| Show Action by Congress may may help student journalists CPS CONGRESS is poised to approve legislation that would pave the way for greater disclosure of cri crime e information to campus newspapers nationwide nation nation- wide This would end a running long-running dispute between between between be be- tween the Department of Education and student journalists The bill under consideration would remove campus campus campus cam cam- pus crime records as part of the Buckley Amendment Amendment Amendment Amend Amend- ment a 1974 law that prohibits release of student educational records without permission of the stu stu- stu- stu dent The legislation states that crime information does not constitute part constitute part of f the term educational records under Buckley said Mike Hiestand an at at- torney for the Student Press Law Center in Washington DC D.C. Both the House and Senate have approved this language as part of their bills to reauthorize the Higher Education Act Lawmakers currently are meeting to resolve final details of the bill un unrelated elated to the Buckley provision Hiestand said prospects for final approval were excellent and three student journalists filed a complaint complaint complaint com com- plaint against the department last year to prevent it from penalizing colleges and universities that disclose disclose disclose dis dis- dis- dis close campus crime information The department claimed that such information falls under the protection of Buckley while PL said the inter inter- violated the journalists' journalists rights under th the First Amendment Last November US U.S. Judge Stanley Harris ruled rUle ln in favor of the ordering the department to stop withholding federal funds from colleges that disclose disclose dis dis- dis- dis close crime information In January th the department appealed for dismissal dismiss dismiss- al of the complaint Since that time however both sides have put legal action on hold pending congressional review Hiestand said I The bill under consideration would remove campus campus crime records as part o of f the Buckley Amendment a j 1974 law that prohibits release of student educational Tt records cord without permission sion o of f the student |
