WASHINGTON (AP) - Unless the government moves fast, Americans may return from celebrating the new millennium to find that their drivers' licenses are expiring, their tax returns aren't being processed and their Social Security checks are far from being in the mail, lawmakers said yesterday.
These foul-ups could occur because of what would appear to be a simple hi-tech glitch - the failure of many computer programs to accurately date information submitted after the calendar reaches 2000.
With only 39 months before that date, many federal agencies appear "unable to meet the challenges of the 21st century because of a lack of awareness and preparedness, said Rep. Stephen Horn (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on technology.
In past hearings before Horn's panel, experts have roughly estimated that it could cost the federal government $30 billion - $1 for every line of computer code that needs to be changed - to correct the problem.
Most computers operate on a two-digit dating system, so 1999 is read as 99 and 2000 would be read as 00. Computers would interpret that as 1900.
That could create serious problems in how benefits are computed, eligibility is determined and expiration dates are calculated, said Sally Katzen, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget.
She said the government has established an interagency working group to raise awareness of the problem, share expertise and ensure that solutions work for all networks that a federal agency's computer might connect with.
The fixes must be made while the current system continues to operate. "Some have invoked the analogy of rebuilding a rocket ship while it is on its way to the moon," she said.
One proposal is that all computer software in the future use four digits for dating.
Horn displayed an evaluation of individual agency responses. The Social Security Administration and Small Business Administration got "A" grades for their preparedness, but most agencies received low marks. Veterans Affairs got a "D" and Labor and Energy an "F."
Yesterday's hearing concentrated on how state governments and private industry are coping with the 2000 deadline.
Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America, said "the year 2000 software conversion is arguably the largest and most complex global information management challenge society has ever faced."
Most foreign countries are behind the United States in recognizing the problem, he said.
Miller said most new personal computers and software can recognize the dates of 2000 and beyond, but consumers should ask dealers whether the equipment they buy is year 2000 compliant.
Daniel Houlihan of the National Association of State Information Resource Executives said 75 percent of states report they are in the planning phase for converting to the new date.
He said one danger is that individual efforts by local, state and federal governments may "each reinvent the wheel and end up creating solutions that are not compatible with one another."
Pennsylvania chief information officer Larry Olson, whose state has been a leader in addressing the issue, said so far they have received no communication from federal agencies on adopting a common standard.