ALAWON v4n91 (November 1, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n91

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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 91
                        November 1, 1995

In this issue: (280 lines)

SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER-KERREY-EXON (SRKE) AMENDMENT SCHEDULED
FOR CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ACTION

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED:  CONTACT CONFEREES TO SUPPORT DISCOUNTED
TELECOMMUNICATION RATES FOR LIBRARIES

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    SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER-KERREY-EXON (SRKE) AMENDMENT SCHEDULED
                 FOR CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ACTION
Discussion could begin within in the next two days on the
 Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment, the provision in the Senate
telecommunications bill, S. 652, which calls for a type of
discounted telecommunications rates for libraries and K-12
schools.  ALA has just been advised by key congressional
supporters, that the House-Senate telecommunications conference
committee has adjusted its agenda to begin negotiations on the
universal service sections of the telecommunications bills which
include the critical "SRKE" amendment within the next two or
three days.  Conferees may even be working throughout the weekend
on the universal service issues.

"SRKE" is an extremely important provision for libraries and K-12
schools because it addresses the ongoing charges for
connectivity. Listed below are the conferees that will be
participating in the negotiations on section 310 of S. 652, the
section on universal service.  Because of the timeliness of this
conference debate, ALAWON has also included below a
retransmission of a "Questions and Answers" on the SRKE amendment
previously published in ALAWON, Vol. 4, No. 89.

The Cox-Wyden amendment and related provisions on "family
empowerment" or cyber-censorship may be scheduled for negotiation
in about a week.  ALAWON will publish an update on that provision
as soon as additional information is available.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED:  Library advocates and other supporters
should contact the conferees as soon as possible and request them
to keep the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment in this new
telecommunciations legislation.  Local examples and situations
can be used to expand and supplement the "talking points" from
the "Questions and Answers."


TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Following is a list of the telecommunications conferees.  Note
that some have been appointed only to certain provisions in the
legislation.

SENATE:

Republicans:                  Democrats:
Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD)    Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)       Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)       Sen. Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)      Sen. James Exon (D-NE)
Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA)      Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS)

HOUSE:
Commerce Committee:

Republicans:                            Democrats:
Rep. Thomas J. Bliley, Jr., (R-VA)      Rep. John Dingell (D-MI)
Rep. Jack Fields (R-TX)                 Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA)
Rep. Michael Oxley (R-OH)               Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA)
Rep. Rick White (R-WA)                  Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
                                        Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL)
                                       *Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
*in lieu of Boucher solely for consideration of sec. 205 of the
Senate bill

Additional Conferees:

For consideration of sections 1-6, 101-104, 106-107, 201, 204-205, 221-225,
 301-305, 307-311, 401-402, 405-406, 410, 601-606,
703, and 705 of the Senate bill and Title I of the House
amendment:
Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Rep. J. Dennis
Hastert (R-IL), Rep. Bill Paxon (R- NY), Rep. Scott Klug (R-WI),
Rep. Daniel Frisa (R-NY), Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Rep. Sherrod
Brown (D-OH), Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Rep. Blanche Lambert
Lincoln (D-ARK)

As conferees from Committee on the Judiciary for consideration of
the Senate bill (except for sections 1-6, 101-104, 106-107, 201,
204-205, 221-225, 301-305, 307-311, 401-402, 405-406, 410, 601-606, 703, and
 705) and of the House amendment except title I:
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-CA), Rep. Bob
Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), Rep. Michael Flanagan
(R-IL), Rep. John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI), Rep. Patricia Schroeder
(D-CO), and Rep. John Bryant (D-TX).

Additional conferees for consideration of sections 1-6, 101-104,
106-107, 201, 204-205, 221-225, 301-305, 307-311, 401-402, 405-406, 410,
 601-606, 703 and 705 of the Senate bill, and title I of
the House amendment, and modifications:  Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL),
Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-CA), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep.
Steve Buyer (R-IN), Rep. Michael Flanagan, (R-IL), Rep. Elton
Gallegly (R-CA), Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), Rep. Martin Hoke, (R-OH),
Rep. John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI), Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO),
Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Rep. John Bryant (D-TX), Rep. Robert
Scott (D-VA), and Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX).

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      QUESTION AND ANSWER ON SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER-KERREY-EXON

                 LET LIBRARIES CONNECT AMERICA

Buried in a long and complex telecommunications bill is a crucial
provision to ensure that libraries, schools, and rural health-care providers
 have affordable telecommunications rates.

WHAT'S THE VEHICLE?

Congress has passed a major rewrite of the nation's
telecommunications law.  The Senate version (S. 652) and the
House version (H.R. 1555) are headed for a House-Senate
conference.  The bills remove many regulatory requirements and
provide incentives for major industries to speed up development
of the information superhighway.

WHO BENEFITS?

The telecommunications industry stands to gain the most. The
public would presumably benefit indirectly.  Yet very little in
the bills would guarantee that the public interest is served.
The information superhighway promises a wealth of information,
but it could leave those who can't afford it, don't know what it
can do for them, or need help to navigate it at the curbside.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

One small provision in the Senate version of this complex measure
would require that certain key public institutions--libraries,
schools, rural health-care providers--receive telecommunications
services at discounted, affordable rates.  This provision is an
amendment agreed to by a resounding Senate vote of 98 to 1 in
June, 1995.  The amendment was originated by Senators Olympia J.
Snowe (R-ME), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Bob Kerrey (D-NE),
and J. James Exon (D-NE).  The House bill has no comparable
provision.

WHAT DOES THE AMENDMENT DO?

Libraries--and elementary and secondary schools--would receive
telecommunications services at rates less than those charged for
similar services to other parties. The amount of the discount for
libraries and schools would be determined by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) and the states, as necessary and
appropriate to ensure affordable access to and use of
telecommunications.  Rural health-care providers would receive
services at rates comparable to their urban counterparts.  The
amendment would also require the FCC to establish rules to make
advanced telecommunications services more available to libraries,
schools, and health-care providers.

WOULD THE LIBRARY/SCHOOL RATES IMPOSE REQUIREMENTS ON ANY
INDUSTRY?

The library/school amendment would apply to all
telecommunications carriers serving a geographic area, upon the
request of a qualifying library or school.   Schools are defined
as elementary and secondary schools under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act.  Libraries are those eligible for
participation in state-based plans for interlibrary cooperation
under the federal Library Services and Construction Act.

WOULD THE LIBRARY/SCHOOL RATES RAISE OTHER CUSTOMERS' RATES?

The library/school amendment should not affect other rates.
Telecommunications carriers would be entitled to have the amount
of the discount provided to libraries and schools treated as a
universal service obligation.

WHO DETERMINES WHAT SERVICES SHOULD BE "UNIVERSAL"?

Since 1934, in the public interest, common carriers have been
required to contribute toward the availability of phone service
for all Americans.  The new definition of universal service will
evolve as technology evolves, as determined by the FCC and a
joint federal/state board.  The amendment provides that the FCC
may, in the public interest, provide a separate definition of
universal service to apply to libraries, schools, and health-care
providers.

WHY SHOULD LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS BE CONSIDERED PART OF UNIVERSAL
SERVICE?

Education, information, and health-care are the life blood of
democracy.  America's economic well-being depends on workers who
are technologically competent.  Our democracy depends on citizens
who are well-informed.  Through libraries and schools, pre-schoolers through
 great-grandparents have access to lifelong
learning, and to what they need to know to make wise decisions in
their personal, work, and public lives.  Increasingly, learning
and knowing require use of advanced technologies.  Libraries and
schools provide the access points, the training, and the point-of-use help.

WHY DO LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION?

A recent U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information
Science study found that 21 percent of public libraries have
Internet connections, but only 13 percent of libraries serving
rural and/or small communities are on-line.  A 1995 National
Center for Education Statistics report found that only 3 percent
of public school classrooms were connected to the Internet or
information services for instructional purposes.  The major
barrier is lack of funding.  What's more, rural libraries and
schools are often in isolated regions without local "nodes" for
electronic data connections.  Each time a connection is made
becomes the equivalent of a long distance call, making rural
connectivity prohibitively expensive in some areas.

IS THE AMENDMENT A GOOD DEAL FOR THE PUBLIC?

Yes.  Libraries and schools have always been our on ramp to
society's information resources--teaching us the skills we need
to use them, showing us new possibilities for getting and using
information, and serving as friendly guides through mountains of
irrelevant data to find just the information we need.  It makes
great sense to help these institutions get an early start on  the
information superhighway.

IS THE AMENDMENT A GOOD DEAL FOR INDUSTRY?

If the telecommunications companies are going to earn a return
from their investments in building the infrastructure, they are
going to have to convince us that there are resources worth
paying for out in cyberspace.  What's more, we are all going to
have to learn the new skills to get at those resources.
Libraries and schools are the learning fields of the information
society.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

The House and Senate should agree to include discounted
affordable rates for libraries and schools in the final
telecommunications legislation that goes to the President's desk.
It will help assure that the benefits from the information
superhighway are available to us all, regardless of background,
income or hometown.

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ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the
American Library Association Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania
Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.  Internet:
alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-628-8410; Fax: 202-628-8419.
Contributing to this issue: Carol C. Henderson; Editor: Lynne E.
Bradley (leb@alawash.org).

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