LEGISLATIVE ACTION NOTICE
DATE:  July 30, 1996
FROM:  James Gashel
  RE:  Action needed on copyright and NLS appropriations matters
(1) COPYRIGHT AMENDMENTS
        Senator John Chafee has offered copyright amendments for the blind as 
an amendment to the Legislative Branch appropriations bill--H. R. 3754.  The 
amendments passed the Senate unanimously on July 30.  With the exception of a 
proviso concerning computer programs, the language is identical to the 
agreement reached by the NFB and the Association of American Publishers.  The
provision on computer programs allows information displayed to users of 
computers to be converted into Braille or other
specialized formats without an infringement of copyright. 
Disclosure of private information designed to make a program operate and not 
displayed to users would not be required,
however.
        Now that the copyright amendments have been added to H. R. 3754 by 
the Senate, a conference committee consisting of senators and House members 
will decide whether or not to accept these provisions in the final bill.  The 
conferees are the members who serve on the Senate and House appropriations 
subcommittees for the Legislative Branch.  A list of these members can be 
found on the NFB's web site at http://www.nfb.org.  Emphasis should be placed 
on convincing the House Conferees to accept the copyright amendments.  All 
members of the House can potentially be helpful.
(2) NLS
        The provision which would permit the Librarian of Congress to 
transfer funds from one program to another within the Library has been 
removed from the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill in the Senate.  
Therefore, it will not be in the final bill if the House conferees agree to 
go along with the Senate position. The conferees are the same for both the 
copyright amendments and the fund-transfer provision.
        In both cases the message is the same:  we strongly favor the Senate 
position.  In the first instance, we would like the copyright amendments to 
be included in the final bill.  The opposite is true in the case of the 
transfer provision.  Now it is up to everyone to deliver this message loud 
and clear.  The conference to negotiate the final version of H. R. 3754 will 
likely be completed this week
--- Maximus 2.02
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