****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 88 October 20, 1995 In this issue: (108 lines) NONPROFIT LOBBYING RESTRICTIONS MOVING FORWARD ACTION NEEDED: CONTACT KEY SENATORS ***************************************************************** NONPROFIT LOBBYING RESTRICTIONS MOVING FORWARD It appears that Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) and Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) have reached a compromise on the so-called Istook amendment that would restrict political advocacy by organizations receiving federal grants. Proponents of the Istook amendment have been trying to get the restrictive language added to H.R. 2020, the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill for FY96. Conferees on H.R. 2020 have scheduled a meeting for next Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 10:00 a.m.--a signal that adds to the rumors that an agreement is in process. Unfortunately, there are only broad outlines of the Istook- Simpson agreement available. We have been told that there is nothing in writing yet, but the key points are as follows. The Istook-Simpson agreement would cover organizations with budgets of $1 million or more that have at least 1/3 of their budget coming from federal grants (this would include grants passing through state and local governments to nonprofits). There would be a $100,000 limit on the amount of private funds that could be spent on advocacy. (We don't know if this is a sliding scale or if it is 10 percent of an organization's budget.) The definition of advocacy to be covered by the legislation is likely to be greatly expanded to include virtually all work on public policy matters at the local, state, or federal level, including litigation involving the government. At this time, it is not known if the agreement includes annual reporting requirements (divulging your advocacy activities and how much of your private money you spend on these activities), posting the annual reports on the Internet, or the bounty hunter provisions. Even knowing only the broad outlines of the Simpson-Istook agreement, there are severe problems with the plan. First, there is no need for the amendment. Using federal funds to lobby is prohibited under current law; penalties for violations are severe. Although four hearings have been held on this issue, there still is no evidence of nonprofit organizations using federal funds to lobby. So why is the amendment needed? Second, the principle of imposing a threshold on the free speech of an organization because they receive federal grants raises serious constitutional concerns. This remains an attempt to silence the voice of a significant portion of the nonprofit sector. Third, the definition of prohibited activities is too broad. Proponents of restricting nonprofit political advocacy are not just trying to prohibit lobbying (i.e., attempts to influence legislation), they are limiting virtually all public policy debate (e.g., communicating with agencies). This Simpson-Istook agreement is no different than the Istook amendment. The thresholds for coverage fit the description of the average federal grantee. The only real difference is the $100,000 threshold; instead of a 5 percent limit on the use of your private funds for advocacy, it would be 10 percent. Nonetheless, the principle is still wrong-headed. Greater detail on Congressional efforts to restrict nonprofit lobbying can be found in two previous issues of ALAWON: Vol. 4, Number 83, September 19, 1995 and Vol. 4, Number 73, August 3, 1995. ACTION NEEDED: Deadline for calls is close of business Tuesday, October 24. 1. Contact Sen. Alan Simpson to let him know you oppose the Simpson-Istook agreement -- even in its broadest outline. Phone Number: (202) 224-3424; FAX: (202) 224-1315; E-Mail: senator@simpson.senate.gov 2. Contact Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-OR) (Phone: (202) 224- 5244; FAX: (202) 224-0276) and Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT) (Phone: (202) 224-5141; FAX: (202) 228-0338; E-Mail: vermont@jeffords.senate.gov) to encourage them to continue opposing the Istook amendment, including the Simpson-Istook agreement. Thank them for their continuing leadership on this issue. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 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. Contributing to this issue: Carol C. Henderson; 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). ****Begin File**************Begin File*************Begin File**** *****************************************************************