[blindlaw] Legislative Alert on Electronic Newspapers Act (fwd)

[David Andrews]

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>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:33:45 -0400
>From: "Hartle, Jesse" <JHartle at NFB.ORG>
>To: undisclosed-recipients:  ;
>Subject: Legislative Alert on Electronic Newspapers Act
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>Fellow Federationists,
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>Shortly after our National Convention the Senate passed S. 2918, the Free Newspaper Access for Blind and Other Persons with Disabilities Act. This legislation authorizes funding for dissemination of newspapers or magazines in an electronic or audio based format.  If this legislation is enacted, and suitable arrangements are made, it would then not be necessary to have an appropriations earmark approved each year to pay the telecommunication cost for NFB Newsline.
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>S. 2918 has now been referred to the Committee on House Administration. We must contact our members of the House of Representatives and urge them to ask the Committee on House Administration to take prompt action to pass this legislation.  I have included a list of the Committee on House Administration below.  Republican Representatives should be urged to contact Chairman Vernon Ehlers of Michigan, while Democratic Representatives should contact Ranking Member Juanita Millender-McDonald of California.
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>Currently, we are able to provide Newsline year-to-year through the earmark process.  Some members are trying to cut back on unauthorized earmarks, which puts our Newsline program in danger of being cut.  If we act now to ensure that S. 2918 is passed through the House before the end of the second session, we will have taken a large step in our effort to protect the Newsline system.
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>If you need more information, I have listed my contact information below.  A fact sheet is also enclosed.  Thank you all in advance for your work on this matter.
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>Committee on House Administration:
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>Republican Members
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>Congressman Ehlers, Chairman, Michigan
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>Congressman Ney, Ohio
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>Congressman Reynolds, New York
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>Congressman Mica, Florida
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>Congressman Doolittle, California
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>Congresswoman Miller, Michigan
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>Democratic Members
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>Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, Ranking Member, California
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>Congressman Brady, Pennsylvania
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>Congresswoman Lofgren, California
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>Jesse Hartle
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>Phone: 410-659-9314, ext. 2233
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>Email:  <mailto:jhartle at nfb.org> jhartle at nfb.org
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>JH/wmb
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>Enclosure
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>TECHNOLOGY AND LITERACY:
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>REACHING THE BLIND IN THE INFORMATION AGE
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>Purpose:  To provide access to newspapers for blind or other persons with disabilities, by passage of the Free Newspaper Access for Blind and Other Persons with Disabilities Act'.
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>BACKGROUND:  In 1931 Congress created a national "Books for the Blind" program within the Library of Congress.  This special media library, administered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), continues to be the principal source of Braille and audio books and magazines for the blind.  However, NLS did not supply newspapers until quite recently.
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>Public libraries are a free source for books, magazines, and newspapers but have very little to offer a patron who is blind.  However, rapid distribution of newspapers and magazines is now possible.  For example, the National Federation of the Blind provides readers with content from 233 newspapers (including 4 in Spanish) and 4 magazines (including "AARP, the Magazine") through its NFB-Newsline® program.  This program uses high-speed computers and telecommunications technology to distribute electronic content to eligible readers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
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>Using current production methods, the publication by NLS of even a single daily newspaper for distribution in Braille or on audiocassette would require several weeks for preparation and delivery.  In contrast, the electronic system of providing access to newspapers and magazines over the telephone is designed for rapid distribution of each paper on the system.  Using this service, blind people can read their favorite newspapers at the same time that print copies are being delivered to homes, offices, and newsstands.  This is a significant expansion in our nation's capacity to meet the specialized information needs of the blind.
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>MAINTAINING DAILY SERVICE:  Unlike books of lasting value, newspapers are time sensitive.  Electronic distribution of current news content, updated daily, is essential, and should be supported as an extension of the existing National Library Services (NLS) authorization by Congress to serve blind and physically handicapped persons.  Since most eligible readers do not have regular access to computers or the technology and skills to use them without sight, distribution of electronic news text by telephone must be a part of the program supported by the Library of Congress.
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>With technology such as that used by NFB Newsline, the problem of timely delivery can be solved, but the continuing burden of paying the telecommunications costs must be addressed.
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>As passed by the Senate, S. 2918 authorizes $750,000 for fiscal year 2007, and such sums for each fiscal year through 2011.  This is considered to be adequate to support the program described above.
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>The original funding to make distribution of electronic newspapers possible was provided in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2001.  Funds have since been provided by earmarks in subsequent Legislative Branch Appropriations bills, in fiscal years 2003, 2005, and 2006.  These appropriations have been used to pay telecommunications cost, but are not used to support ongoing operation or maintenance of the service.  Also, news organizations have cooperated by contributing their content free.  This arrangement keeps the Federal role to a minimum.  If this bill is enacted, readers will be provided with approximately 27.8 million minutes of on-demand service during fiscal year 2007.
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>Distribution of local dialing numbers to avoid recurring toll-free long distance telecommunication charges should be emphasized.  Counting the increasing numbers of seniors with vision problems who learn about this electronic newspaper service, the potential for growth is estimated at about 20 percent per year, but because of the ongoing distribution of local access numbers, the cost of long distance calls will increase by less than 20 percent.  Additionally, technology has been developed to enable readers to receive content on small computer devices (like PDAs) used for Braille or audio output.  As the trend advances toward use of these devices, blind readers will become less dependent on listening to electronic content on the telephone, avoiding long distance charges altogether.
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>Current STATUS:  Chairman Trent Lott and Ranking Member Christopher Dodd of the Senate Rules Committee introduced S. 2918, the Free Newspaper Access for Blind and Other Persons with Disabilities Act, on May 19, 2006.  This legislation was passed by the Senate on July 11, 2006, by unanimous consent, and has now been referred to the Committee on House Administration for consideration.
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>ACTION REQUESTED:  Please support the Free Newspaper Access for Blind and Other Persons with Disabilities Act, by urging the Committee on House Administration to approve and promptly report this bill to the House.  Approval by the House will ensure that this legislation is passed before the second session is adjourned.  If this bill is not passed, this program will not exist beyond fiscal year 2007.  It relies on a small amount of Federal support to provide 38% of the total cost of the service.
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>For further information contact:
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>Jesse Hartle
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>Government Programs Specialist
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>National Federation of the Blind
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>Phone: 410-659-9314, extension 2233
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>Email:  <mailto:jhartle at nfb.org> jhartle at nfb.org
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