ALAWON v7n130 (October 21, 1998) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v7n130.txt _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON Volume 7, Number 130 ISSN 1069-7799 October 21, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (113 lines) [1] CONGRESS PASSES OMNIBUS FUNDING AND AUTHORIZING BILL [2] INTERNET RELATED ISSUES _________________________________________________________________ [1] CONGRESS PASSES OMNIBUS FUNDING AND AUTHORIZING BILL A massive omnibus measure containing eight appropriations bills,=20 various emergency aid, and several substantial and numerous=20 smaller authorizing bills was passed by the House (333-95)on=20 October 20 and by the Senate (65-29) on October 21. The 105th=20 Congress will now adjourn. (However, the House will continue pro=20 forma sessions so that the Judiciary Committee can continue its=20 work on an impeachment inquiry.) This monster legislation (reportedly some 16 inches high and 40=20 pounds)is the product of a series of agreements reached between=20 congressional leaders and the Administration. It was filed and=20 made available to legislators Monday evening, and also printed as=20 an additional issue of the Congressional Record, but is not yet=20 electronically available to the public, although that is expected=20 today. The legislative vehicle is the conference report=20 (H. Rept. 105-825) on H.R. 4328, the Transportation=20 Appropriations Bill for FY 1999. While it will clearly take some time to fully analyze the omnibus=20 measure to be sure what is and is not included, here is some=20 preliminary information on funding levels for selected library=20 and education programs. SELECTED LIBRARY AND EDUCATION PROGRAM FUNDING (in thousands) PROGRAM FY98 FUNDING FY99 PRES. BUDGET LSTA $ 146.3 $ 146.3 =20 Reading** 0 50.0 ESEA VI 350.0 0 Ed. Tech.*** 584.0 721.0 21C. Learning Ctrs. 40.0 200.0 College Work Study 830.0 900.0 Teachers**** 0 1,100.0 NCLIS 1.0 1.0 PROGRAM (cont.) HOUSE BILL SENATE BILL FINAL FY99 LSTA $ 146.3 $ 156.3 $ 166.2* Reading** 0 0 260.0 ESEA VI 400.0 350.0 375.0 Ed. Tech.*** 541.0 623.5 698.1 21C.Learning Ctrs. 60.0 75.0 200.0 College Work Study 850.0 900.0 870.0 Teachers**** 0 0 1,194.0 NCLIS 1.0 1.0 1.0 * LSTA total includes level funding for state grants; Congress=20 put the increase in the National Leadership Grants, which receive=20 a total of $25m from LSTA, of which $15.4m is for specific=20 earmarked projects. ** Reading Excellence Act (This congressional revision of the=20 Administration's America Reads children's literacy initiative,is=20 authorized in the omnibus package.) *** Total of various programs **** Class size reduction teacher recruitment and training [2] INTERNET RELATED ISSUES Our understanding is that the omnibus package contains no=20 requirements to have libraries or schools install and use=20 filtering and blocking software as a condition of receiving=20 federal funds or the e-rate. Included in the omnibus package was a revised version of Rep.=20 Michael Oxley's (R-OH) bill, the Child Online Protection Act=20 (H.R. 3783), to prohibit the commercial distribution on the web=20 to minors of material that is "harmful to minors." Included in the omnibus package was the Internet Tax Freedom Act,=20 a 3-year moratorium on Internet taxation. Included in the omnibus package was an amended version of the=20 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (S. 2326). The bill=20 imposes parental consent or notice before children (12 and under)=20 could give any personally identifiable information to commercial=20 web sites targeted to children; however, nonprofit organizations=20 are excluded from the scope of the bill. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library=20 Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message:=20 subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/ subscribe.html or send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to=20 listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org.=20 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 Contributor: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library=20 Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial=20 purposes with appropriate credits. _________________________________________________________________