    [Senate Hearing 115-411]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

             LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

                                  ----------

                              TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2018

                                           U.S. Senate,
               Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                        Washington, DC.

        The subcommittee met at 2:31 p.m., in room 192, Dirksen
    Senate Office Building, Hon. Steve Daines (Chairman) presiding.
        Present: Senators Daines, Murphy, Hyde-Smith, and Van
    Hollen.

                              LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

    STATEMENT OF HON. CARLA D. HAYDEN, LIBRARIAN OF
                CONGRESS

                   OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR STEVE DAINES

        Senator Daines. Good afternoon. The subcommittee will come
    to order.
        I'd like to welcome everyone to the second of our fiscal
    year 2019 budget hearings for the Legislative Branch
    Appropriations Subcommittee.
        Today, we have with us the Honorable Carla Hayden,
    Librarian of Congress, and the Honorable Stephen Ayers,
    Architect of the Capitol. I very much appreciate their
    willingness to appear before the subcommittee today and look
    forward to your testimony.
        I'd like to start by thanking you for taking time to be
    here today as well as being very generous in your time with the
    tours and with your staff. They were very informative for me to
    see the vast responsibilities that you have and the important
    mission that you go to work and accomplish every day.
        Mr. Ayers, being able to get up close and see some of the
    ongoing projects around campus has given me a greater
    appreciation for all your agency does. In fact, just today, I
    was pointing out the difference between the Senate side of the
    building and the House side of the building, you kind of see
    before and after view there. I told my staff members it's a
    huge responsibility to maintain these facilities for those who
    work here and the millions who visit here every year, while
    also preserving these most important historic buildings.
        Dr. Hayden, I greatly enjoyed seeing some of the many
    treasures the Library has. In fact, it was fun to share with my
    own family last week what you shared with me on that table and
    I can see the talents of your staff, the passion of your staff
    about what they do and they truly are an asset to our Library,
    not to mention the expertise. You've got a lot of walking
    history there between the ears and it's very, very impressive.
        I'd also like to mention my support of the Veterans History
    Project. The Library collects, preserves, and makes accessible
    the accounts of American war veterans for the benefit of future
    generations. In fiscal year 2017, the project received 4,335
    collections and I'm proud to say that our office has submitted
    over 75 interviews for Montana veterans.
        Looking forward to fiscal year 2019, the total budget
    request for the Library is $706 million in appropriated funds,
    an increase of $36.2 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted
    level. The request supports continued investment in IT
    modernization efforts across the Library, including the
    Copyright Office and Congressional Research Service (CRS).
        It also focuses on increased staff capacity to address the
    backlogs in collection processing and copyright registration.
        The Architect of the Capitol's budget request for fiscal
    year 2019 totals $744.9 million, an increase of $32.8 million
    above fiscal year 2018 enacted level. Of this request, a $198
    million is for capital projects around the campus and $434.9
    million is for the operating budgets of each jurisdiction to
    maintain facilities on a daily basis.
        The Architect's request also seeks to address a backlog of
    deferred maintenance totaling $1.5 billion while also providing
    for critical life safety projects across all its jurisdictions.
        I look forward to the discussion today and learning more
    about your specific requests and understanding each of your
    agencies' priorities in the coming fiscal year.
        I'd like to turn now to my Ranking Member, Senator Murphy,
    for any opening remarks he may like to make.

                    STATEMENT OF SENATOR CHRISTOPHER MURPHY

        Senator Murphy. Well, thank you to both of you for your
    very valuable and commendable public service. These are big,
    complicated Agencies to run. We appreciate your willingness to
    be up to the job on a daily basis.
        I will note this is my second year of doing these hearings
    and I will just as a point of information note that the crowds
    actually seem bigger this year, which I think must have to do
    with your chairmanship, Mr. Daines.
        Senator Daines. I think it's the outstanding Ranking Member
    that draws the crowd.
        Senator Murphy. Listen, you've got big tasks ahead of you
    this year, Dr. Hayden. As you know, I'm very supportive of the
    Library's plans to enhance the visitors' experience.
        We've put a lot of money into this facility and it really
    shouldn't be a hidden gem in Washington. It should be front and
    center on every visitor's agenda when they come to the Capitol
    and so look forward to continuing to work with you to increase
    the ability of all visitors to experience what we get to
    experience at the Library of Congress.
        And to Mr. Ayers, thank you for our collaborative
    relationship. You know, we've put off a lot of real important
    public safety projects and so I know they are front and center
    on your agenda and in your budget, but I hope in your testimony
    and in answers to questions we'll also get to talk about some
    of the projects that if do now, we can save money on compared
    to continued postponement.
        You have been, I think, very good in presenting us with
    some opportunities for savings by front-loading some projects
    that are inevitable and have to be done one way or another and
    our task will be to balance those critical public safety
    projects with those potential cost savings, as well. So look
    forward to your testimony.
        Senator Daines. I would like to ask our witnesses,
    beginning with Dr. Hayden, to give a brief opening statement of
    approximately five minutes to allow time for questions.
        The written testimony of each witness will be printed in
    full in the hearing record.
        Dr. Hayden.

                   SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. CARLA D. HAYDEN

        Dr. Hayden. Thank you, Chairman Daines, Ranking Member
    Murphy, and Members of the subcommittee. Thank you for this
    opportunity to provide testimony in support of the Library's
    2019 budget.
        The Library of Congress remains the world's largest
    library, a premier research institution, and a destination for
    scholars and Members of Congress. It is also an institution
    that holds enormous potential for reaching so many more
    Americans from all walks of life who can find information and
    inspiration from this remarkable national resource and this has
    been a major focus and will continue to be on my tenure.
        Over the past year, we've made significant strides in
    increasing access to the Library and improving the user
    experience. For example, the U.S. Copyright Office published a
    new Archive of Copyright Cases.
        The Congressional Research Service is currently beta-
    testing online webinars and adding instant messaging and tele-
    conferencing services. The National Library for the Blind and
    Physically Handicapped launched a public education program to
    raise awareness of the services they offer.
        The Law Library put fully-indexed and searchable historic
    versions of the U.S. Codes online and new primary source
    collections now online include the papers of Alexander
    Hamilton, Ulysses Grant, Benjamin Franklin, and Susan B.
    Anthony, as well as new high-resolution scans of the original
    documents in the Abraham Lincoln papers.
        As I've visited libraries and communities in many States
    this past year, I have been energized by the interest, the
    enthusiasm, and the expressed need for more connection to the
    resources and services of the Library of Congress.
        Realizing the Library's potential to reach out across the
    country requires that we first take care of the fundamentals
    and I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for your support
    in the 2017 and 2018 funding bills for mission-critical goals.
        The initiatives funded in these bills, along with the 2019
    request, methodically build to our goals of modernization for
    greater access and customer service to the Congress and
    visitors and special thank you for your support and initiative
    to revitalize and enhance the visitor experience in the Thomas
    Jefferson Building through a public-private partnership.
        I'm also deeply appreciative for your support for the
    Library's Collections Storage Modules at Ft. Meade as part of
    the Architect of the Capitol's budget.
        I'm happy to report that as a result of the support of this
    committee in crucial areas of IT modernization, Copyright
    Office staff and storage programs, the Library has closed or is
    awaiting GAO confirmation on 24 of 31 public recommendations
    for improving IT efficiencies.
        The Copyright Office has reduced its registration backlog
    by nearly 25 percent in the past year and we are actively
    filling the interim storage facility at Cabin Branch as well as
    the recently completed Module 5 at Ft. Meade.
        And, in addition, I've taken managerial steps during the
    past year to create efficiencies in our operations and
    management. I have appointed Mr. Mark Sweeney as Acting Deputy
    Librarian of Congress. All IT organizations and personnel were
    centralized into the Office of the Chief Information Officer
    and we completed the first phase of the Envisioning 2025
    Initiative for a new Strategic Plan.
        The Library's direction forward, as defined in the planning
    process, will be more user-centered. As a result of this
    planning, I announced this month a realignment of internal
    units to prepare the Library for this user-centered future, and
    I'm confident that the combined steps have established a robust
    management structure that is prepared to hit the ground running
    with the new Strategic Plan as it's completed later this
    summer.
        For fiscal year 2019, our budget request builds on the past
    2 years and concentrates on IT modernization, targeted
    workforce skills, and increased access. Details of the request
    are provided in my written testimony and highlights include
    ongoing investment in the Copyright IT Modernization.
        As we move to the development of the next generation
    registration system and a modern recordation system, which is
    currently paper-based, investment in our workforce for CRS
    analysts, economists, and attorneys to meet full demand, full
    registration of the copyright examiner workforce, and foreign
    and legal language expertise for the Law Library.
        And, finally, workforce investment and library services,
    which will increase access by speeding up processing of a
    significant backlog in Special Collections, such as the Teddy
    Roosevelt and Caspar Weinberger papers, which have yet to be
    processed.
        And to reiterate, IT modernization and a strong workforce
    are critical areas of investment to help the Library achieve
    its potential as a national resource with superior customer
    service to all of our service populations.
        Chairman Daines, Ranking Member Murphy, Ms. Hyde-Smith,
    thank you for your interest, and I look forward to any
    questions.
        [The statements follows:]
                   Prepared Statement of Hon. Carla D. Hayden
        Chairman Daines, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the
    subcommittee:
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of
    the Library's fiscal 2019 budget.
        Now in my second year as Librarian of Congress, I am even more
    committed to doing all I can to share the breadth and depth of the
    Library's collections and our staff's expertise and commitment to
    public service. Today, the Library holds more than 167 million items in
    all formats and languages and has the world's largest collections of
    legal materials, films, and sound recordings. Last year, the Library
    welcomed nearly 1.8 million in-person visitors and there were 93
    million visits to our website. CRS provided custom services to 100
    percent of Senate and House Member offices and standing committees.
    More than 452 thousand claims were registered by the U.S. Copyright
    Office. More than 10.5 million preservation actions on the collections
    were undertaken; over 20 million audio/braille books and magazines were
    circulated via partnerships with more than 100 network libraries
    throughout the United States; and the Library responded to over 1
    million reference requests from the Congress, the public, and other
    Federal agencies.
        Over the past year, the Library has made significant strides in
    increasing access to Congress and the American people. The Copyright
    Office published a new archive, a resource offering public rulings and
    government briefs in copyright cases. CRS worked to modernize its
    service to Congress by joining the Skype for Business Federation, which
    this year enabled instant messaging and teleconferencing with
    congressional staff. The Library launched LC Labs and, working with the
    Serials division, rolled out a new crowd sourcing app inviting users to
    help create a database of historic newspaper images from Chronicling
    America. New ``touch history'' tours allow visitors who are visually
    impaired to experience the magnificence of the Jefferson Building. The
    Law Library further expanded online content with fully indexed and
    searchable U.S. Codes going back to 1925. New collections have been
    made available online, such as the papers of Alexander Hamilton and
    James Buchanan, and new high-resolution scans of the original documents
    in the Abraham Lincoln papers.
        I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the outstanding
    support that this subcommittee and the entire Congress give to the
    Library. In particular, I appreciate the support you have given us for
    our fiscal 2018 requests to meet high-priority staffing needs in the
    Copyright Office as well as enterprise-wide investment in IT
    modernization to upgrade network infrastructure, Copyright IT
    modernization, and the Congressional Research Service's (CRS) mission-
    specific Integrated Research and Information System. The Library has
    absorbed 76.5 percent of mandatory pay and price level increases
    (approximately $122 million) between 2010 and 2017. Your strong support
    for staffing resources allows us to better handle critical work and to
    begin replacing specialized staff expertise that was developed over
    many years and lost--principally to retirement--and not replaced due to
    budget limitations. I also thank you for your continued support for the
    Library's collection storage modules program at Ft. Meade as part of
    the Architect of the Capitol's budget.
        I come before you today to discuss the Library's funding request
    for fiscal 2019 as we continue implementation of a modernization
    process across the Library that will expand access, provide superior
    customer service, and ensure proper stewardship of the national
    collection.
        In the past year, I have taken steps to ensure an administrative
    foundation is in place to support and lead us toward these goals.
        I appointed Mark Sweeney as Acting Deputy Librarian of Congress.
    Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Sweeney served as the Associate
    Librarian for Library Services. He was responsible for carrying out
    Library Services' mission to acquire, organize, provide access to,
    maintain, secure, and preserve the Library of Congress's universal
    collection.
        In December, all service unit IT organizations and all IT personnel
    were centralized into the Office of the Chief Information Officer
    (OCIO) to maximize value from the Library's investment in technology.
    All technology activities are now coordinated through the OCIO and
    approved by the Chief Information Officer.
        In the same month, we saw the results of the first phase of our
    Envisioning 2025 initiative, which will inform a 5-year strategic plan
    to guide all service units in working toward shared goals. In the first
    phase, the Library more clearly defined its role in American life as
    that of a place for memory, knowledge, and imagination:

            Memory--Acquire, sustain, and provide access to a unique
            universal collection

            Knowledge--Provide authoritative and objective research,
            analysis, and information

            Imagination--Inspire and encourage creativity, promote, and
            protect the work of American creators

        The Library's direction forward, as defined in Envisioning 2025,
    will be more ``user-centered.'' The Congress will always be the
    Library's foremost user as we continue to support this body in your
    legislative and representational duties. Users also encompass creators,
    inclusive but not limited to copyright users and stakeholders;
    individual learners of any age who seek understanding and knowledge
    through the Library's collections and services; and connectors who are
    external communities such as libraries, schools, or other groups and
    institutions that connect users to the Library.
        Thank you for the supporting the Library's efforts to revitalize
    and enhance the visitor experience in the Thomas Jefferson Building
    through a public/private partnership. This is an exciting future
    direction for the Library as we bring the Nation's collections and
    history out of the vaults and into public spaces. Through expanded and
    improved access to the national treasures in the Library, visitors will
    be inspired to use our collections just as we have envisioned in 2025
    and beyond.
        I am confident that we have a strong management structure and
    robust strategic planning process to lead the Library into the future.
    Now, however, I ask for your assistance in helping us take the
    additional steps we need with an increase in funding for critical
    initiatives.
        The Library of Congress fiscal 2019 budget request is for
    approximately $761 million, which represents a 5.9 percent increase
    over the Library's fiscal 2018 enacted appropriation. Of the requested
    $42 million increase, 52 percent accounts for mandatory pay and price
    level increases ($22.0 million). The balance of the increase represents
    critical program investments necessary to fulfill the Library's role
    and to move forward on the commitment to be more user-centered.
        This request extends and builds on the modernization efforts
    initiated in 2017 and 2018, which concentrated on information
    technology (IT) modernization, a strong workforce, and increased
    access. The Library continues to embrace modernization, not only of its
    IT but of its workforce, infrastructure, and collections stewardship.
        The Library's staff is essential to fulfilling its memory role--
    acquiring, sustaining, and providing access to a unique universal
    collection. We must foster the correct mix of skillsets to achieve
    this. We are also employing digitization and other technologies as a
    means of expanding access to memory even with fewer staff. The budget
    request includes an investment to strengthen staffing capacity for
    processing special collections where a significant backlog has emerged
    over the last 10 years. This would include such works as the Herman
    Wouk and Caspar Weinberger papers, which are currently stored in
    thousands of containers inaccessible to users. Our request also seeks
    to dramatically increase access through two digitization efforts. The
    first to preserve and make accessible historic copyright records and,
    the second, in the Law Library to make public domain U.S. legal and
    legislative materials and foreign law materials more widely available.
        Next, our budget submission strengthens the Library's role in
    knowledge, in its capacity to provide authoritative research and
    analysis in areas of significant congressional interest in the CRS, and
    foreign legal and language expertise in the Law Library.
        The CRS workforce has decreased by approximately 13 percent in the
    last 8 years, losing 92 FTE, and 23 percent of CRS staff will be
    eligible for retirement this year. In fiscal 2016, CRS received 563,000
    requests for products and services, including more than 61,400 requests
    for custom research and analysis. Demand is expected to remain at these
    levels or higher in the future. Additional FTE in CRS will strengthen
    analytic capacity and ensure replacement of corporate knowledge over
    time as retirements and attrition take place.
        The Copyright Office and its work is central to the Library's role
    of inspiring and encouraging creativity. Our quest for Copyright IT
    modernization has continued in successive budgets with infrastructure
    and networking. Now, in the fiscal 2019 budget, we turn to the
    development of the Next Generation Registration System and a modern
    recordation system. The Library's commitment to a modernized and well-
    staffed Copyright Office is reflected in requests for a modernization
    enterprise solution, restoration of the registration examiner workforce
    to pre-sequestration levels, and contractor support to aggressively
    address a recordation backlog before the data is migrated to a new,
    modernized system. We are specifically targeting areas where backlogs
    have emerged due to attrition, retirement, or increased activity.
        Shared operating capacity allows the Library to be more efficient
    and cost-effective as we work to achieve our goals. The congressionally
    sanctioned Legislative Branch Financial Management System (LBFMS),
    hosted by the Library as a shared service for the legislative branch
    has been a success story. It has experienced substantial growth and now
    provides the financial system for eight legislative branch agencies.
    From 2015 to 2017, the number of users has increased 44 percent and the
    number of transactions processed by 140 percent. As a shared service,
    the LBFMS averages a combined annual $2.5 million in cost avoidance,
    compared to operating separate systems through Federal shared services
    providers. Accompanying this growth and success is the need to
    standardize the system across the user agencies. To accommodate these
    growing pains, our budget request provides for process standardization
    across the user agencies to decrease the need for costly customizations
    over time and increased hosting costs for this shared system.
        In closing, modernization--of workforce, infrastructure,
    collections stewardship, as well as IT--is critical to moving the
    Library forward into the future. The fiscal 2019 budget request
    furthers the modernization efforts of recent budget requests and
    targets critical workforce needs.
        Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the
    subcommittee, the Library is the embodiment of the American ideal of a
    knowledge-based democracy. I thank you again for supporting the Library
    of Congress and for your consideration of our fiscal 2019 request.
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of Karyn A. Temple, Acting United States Register of
                                   Copyrights
        Chairman Daines, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the
    subcommittee:
        Thank you for the opportunity to submit the United States Copyright
    Office's fiscal 2019 budget request.
        The Nation's copyright system provides exceptional benefits to all
    who use it, from those who work in copyright industries to those who
    seek to use copyrighted materials to the public at large. It
    incentivizes the development of our creative culture and facilitates
    the important exchange of information among researchers and potential
    users of copyrighted materials. The importance of copyright is
    highlighted by the fact that, in 2015, copyright industries employed
    more than 5.5 million workers and contributed over 6 percent of the
    total U.S. GDP.\1\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ ``International Intellectual Property Alliance, Copyright
    Industries in the U.S. Economy: the 2016 Report 2 (2018)'', available
    at https://iipa.org/files/uploads/2018/01/2016CpyrtRptFull-1.pdf; see
    also ``U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Economics and
    Statistics Administration, Intellectual Property and the U.S. Economy:
    2016 Update (2016)'', available at https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/
    files/documents/IPandtheUSEconomySept2016.pdf (noting that copyright-
    intensive industries provided 5.6 million jobs in 2014 numbers).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Copyright Office plays an essential role in this ecosystem. The
    Office administers the copyright law and, in fiscal year 2017 alone,
    registered 452,000 claims to copyright, examined 5,984 statutory
    licensing filings, and recorded nearly 15,000 ownership-related
    documents--generating a total of more than $39 million in fees for its
    services. The Office administered over a billion dollars in royalties
    for statutory licenses to use certain copyrighted works. The Office
    also manages the mandatory deposit provision of the Copyright Act that
    provides the Library of Congress with a myriad of published works for
    its collections, which in fiscal 2017 included 658,045 published works
    worth over $40 million.
        To assist with its work and provide a foundation for modernization,
    the Copyright Office in fiscal 2017 undertook substantial successful
    measures to streamline and update its practices. The Office further
    began several new initiatives to reduce the number of pending
    applications for registration. The Office also issued nine final rules
    and worked on an additional eight proposed rules that increased the
    effectiveness of the copyright system. For example, the Office
    published final rules regarding group registrations of newspapers and
    photographs to provide a more efficient electronic submission mechanism
    to file for copyright registrations, and a final rule for refining the
    deposit requirements for certain types of literary works and musical
    compositions. To further simplify and automate its processes, the
    Office issued new rules to allow electronic signatures on
    electronically-filed statements of account, for the removal of
    personally identifiable information from registration records, and an
    interim rule with improvements in the process of recording transfers of
    copyright ownership, which can facilitate the licensing marketplace.
        The Copyright Office also performs critical legal and policy
    functions for the United States. In fiscal year 2017, the Office
    assisted Congress with numerous copyright-related policy issues,
    including by releasing legal and policy reports on a wide array of
    issues such as section 1201 limits on circumvention of technological
    protection measures, software-enabled consumer products, exceptions for
    libraries and archives, and mass digitization. The Office also provided
    expert copyright advice to Congress during its continuing review of the
    Nation's copyright law on a number of key copyright issues. Further, in
    fiscal year 2017, Office lawyers conducted extensive copyright legal
    analysis and worked with the executive branch and the courts on a
    number of high-profile litigation matters, including one case before
    the U.S. Supreme Court. On the international front, the Office
    participated on international delegations working on a potential
    broadcast treaty and several free trade agreements, and in
    intergovernmental groups assessing the impact of foreign copyright
    systems.
        Moreover, the Copyright Office has continued its critical mission
    of assisting the public with understanding and navigating copyright
    issues. In fiscal 2017, the Office answered almost 194,000 phone,
    email, and mail inquiries; retrieved and copied thousands of copyright
    deposit records for parties involved in litigation; and assisted nearly
    2,000 in-person visitors. The Office also proactively worked to
    distribute 48 issues of NewsNet, an electronic news service covering
    legislative and regulatory developments and general Office news, to
    more than 28,000 subscribers.
        To conduct all of this work effectively and efficiently, the
    Copyright Office needs the foundation of a modern information
    technology system. Developing and deploying modernized systems that
    facilitate and enhance the Office's work and provide a positive
    experience for the public is therefore one of the Office's highest
    priorities. To that end, in September 2017, the Office and the Library
    of Congress's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) jointly
    submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a
    revised Copyright Office IT modernization plan that focused on
    leveraging resources within the Library to take full advantage of
    possible economies of scale. That revised plan, Modified USCO
    Provisional IT Modernization Plan: Analysis of Shared Services, Support
    Requirements, and Modernization Efforts,\2\ supplements the Office's
    2016 Provisional Information Technology Modernization Plan and Cost
    Analysis,\3\ and draws on the collaborative work of the Office and the
    OCIO to identify possible synergies that might exist now or in the
    future, as both the Office and the Library engage in dual modernization
    efforts.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ ``U.S. Copyright Office, Modified USCO Provisional IT
    Modernization Plan: Analysis of Shared Service, Support Requirements,
    and Modernization Efforts (2017)'', available at https://
    www.copyright.gov/reports/itplan/modified-modernization-plan.pdf
    (``Modified IT Plan'').
        \3\ ``U.S. Copyright Office, Provisional Information Technology
    Modernization Plan and Cost Analysis (2016)'', available at https://
    www.copyright.gov/reports/itplan/technology-report.pdf (``Provisional
    IT Plan'').
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Through all of its work, the Copyright Office sits in the middle of
    the complex and incredibly important national copyright system, and
    continues to provide Congress, the executive branch, the courts, and
    the public with expert copyright staff who work hard to administer the
    copyright law.
              funding and overall fiscal year 2019 budget request
        The Copyright Office requests a budget for fiscal year 2019 that
    will enable the Office to fulfill crucial copyright modernization goals
    as set forth in the Modified IT Plan, and to provide for supplemental
    staffing necessary to achieve greater efficiencies in registration,
    public records, public information services, and legal review. As the
    Office positions itself for the future, the requested funds will
    support the changes necessary to provide world-class service to a wide
    variety of constituencies--from the copyright community to government
    entities to the public at large.
        The Copyright Office's overall budget is composed of three separate
    budgets or program areas: (1) Basic Budget, which funds most of the
    Office's core operations, including the majority of payroll-related
    expenses. Historically, the Basic Budget has been provided through a
    combination of appropriated dollars and authority to spend fee revenue,
    with fees constituting a majority of this funding (generally in the
    range of 58 percent to 67 percent); (2) Licensing Budget, which is
    derived completely from licensing royalty collections otherwise payable
    to copyright owners and filing fees paid by cable and satellite
    licensees pursuant to statutory licenses administered by the Office;
    and (3) Copyright Royalty Judges Budget, which funds the Copyright
    Royalty Board (``CRB'')--although the CRB is not a part of the Office,
    the Office administers its budget on behalf of the Library of Congress.
        For fiscal year 2019, the Copyright Office requests a combined
    total of $93.4 million in funding and 483 FTEs, of which $49.8 million
    would be funded through authority to expend fees collected in fiscal
    year 2019 and in prior years.

        The Office's fiscal year 2019 requests are:

      --Basic Budget: $85.8 million and 454 FTEs. $21.6 million and 23 FTEs
            of this request are for new initiatives, including funding
            Copyright Office modernization activities aligned with the
            joint Modified IT Plan, and staffing to address ongoing
            operations described further below. As in past years, the
            Office asks that Congress provide budget authority through a
            combination of annual appropriations and authority to offset
            fee revenue. The Office requests that $39.2 million be provided
            through authority to expend fiscal year 2019 fee revenue and
            that $4.3 million come through use of unobligated revenue
            balances of prior years. The Office requests that the remaining
            $42.3 million come from appropriated dollars.

            Initiatives to be funded through this request include:

        --$12.1 million (8 FTE) for Office modernization activities, which
                in fiscal year 2019 will primarily encompass development
                work for the next-generation registration system and final
                development and deployment of the automated recordation
                system. In addition to technical development efforts, this
                initiative includes eight positions needed to ensure
                effective project oversight through the Copyright
                Modernization Office (``CMO''), which is partnered with the
                Library's OCIO. The recommended mix of funding for this
                initiative includes $4 million in increased offsetting
                collections authority, $2 million in prior-year unobligated
                balances, and $6.1 million in new appropriations.
        --$5 million for the Office's Searchable Historic Records project.
                This request will focus on completion of the digitization
                of the public records and development of the Office's
                virtual reading room. Pending an industry analysis
                currently underway to identify the best approach, the
                project will transition to indexing records to develop
                public search capabilities for all records via a web
                interface.
        --$2.1 million (15 FTE) for additional examination positions to
                reduce pendency times for copyright registration.
        --$1.3 million to provide for the long-term storage of the Office's
                physical copyright deposits, a significant number of which
                must be secured by the Office for the life of the
                underlying copyright.
        --$1.1 million for contract support to reduce the backlog of
                recordation requests and to prepare for transition to an
                automated recordation system.
      --Licensing Division Budget: $5.8 million, all of which is funded via
            fees and royalties. The requested increase includes mandatory
            pay-related and price level increases of $.75 million.
      --Copyright Royalty Judges Budget: $1.8 million in total, with $.15
            million to support mandatory pay-related and price level
            increases. $.5 million (for non-personnel-related expenses) of
            the total request is offset by royalties. The remainder, $1.3
            million in appropriated dollars, is to cover the personnel-
            related expenses of the judges and their staff.
                            focus of funding request
        The Copyright Office's funding request focuses on three key areas:
    (1) increased funding for IT modernization efforts, including the
    historical records initiative; (2) staffing for the Office's core
    registration services; and (3) contract support to support the Office's
    recordation program, as well as for inventory activities to prepare for
    the Office's long-term need to secure physical copyright deposits.
    Copyright IT Modernization
        Modernization of the Copyright Office's aging information
    technology systems and applications is the Office's first priority. In
    partnership with the Office, the Library's OCIO developed detailed cost
    projections and timelines for full IT modernization that align with the
    revised provisional IT modernization plan and are reflected in the
    Office's modernization funding request. In addition to partnering on
    the modernization planning, the OCIO is taking full responsibility for
    the technical IT responsibilities for the Office, as the Library
    consolidated all Office information technology positions within the
    OCIO in December 2017. With all technical IT support now residing
    within the OCIO, both the Office and the OCIO support a new approach to
    maintaining the Office's oversight of its mission-critical systems. In
    accordance with the revised plan, in January 2018 the Copyright Office
    established the CMO, which complements the OCIO's technical support by
    providing the business direction necessary to ensure that modernization
    projects are continuously aligned with the Office's mission and
    strategic goals. In keeping with the plan's dual-governance approach,
    the Acting Register of Copyrights and the Library's Chief Information
    Officer jointly chair a newly-formed Copyright Office Modernization
    Governance Board, which provides the executive direction critical to
    meeting the Offices' long-term modernization goals.
        Projects already underway under the supervision of the CMO and the
    Governance Board include the Copyright Office's new automated
    recordation system, which is entering into final development stages in
    anticipation of a calendar year 2019 release, and which completely
    overhauls the current manual recordation of documents. The Office and
    the OCIO have also begun early-stage work on the Office's next-
    generation enterprise registration system through a contract that
    provides for design of the user interfaces that unify how end users
    experience the Office's applications. Also noteworthy is the January
    2018 release of the Office's ``proof of concept'' Virtual Card Catalog,
    which provides preliminary and accelerated public access to historical
    copyright records in advance of full digitization of all Office
    records, while seeking public input on options for further access.
    Furthering the goal of data accessibility, both for public benefit and
    for operational insight, the Office also is developing a data
    management model that ultimately will provide for a federated search
    technology to allow users to search across registration, recordation,
    and licensing databases, and that will establish chain-of-title
    sequencing that can link registrations to recordations or other
    documents.
        Using the development and deployment timeline developed by the
    Library's OCIO, Copyright Office IT modernization activities planned
    for fiscal years 2019 through 2024 include development and unification
    of public interfaces and all Office workflows through an enterprise
    solution. This enterprise solution will consist of modular applications
    including the next-generation registration system, the recordation
    system, the public interfaces, back-end processes, and future
    incorporation of statutory license processing.
        The first phases will focus on registration processing, using data
    collected from the user interface project already underway, with
    development work next incorporating back-end requirements. Development
    will be complex, as the final system must integrate processes for
    complicated copyright examination procedures, copyright deposit
    management, fee payments, and other workflows. Given the scope of the
    system, development for the next-generation registration system is
    expected to span 5 years. Since the next-generation copyright
    registration system will be developed using agile methods, certain
    functionality will be available to Copyright Office staff and to the
    public even before all development activities are completed. As
    resources allow, development work for other processes will proceed in
    order of priority and in keeping with the overall timeline and planning
    documentation.
        In support of ongoing and planned modernization projects, the
    Copyright Office is thus requesting $12.1 million, comprised of a mix
    of fees, prior-year unobligated balances, and new appropriations, as
    referenced above. The request is proposed as recurring over 5 years, at
    a total of $60.6 million. In fiscal year 2024, the Office would request
    that all but $5.4 million non-recur, with the remaining funding
    providing for ongoing maintenance and operations costs of the deployed
    enterprise solution.
    Searchable Historical Records
        Recognizing its responsibility for the maintenance of the world's
    largest catalog of records of copyright, the Copyright Office continues
    to prioritize its efforts in securing the Office's historical records
    through digitization and in making those records accessible in an
    online and easily searchable format. For fiscal year 2019, the
    Copyright Office is requesting $5 million, inclusive of $1 million in
    prior-year unobligated balances, to recur over 7 years for the
    searchable historical records project. The requested funding will allow
    the Office to take advantage of technological advances in digitization
    to complete the data capture and digitization of all remaining
    historical records, as well as the development and launch of a new,
    modernized Public Records Catalog IT system.
    Copyright Office Staffing
        To fully modernize, the Copyright Office must focus on its systems
    as well as the valuable personnel resources necessary to provide
    quality services to the public at large, copyright owners, technology
    companies, and the Library itself. Through its employees, the Office
    provides expert guidance to the public, Congress, other Federal
    agencies, and the courts in copyright law analysis, examination of
    claims, and document recordation. The Office conducts outreach and
    education and provides customer service to the thousands who annually
    seek information in person, on the phone, and through email.
        In the fiscal year 2019 request, the Copyright Office seeks to add
    much-needed registration specialists. It is an Office priority to
    provide reasonable registration review processing times, and the Office
    continues to focus all available resources on addressing the many
    factors that have caused increasing processing times. While modernized
    systems and processes have proven critical to improving productivity,
    the Office must also maintain adequate numbers of employees trained in
    complex copyright claims examination. The fiscal year 2019 request
    augments the fiscal year 2018 request for additional examination staff,
    allowing the Office to efficiently onboard and train multiple teams of
    examiners.
        For fiscal year 2019, the Copyright Office also is requesting
    temporary funding increases for contract support to accelerate the
    reduction of its recordation workload and assist in the transition to a
    new, automated recordation system. The Office's request for temporary
    contract support also will provide for much-needed inventory software
    as well as a comprehensive inventory of the copyright deposits and
    other materials stored by the Office so that the Office can accurately
    assess current and future storage needs as modernization efforts
    progress.
        Along with the IT modernization request, these requests are part of
    the Copyright Office's multi-pronged planning to ensure modernization
    takes place across all of its operations. To enable appropriate
    analysis of staffing requirements, the Office initiated a number of
    internal assessments of its organizational structure and also recently
    commissioned a report that evaluated the Office's capabilities for
    collecting, monitoring, and analyzing all of its costs. The
    recommendations stemming from the assessments and report will be used
    to further monitor and refine workflows so that the work of all of the
    Office's employees is optimized.
             pending changes to the copyright office fee structure
        The Copyright Office recognizes that fees collected from users of
    its services are an important source of funding for ongoing operations,
    and that the Office must regularly evaluate the sufficiency of its fee
    structure, especially when making requests for additional
    appropriations.
        In November 2017, the Copyright Office completed the first phase of
    an Office-wide fee study, bringing in expert consultants for the first
    time in decades to comprehensively evaluate the Office's fees. This
    initial study considered internal drivers of the Office's costs and
    external factors, such as an assessment of economic trends that affect
    stakeholder value, statutory restrictions, and policy goals. As part of
    this assessment, the Office also directed consultants to consider the
    costs of modernization of the Office's systems. Using recommendations
    resulting from that study, the Office is drafting a Federal Register
    notice requesting public comment on proposed fee changes.
        As part of the Copyright Office's evaluation of fees, the Office
    supports possible changes to its overall funding legislation. For
    example, the Office would benefit from greater flexibility in the use
    of prior-year unobligated fee balances, which could allow the Office to
    provide services to the public in the event of a lapse in
    appropriations. Flexibility in management of prior-year balances across
    budget cycles also could provide for more efficient and cost-effective
    administration of large, non-recurring projects related to
    modernization and other capital expenditures. To that end, the Office
    submitted a request for a change in the fiscal year 2019 appropriations
    language to allow for 20 percent of the balance available in prior-year
    fees to be available each year, in addition to appropriated amounts,
    for obligation without fiscal year limitation, and to allow the Office
    to access prior-year balances to continue operations during a lapse in
    appropriations.
        The Office also is interested in pursuing additional fee-setting
    options, such as through the use of subscription fees, differential
    fees, or additional fees for high-volume access to improved and
    modernized data. The Office would welcome explicit authorization from
    Congress permitting the Office to contemplate a wide range of fee types
    to further the use of the copyright system.

                             *    *    *    *    *

        The Copyright Office understands the significance associated with a
    budget request of the size and scope necessary to position the Office
    for success in an increasingly digital world. The Office is committed
    to its own continuous improvement and to an honest assessment of its
    needs and costs of services, and greatly appreciates the Committee's
    consideration of this request, as well as the ongoing support for the
    success of the Office and for the national copyright system.
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of Mary B. Mazanec, Director, Congressional Research
                                    Service
        Chairman Daines, Ranking Member Murphy and Members of the
    subcommittee,
        Thank you for the opportunity to present the Congressional Research
    Service (CRS) fiscal 2019 budget request. I would also like to thank
    the Committee for your support of CRS's fiscal 2018 budget request. CRS
    is working aggressively to implement the much needed modernization of
    our IT infrastructure and to ensure the public availability of CRS
    Reports within the timeframe directed by Congress. My testimony will
    present our request for fiscal 2019, and summarize for you some of the
    more notable support that CRS has provided to the Congress over the
    past fiscal year. In addition, I will bring you up to date on a number
    of initiatives that we are undertaking to ensure that CRS continues to
    provide you with exceptional analytical, consultative and information
    support in the future.
        In fiscal 2017, Congress called upon CRS for research and
    analytical expertise at every stage of the legislative and oversight
    process and across all public policy issues on its agenda. CRS experts
    provided more than 61,400 custom products and consultations in response
    to specific requests from Members and staff, produced and maintained
    more than 11,100 reports and products, and held more than 250 events
    for nearly 8,600 congressional participants. CRS served over 99 percent
    of all Member and committee offices.
                           fiscal 2019 budget request
        The CRS budget request for fiscal 2019 is $125.68 million, with
    almost 90 percent devoted to staff pay and benefits. To ensure that our
    research staff can meet the needs of Congress, in fiscal 2019, CRS
    requests $2.743 million for the addition of 20 FTEs to strengthen the
    Service's research capacity for highly complex current and emerging
    issues. These personnel additions will significantly advance the
    Service's efforts to restore the research and analytical capacity, lost
    through attrition in recent years and better enable us to plan for the
    anticipated departure of a significant portion of the CRS workforce.
    These new positions will also allow CRS to enhance the diversification
    of subject matter expertise throughout the Service and maintain robust
    research across legislative areas. Consequently, CRS will be better
    positioned to provide timely and comprehensive support to Congress on
    key policy issues in the future. Support for the Service's fiscal 2019
    program request would permit CRS to increase research capacity in the
    following areas:
      --Four (4) positions to support domestic policy in the areas of
            healthcare insurance and financing, healthcare services, and
            education policy;
      --Four (4) legislative attorneys focusing on military and veteran's
            law, tax and bankruptcy law, and constitutional law;
      --Two (2) positions, an analyst and an economist, to enhance coverage
            in oversight issue areas related to international development
            assistance and global emerging economies;
      --Two (2) analysts to cover emerging national security and
            intelligence issues related to cybersecurity, foreign arms
            exports and military assistance;
      --Four (4) positions, analysts or economists, to broaden the depth
            and scope of coverage in government oversight issues,
            macroeconomic policy, economic development policy and
            legislative process support; and,
      --Four (4) analysts to augment the specialized knowledge necessary to
            better support legislative work in the areas of agriculture,
            science and technology, energy, transportation and
            infrastructure.
        CRS is committed to maintaining and strengthening the breadth and
    speed of delivery for all research products and consultations. With the
    appointments of additional content area specialists and a focus on
    innovation and responsiveness, CRS will be able to ensure a seamless
    succession of expertise and continue to comprehensively meet Congress's
    needs in an increasingly fast-paced legislative environment.
                               budget challenges
        CRS's greatest asset is the breadth of our analytical talent.
    Congress has long considered CRS staff to be an extension of its own,
    offering not only subject matter expertise, but intimate knowledge of
    the legislative process as well as decades of institutional memory
    gained from working side-by-side with Members and congressional staff.
    However, since 2010, CRS has lost more than 13 percent of its staff due
    to flat budgets and inflationary pressures. Although CRS has been able
    to mitigate some of the impact due to staff reduction, the Service has
    not been able to replace staff on a one-to-one ratio.
        In addition, 23 percent of CRS staff will be eligible for
    retirement in fiscal 2018. Consequently, the Service must plan for
    workforce succession that will ensure continuity in subject matter
    expertise, a critical challenge that will only grow as CRS research
    staff retires. When CRS is unable to fill vacancies in advance of
    announced retirements, current CRS experts must absorb additional
    subject area responsibilities until the new hires are brought onboard
    as well as devote time to support knowledge transfer to the new
    analysts.
        As I noted, CRS products and services are frequently and heavily
    utilized by virtually all congressional offices and committees and it
    is expected that demand will remain at these levels or increase in the
    future. Consequently, CRS must act now to arrest the reduction of
    personnel and aggressively supplement research capacity. Congress's
    approval of the eight entry-level positions in the Consolidated
    Appropriations Act, Fiscal 2018 was an important first step in this
    effort. However, the additional FTE's requested as part of the fiscal
    2019 budget is necessary to restore CRS's staffing to near pre-2010
    levels.
        With such staffing challenges and without additional funding, CRS
    anticipates:
      --Additional gaps in the scope and depth of analysis;
      --An inability to offer full research coverage, in particular in
            high-demand areas, such as education, healthcare, taxes,
            infrastructure and natural resources;
      --An increased need to prioritize assignments, resulting in less
            timely responses; and,
      --A diminished ability to effectively perform all of the functions
            required of CRS by statute.
        Meeting the needs of Members and staff is CRS's highest priority,
    and the Service remains committed to providing timely responses,
    products and consultations on the broad range of issues before
    Congress. Yet, while the eight new appointments authorized in the 2018
    appropriation will certainly mitigate the impacts noted above, CRS
    capabilities to meet congressional requests will continue to be
    stretched thin.
                              service to congress
        In the last fiscal year, CRS continued to explore opportunities to
    better fulfill its mission to provide comprehensive and reliable
    legislative research, analysis and information services that are
    confidential, objective, nonpartisan, authoritative and timely. The
    Service provided significant support to Congress on a broad range of
    policy issues such as the Federal budget, healthcare reform, Federal
    programs requiring reauthorization, environmental regulation,
    immigration, border security, Federal land management and intellectual
    property. CRS experts also provided critical research, analysis and
    consultative assistance on emergent issues, including the nomination of
    a new Supreme Court justice, the opioid crisis, developments in the
    Middle East and North Korea, and Federal emergency management
    challenges brought about by multiple natural disasters. In addition to
    providing research and analytical expertise, the Service supported
    Congress's work through its online services. CRS continues to
    contribute to the development and daily operation of Congress.gov, the
    next-generation platform for legislative information.
        CRS undertook a substantial revision of content for ``The
    Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and
    Interpretation (CONAN),'' the statutorily required document in which
    CRS attorneys provide legal analysis and interpretation of the
    Constitution, based primarily on Supreme Court case law. This
    initiative was undertaken in concert with a broader effort to develop
    an initial prototype for the design and search functionality of the
    next-generation CONAN website. A modernized CONAN will enable greater
    ease of access and utility for Congress and the public.
        The Service worked to leverage advances in technology and present
    its research and analysis to best suit Congress's needs. In fiscal
    2017, CRS joined the Skype for Business Federation with the House,
    Senate and Architect of the Capitol, opening new pathways for
    interacting with congressional clients. In addition, CRS conducted a
    pilot of a new podcast product, providing congressional clients mobile
    access to discussions of legislative issues by CRS analysts.
        Finally, CRS continued to develop geographic information systems
    (GIS) products and tools to respond to congressional interest in
    geospatial analysis. The Service completed 185 GIS-related requests on
    issues of interest to Congress including Federal lands, energy,
    military installations, education, national monuments, floods and wild
    fires.
                           crs strategic initiatives
        To ensure that CRS is able to offer a high level of support across
    the full range of issues before Congress, the Service has undertaken a
    number of strategic initiatives including product and technology
    enhancements, staff training and development, strategic planning and
    the identification of workplace efficiencies. In 2017, CRS continued to
    execute its Strategic Plan. Initially, the Service focused on enhancing
    the skills of its professional workforce through several special
    programs, including leadership development training for first-line
    supervisors and nonsupervisory staff, and expansion of the new employee
    mentoring program to include guidance for existing staff members. In
    addition, CRS continued its Core Writing Curriculum program, in which
    senior staff members provide newer analysts with tools and best
    practices in preparing effective analytical writing for congressional
    clients. Efforts in 2017 also focused on improving internal
    communications and examining ways to increase staff diversity and
    inclusion.
        As part of the execution of its Strategic Plan, CRS took steps to
    maximize efficiency and strengthen internal collaboration and
    coordination, by consolidating its Finance and Administration and
    Workforce Management and Development offices into one organizational
    unit, the Office of Administrative Operations; and combining the
    Program Office and Communications Office into the Congressional
    Programs and Communications Office. In addition, following a successful
    pilot, research librarians in the Knowledge Services Group were moved
    permanently to the research divisions, to better align with the work of
    analysts and meet the divisions' research priorities and requirements.
        In 2017, the Service actively participated in the Library of
    Congress's ``Envisioning 2025'' strategic planning initiative which
    informed the Library's future direction and priorities. To inform the
    companion Directional Plan for CRS, a senior leader retreat was held to
    discuss the Service's products and services, staff composition and
    organization and other strategic topics to guide the work of the agency
    moving forward. CRS continues to proactively identify strategic
    initiatives that will best position the Service to serve Congress's
    needs well into the future.
        In addition, CRS has been working closely with the Library's Chief
    Information Officer to ensure that CRS reports are made available to
    the public within the timeframe directed by Congress in the fiscal 2018
    appropriations act.
                                   conclusion
        CRS remains dedicated to fulfilling the important responsibility
    that Congress has entrusted to the Service. However, years of steadily
    decreasing staffing levels and the impending retirement eligibility of
    a significant portion of our workforce has placed the Service in a
    precarious position. In recognition of the budgetary constraints under
    which we have operated, we are constantly exploring ways to function
    more efficiently while continuing to be responsive to the needs of an
    ever evolving Congress. We have adapted our product line to better meet
    congressional needs, adopted state-of-the-art research methodologies
    and utilized new formats to present our research and analysis. The
    modernization of technology systems promises to streamline CRS workflow
    and position the Service to offer more advanced research products.
        Yet these efforts will be of limited utility without the research
    and analytical expertise necessary to fully execute our mission.
    Recovering critically needed staff capacity and replenishing analytical
    experience will ensure that these investments reap their greatest
    benefit for Congress and that CRS is positioned to continue providing
    the level of research and analytical support to which Congress has
    become accustomed.
        Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Murphy and Members of the
    subcommittee, CRS is honored and proud to serve the United States
    Congress. I thank you again for your support of CRS and for your
    consideration of our fiscal 2019 request.

        Senator Daines. Thank you, Dr. Hayden.
        Mr. Ayers.
                                  ----------

                            ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

    STATEMENT OF HON. STEPHEN T. AYERS, ARCHITECT OF THE
                CAPITOL
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you, Chairman Daines, Ranking Member
    Murphy, and Senator Hyde-Smith.
        I appreciate the opportunity to present the Architect of
    the Capitol's fiscal year 2019 budget request and, first, I'd
    like to thank the subcommittee for your support of our needs in
    the 2018 Omnibus. The projects and efforts you were able to
    fund will be critically important to our success this year and
    next.
        The funding will also assist our more than 2,100 talented
    employees with reducing the constraints that impede their
    ability to get their jobs done every single day.
        We take pride in our mission to serve Congress and the
    Supreme Court, preserve America's Capitol and to inspire
    memorable experiences for all of those that visit. I'm
    incredibly pleased to report that our achievements last year
    have been terrific and significant.
        In 2017, we successfully completed the conservation of the
    U.S. Capitol's Brumidi Corridors, and several major projects
    across campus reached important milestones. We made significant
    progress on the stone preservation projects at the Capitol, as
    the Chairman noted, and at the United States Supreme Court, the
    Russell Senate Office Building and the United States Botanic
    Garden Conservatory.
        Also, the major equipment needed for the co-generation
    system at the Capitol Power Plant has been installed and we're
    looking forward to testing that system this summer.
        Unfortunately, our annual costs continue to rise and our
    work is often backlogged. Our request represents the resources
    we think we need to support our infrastructure and fulfill our
    mission.
        The ability to retain sufficient people to keep up with
    increased security requirements is essential. Reducing the risk
    of infrastructure failures that lead to larger and more costly
    repairs is equally as essential.
        Additionally, with annual visitation at the Capitol growing
    by 12 and a half percent last year, and another 8 percent on
    top of that so far this year, more employees are needed to
    continue to provide the first-rate customer service that
    visitors expect.
        We have to bolster our common central services that improve
    our agency efficiencies and decrease our jurisdictional
    operating costs. These services include specialized
    construction, project management, historic preservation,
    safety, cyber security, IT and support functions, just to name
    a few.
        Adequate funding for these services is critical to the
    successful delivery of our capital projects.
        For fiscal year 2019, our risk-based prioritization process
    identified a $173 million of projects that are primed and ready
    for funding in 2019. Of this, approximately $49 million is
    requested for projects that were requested in 2018 but did not
    receive funding. This includes the North Exit Stair improvement
    at the Library of Congress's Jefferson Building, which would
    address an open citation from the Office of Compliance.
        In the Senate, we're seeking funds for the final phase of
    the Russell Exterior Stone Project and to replace the Hart
    Senate Office Building's air-handling units to ensure reliable
    service well into the future.
        We also continue to prioritize security upgrades across the
    Capitol Campus with our ongoing effort to replace vehicle
    barriers and kiosks that have reached the end of their intended
    life cycle.
        In addition, for a third year, we're pursuing funding to
    implement the replacement of a critical infrastructure project
    at the Alternate Computer Facility, an important component of
    maintaining reliable congressional operations.
        While to an untrained eye, our buildings look to be in
    great condition, delays in our annual preventive maintenance
    and continued phasing of our large projects are deeply
    concerning to us.
        Funding our needs as they're identified in our budget will
    ensure our stakeholders and our visitors to Capitol Hill will
    experience the grandeur of these great buildings as well as to
    meet the modern needs of a modern workforce.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to any questions
    you may have.
        [The statement follows:]
                  Prepared Statement of Hon. Stephen T. Ayers
        Chairman Daines, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the
    subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to present the Architect of
    the Capitol's (AOC) fiscal year 2019 budget. Our request of $720
    million is a modest representation of the resources needed to support
    our infrastructure and adequately fulfill our mission to serve Congress
    and the Supreme Court, preserve America's Capitol and inspire memorable
    experiences.

       View of the U.S. Capitol Building from the U.S. Botanic Garden's
                                 Bartholdi Park

        This year, the AOC celebrates the 225th anniversary of President
    George Washington accepting Dr. William Thornton's design for the U.S.
    Capitol. Honored as the first Architect of the Capitol, Dr. Thornton
    could hardly have imagined how much the U.S. Capitol and our campus
    would change and expand from his design, adopted on April 2, 1793.
    Today, we operate and care for more than 18.4 million square feet
    across 37 facilities and 570 acres of grounds.
        Every day the AOC works to preserve our historic and aging
    infrastructure, while upgrading facilities to meet the needs of a 21st
    century workforce and address rapidly evolving security requirements.
    In fiscal year 2018, Congress provided a significant budgetary increase
    that will help reduce operational constraints that impede the ability
    of our more than 2,100 skilled employees.
        The talented men and women of the AOC strategically plan, allocate
    and manage our resources across the agency to support high-profile
    events, construct and develop critical infrastructure projects, and
    meet the daily needs of building occupants and visitors. Last year, we
    successfully supported preparations for the 58th Presidential
    Inauguration, completed the conservation of the U.S. Capitol's Brumidi
    Corridors, and introduced a new automated system for congressional
    staff to quickly and easily obtain passes for their tour groups.

              Capitol Exterior Stone & Metal Preservation Project

        We reached milestones on several major projects across campus
    including stone preservation projects at the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Supreme
    Court, Russell Senate Office Building and U.S. Botanic Garden
    Conservatory. Also, the necessary major equipment needed for the
    cogeneration system has been installed.
        Unfortunately, these successes do not seem as grand when measured
    against our limited ability to keep pace with mounting needs.
    Additional increases are needed in fiscal year 2019 to address critical
    operational and capital deficiencies that could negatively impact our
    performance. AOC employees are in a race against time as the
    infrastructure rapidly deteriorates and projects continue to
    accumulate.

    Performing Routine Maintenance Improves the Safety and Security of Our
                                 Infrastructure

        AOC professionals are our greatest asset. We strive to provide
    streamlined, efficient operations and maintenance activities. Fully
    funding payroll obligations and bolstering support for maintenance
    activities reduces the risk of infrastructure failures that will
    require larger and more costly repairs.
        Each year, inflationary personnel and preservation costs continue
    to rise. The ability to sustain adequate personnel to keep up with
    increased security requirements is essential to support U.S. Capitol
    Police facilities and congressional resiliency requirements.

     Visitors at the U.S. Botanic Garden Participate in a Hands-On Garden
                                    Exhibit

        Additionally, with annual visitation growing by approximately 12.5
    percent last year, increases are needed for the U.S. Capitol Visitor
    Center, the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Library of Congress to continue
    to inspire current and future visitors by providing first-rate customer
    service, hospitality and visitor engagement. The ability to improve
    their facilities and grow the exhibit and education capabilities
    requires additional resources to maintain the high level of quality
    visitors expect, desire and deserve when visiting their nation's
    capital.
        Any further reductions in common central services, funded through
    the Capital Construction and Operations appropriation, threatens agency
    efficiencies and increases jurisdictional operating costs. These
    services include supporting the AOC's specialized construction,
    curatorial, design, energy and sustainability, facilities planning,
    high voltage, historic preservation, project management, safety, fire
    and environmental, cybersecurity, and technical support functions.
        The increased funding in fiscal year 2018 will allow us to slow the
    need to move funds targeted for supplies, routine maintenance,
    upgrades, inspections and emergency repairs to cover annual
    inflationary increases while mitigating negative impacts to our mission
    requirements. We will continue to work to reverse this trend and
    prevent a reactionary posture that largely addresses issues as failures
    occur. We must not fall back into a position that increases the risk of
    system failures that will require larger and more costly repairs.
        Our fiscal year 2019 request includes a $21 million increase to
    specifically address costs for supplies, routine maintenance, upgrades,
    inspections and emergency repairs that continue to escalate.

         Capitol Power Plant Refrigeration Plant Revitalization Project

        To an untrained eye, our buildings look to be in great condition,
    but across campus we continue to face a growing list of work-arounds
    that are needed to circumvent problems and simply maintain current
    operations. With additional funding we can begin to change this dynamic
    and ensure we maintain all systems responsibly, thereby reducing the
    need for more numerous and expensive Line Item Construction Program
    (LICP) projects on an annual basis.
        Delays in annual preventive and corrective maintenance initiatives
    and the continued phasing of major replacement and renovation projects
    wreak havoc on infrastructure systems. To address this, the agency's
    risk-based prioritization process identified $173 million in LICP
    projects primed for fiscal year 2019 funding. Of this, approximately
    $22.7 million (13 percent) will be used to complete the next phases of
    critical infrastructure projects needed at the Capitol Power Plant.

     Increased Exit Options in the Thomas Jefferson Building are Needed To
                  Improve the Safety of Occupants and Visitors

        Projects that were requested in fiscal year 2018 but did not secure
    funding represent an additional $49 million (28 percent), including the
    North Exit Stair Improvement project at the Library of Congress' Thomas
    Jefferson Building. This project would address an Office of Compliance
    citation to increase exiting egress capacity and improve fire
    protection systems. Funding this project would reduce delays and
    overcrowding conditions during emergency evacuations.
        In the Senate, the Hart Senate Office Building's air handling units
    require replacement to ensure reliable service and system control. The
    Hart Building is almost 40 years old, and many of the internal systems
    are nearing the end of their useful lives. If these needs are not
    addressed in a timely manner, failures will become more likely and
    routine repairs will become more extensive and costly.
        Also in the Senate, during deliberation over the fiscal year 2018
    Consolidated Appropriations Act the final phase of the Russell Senate
    Office Building's exterior stone restoration project was removed from
    fiscal year 2018 consideration and will need to be added to our fiscal
    year 2019 request.
        We continue to prioritize security upgrades across the Capitol
    campus and the ongoing effort to replace vehicle barriers and kiosks
    that have reached the end of their intended life cycle. Additionally,
    we are seeking funding for the first phase of the replacement of all
    chillers and associated distribution piping within the Alternate
    Computer Facility, an important component in ensuring efficient,
    reliable congressional operations.
        Adequately funding the AOC's needs as they are identified will
    ensure the stakeholders and visitors to Capitol Hill experience the
    grandeur of these historic treasures while meeting the needs of a
    modern workforce.

                     Aerial View of the U.S. Capitol Campus

        Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Ayers.
        In the spirit of time management, I'm going to yield to our
    two subcommittee Members here before the Ranking Member and
    myself ask our questions.
        Senator Hyde-Smith, I yield to you.

                              SURPLUS BOOK PROGRAM

        Senator Hyde-Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for
    holding this hearing and, Dr. Hayden and Mr. Ayers, thank you
    for coming and discussing your 2019 budget with us.
        You know, you just have such important roles in researching
    and preserving the history of our Nation for future generations
    and your Surplus Book Program has been very beneficial to my
    constituents in Mississippi. We've taken advantage of that. I
    also appreciate the work of the Architect of the Capitol to
    ensure that my constituents have that positive experience as
    they visit the Capitol and the surrounding buildings. I'm also
    grateful for the hard work of the AOC Team is doing to move my
    staff and me into the new office as quickly as possible so we
    can better serve the people of Mississippi.
        I truly look forward to working with you and your
    respective positions and I thank you for your service. I think
    you're doing a great job.
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you.
        Senator Daines. I want to thank the Senator for bringing up
    the Surplus Book Program. It's important in Mississippi. I know
    in Montana over the last 3 years we've been able to send books,
    over 4,000 books in fact, to 20 different small towns and these
    are small towns in rural areas as well as in reservations.
        There's an old famous country-western song that says
    everybody dies famous in a small town. I can tell you a little
    bit from Washington, DC, goes a long way in these rural
    communities. It's a big deal back home and I thank you for
    pointing that out. We appreciate it in Montana as well.
        Senator Van Hollen.

                         CONGRESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Dr. Hayden, thank you for your service and thank you for
    your initiatives to really open up the Library of Congress and
    the national treasures of the Library of Congress to the
    American people. I think that initiative is already bearing
    fruit and I'm grateful and also appreciate the Young Readers
    Program because we've had a lot of folks from Maryland and
    other areas obviously coming in for that. So thank you for
    that.
        And to Mr. Ayers, again, thank you for trying to make sure
    this, you know, Capitol is as open and welcoming to the
    American people as it can be.
        I don't have any questions at this point, but I do
    appreciate your very good work and look forward to working with
    the Chairman and the Ranking Members and other Members of the
    subcommittee on the budget request.
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you.

                            LIBRARY'S BUDGET REQUEST

        Senator Daines. Thank you, Senator Van Hollen.
        One thing about this subcommittee and the witnesses here is
    it's a very tangible area--we see the impact here. We walk
    around every day and see the important work that you do for
    this institution as well as for the people of this great
    country.
        Dr. Hayden, your request includes increases for a number of
    projects as well as about $22 million in mandatory pay and
    price level increases across the Library.
        The projects include $4 million and 40 full-time
    equivalents (FTE) for collection arrearage reduction, $12
    million for copyright modernization, and $2.7 million and 20
    FTE for increased capacity at CRS.
        You've also included $10 million in your base from last
    year for the Library's Visitor Experience Project, which we had
    a chance to talk at length about when we visited.
        Understanding we may not be able to accommodate the entire
    requested increase, how would you prioritize the needs of the
    Library?
        Dr. Hayden. In terms of mission-critical elements of the
    budget, of course, the mandatory increases for staff and being
    able to make sure that is part of what we always maintain, if
    possible. Looking at the arrearage and having access to the
    collections, that's vital, as well as copyright modernization
    and continuing on the progress that has been made so far.
        We are in a stage with copyright IT modernization that is
    exciting. It's challenging, but it needs to continue, and, of
    course, CRS and having the capacity to serve Congress. Those
    are mission-
    critical aspects.
        Senator Daines. Certainly when we have an economy that's
    growing and actual labor shortages across our country, it
    highlights the importance of taking care of our own employees.
    Without the mandatory pay increase, would there be potential
    for a hiring freeze and furloughs if we didn't accomplish that?
        Dr. Hayden. We would try to avoid as much as we could
    looking at a hiring freeze but that is an option, as well as
    being able to absorb and make sure that across the board some
    of the inflationary increases could be handled and that's what
    the Library has done in the past and has been able to spread
    those non-programmatic increases.
        Senator Daines. Right. And again that highlights the
    importance of ensuring we're taking care of our own employees--
    --
        Dr. Hayden. Right, right.

                     LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VISITOR EXPERIENCE

        Senator Daines [continuing]. And retention, as well.
        Dr. Hayden, remaining on the subject of the Visitor
    Experience, this subcommittee provided $2 million in the fiscal
    year 2018 Omnibus to begin the design and planning of the
    project.
        It's anticipated that this master plan will be complete in
    May of 2019 for review.
        Dr. Hayden. Yes.
        Senator Daines. The plan will include details of an
    acquisition, design and construction timeline, and further
    refine cost estimates.
        The question is are you still on track to complete the
    master plan by May of next year? Time goes by quickly--we're a
    year away.
        Dr. Hayden. And I have to reiterate how grateful we are for
    being able to take advantage of this opportunity to have a
    public-private partnership. We have already great interest in
    the private sector to help support and supplement this effort
    and so we're very grateful for that and the contract for a
    company to work with us, an exhibit design company basically,
    is almost ready to be let and we are moving ahead quite
    aggressively.
        We also have been taking advantage of the opportunity to
    visit different museums, some that are recently opened, and
    other facilities that have utilized technology in very
    effective ways. So this project is on track and we really thank
    you for this opportunity.
        Senator Daines. Do you think, Dr. Hayden, that we can get
    this done in 12 months?
        Dr. Hayden. Yes.
        Senator Daines. Okay. Thank you. You're requesting an
    additional $10 million in fiscal year 2019 for this project.
        Could you provide some details on what this funding would
    go towards and why it is needed this year when completion of
    the plan is not anticipated until next year?
        Dr. Hayden. Part of the contractual aspect of working on
    exhibit design requires that you are able to plan out a number
    of months and even years in the construction of the exhibits.
        This project, as we discussed this during your visit, is
    less about architectural changes or tearing down walls, things
    like that, and more about the exhibit fabrication and so the
    plan, there are parts of the plan--for instance, the Treasures
    Gallery where we'll be able to exhibit some of the wonderful
    things that we know will be part of that Treasures Gallery.
    That planning and the construction and some of the details that
    go into the planning will be part of this.
        Senator Daines. Do you still anticipate requesting a total
    Federal investment of about $40 million with private donations
    totaling around $20 million?
        Dr. Hayden. Yes, and we are very confident and we have
    great philanthropic interest and support that that fund-raising
    goal will be met even in a shorter period of time, possibly
    within the next year.
        Senator Daines. Thank you.
        Ranking Member Murphy, we lost about half our crowd when I
    started speaking. So I think your theory here may be incorrect
    that I was the draw.
        Senator Murphy.
        Senator Murphy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        I just want to get a couple more points of clarification on
    the line of questioning regarding the visitors experience.
        Did you share with us what the timeline is on the necessary
    documentation to unlock the second eight million? I'm not sure
    if I followed that. You've got two million to provide some
    documentation to the subcommittee, of which unlocks the----
        Dr. Hayden. And the understanding is that that would be
    within a 3-year period, but the estimates now are definitely
    that it can be executed in a year, that other time period.

                VISITOR EXPERIENCE--AOC AND LIBRARY COOPERATION

        Senator Murphy. Gotcha. And to stay on this topic, Mr.
    Ayers, can you just talk about your cooperation, to the extent
    it's happened so far, on this project, and then, you know,
    let's say this is a huge success, are there other renovations
    that need to be made to the building, if we have a lot more
    visitors than we have on an annual basis right now?
        Mr. Ayers. I'd be happy to. Dr. Hayden and I have met with
    her exhibits designer and gone through the three major moves
    that are on the table at the moment--the Treasures Gallery, the
    Reading Room and the Youth Center--and we're really comfortable
    with those. We think it's a great vision, Number 1.
        My team has subsequently met on several occasions with the
    Library staff to begin to work with them on the master plan
    that they're about to embark on, and through that process they
    will also engage in the design work of those exhibits. That's
    where we'll really redouble our efforts to stay closely engaged
    in the work as that's when we'll sort out any fire and life
    safety, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
    issues, and we'll work closely with them to the end.
        I think your second question, Senator Murphy, are there
    other building things that may need to be done, I would offer
    two points.
        One, we completely renovated the Jefferson and Adams
    Building in the 1990s, so they're in fairly good shape. I don't
    think we're going to experience a complete building
    modernization, but I would say, and I'm quite confident Dr.
    Hayden would agree, there are such rich treasures at the
    Library that we could open three Treasure Galleries, four
    Treasure Galleries, or five, to bring this material out of the
    stacks and to the American people in an easy and understandable
    way, and I think the possibility does exist that there are
    future restorations that could help bring this material out.

                             WORLD DIGITAL LIBRARY

        Senator Murphy. Sorry to interrupt our flow and move it
    over to Mr. Ayers. I'll come back to you, Dr. Hayden.
        Talk to me a little bit about the World Digital Library
    Program.
        Dr. Hayden. Yes.
        Senator Murphy. So this is a project that you were in for
    as a temporary manager, which turned out to be what started to
    look like more of a permanent leadership role and you've scaled
    back.
        So tell me about what the future of this project is without
    the at least named leadership of the Library of Congress
    because it appears to me to be a really worthwhile endeavor
    that I worry might suffer without the day-to-day leadership of
    the Library and the United States.
        Dr. Hayden. Well, the Library of Congress took a leadership
    role in getting a consortium together of major research
    libraries and reference libraries throughout the world to start
    the World Digital Library and you're right in terms of the
    temporary nature turned into a decade of managing the program.
        What that decade gave the Library of Congress and also the
    library community that's part of it is an opportunity to really
    work out the mechanics. There were changes, as you can imagine,
    in this last decade in terms of technological requirements and
    now the Board of the World Digital Library is working with
    another research institution that may be able to take on the
    day-to-day management of the project.
        The Library of Congress will still be a major contributor
    of information. It's digitizing treasures from around the world
    and these libraries are part of that. So the Library will be
    involved during the next year as the Board of the World Digital
    Library works out the details of the transition of the
    management. The Library of Congress will still provide some
    technical support and management support.
        Senator Murphy. You don't worry about their ability to
    continue?
        Dr. Hayden. The proposed partners that--I'm not at liberty
    to name it because all the details haven't been worked out--is
    very substantial organization and the Board looked at that in
    terms of making sure that the management continues. So we're
    still going to be very much a part of it.

                            COPYRIGHT MODERNIZATION

        Senator Murphy. Great. One more question, and I'm sure we
    have questions for Mr. Ayers.
        Going back to the Next Gen Registration System, can you
    just talk to me about what input that you have asked for and
    received from the creative industry community, how you've
    incorporated their feedback, and how they're going to continue
    to be involved in this process because obviously our intent
    here is to make sure that the user of the system is the main
    focus?
        Dr. Hayden. The Copyright Office--and I'd like to also take
    this opportunity to commend Karen Temple, the Acting Registrar
    of Copyright, and she's here today, who's been really leading
    this effort and making sure that everything stays on track.
        The entire spectrum of the copyright community has been
    involved and getting input at various stages and we are now at
    the point of actually getting to the modernization of the
    Copyright Registration System and to not lose sight of the
    recordation system, which is paper-based and manual right now,
    and so the Copyright Office will be moving ahead and has
    definitely made great strides.
        Senator Murphy. Is there a process moving forward--I mean,
    obviously as you roll this out, you're going to expect some
    bumps and hiccups. So I guess my question is, is the creative
    community that is often,----
        Dr. Hayden. Yes.
        Senator Murphy [continuing]. You know, the loudest in part
    in raising objections to the slowness of the existing system
    going to have some mechanism to give you feedback?
        Dr. Hayden. Yes, and there's constant actual feedback. As
    you mentioned, they're very vocal, but all parts of the
    community have been very generous, I think, with their support
    and also making sure that along the way it's a process of
    checking with the community as we go along and beta testing and
    things like that. So they will be involved and they are.
        Senator Murphy. Great. That's all I have for Dr. Hayden.

                     IT MANAGEMENT AND GAO REPORT PROGRESS

        Senator Daines. One more question, Dr. Hayden. Mr. Ayers,
    you're not off the hook yet here. Okay?
        Dr. Hayden, the Library's made great strides in improving
    its IT management, investing in enhancements to functionality
    as well as security. Many of these improvements are based on
    the recommendations made by GAO, who we just had up here a
    couple weeks ago, in their March 2015 report.
        Can you provide an update on the GAO recommendations and
    how many the Library has closed to date?
        Dr. Hayden. The GAO report and the progress, working with
    them very closely on the recommendations, is a wonderful
    success story.
        I mentioned in the opening statement that 24 of the 31
    recommendations are either approved or waiting approval from
    GAO and we've had weekly meetings with them throughout the
    process and they have indicated that they're pleased with the
    progress. So we look at that report as a guidepost and a map
    for improving IT.
        Mr. Barton is behind me and he has definitely made that a
    major priority.
        Senator Daines. And he's smiling, too, I might add.
        Dr. Hayden. Well, he is smiling. He told me when I was
    confirmed in this position that IT will not be a problem and
    I've kept him to that. I have weekly meetings with him, as
    well.
        Senator Daines. Having spent 12 years in the cloud-
    computing business, take care of your IT folks.
        Dr. Hayden. Yes.
        Senator Daines. That's good advice. It really is.
        Dr. Hayden. I keep Mr. Barton close.
        Senator Daines. That's great. So you've got 24 of the 31,
    getting close.
        Dr. Hayden. Right.
        Senator Daines. What's your plan for addressing the
    remaining recommendations, and do you have an estimated
    timeline where you could get them all completed?
        Dr. Hayden. Yes, the completion is, of course, the approval
    of GAO. The submission of the remaining will be by the end of
    this calendar year and that's the estimate that they will be
    submitted.
        Senator Daines. Great. Thank you. Appreciate that.
        Dr. Hayden. So it's a good story.
        Senator Daines. I was most impressed. I think we get over
    $120--$128 back for every dollar invested in GAO. So at that
    rate, we should put billions of dollars in there Senator
    Murphy.

                  CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS FUNDING

        Mr. Ayers, one of the largest increases in your request is
    for the Capital Construction and Operations Jurisdiction, 11
    percent over the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. This
    jurisdiction does not generally have its own capital projects
    and the funding is for the support functions it provides to
    other jurisdictions.
        The question is can you explain in more detail why this
    jurisdiction is so important to the AOC's mission and what the
    requested increase would provide?
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have this saying
    that any project that you fund in one of our jurisdictions has
    a tail of five other business units that work to support that.
    All of those five business units are within our Capital
    Construction and Operations (CCO) appropriation and so we may
    have $200 to $300 million of design or construction projects
    that are funded through our jurisdictions.
        The people that manage those projects are in our CCO
    appropriation and we are really struggling today with the
    amount of design and construction work that's on the plate with
    a very significant project increase in 2018 but no increase in
    CCO resources.
        We're struggling to have the requisite number of people to
    oversee our design and construction work. I think that's one of
    the biggest things.
        To get those project managers and construction managers,
    you have to have people in your HR department that are capable
    of hiring the right people.
        Similarly, they're all supported by our IT Department. On a
    $300 million construction project, you're going to have
    hundreds of invoices that come through every single month that
    have to be processed and paid. That takes people in your
    budget, finance and accounting departments, to handle all of
    that, and while our project workload has increased, the number
    of people in our CCO appropriation has stayed flat. We are
    struggling today and we're trying to convince you to make it
    right in 2019.
        Senator Daines. Thank you. In relation to the investments
    you intend to make for cyber security, I understand you're
    working from recommendations made by the Legislative Branch
    Cyber Security Working Group.
        In fact, I believe you're also working to be in compliance
    with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
    and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
    guidelines, though not required of Legislative Branch agencies,
    is that correct?
        Mr. Ayers. That is correct, Senator, yes.

                             PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

        Senator Daines. All right. You mentioned in your testimony
    that you would like to position the AOC to move to becoming
    more preventive rather than reactive when it comes to
    maintenance and repairs to our facilities. This means more
    investment in people and the day-to-day operating budgets for
    each jurisdiction, which in turn would reduce costs of the
    larger line item construction projects.
        Can you expand on how this preventive maintenance reduces
    the costs of larger projects and perhaps an example or two of
    how infrastructure has suffered from what you refer to as work-
    around repairs?
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our Preventive
    Maintenance Program is robust and covers thousands, if not
    hundreds of thousands, of pieces of equipment across the
    Capitol Campus that need to be maintained just like your car
    needs to be maintained. If you don't put oil in the engine of
    your car, ultimately it's going to seize up and that's going to
    cost you $4,000 or $5,000 for a new engine.
        All of our equipment, whether it's elevators or escalators
    or HVAC pieces of equipment or pumps, throughout the Capitol
    Campus are just like your automobile that requires ongoing
    investment on a continual basis to keep running at optimal
    performance.
        I can also reflect that over the last several years of
    relatively flat budgets, we have had to reduce many of our
    maintenance activities so that we could continue to pay our
    people and pay for mandatory pay increases, make sure they're
    trained and able to do their function. That has increased our
    number of work orders that aren't closed on time, which means
    the preventive maintenance activities or the oil change in your
    car may be required every 3,000 miles. Well, we're not doing it
    on our equipment for every 6,000 miles. That's sort of an
    analogy that I think we can all appreciate.
        Senator Daines. Yes. Well, I spent 13 years before I got in
    cloud-computing in manufacturing and that move to preventive
    maintenance, it's pay me now or pay me later and usually if you
    pay it now, it's on your schedule versus paying later on a
    reactive schedule. So I applaud the more proactive preventive
    maintenance philosophy you're bringing to the job each day.
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you.

        Senator Daines. Senator Murphy.
        Senator Murphy. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman.

                                   CHILDCARE

        Mr. Ayers, I want to talk to you for just a little bit
    about childcare. The House over the past two fiscal years has
    taken over the O'Neill Building and they funded $30 million in
    renovations that tripled the capacity of the childcare centers
    there.
        That has been, you know, an issue that we've been talking
    around in the Senate, especially of late, about the fact that
    the Senate is pretty wildly less family-friendly than the House
    is, largely because of our rules, but also because we have 68
    slots for childcare in the Senate. We have nine infant slots
    for the entirety of the Senate and their staff, and as we want
    to become a more attractive work place for very busy parents,
    we've got to keep up with the increasing demand for childcare.
        So I know you did a study, your AOC did a study in 2018
    about facility options. Can you just talk to us a little bit
    about, to the extent you know them, what the options were that
    you identified and any update on options that might be
    available to us, should we want to make that same kind of
    funding commitment that the House did?
        Mr. Ayers. Thank you, Senator Murphy. We did do a study in
    2010. I've read the report and I think there were probably 15
    or 20 alternatives that were evaluated that were within a 15-
    or-20-minute walking distance to the Dirksen Building.
        There were a number of alternatives. They all had their
    pros and cons. I think the net result of that survey was we are
    better off building a new building here on the Capitol Campus
    than trying to purchase another building and renovating one of
    those old properties that are around the Capitol Campus.
        Senator Murphy. Do you remember if----
        Mr. Ayers. It's probably time to engage in another study
    since that--it's really a real estate agent kind of study. It's
    probably seven or 8 years old and time that we do that again,
    if the Congress is interested in that.
        Senator Murphy. Do you know if the empty floors at the
    Library's Little Scholars facility on East Capitol was part of
    that study or whether that's still available today? That would
    seem like a pretty easy and accessible option.
        Mr. Ayers. I don't recall, Senator, whether that was part
    of the study, but I do know that the upper floors of that
    building are currently vacant. I think one of the limiting
    factors in the childcare center business is infants need to be
    on the first floor. They can't be on any upper floors, and so
    usually a multiple-story building doesn't work out well for
    childcare centers.
        Senator Murphy. Well, I look forward to following up on
    this with you. I think whether we need a full study done or
    not, it's probably time for us to catch up to where the House
    is on this question.

                               ENERGY EFFICIENCY

        My only other question for you, Mr. Ayers, was on the
    question of energy efficiency, which is something I know you've
    put a lot of thought and work in on. I'm pretty impressed that
    the AOC has reduced energy consumption on campus by 32 percent
    over 10 years. That's no joke and a credit to both you and to
    the people who use the building.
        Can you just give a little update on what may come next
    with respect to energy efficiency? What are the investments
    that we should be looking at as a committee if we wanted to,
    you know, make another down payment?
        I know once you get your first 30 percent, it gets a little
    bit harder after that, but what are the things that we should
    be looking at as investments, things that might be further down
    on your list for those of us that might want to invest earlier
    we could look at moving up?
        Mr. Ayers. Senator Murphy, that first 30 percent really
    stemmed from the Energy Independence and Security Act that the
    Congress was the lead on that and we were able to achieve the
    30 percent mandated by 2015.
        We're so confident that there's still energy to be saved in
    our buildings that we set another goal for ourselves of 20 more
    percent energy use intensity in our buildings over the next 10
    years. That's going to total 50 percent, and something that the
    Congress can be very, very proud of, in 2025.
        Mr. Ayers. Is that 20 percent off of the pre-30 percent
    baseline or is that a new 20 percent off of existing baseline
        Mr. Ayers. That's 20 percent off the original baseline.
        Senator Murphy. Additional 20 percent. Okay.
        Mr. Ayers. That's pretty aggressive. There are two big
    moves that we are making that will get us there and that the
    Congress has already made investments in.
        One is the cogeneration system at the Capitol Power Plant.
    When that is online, it will begin to pay back in energy
    savings, in perpetuity quite frankly, and so we're going to see
    very significant savings from that.
        Secondly, the way we were able to achieve the first 30
    percent, the big moves were three energy savings performance
    contracts, public-private partnerships, one in the Senate, one
    in the House, and one in the Capitol. They've been so
    successful for us, we determined that we're going to do a
    fourth one at the Library of Congress Buildings and we are in
    the engineering phase of that now. That's going to save us
    considerable energy.
        Those two big moves, along with some behavioral changes
    throughout the Congress, we think, are going to enable us to
    achieve 50 percent by 2025.
        Senator Murphy. Do you know--sorry to put you on the spot,
    but do you know offhand what were the major contributors that
    your private contractors achieved to get that reduction?
        Mr. Ayers. Well, the Number 1 thing is steam efficiency and
    doing everything we can to make sure our steam operations are
    as efficient, in generating, distributing and conserving it in
    our buildings is the most important thing we can do.
        Next in line is electrical savings, whether it's turning
    HVAC equipment off at night, setbacks on evenings and weekends
    and things like that. So steam first, electricity second.
        Senator Murphy. Okay. All right. Great. Well, listen, look
    forward to working with you on the next 20 percent. Thank you.
        Senator Daines. I'm going to support the Ranking Member's
    thinking around maybe revisiting the site and looking for
    creative ways we can provide a childcare facility. I think
    that's something that we need to look at with our workforce
    shortages, looking at the future, and becoming more family-
    friendly here on the Hill.
        The private sector does that. Oftentimes they're
    integrating daycare right where moms and dads go to work every
    day. So look forward to working on that, Senator Murphy, and
    maybe we can revitalize that and take a fresh look.

                  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NORTH EXIT STAIR PROJECT

        Mr. Ayers, included in your request is $18.1 million for
    the North Exit Stair Project in the Thomas Jefferson Building
    to address the Office of Compliance citation regarding egress
    issues. We talked about that a bit yesterday.
        This is the first of many phases to remediate the citation
    with a total project cost anticipated to be $62 million.
        Have you consulted with the Librarian and, if not, I could
    point you to her, on how this project may impact plans for the
    Visitors Experience Project also in the Thomas Jefferson
    Building?
        Mr. Ayers. Well, those are three important projects. There
    are four stairwells that we believe are necessary in the Thomas
    Jefferson Building. Of course, we have an open citation from
    the Office of Compliance for those stairwells.
        There's no doubt a building from 1897 is egress-deficient,
    doesn't meet today's current building codes. The Congress has
    already invested in the first stairwell and the first phase of
    all four of these stairwells is to relocate the books that are
    in the area where the stairwells are going to go. So we've
    worked closely with the Library on that first phase.
        We've identified the location. The books have been moved
    out and relocated to another area by the Library of Congress,
    and we're ready to start construction.
        While Dr. Hayden and I haven't specifically talked about
    whether there's any interference between those staircases and
    the new Visitors Experience, I'm confident to say I don't
    believe that there is. I know where the stairs are and I know
    the big moves that Dr. Hayden is contemplating for the new
    Visitors Experience and I don't think there'll be any overlap
    or any interference with one another.
        Dr. Hayden. I agree.
        Senator Daines. Here's your chance, Dr. Hayden, right here.
        Dr. Hayden. Well, we have talked generally about the
    possible impact of more visitors coming because they want to
    see the treasures. I was listening with interest about the
    being more family friendly, having a youth center, and having
    more people having access from zero to 12 coming into the
    Library.
        So we're very aware that if we build it, they will come
    with these wonderful new exhibits, and it's basically an
    exhibit-driven visitor experience and the architectural aspects
    of the building parts will be with the AOC, and there should be
    little impact from what we understand already on the structure.
        Senator Daines. A follow-up question. What's the
    anticipated timeframe, back to Mr. Ayers, for completion of the
    phase of the project given funding is provided in fiscal year
    2019?
        Mr. Ayers. Of the exit stairs, Senator?
        Senator Daines. Correct.
        Mr. Ayers. That's probably an 18-month to 24-month
    construction period.
        Senator Daines. Okay.
        Mr. Ayers. Pretty significant job in the middle of an
    occupied building, of course.
        Senator Daines. Right. And a $62 million price tag, so
    that's significant.

                           SENATE UNDERGROUND GARAGE

        My last question for Mr. Ayers is regarding the Senate
    Underground Garage. It's a very visible project. We just funded
    the final phase of the project in the fiscal year 2018 Omnibus.
        Could you provide an overview of the work that we have
    already done on the project and what this final phase will
    accomplish?
        Mr. Ayers. This project is broken down into a number of
    phases and funded according to those phases, but the Senate
    Underground Garage dates back to--well, it was last renovated
    in the 1950s. I think it was first built in the 1930s,
    renovated in the 1950s.
        It holds about 190 cars and the first move is to move all
    of those cars out to several alternative parking locations,
    including a surface lot that we have created where the Taft
    Memorial is. Then we need to essentially uncover that entire
    garage, the roof, many of the walls, and excavate it,
    rewaterproof it, put it all back together, and then go back
    inside and restore the walls and fire protection systems, the
    ventilating system, electrical services in the garage.
        Senator Daines. What's the anticipated end date if the
    project remains on schedule?
        Mr. Ayers. I think the end date is November of 2020.
        Senator Daines. Okay. Thank you.
        Senator Murphy.
        Senator Murphy. I'm good.
        Senator Daines. Okay. Well, this concludes the Legislative
    Branch Appropriations Subcommittee hearing regarding fiscal
    year 2019 funding for the Library of Congress and the Architect
    of the Capitol.
        Thank you, Dr. Hayden, thank you, Mr. Ayers, for your
    testimony.

                         ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

        The hearing record will remain open for 7 days, allowing
    Members to submit statements and/or questions for the record,
    which should be sent to the subcommittee by close of business
    on Tuesday, May 15th, 2018.
        [The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
    were submitted to the agencies for response subsequent to the
    hearing:]
                  Questions Submitted to Hon. Carla D. Hayden
                Questions Submitted by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
                             educational materials
        Question. Dr. Hayden, many of my constituents live in rural areas
    and a majority of Mississippi students attend school districts that are
    considered rural by the Department of Education. In many of our towns,
    the public library is a center point for the community, where
    constituents have access to the Internet, books and other educational
    materials. Would you share with the Committee how the Library of
    Congress is utilizing its resources to assist rural libraries and
    schools?
        Answer. The Library of Congress is utilizing its resources to
    assist rural libraries and schools in a number of ways. For starters,
    our Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program awards grants to a
    diverse array of educational organizations all over the country that
    deliver primary source-based professional development opportunities for
    teachers and librarians, and design curriculum and apps/online
    interactives for students that also use primary sources from the
    Library's collections. In recent years, the Library has granted funds
    to numerous organizations that have focused their efforts specifically
    on rural communities. Three in particular include: Mississippi State
    University (MSU); The McComb, Mississippi, School District; and Mars
    Hill University (North Carolina).
        The TPS program also supports teachers nationwide through the
    Library's online portal for educators, the Teachers Page (www.loc.gov/
    teachers), which provides easy access to classroom-appropriate Library
    of Congress primary sources, classroom materials, and online
    professional development. The Teachers Page Search by Standards tool
    allows educators anywhere in the United States to find resources that
    meet their State requirements.
        Meanwhile, the Library is leveraging the power of social media to
    reach teachers and librarians wherever they are, using the ``Teaching
    with the Library of Congress'' blog and Twitter account to highlight
    materials, strategies, and opportunities that are available from the
    library to assist schools and libraries.
        The Library is also actively livestreaming, recording, and posting
    on-site programs--including author programs, concerts, and monthly
    story times--making them available online via the Library's You Tube
    channel and Facebook page . We are promoting the programs and extending
    their reach via Twitter (https://
    twitter.com/librarycongress; and https://twitter.com/TeachingLC).
        Both the current Poet Laureate, Tracy K. Smith, and the current
    National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jacqueline Woodson,
    are reaching out to rural libraries and schools.
                              surplus book program
        Question. Dr. Hayden, the Library of Congress Surplus Book Program
    benefits numerous schools in Mississippi. I know there are many
    organizations who are thankful for the books and other educational
    materials made available to them. What is the Library of Congress doing
    to ensure schools and other public entities are aware of this valuable
    service offered by the Library? Does the Library intend to increase
    outreach and services for this program?
        Answer. The Library reaches out to schools and other public
    entities about the surplus book program directly through its website,
    through trusted partners, and most critically through congressional
    offices. In order to communicate directly with interested organizations
    the Library maintains a website on the program (https://www.loc.gov/
    acq/surplus.html), including eligibility requirements and instructions
    on application through or separately from a congressional office.
    Information on the program is also available linked from the ALA
    website (http://libguides.ala.org/book-donations/seeking-books), a
    trusted resource for public libraries, school libraries, and other
    educational institutions. However, the Library's most important
    outreach efforts for the surplus book program are through congressional
    offices, to help them spread awareness of the program among their
    constituents. These efforts, primarily through the Library's
    Congressional Relations Office, are multi-faceted, including: Every new
    Congress scheduling appointments with new Member offices to discuss
    Library services for them, their staff and constituents, including the
    Surplus Books Program; Following a natural disaster, sending a notice
    into the States/districts affected providing information about the
    program and how it can be used in their State/district (Library staff
    also liaise with FEMA on an ongoing basis to ensure awareness of
    emergency needs and support for recovery efforts); Maintaining a
    congressional-only facing website which includes a description of the
    program (http://www.loc.gov/lcnet/constituent/); and advertising the
    program through the Committee on House Administration's weekly
    newsletter, as well as at district director meetings held at the
    Library of Congress.
        As technological opportunities allow, the Library continues to
    explore ways to automate the program or provide offsite access to it.
    However, as it currently structured and funded, the program is not well
    poised for further expansion due to: the limited number of materials
    (only those books not selected or retained by the Library), especially
    in areas of particular interest to many school libraries (such as
    children books or Spanish language books); the limited number of
    Library staff currently available to stamp and box the selected
    materials; the need for shipping costs to be covered either by the
    recipient organization or through Congressional Franked mail (there are
    no Library funds designated for this postage); and the need for
    congressional or recipient organization staff to select the materials
    on-site at the Library.

                              SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

        Senator Daines. The next hearing of the subcommittee will
    be held on Tuesday, May 15, at 2:30 p.m., in Dirksen 138, and
    we will hear testimony from the Capitol Police and the Senate
    Sergeant at Arms regarding their fiscal year 2019 budget
    request.
        Until then, the subcommittee stands adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 3:45 p.m., Tuesday, May 8, the subcommittee
    was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of the Chair.]