****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 4, Number 32 March 31, 1995 In this issue: (143 lines) S. 652 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPETITION AND DEREGULATION ACT OF 1995 RELEASED TODAY - IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: LETTERS TO SUPPORT LIBRARY-EDUCATION PROVISION DOLE AMENDMENT WOULD CUT FY95 LIBRARY PROGRAMS BY $10 MILLION IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED *************************************************************************** S. 652 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPETITION AND DEREGULATION ACT OF 1995 RELEASED TODAY IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: LETTERS TO SUPPORT LIBRARY-EDUCATION PROVISION S. 652 - The Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act of 1995 has now been released and filed. The committee report is S. Rpt. 104-23. Pertinent provisions related to universal service and incremental cost- based rates for libraries, schools and rural public healthcare facilities are in the bill, based upon an amendment made by Senators Olympia Snowe (R- ME) and Jay Rockefeller (R-WV) at the March 23 mark up by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. This newest telecommunications legislation could be scheduled for Senate floor debate early this coming week. Library supporters should assume that the legislation could be debated as early as Tuesday morning. Even though some observers suggest that the bill will not actually make it to the Senate floor until after the April recess, library advocates should be ready to move in response to the "fast track" schedule. BACKGROUND: As previously reported in ALAWON (Volume 4, Nos. 28 and 30, March 23 and March 29) the Senate Commerce Committee conducted the bill mark up on March 23. The Snowe-Rockefeller amendment passed by a narrow roll-call vote by the committee. Other amendments added at the mark up included the incorporation S. 314, Sen. James Exon's (D-NE) Communications Decency Act of 1995. The Snowe-Rockefeller amendment has become sec. 264 of the bill. It provides for K-12 public schools and public libraries, as well as rural healthcare providers, to have access to advanced telecommunications and that these entities should be eligible for incremental cost rates. Library and education coalitions are seeking to insure that maximum access onto the information superhighway is provided in this legislation. Further analysis and interpretation of this just-published bill and report will be necessary. A first reading suggests that S.652 would push future debate on universal service and public telecommunications services into the Federal Communications Commission and state arenas. Sec. 402 of S. 652 is the "Communications Decency Act of 1995." It would expand prohibitions regarding "obscene" messaging to all telecommunications facilities. This section raises grave First Amendment questions even though telecommunications service providers would not be held responsible for the transmission of "obscenity, harassment", etc. Supposedly the language in this section would make the originator/author of an "obscene message" liable. ALA would support having the amendment completely removed from S. 652. It is not appropriate or necessary to proceed with a First Amendment debate of this nature amidst the larger telecommunications issues. IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Library associations, state library agencies, librarians and other library supporters are asked to phone or send letters to ALL senators to ask them to support the key public access provisions of S. 652. Senators should be asked to support the Snowe-Rockefeller amendment on library and related public access, specifically sec. 264. Further, senators should be asked to remove the Exon "Decency Act amendment" from this fast track. S. 652 is not the appropriate venue for discussion of this issue. In addition to contacting your respective senators, library groups are also asked to send or fax letters of support to: Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) phone: (202) 224-5344 phone: (202) 224-6472 fax: (202) 224-1946 fax: (202) 224-7665 To address Senate correspondence: The Honorable (full name) United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Senate switchboard phone number is: (202) 224-3121. *************************************************************************** DOLE AMENDMENT WOULD CUT FY95 LIBRARY PROGRAMS BY $10 MILLION IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED Friday, March 31, on the Senate floor during debate on S. 617, the Senate FY95 rescission bill, Senator Dole offered an amendment to restore programs in areas other than education and to further cut the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Service Corps and library programs. The amendment cuts HEA II-B library education and training by $10 million. The amendment framers are in error. FY95 appropriations were $4.916 million, so clearly this would also affect LSCA II-construction, or HEA II-B research and development. Senators who worked on and support the Dole amendment are Sens. Rick Santorum (R-PA); John Ashcroft (R-MO) and John Kyl (R-AZ) The Senate has not yet voted on the Dole amendment, but will take it up when consideration of S. 617 continues on Monday. ACTION NEEDED: Senators should be contacted by telephone if possible, to reject the Dole amendment. Final action will occur quickly on this legislation, with conference between House and Senate versions of the FY95 rescission bill to occur after spring recess. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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. Contributing to this issue: Mary R. Costabile; Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org). 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