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.