[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1895]]
                             YEAR 2000 ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 1998

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Year 2000 Act. 
While most people are aware of the Year 2000 computer problem, I have 
consistently been struck by the lack of specific information on the 
exact nature and magnitude of the problem.
  The Subcommittee on Technology, of which I am the Ranking Member, has 
taken the led in holding hearings on the Y2K issue. We have spent a lot 
of time reviewing Federal efforts and promoting the free flow of 
information on the Y2K problem. However, there has been several gaps in 
our Y2K efforts, and the intent of this legislation is to fill these 
gaps.
  This bill has four very specific goals: 1) to raise consumer 
awareness and create a consumer Y2K checklist; 2) to raise Y2K 
awareness in small and medium sized businesses and create a Y2K self-
assessment checklist for the nation's small and medium-sized companies; 
3) to require Federal agencies that have worked with outside entities 
to ensure that all date sensitive data exchanges are Year 2000 
compliant; and 4) to require the Secretary of Commerce to report to 
Congress on the economic implications of a global Y2K problem.
  Other than federal agencies, we have been given little more than 
anecdotal evidence and generalities regarding the total effect of the 
Year 2000 computer problem. However, there is general agreement that 
computer hardware and software, as well as embedded microchips found in 
many consumer products, could fail after January 1, 2000.
  More importantly, I find that many people do not know how Y2K will 
impact them, nor do they know what specific actions they can take to 
minimize the impact of the Y2K problem on their everyday lives. This 
bill requires the Undersecretary for Technology at the Department of 
Commerce to develop a Year 2000 self-assessment checklist for 
consumers; provide a list of all federal government Year 2000 computer 
problem resources; list all GSA approved Year 2000 compliant products; 
and conduct a series of public awareness announcements and seminars on 
the impact of the Y2K problem on consumer products and services. These 
goals are consistent with the recommendations made by witnesses who 
have appeared before the Subcommittee on Technology, and I am confident 
that with the right information, consumers will be able to make those 
decisions necessary to minimize the disruption the Y2K computer 
problem.
  The situation at small and medium-sized businesses mirrors that of 
consumers. The nation's more than 381,000 small- and medium-sized 
manufacturers contribute more than half of the country's total value in 
manufacturing. However, as of 1997, 88% of all companies with fewer 
than 2000 employees had not yet started Year 2000 remediation projects.
  Small and medium-sized companies are an integral part of the business 
supply chain, becoming increasingly reliant on computer applications 
for manufacturing operations, accounting and billing practices, and 
meeting just-in-time order and delivery concepts. To assist our small 
and medium-sized manufacturers in meeting the Y2K challenge, this bill 
requires that the National Institute of Standards and Technology's 
highly successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, working 
with the Small Business Administration, identify the best practices to 
attack the problem, develop a Year 2000 self-assessment checklist, and 
list all federal government Y2K resources including the General 
Services listing of approved Y2K compliant products.
  Federal agencies make thousands of date sensitive data exchanges 
every day. These data exchanges include social security and Medicare 
information, information related to the air traffic control system, and 
important financial transactions. Consequently, as federal computer 
systems are converted to process year 2000 dates, the associated data 
exchanges must also be made Year 2000 compliant.
  The testing and implementation of Year 2000 compliant data exchanges 
must be closely coordinated with exchange partners. Agencies must not 
only test its own software, but effective testing includes end-to-end 
testing, and agreed upon date formats with all exchange partners. If 
these Year 2000 data exchanges do not function properly, data will not 
be exchanged between systems or invalid data could cause receiving 
computer systems to malfunction. In other words, regardless of federal 
efforts to fix its own computer systems, unless their data exchange 
partners have Y2K compliant systems, the computer network as a whole 
will fail.
  A recent GAO report entitled ``Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Actions 
Needed on Electronic Data Exchanges'' found that federal agencies have 
made little progress in addressing this data exchange issues. This 
legislation is based on these specific GAO recommendations, and will 
help ensure that federal agencies fully address the data exchange 
issue. This legislation also requires agencies to establish a test 
schedule with data exchange partners, notify exchange partners of the 
implications and consequences of non-compliance, develop contingency 
plans, and send a quarterly report to Congress outlining their 
progress.
  Finally, this bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to report to 
Congress on the international implications of the Y2K problem, and 
outline the potential impact on the U.S. economy. Again, we lack 
specific information on how other countries are addressing the Y2K 
issue, and the international implications are truly profound. 
Disruptions in international financial services, international air 
travel, international telecommunications, and international commercial 
transactions are all possible scenarios.
  However, it is near impossible to make contingency plans in the face 
of so little and often inadequate information. And as I mentioned 
earlier, it is lack of information that leads to panic and uncertainty. 
I believe that such an international assessment could be a guide post 
for federal and private sector actions.
  With so much to be done before January 1, 2000, there isn't much time 
to act. While we can't legislate Y2K compliance, we must ensure the 
availability of good information so that consumers and small businesses 
are able to check existing products, make sure their equipment will 
work with other equipment, and most importantly, successfully address 
any Y2K problems in their operations.
  With this information in hand, I believe that the public and Congress 
will be able to make the right decisions and avoid the panic which is 
so often predicted in articles about the Y2K computer crisis.
  I urge co-sponsorship of this legislation, as well as its swift 
passage.

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