[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 56 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E737-E738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E737]]



                             YEAR 2000 ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 1999

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Year 2000 Act. 
Everyone in this House is aware of the Year 2000 computer problem and 
the federal government's effort to fix its computer systems. The 
Subcommittee on Technology, of which I am the Ranking Member, has taken 
the lead in holding hearings on the Y2K issue. We have spent a lot of 
time reviewing Federal efforts and promoting companies sharing 
information on the Y2K problem. However, there are several gaps in our 
Y2K efforts, the intent of this legislation is to fill in these gaps. 
This bill has six very specific goals: (1) to raise consumer awareness 
and to create a consumer Y2K checklist; (2) to raise small and medium-
sized businesses Y2K awareness and create a Y2K self-assessment 
checklist for the Nation's small and medium-sized companies: (3) to 
ensure that Federal agencies have worked with outside entities to 
ensure that all date sensitive data exchanges are Year 2000 compliant; 
(4) require a report to Congress on the economic implications to the 
United States of the global Y2K problem; (5) raise Y2K awareness in the 
health care sector and disseminate a list of Y2K compliant biomedical 
devices and other health care equipment that could lead to life 
threatening situations due to a Y2K related failure; and (6) raise Y2K 
awareness in the water utility sector and disseminate a list of Y2K 
compliant products and equipment used in key elements of the water 
utility sector.
  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.
  During the Subcommittee on Technology's hearing on the Y2K issue, I 
have constantly been struck by the lack of specific information on the 
exact nature and magnitude of the problem. Other than federal agencies, 
witnesses have been able to provide little more than anecdotal evidence 
and generalities. However, there is agreement that computer hardware 
and software, as well as embedded microchips found in many consumer 
products could possibly fail as a result of the Year 2000 computer 
problem. In talking with my constituents, I find that they are 
generally aware of the problem, but do not know how it impacts them nor 
do they know what specific actions they can take to minimize the impact 
of the Y2K problem in their 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 resource 
center for consumers of all federal government Year 2000 computer 
problem resources; a listing of 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.

  The situation facing 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 1998, 75 percent 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. Increasingly, they rely on computers for their 
manufacturing operations, for accounting and billing practices, and to 
meet just-in-time order and delivery concepts. To assist our small- and 
medium-sized manufacturers meet the Y2K challenge, this bill requires 
that the National Institute of Standards and Technology and highly 
successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to work with the 
Small Business Administration to define the Year 2000 problem and 
develop 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 on a 
daily basis. These data exchanges include social security information, 
Medicare, information related to the air traffic control system, 
financial transactions, and the list goes on and on. 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 exchanges 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 ``Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Actions 
Needed on Electronic Data Exchanges'' found that federal agencies had 
made little progress in addressing this data exchange issue. The GAO 
made specific recommendations for federal government actions. This 
legislation is based on the GAO's recommendations and would help ensure 
that federal agencies address the data exchange issue fully. The 
legislation 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 report to 
Congress quarterly on their progress.
  The bill also requires Secretary of Commerce to report to Congress on 
the international implications of the Y2K problem and its potential 
impact on the U.S. economy. Again, we lack specific information on how 
other countries are addressing the Y2K issue. However, 
the international implications are profound, disruptions in 
international financial services, international air travel, 
international telecommunications, and international commercial 
transactions to name a few. However, it is nearly impossible to make 
contingency plans in the face of little and inadequate information. And 
as I mentioned earlier, it is the 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.

  The Senate Committee on the Year 2000 recently released their report 
on the extent of the Y2K problem. In that report was a sectoral 
analysis that specifically recognized the significant potential for Y2K 
problems within the health care and water utility sectors. In an effort 
to address these findings, this legislation requires the development of 
a Y2K self-assessment checklist, an explanation of the problem and 
identification of best practices for resolution, and a list of Federal 
Government Y2K computer problem information resources for each sector.
  Additionally, this bill requires the Food and Drug Administration, in 
consultation with the Veterans' Administration, to develop a list of 
biomedical devices and other products used by health care providers 
that are both Y2K compliant and or could lead to life-threatening 
situations due to a Y2K related failure. Also included will be an 
indication of whether the Year 2000 compliance of such equipment has 
been independently verified. Similarly, the Environmental Protection 
Agency is required to list the Y2K compliant products and equipment 
used in key elements of the water utility sector, including whether the 
Y2K compliance of these products has been independently verified.
  In closing, this legislation is one of many important issues that 
need to be addressed. Nevertheless, I believe the most important 
element of any Y2K strategy is informing consumers and medium-sized 
businesses on how the Year 2000 computer problem could affect them. The 
public, as well as those sectors particularly sensitive to Y2K 
problems, need to know what questions to ask and how to determine their 
Y2K readiness. I am confident this legislation provides the necessary 
framework to accomplish this and I urge its swift passage.

[[Page E738]]



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