September 13, 2000
Senators Thompson and Kohl Introduce
"Privacy Commission Act"
WASHINGTON -- Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Fred Thompson (R-TN)
and Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) today introduced the "Privacy Commission Act," legislation
which would establish a 17-member commission to conduct a comprehensive study of issues
relating to personal privacy. The Privacy Commission would make recommendations to
Congress and the President on the protection of individual privacy and on the correct balance to
be achieved between protecting privacy and allowing appropriate uses of information.
"In these times of rapidly changing technology, people are uncertain and fearful about who has
access to their personal information and how that information is being used," Chairman
Thompson said. "The Privacy Commission would examine the entire spectrum of privacy issues
and make recommendations to Congress as we consider how to map out privacy protections for
the future."
"Experts estimate that the average American is 'profiled' in up to 150 commercial electronic
databases. Generally the uses of this data are benign, even beneficial. Occasionally, however,
personal information is obtained surreptitiously, and even peddled to third parties for profit or
other uses," Senator Kohl said. "Our hope with introducing the Privacy Commission Act is to
gain a better informed understanding of the numerous privacy issues facing our high-tech culture
-- and to hear what Congress should do about it."
The "Privacy Commission Act" was first introduced in the House of Representatives by
Congressmen Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) and Jim Moran (D-VA) and passed the House
Government Reform Committee by voice vote on June 29, 2000. Senators Kohl and Robert
Torricelli (D-NJ) also introduced similar legislation in the Senate last year.
The Thompson-Kohl bill differs from the Hutchinson-Moran bill in several ways. For instance,
the deadline for the Commission to issue its final report was reduced from 18 months from the
final nominations of Commission members to December 31, 2001, and the Commission would
be required to establish a website to facilitate public participation and public comment.
Cosponsors of the Thompson-Kohl bill include Senators Torricelli, Spencer Abraham (R-MI),
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), George Voinovich (R-OH), William Roth (R-DE), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA).
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