ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


C&RL News ■  O ctober 1998 / 707

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n e Lynn E. Bradley

Pending legislation in the 105th 
Congress
The 105th Congress is scheduled to end the 
second and final session o f  this Congress or 
“sine die” on  O ctober 9 . As w e  g o  to press, 
there remain many contentious issues o n  co n ­
gressional agendas, most notably several ap­
propriations bills, which, without passing, could 
again shut d ow n  the federal government. The 
scenario o f  another government shutdown is 
not relished by anyone, especially incumbents 
seeking to b e  returned to the H ouse or Senate 
in the N ovem ber elections.

Negotiations and debate on  bills related to 
intellectual property, government information, 
and other library-related issues cou ld g o  right 
up until the very last moment o f  the 105th Con­
gress. With the overlay o f  other political in­
trigues and investigations and the tremendous 
amount o f  appropriations legislation to be com ­
pleted, it is hard to predict which bills will find 
closure in this Congress.

Watch especially for final reports o n  whether 
the House and Senate com plete w ork on  out­
standing intellectual property legislation. In 
early August, the H ouse o f  Representatives 
passed H.R. 2281 implementing the World In­
tellectual Property Organization (WIPO) co p y ­
right treaty bill with a controversial database 
protection measure attached. Negotiations be­
tween House and Senate conferees cou ld g o  
right up to the first w eek  in October.

Similarly watch for final results o n  S. 2288, 
the Wendell H. Ford Government Publications 
Reform Act o f  1998. It w ou ld revise Title 44 o f  
the United States C ode to improve public ac­
cess to governm ent information, including 
strengthening the Federal Depository Library 
Program. Meanwhile, som e observers predict 
that final reports from this Congress will in­
clude reauthorization o f  Higher Education Act 
before “sine die.”

Internet filtering provisions have been  at­
tached to tw o different appropriations bills. 
Attached to the Commerce, Justice, State and 
Judicial appropriations bill S. 2260, is a bill spon­

L ynn e E. B ra d le y  is d e p u ty  e x e c u tiv e  d ir e c t o r  o f  ALA's 

W a sh in g to n  Office; e-m ail: leb@ alawash.org

sored by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), S. 1619, 
which w ou ld require all E-rate telecommuni­
cations discount-eligible schools and libraries 
to install filtering software o n  som e or all o f  
their com puter terminals in order to get the 
library-school discounts. S. 1482, a bill authored 
by Sen. Dan Coats (R-Indiana), which w ould 
prohibit commercial W eb distribution to mi­
nors, has also been attached as an amendment 
to S. 2260. No such amendments are attached 
to the House version o f  the com m erce appro­
priations bill, although there is a separate stand 
alone bill, H.R. 3783, sponsored by Rep. Michael 
O xley (R-Ohio) and others in the H ouse es­
sentially identical to Coats’ Child Online Pro­
tection Act.

H ow ever, the H ouse appropriations sub­
com mittee with jurisdiction ov er library and 
ed u ca tio n  fu n din g a p p r o v e d  15 to 0 an 
amendm ent offered b y  Rep. Ernest Istook Jr. 
(R-Oklahom a) that w o u ld  require K -12 p u b ­
lic schools and libraries, as a condition o f 
receiv in g federal funds from  any federal 
agency for the acquisition or operation o f  
com puters, to install software to protect chil­
dren from  obscenity.

Whatever the final ou tcom e o f  pending 
legislation in this Congress, this fall campaign 
period is an extremely important opportunity 
for ACRL members and other library a d v o­
cates to make contact with Congressional in­
cumbents and n ew  candidates alike. With key 
issues in mind, such as intellectual property 
and access to government information, library 
advocates are encouraged to attend and par­
ticipate in candidates’ forums and debates.

ALA creates Legislative Action Center
T o  build u p o n  the legislative updates in the 
ALA Washington Office Newsline (ALAWON) 
and information provided at the ACRL W eb 
site, the ALA Washington O ffice has recently 
expan ded its online services to include the 
Legislative Action Center located at h ttp :// 
congress.nw.dc.us/ala/. From this site you can 
read alerts o n  legislative issues that are criti­
cal for libraries, stay inform ed o f  Congress’ 
current schedule, and find your members o f  
Congress. ■

mailto:leb@alawash.org