Think this bill has a chance in hell of passing??

R.

www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0499/042099k1.htm

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April 20, 1999

DAILY BRIEFING

New bill designates Y2K test day

By Katy Saldarini ksaldarini@govexec.com

Federal agencies responsible for critical public services would be required to conduct end-to-end testing of computer systems under a new bill announced Monday.

H.R. 1447, sponsored by Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn., would designate July 1, 1999 as National Y2K Test Day. On that day, agencies responsible for public health and safety, payments to individuals, delivery of services to consumers and national defense would perform a trial run to make sure critical computer systems will work together on Jan. 1, 2000.

"This test must be done at the exact same time with all computers participating so that individual computers and interoperating computers can be tested for Y2K compliance," an explanation of the bill said.

The bill would also require agencies to disclose the results of Y2K Test Day on August 16, 1999, which would be known as National Y2K Disclosure Day. State, local and private organizations would not be required to participate.

In a March 26 memo, Office of Management and Budget director Jacob J. Lew ordered agencies to demonstrate to the public that high-impact programs will still operate after Jan. 1, 2000. OMB issued a list of 42 critical federal programs and services that have a direct impact on public health, safety and well-being. Agencies must conduct end-to-end testing of systems used in these programs by Sept. 30.

Services such as food stamps and Social Security rely on information exchanged with state and private computers. End-to-end testing would ensure that the computer systems are able to electronically exchange information.

OMB has also set other Y2K deadlines. On May 15, agencies must submit reports on remaining unfixed computer systems. On June 15, agencies must file contingency plans that prepare for potential glitches resulting from the Y2K bug.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), April 20, 1999

Answers

Did you notice?

"State, local, and private organizations would not be required to participate."

And..

"Services such as food stamps and Social Security rely on information exchanged with state and private computers. End to end testing would ensure that the computer systems are able to electronically exchange information."

If state, local and private organizations aren't required to participate, what if anything will this test prove? How can you test end to end without one end? Someone 'splain puleese.

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), April 20, 1999.

This would sure be interesting !!!
Considering the fluff, spin, smoke and mirrors routine
these agencies have been using thusfar, we better have
all preps finished by July 1, 1999.

Let's see..... 50 states x $48,000,000.00 (i.e. NJ food stamps)
= $2,400,000,000... LOL
I wouldn't count on any SS checks in the beginning of July .
Or maybe everyone will get 2 checks.
This Bill will never pass IMHO. It would be too revealing !!

-- WebRNot (webrnot@ncap13k.com), April 20, 1999.

Why a bill? Just tell them to "Do this on that day."

Isn't that why we have an executive department - so "they" in the executive department can tell the rest of the executive department to "just do it."

Let's ask a little question here:

We can go to war, bomb and kill people in other nations without a law being passed, and we cannot tell our own departments to test their own software with the rest of our own departments?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), April 20, 1999.

Valkyrie,

I took the libery of passing your concerns along to Ms. Saldarini. She responded in record time... (1 hour).

Here is the text of my email and her reply. ********************************************************************************* Dear Ms. Saldarini,

In following up on this article (and I hope you will), you might ask how they intend to accomplish meaningful end-to-end testing without the participation of the State and Local Goverments. Without exercising their multitude of data exchanges, these test will be largely meaningless in regards to food stamps, benefit payments, etc.

Thanks for your report,

*******************************************************************************

Thanks for your comments--it's sort of a 'wait and see' game right now.

They are anticipating full participation, but not requiring it from state and local governments. hopefully we'll learn more as the bill progresses through Congress.

sincerely, Katy Saldarini

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), April 20, 1999.

LOL! Let's test everything in 1 day! Who the hell came up with that idea, Paul Davis or Flint?

Looks like the Feds are finally getting around to the seeing that y2k is not only unfixable, its untestable as well.

Next buzzword for the Feds: CONTINGENCY PLAN.

-- a (a@a.a), April 20, 1999.

Amazable!

Final on-the-spot testing coming up *next* year. Consider this a "quiz."

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 20, 1999.

Robert said,

We can go to war, bomb and kill people in other nations without a law being passed, and we cannot tell our own departments to test their own software with the rest of our own departments?

Gods. That is so true.

(That reminds me that it's okay to destroy the planet but illegal to kill yourself.)

The bill has a date set too soon. July is too soon. They won't be able to test in July. I bet if it does pass, it'll do so with a MUCH later date... say Sep/Oct perhaps.

Also the note above about state/local etc. not having to do it is extremely worrisome. Is this going to be yet ANOTHER one of those tests, like one we threaded at length over a few days ago, where the actual instructions for the test made it clear that their goal was a good press release, and they didn't want to test anything that might not work....

My employer, Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth Texas, has signs everywhere about Y2K. I just read one tonight. They are still sending us email about doing Y2K upgrades, testing etc. The poster on the wall says, "Compliance Goal: December 31, 1998."

The good news: Boeing, who makes fighter jets as we do, recently did a test on their jets so I was told, and had no compliance problems at all. Hopefully ours won't either.

PJ in TX

-- PJ Gaenir (fire@firedocs.com), April 21, 1999.

http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1999/0419/web-y2kbill-4-21-99.html

"Clinton administration: Governmentwide Y2K testing day unnecessary"

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), April 22, 1999.

I agree with Koskinen.

They already have a test day scheduled. It is January 3, 2000. The results will be delivered to your house via a leaflet dropped on your lawn by the National Guard.

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), April 22, 1999.

--Roland Do compounds have lawns? And shouldn't that read UNational Guard, along with UNational Forests, UNational Secutity Council, UNational Monument, ...Yes the doctor replied, he died of UNatural causes", he will be buried in the UNational Cemetary.

-- spun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), April 22, 1999.

OOPS... Just read the post "Report warns against complacence" especially (just prior to [snip] "The Federal Y2K effort now is shifting to identify the greatest risks in the remaining months"

May I say I love my country and I love the gov. and I think BC will make a great Emperor.

-- spun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), April 22, 1999.