[Federal Register: February 26, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 38)]
[Notices]
[Page 8877]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26fe03-33]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Docket Nos. 020816196-2196-01; 020816197-2197-01; 010222048-2217-03;
010222048-2229-04; 010222048-2243-05; 010222048-2293-06; 010222048-
2215-02; 010222048-2313-07; and 010222048-3014-08.
Closing Comment Period on Review of Exceptions to the Electronic
Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce
ACTION: Notice
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SUMMARY: In a series of nine (9) Notices published in the Federal
Register, the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) invited the public to submit comments on the
exceptions to the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce
Act, Pub. L. No. 106-229, codified at 15 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 7001 et seq.
(``ESIGN'' or ``the Act'') set out in section 103 of the Act.\1\
Comments filed on or before the deadlines listed in the Notices were
posted on NTIA's website and comments received after the deadline were
posted as late-filed comments. The comment period for the ninth Notice
will expire on March 31, 2003.\2\ As of March 31, 2003, the comment
periods in each of the dockets listed herein are closed. NTIA will not
accept or place in the record documents filed in the listed dockets
after this date.
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\1\Notices have been published on the following exceptions to
ESIGN: court, family law, and hazardous materials documents; wills;
product recall, housing default, insurance cancellation, and utility
termination notices; and contracts governed by state uniform
commercial law. See 67 Fed.Reg. 56277, 56279, 59828, 61599, 63379,
69201, 75849, 78421; 68 Fed.Reg. 4179.
\2\See 68 Fed.Reg. 4179.
DATES: The comment periods in the dockets referenced in this Notice
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will be closed on March 31, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this Notice,
contact Josephine Scarlett, Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel,
NTIA, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230,
telephone (202) 482-1816 or electronic mail: jscarlett@ntia.doc.gov.
Media inquiries should be directed to the Office of Public Affairs,
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, at (202)
482-7002.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
NTIA is the executive branch agency responsible for developing and
articulating domestic and international telecommunications policy. NTIA
is the principal adviser to the President on telecommunications
policies pertaining to the Nation's economic and technological
advancement in the telecommunications industry. The evaluation of the
exceptions to the ESIGN Act is a part of NTIA's statutory
responsibility to Congress as required in section 103(c)(1) of the
Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, Pub. L. No.
106-229, 114 Stat. 464 (2000). The ESIGN Act facilitates the use of
electronic records and signatures in interstate and foreign commerce
and removes uncertainty about the validity of contracts entered into
electronically. Section 101 requires, among other things, that
electronic signatures, contracts, and records be given legal effect,
validity, and enforceability. Sections 103(a) and (b) of the Act
provide that the requirements of section 101 shall not apply to
contracts and records governed by statutes and regulations regarding:
court documents, probate and domestic law matters; state commercial
law; consumer law covering utility services, residential property
foreclosure and eviction notices; insurance benefits notices; product
recall notices; and hazardous materials papers. Section 103(c)(1)
requires NTIA's principal, the Assistant Secretary for Communications
and Information, to submit a report to Congress on the results of the
evaluation of the exceptions to the ESIGN Act within three years after
the date of enactment of the Act, or no later than June 30, 2003.
Due to the complexity of the issues in this evaluation and to
facilitate a fully developed record, NTIA allowed interested parties to
submit late-filed comments. NTIA has received a number of comments
after the deadlines set in the Notices. Effective March 31, 2003,
however, NTIA will no longer accept or place in the public record
comments for consideration in this evaluation.
Dated: February 20, 2002.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information
Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-4501 Filed 2-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-S