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July 21, 2010, Alert No. 2,109.
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Holder Says DOJ Will Write Rules Expanding ADA to Cover Web Sites, Movies and 911

7/21. Attorney General Eric Holder gave a speech at a political rally on Capitol Hill hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) in which he referenced the writing of regulations, pursuant to Article III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to expand the scope of Article III to encompass the internet and new technologies.

Eric HolderHolder (at right) said that "the department will soon be publishing four advanced notices of proposed rulemaking seeking public comment on establishing accessibility requirements for websites, movies, equipment and furniture, and 911 call-taking technologies."

Holder said nothing about the House Commerce Committee's (HCC) mark up of [LOC | WW], the "Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010" earlier in the day. He said nothing about the Senate Commerce Committee's (SCC) mark up of S 3304 [LOC | WW], also titled the "Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act", on Thursday, July 15, 2010. See, story titled "Senate Commerce Committee Approves Disability Access Bill", and related stories, in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,107, July 19, 2010.

For that matter, none of the Representatives or Senators said anything about the DOJ's plans to write regulations at either of the two markups. HR 3101 and S 3304 would create a new disability access regulatory regime administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The DOJ proposes to create a new, overlapping and redundant regulatory regime to be administered by the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division (CRD).

After the speech, outside the Cannon Caucus Room, Holder, through one of his guards, declined to answer questions from TLJ.

The members, employees and supporters of numerous disability related interest groups have converged on Capitol Hill this week to lobby for new government regulation of disability access. This effort also coincides with the 20th anniversary of enactment of the ADA in 1990.

At the same event that Holder spoke, former Sen. Lowell Wicker (D-CT) reminisced about enactment of the ADA in 1990. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) gave a campaign speech in which he urged those gathered to support the re-election of Rep. James Langevin (D-RI). Rep. Cathy Rodgers (R-WA) also spoke.

Thomas Perez, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the DOJ's CRD is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) on Thursday, July 22, at 2:00 AM. Holder and Perez are scheduled to speak at a DOJ event at DOJ Main on Friday, July 23, at 10:00 AM.

House Passes Prison Cell Phones Bill

 7/20. The House amended and passed S 1749 [LOC | WW], the "Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010", a bill pertaining to the use of cell phones in prisons, by voice vote.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) stated in the House that this bill "will address an ongoing problem of cell phones being smuggled into prisons by visitors and prison guards. Prison inmate cell phone accessibility has resulted in offenders facilitating and committing crimes with the use of the cell phones. Gangs have also become far more organized because members in prison have cell phone access."

He continued that it "amends Federal law to make cell phones and similar devices contraband that Federal prisoners are prohibited from possessing."

Rep. Bobby ScottRep. Scott (at right) also addressed prices. "Some have argued that cell phone smuggling is a direct reaction to the outrageous costs inmates and their families pay for telephone calls while a person is incarcerated. Prisons and jails require that inmates call their families collect or pay for calls with their prison accounts. And, indeed, phone companies charge much more for calls from prisons than they charge for calls made from outside prison."

Hence, he said that the bill also "requires the GAO to study the issue of exorbitant prison telephone rates and the gulf between those rates as the first step to finally bringing those rates down to reasonable levels so that inmates and their families have a much easier time staying in touch. In addition, the study will look at State and Federal efforts to prevent smuggling of cell phones into prisons and jails."

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) said that this bill is only a "a baby step". He wants state prisons to be allowed, after petitioning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to jam cell phone communications.

Other legislative proposals in the 111th, with backing from members of the Texas delegation, would allow this. See, story titled "Senate Judiciary Committee to Consider Cell Phones in Prisons" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,038, January 25, 2010.

Steve Largent, head of the CTIA, stated in a release that the "CTIA and the wireless industry are pleased that the House joined the Senate in passing this important piece of legislation which would prohibit the possession or use of cell phones by federal prisoners. We strongly oppose prisoners having access to contraband phones and believe inmates, and anyone who supplies them with a device, should be severely punished."

The CTIA opposes prison based jamming.

Sen. Snowe Introduces Bill to Reform Spectrum Management

7/19. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) introduced S 3610 [LOC | WW], a bill regarding spectrum management and use.

Sen. Olympia SnoweSen. Snowe (at right) stated that the "government's current spectrum management framework is inefficient and has not kept up with technological advancements". See, Congressional Record, July 19, 2010, at Page S5995.

She continued that this bill "fixes the fundamental deficiencies that exist in our policy and spectrum management and promotes efforts to improve spectrum efficiency" by requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to "perform much needed spectrum measurements to determine actual usage and occupancy rates".

She said that it also requires "greater collaboration between the FCC and NTIA on spectrum policy and management related issues, implementation of spectrum sharing and reuse programs, as well as more market-based incentives to promote efficient spectrum use".

First, the bill requires that the FCC and NTIA study spectrum use. It provides that the FCC and NTIA "shall jointly conduct a study of occupancy on the electromagnetic spectrum based on the extent of the use of such spectrum, including the amount and percentage of spectrum used in the band and the duration and percentage of time such spectrum is in use".

The bill provides certain exceptions for national security and public safety.

It also provides that the FCC and NTIA "shall determine appropriate benchmarks for assessing ... the utilization of each electromagnetic spectrum band based on the occupancy, activities, capabilities, functions, and missions supported in that band, as well as any additional factors the Commission and the Administration deem appropriate ... the availability of similar services operating in other bands capable of offering substitutable services".

It also provides that the FCC and NTIA "shall perform a cost-benefit analysis on electromagnetic spectrum relocation opportunities to move certain Federal users and services currently operating in a specific band of the spectrum to more efficient spectrum bands".

The bill also addresses spectrum management, sharing, auctions, and fees.

It requires the FCC and NTIA to submit an annual report to the Congress that includes, among other things, "an identification of emerging technologies and ideas for test-bed programs that expand opportunities for spectrum sharing by Federal and non-Federal users, increased public transparency into spectrum databases, and a progress report on reallocation and sharing efforts" required by this bill.

The bill would amend the NTIA Organization Act to allow the NTIA to "withhold or refuse to assign frequencies for mobile radio service or other radio service", "assess and collect from each Federal user an annual fee for the spectrum assigned to such Federal user that is based on the fair market commercial value of that spectrum", and "develop an auction revenue sharing plan where in exchange for relinquishing spectrum usage rights, Federal users currently operating in an assigned spectrum band would receive as an auction incentive award".

The bill would amend the Communications Act to allow the FCC to "assess and collect from each licensee an annual fee for the spectrum assigned to such licensee that is based on the fair market commercial value of that spectrum", with 30% of the fees so collected going to the Spectrum Relocation and Efficiency Fund.

Also, if the FCC "determines that it is consistent with the public interest in utilization of the spectrum for a licensee to relinquish some or all of its licensed spectrum usage rights in order to permit the assignment of new initial licenses or the allocation of spectrum for unlicensed use subject to new service rules, the proceeds from the use of a competitive bidding system under this subsection may be shared, in an amount or percentage determined in the discretion of the Commission, with any licensee who agreed to participate in relinquishing such auction usage rights".

S 3610 was referred to the Senate Commerce Committee (SCC). Sen. Snowe and Sen. Kerry are senior members.

Sen. Kerry stated in a release that "Steps like this are essential to expanding broadband internet access while providing a platform where entrepreneurs can create new services and generate jobs. We can and should know how our spectrum is being used and do more to encourage more efficient and productive use."

Michael Calabrese of the New America Foundation (NAF) stated in a release that "The Kerry-Snowe bill maps a path to opening enormous amounts of grossly underutilized spectrum, especially federal government bands, for licensed, unlicensed and shared access by the private sector."

The NAF's Sacha Meinrath stated in the same release that "The Kerry-Snowe bill will empower communities and constituencies across the United States with real-world information about the true state of coverage of everything from over-the-air television to cell phone reception."

Chris Riley of the Free Press stated in a release that "This legislation is a good first step down the path of creating a more competitive market for wireless broadband services. Making additional spectrum available for licensed and unlicensed use is an important goal."

Gigi Sohn, head of the Public Knowledge (PK), praised this bill in a release.

Sen. Rockefeller to Introduce Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act

7/21. Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV) stated in a release on July 21, 2010, that "I plan to introduce the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act."

He stated that "This legislation will build on the policies in the recent Presidential Memorandum ‘Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution,’ by providing the Federal Communications Commission with the authority to hold incentive auctions. My legislation will help put this valuable resource into the hands of companies that can create innovative services for American consumers and businesses."

Sen. John RockefellerSen. Rockefeller (at right) also stated that "This proposal will not require the return of spectrum from existing commercial users, but will instead provide them with a voluntary opportunity to realize a portion of auction revenues if they wish to facilitate putting spectrum to new and productive uses."

He added that his bill "will also provide public safety with an additional 10 megahertz of spectrum to support a national, interoperable wireless broadband network that will help protect people and keep them from harm. This spectrum allocation will provide those who wear the shield with the resources they need to do their jobs. But more than that, by providing authority for incentive auctions, this legislation will offer a revenue stream to assist public safety with the construction and development of their network."

Steve Zipperstein of Verizon Wireless stated in a release that this approach "brings to life President Obama's goal of harnessing 500 MHz of spectrum for wireless broadband innovation through open and non-discriminatory auctions, while carving out a small portion -- just two percent of the total -- to meet public safety's needs."

He also praised the proposals for "10 MHz of spectrum in the D-Block on which to build a national, interoperable wireless broadband network dedicated to ensuring our nation's safety", and "for open auctions of additional spectrum that will maximize the financial benefit to American taxpayers while creating new opportunities for technological innovation."

More Capitol Hill News

7/21. The House Commerce Committee (HCC) amended and approved HR 3101 [LOC | WW], the "Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010". It approved an amendment in the nature of a substitute [70 pages in PDF] and a further amendment offered by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) regarding persons who are deaf and blind. The markup expanded the bill to over 70 pages. Most of the amendments adopted at this mark up are intended to lessen some of the harm to investment and innovation in new technologies that the bill will cause.

7/21. The House passed HR 5566 [LOC | WW], the "Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010", by vote of 416-3. See, Roll Call No. 459. This is a bill to protect animals from cruelty. It does this by criminalizing the sale of certain videos.

7/20. The House amended and passed HR 4842 [LOC | WW], the "Homeland Security Science and Technology Authorization Act of 2010", by voice vote.

7/19. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) introduced HR 5777 [LOC | WW | PDF], the "Building Effective Strategies To Promote Responsibility Accountability Choice Transparency Innovation Consumer Expectations and Safeguards Act", or "BEST PRACTICES Act", a privacy bill. It was referred to the House Commerce Committee. The HCC's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing on this and another bill at 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 22, 2010.

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In This Issue
This issue contains the following items:
 • Holder Says DOJ Will Write Rules Expanding ADA to Cover Web Sites, Movies and 911
 • House Passes Prison Cell Phones Bill
 • Sen. Snowe Introduces Bill to Reform Spectrum Management
 • Sen. Rockefeller to Introduce Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act
 • More Capital Hill News
Washington Tech Calendar
New items are highlighted in red.
Thursday, July 22

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Hoyer's schedule for the week of July 19, and schedule for July 22.

The Senate will meet at 9:30 AM.

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.

10:00 AM. The House Foreign Affairs Committee's (HFAC) Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade will hold a hearing titled "Transshipment and Diversion: Are U.S. Trading Partners Doing Enough to Prevent the Spread of Dangerous Technologies?". The witnesses will be Kevin Wolf (head of the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security) and Vann Van Diepen (acting head of the Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation). See, notice. Location: Room 2172, Rayburn Building.

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.

1:00 PM. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) will hold a news conference regarding the introduction of HR __, the "Universal Service Reform Act of 2010". Location: Room 2187, Rayburn Building.

2:00 PM. The House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing on two privacy bills, HR 5777 [LOC | WW | PDF], the "Building Effective Strategies To Promote Responsibility Accountability Choice Transparency Innovation Consumer Expectations and Safeguards Act", or "BEST PRACTICES Act", and HR __ [PDF], a discussion draft of a yet to be introduced bill to require notice to and consent of an individual prior to the collection and disclosure of certain personal information relating to that individual. The witnesses will be David Vladeck (Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection), Ed Mierzwinski (U.S. Public Interest Research Group), Leslie Harris (Center for Democracy and Technology), David Hoffman (Intel), Ira Rubinstein (New York University School of Law), Jason Goldman (U.S. Chamber of Commerce), and Mike Zaneis (Interactive Advertising Bureau). See, notice. Location: Room 2322, Rayburn Building.

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 witnesses will be Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. James Langevin (D-RI), Tom Perez (Assistant Attorney General in charge of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division), Richard Thornburg, Cheryl Sensenbrenner, Adrian Villalobos, Casandra Cox, and Jonathan Young. The HJC will webcast this event. See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

2:00 PM. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's (HOGRC) Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives will hold a hearing titled "Government 2.0: Federal Agency Use Of Web 2.0 Technologies". See, notice. Location: Room 2247, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold an executive session. It will mark up up several bills, including S 3490 [LOC | WW], the "Spectrum Relocation and Improvement Act of 2010", and S 3605 [LOC | WW], the "America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

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.

Friday, July 23

The House may meet at 9:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Hoyer's schedule for the week of July 19.

10:00 AM. The Department of Justice (DOJ) will hold an event related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The speakers will include Eric Holder (Attorney General) and Tom Perez (Assistant Attorney General in charge of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division). Location: DOJ main building, Great Hall, 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

Deadline to submit comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding a proposal to add eight questions to the Census Bureau's October 2010 Current Population Survey (CPS) to gather data on broadband usage. See, notice in the Federal Register, May 24, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 99, at Pages 28781-28782.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the FCC's Public Notice [3 pages in PDF] regarding Purple Communication's petition for clarification or waiver regarding implementation of a call forwarding service for internet based Telecommunications Relay Service users. This item is DA 10-1253 in CG Docket No. 10-51.

Monday, July 26

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Day one of a 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). The deadline to register to attend is 5:00 PM on July 19, 2010. The deadline to submit written comments is June 25, 2010. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

Deadline to submit comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its proposed consent agreement with Twitter. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 30, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 125, at Pages 37806-37808.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Department of Energy (DOE) regarding the communications requirements of utilities, including, but not limited to the requirements of the Smart Grid. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 14, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 113, at Pages 33611-33612.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) regarding unlicensed personal communications services devices in the 1920-1930 MHz band. The FCC adopted this NPRM on May 4, 2010, and released the text [19 pages in PDF] on May 6, 2010. It is FCC 10-77 in ET Docket No. 10-97. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 11, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 112, at Pages 33220-33226.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding regulation of ownership of media companies. The FCC adopted and released this item on May 25, 2010. It is FCC 10-92 in MB Docket No. 09-182. See, FCC June 11, 2010, Public Notice (DA 10-1066), and notice in the Federal Register, June 11, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 112, at Pages 33227-33237. See also, story titled "FCC Adopts Broadcast Ownership NOI" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,087, May 26, 2010.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding expanding the range of products and services covered by the FCC's e-rate subsidy program. The FCC adopted this NPRM on December 1, 2009, and released the text [43 pages in PDF] on December 2, 2010. It is FCC 09-105 in CC Docket No. 02-6. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 9, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 110, at Pages 32692-32699. See also, story titled "FCC Expands and Seeks Comments on List of Items Eligible for E-Rate Subsidies" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,019, December 2, 2009.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the FCC's e-rate tax and subsidy program. The FCC adopted and released this NPRM on May 20, 2010. It is FCC 10-83 in CC Docket No. 02-6 and GN Docket No. 09-51. See, notice in the Federal Register: June 9, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 110, at Pages 32699-32719. See also, story titled "FCC Adopts Another E-Rate NPRM" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,087, May 26, 2010.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) [12 pages in PDF] regarding the survivability in broadband communications networks and ways to reduce network vulnerability to failures in network equipment or severe overload conditions, such as would occur in natural disasters and pandemics. The FCC adopted and released this item on April 21, 2010. It is FCC 10-62 in PS Docket No. 10-92. See, notice in the Federal Register, May 11, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 90, at Pages 26180-26183.

Deadline to submit reply 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.

EXTENDED TO AUGUST 2. Deadline to submit comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding its draft [76 pages in PDF] of its "FY 2010-2015 Strategic Plan". See, notice in the Federal Register, July 9, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 131, at Pages 39493-39494. See also, story titled "USPTO Releases Draft Five Year Plan" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,102, July 12, 2010. See, notice of extention.

Tuesday, July 27

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Day two of a 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). The deadline to register to attend is 5:00 PM on July 19, 2010. The deadline to submit written comments is June 25, 2010. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

9:00 AM - 4:45 PM. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the International Trade Administration (ITA) will host an event titled "Cybersecurity and Innovation in the Information Economy". See, notice in the Federal Register, June 28, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 123, at Pages 36633-36634. Location: Amphitheater, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.

9:30 AM. The Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee (SITAC) will hold a partially closed meeting. The open portion of this meeting is open to public attendance, and will also be teleconferenced. See, notice in the Federal Register, July 13, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 133, at Page 39920. Location: DOC, Room 3884, 14th Street between Constitution and Pennsylvania Aves., NW.

10:15 AM. The House Judiciary Committee (HJC) will hold a hearing titled "Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division". See, notice. The HJC will webcast this event. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

11:00 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law will hold a hearing titled "Federal Rulemaking and the Regulatory Process". See, notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

1:00 PM. The House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled "'Hearing On "Implementation Of The HITECH Act". See, notice. Location: Room 2322, Rayburn Building.

1:30 PM. The House Ways and Means Committee's (HWMC) Subcommittee on Trade will hold a hearing titled "Enhancing the U.S.-EU Trade Relationship". See, notice. Location: Room 1100, Longworth Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Consumer Online Privacy". See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding amending Part 87 of the FCC's rules to allow use of the frequency 1090 MHz by aeronautical mobility mobile stations for airport surface detection equipment (ASDE-X), also known as vehicle squitters. The FCC adopted this item on March 11, 2010, and released the text [19 pages in PDF] on March 16, 2010. It is FCC 10-37 in WT Docket Nos. 09-42 and 10-61. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 28, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 81, at Pages 22352-22356.

Wednesday, July 28

9:00 AM. Day one of a two day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee (ISTAC). The July 28 agenda includes "Smart Grid", "Civil Satellite Telecommunications", and "GPU/CPU/Accelerators". The July 28 portion of this meeting is open to the public, and will also be teleconferenced. See, notice in the Federal Register, July 13, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 133, at Pages 39919-39920. Location: DOC, Room 3884, 14th Street between Constitution and Pennsylvania Aves., NW.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation". The witness will be FBI Director Robert Mueller. See, notice. The SJC will webcast this event. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

11:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) WRC-12 Advisory Committee will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, June 30, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 125, at Pages 37802-37803. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

1:00 - 2:30 PM. The American Bar Association (ABA) will host a webcast and teleconferenced event titled "New Developments and Trends in Music Publishing Law". The speakers will be Zeina Hamzeh (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.) and Ed Pierson. See, notice. Prices vary. CLE credits.

2:00 PM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold a hearing titled "Online Privacy, Social Networking, and Crime Victimization". See, notice. The HJC will webcast this event. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold a hearing titled "Nominations". See, notice. The SJC will webcast this event. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

5:00 - 7:00 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "Digital District: Local News and Online Media Access in Washington". The speakers will be Dan Silverman, Veronica Davis, Ariel Valdez, Justin Jouvenal, and Steve Coll (NAF). See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

Thursday, July 29

9:00 AM. Day two of a two day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee (ISTAC). The July 29 agenda is undisclosed. The July 29 portion of this meeting is closed to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, July 13, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 133, at Pages 39919-39920. Location: DOC, Room 3884, 14th Street between Constitution and Pennsylvania Aves., NW.