ALAWON v4n37 (May 4, 1995) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n37 ****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 4, Number 37 May 4, 1995 In this issue: (295 lines) TELECOMMUNICATIONS REWRITE - POTENTIAL DEBATE MAY 9 ON SENATE FLOOR IMMEDIATE ACTION: CONTACT SENATORS TO SUPPORT SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER HOUSE REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE VERSION OF COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1995 FACT SHEET ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY *************************************************************************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS REWRITE - POTENTIAL DEBATE MAY 9 ON SENATE FLOOR IMMEDIATE ACTION: CONTACT SENATORS TO SUPPORT SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER The Senate floor debate on S. 652, the Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act of 1995, could be scheduled as early as next Tuesday, May 9. Though there is still speculation about whether or not the bill will be put forward next week, supporters of key provisions like the Snowe- Rockefeller amendment should maintain vigorous lobbying efforts. This is the critical time to contact all Senators and seek their support for the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment which provides a mechanism for universal and affordable access for K-12 schools and libraries. ALA has been working with a broad coalition of education and technology associations in support of this amendment. The regional Bell companies and some other industry supporters are major opponents against the proposal.=20 It is rumored that Senator John Ashcroft (R-MO) will bring a motion-to- strike in order to kill it when it comes to floor debate. =20 (See ALAWON, Vol. 4, No. 34 - April 14, 1995 for previous ACTION ALERTS regarding this legislation. Attached below is a FACT SHEET from April 28 related to ALA Telecommunications Activities which includes additional background information.) IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: It is critical that supporters of the SRKE amendment demonstrate major support for this provision in S. 652 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The message is simple: it is in the public interest to ensure that our nation, especially children and students, have equitable and universal access to the information superhighway. We cannot afford to have a nation of information haves and have-nots and one way to prevent this is to provide access through K-12 schools and libraries. Senators should be asked to vote against any attempts to remove the SRKE amendment and to speak in favor of it during the floor debate. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) have presented this amendment against great odds and they should be thanked for their hard and enthusiastic work on behalf of schools and libraries. Other cosponsors include Senators James Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE). Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) has also been a major supporter of this amendment in S. 652. The Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment is one of the important components of the message for advocates participating in National Library Legislative Day on May 9. It cannot be over emphasized that this is a strategic time for lobbying efforts in support of this amendment. Library advocates should target all senators, Republican senators especially. Library supporters should also consider connecting with other key community leaders who are potential supporters of the amendment. For example, library and school board members, PTA's, and student and library user groups are major allies and could be mobilized for joint contacts with senate offices. Whenever possible share anecdotes about the potential advantages of access to the information infrastructure for schools and libraries and the problems of costs for connectivity that inhibit such access. *************************************************************************** HOUSE REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE VERSION OF COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1995 On May 3 Representatives Thomas Bliley (R-VA) and Jack Fields (R-TX) introduced a telecommunications bill that would allow the seven regional Bell companies to provide long-distance services, if they have some competition within their local service areas. The Bells would also have to demonstrate to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that they have met certain conditions that would open up their local markets to competition as well. The Bliley-Fields bill is designed "to promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and higher quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies." The bill would not require the FCC to determine any public interest determination before competition could be opened up. (Such a provision is part of the Senate version, S. 652.) Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), former chair of the House telecommunications subcommittee, is expected to challenge the Bliley-Fields bill because of its provisions related to cable television. Many regulations on small cable companies would be lifted by this legislation and it could make it more difficult for the FCC to deal with complaints about cable company rates. The library and education supporters are considering how to include some type of provision, like the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment in S. 652. Watch ALAWON for further analysis of this bill and comparison to the Senate bill. Library supporters should stand ready to lobby the House of Representatives on telecommunications issues since it is expected that the House will move quickly on telecom. bills, especially if the Senate version is passed next week. *************************************************************************** FACT SHEET ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY The following Fact Sheet was prepared for National Library Legislative Day, Tuesday, May 9. This material will also be available to participating library-lobbyists through their state delegation coordinators. For further information about Legislative Day contact Mary Costable at the ALA Washington Office (202-547-4440 or email: mrc@alawash.org). **** UPDATE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY ISSUES APRIL 28, 1995 Key Issues: * Senate to consider S. 652, Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act of 1995 - Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment provides for education and library access - Exon-Gorton amendment adds =FECommunication Decency Act=FE - Leahy alternative * Federal Communications Commission Price Cap Proceedings - FCC fails to respond to CPD proposal * New Nonprofit Corporation Established by Education/Library Coalition * TIIAP Grants in Commerce Department Threatened by Rescissions SENATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION. The 104th Congress has begun its efforts to modernize the Communications Act of 1934. The major emphasis has been to further deregulation of the telecommunications industry and to maximize competition within the industry as a whole. Within that context=FEif and how libraries, education, and other public entities, and therefore, the public itself are included=FEis the subject of much debate. =07 S. 652: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved a draft bill that has now become S. 652. It is essentially the =FEdiscussion draft=FE that committee Chair Larry Pressler (R-SD) circulated in late January. Ranking Minority Member Ernest Hollings (D-SC) had also circulated draft legislation. It was reported that lengthy discussions between Senate staffers had been taking place to develop a bipartisan telecommunications bill. Negotiations were only moderately successful. The committee proceeded with the markup, as scheduled on March 23, on language that was still being negotiated just hours before the markup. * SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER-KERREY-EXON Amendment: At the markup, an important amendment to support K-12 schools and libraries was introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and cosponsored by Sen. J. Robert Kerrey (D-NE) and Sen. James Exon (D-NE). Their amendment would provide for schools, libraries, and rural health-care providers to have universal access at rates not more than the _incremental-costs_ of providing such services. In a close roll-call vote, the committee accepted the amendment 10-8, with Snowe being the only Republican supporter. The complexity of the task to rewrite the communications act is demonstrated in the numerous types of negotiations and debates going on about this bill. Every type of telecommunications provider has a stake in the legislation and is weighing in to protect its interest. At best, many key players are not supportive of the Snowe-Rockefeller amendment; and, at worst, are openly in opposition to it. ALA and many other education groups have been working together to support this amendment and to track potential arguments against the provision. This is a critical period to lobby Senators and Representatives to support the school-library amendment, and to encourage them to =FEdo the right thing=FE to ensure that there is maximum public access to the full range of telecommunications services at affordable rates. The bill will be on the Senate floor probably in May. Debate proceeds about what is =FEaffordable=FE as well as how to clarify a definition of incremental-cost based rates. Library supporters are asked to strongly endorse this amendment. * EXON-GORTON AMENDMENT: Sen. James Exon (D-NE) and Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA) incorporated their bill, S. 314=FEwith only slight variation=FEas an amendment to the larger telecommunications bill. The =FECommunications Decency Act=FE amendment in S. 652 raises grave First Amendment questions. The Exon-Gorton amendment poses a significant threat to freedom of speech and the free flow of information in cyberspace. It also raises fundamental questions about the right of government to control content on communications networks by extending controls of =FEobscene or harassing=FE use of telephone services to all telecommunications devices. ALA and others have advocated that this amendment be removed from the telecommunications legislation to be dealt with separately. * LEAHY ALTERNATIVE: On April 7, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced an alternative to the Communications Decency Act. The Child Protection, User Empowerment, and Free Expression in Interactive Media Study Bill (S. 714) directs the Department of Justice, in consultation with the Commerce Department, to conduct a study to address technical means for empowering users to control information they receive over interactive communications systems. Sen. J. Robert Kerrey (D-NE) and Sen. Herbert Kohl (D-WI) are cosponsors. In introducing this legislation, Leahy emphasized that ways must be found that do not invite invasions of privacy or lead to censorship of private online communications. Major support for the Leahy initiative will be necessary in the coming weeks for it to replace the Exon-Gorton proposals. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION PRICE CAP PROCEEDINGS. The proposal that ALA and a coalition of other educations groups had presented to the FCC as part of the commission's Price Cap Review proceedings did not prevail. Though momentum seemed to be building in support of the proposal to provide some funding for wiring schools and libraries through the price-cap mechanism, the FCC failed to comment directly on the proposal in its March decision. The education coalition knew that the proposal was controversial, but also knew that education/library supporters must proceed with every possible mechanism to obtain National Information Infrastructure access for schools and libraries. In addition to ALA, the coalition includes the Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Education Association, and National School Boards Association. The coalition will continue to discuss future initiatives in this area. NEW NONPROFIT CORPORATION CREATED FOR FUNDING SCHOOL AND LIBRARY NATIONAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES. ALA and many of these same coalition members have created a new nonprofit corporation which could serve as a mechanism for receiving and distributing funds for schools and libraries to connect to and utilize the NII. While still in its formative stages, the National Education Technology Funding Corporation could become an important vehicle to leverage different sources of funds, including federal funds, for education and library access to the NII. Establishment of the corporation was announced on April 4 at a press conference convened by Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL), a major supporter for the creation of this corporation. Moseley-Braun will be introducing legislation in the next few weeks that will help to build the education portion of the =FEinformation superhighway=FE by authorizing federal departments and agencies to support the National Education Technology Funding Corporation. TIIAP GRANTS THREATENED BY RESCISSIONS. Two major rescission packages=FEone in the House, one in the Senate=FEthreatened the TIIAP grant program in the Department of Commerce. The =FETIIAP technology grants=FE are administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Several of these grants, officially called the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program, were received by a number of libraries or had libraries as partners in community coalitions that received awards last fall. In fiscal year 1994, $24.4 million in grants were awarded. The original FY95 budget appropriated $63 million. A conference committee on H.R. 889, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission Act of 1995, approved rescission of $15 million instead of the $34 million that the Senate has proposed. An additional $30 million was proposed to be rescinded from the TIIAP grants in H.R. 1158. Final cuts in the TIIAP program are still to be determined. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org). 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). Back issues and other documents are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. To get a particular file, issue the command "send filename filetype" to the listserv. Do not include the quotes in your commands. All materials in the newsletter subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. For other reprinting or redistribution, address requests to the ALA Washington Office (alawash@alawash.org). *************************************************************************** ***End of file******************End of file******************End of file***