Digital signature bill gets OK from House -- GCN

Digital signature bill gets OK from House

Jun 16, 2000

By Shruti Dat'

GCN Staff

The House last week overwhelmingly passed a bill giving digital signatures the same legal weight as their handwritten counterparts.

The lawmakers passed the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act by a vote of 426 to 4.

House members, including Rep. Thomas J. Bliley Jr. (R-Va.) who was chairman of the bill's conference committee, hailed S 761, known as the E-Sign Bill, as a historic step in fostering a digital economy.

'By passing legislation giving status to electronic signatures and records, Congress is giving American consumers greater confidence in their online business transactions,' said Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.).

'I expect similar support in the Senate,' President Clinton said in a statement. 'I look forward to signing this key legislation into law.'

At press time, the Senate had yet to take up the bill. I was expected to do so last Friday.

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