114th Congress

Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee has announced its schedule for the week of April 18-22, 2016. TUESDAY, APRIL 1910:00 a.m. | Immigration and Border Security SubcommitteeHearing on: “The Real Victims of a Reckless and Lawless Immigration Policy: Families and Survivors Speak Out on the Real Cost of This Administration’s Policies” Witnesses:

Chairman Goodlatte: Abusive patent litigation is a drag on our economy. Everyone from independent inventors, to start-ups, to mid and large sized businesses face this constant threat. Many of these lawsuits are filed against small and medium-sized businesses, targeting a settlement just under what it would cost for litigation, knowing that these businesses will want to avoid costly litigation and probably pay up.

Washington, D.C.  – The House Judiciary Committee today approved by a vote of 28-0 the Email Privacy Act (H.R. 699) to protect Americans’ privacy and public safety in the digital age. Nearly 30 years ago, Congress passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 to provide a fair balance between the privacy expectations of American citizens and the legitimate needs of law enforcement agencies.

Chairman Goodlatte: This substitute is a carefully-negotiated agreement to update the procedures governing government access to stored communications content and records.  This amendment retains the core goal of H.R.

Chairman Goodlatte: Today, this Committee has an opportunity to lead in reforming and modernizing the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, or “ECPA.”  When ECPA was first enacted nearly 30 years ago, Congress declared that the law’s purpose was to achieve a “fair balance between the privacy expectations of American citizens and the legitimate needs of law enforcement agencies.”  Reforming this decades-old, outdated law has been a priority for me as chairman of this committee, and I have been working with members of Congress, advocacy groups, and