ELECTRONICS

Bills and resolutions

Border Patrol: impose requirements on searches of laptop computers and other similar devices (see H.R. 216), H134 [7JA]

Business and industry: require certain disclosures by employers who use electronic payroll cards to pay their employees (see H.R. 2125), H4035 [3JN]

Conservation of energy: assess potential of smart electronics to reduce home and office electricity demand and incorporate smart electronics into the Energy Star Program (see H.R. 2748), H5883 [1AU]

———improve energy efficiency of certain appliances and equipment (see S. 398), S870 [17FE]

CPSC: promulgate consumer product safety standards requiring child-proof closures on remote controls and other electronic products that use button cell batteries (see S. 1165), S3682 [9JN]

Dept. of Agriculture: require State electronic benefit transfer contracts to treat wireless program retail food stores in the same manner as wired program retail food stores (see S. 1593), S5838 [21SE]

Dept. of Justice: establish a system of background checks for employers and employees of the electronic life safety and security system installation and monitoring industry (see S. 1319), S4292 [30JN] (see H.R. 1331), H2266 [1AP]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: use electronic communication to provide required notice to claimants for benefits (see H.R. 2383), H4574 [24JN]

EPA: award grants for electronic device recycling reduction research, development, and demonstration projects (see H.R. 2396), H4575 [24JN]

———prohibit certain exports of electronic waste (see S. 1270), S4076 [23JN] (see H.R. 2284), H4456 [22JN]

FCC: modify regulations to allow unlicensed use of certain spectrum frequencies by the technology industry to support growing demand for Wi-Fi (see H.R. 2520), H5018 [13JY]

House of Representatives: permit donation of used computer equipment to public schools (see H.R. 352), H354 [19JA]

Information technology: limit ability of companies to share consumer geolocation information accessed through electronic communications devices (see S. 1223), S3891 [16JN]

———require retail establishments that use mobile device tracking technology to display notices to that effect (see H.R. 3629), H8318 [8DE]

———specify circumstances in which a person may acquire geolocation information through an electronic communications device (see S. 1212), S3813 [15JN] (see H.R. 2168), H4185 [14JN]

Library of Congress: carry out a project to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of emergency and other workers who responded to September 11, terrorist attacks (see H.R. 1455), H2569 [8AP]

Motor vehicles: ban use of hand-held mobile devices while driving (see H.R. 2333), H4527 [23JN]

———require dealers to disclose the presence of event data recorders on new automobiles and require manufacturers to provide the option to enable or disable such devices (see H.R. 2374), H4574 [24JN]

———require use of electronic on-board recording devices in motor carriers to improve compliance with hours of service regulations (see S. 695), S2046 [31MR]

Roads and highways: authorize appropriations for highway safety programs (see S. 1449), S5071 [29JY]

Surplus Government property: direct Federal agencies to donate excess and surplus Federal electronic equipment to educational recipients (see H.R. 3345), H7330 [3NO]

Tariff: high-performance loudspeakers (see H.R. 2626), H5398 [22JY]

Taxation: provide a recovery period for computer-based gambling machines (see H.R. 427), H469 [25JA]

———require all wage withholding returns to be filed electronically (see S. 822), S2506 [14AP]

Telecommunications: require accurate disclosure to consumers of the terms and conditions of 4G service and other advanced wireless mobile broadband service (see S. 1695), S6461 [12OC] (see H.R. 2281), H4456 [22JN]

Telephones: restrict any State or local jurisdiction from imposing a new discriminatory tax on cell phone services, providers, or property (see S. 543), S1546 [10MR] (see H.R. 1002), H1723 [10MR]

Transportation Security Administration: ensure that certain transportation worker identification credentials (TWIC) do not expire before deadline for implementation of electronic readers for such credentials (see H.R. 1105), H1842 [15MR]

Remarks in House

Conservation of energy: assess potential of smart electronics to reduce home and office electricity demand and incorporate smart electronics into the Energy Star Program (H.R. 2748), E1460 [1AU]

Education: increase use of information technology as a teaching tool, H2654 [13AP]

EPA: award grants for electronic device recycling reduction research, development, and demonstration projects (H.R. 2396), E1206 [24JN]

FCC: modify regulations to allow unlicensed use of certain spectrum frequencies by the technology industry to support growing demand for Wi-Fi, H8808 [13DE]

Telephones: restrict any State or local jurisdiction from imposing a new discriminatory tax on cell phone services, providers, or property (H.R. 1002), H7175-H7177 [1NO]

Transportation Security Administration: ensure that certain transportation worker identification credentials (TWIC) do not expire before deadline for implementation of electronic readers for such credentials (H.R. 1105), E495 [15MR]

Remarks in Senate

Conservation of energy: improve energy efficiency of certain appliances and equipment (S. 398), S891 [17FE]

CPSC: promulgate consumer product safety standards requiring child-proof closures on remote controls and other electronic products that use button cell batteries (S. 1165), S3688 [9JN]

Dept. of Defense: bolster the detection and avoidance of counterfeit electronic parts, S7643, S7647, S7648, S7662 [17NO], S7967, S7968 [29NO], S8134 [1DE]

EPA: prohibit certain exports of electronic waste (S. 1270), S4447 [7JY]

Information technology: limit ability of companies to share consumer geolocation information accessed through electronic communications devices (S. 1223), S3793-S3795 [15JN]

———specify circumstances in which a person may acquire geolocation information through an electronic communications device (S. 1212), S7174 [8NO]

Motor vehicles: require use of electronic on-board recording devices in motor carriers to improve compliance with hours of service regulations (S. 695), S2048 [31MR]

Supreme Court: hearing of arguments in U.S. v. Jones relative to law enforcement use of global positioning system (GPS) surveillance without a warrant, S7174 [8NO]

Telephones: restrict any State or local jurisdiction from imposing a new discriminatory tax on cell phone services, providers, or property (S. 543), S1550 [10MR]

Reports filed

National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act Implementation: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Senate) (S. 398) (S. Rept. 112-18), S3105 [18MY]

Wireless Tax Fairness Act: Committee on the Judiciary (House) (H.R. 1002) (H. Rept. 112-188), H5780 [29JY]

Summaries

Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act (S. 398), S903 [17FE]

Texts of

H.R. 1002, Wireless Tax Fairness Act, H7175 [1NO]

S. 398, Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act, S891-S903 [17FE]

S. 1223, Location Privacy Protection Act, S3894-S3896 [16JN]