ALAWON v4n97 (November 16, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n97

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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 97
                       November 16, 1995

In this issue: (139 lines)
     ALERT: "COX-WYDEN" MOVING FORWARD IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE;
          IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED ON CYBERCENSORSHIP ISSUES IN
          TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
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   ALERT: "COX-WYDEN" MOVING FORWARD IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE;
      IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED ON CYBERCENSORSHIP ISSUES IN
            TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

As previously reported, telecommunications reform legislation now
before a House/Senate Conference Committee is being actively
negotiated at this writing by Congressional staff.  Both
telecommunications bills on the table include provisions directed
at protecting children from obscene and indecent material on the
Internet.  Despite the shutdown of the executive branch of the
federal government, Congress still considers its own employees
essential.  Conference work at the staff level is moving forward
so immediate action is needed.

In the House bill, the so-called "Cox/Wyden" amendment, being
championed in conference by Rep. Rick White (R-WA), takes the
"carrot" approach by insulating interactive computer service
providers from legal liability for good faith efforts to restrict
minors' access to proscribed material.  Judiciary Committee
Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL), however, also included an amendment
in the House legislation which would impose substantial criminal
liability on anyone who "knowingly" sends or receives obscene or
indecent material "by computer."

The Senate language, authored and insisted upon in conference by
Sen James Exon (D-NE), also takes the "stick" approach in
amending the criminal law to penalize anyone who knowingly "makes
or makes available" obscene or indecent material.

NOTE: LIBRARIES AND NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE
NEITHER EXPRESSLY GIVEN THE BENEFIT OF COX/WYDEN'S INSULATION
FROM LIABILITY, NOR EXEMPTED FROM THE CRIMINAL SANCTIONS IMPOSED
BY HYDE OR EXON. Consequently ALA is working with a coalition of
public interest and industry groups to get the following message
to all members of the House and Senate Conference Committee and
their staffs:

1.   NO new Federal intervention to govern Internet content is
     needed at this time; current Federal and state statutes are
     adequate.

2.   IF Congress feels that it must act to impose such new
     controls, however, take the Cox/Wyden "carrot, rather than
     the Exon/Hyde "stick, approach BUT MODIFY COX/WYDEN to
     assure that it also explicitly protects libraries and
     nonprofit educational institutions.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: The time to get these messages across
the conferees is now.  If you know, or are a constituent of, any
of the members of Congress whose names appear below, please
contact them or their staff members immediately by phone or fax.
Should you have a particularly close connection to any of these
offices, please also contact the ALA Washington Office's
legislative counsel, Adam M. Eisgrau as soon as possible.  He may
be reached at 202-628-8410, ext. 208.

Congressional staff are meeting at this writing so immediate
response is needed.

                TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL CONFEREES

HOUSE:
    Republicans                      Democrats

 Mr. Tom Bliley (VA)                 Mr. John Dingell (MI)
 Mr. Jack Fields (TX)                Mr. Ed Markey (MA)
 Mr. Mike Oxley (OH)                 Mr. Rick Boucher (VA)
 Mr. Rick White (WA)*                Ms. Anna Eshoo (CA)
 Mr. Dan Schaefer (CO)               Mr. Sherrod Brown (OH)
 Mr. Joe Barton (TX)                 Mr. Bart Gordon (TN)
 Mr. Dennis Hastert (IL)             Mrs. Blanche Lincoln (AR)
 Mr. Bill Paxon (NY)                 Mr. John Conyers (MI)
 Mr. Scott Klug (WI)                 Mrs. Pat Schroeder (CO)
 Mr. Dan Frisa (NY)                  Mr. Howard Berman (CA)
 Mr. Cliff Stearns (FL)              Mr. John Bryant (TX)
 Mr. Henry Hyde (IL)*                Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX)
 Mr. Carlos Moorhead (CA)
 Mr. Robert Goodlatte (VA)
 Mr. Steve Buyer (IN)
 Mr. Michael Flanagan (IL)
 Mr. Elton Gallegly (CA)
 Mr. Bob Barr (GA)
 Mr. Martin Hoke (OH)

SENATE:
 Mr. Larry Pressler (SD)             Mr. Fritz Hollings (SC)
 Mr. Ted Stevens (AK)                Mr. Daniel Inouye (HI)
 Mr. John McCain (AZ)                Mr. Wendell Ford (KY)
 Mr. Conrad Burns (MT)               Mr. James Exon (NE)
 Mr. Slade Gorton (WA)               Mr. Jay Rockefeller (WV)
 Mr. Trent Lott (MS)

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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: Adam M. Eisgrau and Claudette W.
Tennant; Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org).

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