This information memorandum describes three federal laws which govern public access to federal records and the treatment of personally identifiable information by federal agencies or under federal programs. It is noted that these laws generally apply only to federal agencies in the executive branch of government. The first of four major sections…

Various aspects of the use of copyrights for computer programs are discussed including: the history of copyright protection for programs, applications of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976, rights of the copyright owner, formalities for acquiring copyright protections, and enforcing the copyright. (BH)

This report documents the findings of an evaluation of the effectiveness of the information resources management aspects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-511) which went into effect on April 1, 1981. (This law was enacted as a result of concerns that the government must improve its collection, use, and dissemination of…

The testimony of Robert G. Gillespie before the House Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology is presented concerning a bill to establish a national commission to study the scientific and technological implications of information technology in education. (SF)

This compilation of abstracts provides brief descriptions of the 74 new public laws relating to computers and information policy that were enacted during the 95th Congress. Each of these bills is concerned with information, although the diverse subject matter--e.g., energy and clean water, food and health, foreign investments, ethics in…

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor met in Missoula, Montana for an oversight hearing on the student aid delivery system. An opening statement from Pat Williams is followed by a report of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance on the issue of multiple data entry (MDE)…