House Vote on Reader Privacy Amendment Thursday

On Tuesday, February 15, just a day after the House of Representatives approved a 10-month extension of the Patriot Act, House members from both parties announced that on Thursday, February 17, they would try to add an amendment to an appropriations bill that would restore the safeguards for bookstore and library records that were eliminated by the Patriot Act.

Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Walter B. Jones (R-NC) will introduce legislation that prohibits the use of the Patriot Act to search “library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, and book customer lists.” The legislation was first introduced in 2005 by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) when he served in the House. It was approved by a vote of 238 - 187, but the provision was later dropped in House-Senate negotiations.

The Campaign for Reader Privacy, whose members include the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, and PEN American Center, is asking its supporters to immediately call their members of Congress to urge support for the Conyers amendment to FY2011 Continuing Resolution.