4/15. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) released a document [52 pages in PDF] titled "National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace: Enhancing Online Choice, Efficiency, Security, and Privacy". It calls for, but does not propose mandating, "online authentication of people and devices".

This paper states that "Spoofed websites, stolen passwords, and compromised accounts are all symptoms of inadequate authentication mechanisms".

This paper articulates a "vision" for an "Identity Ecosystem". It states that this would be an "online environment where individuals and organizations will be able to trust each other because they follow agreed upon standards to obtain and authenticate their digital identities -- and the digital identities of devices".

This "Identity Ecosystem" would be "designed to securely support transactions that range from anonymous to fully-authenticated and from low- to high-value".

This paper does not propose a government mandate. It states that "participation in the Identity Ecosystem will be voluntary: the government will neither mandate that individuals obtain an Identity Ecosystem credential nor that companies require Identity Ecosystem credentials from consumers as the only means to interact with them".

Nor does it propose a single authentication system. It does propose interoperability between multiple systems, and identity portability.

It further states that privacy and civil liberties should be guiding principles.

Marc Rotenberg, head of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), wrote in the EPIC web site that "online identity is complex problem and the risk of 'cyber-identity theft' with consolidated identity systems is very real. The US will need to do more to protect online privacy".

Robert Holleyman, head of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), stated in a release that "The Obama Administration's plan for giving people a better way of authenticating who they are online is a huge step forward ... Strengthening security and privacy will shore up the very foundations of trust and confidence in cyberspace. That will help guarantee the continued growth of electronic communications and commerce."

The Center for Democracy and Technology's (CDT) Leslie Harris stated in a release that "There are two key points about this Strategy: First, this is NOT a government-mandated, national ID program; in fact, it's not an identity 'program' at all ... Second, this is a call by the Administration to the private sector to step up, take leadership of this effort and provide the innovation to implement a privacy-enhancing, trusted system."

The CDT's Aaron Rieke added that "Every new online service wants you to create yet another account. Most of us have no clue how our information is being used or with whom it's going to be shared ... We deserve better control over our identity and more confidence in our transactions online."

4/13. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced S 813 [LOC | WW], the "Cyber Security Public Awareness Act of 2011", a bill to mandate the writing of numerous reports related to cyber security.

This bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to write annual reports for the Congress that summarize "major cyber incidents involving networks of executive agencies", other than the Department of Defense (DOD), which would be tasked by this bill with writing its own annual report.

This bill would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DOJ's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to write annual reports for the Congress "describing investigations and prosecutions by the Department of Justice relating to cyber intrusions or other cybercrimes the preceding year".

This bill would require the "primary regulator for each critical industry", including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for "the communications industry", to write annual reports on the "nature and state of the vulnerabilities to cyber attacks", the "prevalence and seriousness of cyber attacks", and "recommended steps to thwart or diminish cyber attacks", in each critical industry.

The bill would require another DHS report on "foreign suppliers of information technology", which "identifies specific telecommunications networks" of the US that include such foreign supplied technology, and that "assesses the vulnerability to malicious activity, including cyber crime or espionage, of the telecommunications networks of the United States ... due to the presence" of such foreign supplied technology.

The bill would require the DOJ to submit one report "on whether Federal courts have granted timely relief in matters relating to botnets and other cybercrime and cyber security threats".

The bill would require the DHS to enter into a contract with the National Research Council, or another federally funded research and development corporation, on "available technical options ... for enhancing the security of the information networks of entities that own or manage critical infrastructure through ... technical improvements, including developing a secure domain" or "increased notice of and consent to the use of technologies to scan for, detect, and defeat cyber security threats, such as technologies used in a secure domain".

The bill would require the DHS to write a report that on the "threat of a cyber attack disrupting the electrical grid".

The bill would require the DHS to write a report that "describes policies and procedures for Federal agencies to assist a private sector entity in the defending of the information networks of the private sector entity against cyber threats that could result in loss of life or significant harm to the national economy or national security".

This bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

4/7. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced S 758 [LOC | WW], the "STEM Master Teacher Corps Act of 2011".

It would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to create a $35 Million per year federal subsidy program titled "STEM Master Teacher Corps".

The concept embodied in this bill is, in part, to give money to the states to enable them to hire and retain science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers "by offering them additional compensation, instructional resources, and instructional leadership roles".

The annual teacher payment would be $5,000, and $15,000 for "a high-need public school".

Also, the bill's dedication to STEM education is diluted by its inclusion of special education and English language teachers, and by its lack of meaningful teacher eligibility criteria, such as a four year university degree with a major in a STEM field.

This bill was referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

Also on April 7, Sen. Lieberman introduced S 763 [LOC | WW], the "Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leaders, Learning, And Results Act of 2011" or "STELLAR Act". It would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require that states receiving certain federal education subsidies submit to the Department of Education (DOE) annual reports regarding that state's system for evaluating teachers' and principals' performances. It would also require the DOE to write a report.

4/19. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps named Mark Stone to be his Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor. See, FCC release.

Stone will replace John Giusti, who will become Head of Spectrum for the GSM Association (GSMA), a trade association for mobile service providers that use the Groupe Special Mobile or Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications standard.

Stone has worked at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) since 1994. He is currently Deputy Chief of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Recently, he has worked on FCC regulation in the context of disability access, and FCC regulation of service providers' billing practices.

Margaret McCarthy remains Copps' Policy Advisor for Broadband, Wireline and Universal Service, and Joshua Cinelli remains as Copps' Media Advisor. See also, Copps' staff web page.

4/14. The Senate confirmed Kelvin Droegemeier to be a member of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Science Board (NSB). See, Congressional Record, April 14, 2011, at Page S2557.

4/14. The Senate confirmed Kathryn Sullivan to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce. See, Congressional Record, April 14, 2011, at Page S2557. She will be in charge of the National Weather Service and related programs.

4/14. The Senate confirmed Kurt Tong to be U.S. Senior Official for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. See, Congressional Record, April 14, 2011, at Page S2557.

4/14. The Senate Banking Committee (SBC) approved the nomination of Eric Hirschhorn to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, head of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). See, Congressional Record, April 14, 2011, at Page S2505.

4/14. The Senate Banking Committee (SBC) approved the nominations of  Katharine Abraham and Carl Shapiro to be members of the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) Council of Economic Advisers. See, Congressional Record, April 14, 2011, at Page S2506.

4/14.  The Senate Finance Committee (SFC) approved the nomination of David Cohen to be the Department of the Treasury's (DOT) Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes. See, Congressional Record, April 14, 2011, at Page S2506.

4/12. The Senate confirmed Vincent Briccetti to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court (SDNY). See, Congressional Record, April 12, 2011, at Page S2405.

4/12. The Senate confirmed John Kronstadt to be a Judge of the U.S. District Court (CDCal). See, Congressional Record, April 12, 2011, at Page S2405.

Passover.

The House will be in recess the week of Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 22, and the week of Monday, April 25 through Friday, April 29. The House will return at 2:00 PM on Monday, May 2.

The Senate will be in recess the week of Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 22, and the week of Monday, April 25 through Friday, April 29. The Senate will return at 2:00 PM on Monday, May 2.

8:00 -10:00 AM. Broadband Census News LLC will host a panel discussion titled "Better Broadband Adoption: What Levers Will Improve Take Rates Nationwide?". Breakfast will be served. This event is open to the public. The price to attend is $47.12. See, notice and registration page. This event is also sponsored by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and USTelecom. Location: Clyde's of Gallery Place, 707 7th St., NW.

11:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Advisory Committee for the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 29, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 60, at Pages 17417-17418. Location: FCC, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

2:00 - 3:00 PM. The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (PNSTAC) will meet by teleconference. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 29, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 60, at Page 17424.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host an event titled "Information Technology Security Day". See, notice. Location: Gaithersburg, MD.

8:00 - 10:00 AM. Social Driver will host an event titled "I Can't Believe It's On Twitter: Getting ROI From Social Media". See, notice. Prices vary. Location: Zenger Room, National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St. NW.

12:00 NOON. The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) will host a lunch. The speakers will be Robert McDowell (FCC Commissioner) and Jonathan Leibowitz (FTC Chairman). Prices vary. Lunch will be served. The deadline to register is 12:00 NOON on April 18, 2011. See, registration form. Location: Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW.

12:00 NOON. The Economic Club of Washington, DC will host a lunch. The speaker will be FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Location: Renaissance Hotel, Ballroom, 999 9th St., NW.

2:00 - 3:00 PM. The Heritage Foundation (HF) will host a speech by Frank Lavin (Edelman Asia Pacific) titled "Consequential China: U.S.-China Relations in a Time of Transition". See, notice. The HF will webcast this event. Location: HF, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE.

3:30 - 5:30 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will host an event titled "Inside the FCC: A Roundtable Discussion for Young Lawyers about Meeting with FCC Staff and the Ex Parte Process". For more information, contact Brendan Carr at bcarr at wileyrein dot com or Mark Brennan at mark dot brennan at hoganlovells dot com. Location: FCC Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th St., SW.

6:00 - 8:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) FCC Enforcement Committee will host an event titled "FCC Enforcement Bureau Case Studies: The Past is Prologue". See, notice. CLE credits. Location: Wiley Rein, 1776 K St., NW.

9:00 - 10:00 AM. The Internet Security Alliance (ISA), Harris Corporation and Chertoff Group will host a panel discussion titled "Securing Our Nation’s Cyber Supply Chain". The speakers will include Larry Clinton (ISA), Dale Meyerrose (Harris Corp.), and Michael Chertoff. See, notice. Register by email at RSVP at harris dot com. Location: First Amendment Lounge, National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St. NW.

10:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Department of State's (DOS) International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare for ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), to be held on January 23 through February 17, 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland. See, notice in the Federal Register, April 1, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 63, at Page 18292. Location: 1200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA.

Deadline to submit comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in response to its notice in the Federal Register requesting information to assist it in preparing a "preliminary plan to review its existing significant regulations in response to the President Obama's Executive Order 13563 titled "Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review".The request for comments is at Federal Register, March 22, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 55, at Pages 15891-15892. The Executive Order is at Federal Register, January 21, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 14, at Pages 3821-3823.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [139 pages in PDF] regarding changes to the two universal service tax and subsidy programs titled "Lifeline" and "Link Up". The FCC adopted this NPRM on March 3, 2011, and released the text on March 4, 2011. It is FCC 11-32 in WC Docket Nos. 11-42 and 03-109, and CC Docket No. 96-45. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 23, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 56, at Pages 16481-16519.

Good Friday.

Supreme Court conference day (discussion of argued cases, and decision on cert petitions). Closed.

Deadline to submit nominations to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for membership on its Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC). See, notice in the Federal Register, March 30, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 61, at Pages 17650-17652.

Easter.

The House will be in recess the week of Monday, April 25 through Friday, April 29.

Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the joint petition filed by Cellular South Licenses, Inc. and United States Cellular Corporation requesting that the FCC reconsider its decision amending a rule established by the Interim Cap Order to reclaim high-cost universal service support surrendered by a competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) when it relinquishes ETC status in a particular state. See, DA 11-507 in WC Docket No. 05-337 and CC Docket No. 96-45, and notice in the Federal Register, March 30, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 61, at Pages 17652-17653.

8:30 AM - 5:30 PM. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) NASA Advisory Council's Information Technology Infrastructure Committee will meet. The agenda includes "Computing Environment -- Diverse Needs and Solutions", "Network Environment and Mission Network Support", and "IT Security Risk Management". See, notice in the Federal Register, April 5, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 65, at Pages 18800-18801. Location: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Building 12, Room C100D, Greenbelt, MD.

9:00 - 10:30 AM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel discussion titled "The Case for a National Manufacturing Strategy for the United States". The speakers will be Robert Atkinson (ITIF), Stephen Ezell (ITIF) and Mark Rice (Maritime Applied Physics Corporation). See, notice and registration page. Location: ITIF/ITIC, Suite 610A, 1101 K St., NW.

9:00 AM - 4:30 PM. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) will host a one day workshop regarding the NIST Information Technology Laboratory, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), NVLAP accreditation of laboratories to perform testing of health information technology, and electronic health record technology. The deadline to register to attend is April 20. See, notice in the Federal Register, March 22, 2011, Vol. 76, No. 55, at Pages 15945-15946. Location: Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center, 9751 Washingtonian Boulevard, Gaithersburg, MD.

9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Missouri School of Journalism will host an event titled "The Future of Public Broadcasting: Innovating to Connect Communities". See, notice. Location: National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St. NW.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The DC Bar Association will host an event titled "Private Lawyers as Counsel to Governments in WTO Disputes". The speakers will be Benjamin Caryl (U.S. International Trade Commission), Aluisio De Lima-Campos (Brazilian Embassy), and Gary Horlick. See, notice. The price to attend ranges from $20 to $35. For more information, call 202-626-3463. Location: McKenna Long & Aldridge, 1900 K St., NW.

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