Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC), Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, released this morning the Committee's recommendations for S
1822, the legislation to create the national information infrastructure.
Museums have been included as entities eligible for preferred rates and
financial support.  Previously only libraries, school and hospitals were
afforded such status.  The legislation is expected to pass the Committee
on Thursday and receive quick endorsement from the full Senate.  The
Congress and the White House want to finish this legislation by October.
 
According to the legislation, museums would be eligible to broadcast on
the future data highway at incremental rates on a public right of way
equal to 5 percent of the entire infrastructure.
 
Even better, the telecommunications industry would be required to
"enhance, to the extent technically feasible and economically reasonable,
the availability of advanced telecommunications and information services
to all public and non-profit accredited elementary and secondary school
classrooms, health care facilities, libraries, museums (including zoos and
aquariums), and public broadcast stations."
 
I will post AAM's press release here tomorrow (after I write it later
tonight), but I wanted to let MUSEUM-L know first.  I also wanted to say
thank you to the staff of hundreds of institutions, both on MUSEUM-L and in
AAM's Museum Advocacy Team (MAT), who wrote their Senators and Congressmen
and made this happen.  Congressional staff told me that museum grassroots
pressure was enormous and decisive.  Congratulations.  More later.
 
Michael Roark
American Association of Museums, Government and Public Affairs
Phone 202 289-9125 in Washington, DC