FINS SPECIAL REPORT FILIBUSTER ON NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS ACT ENDED

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

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FINS SPECIAL REPORT                                   MARCH 15, 1994
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FILIBUSTER ON NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS ACT ENDED
Prior Proposed Restrictions on Purposes of NREN Removed


Washington, DC By unanimous consent order issued at 2:59 p.m., Mar 15, the
filibuster to defeat S.4, the National Competitiveness Act of 1994, led by
Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, Sen. John C. Danforth, was terminated.  The terms of the
consent order did not affect any matter pertaining to title VI of the
Committee modification introduced by Sen. Hollings Mar 7, 1993.


As the bill now stands, title VI, Information Technology Applications,
removes restrictions on the purposes of the National Research and
Education Network (Network Program) previously contained in the bill (S.4)
reported by the full Committee last summer.  Those restrictions prohibited
network capabilities in the experimental test bed networks that were
available from commercial networks operated by the private sector (Sec.
611(a)(2)(B).  They also eliminated restrictions intended to take effect
within 18-months on the use of test bed networks to provide commercial
network services that could be provided by using commercially available
network services (Sec. 611(d)).


The substitute amendment now includes language amending sec. 102 of the
High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to require that program funds
"shall develop, provide access to, or use communications networks through
the acquisition of commercially available network services or through
contracting for customized services when such acquisition cannot satisfy
agency requirements." (Sec. 102(g)).  Sen. Hollings explained at the time
of introducing the substitute amendment that the bill "includes language
on one key provision--the section ensuring that Federal support for
computer networks does not create unfair competition to commercial phone
companies, while still providing that Federal agencies remain free to
operate their own internal mission networks."


A vote on the bill was scheduled for Wednesday morning, Mar 16, 1994.


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