II

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2131

To establish a bipartisan national commission on the year 2000 computer

problem

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

Mr. MOYNIHAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To establish a bipartisan national commission on the year

2000 computer problem

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Commission on the

5 Year 2000 Computer Problem Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress makes the following findings:

8 (a) The Congress of the United States recog9 nizes the existence of a severe computer problem

10 that may have extreme negative economic and na-
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1 tional security consequences in the year 2000 and

2 beyond.

3 (b) Most computer programs (particularly in

4 mainframes) in both the public and private sector

5 express dates with only two digits and assume the

6 first two digits are ‘‘19’’, and that therefore most

7 programs read 00–01–01 as January 1, 1900; and

8 that these programs will not recognize the year 2000

9 or the 21st century without a massive rewriting of

10 codes.

11 (c) The Congressional Research Service (CRS)

12 has completed a report on the implications of the

13 ‘‘Year 2000 Computer Problem’’ and according to

14 CRS, each line of computer code will need to be ana15 lyzed and either passed on or be rewritten and this

16 worldwide problem could cost as much as $600 bil17 lion to repair. We recognize that no small share of

18 the American burden will fall on the shoulders of the

19 Federal Government and on State and local govern20 ments.

21 (d) Six issues need to be addressed:

22 (1) An analysis of the history and back23 ground concerning the reasons for the

24 occurance of the Year 2000 problem.
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1 (2) The cost of reviewing and rewriting

2 codes for both the Federal and State Govern3 ments over the next three years, including a

4 legal analysis of responsibilities for such costs

5 and possible equitable bases for sharing them.

6 (3) The time it will take to get the job

7 done and, if not by 2000, what agencies are at

8 risk of not being able to perform basic services.

9 (4) The development of balanced and

10 sound contracts with the computer industry

11 available for use by Federal agencies, and if

12 such outside contractual assistance is needed, to

13 assist such agencies in contracting for and ef14 fectuating Year 2000 compliance for current

15 computer programs and systems as well to en16 sure Year 2000 compliance for all programs

17 and systems acquired in the future.

18 (5) An analysis of what happens to the

19 United States economy if the problem is not re20 solved by mid-1999.

21 (6) Recommendations to the President and

22 the Congress concerning lessons to be learned

23 and policies and actions to be taken in the fu24 ture to minimize the Year 2000 public and pri25 vate sector costs and risks.
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1 (e) The Congress recognizes that an Executive

2 Branch Interagency Committee has been established

3 to raise awareness of this problem and facilitate ef4 forts at solving it; but that in order to best minimize

5 the impact and cost of this problem, and recognizing

6 the extreme urgency of this problem, this bipartisan

7 commission will be established to both address these

8 issues and take responsibility for assuring that all

9 Federal agencies be computer compliant by January

10 1, 1999.

11 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

12 (a) There is established a commission to be known

13 as the ‘‘National Commission on the Year 2000 Computer

14 Problem’’ (hereinafter in this section referred to as the

15 ‘‘Commission’’). The Commission shall be composed of fif16 teen members appointed or designated by the President

17 and selected as follows:

18 (1) Five members selected by the President

19 from among officers or employees of the Executive

20 Branch, private citizens of the United States, or

21 both. Not more than three of the members selected

22 by the President shall be members of the same polit23 ical party.

24 (2) Five members selected by the President Pro

25 Tempore of the Senate, in consultation with the ma-
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1 jority and minority leaders, from among officers or

2 employers of the Senate, private citizens of the Unit3 ed States, or both. Not more than three of the mem4 bers selected by the President Pro Tempore shall be

5 members of the same political party.

6 (3) Five members selected by the Speaker of

7 the House of Representatives, in consultation with

8 the majority and minority leaders, from among

9 Members of the House, private citizens of the Unit10 ed States, or both. Not more than three of the mem11 bers selected by the Speaker shall be members of the

12 same political party.

13 (b) The President shall designate a Chairman from

14 among the members of the Commission.

15 SEC. 4. FUNCTION OF COMMISSION.

16 (a) It shall be the function of the Commission to con17 duct a study on the historical, current and long term con18 dition of computer programs as they relate to date fields

19 and the year 2000; identify problems that threaten the

20 proper functions of computers as the public and private

21 sectors approach the 21st Century; analyze potential solu22 tions to such problems that will address the brief time

23 there remains to meet this problem, the substantial cost

24 of reviewing and rewriting codes, and the shared respon25 sibilities for such costs; and provide appropriate rec-
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1 ommendations (including potential balanced and sound

2 contracts with the computer industry available for use by

3 Federal agencies) to the Secretary of the Defense (as this

4 is a matter of National Security), the President and the

5 Congress.

6 (B) The Commission shall submit to Congress a final

7 report containing such recommendations concerning the

8 Year 2000 Computer problem; including proposing new

9 procedures, rules, regulations, or legislation that is needed

10 to ensure the proper transition of the computers of the

11 Federal Government and local and State governments

12 from the year 1999 to the year 2000.

13 (C) The Commission shall make its report to the

14 President by December 31, 1997.

15 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

16 (a) The heads of Executive Agencies shall, to the ex17 tent permitted by law, provide the Commission such infor18 mation as it may require for the purpose of carrying out

19 its functions.

20 (b) Members of the Commission shall serve without

21 any additional compensation for their work on the Com22 mission.

23 (c) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—While away from their

24 homes or regular places of business in the performance

25 of services for the Commission, members of the Commis-
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1 sion shall be allowed travel expenses including per diem

2 in lieu of substance, in the same manner as persons em3 ployed intermittently in the Government service are al4 lowed expenses under section 5703(b) of title 5, United

5 States Code.

6 (d) The Commission shall have a staff headed by an

7 Executive Director. Any expenses of the Commission shall

8 be paid from such funds as may be available to the Sec9 retary of Defense.

10 SEC. 6. TERMINATION.

11 (a) The Commission, and all the authorities of this

12 title, shall terminate thirty days after submitting its re13 port.

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