****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 3, Number 27 June 3, 1994 In this issue: (106 lines) ACTION NEEDED ON DEPOSITORY LIBRARY APPROPRIATIONS *************************************************************************** ACTION NEEDED ON DEPOSITORY LIBRARY APPROPRIATIONS Two Wisconsin Representatives led the effort on May 26 to reduce GPO's FY 1995 appropriation by $1.5 million, the amount the Public Printer had requested to provide online access to the _Congressional Record_ and the _Federal Register_ to depository libraries, as required by P.L. 103-40, the GPO Access Act. A floor amendment to H.R. 4454, the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for FY 1995, offered by Rep. Peter Barca (D-Wisc.), Rep. Gerald Kleczka (D-Wisc.), and Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), substituted $30.6 million for the $32.1 million dollars the House Appropriations Committee had recommended (H. Rept. 103-517) for the Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses (see May 26 _Congressional Record_, H4129- 30). The amendment passed by voice vote. Referring to the GPO Access Act, Rep. Barca said: "We believe that we should be able to do this on a cost-neutral or a cost-savings basis, and that is what this amendment would accomplish." Rep. Kleczka rose in strong support of Barca's amendment: ...I was very concerned when my colleague, Mr. Barca, told me that the $1.5 million that was being added to cover the basic costs for libraries to have initial electronic access. I certainly want the electronic access program to continue, with the depository libraries having free access, but it was quite clear that GPO must fund this through costs savings, not new spending. The $1.5 million dollar cut on the House floor was in addition to the $1.1 million the House Appropriations Committee had already denied to GPO to distribute the 1994 edition of the United States Code in both paper and CD- ROM to depository libraries (see ALAWON, Vol. 3, No. 24). In his budget request to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Public Printer Michael DiMario had requested $33.9 for the Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses for FY 1995 (the Depository Library Program is funded within this account). By passing $30.6 million for the SuDocs Salaries and Expenses for FY 1995, the House appropriated $1.5 million over the FY 1994 level, $29.082. During consideration of H.R. 4454, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) that would have--among other things--reduced funding for the FY 1995 SuDocs Salaries and Expenses to the FY 1994 level, and would have eliminated funding for the Joint Committee on Printing in FY 1995. ACTION NEEDED: Action on H.R. 4454 now shifts to the Senate. The Senate Legislative Branch Subcommittee [Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), chair; Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.); Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.); Sen. Connie Mack (R- Fla.); and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.)] will act within the next few weeks on H.R. 4454, the Legislative Branch FY 1995 appropriations bill. Members of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, the Senators on the Appropriations Committee--indeed ALL Senators--should be asked to appropriate the $33.9 million requested by the Public Printer for the Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses appropriation for FY 1995. It is imperative that the GPO Access Act be funded, to permit GPO to move ahead with providing an electronic locator to help users identify and locate federal information services and products; providing direct access to a group of core databases, beginning with the _Congressional Record_ and the _Federal Register_; and developing an electronic storage facility. Senators should also be requested to avoid including in their report on H.R. 4454 any restrictive language directing the Government Printing Office to distribute the U.S. Code only in CD-ROM format. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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: Lee G. Enyart (lge@alawash.org). 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