The U.S. House of Representatives reversed itself last month and passed the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act by a vote of 356 to 66. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Bliley (R-VA), had been defeated in the House in November after a debate that generally followed party lines. The bill is now in the Senate, which is considering similar legislation – the Millennium Digital Commerce Act, sponsored by Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI). Both measures would give an electronic signature – in both interstate and international commerce – the same legal status as one written on paper. Bliley’s bill would establish the first federal standards for online signatures. President Clinton has said he would sign the act if it passed.
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