ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 8, Number 86 August 30, 1999 In this issue: URGENT ACTION ALERT: Congressional Cosponsors Needed for Database Bill, H.R. 1858 It is still extremely important that members of the House Commerce Committee hear from constituents who prefer H.R. 1858 as soon as possible. Cosponsors are critically important as the House completes its final week of summer recess and ready to return to work on this legislation following Labor Day on September 7. Below is a new draft letter for library supporters to use in requesting your representatives to sign on as a cosponsor to H.R. 1858. You are asked to use this draft or a version of your own to ask the representatives listed to cosponsor H.R. 1858 and not to support H.R. 354. This final week of the Congressional summer recess is an optimum time to contact your congressional representative, if you have not already done so. (Or make a second such request if you have not yet heard from an earlier inquiry.) BACKGROUND: (see also ALAWON, vol 8, no 81, August 6, 1999) or the ALA Washington Web site at http://www.ala.org/washoff/ and look at the Legislative Action Center, http://congress.nw.dc.us/ala/. SAMPLE LETTER Dear Representative: I am writing as your constituent to ask you to cosponsor H.R. 1858, the Consumer and Investor Access to Information Act of 1999, introduced by Chairman Thomas Bliley, ranking minority member John Dingell, and other members of the House Commerce Committee. H.R. 1858 is a responsible and balanced approach to protecting commercial databases against piracy, while protecting value-added downstream uses of data. The bill reaffirms the basic information policy of this country - that facts cannot be owned. At the same time, the measure provides strong new protections against database theft. This bill is supported by a wide-ranging group of interests, including library, education, scientific, and research organizations, and many high-technology industry groups. The diversity of interests in support of H.R. 1858 indicates that it will not harm legitimate research and education activities and that it will preserve the fair use of information, but also prevent unfair competition. The other pending house database protection bill, H.R. 354, which has been approved by the House Judiciary Committee, sets out an overly broad and problematic statutory scheme, including criminal penalties. As it stands, that legislation could lead to a licensing framework where facts and other information, including government information, could be used only with permission and with additional costs for each use. I strongly oppose H.R. 354, which would have a detrimental effect on the ability of libraries to provide access to information for library users. Please let me know that you have signed on as a cosponsor to this important piece of legislation, H.R. 1858. The contact at the Commerce Committee is Clifford Riccio, Jr. at 202-226-2424. Thank you for your consideration of my request. Sincerely, HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE ST DIST PTY MEMBER PHONE FAX (Use 202 area code) AZ-4 R John Shadegg 225-3361 225-3462 CA-14 D Anna G. Eshoo 225-8104 225-8890 CA-22 D Lois Capps 225-3601 225-5632 CA-27 R James E. Rogan 225-4176 225-5828 CA-29 D Henry A. Waxman 225-3976 225-4099 CA-47 R Christopher Cox 225-5611 225-9177 CA-49 R Brian P. Bilbray 225-2040 225-2948 CO-1 D Diana DeGette 225-4431 225-5657 FL-6 R Clifford Stearns** 225-5744 225-3973 FL-9 R Michael Bilirakis 225-5755 225-4085 FL-20 D Peter Deutsch 225-7931 225-8456 GA-9 R Nathan Deal** 225-5211 225-8272 GA-10 R Charles W. Norwood 225-4101 225-0279 IL-1 D Bobby L. Rush 225-4372 226-0333 IL-20 R John M. Shimkus 225-5271 225-5880 IA-4 R Greg Ganske 225-4426 225-3193 KY-1 R Edward Whitfield 225-3115 225-3547 LA-3 R W. J. Tauzin** 225-4031 225-0563 MD-2 R Robert L. Ehrlich 225-3061 225-3094 MD-4 D Albert R. Wynn 225-8699 225-8714 MA-7 D Edward J. Markey** 225-2836 226-0340 MI-1 D Bart Stupak 225-4735 225-4744 MI-6 R Frederick S. Upton 225-3761 225-4986 MI-16 D John Dingell-Rnkg** 225-4071 MN-6 D William P. Luther 225-2271 225-3368 MS-3 R Charles Pickering 225-5031 225-5797 MO-5 D Karen McCarthy 225-4535 225-4403 MO-7 R Roy Blunt** 225-6536 225-5604 NJ-6 D Frank Pallone 225-4671 225-9665 NM-1 R Heather Wilson 225-6316 225-4975 NY-2 R Rick A. Lazio 225-3335 225-4669 NY-10 D Edolphus Towns** 225-5936 225-1018 NY-13 R Vito J. Fossella 225-3371 226-1272 NY-17 D Eliot L. Engel 225-2464 225-5513 NC-5 R Richard M. Burr 225-2071 225-2995 OH-4 R Michael G. Oxley** 225-2676 OH-5 R Paul E. Gillmor 225-6405 225-1985 OH-6 D Ted Strickland 225-5705 225-5907 OH-13 D Sherrod Brown 225-3401 225-2266 OH-14 D Thomas C. Sawyer 225-5231 225-5278 OK-1 R Steve Largent 225-2211 225-9187 OK-2 R Tom A. Coburn 225-2701 225-3038 PA-4 D Ron Klink 225-2565 226-2274 PA-8 R James C. Greenwood 225-4276 225-9511 TN-6 D Bart Gordon 225-4231 225-6887 TN-7 R Edward G. Bryant 225-2811 225-2989 TX-4 D Ralph M. Hall 225-6673 225-3332 TX-6 R Joe Barton** 225-2002 225-3052 TX-29 D Gene Green 225-1688 225-9903 VA-9 D Rick Boucher** 225-3861 225-0442 VA-7 R Tom Bliley, Chair** 225-2815 225-0011 WI-5 D Thomas Barrett** 225-3571 225-2185 WY-1 R Barbara Cubin 225-2311 225-3057 **Commerce Committee Members who cosponsored H.R. 1858 Other cosponsors (not on House Commerce Committee) include: IN-2 R David McIntosh 225-3021 225-3382 MS-2 D Bennie Thompson 225-5876 225-5898 MO-1 D William Clay 225-2406 225-1725 NC-2 D Bob Etheridge 225-4531 225-5662 OH-12 R John Kasich 225-5355 OH-18 R Robert Ney 225-6265 225-3394 ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. 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