ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 9, Number 62 July 19, 2000 In this issue: Conferees Named for Filtering and Funding - FY 2001, Labor- HHS-Education Appropriations Action Needed: Urge conferees to remove the McCain and Istook filtering provisions from the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education appropriations bill (H.R. 4577). Urge them to support the Santorum amendment. Don't delay; conference meetings begin this evening. Background: Conferees have been named to work out differences in the House and Senate versions of the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education appropriations bill (H.R. 4577). Some of the conflicting provisions of great concern to library supporters are the multiple filtering amendments in the bills. (ALAWON will be reporting on the library funding concerns in its next issue, coming later today.) The filtering provisions are as follows: 1) In the House version, the Istook amendment would prohibit use of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III funds by any school not using "technology which filters or blocks material that is obscene; child pornography; material harmful to minors" while the computers are being used by children. 2) In the Senate version, the McCain amendment would require all E-rate recipients to select and install filtering or blocking technology on each of their computers to block all child pornography, obscenity and other materials that the library determines to be inappropriate for minors. It also requires that the library certify that it is enforcing a policy that ensures the use of the blocking or filtering technology when a child is using a computer. 3) In the Senate version, the Santorum amendment would require all E-rate recipients to either adopt an Internet Use Policy created with community input OR install a blocking or filtering technology. 4) In the Senate version, the Hatch/Leahy amendment requires large Internet Service Providers to make filtering or blocking software available to their customers at cost or for free. The Santorum amendment strikes a reasonable balance between federal and local interests. It allows congressional leadership on the issue of child safety on the Internet while preserving the local ability to make management and content decisions regarding Internet access in public institutions. By supporting the implementation of Internet Use Policies, Santorum's amendment recognizes that filtering is not the silver bullet for protecting children from inappropriate material or dangerous situations on the Internet. It acknowledges that different communities may find vastly different solutions to address their specific circumstances. The Hatch/Leahy amendment is not likely to have a strong direct effect on libraries. However, both the Istook and McCain amendments are federal filtering mandates. Library supporters should let their legislators know that federal filtering mandates are unacceptable because: 1) mandates trample the local responsibilities and capabilities of local library and school boards; 2) mandates provide a false sense of security because no filter is able to block all materials that some people may find inappropriate; 3) mandates do not allow for any other means of ensuring that children have a safe, positive experience on the Internet; and 4) mandates compromise the First Amendment rights of library users. Library supporters who find any of their legislators among the following conferees should contact them to explain why federal filtering mandates, such as the McCain and Istook amendments, will not work to protect children and to urge them to accept Santorum's approach as an appropriate compromise. Library supporters who have legislators not participating in the conference should still call their own Senators and Representatives and ask them to influence their colleagues in the conference. Conferees for Labor, Health, Human Services and Education (H.R. 4577) listed in State order: St&Dist-Pty Senator or Represenatives Phone FAX (202 area code) AK - R Sen. Ted Stevens 224-3004 224-2354 AR 4 - R Rep. Jay Dickey 225-3772 225-1314 AZ - R Sen. Jon Kyl 224-4521 224-2207 CA 51- R Rep. Randy Cunningham 225-5452 225-2558 CA 8 - D Rep. Nancy Pelosi 225-4965 225-8259 CA - D Sen. Dianne Feinstein 224-3841 228-3954 CT 3 - D Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro 225-3661 225-4890 FL 13- R Rep. Dan Miller 225-5015 226-0828 FL 10- R Rep. C.W. Bill Young 225-5961 225-9764 HI - D Sen. Daniel K. Inouye 224-3934 224-6747 IA - D Sen. Tom Harkin 224-3254 224-9369 ID - R Sen. Larry E. Craig 224-2752 228-1067 IL 2 - D Rep. Jesse L. Jackson 225-0773 225-0899 IL 10- R Rep. John Edward Porter 225-4835 225-0837 KY 3 - R Rep. Anne Meagher Northup 225-5401 225-5776 MD 5 - D Rep. Steny H. Hoyer 225-4131 225-4300 MS 1 - R Rep. Roger F. Wicker 225-4306 225-3549 MS - R Sen. Thad Cochran 224-5054 224-9450 NH - R Sen. Judd Gregg 224-3324 224-4952 NM - R Sen. Pete V. Domenici 224-6621 228-0900 NV - D Sen. Harry M. Reid 224-3542 224-7327 NY 18- D Rep. Nita M. Lowey 225-6506 225-0546 OK 5 - R Rep. Ernest J. Istook 225-2132 226-1463 PA - R Sen. Arlen Specter 224-4254 228-1229 SC - D Sen. Ernest F. Hollings 224-6121 224-4293 TX 23- R Rep. Henry Bonilla 225-4511 225-2237 TX - R Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison 224-5922 224-0776 WA - R Sen. Slade Gorton 224-3441 224-9393 WA - D Sen. Patty Murray 224-2621 224-0238 WI 7 - D Rep. David R. Obey 225-3365 WI - D Sen. Herb Kohl 224-5653 224-9787 WV - D Sen. Robert C. Byrd 224-3954 228-0002 ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. 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