ALAWON v6n61 (July 24, 1997) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v6n61 ================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 61 ISSN 1069-7799 July 24, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (130 lines) FURTHER ACTION TAKEN ON LIBRARY & RELATED FUNDING; THANKS NEEDED ISTOOK AMENDMENT NOT OFFERED _________________________________________________________________ FURTHER ACTION TAKEN ON LIBRARY & RELATED FUNDING; THANKS NEEDED On July 22 congressional committees took two further steps in the process of funding library and education programs for FY98. The House Appropriations Committee took action on the FY98 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill. For library and closely related programs, the full committee approved the levels recommended recently by its Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee (see ALAWON v6, n57, July 17). However, one significant change related to the America Reads Challenge initiative is noted below. On the same day the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education made its recommendations on FY98 funding for these programs. See the chart below for House and Senate comparisons. The Senate subcommittee recommended a larger increase for the Library Services and Technology Act than the House committee--$146.4 million. This compares to $142 million from the House committee, $136.4 million in the President's budget, and $136.4 million for LSTA predecessor programs in FY97. For ESEA Title VI, the block grant which allows for purchase of school library materials, the Senate subcommittee provided $310 million, the same as current funding, but less than the House committee which increased it to $350 million. The Administration had requested no funds for this program. The Senate subcommittee included the $260 million requested for the America Reads Challenge proposal as a "literacy initiative" with funding advanced for FY99, but contingent upon passage of authorizing legislation by April 1, 1998. This was the same arrangement included by the House subcommittee. However, the full House Appropriations Committee made a significant change by adding language that specifies that if the America Reads Challenge initiative is not authorized by April 1, 1998, the $260 million is to be transferred to Special Education programs. Even without this potential transfer of funds, Special Education programs, now at $6.7 billion, would receive significant increases--to $7 billion in the House and to $7.7 billion in the Senate. FUNDING FOR FEDERAL LIBRARY & RELATED PROGRAMS PROGRAMS FY97 FY98 FY98 (amounts in thousands) Approp. House Com. Sen. Subcom. Library Services & Technology Act 136,369(1) 142,000 146,369 (or predecessor) Natl. Commission on Libraries and Info. Science 897 1,000 1,000 Adult Ed. and Literacy 354,551 349,828 354,551 Proposed literacy initiative (ex. America Reads Challenge) --- 260,000(2) 260,000(3) Federal College Work Study 830,000 860,000 830,000 ESEA title VI, Innovative ed. program strategies 310,000 350,000 310,000 State grants Goals 2000 491,000 475,000 530,000 Technology Literacy Challenge Fund 200,000 460,000 425,000 (1) Includes appropriations for LSCA and HEA Title II. (2) To be transferred to Special Education unless reading initiative authorized by April 1, 1998 (3) Advance for FY99 subject to enactment of legislation. THANKS NEEDED; NEXT STEPS: The Senate full Appropriations Committee was scheduled to meet on July 24 on the Labor-HHS-Education bill. The House Appropriations Committee has not yet issued its report on the bill (so no bill number as yet). At this point in the process, library supporters should thank House and Senate appropriators for support of library and closely related programs, especially where increases have been approved. (The U.S. Capitol Switchboard phone number is 202/224-3121.) Additional action will be needed at later stages. _________________________________________________________________ ISTOOK AMENDMENT NOT OFFERED During mark-up of the House Labor-HHS-Education bill, Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) did NOT offer his anticipated amendment that would have limited the advocacy voice of nonprofits. A floor amendment is still a possibility when the bill comes up for a vote in the House after the August recess. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson Claudette Tennant Anne Heanue All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================