Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h640VpC09077; Thu, 3 Jul 2003 20:31:51 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 20:31:51 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <200307040024.h640OAa07933@literacy.nifl.gov> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: sandra.baxter@nifl.gov To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:742] Message from Sandra Baxter, NIFL Interim Director X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Status: O Content-Length: 4613 Lines: 81 Dear Discussion List Participants: Recently, I wrote to you about steps the Institute had taken to ensure that the Institute's discussion lists would continue to be available as a resource to the adult literacy field. Concerns had been raised that some messages posted to the discussion lists violated anti-lobbying laws, which prohibit the use of funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress for lobbying. Because the Institute uses appropriated funds to support the discussion lists, it was essential that we take immediate action to comply with the law. I explained the steps taken to ensure our compliance and informed you that we would post guidelines on the discussion list policies. After consultation with the discussion list moderators, and upon the advice of our Office of General Counsel, we have developed guidelines to help ensure that our discussion lists are in compliance with federal laws and regulations, and that the First Amendment rights of discussion list participants are protected. The guidelines, posted at http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html, read as follows: The purpose of the National Institute for Literacy's discussion list is to bring together literacy stakeholders--researchers, policymakers, administrators, practitioners, and students--to discuss critical issues within the literacy field; share resources, experiences, and ideas; ask questions of subject experts; and keep up-to-date on literacy issues. NIFL partners with national literacy organizations that provide knowledgeable staff to facilitate the discussion lists. Messages posted to the discussion lists and the archives do not represent the views or opinions of the National Institute for Literacy, the discussion list moderator or sponsor organization. NIFL funds the discussion lists through LINCS, using funds appropriated to NIFL by the Congress. Anti-lobbying laws prohibit the use of appropriated funds for lobbying. In order to ensure the Institute's compliance with federal law, NIFL requests that all discussion list participants use the NIFL-sponsored lists in accordance with their intended purposes and refrain from posting messages that constitute lobbying. Comments, suggestions, references, and ideas posted to the discussion lists should serve as resources for enhancing the field's capacity and knowledge base. The use of a federally-funded list to maintain and disseminate messages that are intended to influence or cause others to influence a member of Congress to favor or oppose legislation or an appropriation by Congress is a violation of the law. The National Institute for Literacy will remove those types of messages from its discussion lists and from the discussion list archives. Further, discussion list participants are encouraged to focus their contributions to the list on specific subject areas and goals that are posted on each of the lists' archive pages. List participants are expected to conduct their communications on the list in a spirit of inquiry, curiosity, and mutual respect and follow the Netiquette rules posted on the archive page at http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/netiquette.html. Questions about the National Institute for Literacy's discussion lists and the policies governing those lists may be directed to the LINCS Director, Jaleh Behroozi, at jbehroozi@nifl.gov. In addition to sharing the guidelines with you, let me address some of the concerns that recently have been expressed on the discussion lists. Questions directed to a government agency like the Institute about possible violations of the anti-lobbying law must be taken very seriously. In order to address this matter promptly, NIFL put automated filters in place on April 25 to prevent the posting of messages that would put NIFL in violation of the law. The filters were always intended as a temporary measure, and on May 23, they were removed. A timely notification of these actions should have been provided to the lists; I apologize for not providing them. In addition, we are now in the process of restoring messages to the discussion list archives that had been blocked by the filter. All messages except those that violate the anti-lobbying laws will be restored. We have been working closely with our Office of General Counsel throughout this process to make sure the NIFL can continue to offer the discussion lists as a service to the field while ensuring that we comply with the law and protect participants' First Amendment rights.
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