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from Mike Claeys, Parkinson's Action Network (202) 628-2079 October 31, 1997 Friday Action Update National Education Testing Debate Prolongs L/HHS Conference Continued rancorous debate over creation of standardized national tests=20 for students=92 reading and math skills has again put off completion of=20 the FY =9298 Labor/HHS Appropriations conference. While it is widely=20 believed that these developments will have no impact on the inclusion or=20 current content of the Udall bill, final determination cannot be given=20 until the conference report is completed and filed. What can be definitively stated is that the Udall bill was not=20 extensively discussed or debated during the conference=20 meetings=97indicating general agreement on the bill=92s provisions. =20 Furthermore, there were no formal amendments offered regarding the bill.=20 The House conferees agreed to adopt the Udall bill with only minor=20 changes to the original language. The text of the conference report,=20 including the Udall bill, will be publicly available only after the=20 conference has concluded and the report filed. =20 Reports from the House and Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Committee=20 staff indicate that work on a testing agreement will continue over the=20 weekend, and it is hoped the conference report can be completed (or=20 "closed") and filed by the middle of next week in order to meet the=20 proposed adjournment date of November 7. As has been demonstrated over=20 the last few weeks, however, these timelines are subject to change. The=20 Network will make available the exact text of the Udall provisions as=20 soon as possible. Passage of the Udall bill is closer than it has ever been. Please be=20 assured that the Network will provide updated information as soon as it=20 is available. Please direct any questions or comments to PAN=92s=20 Community Outreach Coordinator, Michael Claeys, at (202) 628-2079.