U.S. Representative Rick Boucher, in his thirteenth term representing Virginia's Ninth Congressional District, is at the forefront of the creation of federal information technology policy. He is a co-founder and current co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus, which serves as an educational resource for the Congress about the potential of the Internet and has grown to more than 170 members of the U.S. House and Senate.

Congressman Boucher has led a number of legislative initiatives relating to telecommunications, the Internet and intellectual property, including:

INITIAL COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVES:

• During the 102nd Congress, Congressman Boucher authored the law which allowed the first commercial traffic on the Internet, ushering in a new era of electronic commerce, enhanced educational and telehealth opportunities and e-government initiatives.
• In 1986, Congressman Boucher proposed the first Satellite Home Viewer Act, and he mediated the negotiations between broadcasters and satellite carriers that led to its passage in 1988. The law permits homes that cannot receive adequate over-the-air signals from local television stations to obtain network programming delivered by satellite.
• Congressman Boucher introduced the first bills enabling telephone companies to compete with cable television by offering video programming packages in their telephone service areas. His measures were the forerunners of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

RECENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES:

• Network neutrality: Congressman Boucher has been a leader in ensuring that the Internet remains an open medium by promoting network neutrality.
• Universal service reform: Congressman Boucher has introduced the leading legislation to reform the federal Universal Service Fund and keep telephone service affordable for rural Americans.
• Fair use: As a longtime champion of the rights of universities, libraries and consumers to make fair use of the digital media they lawfully acquire, since the 107th Congress Congressman Boucher has introduced legislation backed by a broad coalition of consumer groups and technology companies to preserve the ability of consumers to use digital media in their homes in the manner most convenient to them.
• Patent reform: Congressman Boucher is a principal co-author of legislation that would make many meaningful and much needed reforms to our patent system to improve the quality of the patents that are granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, deter abusive practices by unscrupulous patent "trolls" and provide effective, low-cost alternatives to litigation for challenging the validity of patents.

Congressman Boucher earned his bachelor's degree from Roanoke College and his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He has practiced law on Wall Street in New York and in Virginia. Prior to his election to Congress, he served for seven years as a member of the Virginia State Senate. Rick is a native of Abingdon, Virginia, where he currently resides with his wife Amy