ACRL New England Chapter - Legislative Reports

Legislative Issues

Legislative reports are issued by ACRL/NEC's Legislative Network Representative. For further
information, contact:

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ACRL/NEC Massachusetts Legislative Information Committee

To ACRL-New England Chapter Members:

Please consider taking action on the Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2007. Support is needed from several Representatives and Senators in New England States (see list below).

For sample letters, you may contact me,

HIGHER EDUCATION SUSTAINABILITY ACT OF 2007

On Monday, September 24, the Higher Education Sustainability Act (HESA) was reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Rick Boucher (D-PA), and David Wu (D-OR).

HESA (HR 3637) amends the Higher Education Act to authorize a new $50 million grant program at the Department of Education that will annually support between 25 and 200 sustainability projects by individual higher education institutions and higher education consortia/associations. Funds can be used to establish multidisciplinary sustainability education, research, and outreach programs; and to conduct energy management, green building and purchasing, waste and toxics management, transportation, and related sustainability initiatives.

This is the first federal grant-making program specifically for sustainability in higher education; and if fully funded, HESA is strategically designed to provide the needed funds to tip the higher education system towards sustainability.

HESA has a very good chance of passing - if higher education institutions and associations clearly voice their support for the bill to Congress. The Campaign for Environmental Literacy is coordinating a new campaign to help with this – check http://www.fundee.org/campaigns/hesa/ for updates on the campaign, or click http://www.fundee.org/campaigns/hesa/HESA_Briefing_20070923.pdf to download a full briefing on HESA.

While support from all members of Congress will be helpful in passing HESA, it is particularly critical that we enlist the support of these key Representatives:

·         George Miller (D-CA-7th District),
·         Dale Kildee (D-MI-5)
·         John F. Tierney (D-MA-6)
·         Timothy H. Bishop (D-NY-1)
·         "Buck" McKeon (R-CA-25)
·         Thomas E. Petri (R-WI-6)
·         Michael N. Castle (R-DE-At Large)
·         Judy Biggert (R-IL-13)
·         Ric Keller (R-FL-8)
·         Todd Russell Platts (R-PA-19)
·         Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5)
·         John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. (R-NY-29)

And these key Senators:

·         Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA)
·         Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
·         Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
·         Patty Murray (D-WA)
·         Jack Reed (D-RI)
·         Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
·         Barack Obama (D-IL)
·         Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
·         Michael B. Enzi (R-WY)
·         Judd Gregg (R-NH)
·         Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
·         Wayne Allard (R-CO)

Your help is vital (especially if you are in one of the above states/districts). You can:

1. Convince your institution to co-sign a letter of support for HESA from the higher education community. Just send an email to James Elder, Director, The Campaign for Environmental Literacy, at JElderJR@aol.com stating that your institution wishes to endorse HESA and to co-sign the HESA support letter. He is currently planning to submit this letter by October 22.

2. Persuade leadership at your college or university to send a letter to your Representative asking him/her to co-sponsor HESA as soon as possible. Please insure a copy is sent to CEL so we can follow up.

3. Contact CEL to join an email list to be kept updated on progress and other ways to help.

Site last updated Tuesday, 20-Nov-2007 07:21:29 MST

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