ALAWON v4n44 (May 19, 1995) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n44 ****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 44 May 19, 1995 In this issue: (160 lines) - ADVOCATES FIGHTING TO INCLUDE SCHOOL-LIBRARY ACCESS AMENDMENT IN HOUSE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL, HR 1555 - ACTION ALERT: SUPPORTERS ASKED TO CONTACT HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE - HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS *************************************************************************** ADVOCATES FIGHTING TO INCLUDE SCHOOL-LIBRARY ACCESS AMENDMENT IN HOUSE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL, HR 1555 ACTION ALERT: SUPPORTERS ASKED TO CONTACT HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE ALA and other education/library advocates have been working to include an amendment that would ensure NII access for schools and libraries in HR 1555, the Telecommunications Rewrite Act of 1995. The House Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance failed to add any provisions for libraries and education at the May 17 markup. The full Commerce Committee is tentatively scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 24. While there is interest from some members of the Commerce Committee, the exact language of any proposed amendment is still being debated among potential Congressional supporters. The only language presently in the bill that references any type of educational or public access reads: Sec. 246 (b) (5) EDUCATIONAL ACCESS TO ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES. -- To the extent that a common carrier establishes advanced telecommunications services, such plan should include recommendations to ensure access to advanced telecommunications services for students in elementary and secondary schools. ALA and others have proposed replacing this section with the following language: (5) ACCESS TO ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES. -- To the extent that a provider of telecommunications services provides advanced and interactive telecommunications services, such plan should include recommendations to ensure end-to-end access at not higher than incremental-cost based rates for a) elementary and secondary schools, ...accredited colleges and universities, and other public and non-profit telecommunications entities providing noncommercial educational and community services to the public; b) public and non-profit libraries; and c) public and non-profit providers of health care services (including instruction relating to such services). Although similar to the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment in S. 652, this proposal includes higher education. It also has a somewhat different mechanism for providing affordable rates for schools and libraries than the provision in the Senate bill. Other proposed language also circulating in the House does not include higher education and removes the incremental- cost based rates wording and alternatively uses affordable rates. Some feel that this is more likely to be accepted. ACTION ALERT: Library supporters are asked to contact members of the House Commerce Committee immediately to express support for ensuring school and library access to the information superhighway in this critical legislation to rewrite the Communications Act of 1934. Committee members need to hear why these advanced telecommunications services must be affordable for delivery of library and information services. The key points in any message to House members should be making connectivity affordable and insisting that libraries as well as schools and other entities be assured fair and equitable access. The committee markup may be on May 24 so immediate response is needed. Please send copies of any letters, email or fax to the ALA Washington Office. *************************************************************************** HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ST Representative (Party) Phone Fax E-Mail == ========================== ======== ======== ============ Chairman Area Code 202 @hr.house.gov VA Bliley Jr., Thomas J. (R) 225-2815 225-0011 AR Lincoln, Blanche Lambert (D) 225-4076 225-4654 CA Bilbray, Brian (R) 225-2040 225-2042 CA Cox, Christopher (R) 225-5611 225-9177 CA Eshoo, Anna G. (D) 225-8104 225-8104 annagram CA Moorhead, Carlos J. (R) 225-4176 226-1279 CA Waxman, Henry A. (D) 225-3976 225-4099 CO Schaefer, Daniel (R) 225-7882 225-7885 schaefer CT Franks, Gary (R) 225-3822 225-5085 FL Bilirakis, Michael (R) 225-5755 225-4085 FL Deutsch, Peter (D) 225-7931 225-8456 pdeutsch FL Stearns, Clifford B. (R) 225-5744 225-3973 cstearns GA Norwood, Charles (R) 225-4101 na ga10 IA Ganske, Greg (R) 225-4426 225-3193 ID Crapo, Michael D. (R) 225-5531 225-8216 IL Hastert, J. Dennis (R) 225-2976 225-0697 dhastert IL Rush, Bobby L. (D) 225-4372 226-0333 KY Whitfield, Edward (R) 225-3115 225-3547 edky01 LA Tauzin, W. J. (D) 225-4031 225-0563 MA Markey, Edward J. (D) 225-2836 225-1716 MA Studds, Gerry E. (D) 225-3111 225-2212 MI Dingell, John D. (D) 225-4071 na MI Stupak, Bart (D) 225-4735 225-4744 MI Upton, Frederick S.(R) 225-3761 225-4986 NC Burr, Richard (R) 225-2071 225-2995 mail2nc5 NJ Pallone Jr., Frank (D) 225-4671 225-9665 NY Frisa, Daniel (R) 225-5516 225-3187 NY Manton, Thomas J. (D) 225-3965 225-1909 tmanton NY Paxon, Bill (D) 225-5265 225-5910 bpaxon NY Towns, Edolphus (D) 225-5936 225-1018 OH Brown, Sherrod (D) 225-3401 225-2266 OH Gillmor, Paul E. (R) 225-6405 225-1985 OH Oxley, Michael G. (R) 225-2676 226-1160 OK Coburn, Tom (R) 225-2701 225-3038 OR Furse, Elizabeth (D) 225-0855 225-9497 furseor1 OR Wyden, Ronald (D) 225-4811 225-8941 PA Greenwood, Jim (R) 225-4276 225-9511 PA Klink, Ron (D) 225-2565 226-2274 TN Gordon, Bart (D) 225-4231 225-6887 TX Barton, Joseph (R) 225-2002 225-3052 barton06 TX Bryant, John (D) 225-2231 225-0327 TX Fields, Jack (R) 225-4901 225-2772 TX Hall, Ralph M. (D) 225-6673 225-3332 VA Boucher, Rick (D) 225-3861 225-0442 ninthnet WA White, Rick (R) 225-6311 225-3524 repwhite WI Klug, Scott (R) 225-2906 225-6942 All e-mail addresses end with suffix at top of e-mail column. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. 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