ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 10, Number 4 January 31, 2001 In this issue: [1] ALA Washington Office and Office for Intellectual Freedom Launch New CIPA Web site! [2] Washington Office/OIF Memo Outlines Filtering Next Steps for Libraries and for ALA [3] FCC Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register [1] ALA Washington Office and Office for Intellectual Freedom Launch New CIPA Web site! Following the ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ALA Washington Office and the Office for Intellectual Freedom jointly launched a new Web site on ALA's activities regarding CIPA. The Web site (http://www.ala.org/cipa) contains up-to-the-minute information on the law including: Legislation: (http://www.ala.org/cipa/legislation.html) Links to the text of the law itself and a summary and analysis of the legislation prepared by ALA Counsel. Legislative developments will be posted here. Litigation: (http://www.ala.org/cipa/litigation.html) Progress and latest developments related to ALA's decision to sue over CIPA. Stay tuned to the litigation page for the most current information on ALA's impending suit. CIPA Questions and Answers: (http://www.ala.org/cipa/q&a.html) Basic and complex questions and answers about the law itself, certification and enforcement, definitions of terms used in the act, and much more. Check this link out for all your CIPA questions. Regulations and Guidance: (http://www.ala.org/cipa/regulations.html) The FCC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Department of Education will each issue regulations and guidance on complying with the law. Link here for their news and developments. Resources: (http://www.ala.org/cipa/resources.html) A wealth of information on libraries and the internet including the Council resolution opposing mandatory filters, a link to the library bill of rights and first amendment information, a list of other organizations opposed to CIPA, and much more. Headlines: (http://www.ala.org/cipa/headlines.html) Links to news regarding CIPA from both ALA and the media. Check here to learn what people are saying about CIPA. The CIPA site will be maintained jointly by the Washington Office and OIF and is intended to provide ALA members and supporters with the most current information about CIPA. Please check the site often for developments and new information! [2] Memo outlines next steps for libraries and for ALA The Washington Office and the Office for Intellectual Freedom jointly issued the following memo that outlines next steps for libraries and for ALA regarding CIPA. The memo is also available on the CIPA home page at http://www.ala.org/cipa. DATE: January 2001 FROM: The ALA Washington Office and the Office for Intellectual Freedom TO: ALA Membership RE: The Children's Internet Protection Act and the Neighborhood Internet Protection Act Congress passed the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Neighborhood Internet Protection Act (NCIPA) as part of a major spending bill (H.R. 4577) on December 15, 2000. The President signed the bill into law on December 21, 2000 (Public Law 106-554). The Acts place restrictions on the use of funding that is available through the Library Services and Technology Act, Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and on the Universal Service discount program known as the E-rate. These restrictions take the form of requirements for Internet safety policies and technology which blocks or filters certain material from being accessed through the Internet. The law will become effective on April 20, 2001. Next Steps for Libraries: * Do not rush to make changes to your current policies and procedures. * Continue to use current federal grants and E-rate discounts. Certifications under the new law will not need to be made until funding or application cycles that begin after April 20. Even in the first year that certifications are required, libraries and schools do not need to have a policy and technology in place. Instead they can certify that they are beginning the processes needed to develop a policy that includes the use of a blocking or filtering technology. * You have TIME. Use it! * Begin a local dialogue about what the new laws will mean to your library. Include board members and local legal counsel. * Consider adopting local resolutions similar to the Resolution on Opposition to Federally Mandated Filtering adopted by ALA at its Midwinter meeting in January 2001. * Be prepared for increased press and community interest in how your library manages public Internet access. * Make the most of the updated Libraries and the Internet Toolkit: Tips and Guidance for Managing and Communicating about the Internet available from ALA at http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/internettoolkit.html. * Document the impact these new laws have in your library. Regardless of how your library chooses to respond to CIPA and NCIPA, the laws will have an impact either through loss of funding, increased expense or reduction of library services. * Share the stories of how this law impacts your library with library users, legislators, press and ALA. You can send stories to ALA via the Office for Intellectual Freedom or the Washington Office. These offices will be working closely together and sharing whatever input they receive from the library community. * Participate in any regulatory processes originated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Department of Education through written comments. Next Steps for ALA: * ALA will file suit against the Children's Internet Protection Act and the Neighborhood Children's Internet Protection Act. * ALA will participate in the FCC rulemaking scheduled for early spring of 2001 on implementation of the new laws. * ALA will provide guidance for librarians in how to participate in the FCC rulemaking. * ALA will continue to disseminate information on the status and application of CIPA and NCIPA and on the progress of legal action against the measures. [2] FCC Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for implementing Subtitle B, Universal Service Discounts, and Subtitle C, the "Neighborhood Children's Internet Protection Act" was published today in the Federal Register. Subtitle B requires that libraries and schools to which subsection 254(h) of the Communications Act of 1934 applies may not receive universal service discounts (E-rate) to effect Internet access unless they certify to having an Internet safety policy and the operation of a technology protection measure. Subtitle C requires libraries and schools receiving E-rate discounts to adopt and implement an "Internet safety policy." The Deadline for Comments on the FCC's NPRM is February 14th (15 days from publication of proposed rule in the Federal Register), and the deadline for Reply Comments to Comments on FCC's NPRM is February 21st (7 days after Comment period closes). Download a PDF version of the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the ALA CIPA Web site at http://www.ala.org/cipa/FCCRulemaking.pdf. ****** 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. To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Mary Costabile, Peter Kaplan, Miriam Nisbet and Claudette Tennant. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Jennifer Hendrix, Carrie Russell and Saundra Shirley. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.