Federal Policy and Law

This EDUCAUSE resource library page underscores the connections among national, state, and campus levels and how Congress, federal agencies, and the courts all play a role in shaping IT law, as well as why this matters to higher education. EDUCAUSE Policy is the program that directly works in this area.

Below are some links to additional helpful resources outside of EDUCAUSE.

• United States Congress
• Independent Federal Agencies
• The White House & Executive Agencies
• National Associations and Alliances
• Institutes/Programs/Think Tanks

United States Congress

Links to Senate and House committees on telecommunications and Internet-related issues as well as other congressional resources.

Senate

United States Senate
This page links to the Senate schedule and provides access to Committee and individual Senator websites. The following Senate Committees deal with telecommunications and Internet-related issues:

• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary

House of Representatives

U.S. House of Representatives
This page links to the House of Representatives schedule and provides access to Committee and individual Representative websites. The following House of Representative Committees deal with telecommunications and Internet–related issues:

• House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• House Committee on the Judiciary
• House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Other Resources

• Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus
  This organization provides non–partisan information to Congress on Internet–related issues.
• CSPAN
  Live webcasts of House and Senate floor activities, press conferences and committee hearings.
• Library of Congress Thomas Legislative Information database
  Provides access to past and pending congressional legislation and committee reports, among other useful information on how Congress makes laws.

Independent Federal Agencies

The White House & Executive Agencies

White House Resources

The White House
White House offices of special interest to the higher education and networking communities:

• Office of Science and Technology Policy
• National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development
  The National Coordination Office (NCO) for Information Technology Research and Development (IT R&D) coordinates planning, budget, and assessment activities for the Federal Networking and IT R&D Program. This 12–agency collaborative effort pioneers fundamental advances in the critical technologies of the Nation's information infrastructure, including high performance computing, large–scale networking, and high assurance software and systems design.

NTIA Resources

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the White House's principal voice on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues.

NTIA offices of special interest to the higher education and networking communities:

• Office of Policy Analysis and Development

Department of Education Resources

U.S. Department of Education
The U S. Department of Education is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assists the president in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress.

Department of Education offices and resources of special interest to the higher education and networking communities:

• Office of Postsecondary Education
• Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program

Department of Justice Resources

• U.S. Department of Justice
• Criminal Division, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

National Associations and Alliances

• American Association of Community Colleges
• American Association of State Colleges and Universities
• American Council on Education
• American Library Association, Office for Information Technology Policy
• Association of American Universities
• Association of Computing Machinery
• Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education (ACUTA)
• Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
• Association of Research Libraries
• Computing Research Association
• Digital Due Process Coalition
• Internet2
• National Association of College and University Business Officers
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
• Open Internet Coalition
• The Quilt

Institutes/Programs/Think Tanks