[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12154-S12155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PASSAGE OF THE YEAR 2000 INFORMATION AND READINESS DISCLOSURE ACT, S. 
                                  2392

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Y2K bill demonstrates successful 
bipartisanship and cooperation, and how well Congress can work together 
when it wants to. Under the leadership of Vice President Gore, Senators 
Hatch, Bennett, Dodd, Thompson, Kyl and I, along with others, have 
worked with the Administration and the House of Representatives to 
create and pass this legislation. I thank them for their hard work and 
dedication to this issue.
  Four-hundred and forty-nine days from now, millions of computers 
controlling our air traffic, recording stock and credit card 
transactions, running electric and telephone systems, tracking bank 
deposits and monitoring hospital patients may crash in befuddlement. 
All of this is due to the short-sighted omission of a couple of digits, 
a one and a nine, from computer chips. Passage of this bill is a signal 
to the world that by acting now, we can work together to avoid these 
problems.
  The Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act will not 
eliminate the millennium bug--regrettably, no legislation could do 
that. However, it will greatly increase the chances that industry, 
university and government experts will work cooperatively to come up 
with the solutions.
  One of the scariest aspects of the Y2K bug has been the silence of 
businesses and industries in the face of this common enemy. Liability 
concerns have muted industry experts, dashing the best hopes for 
developing fixes for this problem. The Year 2000 Information and 
Readiness Disclosure Act was designed to overcome this isolation and 
create a free flow of constructive information.

[[Page S12155]]

  The Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act will encourage 
the sharing of knowledge and working together to create solutions. This 
bill does not give companies liability protection for their products or 
services. Rather, for a limited time it will provide adjusted 
procedures for the exchange of Year 2000 information. This is our best 
bet to ensuring that services and products will continue operating 
after midnight on December 31, 1999.
  This bill also includes a provision I proposed that will assist 
consumers, small businesses and local governments. It charters a 
national information clearinghouse and website as a starting point to 
provide rapid and accurate information about solving Y2K problems. This 
will be a needed tool for small businesses, local governments and 
citizens so they can prepare for the millennium.
  I want to thank the President and Vice President for their foresight 
in this issue, and the corporate leaders who worked together with us to 
get this done. Major industries--from telecommunications, electric, 
computer, transportation, energy, health, insurance and many others--
pitched in and listened to each other and worked together. I 
congratulate and thank Senators for their unanimous support for this 
measure. It is reassuring to know that even in the midst of other 
dramas, Congress can come together to tackle fundamental issues 
confronting our national economy and security. I look forward to the 
President signing this important legislation.

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