****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 22 May 27, 1993 In this issue: (159 lines) HOUSE PASSES SUPPLEMENTAL ELIMINATING LIBRARY PROGRAMS - ACTION NEEDED GPO ACCESS BILL PASSES THE HOUSE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS *************************************************************************** HOUSE PASSES SUPPLEMENTAL ELIMINATING LIBRARY PROGRAMS - ACTION NEEDED Late yesterday, May 26, the House passed by a vote of 287-140 a supplemental appropriations bill which would rescind funds already appropriated in FY93 for three library programs. HR 2244, a scaled-down version of the Administration's stimulus package, eliminates all funds about to be awarded for the Higher Education Act title II-A college library technology and cooperation grants, the HEA II-B library research and demonstration program, and the Library Services and Construction Act title VI library literacy program: ELIMINATIONS INCLUDED IN HOUSE-PASSED HR 2244 HEA II-A college lib. tech. $ 3,873,000 HEA II-B research & demo. 2,749,000 LSCA VI library literacy 8,098,000 ---------- TOTAL 14,720,000 These programs are only weeks away from sending out awards. Applications have been developed and submitted, and peer review has been completed. The only exception is one $2.5 million demonstration grant under HEA II-B for which applications are due May 28. As stated in our last alert, it is simply outrageous to pay for summer jobs, tree planting, and public works projects by eliminating effective library, literacy, and education programs. HR 2244 now moves to the Senate, although action will not take place until after the Memorial Day recess. Legislators return on June 7. ACTION NEEDED: Continue to contact Representatives to object to the elimination of library programs in HR 2244. Many of them have not focused on the details of how the bill's provisions would be paid for. Also alert your Senators to what the House has done, and urge them to reject the elimination in HR 2244 of funds already appropriated for library programs in the current fiscal year. Expect a further alert tomorrow as we gather details about Senate timing and strategy. *************************************************************************** GPO ACCESS BILL PASSES THE HOUSE And now for some good news. On May 25, the House of Representatives passed S. 564, the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (H.Rept. 103-108). This act will provide direct electronic access to public information through an online system established at the Government Printing Office--free of charge through Depository Libraries, and at the incremental cost of dissemination to others. The bill was adopted under a suspension of the rules in the House so a roll call vote was not taken. S. 564 was passed by the Senate on March 22, so it now goes to the President for his signature. Rep. Gerald Kleczka (D-WI), who moved S. 564, said the bill: 1) provides for online access to the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, and other publications distributed by the Superintendent of Documents; 2) provides for the establishment of an electronic directory of federal public information stored electronically; 3) provides for an electronic storage facility; 4) requires the Superintendent of Documents to distribute agency electronic information at the request of the issuing agency; 5) requires that fees for access to the directory and the system, including information stored in the electronic storage facility, are to approximate the incremental cost of dissemination of the information. The one exception is that depository libraries will be able to access the directory, and system provided for in the bill, including the information stored in the electronic storage facility, free of charge; 6) requires the Public Printer to report on the directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility not later than December 31 of each odd numbered year. The report is to include an analysis of cost savings in comparison with traditional forms of information distribution. Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA) stated, "it is long overdue for the public to have direct electronic access to public information. This bill provides it in an efficient, foolproof, and financially reasonable method." Rep. Thomas said that no increase in funding was authorized in the bill. GPO is to implement the system of access, the electronic directory, and the electronic storage facility within their current budget. "Such a requirement should compel the Government Printing Office to find cost savings from existing services." ACTION NEEDED: Please thank your Senators and Representatives for supporting S. 564. In particular thank the original sponsors of the GPO Access bills: S. 564, Senators Wendell Ford (D-KY), Ted Stevens (R-AK), and Larry Pressler (R-SD); and the House companion, HR 1328, Representatives Charlie Rose (D-NC), Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), Gerald Kleczka (D-WI), Bill Thomas (R-CA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Newt Gingrich (R-GA). *************************************************************************** LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative, chaired by Representative Vic Fazio (D-CA), marked up the legislative branch appropriations bill for FY94 on May 26, clearing it for full Committee action. The bill will not have a number until the full Committee acts. Based on the discussion at the markup (no written information is available yet), the Subcommittee approved a freeze at the FY93 appropriations level ($29.082 million) for the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation for the Superintendent of Documents. Funding for the Depository Library Program, along with several other programs, is included in this account. The Subcommittee said that $2 million of this amount is to be spent on making the bound Serial Set available to Depository Libraries. By comparison with other legislative branch organizations, GPO fared well. As far as we could tell, the Subcommittee directed other legislative branch agencies, such as the Library of Congress, the General Accounting Office, and the Office of Technology Assessment, to absorb a cut of 1 percent in their budget authority. The 1 percent cut in budget authority generally means a 5 percent cut in outlays. The years ahead are likely to be tight fiscally as well--the Subcommittee announced its goal to reduce outlays in over the next five years by 25 percent in programs under their jurisdiction. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363; Internet: alawash@alawash.org. Editor and List Owner: Fred King (fdk@alawash.org). All or part of ALAWON may be redistributed, with appropriate credits. 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 of ALAWON are available from the list server. 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