The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 45-4 for a bill that would require software makers to notify people before loading new programs on their machines that collect information about them.

Spyware can sap computing power, crash machines and bury users under a blizzard of unwanted ads. It can capture passwords, credit-card numbers and other sensitive data.

Several states have passed or are considering anti-spyware legislation, and business groups have called for a national law to avoid conflicts.

The bill introduced by California Republican Rep. Mary Bono and New York Democratic Rep. Ed Towns would allow the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to seek millions of dollars in fines for some of the practices lawmakers consider most egregious, such as logging users' keystrokes or stealing their identities.

It also would require that spyware be made easily removable.

Several Democrats said the bill was moving too quickly, noting the version approved by the committee was not made available until after midnight the night before.

California Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo, whose Silicon Valley district is home to many high-tech companies, said she was concerned the bill could hinder legitimate surveillance, such as eBay Inc.'s efforts to catch auction fraud.

"I just don't think that there's been sufficient opportunity to consider the implications of this bill," Eshoo said.

Backers said they had tweaked the bill to address concerns of high-tech companies and would be open to further modifications before it comes up for a vote on the House floor.

"This bill has been open more than many, many bills I've seen," said Florida Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns, whose consumer-protection subcommittee approved the legislation last month.

A spyware bill has been introduced in the Senate, but lawmakers have not yet taken it up for a vote.

Separately on Thursday, lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee introduced a bill that would establish prison sentences of up to five years for those who use spyware to commit identity theft or other crimes.

That measure could be folded into the Commerce Committee's bill or advanced on its own, staffers said.

© Reuters