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Virginia is the first state to enact the new uniform act governing licensing of software and electronic information developed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act establishes rules for licensing computer software and computerized databases, music, and information whether on or off the Internet. Delegate Joe T. May, co-chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, says the measure provides an important legal framework for electronic contracting. "The technology that makes these laws almost mandatory is practically brand new and rapidly expanding--what's not keeping up are the rules and regulations," May says. Critics of the law charge that it fails to provide sufficient protection for consumers in part because purchasers can't read "shrink-wrap" licenses until after software is acquired. Virginia's new law is scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2001, after a study is completed by the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.