[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 78 (Monday, April 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20124-20129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10051]



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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

Electronic Government and the National Information Infrastructure

AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the 
President.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry and electronic open meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) seeks comments from 
all interested parties on how Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
governments should interact with industry, the public interest and 
library communities, academia, and the general public on the National 
Information Infrastructure. This notice is part of the 
[[Page 20125]] work of the Information Policy Committee of the 
Information Infrastructure Task Force. To facilitate public input, OMB, 
along with the Commerce Department's National Technical Information 
Service (NTIS) and National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), the National Performance Review (NPR), and 
assistance from the US Government Printing Office, will host a 
nationwide electronic open meeting to discuss a number of questions 
related to this topic.

DATES: An electronic open meeting will be held from May 1 to 14, 1995. 
Those who wish to may submit written comments no later than May 31, 
1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS CONTACT: To 
Submit Written Comments send to: Information Policy and Technology 
Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, Room 10236, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20503.
    For Further Information contact: Lew Oleinick, Telephone: (202) 
395-4638, E-mail: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The world has entered the age of electronic information. We are 
present at the creation of a Global Information Infrastructure that 
will build on what aviation and communications have already done to 
shrink the world into ever more interdependent communities. Our U.S. 
National Information Infrastructure (NII) will in many ways be the 
paradigm upon which the global infrastructure is modeled.
    The NII is a combination of facilities, services, and people that 
will allow all Americans to send and receive information when and where 
they want it at an affordable cost. The NII includes the physical 
facilities used to transmit, store, process, and display voice, data, 
and images. It includes software and services, including security 
services, that will integrate and interconnect these physical 
components through the efforts of a wide variety of private sector 
providers. It includes vast quantities of information that exist today 
in government agencies and the valuable information produced every day 
in the private sector. Finally, it includes all Americans, but 
especially the people who create information, develop applications, 
information products and services, construct facilities, and train 
others to tap the NII's potential.
    The Federal government should be in step with the change from paper 
to electronic information. The U.S. government is the world's largest 
creator, collector, user, and disseminator of information. Sound 
scientific research, the public health and safety, and the delivery of 
benefits and services are a few of the national priorities that depend 
on Federal information systems.
    The Federal government, then, should act as a facilitator and 
catalyst to the development of the NII. It should help create a legal 
and policy framework that allows the information highway to develop in 
a manner consistent with consumer choice, universal service, and 
security and privacy protections. It should also be a model user--
creating a government that works better and costs less by using 
technology to improve information dissemination and service delivery.
    For the NII to succeed, it must be built upon a partnership of 
business, labor, academia, the public, and government that is committed 
to deployment of an advanced, rapid, powerful infrastructure accessible 
and accountable to all Americans. The Administration has established 
the Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF) to coordinate the 
Administration's efforts to formulate forward-looking 
telecommunications and information policy. Its goals are set forth in 
the Agenda for Action, published on September 15, 1993.
    One of the fundamental tenets of the Administration's philosophy is 
that government information is a public asset and a valuable national 
resource. The Federal government should make information available to 
the public on timely and equitable terms. It is also necessary to 
foster the existing diversity of information sources, in which the 
private sector, along with State and local governments, libraries, and 
other entities, are significant partners. On the one hand, this means 
that the government should not expend public resources filling needs 
which have already been met by others in the public or private sector. 
On the other, it means that the Federal government should actively 
disseminate its information at the cost of dissemination and not 
attempt to exert copyright-like controls or other restrictive practices 
on government information. These guiding principles are set forth in 
OMB Circular A-130, most recently republished in the Federal Register 
on July 25, 1994. (59 FR 26906).
    Toward those goals, the recent revisions to the Office of 
Management and Budget Circular A-130 have increasingly focused on the 
exchange of information with the public and the promotion of agency 
investments in technologies that improve service delivery to the 
public. On December 7, 1994, OMB Bulletin 95-01 unveiled the Government 
Information Locator Service (GILS)--the ``virtual card catalog'' called 
for in the Agenda for Action. This first phase of GILS is a step toward 
improving the infrastructure for information and service delivery to 
the public.
    Even before GILS, a number of Federal agencies, such as the 
Department of Commerce's ``NTIS FedWorld'' and the Government Printing 
Office's ``GPO Access'' systems, were using dial-up electronic bulletin 
boards and connections to the Internet. The GILS initiative then is an 
effort to stimulate the expanded use of electronic access and 
dissemination practices in a more coordinated manner.
    Beyond GILS, questions arise as to other appropriate courses of 
action for the near and far term. Generally, how should Federal, State, 
local, and Tribal governments interact with industry, the public 
interest and library communities, academia, and the general public on 
the National Information Infrastructure? More specifically, how can the 
delivery of services to the public be enhanced by electronic means? 
What services should they be, and how can they be delivered cost 
effectively and within overall budgetary constraints? What methods are 
best suited to further disseminate government information to the 
public, collect information from the public, and reduce burden while 
maximizing efficiency? In what ways can the interaction between 
agencies of the Federal government, or between agencies at the Federal, 
state and local levels be improved? How can we best encourage 
partnerships among governmental entities at all levels with private 
sector entities to ensure a diversity of information sources, providers 
and facilitators? Finally, what are the priorities? These topics are 
elucidated further below for discussion in the electronic open meeting.
    Five relevant topic areas have been identified:

Services--from emergency help to health care,
Benefits--from social security and food stamps to small business 
grants,
Information--from declassified secrets and travel aids to satellite 
weather maps,
Participatory Democracy--improving everyone's opportunity to 
participate in rulemaking and other governmental decisions,
Technology--how the technical portion of electronic government will 
work.

    The following sections provide additional information and issues 
for [[Page 20126]] discussion. Participants will provide us with 
comments, questions, and suggestions to particular issues or problems.

Services: From Emergency Help to Health Care

    The Federal government provides a range of services from disaster 
relief and public safety to health care. Already, information 
technology is being used to help deliver these services. Fishing 
licenses are being issued from electronic terminals and reservations 
for a campground in a National Park can be made on-line. Governments at 
all levels are creating electronic systems like California's ``Info/
California'' kiosk based service delivery that, so far, includes twelve 
State agencies, two county governments and the US Internal Revenue 
Service. The US Postal Service has been a leader in kiosk-based service 
delivery and continues to expand its use of kiosks.
    In the public safety arena, for years the FBI's National Crime 
Information Center has helped State and local police catch fugitives 
from justice no matter where they attempt to hide. And each year the 
American people and governments at all levels must cope with natural 
disasters--tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. Property is 
destroyed and, most tragically, lives are lost. In times like these how 
can governments best deliver the services that are needed? How can 
information technology assist governments and the public in these times 
of need?
    Questions related to services: As electronic delivery systems 
evolve what government services should they provide and where should 
they be located--in libraries, schools, shopping centers, community 
centers? When are kiosks a good idea? How should these services be paid 
for or funded? What types of services would be best provided by using 
information technology?

Benefits: From Social Security and Food Stamps to Small Business Loans

    Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Aid to Dependent Children, and 
care to disabled veterans are some of the major Federal benefits 
programs. Can governments deliver these benefits more quickly and 
efficiently while maintaining the accountability and security of the 
programs and the dignity of the recipients?
    Each year some $500 billion in cash payments and food assistance 
are provided to needy Americans. Most of these entitlements are 
delivered by checks or vouchers--paper and postage--while some are 
directly deposited electronically into bank accounts--no paper, no 
postage. But, many recipients of this form of assistance do not have 
bank accounts. In these instances, how can we take advantage of 
emerging technologies, avoid paper and postage and thus save time and 
money? An answer may be electronic transfer of benefits to a credit 
card-like benefits card. This is actually being done in several states 
right now.
    Systems using bank-like automated teller machines and retail point-
of-sale terminals (scanners already installed in many grocery stores) 
are undergoing testing in six states (Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New 
Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) and are planned in thirty-one more. 
This year Texas goes on-line with the nation's largest electronic 
benefit transfer (EBT) system. Elsewhere, eight other southern states 
are joining forces to create the first regional system and every month 
since 1993, Maryland's ``Independence Card'' program has delivered some 
$57 million in food stamps, welfare and child-support benefits to 
170,000 households statewide. No paper, no postage, and no lost or 
stolen checks.
    Of course, entitlement programs are not the only types of 
government benefits. Also included are small business loans and grants 
for educational projects and agricultural research. For example, 
notices of National Science Foundation grants are available on-line. 
They may be downloaded and printed by the applicant at his or her ease. 
When an application is completed, it may be submitted to the National 
Science Foundation by electronic mail. The whole process has been made 
more efficient and user-friendly which ends up saving the taxpayers' 
money.
    Questions regarding benefits: What do people think about the pilot 
EBT projects in Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, and 
Pennsylvania? What have people's experiences been with the Maryland EBT 
program? How can governments continue to improve the delivery of other 
benefits? Which enabling technologies should we pursue? Are added 
safeguards needed to protect from fraud and abuse or will electronic 
transfer make controls easier?

Information: From Declassified Secrets and Travel Aids to Satellite 
Weather Maps

    Government agencies at all levels collect, maintain and disseminate 
an incredible array of information. It ranges from routine data 
relating to consumer products to vital weather information. It includes 
layers of regulations that apply to small businesses, major 
corporations or even government agencies themselves. We know the 
information is out there, but how do we find it? Until recently, our 
only option was to write or call the agency that had the information. 
Of course, first we had to figure out which agency that was. And then 
we waited.
    All of that is changing. In December 1994, the Federal Government 
Information Locator Service (GILS) was launched. As it evolves, more 
and more Federal data will be at our fingertips. This locator service 
is similar to the card catalog at the local library, only it is 
electronic and on-line. GILS allows one to search on-line using a 
specific set of key-words of interest to locate appropriate subject 
matter. For example, suppose one had an interest in a major 
construction project and its effect on wildlife habitat. Using GILS, 
one could locate the various environmental impact statements. In 
addition, one might also locate pertinent satellite photographs.
    Even declassified secrets are available electronically on the 
Department of Energy's OpenNet service. More agencies will follow. The 
National Archives and Records Administration is developing a 
government-wide declassification database.
    One information source which is quite useful when planning to plant 
or harvest crops, or when planning a day at the beach, is the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) national weather 
forecasts. These forecasts are available for any city in the United 
States which has a NOAA weather station. At last count, there were over 
150 city forecasts available from NOAA's on-line computers.
    For businesses, the Department of Commerce provides a bulletin 
board which contains timely economic information. For companies 
involved in export activities with Mexico and Canada, such items as 
export and import levels for particular product categories, such as 
paper products, from these two countries are easily available.
    For the academic community, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of 
the Census provides a bulletin board containing detailed demographic 
information about our country's citizens. For the medical community, 
the National Institutes of Health provide a bibliography of medical and 
scientific articles which allow physicians and scientists to remain up-
to-date with the latest advances in medicine.
    Questions regarding information dissemination. What level of effort 
should the Federal government devote to electronic dissemination of 
government information? Are there benefits to the public at large or 
only to [[Page 20127]] relatively sophisticated professional 
researchers, environmentalists, historians, or scientists? Where should 
access be available--at libraries, schools, community centers, on home 
computers? Which enabling technologies should be pursued?

Participatory Democracy: Improving Everyone's Opportunity to 
Participate in Rulemaking and other Governmental Decisions

    While several million Americans have electronic mail capability, 
with a population of more than 250 million, such access is still 
relatively limited. More and more agencies are advertising that they 
are now ``on-line'' and are soliciting citizens to contact them at 
their electronic mail address.
    There is little dispute that using information technology to 
support government rulemaking can reduce costs for both agencies and 
the public. And, as a practical matter, electronic notices can possibly 
reach a greater number of interested parties than by merely publishing 
in the Federal Register, corresponding by mail, talking by telephone 
and traveling to hearings and meetings. This same technology also 
enables interested parties to review public comments without having to 
travel to Washington, D.C. or file Freedom of Information Act requests. 
For example, the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunication 
and Information Administration recently used electronic mail to gather 
responses to a report on reallocating the Federal radio spectrum. The 
report was placed on-line and was made available through an electronic 
bulletin board system and via the Internet. Sixty organizations 
responded to the report. These sixty responses were then placed on-line 
for everyone to see and discuss.
    A related effort is making available to the public the rules and 
regulations they are expected to follow. Also relevant are legislative 
materials and supporting documents, such as Congressional committee 
reports. The ultimate issue is whether the National Information 
Infrastructure can make it possible, more practical, and more 
attractive for Americans to participate in government at all levels.
    Questions regarding participatory democracy. As more of us utilize 
information technology to participate in governmental processes will 
the volume become overwhelming? How do we balance the level of 
involvement with expectations and governments' ability to deliver? What 
are the best strategies for seeing that citizens have access to the 
rules, regulations and related information needed to comply with 
government requirements and how can we improve their ability to 
participate in the rulemaking process?

Technology: How the Information Infrastructure of Electronic Government 
Will Work

    We are in an era of technological upheaval--the information age. 
The advances in information technologies of all types have caused 
businesses to rethink the way they operate and governments to reinvent 
the way they do business. The future look of government is what this 
electronic meeting is all about. How will it work for Americans?
    In the other topical discussion areas, we are talking about what 
electronic governments will do and generally how it will be done. Here, 
it is more what they will do it with--the technological tools to 
accomplish the tasks of governing.
    The Information Infrastructure Task Force, a Federal government 
body, along with the Information Infrastructure Advisory Council, made 
up of representatives of State and local governments, industry, and 
academia, are also looking at the face of future governments. They are 
looking at issues such as the need for telecommunications reform, 
security matters, privacy, reliability and vulnerability, intellectual 
property rights, health issues and the technologies themselves.
    Interoperability, the ability to communicate with one another, is a 
critical goal for future governments. Federal, State, Tribal and local 
agencies must be able to interact instantly and effectively.
    Questions regarding the technology of electronic government. What 
will be the role of the Internet or its progeny? What criteria should 
be used for selecting the appropriate technology for a given function 
or the delivery of particular services? Does interoperability of 
governmental systems cause concerns? What if some government agencies 
systems aren't interoperable or they can't afford a system at all? Will 
their citizen customers suffer as a result? Will the information they 
use be as accurate and timely as necessary? What about reliability? We 
know it is essential, but won't technological vulnerabilities still 
exist? Will governments become so dependent on the use of advanced 
technologies that they will be unable to function if the system fails 
during an emergency?

Electronic Availability and Electronic Open Meeting

    General: This document, along with the other documents referenced 
herein, are available by any HTML viewer, such as Mosaic or Netscape, 
at: URL:http://meeting.fedworld.gov, or via FTP from 
meeting.fedworld.gov
    For those with electronic mail access who wish to find out more 
about the open meeting, send a blank electronic mail message to: 
[email protected] This will result in delivery of a more 
detailed description of the electronic open meeting.
    Public Access Sites: A primary goal of the meeting is to enable as 
many Americans as possible to participate. This includes people who do 
not have a computer with a modem, or access to the Internet. In order 
to permit their participation, a number of ``Public Access Sites'' have 
been established. To either locate the nearest Public Access Site, or 
to order a list of all Public Access Sites, call the GPO Access Support 
Team at (202) 512-1530 or, for the duration of the meeting, (800) 881-
6842.
    Participation options: It is possible to participate in the 
electronic open meeting in four ways depending upon desired level of 
interaction--electronic mail of comments, subscription to a 
``Listserv,'' subscribing to a ``Usenet'' newsgroup, and accessing the 
open meeting homepage via an HTML viewer, such as ``Mosaic'' or 
``Netscape''.
    Electronic mail of comments--This is the easiest way to participate 
in the open meeting. However, interaction will be limited. Choosing one 
of the options below is recommended.
    Subscribing to a Mailing List--Subscribing to a mailing list allows 
more interactive participation in the meeting. When one subscribes to a 
mailing list, one receives all the mail messages which everyone posts 
to the mailing list. It is much like putting a note on a bulletin 
board. However, instead of having to go to the bulletin board to look 
for new messages, the bulletin board comes to you in the form of 
electronic mail. To subscribe to the National Electronic Open Meeting 
mailing list, send an e-mail to: [email protected]
    The text of the e-mail message should be:

subscribe topic your __ name

where the first word of the message must be the word ``subscribe,'' the 
second word of the message must be the topic acronym, and the last two 
words of the message must be your name. The topic acronyms are:

[[Page 20128]] services
benefits
infoaccs
partdemo
techgoal

Services and benefits are obvious acronyms. ``Infoaccs'' refers to the 
``information'' topic. ``Partdemo'' refers to the ``participatory 
democracy'' topic. ``Techgoal'' refers to the ``technology'' topic. For 
example, to subscribe to the ``benefits'' topic, an individual would 
send the message:

subscribe benefits Joe Smith
to
    [email protected]

    Individuals who subscribe to a mailing list topic will receive (via 
e-mail) a welcome message with information about the topic and will 
also automatically receive (via e-mail) all comments posted to that 
topic. To submit a comment on a particular topic, send an e-mail 
message containing the comment to

[email protected]

where the ``topic'' is one of the topic acronyms detailed above. For 
example to submit a comment to the technology topic, send an e-mail 
message containing that comment to: [email protected]
    It is expected that each topic will generate a large number of 
comments. Individuals using the mailing lists to participate in the 
conference should expect to receive a very large number of e-mail 
messages.
    Subscribing to a USENET newsgroup--Subscribing to a USENET 
newsgroup is similar to joining a mailing list. The difference is that 
to subscribe to a USENET newsgroup, one needs to have a newsreader 
configured for his or her own computer. Remember, you will need to 
ensure that your News provider carries the appropriate alt.gov.meeting 
Newsgroups. Many News providers do no carry the alt. Newsgroups. Please 
ensure that your provider has the Newsgroups available. You should 
notify your News provider of your interest in accessing the Newsgroups 
immediately.
    If you are familiar with a newsreader on your system, you will be 
able to participate in the newsgroups like any other regular newsgroup. 
The newsgroups have the following names:

alt.gov.meeting.services
alt.gov.meeting.benefits
alt.gov.meeting.infoaccs
alt.gov.meeting.partdemo
alt.gov.meeting.techgoal

Each of the newsgroups corresponds with one of the five subject areas, 
described in detail above.
    World Wide Web Access--Using a World Wide Web browser offers the 
greatest level of interaction for participating in the electronic open 
meeting. Point the browser to: http://meeting.fedworld.gov
    The participant will arrive at a user friendly interface from where 
one can search the different newsgroup mailing list responses and reply 
(either anonymously or not) as one deems appropriate. The participant 
will also be able to view background documents on-line.
    Accessing Background Materials On-line--Any user who has access to 
a file transfer program, such as FTP or Fetch, may access the document 
archive from: meeting.fedworld.gov or may view the relevant documents 
by pointing a Web browser to the open meeting homepage URL cited above.
    Dialing-In to FedWorld--Individuals wishing to use the FedWorld 
Bulletin Board will need a computer, a modem, and a communications 
program. The bulletin board can by accessed by calling 1-703-321-3339. 
For the duration of the meeting, if you are calling long-distance, 
please dial 1-800-779-3272. The communication parameters are no parity, 
eight data bits, and one stop bit, commonly referred to as N-8-1 or 8-
N-1. The FedWorld Bulletin Board will allow full participation in the 
meeting and will contain all the instructions necessary to participate 
in the open meeting.

Relevant Information Sources

    The following documents relevant to the topics to be discussed in 
the electronic open meeting are available electronically via anonymous 
FTP at: meeting.fedworld.gov The description of each document is 
followed by its file designation.
    ``Public Information in the National Information Infrastructure,'' 
Report to the Regulatory Information Service Center, General Services 
Administration, and to the Administrator of the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Henry R. 
Perritt, Jr., Villanova University Law School, September, 1994. 
PERRITT1.TXT
    ``The Electronic Agency and The Traditional Paradigms of 
Administrative Law,'' Henry R. Perritt, Jr., Administrative Law Review, 
Vol. 44, pp. 79-105, Winter 1992. PERRITT2.TXT
    ``Agenda for Access: Public Access to Federal Information for 
Sustainability through the Information Superhighway,'' The Bauman 
Foundation, Washington, DC, January 1995. BAUMAN.TXT
    ``Information Superhighway: Issues Affecting Development,'' US 
General Accounting Office, Report to the Congress, September, 1994, 
Wash., DC, GAO/RCED-94-285. GAO94285.TXT
    ``Information Superhighway: An Overview of Technology Challenges,'' 
US General Accounting Office, Report to the Congress, January, 1995, 
Wash., DC, GAO/AIMD-95-23. GAO9523.TXT
    ``Executive Guide: Improving Mission Performance Through Strategic 
Information Management and Technology--Best Practices,'' US General 
Accounting Office, Comptroller General of the United States, May, 1994, 
Wash., DC, GAO/AIMD-94-115. BESTPRAC.HTM (only by HTML viewer)
    ``Making Government Work: Electronic Delivery of Federal 
Services,'' US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, September, 
1993, Wash., DC, OTA-TCT-578. GOVWORK.TXT
    ``Reengineering Through Information Technology: Creating a 
Government That Works Better and Costs Less,'' National Performance 
Review, Accompanying Report of the National Performance Review, Office 
of Vice President, September, 1993, Wash., DC. REENGIN.TXT
    ``Management of Federal Information Resources, Office of Management 
and Budget Circular A-130,'' 59 Federal Register 37906, 25 July 1994. 
OMB __ A130.TXT
    ``National Information Infrastructure; Draft Principles for 
Providing and Using Personal Information and Commentary; Notice,'' 60 
Federal Register 4362, 20 January 1995. PRIVPRIN.TXT
    ``The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action,'' 
Information Infrastructure Task Force, 15 September 1993. AGENDA.TXT
    ``The Information Infrastructure: Reaching Society's Goals,'' 
Report of the Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on 
Applications and Technology, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, US Department of Commerce, Wash., DC, September, 1994. 
GOALS.TXT
    ``Protecting Privacy in Computerized Medical Information,'' US 
Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, September, 1993, Wash., DC, 
OTA-TCT-576. MEDPRIV.TXT
    ``Putting the Information Infrastructure to Work,'' Report of the 
Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on Applications and 
Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, US 
Department of Commerce, Wash., DC, May, 1994. PUT2WORK.TXT 
[[Page 20129]] 
    ``Breaking the Barriers to the National Information 
Infrastructure,'' A Conference Report by the Council on 
Competitiveness, Wash., DC, December, 1994. BARRIERS.TXT

Conclusion

    After the public meeting and receipt of comments, we will analyze 
the results and prepare a report. The report will summarize not only 
the substantive comments received, but will evaluate the success of the 
meeting. Notice of availability of the report will be published on-line 
and in the Federal Register.
    We hope that the lessons learned from this meeting will be 
extremely useful to future developers of nation-wide electronic open 
meetings.
Sally Katzen
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-10051 Filed 4-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P