years. The year 2000 problem 
has many practical implications from the relatively benign to the very 
serious. Credit cards may be read as invalid, traffic lights may not 
operate, 99 years of bank records could be destroyed or the Nation's 
air traffic control systems could fail. The list of possible failures 
is nearly endless and can be found in systems used by the government, 
the business community, and personal computer users worldwide. Personal 
computers are less susceptible to the problem and in most cases can be 
quickly fixed. However, business and government leaders should be 
working night and day to ensure that the computer systems the country 
depends on are reprogrammed to correctly recognize the date in time for 
the arrival of New Year's Day 2000.
  The time and financial commitment necessary to replace the 
problematic date code is stunning. The Gartner Group estimates that 
costs could exceed $600 billion. Newsweek magazine points out that this 
sum is enough to fund a year's worth of education costs, preschool 
through graduate school. Correcting the problem is technically simple, 
however in order to find the date information the entire program must 
be manually scanned line for line. Often, the programs are written in 
the outdated COBAL programming language and finding programmers skilled 
in older languages to solve the problem is very difficult because the 
demand for their services is sky rocketing. After a competent 
technician is hired and they have analyzed the code and made the 
necessary changes, the programs must go through a time consuming 
testing phase. In sum, it is a very complex task and it is quickly 
becoming too late to begin the reprogramming process.
  Many companies and government offices have already taken steps to 
avert this problem and are well on their way to making their systems 
year 2000 compliant. Unfortunately, many others have not addressed the 
problem and the time needed to analyze, modify, and test the code used 
by these entities is quickly slipping away. I am very concerned that 
further delays will leave the government and many private companies 
unprepared to carry out normal transactions in the early days of the 
next century. In order to address this problem, I have joined Senator 
Moynihan as a cosponsor of S. 22. S. 22 would create a commission that 
would be required to report to the President, by July 3, 1997, with 
proposals for new procedures or regulations to address the year 2000 
computer problem for systems of Federal, State, and local governments 
and would make recommendations for funding levels that might be needed 
to address this problem.

  In addition I am introducing a bill today that would instruct the 
Federal Communications Commission to initiate a proceeding to determine 
the integrity of the telecommunications networks as the year 2000 
arrives. It also requires the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to review the risks to personal computers and requires the 
Department of Transportation to assure that transportation safety is 
not compromised.
  Inconvenience can be tolerated, but every effort must be taken to 
assure that the health and safety of humans and the security and 
integrity of networks and data are not compromised by what we know to 
be a significant weakness in our computer networks and software.
  In conclusion, I am also very concerned by reports that small and 
midsize businesses are experiencing difficulty in determining if their 
computer systems are year 2000 compliant because some third-party 
systems vendors are not forthcoming with information about their 
products. An already difficult task is further complicated by 
uncooperative third party vendors who fail to help these companies 
understand how the year 2000 problem could affect their businesses. 
These companies have a responsibility to provide their customers with 
the information they need to make their systems year 2000 compliant.
  There is still time to act and prevent dangerous disruptions in 
computer, transportation and computer networks and the loss of valuable 
data. If the private and public sector does that, then Americans can 
party, and not panic when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's eve 
1999. Mr. President I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1218

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be referred to as the ``Millennium Act.''

     SEC. 101. TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS.

       (a) The Federal Communications Commission shall initiate a 
     proceeding to evaluate the potential dangers to the nation's 
     telecommunications networks from to software and systems 
     which are unable to effectively toll the passage of time from 
     December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000.
       (b) The Commission shall make necessary and appropriate 
     regulatory changes within their jurisdiction to ensure the 
     integrity of the nation's telecommunications networks.

     SEC. 102. PERSONAL COMPUTERS.

       The National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
     evaluate the potential risks to information stored on 
     personal computers from to software and systems which are 
     unable to effectively toll the passage of time from December 
     31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 and shall take necessary and 
     appropriate actions within its jurisdiction to propose 
     solutions and inform the public.

     SEC. 103. TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.

       The Secretary of Transportation shall initiate a 
     comprehensive plan to assure that

[[Page S9897]]

     computer hardware and software in transportation systems 
     which are unable to effectively toll the passage of time from 
     December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 do not create a safety 
     risk to transportation workers and the general public. Should 
     a risk to safety be identified, the Department shall take 
     necessary and appropriate measures to assure safety and 
     inform the public of such risks.

                          ____________________