ALAWON v4n37 (May 4, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n37

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                                                             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
 
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    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.
 
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     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.
 
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                     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).
 
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   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.
 
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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).
 
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