Look to the House

Sept. 96 House Judiciary Committee on H.R. 3011 (104th Congress, Goodlatte) and was the subject of a September 1996 hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.
February 12. Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced H.R. 695, the "Security and Freedom through Encryption" (SAFE) Act.
May 14, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved SAFE.
June 24, the House International Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade approved SAFE by a 14-1 vote.
July 23. Against the backdrop of a well-organized effort on the part of the Clinton Administration and opponents of encryption policy reform to defeat it, the Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act was approved today by the House International Relations Committee. The bill, which would protect privacy and security on the Net, has now cleared 2 major House Committees and continues to draw bi-partisan support.

Sept. 9. House National Security Committee today voted 45-1 to weaken key provisions of the Security and Freedom through Encryption Act (SAFE) -- H.R. 695 -- dealing with export controls on encryption.

Sept. 24. House Commerce Committee Rejects Crypto Restrictions. ( FBI-backed Oxley-Manton "Big Brother" amendment) Commerce Committee rejected amendments to HR 695 that would mandate that all encryption systems in the US have a back door to allow government access. In its place, the Committee approved a proposal that doubled penalities for crypto use in a crime and creates a new FBI center for surveillance. House Rules Committee Chairman Gerald Solomon (R-NY) has stated that he will not bring SAFE up for consideration unless it contained the Oxley-Manton amendment.