ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


648 /  C &RL News

Washington 
Hotline

Carol C. Henderson (202) 547-4440; (ALA0025)
Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

HEA Reauthorization. The Higher Education Act is due for extension and revision before 
September 30, 1991. The higher education community has begun preliminary work to identify 
issues. The ALA Washington Office and the Association of Research Libraries are participating in 
one of the HEA task forces organized by the American Council on Education. ACRL recommen­
dations on HEA title II library programs will be important to this effort.

Permanent paper. Three recent developments serve to advance the campaign to promote 
use of permanent, alkaline paper at the federal level. Action by academic and research librarians 
would be helpful on two of these.

First, on July 31, the Senate passed by voice vote S.J.Res. 57, to establish a national policy 
to promote the use of such paper. Introduced by Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI), the measure had 
garnered 47 cosponsors. Thanks to all Senators would be appropriate, with special thanks to Sen. 
Pell and to Sen. John Glenn (D-OH), whose Governmental Affairs Committee had approved the 
legislation.

A companion measure, H.J.Res. 226, introduced by Rep. Pat Williams (D-MT), has 52 
cosponsors and needs more. H.J.Res. 226 has been referred to two committees: the House Govern­
ment Operations Committee, and the House Administration Committee. It is important that 
members o f these committees be asked by constituents to cosponsor H.J.Res. 226.

Second, Rep. Doug Walgren (D-PA) has introduced HR 3094, a measure to amend the Solid 
Waste Disposal Act to ensure that recycled paper acquired by U.S. agencies for appropriate gov­
ernment records and publications is permanent paper. It was Rep. Walgren who held a hearing on 
preservation of paper last May that addressed the potential impact of EPA recycling regulations on 
efforts to promote agency use of permanent paper. HR 3094 would change these recycling 
requirements to ensure that the mutual goals o f increased government use o f recycled paper and 
appropriate use o f permanent paper are pursued simultaneously.

Rep. Walgren has asked his colleagues to cosponsor his bill. Interested constituents of 
members o f the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to which HR 3094 has been referred, 
are especially urged to contact them concerning cosponsorship of Rep. W algren’s amendment to 
the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Further information on this measure is available from the ALA 
Washington Office or the Association o f Research Libraries.

Third, the Government Printing Office has been given congressional direction to aggres­
sively pursue the use o f alkaline paper. In its July 26 report (H. Rept. 101-179) on the Legislative 
Branch Appropriations Bill for FY 1990 (HR 3014), the House Appropriations Committee directed 
GPO to develop a plan, strategy, and schedule for converting appropriate printing to alkaline 
paper. To be developed in consultation with the Joint Committee on Printing, the plan is to be 
delivered to several congressional committees by February 1, 1990.