****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 40 August 5, 1994 In this issue: (169 lines) SENATE PASSES FY95 COMMERCE DEPARTMENT FUNDING FOR NII - ACTION NEEDED DEPT. OF EDUCATION REQUESTS COMMENTS ON RESEARCH PRIORITIES - NATIONAL LIBRARY OF EDUCATION NEH/NEA APPROPRIATIONS PASSES SENATE ESEA REAUTHORIZATION PASSES THE SENATE *************************************************************************** SENATE PASSES FY95 COMMERCE DEPARTMENT FUNDING FOR NII - ACTION NEEDED On July 22, the Senate passed H.R. 4603, the FY95 Appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary (S.Rept. 103-309). The House passed its version of the bill on June 27 (H.Rept. 103-552). Among the programs funded through this bill are the Information Infrastructure Grants to demonstrate applications of telecommunications technology for education, health care, public and community services, and public safety. In FY94, $26,000,000 is available in matching grants through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to help nonprofit entities, including libraries, develop the National Information Infrastructure. NTIA requested almost $99,988,000 for these matching grants in FY95, but in passing their respective versions of H.R. 4603, the Senate allowed $52,000,000 for the grant program, while the House provided $70,000,000. Senate and House conferees will meet to resolve differences in the two versions of the bill and to determine the funding level for FY95. Conferees for the Senate are Senators Ernest Hollings (D-SC), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Dale Bumpers (D-AR), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jim Sasser (D-TN), Robert Kerrey (D-NE), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Ted Stevens (R-AK), Mark Hatfield (R-OR), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Phil Gramm (R-TX). House Conferees have not been named yet, but generally include the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. David Obey (D-WI), and members of the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Subcommittee [Representatives Neal Smith (D-IA), Bob Carr (D-MI), Alan Mollohan (D-WV), James Moran (D-VA), David Skaggs (D-CO), David Price (D- NC), Harold Rogers (R-KY), Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), Charles Taylor (R-NC)]. ACTION NEEDED: Ask Senate conferees to agree to the $70,000,000 House- passed number for the NTIA Information Infrastructure Grants, and ask likely House conferees to insist on their number during the conference on H.R. 4603, Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations for FY95. *************************************************************************** DEPT. OF EDUCATION REQUESTS COMMENTS ON RESEARCH PRIORITIES - NATIONAL LIBRARY OF EDUCATION The Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the Department of Education is soliciting public comment on implementation of new OERI authorizing legislation. The Educational Research, Development, Dissemination and Improvement Act of 1994 was added to the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and signed into law on March 31 as P.L. 103-227. The act calls for a reorganization of OERI and establishment of priorities for its future work. The act requires that OERI establish several new entities, including a research institute that would include library research, and a National Library of Education: * The National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment; * The National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students; * The National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education; * The National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management; * The National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning; * The Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemination; and * The National Library of Education. The July 7 _Federal Register_ notice (pp. 34802-03) lists a number of areas in which the Department of Education is especially interested in recommendations, including research priorities for each institute, dissemination strategies, and information services, resources and materials that should be available to the public through a National Library of Education. Prior to submitting comments, OERI encourages those commenting to review the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination and Improvement Act of 1994, available upon request. Also available upon request are topic papers prepared by OERI, including papers related to each of the new organizational entities listed above. Comments are due by SEPTEMBER 6. To submit comments or to request the documents referenced above, contact Laurence Peters, U.S. Dept. of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 600, Washington, D.C. 20208-5530. Phone: 202-219-2050. Fax: 202-219-1466. For further information, Internet: reauth-questions@inet.ed.gov, and for comments, Internet: reauth-comments@inet.ed.gov. For TDD, call 1-800-877-8339. *************************************************************************** NEH/NEA APPROPRIATIONS PASSES SENATE On July 26, the Senate passed the FY95 Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 4602). During debate on the bill, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), chair of the Appropriations Committee, reminded the Senate that "When we vote for $13 billion in outlay reductions for discretionary spending, as was done with this year's budget resolution, we have to be prepared to accept the consequences. This year's share of that reduction was $500 million." He said many Senators received calls about that budget cut, "And as President Reagan used to say, 'You ain't seen nothing yet.' Wait until next year." For details, see July 25, _Congressional Record_, p. S9606. The Senate Appropriations Committee cut funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by 5 percent. This action was related to Senatorial disapproval of certain recently funded projects. During floor consideration of the bill, Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) attempted to prohibit the use of NEA funds for projects or works involving the mutilation of living or dead human beings, or the drawing or letting of blood. His amendment was tabled after vigorous debate. The NEA total was $161.5 million, compared to the House-passed $167.6 million (a 2 percent cut). The National Endowment for the Humanities received $177.3 million in the Senate bill. The next step will be a House- Senate conference on the bill. *************************************************************************** ESEA REAUTHORIZATION PASSES THE SENATE On August 2, after days of debate concerning formula changes to Title 1 and other amendments, the Senate passed S. 1513, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization entitled "Improving America's Schools Act." The Senate chose to amend its bill into H.R. 6, so the final bill will use the House number. The education technology and school library provisions of the bill were not changed during Senate floor debate. A House-Senate conference committee will be needed to work out the differences between House and Senate versions. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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). 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 and other documents are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. 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