Clinton Signs Computer Information Exchange Bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton has signed into law legislation that will allow U.S. companies to share information about fixing computers unable to handle dates beginning with year 2000.
In a statement released by the White House, Clinton underscored the urgent need to address the "millennium bug", noting there was little more than a year left before January 1, 2000.
The "Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act" was an important step toward helping U.S. businesses prepare their computer systems for the new millennium, Clinton said.
"This legislation will help provide businesses, governments, and other organizations with the necessary informational tools to overcome the Y2K computer problem," he said.
The legislation is intended to help break the silence by businesses and others and encourage greater disclosure of plans to wipe out the "millennium bug." The bill provides limited liability protections to encourage companies to share information about products, methods and best practices related to so-called Year 2000 problems, while protecting consumers from misleading statements, Clinton said.
But the bill does not provide liability protections for failures that may arise from Year 2000 problems, such as selling products that do not work.
The president's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, joined by more than 160 national groups representing government, industries, professions, and the nonprofit sector, also kicked off a week of activities and educational events to urge businesses to take the necessary steps to prepare for 2000.
"The Y2K problem is an enormous challenge, and we must meet it. Enactment of this legislation is a significant achievement toward allowing us to take a successful step into the new millennium," Clinton said. |
