Newsgroups: alt.etext From: dell@wiretap.spies.com (Thomas Dell) Subject: [GOVDOC-L] TAP Crown Jewels Campaign: Congressional LEGIS Systems Message-ID: Organization: The Internet Wiretap Date: Fri, 7 May 1993 19:02:52 GMT Newsgroups: bit.listserv.govdoc-l Date: Fri, 7 May 1993 10:56:54 CDT Sender: Discussion of Government Document Issues From: LOVE%TEMPLEVM.bitnet@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu Subject: TAP-CROWN JEWELS: CONGRESSIONAL LEGIS Message-ID: Lines: 112 Taxpayer Assets Project Information Policy Note May 6, 1993 RE: TAP Crown Jewels Campaign THE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEGIS SYSTEMS THE PRODUCTS The U.S. House and Senate own two taxpayer funded online information systems, called Senate LEGIS and the House LEGIS. The House LEGIS system provides online access to the full text of bills before congress, the Congressional Record and other items, while the Senate LEGIS system provides online access to the full text of bills, plus information on foreign treaties and nominations waiting Senate confirmation, as well as other information. THE SCOOP Access to both systems is currently restricted to Members of Congress and their staff, except for limited public access in a reading room on Capital Hill in Washington, DC. In August more than 150 citizens wrote to Senator Ford and Representative Charlie Rose asking for online access to these systems. Representative Rose asked the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to study the issue of public access to LEGIS and other Congressional information, but no action has been taken. Congress sells the data from these systems on magnetic tape to several online data vendors, such the Mead Data Central LEXIS and the Washington Post LEGI-SLATE services, who then resell the data to the public. The barriers to public access are not technical. The House system can reportedly support up to 30,000 users. The barrier to access is opposition from commercial data vendors. THE PLAYERS In the Senate, policy decisions about public access to LEGIS are made by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chaired by Senator Wendell Ford. (202/224-6352). The committee staff director for Information Systems and Technology is Bob Harris. Mailing Address: U.S. Senate, Committee on Rules and Administration, SR-318, Washington, DC 20510. Access to the House LEGIS system is controlled by the House Administration Committee, chaired by Representative Charlie Rose (202/225-2061). House LEGIS is run by House Information Systems (HIS). The Director of House Information Systems is Hamish Murray (202/225-9276). Mailing address: HIS, FHOB Annex 2, 3rd & D St, S.W., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20515. WHAT YOU CAN DO Citizens who want access to these important taxpayer funded information systems are encouraged to write or call officials who can change things. From our experience we know that even one letter can make all the difference in the world. Potential targets for letters include the officials named above, plus your own member of Congress (constituents get the best attention). a) Describe why you would benefit from public access, and why broad public access benefits the public interest. b) Ask the public officials to tell you the specific steps they will take to make public access available. It would be helpful if you would provide us with copies of any written inquiries and the responses that you receive. This will allow us to build a record of the public interest in these information systems. Taxpayer Assets Project/Crown Jewels Campaign P.O. Box 19367; Washington, DC 20036 voice: 202/387-8030; fax 202/234-5176 internet: tap@essential.org You can reach any member of Congress as follows: Senator Susan Smith Representative Bob Smith U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 v. 202/224-3121 v. 202/225-3121 THE CROWN JEWELS CAMPAIGN The Crown Jewels campaign is a grass roots effort to open up access to several of the federal government's most important information systems. Future editions will provide updates on LEGIS, as well as information abut the Department of Justice JURIS system, the SEC EDGAR system, the Library of Congress SCORPIO system, the CIA Foreign Broadcast Information System (FBIS), the Patent and Trademark Automated Patent System (APS), and others. Suggestions for Crown Jewels targets are welcome. The Taxpayer Assets Project (TAP) was started by Ralph Nader to monitory the management and sale of government property, including government information and information systems. To receive TAP information policy notes, including all Crown Jewels Campaign memorandums, send an email note to: tap-info-request@essential.org =============================================================== Taxpayer Assets Project, P.O. Box 19367; Washington, DC 20036; v. 202/837-8030; f. 202/234-5176; internet: tap@essential.org