Personal Information
- Born on December 21, 1947 in San Mateo, California.
- Married to John Marshall Collins in 1978; mother of two children.
Education
- K-12 public schools, Palo Alto, California.
- B.A., Political Science, Stanford University, 1970.
- J.D., cum laude, University of Santa Clara School of Law, 1975.
Professional Career
- Served as Staff Assistant to her predecessor, Congressman Don Edwards, 1970-1978. Worked on impeachment proceedings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and creation of the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge in the South San Francisco Bay.
- Practiced immigration law as a partner in the firm of Webber & Lofgren, 1978-1980.
- Taught immigration law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Santa Clara School of Law.
- First Executive Director of Community Housing Developers, a non-profit community-based housing developer, San Jose, 1978.
Local Elective Office
- Member, Board of Trustees of San Jose-Evergreen Community College District Board, 1979.
- Served on Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, 1981-1994
U.S. Congress
- Elected in 1994 as the only freshman Democrat from west of the Rockies.
- Serves on Committee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, Ranking Minority Member
- Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity
- Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight
- Serves on Committee on the Judiciary:
- Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.
- Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
- Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims
- Serves on Committee on House Administration
- Serves as the Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation (CDCD). The CDCD consists of 33 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California. This group outnumbers all other state House delegations - Republicans and Democrats combined.
Key Legislative Initiatives
- Introduced legislation to accelerate the development of fusion as a long-term energy source, which was included in the comprehensive House energy bill (H.R. 4).
- Successfully fought to initiate the "e-rate" that provides affordable Internet access for schools, libraries, and rural health centers.
- Served as Democratic floor manager for the 21st Century Patent Improvement Act.
- Initiated the SAFE Act to ease export control on encryption.
- Introduced the REDUCE Spam Act of 2003 (Restrict and Eliminate Delivery of Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (REDUCE) Spam). This act will require bulk unsolicited commercial e-mail to include in its subject line the tag [ADV:]. In addition, the bill establishes a bounty for the first person to track down a spammer who violates the labeling or opt-out requirments.
- Introduced the BALANCE Act of 2003 (Benefit Authors without Limiting Advancement or Net Consumer Expectations Act). This bill:
- Clarifies that America's historic principles of fair use Ð protected under Section 107 of the Copyright Act Ð apply to analog and digital transmissions.
- Allows purchasers to make backup copies and display digital works on the devices of their choice.
- Protects purchasers by prohibiting non-negotiable shrink-wrap licenses that limit their rights and expectations.
- Clarifies that purchasers can sell or give away their copies of digital works, just like they can with traditional hard media.
- Protects purchasers by permitting them to bypass technical measures that impede their rights and expectations.
- Provides flexibility for content owners to develop new and innovative ways to protect their content and enable lawful uses.
- Cosponsor of the Stock Option Accounting Reform Act (H.R. 3574) which requires companies to expense options granted to the CEO and the next four highest-paid officers. Small businesses are exempted from this obligation and cannot be required to expense options for the three years following an initial public offering. Prohibits SEC recognition of any further stock option expensing requirements pending the completion of economic impact studies by the Commerce and Labor Departments.
- Opposed the resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq (H.J. Res. 114).
- Opposed the $87 billion supplemental budget request for Iraq in October, 2003.
- Introduced the Amerasian Naturalization Act of 2003 (HR 3360) which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the automatic acquisition of citizenship by certain Amerasians.
- Introduced the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2003 (HR 3361) which would ensure minimum standards for the care and custody of unaccompanied children and require a smooth transfer of minors from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Health and Human Services. It will also ensure that children receive adult and legal guidance as they navigate through our immigration system.
Honors and Awards
- Certificate of Appreciation, Vietnam Commuinity in San Francisco & Oakland, February 2004
- Vietnamese American Public Affairs Committee Human Rights Award, April 2003
- 2004 League of California Cities Award
- 2003 Community Health Superhero Award, National Association of Community Health Centers, March 2003
- BAYMEC Award, September 2002.
- TechNet Founder's Circle Award, May 2000.
- Janet Gray Hayes Award for Outstanding Community Service, April 1999, San Jose City College.
- Named "Cyber Champion" by Business Software Alliance.
- Named "Congressional Leader" by Semiconductor Industry Association and presented with the Congressional Leadership Award in 1998.
- Dubbed "Leader of the Pack" on high-tech issues by C/Net News.com.
- 1998 Legislator of the Year, Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce, Santa Clara Valley.
- Named one of Top 10 high-tech supporters in Congress by Tech Law Journal.
- Legislative Achievement Award, National Association of Counties, 1997.
- PHP Valley of Hearts Award for Community Service.
- Edwin J. Owens Lawyer of the Year Award, Santa Clara University, 1995.
- Cal Cleaver Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of Families of the Santa Clara Valley, November 1995.
- 1994 Woman of Achievement by the San Jose Mercury News and The Women's Fund.
- President's Award for Achievement, Santa Clara Traffic Authority, 1993.
- Community Service Award, Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara County, 1992.
- 1980 Feminist of the Year, San Jose Ð South Bay NOW.
