****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 5, Number 12 March 20,1996 In this issue: (144 lines) PRESIDENT'S FY97 BUDGET RELEASED UNIVERSAL SERVICE COMMENTS DUE APRIL 8 AT THE FCC LIBRARY ADVOCATES ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT COMMENTS & LETTERS ***************************************************************** PRESIDENT'S FY97 BUDGET RELEASED Two months later in the year than usual, the President's FY 1997 budget was released March 19. At a briefing yesterday at the Department of Education, officials provided details on education programs. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, in his remarks, acknowledged the irony of discussing new fiscal year numbers before the final numbers had been arrived at for the current year, FY96. The Secretary said the FY97 budget included almost $1 billion in reductions, with almost forty program eliminations. He said $2 billion had been directed to Presidential priorities, among them a new technology initiative, an increase in Goals 2000, additional money for Education for the Disadvantaged (Title 1), and an increase for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities. For a generic Library Programs category, $110 million is requested "to support new library programs to be authorized under pending legislation. Federal support would focus on enhancing the use of technology to provide the public with access to information and on providing special services to those who need them in order to use public libraries." The $110 million for state grants would replace the current LSCA and HEA II programs. No further detail is provided. The $357 million requested for Educational Technology includes a local innovation challenge fund, and a new technology literacy challenge fund. "This request would ensure that all students have access to technology-rich learning environments. The funds are designed to serve as a catalyst for States and local communities to leverage the other resources necessary to integrate technology into school curricula." It was stated at the briefing that this was the first down payment of the proposed 5-year, $2 billion Presidential initiative announced in his State of the Union message. Further details of the budget will be related in a later ALAWON as the ALA Washington Office analyzes the various budget documents. ***************************************************************** UNIVERSAL SERVICE COMMENTS DUE APRIL 8 AT THE FCC LIBRARY ADVOCATES ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT COMMENTS & LETTERS The deadline is April 8 for submitting formal comments to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the _Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Universal Service_ (NPRM). It is in these proceedings on universal service that the provision allowing for discounted rates for interstate telecommunications services for libraries, K-12 schools, and rural healthcare providers will be implemented. This will initially be at least a 15-month process conducted by an FCC-State Joint Board and, ultimately, by the FCC itself. Intrastate rates will be determined by each state's public utilities commission (PUC), based on some of the federal policies established in through this NPRM and the FCC-Joint Board recommendations. In the NPRM, the FCC asks for comments on over 130 points, about half of which could be considered relevant to libraries. Libraries can make a special contribution in making comments regarding the functionalities that should be described for core services necessary to develop a new definition of universal service as well as the special services and advanced telecommunications services for libraries and schools. Library advocates should also standby to participate in their respective state proceedings as the various PUC's conduct similar rulemakings. Some states may already be conducting universal service proceedings; check with you respective PUC's for further information. ALA is developing a web site on this universal service proceeding which should be available before the beginning of next week. It will include an outline of the NPRM and key points considered relevant for libraries. ALA is preparing a comprehensive filing on behalf of libraries in general. There will be four weeks between the Comment deadline of April 8 and the deadline for _Reply Comments_ which is May 3. The reply comments are equally, if not more important, because they will be in response to all of the first formal comments made by all parties, and an opportunity to respond to questions raised by the opposition in their preliminary comments. ALA will utilize appropriate legal and economic studies in the development of its filing and its joint efforts with the education-library coalition. For further information contact Andrew Magpantay, Director, ALA Office of Information Technology at 202-628-8421; e-mail: jam@alawash.org or Lynne Bradley at 202-628-8410; e-mail: leb@alawash.org. State libraries, state library associations, and library networks are especially encouraged to submit comments. Those libraries with prohibitive costs for telecommunications connectivity are also encouraged to make their views known. In many cases, the high costs of connectivity are what have severely limited library development of telecommunications applications. The FCC should hear these stories as well. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 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. Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@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 listserv 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. To get a particular file, issue the command "send filename filetype" to the listserv. Do not include the quotes in your commands. All materials in the newsletter subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. For other reprinting or redistribution, address requests to the ALA Washington Office (alawash@alawash.org). ****End File****************End File*****************End File**** *****************************************************************