With mid-term elections looming in 2014, the last half of 2013 figures to be prime time for any policy issues to take shape if they have any prayer of a resolution in the current session of Congress.  Similarly, an Administration eager to pivot away from scandals (and score some points with a public suddenly skeptical of government) will have the next six to nine months to work on policy before being the subject of campaign rhetoric.

Unlike some hot-button issues, tech policy doesn’t immediately inspire heated rhetoric and likely primary challengers - so look for these issues to be front and center when Washington tries to look busy:

Privacy.  The public is concerned over the NSA getting a bit nosy.  Lawmakers will want to pander to those voters without clipping the wings of law enforcement agencies.  Recently, Microsoft has amped up its jabs at Google’s information-gathering business model, and Washington may start to do the same.  Pointing a finger at tech companies for collecting so much data in the first place lets elected officials talk big about protecting voters’ information without sounding soft on fighting terrorism.  (Tech companies have sniffed this out and are taking preemptively shots.)

Immigration/Visa Reform.  Expanding access to the H1-B visas that tech companies use to import international talent is a key element of the current debate over immigration; it’s the reason big players from the tech sector have been so involved in the discussion.

Net Neutrality.  This one will largely play out in the courts.  But this arcane issue got a bit more real a few weeks ago: Pro-regulation advocates reacted negatively to the news that ESPN might enter deals with wireless carriers to give customers a break on data charges.

Patent Reform.  President Obama has talked (and walked) tough on patent trolls, and the ball is in Congress’s court.  Expect fewer fireworks on this one - it’s a bit deep in the weeds.  Members of Congress may look here for a notch in the belt that doesn’t come with a raucous public debate.

Old Regulations, New Economy.  The internet sales tax passed the Senate, and the House is mulling what to do with it.  Intel is trying to package TV channels for online viewing - which sounds great to anyone who has ever payed for a cable tier with too many unwatched channels, but rankles the cable industry.  It may seem odd since the internet is so well-entrenched as a place of business, but established business models still struggle to adapt to the opportunities of the online world, and vice versa.