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ANTI-UIGEA BILL HAS ALREADY ATTRACTED TEN CO-SPONSORS

Introduced on April 10, HR 5767 seeks to stop federal officials from implementing any supporting regulations

Introduced to the House by Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul only on April 10, a bill seeking to halt the implementation of the notorious Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has already attracted 10 co-sponsors, with more thought about to sign up.

HR 5767 targets the Treasury Department and U.S. Federal Reserve, enjoining them from continuing work on the regulations supporting the UIGEA, which have been heavily criticised for a lack of precision, and the impractcalities of enforcement through an already overworked US financial services industry.

Frank and Paul introduced the bill after a hearing conducted by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology that showed the weaknesses of and problems with the UIGEA (see previous InfoPowa reports).

The following congressmen have signed onto the new bill thus far:

Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)
Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.)
William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.)
Bob Filner (D-Calif.)
Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)
Michael Honda (D-Calif.)
Peter King (R-N.Y.)
James McGovern (D-Mass.)
James Moran (D-Va.)
Robert Wexler (D-Fla.)

All 10 supporters have also signed up as co-sponsors of Frank's IGREA bill that seeks to legalise and regulate online gambling. H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, has 48 cosponsors and is still making its way through committees in order to go to a vote on the House floor.