16 June 2000

Text: Clinton Statement on Electronic Signature Legislation

The electronic signature bill won its final congressional approval June 16 when the U.S. Senate passed the bill on a vote of 87-0. The new law will allow electronic commerce to flourish, experts say, because it gives the same legal standing to an electronic document as one that is signed with pen on paper. With such a law in place, business transactions can be conducted with greater speed, eliminating a waiting period for paper documents to be exchanged between sometime distant parties.

Travelling in New York, President Clinton issued a brief statement after the congressional action indicating his intent to sign the bill.

Following is the text of the White House statement:

(begin text)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

(New York, New York)

June 16, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I am pleased that the Senate today adopted the Electronic Signatures conference report by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. I look forward to signing this important legislation into law as soon as possible.

This landmark legislation will ensure that consumer protections remain strong in the technology age. It will help create new rules of the road for America's hi-tech economy. E-commerce helps strengthen our economy by lowering inflation, raising productivity, and spurring new research and development. By marrying one of our oldest values - our commitment to consumer protection - with the newest technologies, we can achieve the full measure of the benefits that E-commerce has to offer.

My congratulations to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the conference committee for their hard work on this legislation.

(end text)

This site is produced and maintained by the U.S. Department of State. Links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.