Last week, the Social Security Board of Trustees issued its 2002 Annual Report on the status of Social Security’s finances, in which it extended its estimates of the number of years before Social Security’s surpluses will reach certain key milemarkers.

$50 Billion Per Year is Not Pocket Change (04/01/2002)
As reported in the Washington Post on March 25, advocates of estate tax repeal have redirected their efforts to state legislatures, pressuring them to "update" their estate tax laws to reflect the changes implemented in last June’s $1.35 trillion tax cut.

Recent Activity on Faith-Based Charity Legislation (04/01/2002)
A review of recent activity on faith-based charity and charitable giving legislation.

House Committee Revises Stealth PAC Law (04/01/2002)
State and Local PACs May Get Exemption From Reporting.

Bush Administration Weakens Medical Privacy Rules (04/01/2002)
In a move hailed by the health care industry, the Bush administration announced on March 27 that it would roll back medical privacy standards put in place at the end of the Clinton administration.

GAO Report Examines Effect of White House Memo Halting Regulations (04/01/2002)
Fifteen rules that were scheduled to go into effect at the beginning of the Bush administration but were delayed by a White House memo have still not gone into effect, according to a recent report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) -- the investigative arm of Congress.

Clean Air Standards Upheld, Again (04/01/2002)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can finally move forward with its 1997 clean air standards for smog (ozone) and soot (particulate matter) following a ruling in its favor from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 26 -- marking "a victory for breathers," according to Frank O’Donnell of the Clean Air Trust.

FERC Update (04/01/2002)
On March 25, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) stopped accepting comments on its ideas for limiting public access to "critical energy infrastructure information" (CEII). FERC first released an initial policy statement addressing this issue in October 2000, and followed it up with a January 16 Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in the Federal Register. The Notice of Inquiry sought public input on possible regulatory changes that would allow the agency to restrict unfettered general public access to CEII, but still permit those with a "need-to-know access to such information. The FERC Notice also indicated that until the agency takes final action on this issue, companies could self-identify CEII information that the agency will keep confidential.

Whitehouse Memo Orders Review of Information Procedures (04/01/2002)
On March 19, a little over six months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the White House took action to "safeguard information" in the name of homeland security. The White House released two memos providing steps agencies should take to protect government information from being used by terrorists.