[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 38 (Monday, September 21, 1998)]
[Pages 1828-1829]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Senate Action on the Proposed ``Year 2000 Information and 
Readiness Disclosure Act''

September 18, 1998

    I am pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday approved 
S. 2392, the ``Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act,'' 
which builds upon a proposal my administration submitted to Congress in 
July. I urge Congress to act quickly to approve this critical 
legislation before the end of this session so that I can sign it into 
law. If it is not enacted this session, we will miss an important 
opportunity to help our Nation prepare its computer systems for the new 
millennium.
    Only 469 days remain until January 1, 2000. For the millions of 
small businesses and small government entities around the world that are 
just now beginning efforts to prepare their computer systems for the 
transition to the next century, having access to technical information 
on how to solve the year 2000 computer problem may mean the difference 
between success and failure.

    This important bipartisan legislation would help businesses and 
Government agencies grapple with the Y2K problem. By limiting liability 
for good-faith information disclosures, the bill would encourage 
organizations to share year 2000 information, either directly or through 
republication. The increased flow of technical data on solutions will 
serve as an important jump-start to public and private sector Y2K 
efforts in the United States and abroad.

    Business and government organizations need to be candid about the 
progress of their year 2000 efforts. This bill creates an environment in 
which organizations can communicate more openly with the public and with 
each other about the status of work on critical systems, and thus 
provide their customers and business partners with useful information 
about their Y2K progress.

    This bill's protections are limited to those that are necessary to 
encourage greater information sharing. It does not shield companies from 
liability claims based on actual failures of products or services. 
Moreover, the bill protects consumers from misleading advertising or 
other statements when purchasing products for their own use.

    This legislation has received support from numerous industry groups 
and State and local government associations including the National 
Governor's Association and the National Associations of Counties. It has 
also

[[Page 1829]]

received broad bipartisan support in Congress. In particular, I would 
like to thank Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Hatch, Ranking Member 
Leahy, and Senators Kyl, Bennett, and Dodd for their efforts in ensuring 
prompt consideration of this important issue. It is truly an example of 
how we can put aside our differences to create vital legislation that is 
in the public interest.