In the United States, OMB 119a and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 both reference government application of accredited standards, where such standards exist, as the preferred way to meet government objectives. Speed in the legislative and regulatory process is measured in months if not years. A Congressional session is two years. Many bills take more than one session to be enacted into law. In the world of information technology, a month is an eternity.
Legislation is often obsolete by the time it is enacted.
There is no simple means of reconciling these differences. A key, however, is flexibility. Congress and the Administration must avoid burdening the development of information technologies with overly prescriptive regulations. The dynamic nature of the Internet is an asset to our nation's economy. It is an asset we cannot afford to stifle .