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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene

Representing the 1st District of Washington

Technology

Technology Photo

Before coming to Washington, D.C., I had a long career in the technology sector, where I had the opportunity to work on everything from embedded systems to e-commerce. As co-founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Internet of Things Caucus, I am working to help educate other Members of Congress so the work we do is forward-looking and grounded in the realities of the 21st century.   

Privacy
As Internet-connected devices continue to proliferate and change the way we work, play, and live, ensuring we have strong, up-to-date privacy laws in place is critical. Right now, we have too many out-of-date laws on the books that fail to protect Americans’ privacy and leave a great deal of uncertainty for U.S. companies doing business domestically and overseas.

In the 114th Congress, I’ve helped introduce several bills that would address these issues and  update our privacy laws.  

  • The Online Communication and Geolocation Protection Act: Requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant before service providers disclose any electronic communications content (email, text, chat logs, etc.) or geolocation information.
  • The Surveillance Order Reporting Act: Permits electronic service providers to publicly report government requests and demands for information and exempts providers from liability even if the provider would otherwise be prohibited by law from reporting that information.
  • The Secure Data Act: Prohibits a federal agency from requiring or requesting a manufacturer, developer, or seller of any computer hardware, software, or electronic device made available to the general public to design or alter the security functions to allow the surveillance of any user or the physical search of such product by any agency.
  • Email Privacy Act: Requires the government to obtain a warrant before requiring providers to disclose the content of communications regardless of how long the communication has been held in electronic storage by an electronic communication service or whether the information is sought from an electronic communication service or a remote computing service.
  • Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad (LEADS) Act: Requires the government to obtain a warrant before requiring providers to disclose the contents of a U.S. person’s wire or electronic communication in electronic storage with or otherwise stored, held, or maintained by the provider overseas.

Telecommunications
According to some estimates, the number of wireless devices will hit 8 billion by 2016. With the growing use of these devices comes exponentially growing demand for wireless spectrum. To meet that demand, we need to ensure we are using spectrum efficiently so that innovative new technologies can continue to thrive and consumers can safely and reliably use their devices. I cosponsored the Wi-Fi Innovation Act to open access to unlicensed spectrum, and to bring wireless access to currently underserved communities. I will continue to look for opportunities to open more spectrum in ways that responsibly balance innovation and public safety. 

Intellectual Property
Strong intellectual property protections are at the heart of the U.S. innovation economy. Without policies that protect innovators, we cannot continue to lead the world in both technology and entertainment. But we also have to ensure that systems designed to protect inventors are not abused by bad actors, draining critical capital from the economy that would be better used for hiring workers or research and development. That’s why, in the 113th Congress, I voted for bipartisan patent reform legislation that would help curb abusive patent litigation while continuing to protect the rights of inventors. I will continue to work with my colleagues toward meaningful patent reform in the 114th Congress, as well as updating our copyright laws to better suit the needs of the digital age.   

More on Technology

Jan 9, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in reintroducing the Email Privacy Act. This legislation would update the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), the main statute governing law enforcement access to digital records and content, such as email. The bill would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant to access emails. Current law allows law enforcement to obtain emails from third party providers without a warrant if they are older than 180 days.
Dec 22, 2016 In The News
The importance of data security and encryption — starting with our smartphones and our email and other online accounts on up to corporate and government data servers — should be more than clear now, following the revelations of Russian hackers attempting to mess with the U.S. presidential election, not to mention Yahoo’s repeated security breaches involving millions of email account passwords and other information. Click here for the full story
Dec 20, 2016 In The News
A new report from Congress concludes that while widespread encryption is a challenge for law enforcement, it is "essential to both individual privacy and national security." But it also concludes that those outlooks are not mutually exclusive. That is the takeaway from a bipartisan working group created by the leadership of the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Click here for the full story.  
Dec 20, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Members of the bipartisan encryption working group – established in March 2016 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr.
Dec 16, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a bipartisan group of ten members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee — including Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.
Oct 26, 2016 eNewsletters
Dear Friend,
Oct 17, 2016 Press Release
BOTHELL – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today discussed the opportunities and challenges that exist within healthcare innovations such as the use of internet-connected devices — also known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
Oct 11, 2016 Press Release
WOODINVILLE – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today visited local science classes to mark Ada Lovelace Day, which celebrates the contribution women have made to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). DelBene spoke with two 6th grade classes at Hollywood Hill Elementary about the importance of science and technology. One of the classes was working on robotics, while the other was working with technology to detect viruses and germs.
Oct 6, 2016 eNewsletters
Dear Friend, Last week, I hosted a hackathon for local high school students as part of the Congressional App Competition, a program to encourage innovation and computer science education. The event allowed students to work on their Congressional App Challenge projects and hear feedback from technology experts at the University of Washington Bothell before next month’s submission deadline.
Oct 2, 2016 Press Release
BOTHELL – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) held a hackathon this weekend for local high school students as part of the Congressional App Competition, a program to encourage innovation and computer science education.

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