C&RL News October 2021 440

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n eKevin Maher

Kevin Maher is ALA’s deputy director of government 
relations, email: kmaher@alawash.org

Tuition-free community college advances 
in House
Tuition-free community college, a key part of 
President Biden’s campaign platform, took a 
step towards reality on September 8 with the 
release of the House Education and Labor 
Committee’s budget reconciliation bill. In-
cluded in the nearly 300-page bill is a provi-
sion that would provide two years of tuition-
free community college for eligible students. 
Supporters of the initiative aim to encourage 
more students to enroll in community college 
and then transfer to a four-year college. 

Under the House Committee bill, the five-
year program would take effect in the 2023–24 
academic year, sunsetting after five years. States 
would receive grants covering 100 percent of 
tuition costs for all enrolled students. Federal 
grants would decline in award year 2027–28 to 
cover 80 percent of student costs, with states 
contributing the difference. The Committee 
proposal ensures the benefit would extend to 
historically Black colleges and universities, 
tribal colleges, and other minority-serving in-
stitutions. The legislation would provide “such 
sums as may be necessary.”

While the program would not provide 
funding directly for community college li-
braries, any increase in student enrollment 
would likely encourage community colleges to 
increase support for academic services, includ-
ing libraries. Librarians and library advocates 
need to make this point with administrators: 
libraries are pleased to provide services to more 
students—especially those from challenged 
backgrounds—but more work necessitates 
more resources for the library. 

The House Education and Labor Commit-
tee was expected to approve its bill by mid-
September, with possible consideration in the 
full House by September 30. ALA will continue 

to follow proposals in the House and Senate 
as a final spending bill winds its way through 
Congress and to the president.  

ALA accepts nominations for 
Copyright Award, October 31 
deadline
The ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office 
is accepting nominations for the L. Ray Pat-
terson Award. Established in 2002, the honor 
recognizes individuals or groups who “em-
body the spirit of the U.S. Copyright law as 
voiced by the framers of our Constitution: to 
advance the knowledge of science and useful 
arts” (U.S. Constitution, art 1, sec 8). Nomi-
nations will be accepted through October 31, 
2021.

The award is named after L. Ray Patterson, 
a key legal figure who explained and justified 
the importance of the public domain and fair 
use. He helped articulate that copyright law 
was negatively shifting from its original purpose 
and overly favoring rights of copyright hold-
ers. His book, The Nature of Copyright: A Law 
of Users’ Rights, is the definitive book on the 
constitutional underpinnings of copyright and 
the critical importance of the public domain.

Appropriate nominees for the Patterson 
Award are persons or groups who have made 
significant and consistent contributions in the 
areas of academia, law, politics, public policy, 
libraries, or library education to the pursuit of 
copyright principles.

Nomi na ti o n l e tte rs sho ul d  i ncl ud e  i l -
lustrative examples of how the nominee has 
contributed to the pursuit of the fundamental 
tenets of copyright law. Nominees who have 
worked or collaborated with libraries will be 
given special consideration.

Send letters of nomination outlining a 
candidate’s qualifications for this award to 
Alan Inouye, senior director, Public Policy and 
Government Relations, by email at ainouye@
alawash.org. 

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