ºÚÁÏÉçLegislative Priorities for the 119thÌý°ä´Ç²Ô²µ°ù±ð²õ²õ
The ºÚÁÏÉç of Law Libraries (AALL) advocates for legislation and regulations that support law librarians and legal information professionals, protect the privacy of law library users, promote greater access to legal information, improve access to justice and support the ethical use of artificial intelligence. The following issues are AALL’s legislative priorities for the 119th Congress that tie with the ºÚÁÏÉç2022-2025 Strategic Plan (specifically Goal 5 of the Plan):
FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE LEGAL INFORMATION INDUSTRY
Federal funding supports the legislative branch agencies that provide permanent public access to and preservation of essential government information. Federal funding also supports grant programs that promote public access to legal information. ºÚÁÏÉçsupports:
- Funding for the U.S. Government Publishing Office, the Library of Congress, the Law Library of Congress, and the National Archives and Records Administration to provide free access to legal information and to preserve essential legal materials produced by the federal government.
- Funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ grant programs available to eligible law libraries.
- Funding for the Legal Services Corporation to support programs that provide access to legal resources and promote access to justice.
EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OFFICIAL LEGAL INFORMATION
Equitable access to official legal information—including laws, regulations, and court opinions—is essential to the rule of law, access to justice, and a free and fair democracy. ºÚÁÏÉçsupports:
- Updates to the Federal Depository Library Program to provide additional flexibility for law libraries to meet the government information needs of their users and their organizations.
- Improvements to the organization and usability of the United States Code to enhance access to the general and permanent laws of the United States.
- Increased online access to federal court records, including changes to the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system that promote access to records at reasonable or no fees.
- Expansion of broadband internet programs and net neutrality protections to ensure equitable online access to information.
- Updates to the to encourage disclosure of government information and to support government transparency.
BALANCED COPYRIGHT LAWS
Effective copyright laws and policies balance the needs of both information users and copyright owners. ºÚÁÏÉçsupports:
- Protections for fair use and the library exceptions in copyright laws that enable law libraries to lend, digitize, and preserve copyrighted materials.
- Continued modernization of the U.S. Copyright Office’s information technology systems to be easier to use and to provide greater access to current and historical copyright records.
- A balanced copyright framework that safeguards creative works and ensures fair compensation for rights holders.
PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FOR LAW LIBRARY USERS
Balanced privacy laws enable law libraries to safeguard the personal information of their users. ºÚÁÏÉçsupports:
- Laws that protect the privacy of law library users, including users’ personal data and library records.
- The use of AI enhanced research tools such as LLMs and generative AI, that do not use user information without permission and do not train their models on users’ personal data.
EQUITABLE AND ETHICAL USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Emerging AI technologies, including generative AI, have the potential to expand access to justice and improve legal information services, ºÚÁÏÉçsupports:
- Standards for the ethical use of AI to ensure it promotes equitable access to legal information while protecting user privacy.
- Policies and legislation that ensure transparency and accountability in AI tools used in legal and government information to maintain trust and data integrity.
- Research and scholarship on AI’s growing impact on legal information, with attention to equitable access, privacy risks, bias, and misinformation.
- The development of responsible AI-driven innovation in accordance with copyright law.