ALAWON v2n50 (November 8, 1993) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v2n50 ****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 50 November 8, 1993 In this issue: (179 lines) BATTLE OVER CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SCHUMAN TESTIFIES AT NOMINATION HEARING FOR PUBLIC PRINTER *************************************************************************** BATTLE OVER CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION HR 3400, Title XIV, will restructure the Depository Library Program, dismantle the Government Printing Office, and eliminate the authority of the Joint Committee on Printing over Executive branch printing. The bill is on a fast track in Congress. The public must move quickly to influence the outcome of this legislation. If Title XIV of the bill passes, it will result in the concentration of power over government information in the Executive branch and the decentralization of government information production and dissemination. The proposal to dismantle GPO opens a new front in the century-old battle between Congress and the Executive branch over who controls the production and dissemination of government information. The Depository Library Program has existed for 150 years; the Government Printing Office for more than 130 years and the Joint Committee on Printing for 160 years. Yet, the Clinton/Gore Administration is asking Congress to make drastic changes before Thanksgiving. HR 3400, the Government Reform and Savings Act, was introduced by Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) on October 28. The bill implements some of the Vice President's National Performance Review recommendations and has been referred to 18 House Committees. The two Committees that will pay the most attention to Title XIV are House Administration, chaired by Rep. Charlie Rose (D-NC), and Government Operations, chaired by Rep. John Conyers (D- MI). Committees must approve or disapprove the bill by November 15, with floor action soon after that. The two Committees that will consider this or similar legislation in the Senate are Rules and Administration, chaired by Sen. Wendell Ford (D-KY), and Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. John Glenn (D-OH). The congressional committees with jurisdiction over the Government Printing Office--Senate Rules and Administration, and House Administration--may develop legislation to substitute for the introduced bill. These substitutes are expected to be preferable to Title XIV of HR 3400. The passage of the GPO Access Act, PL 103-40--which provides for free public access to electronic government information through depository libraries and clarifies GPO's role in electronic dissemination--promises a new era for public access. By putting GPO and JCP on the chopping block this congressional mandate to ensure rights of free access for the public is threatened. Executive Branch policy changes with different Administrations, whereas the public has leverage with its legislators in the crucial area of public access to government information. ACTION NEEDED: Alert your Representative and Senators that HR 3400 would adversely affect the ability of depository and other libraries to serve their constituents. Amendments to protect free and equitable access to government information should be supported. Urge Congress to amend Title XIV of HR 3400, or any bill regarding these issues, to: * Retain Congressional power to establish policy for the production and dissemination of government information, instead of giving it to the Executive branch. * Keep the policy control and operation of the Depository Library Program in the Legislative Branch, guaranteeing continued free access to government information in all formats for the public through depository libraries. * Retain a centralized sales program for government information in all formats with low prices for the public in the Legislative Branch. * Guarantee that the Superintendent of Documents, Librarian of Congress, and the library community participate in establishing the standards for cataloging and locator systems. * Eliminate Sec. 14007(5) which requires agency heads to "consider whether information products available from other Federal or nonfederal sources are equivalent to any agency information dissemination product and reasonably fulfill the dissemination responsibilities of the agency." This requirement could result in the privatization of the Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, and many other government publications. What would HR 3400 do? * Concentrate power over production and dissemination of government information in the Executive Branch. [Sec. 14004] * Dismantle the Government Printing Office. [Sec. 14004, 14010] * Empower the Director of the Office of Management and Budget--the agency which for the past 12 years has tried to restrict public access and privatize government information--to propose amendments to the Depository Library Law (Chapter 19 of title 44 USC). OMB is to consult with various government officials and "the public" to propose amendments "as may be necessary and appropriate to ensure the distribution of government information dissemination products to the depository libraries." [Sec. 14008] * Codify much of OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources. Allow and perhaps encourage restrictive private sector arrangements for government information under the control of OMB and agencies. Direct agency heads to set fees for information and arrangements and for dissemination according to OMB directives. The price of government information ultimately would be set by OMB Director. [Sec. 14006, 14007] * Make no provision for free distribution of government information to the public through depositories or otherwise. [Sec. 14007] * Shift authority for acquisition of printing services to individual federal agencies. Each agency would be authorized to obtain its own printing and do its own dissemination. [Sec. 14004, 14005, 14007, 14010(k)] * Eliminate the enforcement mechanism that requires federal agencies to distribute publications through GPO (44USC1701). It will be very unlikely that Executive Branch publications will be in the GPO sales program and extremely difficult to obtain publications for depository libraries. [Sec. 14010(k)] * Remove the statutory requirement that the Federal Register be printed and sold through GPO. Sales of the FR bring in about 20 percent of GPO's revenue. Online distribution to depositories through the GPO Access system will be in jeopardy. [Sec. 14010(g)(h)(i)(j)(k)] * Cause an immediate adverse effect on GPO's operations since 70 percent of GPO's print orders are for under $1000. The provision that GPO will remain the mandatory source for Executive Branch printing for two years is weakened by giving agencies authority to obtain printing services costing under $2500 from commercial sources. [Sec. 14005] * Eliminate waste, fraud and abuse powers of the Joint Committee on Printing (44USC103) over the Executive Branch. JCP is the Committee that has worked with the library and public interest communities for over 150 years to enact a series of laws, starting with the 1895 Printing Act and continuing with the GPO Access Act (PL 103-40), to protect the public's access to government information. JCP stood up to OMB during previous Administrations and insisted that government information continue to go free to the public through depository libraries. [Sec. 14010(a)] ************************************************************************** SCHUMAN TESTIFIES AT NOMINATION HEARING FOR PUBLIC PRINTER On October 28, 1993, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration held a hearing on the nomination of Michael F. DiMario to be Public Printer. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) introduced DiMario and spoke on his behalf. A panel of witnesses who presented testimony in favor of DiMario's nomination included William Boarman, President of the Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector of Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO; Patricia Glass Schuman, Past President of the American Library Association; George Lord, President of the Joint Council of Unions, Government Printing Office; and Benjamin Cooper, Vice President of the Printing Industries of America. DiMario testified that his entire Federal career had been spent at the Government Printing Office. He said he had served in personnel security, general and administrative services, labor-management relations, and legal matters, and in senior management positions in in-house production, printing procurement and publications dissemination. He also served as GPO's Acting General Counsel and as Administrative Law Judge. Schuman spoke in favor of DiMario's appointment because of his acknowledged expertise and good working relationship with GPO's customers and depository librarians. She cited the need for a good leader for GPO at a time when its existence was being questioned and its mandate altered, and said ALA members "have grave concerns about the specific methodology the report [National Performance Review] recommends for assuring public access to federal information." She stressed that eliminating the major point of access to government publications in favor "of a literal 'tower of babel' from hundreds of federal agencies will increase the gap between the information 'haves' and the information 'have nots' in our society. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363. Editor: Carol C. Henderson (cch@alawash.org). All or part of ALAWON may be redistributed, with appropriate credits. ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (internet). 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