------- Forwarded Message To: believer@telepath.com From: believer@telepath.com Subject: IP: About Digital Signature Bill 09/05/98 0752 Source: US Newswire http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/0904-138.txt Abraham Urges Senate to Pass Digital Signature Bill U.S. Newswire 4 Sep 17:30 Abraham Urges Senate to Pass Digital Signature Bill Next Week To: National Desk Contact: Joe McMonigle of the Office of U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham, 202-224-8833 WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- While President Clinton used a visit in Ireland today to digitally sign an electronic commerce agreement with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern on a laptop computer, U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) urged his colleagues in the Senate to pass his legislation requiring federal agencies to start allowing the public to do the same. S.2107, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, would require federal agencies to make versions of their forms available online and allow people to submit these forms with digital signatures instead of handwritten ones. It also sets up a process by which commercially developed digital signatures can be used in submitting forms to the government and permits the digital storage of federal documents. "If it's okay for President Clinton and Prime Minister Ahern, it should also be okay for the federal government to recognize the digital signature of ordinary Americans," Abraham said. "This legislation will bring the federal government into the electronic age, in the process saving American individuals and companies millions of dollars and hundreds of hours currently wasted on government paperwork," Abraham said. "Each and every year, Americans spend in excess of $600 billion simply filing out, documenting and handling government paperwork. This huge loss of time and money constitutes a significant drain on our economy and we must bring it under control." "By providing individuals and companies with the option of electronic filing and storage, this bill will reduce the paperwork burden imposed by government on the American people and the American economy. It will allow people to move from printed forms they must fill out using typewriters or handwriting to digitally-based forms that can be filled out using a word processor. This savings in time, storage and postage will be enormous," said Abraham. The Government Paperwork Elimination Act would: -- Require the federal government make available its forms online and allow citizens to sign forms by the use of digital signatures. -- Direct the Commerce Department to conduct a study of the impact of this Act on the use of digital signatures for electronic commerce and on individual privacy. -- Allow Executive Agencies 18 months to establish a method for agencies to put forms online. The forms must be able to be filled out, signed and filed with the agency electronically. -- Work to develop a system whereby fees and payments associated with the forms can also be submitted at the same time. For example, a citizen could use their tax software to create all the information necessary for filling out their tax forms, fill in the IRS online form, submit it and any indicated payments, and immediately receive a tax receipt. -- Enable the federal government to allow its employees to have digital signatures for use with citizens and allow agencies to use electronic notice where written notice had been required, if the citizen prefers electronic notice. -- Establish that a digital signature will have legal standing. -- Provide that Administration guidelines and procedures for electronic signatures that are used for the government forms that are compatible with those the private sector will be using for commerce, and specifies that any system used by the government must be industry and technology neutral. -- State that if an employer is required to collect, file and store paper forms that are completed by employees, that electronic storage will likely be accepted. -- Allow the government five years to implement these provisions. "The information age is no longer new. We are in the midst of a revolution in the way people do business and maintain records. The Government Paperwork Elimination Act will force Washington to catch up with these developments, and release our businesses from the drag of an obsolete bureaucracy as they pursue further innovations," said Abraham. Co-sponsors of the Paperwork Elimination Act include Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), and Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) -0- /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ 09/04 17:30 Copyright 1998, U.S. Newswire - ----------------------- NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. 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