3/11. The House passed  HR 3675 [LOC | WW], the "Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act", by voice vote. The Senate has not passed this bill.

This is the second time around for this bill. The House passed a similar bill in the 112th Congress, HR 3309 [LOC | WW], the "Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2012". The vote on final passage was 247-174. See, Roll Call No. 138. Republicans voted 235-0. Democrats vote 12-174. The Senate did not pass that bill.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), the Chairman of the House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (SCT), introduced this bill on December 9, 2013. The HCC approved it the next day.

Unlike the bill in the 112th Congress, this one passed the House with broad bipartisan support.

Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) stated in the House that "Last Congress, our work on this issue, unfortunately, devolved into a partisan process and a vote on a bill that was dead on arrival in the Senate." In contrast, in the present Congress, "we were able to come to an agreement on a set of bipartisan reform proposals that were unanimously supported by the committee."

Rep. Walden said that "this bill is the result of a multiyear process, ending with bipartisan agreement that takes important steps towards improving this very important agency. This legislation will produce a joint effort where the Commission establishes procedures to achieve the goals established by Congress."

He also summarized the bill. "The bill requires the FCC to undertake ... a notice and comment rulemaking, resulting in the FCC's adopting rules to address several different reforms. Setting a minimum time period for comments in an FCC rulemaking will allow for certainty for those who wish to comment -- the public. In addition, adopted rules must address issues like data dumps at the end of a comment period, transparency as to items pending before the Commissioners, and publication of the language of proposed rules. ... The rulemaking also requires the Federal Communications Commission to adopt deadlines for action on several types of filings before the agency."

The bill also provides and extension of the exemption from the requirements of the Antideficiency Act for the FCC's universal service tax and subsidy programs, until December 31, 2020.

Ajit Pai, a Republican FCC Commissioner, stated in a release that "I hope that this common-sense bill, as well as the Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2013, H.R. 2844, which the House of Representatives passed 415 to 0 back in September, will soon be enacted into law."

See, HR 2844 [LOC | WW], and story titled "House Passes Bill to Consolidate FCC Market Reports" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,598, September 10, 2013.

For more on House passage of the FCC process legislation in the 112th Congress, see "House Passes FCC Process Reform Act" and related stories in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,361, March 30, 2012, and "House Commerce Committee Approves FCC Reform Bills" and related stories in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,346, March 5, 2012.

3/11. This piece offers the analysis that HR 3675 [LOC | WW], the "Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act", which the House passed on March 11, 2014, will do little to promote transparency at the FCC.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) stated in the House that the purpose of this bill is to make the FCC "a transparent and responsive government agency". Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) stated that "both Democrats and Republicans believe that the FCC must be efficient, transparent, and accountable".

However, meaningful transparency is not in the interests of either House Democrats and Republicans.

The Constitution gives the Congress authority to pass legislation. But, it very hard to pass significant legislation. The Congress can and does exercise legislative like authority by creating agencies with broad powers. While nominally independent, these agencies operate, to a significant extent, in a quasi agent principal relationship with the Congress.

The FCC, as former Supreme Court Justice Stevens wrote in the 2009 opinion in FCC v. Fox Television Stations, "is better viewed as an agent of Congress".

House Republicans began the process of enacting FCC process legislation several years ago in part because the FCC under the leadership of former Chairman Julius Genachowski, on issues such as network neutrality, operated as an agent of Congressional Democrats and President Obama, rather than the Congress.

A significant cause of this legislative process was the diminishment of House Republicans' role in FCC decision making processes during the tenure of Genachowski. While House Republicans have employed the rhetoric of promoting transparency, a fully open and fair administrative processes would undermine the ability of Members of Congress in both parties to give non-statutory direction to the FCC.

Genachowski is now gone. The salience of the network neutrality issue has declined. Also, the FCC under new Chairman Thomas Wheeler issued a 92 page document titled "Report on FCC Process Reform" on February 14, 2014 that addresses some of the concerns of the proponents of this legislation.

The just passed bill drops some of the mandatory procedures that were in the bill passed by the House in the 112th Congress. Hence, the present bill went through the House with bipartisan support, with little discussion on the floor, and without a roll call vote on the floor.

The bill does impose some requirements that may contribute to some greater transparency. However, the bill would also reduce transparency. For example, this bill would allow Commissioners to meet in secret, rather than in public meetings, as otherwise required by Title 5.

It would permit a bipartisan majority of Commissioners to meet if they disclose such meetings within two business days. However, the disclosure need only contain "a list of the persons who attended such meeting" and "a summary of the matters discussed". This provision was also in the bill passed by the House in the 112th Congress.

The five Commissioners conduct little business in public. Its events titled "Open Meeting" are largely ceremonial gatherings at which Commissioners read written statements, and hold votes. The real communications and debate takes place, away from public view, via their staffs. This bill would replace one secretive process with another.

This bill also fails to eliminate other practices that contribute to the FCC's lack of transparency.

For example, while ex parte communications (EPCs) are antithetical to openness and fairness in both rulemaking and adjudicatory proceedings, EPCs are an integral part of many FCC proceedings. The bill contains a vague requirement that the FCC "establish policies" regarding EPCs "to ensure that the public has adequate notice of and opportunity to respond".

However, the bill would impose no significant limitations on EPCs. The bill falls far short, for example, of requiring publication of a audio recording of ex parte meetings between company or group representatives and FCC staff or Commissioners in pending rulemaking or adjudicatory proceedings. Ordinary people are capable of quickly and easily posting audio and video in social networking sites. It would be neither technologically infeasible nor burdensome to impose a similar requirement for those who have ex parte meetings with the FCC.

Similarly, the bill does nothing to require disclosure of Congressional EPCs made to influence FCC actions.

Nor does the bill address transparency in the FCC's license transfer proceedings that resemble antitrust merger reviews, but are often used to impose conditions upon the merging entities that resemble rules. The FCC conducts these proceedings under a broad public interest standard that does not provide advance notice regarding what might be prohibited or required. The FCC has not adopted substantive rules. The FCC has not adopted procedural rules.

While the bill in the 112th Congress would have imposed some modest standards, the just passed bill is silent on merger reviews.

Finally, it should be noted that the most fundamental component of both due process of law and judicial transparency is the right to a hearing before an impartial decision maker. However, there is nothing in this bill that provides a right to any kind of hearing in any FCC proceeding, including adjudications.

3/6. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced S 2090 [LOC | WW], the "Responsible Electronics Recycling Act", a bill to limit export of "electronic waste". While there is an environmental protection argument to be made in support of this bill, this bill is largely a trade protectionism bill masquerading as environmental protection.

This bill is substantially identical to HR 2791 [LOC | WW], introduced in the House by Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) on July 23, 2013.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long held broad authority to identify and regulate the disposal of all "hazardous waste" in the US, under the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), which is codified at 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq.

These bills would add a new section to the SWDA that would prohibit, and criminalize, the export of "restricted electronic waste" (REW) to non-OECD nations.

However, these bills do not define the term "electronic waste" or "waste". Rep. Green explained in his release that it means "Discarded computers, TVs, phones and other consumer electronics".

These bills provide that REW includes "covered electronic equipment" (CEW). CEW in turn is defined to include most of the physical products of the information technology and consumer electronics sectors for which there is a recycling market.

For example, the term CEW covers "Computers", "Central processing units", "notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and e-book readers", "Computer accessories (including input devices, webcams, speakers, data storage devices, servers, and monitors)". (Parentheses in original.)

CEW also includes "Televisions", "DVD players", "Video display devices", "Digital imaging devices (including printers, copiers, facsimile machines, image scanners, and multifunction machines), "Television peripheral devices iincluding video cassette recorders, DVD players, video game systems, game controllers, signal converter boxes, and cable and satellite receivers)" (Parentheses in original.)

This list continues: "Digital cameras", "Digital audio players" "Telephones and electronic communication equipment (including cellular phones and wireless Internet communication devices), "Networking devices (including routers, network cards, modems, and hubs), "Audio equipment", "Portable video game systems", and more.

The list also includes anything else that the EPA might decide to add.

Rep. Green explained the purpose of this legislation when he introduced his bill. His release states that "While there are domestic recyclers that currently process e-waste, they have a hard time competing with overseas recycling facilities".

Moreover, "restrictions on e-waste exports could create up to 42,000 new direct and indirect jobs with a total payroll of more than $1 billion."

The Coalition For American Electronics Recyclers (CAER) supports these bills. Its membership consists largely of US based recycling companies that would benefit from exclusion of its foreign competitors.

Rep. Green's second argument in support of these bills is that US recyclers adhere to higher environmental standards than their foreign competitors.

The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (SCEPW). The House bill was referred to the House Commerce Committee (HCC), the House Science Committee (HSC), and various of their subcommittees, none of which have taken any action.

Rare Earth Materials. These bills also contain a section pertaining to the supply in the US of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

These bills provide that the Department of Energy "shall assist in ... research in the recovering and recycling of critical minerals and rare earth elements found in electronic devices", and "shall establish a competitive research application program". Notably, these bills contain no authorization for appropriations.

Rare earth materials (REMs) are used in many ICT products. Rare earth elements exist in large quantifies in deposits in many countries. However, the People's Republic of China (PRC) mines and extracts almost all of the world's supply.

The House passed a bill last September that would have the effect of facilitating domestic mining and extraction of REMs, and deprive the PRC of the ability to abuse its dominant position in REM production. See, HR 761 [LOC | WW], the "National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013", and story titled "House Passes Rare Earths Bill" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,604, September 24 2013.

The Senate has taken no action of that bill, and is not likely to take action in the current Congress. President Obama did not mention the REM issue in his state of the union address in January.

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The House will meet at 10:00 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a three day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB). The agenda includes updates on, and/or discussions of, Executive Order 13636 (cyyber security regulation), legislative proposals regarding information security and privacy, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), federal cloud computing, potential use of smart cards for Medicare, embedded software security, NIST's Computer Security Division (CSD), implementation of SP 800-53 Appendix J, the cross agencies priorities goal and metrics report, OMB Circular No. A130, and the NIST process for developing standards and guidance for cryptography. Open to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 40, February 28, 2014, at Page 11418. Location: Residence Inn, 1199 Vermont Ave., NW.

8:30 AM. Day one of a two day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee (ETRAC). See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Pages 10472-10473. Location: DOC, Room 3884, Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day three of a three day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 229, 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), joint with EUROCAE WG-98 Committee. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 28, February 11, 2014, at Pages 8234-5. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a four day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 159, Global Positioning Systems (GPS). See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Page 10599. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

10:30 AM. The House Commerce Committee's (HCC) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing titled "Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act". The witnesses will be Marci Burdick (Schurz Communications), Michael Powell (NCTA), Mike Palkovic (DIRECTV), Matt Zinn (TiVo), and Matt Wood (Free Press). See, notice. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn Building.

12:15 - 1:30 PM. The DC Bar Association's Media Law Committee will host an event titled "Media Law Committee Brown Bag Lunch Series". The speakers will be Jim McLaughlin (Washington Post) and Ashley Messenger (NPR). Free. No CLE credits. For more information, call 202-626-3463. The DC Bar has a history of barring reporters from its events. See, notice. Location: Washington Post, 1150 17th St., NW.

1:00 PM. The House Small Business Committee (HSBC) will hold a hearing titled "The Rise of 3D Printing: Opportunities for Entrepreneurs". See, notice. Location: Room 2360, Rayburn Building.

1:00 - 2:30 PM. The American Bar Association (ABA) will host a webcast panel discussion titled "The Ethical Implications of NSA Surveillance for Lawyers". The speakers will be Dave Ries (Clark Hill Thorp Reed), John Simek (Sensei Enterprises), and Sharon Nelson (Sensei Enterprises). The ABA notice offers this summary: "Is the confidential client data held by law firms safe from the NSA's relentless pursuit of information? Can it be made safe? Is there a chilling effect on taking cases in which the U.S. government may think it has an interest? Our panel will take you through the revelations about NSA to date and outline the steps law firms can (and ethically must) take to protect their client data from prying eyes of all kinds - abroad and at home. The primary rules involved are 1.1 (Competence) including the new comment 8, regarding being competent with technology, and Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information)." See, ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.1, comment 8 thereto, and Rule 1.6. Prices vary. CLE credits.

1:00 - 2:30 PM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel discussion titled "Is There a STEM Worker Shortage?". The speakers will be Kevin Finneran, Robert Atkinson (ITIF), Ron Hira (Rochester Institute of Technology), Jonathan Rothwell (Brookings Institution), and Hal Salzman (Rutgers University). Free. Open to the public. See, notice. Location: National Academy of Sciences, Keck Building, 500 5th Ave., NW.

1:00 - 2:30 PM. The American Bar Association (ABA) will host a webcast panel discussion titled "Police, Privacy and New Technologies". The speakers will be __. CLE credits. Prices vary. See, notice.

POSTPONED. 2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold an executive session. The agenda includes consideration of HR 2052 [LOC | WW], the "Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013", and S 2049 [LOC | WW | PDF], the "Transparency in Assertion of Patents Act", introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) on February 26, 2014. See, story titled "Sen. McCaskill Introduces Bill to Regulate Patent Infringement Demand Letters" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 2,632, February 27, 2014. The SCC will also consider the nomination of Kathryn Thomson to be General Counsel of the Department of Commerce (DOC). Webcast. See, notice. Location: Room 253, Russell Building.

The House will meet at 10:00 AM for morning hour, and at 12:00 NOON for legislative business. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a three day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB). Open to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 40, February 28, 2014, at Page 11418. Location: Residence Inn, 1199 Vermont Ave., NW.

8:30 AM. Day two of a two day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee (ETRAC). The entirety of the March 13 session is closed to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Pages 10472-10473. Location: DOC, Room 3884, Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day three of a four day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 159, Global Positioning Systems (GPS). See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Page 10599. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

9:00 AM. The House Science Committee's (HSC) Subcommittee on Research and Technology will meet to mark up HR 4186 [LOC | WW], the "Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology Act of 2014". See, notice. Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 42, March 4, 2014, at Page 12271. Location:__.

RESCHEDULED FROM MARCH 4. 9:30 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet will hold a hearing titled "Section 512 of Title 17". The witnesses will be Sean O'Connor (University of Washington School of Law), Annemarie Bridy (University of Idaho College of Law), Katherine Oyama (Google), Paul Doda (Elsevier), Maria Schneider (music composer), Paul Sieminski (Automattic Inc.). See, 17 U.S.C. § 512, and HJC notice. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) will meet to mark up several bills, including HR 3623 [LOC | WW], the "Improving Access to Capital for Emerging Growth Companies Act", and HR 4164 [LOC | WW], the "Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act", a bill to exempt certain small companies from filing their SEC reports in XBRL. See, notice. Location: Room 2128, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Intelligence Committee (HIC) will hold a closed hearing titled "Ongoing Intelligence Activities". See, notice. Location: Room HVC-304, Capitol Building.

10:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) will hold an executive business meeting. The agenda includes consideration of the nominations of Gregg Costa (to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit), Tanya Chutkan (USDC/DC), Hannah Lauck (USDC/EDVa), and Leo Sorokin (USDC/DMass). Webcast. See, notice. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:00 PM. The Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) will hold a closed hearing on undisclosed matters. See, notice. Location: Room 219, Hart Building.

2:00 PM. The U.S. Court of Appeals (FedCir) will hear oral argument in Consumer Watchdog v. Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, App. Ct. No. 13-1377. The Consumer Watchdog challenged the issuance of a patent. The underlying dispute involves stems cell replication as patentable subject matter. However, this appeal from the USPTO to the Court of Appeals also involves the issue of whether the Consumer Watchdog has standing under Article III of the Constitution. Panel N. Location: Courtroom 201, 717 Madison Place, NW.

The House will meet at 9:00 AM for legislative business. See, Rep. Cantor's schedule.

8:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. Day three of a three day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB). Open to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 40, February 28, 2014, at Page 11418. Location: Residence Inn, 1199 Vermont Ave., NW.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day four of a four day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 159, Global Positioning Systems (GPS). See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Page 10599. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

9:00 - 10:30 AM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "Civil Rights and Big Data". The speakers will be Kevin Bankston (NAF), Hazeen Ashby (National Urban League), Chris Calabrese (ACLU), Jason Lagria (Asian Americans Advancing Justice), Rashad Robinson (Color Of Change), Corrine Yu (Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights), and Seeta Peña Gangadharan (NAF). Webcast. Free. Open to the public. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

9:30 AM. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFRC) will hold a hearing titled "The Promise of the Taiwan Relations Act". The witness will be Kin Moy (Department of State). See, notice. Location: Room 2172, Rayburn Building.

12:30 - 2:00 PM. The Department of State's (DOS) Advisory Committee on Private International Law (ACPIL) -- Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Study Group will meet. The purpose is to prepare for the March 24-28, 2014 meeting in New York City of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law's Online Dispute Resolution Working Group, also known as UNCITRAL ODR WG III. See, UNCITRAL agenda. Open to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 46, March 10, 2014, at Page 13370. Location: Room 240, South Building (SA 4), Navy Hill, 2430 E St., NW.

Deadline to submit initial comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the "Proposal for Ongoing Data Initiative". See, Part V of the FCC's huge item [114 pages in PDF] adopted on January 30, 2014, and released on January 31, regarding technology transitions in voice communications. This item is FCC 14-5 in GN Docket No. 13-5 and WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 13-97.

St. Patrick's Day.

Neither the House nor the Senate will meet the week of March 17-21, except for pro forma sessions. See, 2014 House calendar.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a four day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 186, Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 41, March 3, 2014, at Pages 11863-11864. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

9:30 AM. The U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir) will hear oral argument in Sorenson Communications v. FCC, App. Ct. No. 13-1215. See also, FCC brief filed on December 20, 2013. Judges Henderson, Millett and Ginsburg will preside. This is the third item on the Court's agenda. Location: USCA Courtroom, Prettyman Courthouse, 333 Constitution Ave., NW.

12:15 - 1:45 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a discussion of the book titled "The Global War for Internet Governance". The speakers will be Laura DeNardis (author), Gene Kimmelman (Public Knowledge), Benoni Belli (Embassy of Brazil), Sarah Falvey (Google), Emma Llanso (Center for Democracy and Technology), and Carolina Rossini (NAF). Webcast. Free. Open to the public. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

12:30 - 5:00 PM. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host an event titled "First Inventor to File Anniversary Forum". The speakers will include Michelle Lee (Deputy Director of the USPTO). Free. Open to the public. Webcast. See, notice. Location: USPTO Campus, Madison Auditorium, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA.

5:00 PM. Deadline to register to attend the three event to be hosted by the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) titled "Intersection of Cloud and Mobility Forum and Workshop" at the NIST in Gaithersburg on March 25-27. See, event web site and notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 47, March 11, 2014, at Pages 13622-13623.

8:30 AM - 2:30 PM. The Free State Foundation (FSF) will host an event titled "Sixth Annual Telecom Policy Conference". The speakers will include Mignon Clyburn (FCC Commissioner) and Maureen Ohlhausen (FTC Commissioner). See, notice. Location: National Press Club, 13th Floor, 529 14th St. NW.

8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a two day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Smart Grid Advisory Committee (SGAC). See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 40, February 28, 2014, at Pages 11417-11418. Location: Portrait Room, Administration Building, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

8:30 AM - 1:30 PM. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Program Management Committee will meet. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 41, March 3, 2014, at Pages 11864-11865. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day one of a three day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 147, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems Airborne Equipment. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Pages 10599-10600. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a four day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 186, Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 41, March 3, 2014, at Pages 11863-11864. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program's Large Scale Networking Joint Engineering Team (LSN/JET) meets the third Tuesday of each month. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 226, November 22, 2013, at Page 70076. Location: NSF, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA.

12:15 - 1:45 PM. The New America Foundation (NAF) will host a panel discussion titled "Super Wi-Fi, Incentive Auctions and the Emerging Unlicensed Economy". The speakers will be Michael Calabrese (NAF), Gabriel Desjardins (Broadcom Corporation), Brett Kilbourne (Utilities Telecom Council), Dustin Springman (AgTechnologies), Elizabeth Bowles (Aristotle Inc.), and Larry Koos (Koos Technical Services Inc.). Webcast. Free. Open to the public. See, notice. Location: NAF, Suite 400, 1899 L St., NW.

8:30 AM - 12:00 NOON. Day two of a two day meeting of the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Smart Grid Advisory Committee (SGAC). See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 40, February 28, 2014, at Pages 11417-11418. Location: Portrait Room, Administration Building, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD.

9:00 AM - 4:30 PM. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) will hold a hearing. The agenda includes "the PCLOB's study of the federal government's surveillance program" under assertion of authority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This is the outside the US warrantless intercept provision, which is codified at 50 U.S.C. § 1881a. Open to the public. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 46, March 10, 2014, at Page 13334. Location: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day two of a three day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 147, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems Airborne Equipment. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 37, February 25, 2014, at Pages 10599-10600. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Day three of a four day meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics' (RTCA) Special Committee 186, Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast. See, notice in the Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 41, March 3, 2014, at Pages 11863-11864. Location: RTCA, Suite 910, 1150 18th St., NW.

10:30 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Heritage Foundation (HF) will host a panel discussion titled "Preview of the President’s Asia Trip". See, notice. Location: HF, 214, Massachusetts Ave., NE.

12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) >will host a panel discussion titled "The National Broadband Plan: Four Years Later". The speakers will include Doug Brake (ITIF), Jamie Barnett (Venable), John Horrigan (consultant), Blair Levin (Aspen Institute), Steve Midgley (Mixrun), and Nick Sinai (EOP OSTP). Webcast. Free. Open to the public. Lunch will be served. See, notice. Location: ITIF/ITIC, Suite 610A, 1101 K St., NW.