-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Bridges [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:15 AM
To: 'leadership-acb.org'
Subject: [leadership] Legislative Alerts: ADA Restoration Act, NLS Funding,
and COAT Legislation

 Everyone, 

I apparently chose the wrong week to be out of the country on vacation as
last week Congress moved a few of our issues forward. This is the first of
two messages to summarize all that has occurred in the last week. 

 

 H.R. 3195ADA RESTORATION ACT OF 2007

 

Last Wednesday the House Judiciary and Education and Labor committee marked
up H.R. 3195, The ADA Restoration Act. The Judiciary Committee passed this
bill through committee unanimously without controversy and the Education and
Labor Committee passed the bill on a 43 to 1 vote.   This is modified
language from the original legislation that was originally introduced last
July. This new language represents an agreement that the disability
community reached with business industry representatives. ACB has been part
of these discussions and signed on as a supporter to this compromise. 

Tomorrow this legislation is scheduled to come up for vote on the floor of
the House of Representatives.

 

DIGITAL TALKING BOOK FUNDING

Early last evening the Subcommittee on The Legislative Branch for the House
Committee on Appropriations recommended a whopping $34.5 million funding
level for the NLS Digital Talking Book Program. As many of you are aware,
the Library of Congress requested $12.5 million in funding for FY-09. This
represents a tremendous increase and could even mean that this program could
be completed in three years as opposed to the four-year time frame that was
originally agreed to. The broader legislation will now go to the full
committee for consideration. It is now time to call members of the full
committee to express your support for this new proposed funding level. Here
is the link to the Committee on Appropriations website. 

http://appropriations.house.gov/members110th.shtml

 

Call your member offices through the Capitol Switchboard at: (202) 225-3121.


 

H.R. 6320 COAT LEGISLATION 

   Last Thursday Representatives Edward Markey (D-MA-7) and Heather Wilson
(R-NM-1) introduced H.R. 6320, the "21st Century Communications and
Accessibility

Act of 2008" to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to
emerging Internet Protocol-based communication and video programming
technologies in the 21st Century.

The formal introduction of this bill represents a significant step forward
for individuals who are blind and our need to obtain information and
communicate through the use of consumer electronics. Below is the link to
the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee website. Please call
and get members to cosponsor. 

http://energycommerce.house.gov/Subcommittees/telint.shtml 

 

As always please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have on
any of these or other issues. 

 

Eric  

Eric Bridges

Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs

American Council of the Blind 

Phone: (202) 467-5081

Fax: (202) 467-5085

 


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