================================================================= ALAWON Volume 7, Number 25 ISSN 1069-7799 March 12, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (111 lines) SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE APPROVES S. 1619, INTERNET SCHOOL FILTERING ACT, WITH MODIFICATIONS COATS BILL, S. 1482, APPROVED IN COMMITTEE NGI RESEARCH BILL CLEARS COMMERCE COMMITTEE _________________________________________________________________ SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE APPROVES S. 1619, INTERNET SCHOOL FILTERING ACT, WITH MODIFICATIONS On March 12 the Senate Commerce Committee approved S. 1619, the Internet School Filtering Act, with the agreement that modifications will be made based upon proposals from Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Sen. John Breaux (D-LA). S. 1619 has passed out of committee, and many questions remain about what specific language will be worked out. However, it appears that library and other grassroots supporters influenced the outcome, giving us the opportunity to continue to work on this issue. S. 1619, as originally introduced February 9 by Senate Commerce Committee Chair John McCain, (R-AZ), would require libraries and schools to certify they have installed Internet filtering or blocking software in order to receive the E-rate telecommunications discounts authorized in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 under universal service provisions. In recent days many library and education supporters had rallied around an alternative proposal from Sen. Burns that would require libraries and schools to certify that they have appropriate Internet use policies in order to obtain the discounts. The abbreviated but vigorous debate on the local use policy alternative indicated considerable support for Sens. Burns' language, with Sens. Rockefeller (D-WV) and Wyden (D-OR) clearly in support. Sens. Burns and Rockefeller were especially articulate in arguing that a federal mandate requiring filtering would not be flexible enough to allow for use of new technologies in the future nor would it keep the responsibility on how best to work with children where it belongs -- with parents and local schools and libraries. Meantime, Sen. Breaux proposed another alternative which would require "flexible filtering," intended to allow access to needed health and other such appropriate educational information. Given their lengthy markup agenda and a pending Senate floor vote, the committee, at the suggestion of Sen. McCain, passed S. 1619, but will work in good faith with Sens. Burns and Breaux to produce alternative language before the bill goes to the Senate floor. Thanks to the library supporters, especially supporters from states represented on the Commerce Committee, who asked their Senators to support Sen. Burns' bill. Your efforts made a difference. Further information and alerts with be forthcoming. _________________________________________________________________ COATS BILL, S. 1482, APPROVED IN COMMITTEE S. 1482, introduced by Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN,) was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee at its March 12 meeting. The bill will now go to the full Senate for consideration. S. 1482 would prohibit commercial distribution on the web of material deemed "harmful to minors." _________________________________________________________________ NGI RESEARCH BILL CLEARS COMMERCE COMMITTEE The Senate Commerce Committee at its March 12 meeting approved S. 1609, the Next Generation Internet Research Act. The bill, introduced by Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), will go to the Senate floor. The bill would amend the 1991 High-Performance Computing Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 for the Next Generation Internet program. It would also require the Advisory Committee on High-Performance Computing and Communications, Information Technology, and the Next General Internet to monitor and give advice concerning the development and implementation of the NGI program to the President and the Congress. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================