{mosads}Civil liberty groups are campaigning against the bill, warning it would encourage companies to hand over private information to government spy agencies.
The House is also set to vote on Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) amendments to the Federal Information Security Management Act, which would provide for stronger oversight of the security of federal computer systems.
The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, sponsored by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), aims to better coordinate federal research into cybersecurity.
Finally, the House will vote on a bill from Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas) that would reauthorize research and development of new computing technology, called the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program.
Missing from the House’s schedule is the Precise Act, which the House Homeland Security Committee approved on Wednesday. The bill’s author, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), scaled it back in a last-minute attempt to win the support of GOP House leaders, who made it clear that they wouldn’t support any bill that would create new regulations for cybersecurity.
Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who chairs the Homeland Security Committee and supports the Precise Act, said he was told by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) office that the measure could still come up for a vote.
“We have been told by the majority leader’s staff that he believes it is important to proceed with a bill with bipartisan support and that his staff is currently evaluating the depth of Democratic support for moving the bill,” King said in a statement.
But Laena Fallon, a spokeswoman for Cantor, was more pessimistic about the bill’s chance of coming to a vote.
“The goal for the cybersecurity package is to receive bipartisan support, and Democrats have made it clear that many of their members wouldn’t support this provision,” she said.
Committee Democrats voted against the Precise Act and accused the panel’s Republicans of gutting their own bill to appease their party leaders.
The revised version of the bill would still authorize the Homeland Security Department to help critical infrastructure companies protect their networks, but the system would be entirely voluntary.
The White House and many Senate Democrats argue protections for critical infrastructure companies should be a central piece of cybersecurity legislation.
They warn that an attack on a critical system, such as an electrical grid or a chemical plant, could lead to mass destruction and casualties.
The other big issue on the tech agenda is Friday’s meeting of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) where a vote will be held on an order that would require television broadcasters to post data about political advertising online.
Broadcasters are already required to keep records on political ad buys, but the proposed FCC rule would require that the stations load the information into an online database.
The latest draft of the regulation would only apply for the first two years to network-affiliated stations in the top 50 markets. After that period, all stations would have to comply with the requirements.
Watchdog groups hope the rules will shed light on the big money behind political ad campaigns by making the data more accessible. But broadcasters say the regulations would be burdensome and argue it is unfair to impose requirements on broadcast television that don’t apply to its competitors in cable and satellite.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski blasted broadcasters for their opposition to the order at this week’s National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas, accusing them of being “against democracy.”
Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell is expected to vote against the rule, while Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn is expected to join Genachowski in approving it.
The FCC will also consider rules aimed at combating “cramming,” the practice of placing unexpected third-party charges on consumers’ landline phone bills. The regulations would require telephone companies to notify consumers if they have the option to block third-party charges and would strengthen rules requiring companies to list the charges separately on bills.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday morning on the state of online video and the future of television. The hearing comes as online video services like Netflix and Hulu are expanding their offerings to include original and exclusive programming, and as cable providers such as Comcast test the limits of net-neutrality rules. Officials from Amazon, Microsoft, Nielsen and IAC will testify.