ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 11, Number 62
July 29, 2002

In This Issue: CONGRESSIONAL RECESS-WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?

The House of Representatives adjourned on July 26 - the Senate plans to follow on August 5.  As we do every year, we would like to stress to you the importance of communicating with your Representatives and Senators while they are in their districts.  This is an election year, so there will be many more opportunities for you to visit with them on issues of great importance to libraries and their users.  A face-to-face meeting, even though only lasting a short time, has a great impact.  Follow up those meetings by faxing letters to the local district office.  

LSTA REAUTHORIZATION-The Museum and Library Services Act, H.R. 3784, which includes reauthorization of library programs, has been introduced in the House, passed by subcommittee and full committee, and is now waiting for the entire House to vote on the bill.  Since the end of the fiscal year is October 1, there is strong reason why the bill needs to be voted on quickly in the House.   

MESSAGE:  Please ask your Representative to request that House leadership schedule a vote on the bill as soon as possible.  There are 94 sponsors on this bill.

The Museum and Library Services Act in the Senate, S. 2611, is waiting for full Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee action.  Senator Edward Kennedy is Chair of that committee.  

MESSAGE: Please ask your Senator to ask Senator Kennedy to schedule a committee vote on the bill as soon as possible.

The "TEACH" Act (S. 487 Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization Act)-The bill updates the Copyright Act to provide for distance education in the information age.  This bill was passed by the Senate and has now been voted on by the House full Committee and reported out.  It too needs to be put on the schedule for a full House vote.  MESSAGE:  Please ask your Representative to request that House leadership schedule a vote on the bill as soon as possible.  (See details on the bill at www.ala.org/alawash/disted.html)

APPROPRIATIONS-An ALAWON dated July 25 alerted you that the Senate Labor HHS Education Appropriations Committee had voted on its appropriations bill (see www.ala.org/alawash/ click on ALAWON for details) and many appropriations bills are being voted on in the full Senate this week and perhaps next week.  When the House returns in September, the House Labor HHS Education Appropriations Subcommittee may schedule its mark up as early as September 5.  
MESSAGE:  Please stress the importance of funding for library programs and the new Literacy Through School Libraries program.  The Senate bill would fund library and museum programs in IMLS at $214 million, while the Literacy Through School Libraries program would be funded at $25 million.  The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science would receive $1 million in the Senate bill. (Note: Both of the authorizing bills listed above would authorize library programs at higher levels than the Senate numbers).




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ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Camille Bowman, Mary Costabile, Don Essex, Patrice McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Jennifer Hendrix, Carrie Russell, Claudette Tennant. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.