[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 77 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H5724-H5725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     EXCHANGE OF LETTERS BETWEEN COMMITTEES REGARDING JURISDICTION

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. speaker, further, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Record include the exchange of letters between the Committee on Science 
and the Committees on Natural Resources, Transportation and 
Infrastructure, and Natural Security regarding the respective 
jurisdictions of the committees.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  The letters referred to are as follows:

                                         House of Representatives,


                                         Committee on Science,

                                      Washington, DC, May 2, 1996.
     Hon. Bud Shuster,
     Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and 
         Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Bud: On April 24, 1996, the House Committee on Science 
     marked up and reported out H.R. 3322, the Omnibus Civilian 
     Science Authorization Act of 1996. Title VII of the bill 
     contains provisions relating to the authorization and 
     administration of the Federal Aviation Administration's 
     Research, Engineering and Development Program
       Several sections of title VII fall within the jurisdiction 
     of your committee and as such your committee received a 
     sequential referral of the omnibus bill upon introduction.
       Given the short time frame before the omnibus bill will be 
     considered on the Floor of the House. I realize that the 
     Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will not have 
     sufficient time to consider those provisions within your 
     committee's jurisdiction. In order to expedite Floor 
     consideration of H.R. 3322, I will drop Sections 702, 703, 
     704, 705 and 708 of H.R. 3322 which mainly pertain to the 
     management of the Federal Aviation Administration. I also 
     understand that you also object to Section 706(k) of the 
     omnibus bill, and I will therefore not include that provision 
     when the omnibus bill is considered on the House Floor.
       I appreciate your willingness to work with us to expedite 
     the consideration of H.R. 3322. I look forward to continuing 
     to work with you on these issues.
           Cordially,
                                                 Robert S. Walker,
     Chairman.
                                                                    ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                         Committee on Science,

                                   Washington, DC, April 30, 1996.
     Hon. Floyd Spence,
     Chairman, Committee on National Security, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Committee on Science has marked up 
     and introduced H.R. 3322, the Omnibus Civilian Science 
     Authorization Act of 1996. The following provisions may be 
     within the jurisdiction of the Committee on National 
     Security: Section 128, Science Studies Institute and Section 
     453, National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
       The Committee on Science acknowledges the Committee on 
     National Security's jurisdictional interest in these 
     provisions. It is my understanding that similar language to 
     Section 453 will be included in the FY 1997 Department of 
     Defense Authorization bill. Nevertheless, I ask that your 
     committee waive any request for sequential referral with 
     respect to the provisions described above so that the House 
     can consider H.R. 3322 without undue delay. I would of course 
     support the inclusion of your Committee as conferees should 
     H.R. 3322 go to a House-Senate conference.
       Thank you for your cooperation and I look forward to 
     hearing from you.
           Cordially,
                                                 Robert S. Walker,
     Chairman.
                                                                    ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                         Committee on Science,

                                      Washington, DC, May 1, 1996.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Don: I am writing to follow up on our conversation of 
     May 1, 1996 about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration (NOAA) title of H.R. 3322, the Omnibus 
     Civilian Science Authorization Act of 1996. With one 
     exception, the title's programmatic scope is identical to the 
     NOAA title passed by the House last year as part of H.R. 
     2405, the Omnibus Civilian Science Authorization Act of 1995.
       The one exception is a new section dealing with ocean 
     research partnerships. It is my understanding that your staff 
     has taken part in every step of the drafting process of the 
     ocean research partnership language. In deference to your 
     concerns, however, I will be pleased to drop the provision 
     from the bill. Likewise, I am willing to drop language worked 
     out between our two Committees last year, and passed by the 
     House, on the NOAA Fleet and NOAA Corps as well as related 
     program support accounts. I also am willing to drop language 
     authorizing the National Sea Grant College Program as well as 
     all National Ocean Service (NOS) programs and the Ocean and 
     Great Lakes Programs of the office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Research (OAR).
       As with last year, I am pleased to work out any differences 
     our two Committees may have over the substance of 
     authorization language covering the NOAA programs we share. 
     If we cannot agree, however, I will oblige your desire to 
     strike the authorization for the programs I have outlined 
     above.
       I look forward to continuing our close working relationship 
     on legislative matters our two Committees share.
           Cordially,
                                                 Robert S. Walker,
     Chairman.
                                                                    ____

         Congress of the United States, Committee on 
           Transportation and Infrastructure,
                                      Washington, DC, May 2, 1996.
     Hon. Robert S. Walker,
     Chairman, House Committee on Science,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Bob: Thank you for your letter of May 2, 1996, 
     concerning H.R. 3322, the Omnibus Civilian Science 
     Authorization Act of 1996. I appreciate the work your 
     committee is doing in this bill on matters of civil aviation 
     research and development within the jurisdiction of the 
     Science Committee. I look forward to working with you on 
     these matters as we proceed to reauthorize the Airport 
     Improvement Program and as we continue to pursue FAA reform.
       Because you have agreed to drop provisions within the 
     Transportation Committee's jurisdiction from H.R. 3322, I 
     have no objection to its consideration in the House.
       With warm personal regards, I remain
           Sincerely,
                                                      Bud Shuster,
     Chairman.
                                                                    ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on National Security,
                                      Washington, DC, May 1, 1996.
     Hon. Robert S. Walker,
     Chairman, Committee on Science,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I understand the Committee on Science 
     has recently marked up H.R. 3322, the Omnibus Civilian 
     Science Authorization Act of 1996. This legislation includes 
     two provisions within the legislative jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on National Security--section 128, Science Studies 
     Institute, and Section 453, National Oceanographic 
     Partnership Program.
       In recognition of your committee's desire to bring this 
     legislation expeditiously before the House of 
     Representatives, the Committee on National Security will 
     waive referral of H.R. 3322, without, of course, waiving this 
     committee's jurisdiction over the provisions in question. 
     This committee also will seek to have conferees appointed for 
     these provisions during any House-Senate conference.

[[Page H5725]]

       I would appreciate your including this letter as a part of 
     the report on H.R. 3322 and as part of the record during 
     consideration of this bill by the House.
       With warm personal regards, I am
           Sincerely,
                                                  Floyd D. Spence,
     Chairman.
                                                                    ____

                                    U.S. House of Representatives,


                                       Committee on Resources,

                                      Washington, DC, May 2, 1996.
     Hon. Robert S. Walker,
     Chairman, Committee on Science,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter of May 1, 
     1996, agreeing to delete portions of Title IV, National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), of H.R 3322, 
     which are within the jurisdiction of the Committee on 
     Resources.
       I have memorialized our agreement in the form of an 
     amendment to the bill. As you can see, it deletes 
     authorization sections for the National Ocean Service (NOS) 
     and the Ocean and Great Lakes Programs of the Office of 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). It also removes 
     provisions affecting the NOAA Corps, NOAA Fleet, the National 
     Sea Grant College Program and the National Oceanographic 
     Partnership Program. The amendment also eliminates from the 
     program termination list contained in Subtitle D those 
     programs funded under the programs and offices listed above.
       In addition, the amendment removes a limitation contained 
     in section 442, Limitations on Appropriations, which could 
     foreclose the Resources Committee (or any other Committee) 
     from authorizing funds for the many NOAA programs not 
     authorized under H.R. 3322, like the Coastal Zone Management 
     Act, the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act and 
     the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
       Finally, the amendment makes technical conforming changes 
     to the remaining text of Title IV.
       If the Science Committee plans to make a manager's 
     amendment for H.R. 3322 in order, I ask that these changes be 
     contained in that amendment. If no such amendment is 
     contemplated, I ask that you request the Rules Committee to 
     make this amendment self-executing upon the adoption of the 
     Rule for consideration of H.R. 3322. Of course, I assume that 
     you would not offer or support any amendments adding back the 
     provisions deleted per our agreement.
       I also look forward to continuing our close working 
     relationship on legislative matters our two Committees share 
     during the remainder of this Congress.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Don Young,
                                                         Chairman.

                        Amendments to H.R. 3322

       Page 90, line 11, through page 93, line 13, strike subtitle 
     B.
       Page 93, line 14, redesignate subtitle C as subtitle B.
       Page 94, line 4, through page 97, line 13, strike 
     subsections (c) and (d).
       Page 97, lines 14 and 21, redesignate subsections (e) and 
     (f) as subsections (c) and (d) respectively.
       Page 98, line 1, redesignate subtitle D as subtitle C.
       Page 98, lines 6 through 11, strike paragraphs (1) through 
     (4).
       Page 98, lines 16 through 21, strike paragraphs (8) through 
     (12).
       Page 99, lines 5 through 9, strike paragraphs (17) and 
     (18).
       Page 98, line 12, through page 99, line 10, redesignate 
     paragraphs (5), (6), (7), (13), (14), (15), (16), and (19) as 
     paragraphs (1) through (8), respectively.
       Page 99, line 19, through page 100, line 7, strike 
     subsections (c) and (d).
       Page 100, lines 11 and 12, strike ``and any other Act''.
       Page 100, line 20, through page 103, line 24, strike 
     section 443.
       Page 104, line 1, redesignate subtitle E as subtitle D.
       Page 106, line 9, through page 116, line 9, strike section 
     453.

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