ELECTRONICS

Bills and resolutions

Copyrights: allow consumers to permanently unlock all electronic devices and media that do not infringe on existing copyrights (see H.R. 1587), H1899 [24MR]

Cuba: authorize U.S. companies to provide consumer communications devices and services to Cuba (see S. 1389), S3060 [19MY] (see H.R. 3055), H5171 [14JY]

Dept. of Commerce: promote innovation, investment, and economic growth by accelerating spectrum efficiency through a challenge prize competition (see S. 2366), S8494 [8DE] (see H.R. 4190), H9079 [8DE]

EPA: revise third-party certification requirements for labeling of certain electronic products under the Energy Star program (see H.R. 175), H42 [6JA]

FCC: deny retransmission consent to a television station if a radio station of the same licensee transmits a recording without providing compensation and prohibit imposition of radio tuner mandates for mobile devices (see H.R. 1999), H2463 [23AP]

——— require mobile service providers and smartphone manufacturers to enable consumers to remotely delete data from smartphones and render such devices inoperable (see S. 1076), S2400 [23AP] (see H.R. 2024), H2464 [23AP]

Federal agencies and departments: prohibit requirement that private entities design or alter their commercial information technology products to facilitate Government surveillance (see S. 135), S100 [8JA] (see H.R. 726), H811 [4FE]

House of Representatives: permit donation of used computer equipment to public schools (see H.R. 739), H811 [4FE]

Information technology: apply first sale doctrine to any computer program that enables a machine or other product to operate (see H.R. 862), H980 [11FE]

——— limit ability of companies to share consumer geolocation information accessed through electronic communications devices (see S. 2270), S7912 [10NO]

——— specify circumstances in which a person may acquire geolocation information through an electronic communications device (see S. 237), S420 [22JA] (see H.R. 491), H531 [22JA]

Law enforcement: regulate use of cell-site simulators (see H.R. 3871), H7389 [2NO]

Law enforcement officers: reaffirm right of individuals to record law enforcement authorities and full protection of law to possess recording devices and data saved on such devices (see H. Con. Res. 41), H2464 [23AP]

Motor vehicles: limit retrieval of data from vehicle event data recorders (see S. 766), S1585 [17MR]

——— 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. 2526), H3559 [21MY]

Telecommunications: make it illegal to alter or remove the unique equipment identification number of a mobile electronic device (see S. 1949), S6379 [5AU]

Telephones: prohibit the unauthorized remote shut down of a cellular phone (see H.R. 791), H854 [5FE]

——— restrict any State or local jurisdiction from imposing a new discriminatory tax on cell phone services, providers, or property (see H.R. 4287), H9690 [17DE]

Remarks in House

Ivey, Loyd: Consumer Electronics Association Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame inductee, E136 [30JA]

Remarks in Senate

Federal agencies and departments: prohibit requirement that private entities design or alter their commercial information technology products to facilitate Government surveillance (S. 135), S102 [8JA]

Reports filed

Driver Privacy Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 766) (S. Rept. 114–147), S6974 [28SE]

Texts of

S. 135, Secure Data Act, S103 [8JA]