Help bring Free Flow of Information Act to Senate floor

• By: ASNE staff
• On: 01/16/2014 09:47:51
• In: First Amendment

We are hearing some movement on the federal shield law front. If interested in helping us achieve success on this long-term legislative goal, ASNE members should show their support now. As always, your editorials or calls to your senators will be extremely helpful.

The latest iteration of the Free Flow of Information Act was introduced in both the House (as HR 1962) and the Senate (as HR 987) in 2013. Generally, and with resounding success, the legislation has moved through the House first, but the 113th Congress has been a little different, with activity so far confined to the Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved S 987 by a 13-5 vote on Sept. 12, 2013. This occurred after incorporating several minor amendments and one big amendment, which involved the definition of a "covered journalist" for those who can invoke the law. 

We understand that S 987 could actually come to the Senate floor later this month or early February. This will be a crucial vote because the Free Flow of Information Act did not make it to the Senate floor in 2010. 

We are not only asking senators to support S 987, but also to convey their support to Senate leadership so that the bill will be brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible.

We have made several materials available to you in the past, and the Newspaper Association of America has distributed some new documents that might be particularly useful in crafting editorials and other outreach at this juncture, including:
 

• An updated "Section by Section" analysis of S 987 as it currently exists (after being amended during the Senate Judiciary Committee's markup and vote on the bill)
• Some Revised Talking Points that outline the reasons a senator would want to vote "Yes" on S 987
• A "Dear Colleague" letter from joint sponsors Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) explaining to other senators why they should support this legislation
• A letter from Attorney General Eric Holder to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) conveying the Department of Justice's support for the bill (it is widely expected that President Obama, who co-sponsored an earlier version of the Free Flow of Information Act when he was a senator and has since expressed support for a federal shield law, will sign the bill if passed by Congress).

As always, contact ASNE Legal Counsel Kevin M. Goldberg at 703-812-0462 or at goldberg@fhhlaw.com if you have any questions. Please send Kevin copies of any editorials you publish or information regarding any direct communications with your senators, as that information will be useful to him in future advocacy efforts.