I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3159
To require Federal agencies to develop and implement plans to protect the 
security and privacy of government computer systems from the risks 
posed by peer-to-peer file sharing. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 24, 2003
Mr. WAXMAN (for himself, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. 
MCHUGH, Mr. CLAY, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. CARTER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. 
ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. BELL, Mr. SOUDER, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. 
BURTON of Indiana, Mr. SCHROCK, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, 
Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. 
LANTOS, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. OWENS, Ms. WATSON, Mr. OSE, Mr. COO-
PER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Vir-
ginia, and Mr. TURNER of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Government Reform 
A BILL 
To require Federal agencies to develop and implement plans 
to protect the security and privacy of government com-
puter systems from the risks posed by peer-to-peer file 
sharing.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Government Network 
Security Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Peer-to-peer file sharing can pose security 
and privacy threats to computers and networks by—
(A) exposing classified and sensitive infor-
mation that are stored on computers or net-
works; 
(B) acting as a point of entry for viruses 
and other malicious programs; 
(C) consuming network resources, which 
may result in a degradation of network per-
formance; and 
(D) exposing identifying information about 
host computers that can be used by hackers to 
select potential targets. 
(2) The computers and networks of the Federal 
Government use and store a wide variety of classi-
fied and sensitive information, including—
(A) information vital to national security, 
defense, law enforcement, economic markets, 
public health, and the environment; and 
(B) personal and financial information of 
citizens and businesses that has been entrusted 
to the Federal Government. 
(3) Use of peer-to-peer file sharing on govern-
ment computers and networks can threaten the secu-
rity and privacy of the information on those com-
puters and networks by exposing the information to 
others using peer-to-peer file sharing. 
(4) The House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate are using methods to protect the security and 
privacy of congressional computers and networks 
from the risks posed by peer-to-peer file sharing. 
(5) Innovations in peer-to-peer technology for 
government 
applications 
can 
be 
pursued 
on 
intragovernmental networks that do not pose risks 
to network security. 
(6) In light of these considerations, Federal 
agencies need to take prompt action to address the 
security and privacy risks posed by peer-to-peer file 
sharing. 
SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS FROM 
RISKS OF PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING. 
(a) PLANS REQUIRED.—As part of the Federal agen-
cy responsibilities set forth in sections 3544 and 3545 of 
title 44, United States Code, the head of each agency shall 
develop and implement a plan to protect the security and 
privacy of computers and networks of the Federal Govern-
ment from the risks posed by peer-to-peer file sharing. 
(b) CONTENTS OF PLANS.—Such plans shall set forth 
appropriate methods, including both technological (such as
the use of software and hardware) and nontechnological 
methods (such as employee policies and user training), to 
achieve the goal of protecting the security and privacy of 
computers and networks of the Federal Government from 
the risks posed by peer-to-peer file sharing. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANS.—The head of each 
agency shall—
(1) develop and implement the plan required 
under this section as expeditiously as possible, but in 
no event later than six months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act; and 
(2) review and revise the plan periodically as 
necessary. 
(d) REVIEW OF PLANS.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General shall—
(1) review the adequacy of the agency plans re-
quired by this section; and 
(2) submit to the Committee on Government 
Reform of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report on the results of the review, together with any 
recommendations the Comptroller General considers 
appropriate.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING.—The term 
‘‘peer-to-peer file sharing’’ means the use of com-
puter software, other than network operating sys-
tems, that has as its primary function the capability 
to allow the computer on which such software is 
used to designate files available for transmission to 
another computer using such software, to transmit 
files to another such computer, and to request the 
transmission of files from another such computer. 
The term does not include the use of such software 
wholly on intragovernmental networks. 
(2) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning provided by section 3502 of title 44, United 
States Code.
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