7/13. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced on July 8 proposed rules regarding the privacy and security of electronic health records (EHRs). On July 13 its announced final rules regarding meaningful use of EHRs. See, July 8, 2010, release, and July 13, 2010, release.

The July 8 release states that the DHHS adopted rules to "strengthen the privacy of health information". It adds that "Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, current health information privacy and security rules will now include broader individual rights and stronger protections when third parties handle individually identifiable health information."

The Center for Democracy and Technology's (CDT) Devin McGraw stated in a release on July 8 that "Today's proposals to strengthen privacy and security protections for electronic personal health information are critical for building public trust and support for a nationwide health information network. The public supports electronic health networks but they also have legitimate concerns about the privacy risks. The promise of health information technology to help reform our health care system will fail if policymakers don't take the public's privacy concerns seriously.  We look forward to reviewing these proposed regulations and providing comments to HHS."

See also, the CDT's March 27, 2010, paper titled "Improvements and Challenges in Health Privacy Law".

On July 14, the DHHS published a notice in the Federal Register that announces, describes, and sets the comment deadline (September 13, 2010) for, its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding changes to the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (Privacy Rule), the Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information (Security Rule), and the rules pertaining to Compliance and Investigations, Imposition of Civil Money Penalties, and Procedures for Hearings (Enforcement Rule) issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). See, Federal Register, July 14, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 134, at Pages 40867-40924.

The DHHS's July 13 release states that under the HITECH Act of 2009, "eligible health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt certified EHR technology and use it to achieve specified objectives. One of the two regulations announced today defines the ``meaningful use´´ objectives that providers must meet to qualify for the bonus payments, and the other regulation identifies the technical capabilities required for certified EHR technology."

The DHHS added that "Two companion final rules were announced today. One regulation, issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), defines the minimum requirements that providers must meet through their use of certified EHR technology in order to qualify for the payments. The other rule, issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), identifies the standards and certification criteria for the certification of EHR technology, so eligible professionals and hospitals may be assured that the systems they adopt are capable of performing the required functions.

The just announced final rules make final the proposed rules issued on January, 13, 2010. See, notice in the Federal Register, January 13, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 8, at Pages 2013-2047.

On Tuesday, August 3, 2010, the American Bar Association (ABA) will host a webcast and teleconferenced event titled "The New HIPAA/HITECH Regulations: What's New and What Do Those Changes Mean?". See, notice.

7/15. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted and released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [110 pages in PDF] in its proceeding titled "In the Matter of Rural Health Care Support Mechanism". See also, FCC release.

Summary. This NPRM proposes and seeks comments on changes to its universal service rural health clinics tax and subsidy program. The Congress created this program in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The relevant language is codified at 47 U.S.C. § 254(h)(1)(A).

This subsection provides, in full, that "A telecommunications carrier shall, upon receiving a bona fide request, provide telecommunications services which are necessary for the provision of health care services in a State, including instruction relating to such services, to any public or nonprofit health care provider that serves persons who reside in rural areas in that State at rates that are reasonably comparable to rates charged for similar services in urban areas in that State. A telecommunications carrier providing service under this paragraph shall be entitled to have an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the rates for services provided to health care providers for rural areas in a State and the rates for similar services provided to other customers in comparable rural areas in that State treated as a service obligation as a part of its obligation to participate in the mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service."

What the FCC now proposes goes beyond what the FCC is authorized to do by the statute.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote in his prepared statement that "we are introducing a new and transformed rural health care connectivity program that would expand investment in broadband for medically underserved communities across the country. The program would give patients in rural areas access to state-of-the-art diagnostic tools now typically available only in the largest and most sophisticated medical centers".

He added that "later this month" the FCC will take action to increase "the predictability and speed of regulatory approvals".

The NPRM proposes "to create a health infrastructure program that would support up to 85 percent of the construction costs of new regional or statewide networks to serve public and non-profit health care providers in areas of the country where broadband is unavailable or insufficient".

The NPRM proposes to "subsidize 50 percent of the monthly recurring costs for access to broadband services for eligible public or nonprofit rural health care providers".

Annual Cap. The FCC long ago established an annual subsidy cap of $400 Million per year for this program. See, 47 C.F.R. § 54.623. This NPRM states that the actual annual total of subsidies "has historically been less than $70". Hence, "we see no need to revisit the overall funding cap".

However, the NPRM also states that "it would be prudent to set an initial cap for the proposed health infrastructure program (within the overall $400 million cap) to manage the portion of funding that supports new deployment as opposed to ongoing services. We propose to allocate up to $100 million for infrastructure projects under the health infrastructure program,265 leaving at least $300 million available annually for the telecommunications program and the health broadband services program." (Parentheses in original.)

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell noted in his prepared statement that "if these reforms are implemented, we could face increased demand on the overall Universal Service Fund."

Covered Services and Entities. The statute only provides for subsidies for "telecommunications services" for a "health care provider that serves persons who reside in rural areas".

In contrast, the proposed rules recited in this NPRM provide also for subsidization for broadband access service, and any "information service that enables rural health care providers to post their own data, interact with stored data, generate new data, or communicate over private dedicated networks or the public Internet for the provision of health IT".

The proposed rules would also provide for subsidies for not only "telecommunications carriers", but also for any "qualified broadband access service provider".

The NPRM also proposed to subsidize "construction costs".

The NPRM also proposes to subsidize not only the clinics, but also "data centers" that "perform support functions".

Commissioner McDowell said that the Congress created this program to "connect" rural health clinics, and "Congress did not intend for it to be expanded to fulfill other goals".

Commissioner Michael Copps wrote in his prepared statement that "the existing rural health care program has not been living up to its potential", and that "the basic task is to get a high speed, high capacity broadband network to these institutions".

Procedural Matters. Initial comments will be due within 30 days of publication of a notice in the Federal Register. Reply comments will be due within 45 days of such publication. This publication has not yet occurred.

This NPRM is FCC 10-125 in WC Docket No. 02-60.

7/15. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted and released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry (NPRM) [43 pages in PDF] regarding terrestrial broadband services within spectrum allocated to mobile satellite services (MSS). See also, FCC release.

This proceeding, titled "In the Matter of Fixed and Mobile Services in the Mobile Satellite Service Bands at 1525-1559 MHz and 1626.5-1660.5 MHz, 1610-1626.5 MHz and 2483.5-2500 MHz, and 2000-2020 MHz and 2180-2200 MHz", pertains to removing barriers to use of 90 megahertz of MSS spectrum for mobile broadband.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski (at left) wrote in his prepared statement that "today we begin the process of removing regulatory barriers to use of spectrum for terrestrial mobile wireless service in the mobile satellite service (MSS) bands. We need both ground-based and satellite-based mobile broadband. And we intend to modify our rules in a way that both expands terrestrial mobile broadband and ensures that America has a robust mobile satellite capability for rural areas and when disaster strikes."

Commissioner Meredith Baker wrote in her prepared statement that "We must make more efficient use of spectrum and we must take a long-term view when crafting spectrum policy. Our action today accomplishes both. The NPRM’s proposed changes to the Table of Frequency allocation will add flexibility within the bands and consistency internationally. Further, the NPRM proposes to apply the Commission’s secondary market policies to MSS/ATC leasing arrangements. This step draws upon the existing regulatory framework set by the Commission with respect to Wireless Radio Services and will provide clear rules and procedures for spectrum leases with third party entities -- a significant improvement to our current ad hoc approach."

She added that the NOI portion of this item "asks important questions about how to best promote the introduction of new mobile broadband services in the 2GHz band and how to increase value, promote utilization, investment and innovation in terrestrial mobile broadband."

This item is FCC 10-126 in ET Docket No. 10-142. Initial comments will be due within 30 days of publication of a notice in the Federal Register. Reply comments will be due within 45 days of such publication. This publication has not yet occurred.

7/15. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) release a tentative agenda [PDF] for its event on Thursday, August 5, 2010, titled "Open Meeting". It lists only two items.

First, the FCC is scheduled to adopt a Report and Order (R&O) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) regarding hearing aid compatibility.

Second, the FCC is scheduled to adopt a NPRM and Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding the use of spectrum for wireless backhaul and other point to point and point to multipoint communications.

7/15. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted and released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [43 pages in PDF] in which it proposes to extend the electronic filing requirement to all tariff filers. The FCC noted in a release that "While electronic tariff filing has been mandatory for dominant carriers since 1998, non-dominant carriers still file by paper and computer diskette." This item is FCC 10-127 in WC Docket No. 10-141. Initial comments will be due within 30 days of publication of a notice in the Federal Register. Reply comments will be due within 45 days of such publication. This publication has not yet occurred.

7/15. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a notice in the Federal Register that announces, describes, and sets comment deadlines for, its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [99 pages in PDF] regarding access by telecommunications carriers and cable operators to utility poles. The FCC adopted and released this item on May 20, 2010. See also, story titled "FCC Adopts Pole Attachments Order and FNPRM" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,087, May 26, 2010. This item is FCC 10-84 in WC Docket No. 07-245 and GN Docket No. 09-51. See, Federal Register, July 15, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 135, at Pages 41337-41363. Initial comments are due by August 16, 2010. Reply comments are due by September 13, 2010.

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The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. It will consider HR 5114 [LOC | WW], the "Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act of 2010", subject to a rule. See, Rep. Hoyer's schedule for the week of July 12, and schedule for July 15.

The Senate will meet at 9:30 AM. It will resume consideration of the conference report to accompany HR 4173 [LOC | WW], the "Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010", a massive (1616 pages in PDF) bill to expand federal regulation of financial services. The House approved this conference report on June 30, 2010. See, Roll Call No. 413.

9:00 AM. Third Way will host an event titled "China: What's Next?". The speakers will include Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Demetrios Marantis (Deputy U.S. Trade Representative). See, notice. Location: The Columbus Club, Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

10:00 AM. The Senate Banking Committee (SBC) will hold a hearing on the nominations of Janet Yellen, Peter Diamond, and Sarah Raskin to be members of the Federal Reserve Board (FRB). See, notice. Location: Room 538, Dirksen Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will meet to mark up several bills, including S 3304 [LOC | WW], the "Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

10:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The House Science Committee's (HSC) Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation will hold a hearing titled "Planning for the Future of Cyber Attack Attribution". The witnesses will be David Wheeler (Institute for Defense Analyses), Robert Knake (Council on Foreign Relations), Ed Giorgio (Ponte Technologies), and Marc Rotenberg (Electronic Privacy Information Center). The HSC will webcast this event. For more information, contact Karly Schledwitz at 202-225-6375 or karly dot schledwitz at mail dot house dot gov. Location: Room 2318 Rayburn Building.

10:30 AM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an event titled "open meeting". See, agenda. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

12:30 - 2:30 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "The ABCs of IP: A Primer on Patent, Copyright, and Trademark Law". The speakers will be Janet Fries (Drinker Biddle & Reath), Gary Krugman (Sughrue Mion), Steven Warner (Fitzpatrick Cella), and Mark Williamson (Fitzpatrick Cella). The price to attend ranges from $25 to $35. Reporters are barred from attending most DC Bar events. See, notice. For more information, call 202-626-3463. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

1:00 - 2:30 PM. The American Bar Association (ABA) will host a webcast and teleconferenced event titled "e-Discovery in Small Cases". See, notice.

2:00 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Protecting Youths in an Online World". The witnesses will be Jessica Rich (Federal Trade Commission), Hemanshu Nigam (News Corporation), Jeff McIntyre (Children Now), Michelle Collins (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), and Dane Snowden (CTIA). See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) will hold a closed hearing. Location: Room 219, Hart Building.

RESCHEDULED FROM JULY 14. 4:00 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Nominations". The witnesses will be Mary Helen Murguia (nominated to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit), Edmond E-Min Chang (USDC/NDIll), Leslie Kobayashi (USDC/DHawaii), Denise Casper (USDC/DMass), and Carlton Reeves (USDC/SDMiss). The SJC will webcast this event. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

5:30 - 7:30 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "Decoding Digital Activism". The speakers will include Robin Lerner (Counsel, Senate Foreign Relations Committee), Katharine Kendrick (Department of State), and others. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

6:00 - 9:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "Antitrust Investigations: Tactical and Ethical Issues". The speakers will be Ann O'Brien (Department of Justice), Ray Hartwell (Hunton & Williams), Kathryn Fenton (Jones Day), and Donald Klawiter (Sheppard Mullin). The price to attend ranges from $89 to $129. Reporters are barred from attending most DC Bar events. This event qualifies for CLE credits. See, notice. For more information, call 202-626-3488. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

11:59 PM. Deadline to submit requests for money from the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under its Technology Innovation Program (TIP). See, notice in the Federal Register, April 19, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 74, at Pages 20326-20334, and notice in the Federal Register, June 11, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 112, at Pages 33268-33269.

Demetrios Marantis (Deputy U.S. Trade Representative) will meet with Japanese Senior Vice Minister Takemasa of the Foreign Ministry. See, Office of the USTR notice.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) [64 pages in PDF] that proposes to reclassify broadband internet access services as Title II services. The FCC adopted and released this NOI on June 17, 2010. It is FCC 10-114 in GN Docket No. 10-127. See, stories titled "FCC Adopts Broadband Reclassification NOI", "Reaction to FCC Reclassification NOI", and "Congress, the FCC, and Broadband Regulation " in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,097, June 18, 2010. See also, story titled "FCC Employs Fast Tracking and Stacking in Reclassification Proceeding" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,098, June 21, 2010. See also, notice in the Federal Register, June 24, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 121, at Pages 36071-36088.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) regarding amateur radio use of the allocation at 5 MHz. The FCC adopted this NPRM on May 4, 2010, and released the text on May 7, 2010. It is FCC 10-76 in ET Docket No. 10-98. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 15, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 114, at Pages 33748-33752.

Deadline for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to respond to questions from the House Commerce Committee (HCC) regarding constructing and maintaining a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network. See, HCC letter.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Public Notice (PN) regarding Global-Tel Corporation's March 4, 2010, Petition for Expedited Clarification and Declaratory Ruling regarding application of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This PN is DA 10-997 in CG Docket No. 02-278. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 30, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 125, at Pages 37803-37804.

The House will not meet.

The Senate will not meet.

5:00 PM. Deadline to register to attend the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) July 20, 2010, hearing regarding its proposed three track patent examination system. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 4, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 107, at Pages 31763-31768. See also, story titled "USPTO Proposes Three Track Patent Examination System" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,092, June 4, 2010.

Deadline to submit comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Computer Security Division (CSD) regarding its draft SP 800-131 [27 pages in PDF] titled "Recommendation for the Transitioning of Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Lengths".

The House will meet at 12:30 PM.

The Senate will meet at 2:00 PM. It will resume consideration of HR 5297 [LOC | WW], the "Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010", a bill that would make available to certain businesses tax relief and loan programs. The House passed its version of this bill on June 17, 2010, on a party line vote of 241-182. See, Roll Call No. 375. There will be no votes.

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) will host an event titled "Technology Showcase". The agenda also includes speeches and the showing of a video. This event pertains to the impact of technology on people with disabilities. See, notice. Location: Main Foyer, DOC, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Office of the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) will host a meeting regarding enforcement of intellectual property laws. Victoria Espinel (IPEC) will speak. Reporters are barred. The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) states that this is an FCBA event. Location: Hogan Lovells, 555 13th St., NW.

5:00 PM. Deadline to register to attend the two day joint meeting of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) titled "Enabling the Convergence of Communications and Medical Systems: Ways to Update Regulatory and Information Processes". See, FCC Public Notice (DA 10-1071 in ET Docket No. 10-120).

Extended deadline to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) regarding interoperability, out-of-band emissions, and equipment certification for 700 MHz public safety broadband networks. See, May 18, 2010, public notice, and June 14, 2010, public notice extending the deadline.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) announced on July 15 that an undisclosed, and unelected, person will be sworn in as Senator from the state of West Virginia at 2:15 PM on July 20, and that the Senate will then hold a cloture vote on HR 4213 [LOC | WW], the "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010". Section 241 of this huge bill contains a one year extension of the research and development tax credit. Section 253 extends the deduction of corporate contributions of computer inventory for educational purposes. Section 255 extends the special rules for expensing certain movie and television productions.

8:00 - 10:00 AM. Broadband Census News LLC will host an event titled "The Smart Grid, Telecommunications and the Electric Infrastructure". The speakers will include Brett Kilbourne (Utilities Telecom Council), Nick Sinai (FCC), and Cynthia Brumfeld (UTC). Breakfast will be served. The price to attend is $47.12. Location: Clyde's of Gallery Place, 707 7th St., NW.

8:30 AM. Day one of a two day meeting of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee (HSSTAC). Most of this meeting is closed to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, July 13, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 133, at Page 39955. Location: 4075 Wilson Blvd., Liberty Conference Center, 3rd floor, Arlington, VA.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold an executive business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of the nominations of Elena Kagan to be a Justice of the Supreme Court and James Cole to be Deputy Attorney General. See, notice. The SJC will webcast this event. Location: Room 216, Hart Building.

10:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The House Science Committee's (HSC) Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight will hold a hearing titled "Building a Science of Economics for the Real World". Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Auction 88 (construction permits for 11 commercial FM stations, one commercial FM translator station, and one commercial AM station) is scheduled to begin. See, FCC's June 7, 2010, Public Notice (DA 10-1009).

1:00 PM. The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing titled "Efforts to Promote the Adoption and Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology". See, notice. Location: Room 1100, Longworth Building.

1:30 PM. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will hold a meeting regarding its proposed three track patent examination system. The deadline to register to attend is 5:00 PM on July 16. The deadline to submit written comments is August 20, 2010. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 4, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 107, at Pages 31763-31768. See also, story titled "USPTO Proposes Three Track Patent Examination System" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,092, June 4, 2010. Location: USPTO, South Auditorium, Madison West, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding revising its Part 17 rules regarding the construction, marking, and lighting of antenna structures. The FCC adopted this NPRM on April 12, 2010, and released the text [54 pages in PDF] on April 20, 2010. It is FCC 10-53 in WT Docket No. 10-88. See, notice in the Federal Register, May 21, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 98, at Pages 28517-28540.

9:00 AM. Day two of a two day meeting of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee (HSSTAC). Most of this meeting is closed to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, July 13, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 133, at Page 39955. Location: 4075 Wilson Blvd., Liberty Conference Center, 3rd floor, Arlington, VA.

The House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) may hold a hearing on HR 2267 [LOC | WW], the "Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act", a bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax certain internet gambling businesses. Location: Room 2128, Rayburn Building.

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold meeting "to discuss issues related to foreign ownership of common carrier wireless licenses under section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act". Staff from the FCC's International Bureau and Office of the General Counsel (OGC) will preside. Reporters may be barred from attending this event. The FCBA asserts that this is a FCBA event. Location: Verizon, Suite 400 West, 1300 I St., NW.

12:30 - 2:00 PM. The American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of Intellectual Property Law will host a webcast and teleconferenced event titled "Bilski vs. Kappos: When Is a ``Process´´ Patentable?". The speakers will be Erik Hawes (Morgan Lewis & Bockius), Brian Pandya (Wiley Rein), Denise DeFranco (Finnegan Henderson), Thomas Goldstein (Akin Gump), and William Teoli (Syngenta). See, notice. Prices vary. CLE credit.

1:00 - 3:00 PM. The American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of Taxation Law will host a webcast and teleconferenced event titled "Implications of Bilski on Patenting Tax Strategies". The speakers will be Dennis Drapkin (Jones Day), Ellen Aprill (Loyola Law School), Barry Grossman (Foley & Lardner), and Matthew Young (AICPA). See, notice. Prices vary. CLE credit.

Deadline to submit requests to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) to speak at the convention titled "2011 International CES", to be held on January 6-9, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

9:30 AM - 4:45 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "Legal Cybersleuth’s Guide to the Internet-Full Day". The speakers will be Carole Levitt and Mark Rosch. The price to attend ranges from $169 to $229. Reporters are barred from attending most DC Bar events. This event qualifies for CLE credits. See, notice. For more information, call 202-626-3488. Location: DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K St., NW.

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel discussion titled "Leading Innovations in Healthcare Technology". The speakers will be Robert Epstein (Medco) and Robert Atkinson (ITIF). See, notice. Location: Room 2226, Rayburn Building, Capitol Hill.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCC) Young Lawyers Committee will host a brown bag lunch. The speaker will be Phil Weiser (EOP's National Economic Council). For more information, contact Micah Caldwell at mcaldwell at fh-law dot com or Mark Brennan at  mark dot brennan at hoganlovells dot com. Location: Hogan Lovells, 555 13th St., NW.

2:00 PM. The House Judiciary Committee (HJC) will hold a hearing titled "Americans with Disabilities Act at 20 -- Celebrating Our Progress, Affirming Our Commitment". The HJC will webcast this event. See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

2:30 - 4:00 PM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel discussion titled "Open Forum on U.S. and OECD Innovation Policy". The speakers will be Andrew Wycoff (OECD), Karen Kornbluh (U.S. Ambassador to the OECD), Aneesh Chopra (EOP), and Robert Atkinson (ITIF). See, notice. Location: ITIF, Suite 610A, 1101 K St., NW.

Deadline to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding adoption a new 800 MHz band plan for the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FCC adopted and released this item on April 26, 2010. It is DA 10-695 in WT Docket No. 02-55. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 22, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 119, at Pages 35363-35366.