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                                                   ISSN 1069-7799
                             ALAWON
                 ALA Washington Office Newsline
               An electronic publication of the 
         American Library Association Washington Office
                                
                       Volume 5, Number 3
                        February 8, 1996
                                
In this issue: (93 lines)
     TELECOMMUNICATION ACT OF 1996 SIGNED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON AT
          LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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                 TELECOMMUNICATION ACT OF 1996
       SIGNED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996
today, February 8, at the Library of Congress.  Speaking in the
Jefferson Building's main Reading Room, Vice President Gore's
opening remarks ended with a dialogue, via the Internet, with
Lily Tomlin's character, Ernestine.  President Clinton, as well
as Vice President Gore, commented on their goal to connect all of
America's schools, libraries and hospitals to the information
superhighway and how this bill will help realize that goal. 
House Speaker Newt Gingrich and other congressional leaders on
the pertinent Congressional commerce committees, also made
comments.  This was apparently the first time any bill had been
signed at the Library of Congress.

The final version of the bill signed by Clinton has few changes
from the conference committee report published in the
_Congressional Record_ on January 31.  Two provisions which most
affect libraries in the legislation, will now move forward to
other venues for debate.

DISCOUNTED RATES:  The Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon
SRKE)provision, which authorizes discounted rates for advanced
telecommunications services for libraries, K-12 schools and rural
health care providers, must be addressed by the Federal
Communications Commission as part of their rulemaking regarding
the universal service section of the law.  Further word will be
available shortly on how the FCC intends to conduct these
proceedings with the "FCC-State Joint Board".  

ALA and other education advocates are developing a strategy for
the next series of proceedings.  There will inevitably be efforts
to make sure this rate provision becomes a reality for our
libraries through legal participation in the FCC rulemaking. The
next phase will also have a major "education" component to inform
state utilities commissioners about the library needs for
advanced telecommunications services and how libraries can fit
into the new universal service policies.

INTERNET CONTENT RESTRICTIONS:  Meanwhile, ALA is also analyzing
the impact of the Internet content restrictions in the law. 
There is serious concern that these restrictions will at least
threaten, if not turn off, public access to the Internet and
related services.  This "chilling" provision many believe
compromises freedom of speech on the Internet.  Watch for further
information, including the potential for litigation.

Additional information as it becomes available.

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Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org).

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