New CRS Report (R40897):
This report, which will be updated as events warrant, provides an overview and analysis of issues related to the processing and distribution of congressional information by the Government Printing Office. Subsequent sections address several issues, including funding congressional printing, printing authorizations, current printing practices, and options for Congress. Finally, the report provides [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Public Policy category.
CRS Report: Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress
Two Battles Won: PATRIOT Reform AND State Secrets Reform Bills Pass House Committee
From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
After a long two days of legislative battle, the House Judiciary Committee just finished its second day of debate on Chairman Conyers’ PATRIOT reform bill, HR 3845. . . the Committee rejected almost all amendments that would have weakened the bill’s reforms and voted to recommend the bill to the House [...]
House Judiciary Committee Passes PATRIOT Reauthorization Bill
From AALL’s Washington Blawg:
Yesterday, the USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845) was reported favorably out of the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 16-10. During the mark-up, the Committee adopted Chairman Conyers’ manager’s amendment that tightens the standards for issuing National Security Letters and adopts important new reporting, audit and oversight provisions. [...]
SLA Supports PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009
From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
On 4 November 2009, SLA, AALL, and MLA sent a letter to U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jerrold Nadler and Bobby Scott to express support for H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. This important legislation would protect the privacy of library users by raising the standard for [...]
ARL, ALA Issue Statement Supporting PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009
From Information Today:
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the American Library Association (ALA) have issued a statement saying they strongly support the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. Several provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are set to expire on Dec. 31, 2009, unless Congress acts to reauthorize them.
Texas works to improve Internet access in libraries
From the San Antonio Business Journal:
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission convened a meeting in San Antonio to launch a new strategy to improve Internet access in public libraries.
More than 200 public library systems in Texas lack Internet access. The purpose behind the Texas Opportunity Online Broadband Summit is to pinpoint ways public libraries [...]
Bandwidth Boost For Libraries Gaining Support – A plan to put fiber optic technology in public libraries may be a candidate for federal stimulus funding
From Information Week:
An effort to make the nation’s public libraries a major source of robust Internet access is gaining momentum as a disparate group of foundations, companies, and trade and government agencies weigh in with plans to build support for bringing fiber optic technology to the country’s 16,500 libraries.
OMB Launches Opening Salvo on Performance Overhaul
From OMB Watch:
OMB Director Peter Orszag released a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies this morning announcing a new initiative in the FY 2011 budget process that seeks to bring increased emphasis and resources for program evaluation within agencies. The memo outlines three parts to this initial effort.
FBI Investigated Coder for Liberating Paywalled Court Records
From Wired:
When 22-year-old programmer Aaron Swartz decided last fall to help an open-government activist amass a public and free copy of millions of federal court records, he did not expect he’d end up with an FBI agent trying to stake out his house.
But that’s what happened, as Swartz found out this week when he got [...]
Agencies will be expected to measure transparency results
From NextGov:
The forthcoming open government directive will dictate that each agency come up with a process for measuring the outcomes of transparency efforts, a top General Services Administration official said on Monday. The White House as soon as two weeks from now will issue a directive based on recommendations developed by the federal chief technology [...]