One of the most important and controversial measures now before the 97th C ongress is the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (S. 391, H.R. 4), also called the "Names of Agents" bill. It is designed to protect the lives of American intelligence officers and the operational integrity of American intelligence organiza- tions. s i milar legislation, never enacted into law, was introduced in preceding Congresses. Representative Edward P. Boland (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced H.R. 5615, the predecessor to H.R. 4, in the 96th Co n gress on October 17, 1980. Hearings on H.R. 5615 were held by the.Intelligence and Judiciary Committees of the 96th Congress, and these two Committees reported out an amended bill that was identical to H.R. 4 as introduced in the 97th Congress. Hearings o n H.R. 4 were held in 1981, and on July 22, 1981 the full Perma- nent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representa- tives reported out H.R. 4 as amended. On September 23, 1981, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4 by a vote of 354 to 5 6, after substituting an amendment offered by Congressman John M. Ashbrook (R-Ohio) that made the House bill identical to the Senate version, S. 391.