****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 89 October 24, 1995 In this issue: (308 lines) TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BEGINS WORK ON S. 652 ACTION NEEDED: CONTACT CONFEREES AND OTHERS TO SUPPORT LIBRARY-SCHOOL PROVISION QUESTION AND ANSWER ON SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER-KERREY-EXON ***************************************************************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BEGINS WORK ON S. 652 ACTION NEEDED: CONTACT CONFEREES AND OTHERS TO SUPPORT LIBRARY-SCHOOL PROVISION Staff to the House-Senate telecommunications conference committee have just begun preliminary work on S. 652, the Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act of 1995. House and Senate appointees to the telecommunications conference committee are listed below. While it has been reported by some congressional staffers that this will be a "quick conference" others speculate that it will take until the end of this year to complete the work because of the bill's many complex issues and the wide-spread debate between sectors of the telecommunications industry (primarily the regional Bells and the long-distance companies). In any event, this is a critical period to prevail upon the conferees to retain the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon (SRKE) amendment in section 310 of S. 652. The Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon (SRKE) amendment in the Senate telecommunications bill, S. 652, provides for a type of affordable or discounted rates for advanced telecommuncations services to K-12 schools and public libraries as part of the legislation addressing universal service. There is no comparable provision for affordable rates for libraries in the House version, H.R. 1555. (The House bill has now passed its H.R. 1555 bill as S. 652 so that the conference will officially be meeting on the two versions of S. 652.) Following the list of conferees below is a "Question and Answer" discussion of the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon amendment and why ALA and other library supporters are working to see that this provision is retained during conference negotiations. ACTION NEEDED: CONTACT CONFEREES AND OTHERS TO SUPPORT LIBRARY-SCHOOL PROVISION Library advocates are asked to contact the conferees and seek their support to keep SRKE presently in section 310 of S. 652. Other congressional offices should also be contacted and encouraged to advocate for SRKE. While SRKE is not one of the most "critical" issues to the industry or perhaps, even to most congressional conferees, it is extremely important for libraries and schools to receive affordable rates for telecommunications services. By some analysis, the SRKE amendment is the only "public interest" provision in the legislation since the affect of deregulation and more competition on consumer rates for cable, telephone and other services is subject of great disagreement. Following is a list of the telecommunications conferees. Note that some have been appointed only to certain provisions in the legislation. Most conferees are from the House and Senate Commerce committees. There are some conferees from their respective judiciary committees because of some of the anti-trust issues being addressed. SENATE: Republicans: Democrats: Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SC) Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC) Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) Sen. Wendell H. Ford (D-KY) Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) Sen. James Exon (D-NE) Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA) Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) HOUSE: Commerce Committee: Republicans: Democrats: Rep. Thomas J. Bliley, Jr., (R-VA) Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) Rep. Jack Fields (R-TX) Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) Rep. Michael Oxley (R-OH) Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) Rep. Rick White (R-WA) Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) *Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) *in lieu of Boucher solely for consideration of sec. 205 of the Senate bill Additional Conferees: For consideration of sections 1-6, 101-104, 106-107, 201, 204-205, 221-225, 301-305, 307-311, 401-402, 405-406, 410, 601-606, 703, and 705 of the Senate bill and Title I of the House amendment: Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Rep. Bill Paxon (R- NY), Rep. Scott Klug (R-WI), Rep. Daniel Frisa (R-NY), Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Rep. Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D-ARK) For consideration of sections 102, 202-203, 403, 407-409, and 706 of the Senate bill and Title II of the House amendment: Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), and Rep. Daniel Frisa (R-NY) For consideration of sections 105, 206, 302, 306, 312, 501-505, and 701-702 of the Senate bill and title III of the House: Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Rep. Bill Paxon (R-NY), Rep. Scott Klug (R-WI) For consideration of sections 7-8, 226, 404, and 704 of the Senate bill and titles IV-V of the House bill: Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), and Rep. Scott Klug (R-WI). For Title VI of the House amendment: Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Rep. Scott Klug (R-WI). As conferees from Committee on the Judiciary for consideration of the Senate bill (except for sections 1-6, 101-104, 106-107, 201, 204-205, 221-225, 301-305, 307-311, 401-402, 405-406, 410, 601-606, 703, and 705) and of the House amendment except title I: Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-CA), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), Rep. Michael Flanagan (R-IL), Rep. John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI), Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), and Rep. John Bryant (D-TX). Additional conferees for consideration of sections 1-6, 101-104, 106-107, 201, 204-205, 221-225, 301-305, 307-311, 401-402, 405-406, 410, 601-606, 703 and 705 of the Senate bill, and title I of the House amendment, and modifications: Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-CA), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), Rep. Michael Flanagan, (R-IL), Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), Rep. Martin Hoke, (R-OH), Rep. John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI), Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Rep. John Bryant (D-TX), Rep. Robert Scott (D-VA), and Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX). ***************************************************************** QUESTION AND ANSWER ON SNOWE-ROCKEFELLER-KERREY-EXON LET LIBRARIES CONNECT AMERICA Buried in a long and complex telecommunications bill is a crucial provision to ensure that libraries, schools, and rural health-care providers have affordable telecommunications rates. WHAT'S THE VEHICLE? Congress has passed a major rewrite of the nation's telecommunications law. The Senate version (S. 652) and the House version (H.R. 1555) are headed for a House-Senate conference. The bills remove many regulatory requirements and provide incentives for major industries to speed up development of the information superhighway. WHO BENEFITS? The telecommunications industry stands to gain the most. The public would presumably benefit indirectly. Yet very little in the bills would guarantee that the public interest is served. The information superhighway promises a wealth of information, but it could leave those who can't afford it, don't know what it can do for them, or need help to navigate it at the curbside. WHAT'S AT STAKE? One small provision in the Senate version of this complex measure would require that certain key public institutions--libraries, schools, rural health-care providers--receive telecommunications services at discounted, affordable rates. This provision is an amendment agreed to by a resounding Senate vote of 98 to 1 in June, 1995. The amendment was originated by Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Bob Kerrey (D-NE), and J. James Exon (D-NE). The House bill has no comparable provision. WHAT DOES THE AMENDMENT DO? Libraries--and elementary and secondary schools--would receive telecommunications services at rates less than those charged for similar services to other parties. The amount of the discount for libraries and schools would be determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the states, as necessary and appropriate to ensure affordable access to and use of telecommunications. Rural health-care providers would receive services at rates comparable to their urban counterparts. The amendment would also require the FCC to establish rules to make advanced telecommunications services more available to libraries, schools, and health-care providers. WOULD THE LIBRARY/SCHOOL RATES IMPOSE REQUIREMENTS ON ANY INDUSTRY? The library/school amendment would apply to all telecommunications carriers serving a geographic area, upon the request of a qualifying library or school. Schools are defined as elementary and secondary schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Libraries are those eligible for participation in state-based plans for interlibrary cooperation under the federal Library Services and Construction Act. WOULD THE LIBRARY/SCHOOL RATES RAISE OTHER CUSTOMERS' RATES? The library/school amendment should not affect other rates. Telecommunications carriers would be entitled to have the amount of the discount provided to libraries and schools treated as a universal service obligation. WHO DETERMINES WHAT SERVICES SHOULD BE "UNIVERSAL"? Since 1934, in the public interest, common carriers have been required to contribute toward the availability of phone service for all Americans. The new definition of universal service will evolve as technology evolves, as determined by the FCC and a joint federal/state board. The amendment provides that the FCC may, in the public interest, provide a separate definition of universal service to apply to libraries, schools, and health-care providers. WHY SHOULD LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS BE CONSIDERED PART OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE? Education, information, and health-care are the life blood of democracy. America's economic well-being depends on workers who are technologically competent. Our democracy depends on citizens who are well-informed. Through libraries and schools, pre-schoolers through great-grandparents have access to lifelong learning, and to what they need to know to make wise decisions in their personal, work, and public lives. Increasingly, learning and knowing require use of advanced technologies. Libraries and schools provide the access points, the training, and the point-of-use help. WHY DO LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION? A recent U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science study found that 21 percent of public libraries have Internet connections, but only 13 percent of libraries serving rural and/or small communities are on-line. A 1995 National Center for Education Statistics report found that only 3 percent of public school classrooms were connected to the Internet or information services for instructional purposes. The major barrier is lack of funding. What's more, rural libraries and schools are often in isolated regions without local "nodes" for electronic data connections. Each time a connection is made becomes the equivalent of a long distance call, making rural connectivity prohibitively expensive in some areas. IS THE AMENDMENT A GOOD DEAL FOR THE PUBLIC? Yes. Libraries and schools have always been our on ramp to society's information resources--teaching us the skills we need to use them, showing us new possibilities for getting and using information, and serving as friendly guides through mountains of irrelevant data to find just the information we need. It makes great sense to help these institutions get an early start on the information superhighway. IS THE AMENDMENT A GOOD DEAL FOR INDUSTRY? If the telecommunications companies are going to earn a return from their investments in building the infrastructure, they are going to have to convince us that there are resources worth paying for out in cyberspace. What's more, we are all going to have to learn the new skills to get at those resources. Libraries and schools are the learning fields of the information society. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? The House and Senate should agree to include discounted affordable rates for libraries and schools in the final telecommunications legislation that goes to the President's desk. It will help assure that the benefits from the information superhighway are available to us all, regardless of background, income or hometown. For answers to these or other questions about why Americans need our libraries and schools to have discounted telecommunications rates, please contact: Rochelle Lefkowitz at 212/245-0510 ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 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). 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