ALAWON v7n53 (May 21, 1998) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v7n53.txt ================================================================= ALAWON Volume 7, Number 53 ISSN 1069-7799 May 21, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (140 lines) SLC RELEASES DOCUMENTS TO HELP LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS RESPOND TO PROBLEM FAXES TRUTH IN BILLING AMENDMENT FOR E-RATE INCLUDED IN ANTI-SLAMMING LEGISLATION, S. 1618 FCC PROPOSES ENHANCEMENTS FOR TELECOM SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED _________________________________________________________________ SLC RELEASES DOCUMENTS TO HELP LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS RESPOND TO PROBLEM FAXES On May 14 the Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC) released a series of documents designed to help libraries and schools that have received "problem" faxes respond to the fax. These "quick fix" documents, designed to help applicants with specific line-item problems, are available online at http://www.slcfund.org/Reference/471ORProbRes_Fix.asp or via SLC's toll-free fax-on-demand service (800-959-0733--key in document #19). A number of common problem areas have been addressed in these documents and include some previously unofficial responses (such as how to deal with contract information for Internet Service contracts). Additional documents are being drafted and should be released shortly. The SLC is also asking for suggestions for additional "quick fix" documents. Please send those suggestions to mrevena@slcfund.org. Because the SLC help line has been swamped with calls from applicants, they ask that applicants consult these quick fix documents before calling the SLC help line (888-203-8100). _________________________________________________________________ TRUTH IN BILLING AMENDMENT FOR E-RATE INCLUDED IN ANTI-SLAMMING LEGISLATION, S. 1618 On May 12 the Senate unanimously passed (99-0) S. 1618, the Anti-slamming Amendments Act, which would impose strict penalties on long distance carriers who illegally switch consumers without consent. The bill also included an amendment on spam in an attempt to control junk e-mail and a "truth in billing" amendment. The "truth in billing" amendment was sponsored by Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Robert Kerrey (D-NE). The Rockefeller-Snowe amendment would require the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate billing practices of the telecommunications industries. If line items are put on bills to reflect new charges because of federal actions, (such as on the universal service program or the schools, libraries and rural health care telecommunications discounts), carriers would also have to outline the savings from other federal actions, such as decreases in access charges. Sens. Rockefeller and Snowe spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the amendment, noting that access charges were lowered $1.7 billion last summer and also pointed out that fairness would suggest that companies should describe the increases as well as decreases attributable to federal decisions. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spoke against the truth in billing amendment arguing that its sponsors were just trying to "rationalize" rate changes, especially increases and that it would not be feasible to control billing practices for all telecommunications companies. Action in the House of Representatives on the anti-slamming legislation is pending. _________________________________________________________________ FCC PROPOSES ENHANCEMENTS FOR TELECOM SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED On May 14 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed ways to enhance the quality of existing telecommunications relay services (TRS) and expand the availability of these services. TRS is currently used by the 2.5 million Americans with speech disabilities. The FCC's proposals included the expansion of speech-to-speech services and video relay interpreting. Speech-to-speech services allow people with speech disabilities to communicate more readily with other telephone users, while video relay interpreting allows individuals with speech disabilities to communicate by sign language or other forms of visual communications over the phone. This proposal is part of the FCC's ongoing efforts to make telecommunications technologies more accessible to people with disabilities. Last month the FCC opened a docket on Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act, seeking to promote the accessibility of telecommunications devices for people with disabilities and to promote universal access to enabling technologies. According to the FCC, Section 255 is the most significant governmental action for people with disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) released by the Commission last month proposes that key requirements of the Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board's February 1998 guidelines for telecommunications be implemented in a timely, effective manner. The FCC proposed that companies also be given the option to determine how they implement the guidelines. ALA is examining the proposals and may file comments, either individually or jointly with other parties. Both NPRMs are available online from the FCC's Disabilities Issues Task Force web site at http://www.fcc.gov/dtf. To file electronic comments in this proceeding, an electronic filing interface is available on the FCC's Web site at http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. _________________________________________________________________ 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: Aleck Johnson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================