LEGISLATIVE ACTION NOTICE ACTION NEEDED DATE: July 19, 1996 FROM: James Gashel RE: NLS update and copyright amendments (1) NLS: Congratulations to everyone who has worked on the effort to protect the specified line-item spending level for our library service from NLS. When the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its bill for the legislative branch, the section on transferring funds was different from the version passed by the House. For one thing, the Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped program will be protected. Letters of appreciation and support for this position should be sent to your own Senators and to Senator Connie Mack, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch. For the address, simply use the following: The Honorable (insert name) United States Senate Washington, D. C. 20510 The Senate action means that a difference will exist between the House and Senate versions of the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. After the bill passes the Senate, this and all other differences will be reconciled by a conference committee composed of members from the Appropriations Committee in both the House and the Senate. In this case, the conferees will be the Legislative Branch Subcommittee members from each body. Each member of Congress (House or Senate) can help by expressing support for the Senate position on the transfer authority provision, section 208 of the legislative branch appropriations bill. House members should be asked to urge the House conferees to accept the Senate position. Senators should be asked to urge the Senate conferees to stand firm in negotiations with the House. The Appropriations, Legislative Branch Subcommittee members (House and Senate) are listed at the end of this notice. Staff contacts plus telephone and fax numbers are provided. (2) COPYRIGHT AMENDMENTS: Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island has announced that he will soon introduce a bill to enact as part of the copyright law the agreement which the National Federation of the Blind and the Association of American Publishers reached in January, 1996. The legislation will remove existing requirements for approval by publishers before a copyrighted work can be reproduced or distributed in Braille, sound, or digital formats. All Senators should be asked to cosponsor Senator Chafee's bill to make copyright amendments for the blind. This description--copyright amendments for the blind--can be used at present in place of a bill number. A "Dear Colleague" letter has been sent from Senator Chafee to each Senate office. Staff members who indicate that they have not seen the letter should contact Barbara Riehle on Senator Chafee's staff. Her telephone number is 202-224-2921. The text of the letter appears at the end of this message. Many Senators will undoubtedly become cosponsors of this bill, but it is our job to let them know about it. The bill which Senator Chafee is introducing will very likely be presented as an amendment to other relevant legislation that has a high probability of becoming law quite soon. Therefore, a sizable list of Senate cosponsors will help this effort along. It is possible that the amendment may be attached to the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. The Senate will almost certainly consider and pass that bill before the end of July. A list of all Senators with telephone and fax numbers can be found immediately before the text of the "Dear Colleague" letter below. The list is also on the National Federation of the Blind web site under the heading of "Legislation: Current and Proposed." The list can also be faxed to you upon request. At this point we must make a maximum effort to obtain a sizable list of Senate cosponsors. Note: The documents in this notice can also be found on the National Federation of the Blind web site under "Legislation: Current and Proposed." The address for the NFB web site is: http://www.nfb.org. Information which develops on these issues as the process in Congress continues will also be posted there. COMMITTEE LISTS: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH SUBCOMMITTEE Note: The Senators on the list below appear in order of their subcommittee ranking. The chairman and ranking minority member of the full committee are ex-officio members of all subcommittees. Therefore, they are shown as such on this list. Their position on the full committee can significantly influence subcommittee action in many circumstances. MAJORITY Connie Mack, FL, Chairman 202-224-1326 - voice 202-228-3196 - fax Larry Harris - STAFF ASST. Robert F. Bennett, UT 202-224-5444 - voice 202-224-4908 - fax Corine Larson - STAFF ASST. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, CO 202-224-5852 - voice 202-224-1933 - fax Tammy Perrin - STAFF ASST. MINORITY Patty Murray, WA, Ranking Minority Member 202-224-2621 - voice 202-224-0238 - fax Greg Williamson - STAFF ASST. Barbara Mikulski, MD 202-224-4654 - voice 202-224-8858 - fax Lisa Kinard - STAFF ASST. EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Mark O. Hatfield, OR, full committee, Chairman 202-224-3753 - voice 202-224-0276 - fax Mark Yerby - STAFF ASST. Robert Byrd, WV, full committee, Ranking Minority Member 202-224-3954 - voice 202-228-0002 - fax Kathy McNally - STAFF ASST. COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LEGISLATIVE BRANCH SUBCOMMITTEE Note: The members of the House on the list below appear in order of their subcommittee ranking. The chairman and ranking minority member of the full committee are ex-officio members of all subcommittees. Therefore, they are shown as such on this list. Their position on the full committee can significantly influence subcommittee action in many circumstances. MAJORITY Ron Packard, CA, Chairman 202-225-3906 - voice 202-225-0134 - fax Ed Lombard - STAFF ASST. C. W. Bill Young, FL 202-225-5961 - voice 202-225-9764 - fax Douglas Gregory - STAFF ASST. Charles H. Taylor, NC 202-225-6401 - voice 202-226-6405 - fax Roger France - STAFF ASST. Dan Miller, FL 202-225-5015 - voice 202-226-0828 - fax Danielle Doane - STAFF ASST. Roger F. Wicker, MS 202-225-4306 - voice 202-225-3549 - fax Spence Flatgard - STAFF ASST. MINORITY Ray Thornton, AR, Ranking Minority Member 202-225-2506 - voice 202-225-9273 - fax Lauren Gaddy - STAFF ASST. Jos E. Serrano, NY 202-225-4361 - voice 202-225-6001 - fax Lucy Hand - STAFF ASST. Vic Fazio, CA 202-225-5716 - voice 202-225-5141 - fax Don DeArmon - STAFF ASST EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Bob Livingston, LA, full committee, Chairman 202-225-3015 - voice 202-225-0739 - fax Ed Lombard - STAFF ASST. David Obey, WI, full committee, Ranking Minority Member 202-225-3365 - voice 202-225-9476 - fax Gregory Dahlberg - STAFF ASST. U. S. SENATE LIST Telephone prefix 202-22 ALL ADDRESSES ARE WASHINGTON, DC 20510 ST SENATOR ADDRESS PHONE FAX NO. AK Frank H. Murkowski 706 Hart SOB 4-6665 202-224-5301 AK Ted Stevens 522 Hart SOB 4-3004 202-224-2354 AL Howell Heflin 728 Hart SOB 4-4124 202-224-3149 AL Richard Shelby 110 Hart SOB 4-5744 202-224-3416 AR Dale Bumpers 229 Dirksen SOB 4-4843 202-224-6435 AR David Pryor 267 Russell SOB 4-2353 202-228-3973 AZ Jon Kyl 702 Hart SOB 4-4521 202-228-1239 AZ John McCain 241 Russell SOB 4-2235 202-228-2862 CA Barbara Boxer 112 Hart SOB 4-3553 415-956-6701 CA Dianne Feinstein 331 Hart SOB 4-3841 202-228-3954 CO Hank Brown 716 Hart SOB 4-5941 202-224-6471 CO Ben Nighthorse Campbell 380 Russell SOB 4-5852 202-224-1933 CT Christopher Dodd 444 Russell SOB 4-2823 202-224-1083 CT Joseph I. Lieberman 316 Hart SOB 4-4041 202-224-9750 DE Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 221 Russell SOB 4-5042 202-224-0139 DE William Roth, Jr. 104 Hart SOB 4-2441 202-228-0354 FL Bob Graham 524 Hart SOB 4-3041 202-224-2237 FL Connie Mack 517 Hart SOB 4-5274 202-224-8022 GA Paul Coverdell 200 Russell SOB 4-3643 202-228-3783 GA Sam Nunn 303 Dirksen SOB 4-3521 202-224-0072 HI Daniel K. Akaka 720 Hart SOB 4-6361 202-224-2126 HI Daniel Inouye 722 Hart SOB 4-3934 202-224-6747 IA Charles Grassley 135 Hart SOB 4-3744 202-224-6020 IA Tom Harkin 531 Hart SOB 4-3254 202-224-9369 ID Larry E. Craig 313 Hart SOB 4-2752 202-224-2573 ID Dirk Kempthorne 367 Dirksen SOB 4-6142 202-224-5893 IL Carol Moseley-Braun 320 Hart SOB 4-2854 202-228-1318 IL Paul Simon 462 Dirksen SOB 4-2152 202-224-0868 IN Daniel R. Coats 404 Russell SOB 4-5623 202-228-4137 IN Richard G. Lugar 306 Hart SOB 4-4814 202-228-0360 KS Sheila Frahm 141 Hart SOB 4-6521 202-228-1245 KS Nancy L. Kassebaum 302 Russell SOB 4-4774 202-224-3514 KY Wendell Ford 173A Russell SOB 4-4343 202-224-0046 KY Mitch McConnell 361A Russell SOB 4-2541 202-224-2499 LA John B. Breaux 516 Hart SOB 4-4623 202-224-4268 LA J. Bennett Johnston 136 Hart SOB 4-5824 202-224-2952 MA Edward M. Kennedy 315 Russell SOB 4-4543 202-224-2417 MA John F. Kerry 421 Russell SOB 4-2742 202-224-8525 MD Barbara Mikulski 709 Hart SOB 4-4654 202-224-8858 MD Paul S. Sarbanes 309 Hart SOB 4-4524 202-224-1651 ME William S. Cohen 322 Hart SOB 4-2523 202-224-2693 ME Olympia J. Snowe 495 Russell SOB 4-5344 202-224-1946 MI Spencer Abraham 245 Dirksen SOB 4-4822 202-224-8834 MI Carl Levin 459 Russell SOB 4-6221 202-224-1388 MN Rod Grams 261 Dirksen SOB 4-3244 202-228-0956 MN Paul Wellstone 717 Hart SOB 4-5641 202-224-8438 MO John Ashcroft 170 Russell SOB 4-6154 202-228-0998 MO Christopher S. Bond 293 Russell SOB 4-5721 202-224-8149 MS Thad Cochran 326 Russell SOB 4-5054 202-224-9450 MS Trent Lott 487 Russell SOB 4-6253 202-224-2262 MT Max Baucus 511 Hart SOB 4-2651 202-228-3687 MT Conrad Burns 187 Dirksen SOB 4-2644 202-224-8594 NC Lauch Faircloth 317 Hart SOB 4-3154 202-224-7406 NC Jesse Helms 403 Dirksen SOB 4-6342 202-228-1339 ND Kent Conrad 724 Hart SOB 4-2043 202-224-7776 ND Byron L. Dorgan 713 Hart SOB 4-2551 202-224-1193 NE Jim Exon 528 Hart SOB 4-4224 202-224-5213 NE J. Robert Kerrey 303 Hart SOB 4-6551 202-224-7645 NH Judd Gregg 393 Russell SOB 4-3324 202-224-4952 NH Robert C. Smith 332 Dirksen SOB 4-2841 202-224-1353 NJ Bill Bradley 731 Hart SOB 4-3224 202-224-8567 NJ Frank R. Lautenberg 506 Hart SOB 4-4744 202-224-9707 NM Jeff Bingaman 703 Hart SOB 4-5521 202-224-2852 NM Pete V. Domenici 328 Hart SOB 4-6621 202-224-7371 NV Richard H. Bryan 364 Russell SOB 4-6244 202-224-1867 NV Harry Reid 324 Hart SOB 4-3542 202-224-7327 NY Alfonse D'Amato 520 Hart SOB 4-6542 202-224-5871 NY Daniel Patrick Moynihan 464 Russell SOB 4-4451 no public fax # OH Mike DeWine 140 Russell SOB 4-2315 202-224-6519 OH John Glenn 503 Hart SOB 4-3353 202-224-7983 OK James M. Inhofe 453 Russell SOB 4-4721 202-2DUd•_p28-0380 OK Don Nickles 133 Hart SOB 4-5754 202-224-6008 OR Mark O. Hatfield 711 Hart SOB 4-3753 202-224-0276 OR Ron Wyden 259 Russell SOB 4-5244 202-228-2717 PA Rick Santorum 120 Russell SOB 4-6324 202-228-4991 PA Arlen Specter 530 Hart SOB 4-4254 202-228-1229 RI John H. Chafee 505 Dirksen SOB 4-2921 unpublished RI Claiborne Pell 335 Russell SOB 4-4642 202-224-4680 SC Ernest Hollings 125 Russell SOB 4-6121 202-224-4293 SC Strom Thurmond 217 Russell SOB 4-5972 202-224-1300 SD Thomas Daschle 509 Hart SOB 4-2321 202-224-2047 SD Larry Pressler 243 Russell SOB 4-5842 202-228-0368 TN Bill Frist 565 Dirksen SOB 4-3344 202-228-1264 TN Fred Thompson 523 Dirksen SOB 4-4944 202-228-3679 TX Phil Gramm 370 Russell SOB 4-2934 202-228-2856 TX Kay Bailey Hutchison 283 Russell SOB 4-5922 202-224-0776 UT Robert F. Bennett 431 Dirksen SOB 4-5444 202-224-4908 UT Orrin Hatch 131 Russell SOB 4-5251 202-224-6331 VA Charles S. Robb 154 Russell SOB 4-4024 202-224-8689 VA John W. Warner 225 Russell SOB 4-2023 202-224-6295 VT James M. Jeffords 513 Hart SOB 4-5141 202-228-1967 VT Patrick J. Leahy 433 Russell SOB 4-4242 202-224-3595 WA Slade Gorton 730 Hart SOB 4-3441 202-224-9393 WA Patty Murray 111 Russell SOB 4-2621 202-224-0238 WI Russell D. Feingold, Jr. 502 Hart SOB 4-5323 202-224-2725 WI Herbert Kohl 330 Hart SOB 4-5653 414-297-4455 WV Robert Byrd 311 Hart SOB 4-3954 202-224-8070 WV John D. Rockefeller IV 109 Hart SOB 4-6472 202-224-7665 WY Alan K. Simpson 105 Dirksen SOB 4-3424 202-224-1315 WY Craig Thomas 302 Hart SOB 4-6441 202-224-1724 "DEAR COLLEAGUE" LETTER July 18, 1996 Dear Colleague: Most of us take for granted our ability to browse through the neighborhood library or a corner bookstore, searching for titles from Bestseller lists. For an estimated two million Americans with blindness or visual impairments this sort of activity is impossible. The Library of Congress operates a small program that makes an enormous difference in the lives of blind and disabled Americans. This program, known as National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, provides full length books and magazines in Braille and "Talking Book" formats to individuals who would otherwise be cut off from published material. NLS selects, produces, and makes available to eligible individuals a wide range of published material. Current law requires NLS, and a handful of organizations with a similar mission, to receive permission from either the publisher or the author before production can begin. Regrettably, this process is often lengthy and cumbersome, delaying production for up to a year. James Gashel, the Director of Governmental Affairs for the National Federation of the Blind, put it this way: "In a society whose members increasingly depend upon access to information for successful living, blind people cannot afford to endure a growing gap in access to knowledge." We plan to introduce legislation endorsed by the National Federation of the Blind, the Association of American Publishers and the U.S. Copyright Office that would amend the Copyright Act to solve this problem. A copy of the proposed legislation is enclosed. You may be pleased to know that this proposal has no budgetary impact, and we believe it is completely non- controversial. We hope to introduce this bill next week and would appreciate your cosponsorship. If you have questions about the bill or would like to be listed as a cosponsor, please contact Barbara Riehle at 224-2921. Sincerely,