Pubdate: Sun, 03 Nov 2002 Source: Log Cabin Democrat (AR) Copyright: 2002 The Log Cabin Democrat Contact: http://thecabin.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/548 Author: Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writer PRESIDENT SIGNS MEASURE EXPANDING RIGHT TO PROBE FBI CONDUCT TAMPA, Fla. -- President Bush on Saturday signed into law changes at the FBI that include expanding the authority of the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate the bureau's agents. The measures are part of a Justice Department reauthorization bill passed easily by Congress. The bill makes clear that the Justice inspector general can investigate the FBI without first getting permission from the attorney general or his deputy. Attorney General John Ashcroft already had given the inspector general that power, but lawmakers wanted to prevent a future attorney general from changing that policy. The legislation pushes the FBI to improve its computer systems and internal police force. It requires several reports to Congress, including one from the Justice Department about how it has used its electronic surveillance system formerly known as "Project Carnivore." In another provisions, the bill: * Creates or makes permanent federal judgeships in several states, including Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Florida and Alabama. * Increases penalties for tampering with federal witnesses or harming federal judges. * Reauthorizes the J-1 visa waiver program, which allows the government to waive the requirement that foreigners go home for two years when they complete graduate medical study if the physicians agree to work in places considered to be medically underserved. The measure also provides federal resources for research into drug abuse treatment and grants for states to operate drug-free prisons and establish drug treatment alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders. "Our national drug strategy must embrace a comprehensive policy that reduces the demand for, as well as the supply of, drugs," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who sponsored the drug provisions with Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. "To reduce the demand for drugs, we must redouble our efforts at prevention and treatment." The White House announced that Bush, who was on a campaign swing through the South for Republican candidates, also signed: * A bill correcting a legal flaw that now requires certain independent political groups -- sometimes called "stealth PACs" -- to report their once-secret financial activities to the Internal Revenue Service even when they are concerned solely with state and local races. The organizations would be exempt from reporting to the IRS if they do not influence federal elections and publicly report their activities to state regulators. The bill also requires those organizations that collect or spend more than $50,000 on federal elections to file electronic disclosures that the IRS would have to compile in a searchable database. * A bill creating a new student visa allowing Mexicans and Canadians to commute across the U.S. border to attend American colleges. Under current law, part-time commuter students from Mexico and Canada do not qualify for student visas. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth