[nabs] Fwd: [leadership] FW: COAT ACTION ALERT-Target-- U.S. Senate! Act Now!

Tue Aug 3 15:49:49 GMT 2010

Please contact your senators!

Sara

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Eric Bridges" <ebridges at acb.org>
> Date: August 3, 2010 9:13:46 AM EDT
> To: <leadership at acb.org>, <announce at acb.org>
> Subject: [leadership] FW: COAT ACTION ALERT-Target-- U.S. Senate!  
> Act Now!
>

> Below is an alert concerning H.R. 3101 in the Senate along with our  
> Senate bill S. 3304. Please read this and call your Senators!
>
> Eric
>
>
> Eric Bridges
> Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
> American Council of the Blind
> 2200 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 650
> Arlington, VA 22201
> ebridges at acb.org
> www.acb.org
>
>
> Act Now! Tell the Senate to Pass H.R. 3101!
>
> On July 26, 2010, the 20th anniversary of the Americans with  
> Disabilities Act, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the  
> Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act  
> (H.R. 3101) with a vote of 348 to 23.  COAT thanks Representative Ed  
> Markey (D-MA), for authoring, introducing, and championing H.R.  
> 3101, and Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA), Joe Barton (R-TX),  
> Rick Boucher (D-VA), and Cliff Stearns (R-FL), for their leadership  
> in this bipartisan effort.
>
> H.R. 3101 has most of the accessibility improvements we asked for,  
> but some things we wanted were not included in the final H.R. 3101  
> that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives:
>
> H.R. 3101 requires captioned television programs to be captioned  
> when delivered over the Internet, but does not require captioning on  
> television-like programs that are shown only on the Internet.
>
> Television broadcasters are providing more Internet-only content and  
> technology has enabled television sets to pull content directly from  
> the Internet. To address this growing trend, H.R. 3101 requires the  
> Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report and recommend to  
> Congress about captioning television-like programs that are shown  
> only on the Internet. Congress knows this is important to our  
> community.
>
> H.R. 3101 does not permit low-income people to use their Lifeline/ 
> Link-Up telephone service discount to reduce the cost of broadband  
> services
>
> We expect the FCC to make this possible as part of the National  
> Broadband Plan.
>
> Mr. Markey told COAT, "For more than two decades, I have been  
> committed to ensuring accessible telecommunications for all  
> Americans. The passage of H.R. 3101 by the U.S. House of  
> Representatives is a major step forward in the effort to achieve  
> this goal.  I remain committed to working with you in the future to  
> ensure full and equal access to all telecommunications technologies,  
> equipment, and services."
>
> Act Now to Protect Your Rights!
>
> H.R. 3101 has been sent to the U.S. Senate. This is a critical time  
> for advocates to take action and make sure the bill is passed.
>
> The U.S. Senate also has a similar bill – S. 3304; however, H.R. 310 
> 1 is stronger than S. 3304.
>
> What H.R. 3101 will do for us that S. 3304 does not:
>
> Relay services.
> ·         Establishes a Telecommunications Relay Services Policy Adv 
> isory Council.
> ·         Requires the FCC to report to Congress about access to imp 
> roved relay service technologies; and to suggest ways to facilitate  
> use of relay services in the workplace, and update equipment in publ 
> ic places and government offices.
>
> Access to internet-based services and equipment.
> ·         Requires access to Internet services built-in to mobile te 
> lephone devices, like smart phones, if achievable.
>
> Video description.
> ·         After 4 years, permits the FCC to increase video descripti 
> on to 7 hours per week (up from 4 hours per week on top 4 broadcast  
> networks and top 5 cable channels, in the top 25 most populated mark 
> ets).
> ·         After 6 years, requires the FCC to apply the video descrip 
> tion requirements to all markets (not just the top 25 most populated 
>  markets).
> ·         After 9 years, requires the FCC to report to Congress on t 
> he need for additional video description.
> ·         After 10 years, permits the FCC to adopt recommendations r 
> eported to Congress to increase video description.
>
> Closed captioning
> ·         Requires broadcast and cable networks to report to the FCC 
>  every 2 years on the amount of captioned television-like programs d 
> elivered only over the Internet.
> ·         Requires the FCC to report and recommend to Congress about 
>  requiring captions on television-like programs that are shown only  
> on the Internet.
>
> The U.S. Senate can choose:
>
> ·         to pass H.R. 3101;
>
> ·         to pass S. 3304;
>
> ·         to pass something different; or
>
> ·         to do nothing.
>
>
> The Senate may vote soon.  COAT urges the U.S. Senate to pass H.R.  
> 3101.
>
> Join us and tell the Senate to pass H.R. 3101.  Call, fax, or email  
> your U.S. Senators now!
>
> Find your U.S. Senators at:
> http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
>
> Tell your U.S. Senators:
>
> Vote for H.R. 3101 – the Twenty-first Century Communications and Vid 
> eo Accessibility Act of 2010.  H.R. 3101 is better than S. 3304.
>
> Equal access is critical for education, employment, and civic  
> participation.
>
> Vote for H.R. 3101 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the ADA.   
> Make history again.
>
> Thank you.
>
> END
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