[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 90 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7739-S7750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 138, H.R. 2985;
I further ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments
be agreed to; provided further that the Lott-Dodd amendment which is at
the desk be considered and agreed to, there be 5 minutes of debate
equally divided between the two managers, and the bill, as amended, be
read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon
the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in
the Record. I further ask unanimous consent that following passage, the
Senate insist on its amendments, request a conference with the House,
and that the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of
the Senate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 2985) making appropriations for the
Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2006, and for other purposes.
The Senate proceeded to consider the bill which had been reported
from the Committee on Aproppriations, with amendments.
(Strike the parts shown in black brackets and insert the parts shown
in italic.)
H.R. 2985
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the Legislative
Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for
other purposes, namely:
TITLE I--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
SENATE
Expense Allowances
For expense allowances of the Vice President, $20,000; the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, $40,000; Majority Leader
of the Senate, $40,000; Minority Leader of the Senate,
$40,000; Majority Whip of the Senate, $10,000; Minority Whip
of the Senate, $10,000; President Pro Tempore emeritus,
$15,000; Chairmen of the Majority and Minority Conference
Committees, $5,000 for each Chairman; and Chairmen of the
Majority and Minority Policy Committees, $5,000 for each
Chairman; in all, $195,000.
Representation Allowances for the Majority and Minority Leaders
For representation allowances of the Majority and Minority
Leaders of the Senate, $15,000 for each such Leader; in all,
$30,000.
Salaries, Officers and Employees
For compensation of officers, employees, and others as
authorized by law, including agency contributions,
$147,120,000, which shall be paid from this appropriation
without regard to the following limitations:
office of the vice president
For the Office of the Vice President, $2,181,000.
office of the president pro tempore
For the Office of the President Pro Tempore, $582,000.
office of the president pro tempore emeritus
For the Office of the President Pro Tempore emeritus,
$290,000.
offices of the majority and minority leaders
For Offices of the Majority and Minority Leaders,
$4,340,000.
offices of the majority and minority whips
For Offices of the Majority and Minority Whips, $2,644,000.
committee on appropriations
For salaries of the Committee on Appropriations,
$13,758,000.
[[Page S7740]]
conference committees
For the Conference of the Majority and the Conference of
the Minority, at rates of compensation to be fixed by the
Chairman of each such committee, $1,470,000 for each such
committee; in all, $2,940,000.
offices of the secretaries of the conference of the majority and the
conference of the minority
For Offices of the Secretaries of the Conference of the
Majority and the Conference of the Minority, $728,000.
policy committees
For salaries of the Majority Policy Committee and the
Minority Policy Committee, $1,524,000 for each such
committee; in all, $3,048,000.
office of the chaplain
For Office of the Chaplain, $354,000.
office of the secretary
For Office of the Secretary, $20,866,000.
office of the sergeant at arms and doorkeeper
For Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper,
$56,700,000.
offices of the secretaries for the majority and minority
For Offices of the Secretary for the Majority and the
Secretary for the Minority, $1,584,000.
agency contributions and related expenses
For agency contributions for employee benefits, as
authorized by law, and related expenses, $37,105,000.
Office of the Legislative Counsel of the Senate
For salaries and expenses of the Office of the Legislative
Counsel of the Senate, $5,437,000.
Office of Senate Legal Counsel
For salaries and expenses of the Office of Senate Legal
Counsel, $1,306,000.
Expense Allowances of the Secretary of the Senate, Sergeant at Arms and
Doorkeeper of the Senate, and Secretaries for the Majority and Minority
of the Senate
For expense allowances of the Secretary of the Senate,
$6,000; Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate,
$6,000; Secretary for the Majority of the Senate, $6,000;
Secretary for the Minority of the Senate, $6,000; in all,
$24,000.
Contingent Expenses of the Senate
inquiries and investigations
For expenses of inquiries and investigations ordered by the
Senate, or conducted under section 134(a) of the Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1946 (Public Law 97-601), section 112
of the Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission Act, 1980
(Public Law 96-304), and Senate Resolution 281, 96th
Congress, agreed to March 11, 1980, $119,637,000.
expenses of the united states senate caucus on international narcotics
control
For expenses of the United States Senate Caucus on
International Narcotics Control, $520,000.
secretary of the senate
For expenses of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate,
$1,980,000.
sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the senate
For expenses of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and
Doorkeeper of the Senate, $142,000,000, which shall remain
available until September 30, 2010.
miscellaneous items
For miscellaneous items, $17,000,000, of which up to
$500,000 shall be made available for a pilot program for
mailings of postal patron postcards by Senators for the
purpose of providing notice of a town meeting by a Senator in
a county (or equivalent unit of local government) at which
the Senator will personally attend: Provided, That any amount
allocated to a Senator for such mailing shall not exceed 50
percent of the cost of the mailing and the remaining cost
shall be paid by the Senator from other funds available to
the Senator.
senators' official personnel and office expense account
For Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense
Account, $350,000,000.
official mail costs
For expenses necessary for official mail costs of the
Senate, $300,000.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 1. Gross Rate of Compensation in Offices of Senators.
Effective on and after October 1, 2005, each of the dollar
amounts contained in the table under section 105(d)(1)(A) of
the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1968 (2 U.S.C. 61-
1(d)(1)(A)) shall be deemed to be the dollar amounts in that
table, as adjusted by law and in effect on September 30,
2005, increased by an additional $50,000 each.
Sec. 2. Consultants. With respect to fiscal year 2006, the
first sentence of section 101(a) of the Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 1977 (2 U.S.C. 61h-6(a)) shall be applied
by substituting ``nine individual consultants'' for ``eight
individual consultants''.
Sec. 3. United States Senate Collection. Section 316 of
Public Law 101-302 (2 U.S.C. 2107) is amended in the first
sentence of subsection (a) by striking ``2005'' and inserting
``2006''.
Sec. 4. Senate Commission on Art. Section 3(c)(2) of Public
Law 108-83 (2 U.S.C. 2108(c)(2)) is amended by striking ``and
for any purposes'' through the period and inserting ``for any
purposes for which funds from the contingent fund of the
Senate may be used under section 316(a) of Public Law 101-302
(2 U.S.C. 2107(a)), and for expenditures, not to exceed
$10,000 in any fiscal year, for meals and refreshments in
Capitol facilities in connection with official activities of
the Commission or other authorized programs or activities.''.
Sec. 5. Absences. Section 40 of the Revised Statutes (2
U.S.C. 39) is amended by--
(1) striking ``Secretary of the Senate and the'';
(2) striking ``, respectively, shall'' and inserting
``shall'';
(3) striking ``Senate or''; and
(4) striking ``, respectively, unless'' and inserting ``,
unless''.
Sec. 6. Modification of Certain Consultant Requirement.
Section 10(a)(5) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations
Act, 1999 (2 U.S.C. 72d) is amended by inserting ``, except
that any approval (and related reporting requirement) shall
not apply'' after ``May 14, 1975''.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives,
$1,092,407,000, as follows:
house leadership offices
For salaries and expenses, as authorized by law,
$19,844,000, including: Office of the Speaker, $2,788,000,
including $25,000 for official expenses of the Speaker;
Office of the Majority Floor Leader, $2,089,000, including
$10,000 for official expenses of the Majority Leader; Office
of the Minority Floor Leader, $2,928,000, including $10,000
for official expenses of the Minority Leader; Office of the
Majority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Majority Whip,
$1,797,000, including $5,000 for official expenses of the
Majority Whip; Office of the Minority Whip, including the
Chief Deputy Minority Whip, $1,345,000, including $5,000 for
official expenses of the Minority Whip; Speaker's Office for
Legislative Floor Activities, $482,000; Republican Steering
Committee, $906,000; Republican Conference, $1,548,000;
Republican Policy Committee, $307,000; Democratic Steering
and Policy Committee, $1,945,000; Democratic Caucus,
$816,000; nine minority employees, $1,445,000; training and
program development--majority, $290,000; training and program
development--minority, $290,000; Cloakroom Personnel--
majority, $434,000; and Cloakroom Personnel--minority,
$434,000.
Members' Representational Allowances
Including Members' Clerk Hire, Official Expenses of Members, and
Official Mail
For Members' representational allowances, including
Members' clerk hire, official expenses, and official mail,
$538,109,000.
Committee Employees
Standing Committees, Special and Select
For salaries and expenses of standing committees, special
and select, authorized by House resolutions, $117,913,000:
Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such
salaries and expenses until December 31, 2006.
Committee on Appropriations
For salaries and expenses of the Committee on
Appropriations, $25,668,000, including studies and
examinations of executive agencies and temporary personal
services for such committee, to be expended in accordance
with section 202(b) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of
1946 and to be available for reimbursement to agencies for
services performed: Provided, That such amount shall remain
available for such salaries and expenses until December 31,
2006.
Salaries, Officers and Employees
For compensation and expenses of officers and employees, as
authorized by law, $167,749,000, including: for salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Clerk, including not more than
$13,000, of which not more than $10,000 is for the Family
Room, for official representation and reception expenses,
$21,911,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the
Sergeant at Arms, including the position of Superintendent of
Garages, and including not more than $3,000 for official
representation and reception expenses, $6,284,000; for
salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief
Administrative Officer, $116,971,000, of which $3,306,000
shall remain available until expended; for salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Inspector General, $3,991,000;
for salaries and expenses of the Office of Emergency
Planning, Preparedness and Operations, $5,000,000, to remain
available until expended; for salaries and expenses of the
Office of General Counsel, $962,000; for the Office of the
Chaplain, $161,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office
of the Parliamentarian, including the Parliamentarian and
$2,000 for preparing the Digest of Rules, $1,767,000; for
salaries and expenses of the Office of the Law Revision
Counsel of the House, $2,453,000; for salaries and expenses
of the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the House,
$6,963,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of
Interparliamentary Affairs, $720,000; for other authorized
employees, $161,000; and for salaries and expenses of the
Office of the Historian, $405,000.
Allowances and Expenses
For allowances and expenses as authorized by House
resolution or law, $223,124,000, including: supplies,
materials, administrative costs and Federal tort claims,
$4,179,000; official mail for committees, leadership offices,
and administrative offices of the House, $410,000; Government
contributions for health, retirement, Social Security, and
other applicable employee benefits, $214,422,000; supplies,
materials, and other costs relating to the House portion of
expenses for the Capitol Visitor Center, $3,410,000, to
remain available until expended; and miscellaneous items
including purchase, exchange, maintenance, repair and
operation of House motor vehicles, interparliamentary
receptions, and gratuities to heirs of deceased employees of
the House, $703,000.
Child Care Center
For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives
Child Care Center, such
[[Page S7741]]
amounts as are deposited in the account established by
section 312(d)(1) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations
Act, 1992 (2 U.S.C. 2112), subject to the level specified in
the budget of the Center, as submitted to the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 101. (a) Requiring Amounts Remaining in Members'
Representational Allowances To Be Used for Deficit Reduction
or To Reduce the Federal Debt.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any amounts appropriated under this Act for
``HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES--Salaries and Expenses--Members'
Representational Allowances'' shall be available only for
fiscal year 2006. Any amount remaining after all payments are
made under such allowances for fiscal year 2006 shall be
deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction (or,
if there is no Federal budget deficit after all such payments
have been made, for reducing the Federal debt, in such manner
as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate).
(b) Regulations.--The Committee on House Administration of
the House of Representatives shall have authority to
prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
(c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``Member
of the House of Representatives'' means a Representative in,
or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
JOINT ITEMS
For Joint Committees, as follows:
Joint Economic Committee
For salaries and expenses of the Joint Economic Committee,
$4,276,000, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate.
Joint Committee on Taxation
For salaries and expenses of the Joint Committee on
Taxation, $8,781,000, to be disbursed by the Chief
Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.
For other joint items, as follows:
Office of the Attending Physician
For medical supplies, equipment, and contingent expenses of
the emergency rooms, and for the Attending Physician and his
assistants, including: (1) an allowance of $2,175 per month
to the Attending Physician; (2) an allowance of $725 per
month each to four medical officers while on duty in the
Office of the Attending Physician; (3) an allowance of $725
per month to two assistants and $580 per month each not to
exceed 11 assistants on the basis heretofore provided for
such assistants; and (4) $1,834,000 for reimbursement to the
Department of the Navy for expenses incurred for staff and
equipment assigned to the Office of the Attending Physician,
which shall be advanced and credited to the applicable
appropriation or appropriations from which such salaries,
allowances, and other expenses are payable and shall be
available for all the purposes thereof, $2,545,000, to be
disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of
Representatives.
[Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office
[For salaries and expenses of the Capitol Guide Service and
Special Services Office, $4,268,000, to be disbursed by the
Secretary of the Senate: Provided, That no part of such
amount may be used to employ more than 58 individuals:
Provided further, That the Capitol Guide Board is authorized,
during emergencies, to employ not more than two additional
individuals for not more than 120 days each, and not more
than 10 additional individuals for not more than 6 months
each, for the Capitol Guide Service.
[Statements of Appropriations
[For the preparation, under the direction of the Committees
on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, of the statements for the first session of
the 109th Congress, showing appropriations made, indefinite
appropriations, and contracts authorized, together with a
chronological history of the regular appropriations bills as
required by law, $30,000, to be paid to the persons
designated by the chairmen of such committees to supervise
the work.
[CAPITOL POLICE
[Salaries
[For salaries of employees of the Capitol Police, including
overtime, hazardous duty pay differential, and Government
contributions for health, retirement, social security,
professional liability insurance, and other applicable
employee benefits, $210,350,000, to be disbursed by the Chief
of the Capitol Police or his designee.
[General Expenses
[For necessary expenses of the Capitol Police, including
motor vehicles, communications and other equipment, security
equipment and installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies,
materials, training, medical services, forensic services,
stenographic services, personal and professional services,
the employee assistance program, the awards program, postage,
communication services, travel advances, relocation of
instructor and liaison personnel for the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center, and not more than $5,000 to be
expended on the certification of the Chief of the Capitol
Police in connection with official representation and
reception expenses, $29,345,000, to be disbursed by the Chief
of the Capitol Police or his designee: Provided, That,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the cost of basic
training for the Capitol Police at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center for fiscal year 2006 shall be
paid by the Secretary of Homeland Security from funds
available to the Department of Homeland Security.
[Administrative Provisions
[(including transfer of funds)
[Sec. 1001. Transfer Authority.--Amounts appropriated for
fiscal year 2006 for the Capitol Police may be transferred
between the headings ``salaries'' and ``general expenses''
upon the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and the House of Representatives.
[Sec. 1002. (a) The United States Capitol Police may not
operate a mounted horse unit during fiscal year 2006 or any
succeeding fiscal year.
[(b) Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Chief of the Capitol Police shall transfer
to the Chief of the United States Park Police the horses,
equipment, and supplies of the Capitol Police mounted horse
unit which remain in the possession of the Capitol Police as
of such date.
[Sec. 1003. (a) Section 103(h)(1)(A)(i)(I) of the Ethics in
Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 103(h)(1)(A)(i)(I)) is
amended by inserting ``United States Capitol Police,'' after
``Architect of the Capitol,''.
[(b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with
respect to reports filed under the Ethics in Government Act
of 1978 for calendar year 2005 and each succeeding calendar
year.
[Sec. 1004. Section 1003 of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108-83; 117 Stat. 1021),
is hereby repealed, and each provision of law amended by such
section is hereby restored as if such section had not been
enacted into law.
[Sec. 1005. (a) During fiscal year 2006 and each succeeding
fiscal year, the United States Capitol Police may not carry
out any reprogramming, transfer, or use of funds described in
subsection (b) unless--
[(1) the Chief of the Capitol Police submits a request for
the reprogramming, transfer, or use of funds to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and Senate on or before August 1 of the respective year,
unless both such Committees agree to accept the request at a
later date because of extraordinary and emergency
circumstances cited by the Chief;
[(2) the request contains clearly stated and detailed
documentation presenting justification for the reprogramming,
transfer, or use of funds;
[(3) the request contains a declaration that, as of the
date of the request, none of the funds included in the
request have been obligated, and none will be obligated,
until both Committees have approved the request; and
[(4) both Committees approve the request.
[(b) A reprogramming, transfer, or use of funds described
in this subsection is any reprogramming or transfer of funds,
or use of unobligated balances, under which--
[(1) the amount to be shifted to or from any object class,
approved budget, or program involved under the request, or
the aggregate amount to be shifted to or from any object
class, approved budget, or program involved during the fiscal
year taking into account the amount contained in the request,
is in excess of $250,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, of
the object class, approved budget, or program;
[(2) the reprogramming, transfer, or use of funds would
result in a major change to the program or item which is
different than that presented to and approved by the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and Senate; or
[(3) the funds involved were earmarked by either of the
Committees for a specific activity which is different than
the activity proposed under the request, without regard to
whether the amount provided in the earmark is less than,
equal to, or greater than the amount required to carry out
the activity.
[Sec. 1006. (a) Establishment of Office.--There is
established in the United States Capitol Police the Office of
the Inspector General (hereafter in this section referred to
as the ``Office''), headed by the Inspector General of the
United States Capitol Police (hereafter in this section
referred to as the ``Inspector General'').
[(b) Inspector General.--
[(1) Appointment.--The Inspector General shall be appointed
by the Capitol Police Board, in consultation with and subject
to the approval of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate,
acting jointly, and shall be appointed without regard to
political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity
and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial
analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or
investigations.
[(2) Term of service.--The Inspector General shall serve
for a term of 5 years, and an individual serving as Inspector
General may be reappointed for not more than 2 additional
terms.
[(3) Removal.--The Inspector General may be removed from
office prior to the expiration of his term only by the
unanimous vote of all of the members of the Capitol Police
Board, and the Board shall communicate the reasons for any
such removal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
and President pro tempore of the Senate.
[(4) Salary.--The Inspector General shall be paid at an
annual rate equal to $1,000 less than the annual rate of pay
in effect for the Chief of the Capitol Police.
[(5) Deadline.--The Capitol Police Board shall appoint the
first Inspector General
[[Page S7742]]
under this section not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
[(c) Duties.--
[(1) Applicability of duties of inspector general of
executive branch establishment.--The Inspector General shall
carry out the same duties and responsibilities with respect
to the United States Capitol Police as an Inspector General
of an establishment carries out with respect to an
establishment under section 4 of the Inspector General Act of
1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 4), under the same terms and conditions
which apply under such section.
[(2) Semiannual reports.--The Inspector General shall
prepare and submit semiannual reports summarizing the
activities of the Office in the same manner, and in
accordance with the same deadlines, terms, and conditions, as
an Inspector General of an establishment under section 5 of
the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 5). For
purposes of applying section 5 of such Act to the Inspector
General, the Capitol Police Board shall be considered the
head of the establishment, except that the Inspector General
shall transmit to the Chief of the Capitol Police a copy of
any report submitted to the Board pursuant to this paragraph.
[(3) Investigations of complaints of employees and
members.--
[(A) Authority.--The Inspector General may receive and
investigate complaints or information from an employee or
member of the Capitol Police concerning the possible
existence of an activity constituting a violation of law,
rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of
funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific
danger to the public health and safety, including complaints
or information the investigation of which is under the
jurisdiction of the Internal Affairs Division of the Capitol
Police as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
[(B) Nondisclosure.--The Inspector General shall not, after
receipt of a complaint or information from an employee or
member, disclose the identity of the employee or member
without the consent of the employee or member, unless the
Inspector General determines such disclosure is unavoidable
during the course of the investigation.
[(C) Prohibiting retaliation.--An employee or member of the
Capitol Police who has authority to take, direct others to
take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, shall not,
with respect to such authority, take or threaten to take any
action against any employee or member as a reprisal for
making a complaint or disclosing information to the Inspector
General, unless the complaint was made or the information
disclosed with the knowledge that it was false or with
willful disregard for its truth or falsity.
[(4) Independence in carrying out duties.--Neither the
Capitol Police Board, the Chief of the Capitol Police, nor
any other member or employee of the Capitol Police may
prevent or prohibit the Inspector General from carrying out
any of the duties or responsibilities assigned to the
Inspector General under this section.
[(d) Powers.--
[(1) In general.--The Inspector General may exercise the
same authorities with respect to the United States Capitol
Police as an Inspector General of an establishment may
exercise with respect to an establishment under section 6(a)
of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 6(a)),
other than paragraphs (7) and (8) of such section.
[(2) Staff.--
[(A) In general.--The Inspector General may appoint and fix
the pay of such personnel as the Inspector General considers
appropriate. Such personnel may be appointed without regard
to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, regarding
appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid
without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter
III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification
and General Schedule pay rates, except that no personnel of
the Office (other than the Inspector General) may be paid at
an annual rate greater than $500 less than the annual rate of
pay of the Inspector General under subsection (b)(4).
[(B) Experts and consultants.--The Inspector General may
procure temporary and intermittent services under section
3109 of title 5, United States Code, at rates not to exceed
the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of such
title.
[(C) Independence in appointing staff.--No individual may
carry out any of the duties or responsibilities of the Office
unless the individual is appointed by the Inspector General,
or provides services procured by the Inspector General,
pursuant to this paragraph. Nothing in this subparagraph may
be construed to prohibit the Inspector General from entering
into a contract or other arrangement for the provision of
services under this section.
[(D) Applicability of capitol police personnel rules.--None
of the regulations governing the appointment and pay of
employees of the Capitol Police shall apply with respect to
the appointment and compensation of the personnel of the
Office, except to the extent agreed to by the Inspector
General. Nothing in the previous sentence may be construed to
affect subparagraphs (A) through (C).
[(3) Equipment and supplies.--The Chief of the Capitol
Police shall provide the Office with appropriate and adequate
office space, together with such equipment, supplies, and
communications facilities and services as may be necessary
for the operation of the Office, and shall provide necessary
maintenance services for such office space and the equipment
and facilities located therein.
[(e) Transfer of Functions.--
[(1) Transfer.--To the extent that any office or entity in
the Capitol Police prior to the appointment of the first
Inspector General under this section carried out any of the
duties and responsibilities assigned to the Inspector General
under this section, the functions of such office or entity
shall be transferred to the Office upon the appointment of
the first Inspector General under this section.
[(2) No reduction in pay or benefits.--The transfer of the
functions of an office or entity to the Office under
paragraph (1) may not result in a reduction in the pay or
benefits of any employee of the office or entity, except to
the extent required under subsection (d)(2)(A).
[Sec. 1007. (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after
the last day of each semiannual period, the Chief of the
Capitol Police shall submit to Congress, with respect to that
period, a detailed, itemized report of the disbursements for
the operations of the United States Capitol Police.
[(b) Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include--
[(1) the name of each person or entity who receives a
payment from the Capitol Police;
[(2) the cost of any item furnished to the Capitol Police;
[(3) a description of any service rendered to the Capitol
Police, together with service dates;
[(4) a statement of all amounts appropriated to, or
received or expended by, the Capitol Police and any
unexpended balances of such amounts for any open fiscal year;
and
[(5) such additional information as may be required by
regulation of the Committee on House Administration of the
House of Representatives or the Committee on Rules and
Administration of the Senate.
[(c) Printing.--Each report under this section shall be
printed as a House document.
[(d) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect
to the semiannual periods of October 1 through March 31 and
April 1 through September 30 of each year, beginning with the
semiannual period in which this section is enacted.
[OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
[Salaries and Expenses
[For salaries and expenses of the Office of Compliance, as
authorized by section 305 of the Congressional Accountability
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1385), $3,112,000, of which $780,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2007: Provided,
That the Executive Director of the Office of Compliance may,
within the limits of available appropriations, dispose of
surplus or obsolete personal property by interagency
transfer, donation, or discarding: Provided further, That not
more than $500 may be expended on the certification of the
Executive Director of the Office of Compliance in connection
with official representation and reception expenses.
[CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
[Salaries and Expenses
[For salaries and expenses necessary for operation of the
Congressional Budget Office, including not more than $3,000
to be expended on the certification of the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office in connection with official
representation and reception expenses, $35,450,000.
[Administrative Provision
[Sec. 1100. (a) Permitting Waiver of Claims For Overpayment
of Pay and Allowances.--Section 5584(g) of title 5, United
States Code, is amended--
[(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (5);
[(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (6) and
inserting ``; and''; and
[(3) by inserting immediately after paragraph (6) the
following new paragraph:
[``(7) the Congressional Budget Office.''.
[(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2006 and each
succeeding fiscal year.
[ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
[General Administration
[For salaries for the Architect of the Capitol, and other
personal services, at rates of pay provided by law; for
surveys and studies in connection with activities under the
care of the Architect of the Capitol; for all necessary
expenses for the general and administrative support of the
operations under the Architect of the Capitol including the
Botanic Garden; electrical substations of the Capitol, Senate
and House office buildings, and other facilities under the
jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; including
furnishings and office equipment; including not more than
$5,000 for official reception and representation expenses, to
be expended as the Architect of the Capitol may approve; for
purchase or exchange, maintenance, and operation of a
passenger motor vehicle, $77,002,000, of which $350,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2008.
[Capitol Building
[For all necessary expenses for maintenance, care, and
operation of the Capitol, $22,097,000, of which $6,580,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2008.
[Capitol Grounds
[For all necessary expenses for care and improvement of
grounds surrounding the
[[Page S7743]]
Capitol, the Senate and House office buildings, and the
Capitol Power Plant, $7,723,000, of which $740,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2008.]
Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office
For salaries and expenses of the Capitol Guide Service and
Special Services Office, $4,098,000, to be disbursed by the
Secretary of the Senate: Provided, That no part of such
amount may be used to employ more than 58 individuals:
Provided further, That the Capitol Guide Board is authorized,
during emergencies, to employ not more than two additional
individuals for not more than 120 days each, and not more
than 10 additional individuals for not more than 6 months
each, for the Capitol Guide Service.
Statements of Appropriations
For the preparation, under the direction of the Committees
on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, of the statements for the first session of
the 109th Congress, showing appropriations made, indefinite
appropriations, and contracts authorized, together with a
chronological history of the regular appropriations bills as
required by law, $30,000, to be paid to the persons
designated by the chairmen of such committees to supervise
the work.
CAPITOL POLICE
Salaries
For salaries of employees of the Capitol Police, including
overtime, hazardous duty pay differential, and Government
contributions for health, retirement, social security,
professional liability insurance, and other applicable
employee benefits, $222,600,000, to be disbursed by the Chief
of the Capitol Police or his designee.
General Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Capitol Police, including
motor vehicles, communications and other equipment, security
equipment and installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies,
materials, training, medical services, forensic services,
stenographic services, personal and professional services,
the employee assistance program, the awards program, postage,
communication services, travel advances, relocation of
instructor and liaison personnel for the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center, and not more than $5,000 to be
expended on the certification of the Chief of the Capitol
Police in connection with official representation and
reception expenses, $42,000,000, to be disbursed by the Chief
of the Capitol Police or his designee: Provided, That,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the cost of basic
training for the Capitol Police at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center for fiscal year 2005 shall be
paid by the Secretary of Homeland Security from funds
available to the Department of Homeland Security.
Administrative Provisions
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 1001. Transfer Authority. Amounts appropriated for
fiscal year 2006 for the Capitol Police may be transferred
between the headings ``salaries'' and ``general expenses''
upon the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and the House of Representatives.
Sec. 1002. Capitol Police and Transfer of Library of
Congress Police. (a) Limitation On Certain Hiring Authority
of Capitol Police.--Section 1006(b)(3) of the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108-83; 117 Stat.
1023), as amended by section 1002 of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2005 (2 U.S.C. 1901 note; Public Law 108-
447; 118 Stat. 3179), is further amended by adding after
subparagraph (D), the following:
``(E) Limitation for fiscal year 2006.--During fiscal year
2006, the number of individuals hired under this subsection
may not exceed--
``(i) the number of Library of Congress Police employees
who separated from service or transferred to a position other
than a Library of Congress Police employee position during
fiscal year 2005 for whom a corresponding hire was not made
under this subsection; and
``(ii) the number of Library of Congress Police employees
who separate from service or transfer to a position other
than a Library of Congress Police employee position during
fiscal year 2006.''.
(b) Memorandum of Understanding.--The Memorandum of
Understanding between the Library of Congress and the Capitol
Police entered into on December 12, 2004, shall remain in
effect through fiscal year 2006, subject to such
modifications as may be made in accordance with the
modification and dispute resolution provisions of the
Memorandum of Understanding.
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses of the Office of Compliance, as
authorized by section 305 of the Congressional Accountability
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1385), $3,112,000, of which $780,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2007: Provided,
That the Executive Director of the Office of Compliance may,
within the limits of available appropriations, dispose of
surplus or obsolete personal property by interagency
transfer, donation, or discarding.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses necessary for operation of the
Congressional Budget Office, including not more than $3,000
to be expended on the certification of the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office in connection with official
representation and reception expenses, $35,853,000.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 1100. Waiver of Certain Claims. Section 5584(g) of
title 5, United States Code, (relating to the definition of
an agency) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (6) as a paragraph (7);
(2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (5);
(3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
``(6) the Congressional Budget Office; and''; and
(4) in the last sentence, by striking ``paragraph (6)'' and
inserting ``paragraph (7)''.
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
General Administration
For salaries for the Architect of the Capitol, and other
personal services, at rates of pay provided by law; for
surveys and studies in connection with activities under the
care of the Architect of the Capitol; for all necessary
expenses for the general and administrative support of the
operations under the Architect of the Capitol including the
Botanic Garden; electrical substations of the Capitol, Senate
and House office buildings, and other facilities under the
jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; including
furnishings and office equipment; including not more than
$5,000 for official reception and representation expenses, to
be expended as the Architect of the Capitol may approve; for
purchase or exchange, maintenance, and operation of a
passenger motor vehicle, $76,522,000.
Capitol Building
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care, and
operation of the Capitol, $25,380,000, of which $10,055,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2010.
Capitol Grounds
For all necessary expenses for care and improvement of
grounds surrounding the Capitol, the Senate and House office
buildings, and the Capitol Power Plant, $7,061,000.
Senate Office Buildings
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of Senate office buildings; and furniture and
furnishings to be expended under the control and supervision
of the Architect of the Capitol, $67,004,000, of which
$15,745,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2010.
House Office Buildings
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the House office buildings, $59,616,000, of
which $20,922,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2008.
[Capitol Power Plant
[For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Capitol Power Plant; lighting, heating,
power (including the purchase of electrical energy) and water
and sewer services for the Capitol, Senate and House office
buildings, Library of Congress buildings, and the grounds
about the same, Botanic Garden, Senate garage, and air
conditioning refrigeration not supplied from plants in any of
such buildings; heating the Government Printing Office and
Washington City Post Office, and heating and chilled water
for air conditioning for the Supreme Court Building, the
Union Station complex, the Thurgood Marshall Federal
Judiciary Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library,
expenses for which shall be advanced or reimbursed upon
request of the Architect of the Capitol and amounts so
received shall be deposited into the Treasury to the credit
of this appropriation, $58,585,000, of which $1,592,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2008: Provided, That not
more than $6,600,000 of the funds credited or to be
reimbursed to this appropriation as herein provided shall be
available for obligation during fiscal year 2006.
[Library Buildings and Grounds
[For all necessary expenses for the mechanical and
structural maintenance, care and operation of the Library
buildings and grounds, $31,318,000, of which $6,325,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2008.
[Capitol Police Buildings and Grounds
[For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of buildings and grounds of the United States
Capitol Police, $16,830,000, of which $5,500,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2008.
[Botanic Garden
[For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Botanic Garden and the nurseries, buildings,
grounds, and collections; and purchase and exchange,
maintenance, repair, and operation of a passenger motor
vehicle; all under the direction of the Joint Committee on
the Library, $7,211,000: Provided, That this appropriation
shall not be available for construction of the National
Garden: Provided further, That of the amount made available
under this heading, the Architect may obligate and expend
such sums as may be necessary for the maintenance, care, and
operation of the National Garden established under section
307E of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1989 (2
U.S.C. 2146), upon vouchers approved by the Architect or a
duly authorized designee.
[Capitol Visitor Center
[For an additional amount for the Capitol Visitor Center
project, $36,900,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That the Architect of the Capitol may not obligate
any of the funds which are made available for the Capitol
Visitor Center project without an obligation plan approved by
the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of
Representatives.
[Administrative Provisions
[Sec. 1201. (a) Section 108 of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 1849), is amended--
[(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``8 positions'' and
inserting ``10 positions''; and
[[Page S7744]]
[(2) in subsection (c), by striking ``4 positions'' and
inserting ``2 positions''.
[(b) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with
respect to pay periods beginning on or after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
[Sec. 1202. (a) Section 905 of the 2002 Supplemental
Appropriations Act for Further Recovery From and Response To
Terrorist Attacks on the United States (2 U.S.C. 1819) is
amended--
[(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
[(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new
subsection:
[``(d) In the case of a building or facility acquired
through purchase pursuant to subsection (a), the Architect of
the Capitol may enter into or assume a lease with another
person for the use of any portion of the building or facility
that the Architect of the Capitol determines is not required
to be used to carry out the purposes of this section, subject
to the approval of the entity which approved the acquisition
of such building or facility under subsection (b).''.
[(b) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with
respect to leases entered into on or after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
[Sec. 1203. (a) There is hereby established the Capitol
Visitor Center Governing Board (hereafter in this section
referred to as the ``Governing Board''), consisting of each
of the following individuals:
[(1) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the
Speaker's designee.
[(2) The minority leader of the House of Representatives,
or the minority leader's designee.
[(3) The majority leader of the Senate, or the majority
leader's designee.
[(4) The minority leader of the Senate, or the minority
leader's designee.
[(5) The chairman of the Committee on House Administration
of the House of Representatives, who shall serve as co-
chairman of the Governing Board.
[(6) The ranking minority member of the Committee on House
Administration of the House of Representatives.
[(7) The chairman of the Committee on Rules and
Administration of the Senate, who shall serve as co-chairman
of the Governing Board.
[(8) The ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules
and Administration of the Senate.
[(b) The Governing Board shall be responsible for
establishing the policies which govern the operations of the
Capitol Visitor Center, consistent with applicable law.
[(c) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year
2006 and each succeeding fiscal year.
[LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
[Salaries and Expenses
[(including rescission)
[For necessary expenses of the Library of Congress not
otherwise provided for, including development and maintenance
of the Library's catalogs; custody and custodial care of the
Library buildings; special clothing; cleaning, laundering and
repair of uniforms; preservation of motion pictures in the
custody of the Library; operation and maintenance of the
American Folklife Center in the Library; preparation and
distribution of catalog records and other publications of the
Library; hire or purchase of one passenger motor vehicle; and
expenses of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board not
properly chargeable to the income of any trust fund held by
the Board, $388,144,000, of which not more than $6,000,000
shall be derived from collections credited to this
appropriation during fiscal year 2006, and shall remain
available until expended, under the Act of June 28, 1902
(chapter 1301; 32 Stat. 480; 2 U.S.C. 150) and not more than
$350,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal year
2006 and shall remain available until expended for the
development and maintenance of an international legal
information database and activities related thereto:
Provided, That the Library of Congress may not obligate or
expend any funds derived from collections under the Act of
June 28, 1902, in excess of the amount authorized for
obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided
further, That the total amount available for obligation shall
be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than
$6,350,000: Provided further, That of the total amount
appropriated, $13,972,000 shall remain available until
expended for the partial acquisition of books, periodicals,
newspapers, and all other materials including subscriptions
for bibliographic services for the Library, including $40,000
to be available solely for the purchase, when specifically
approved by the Librarian, of special and unique materials
for additions to the collections: Provided further, That of
the total amount appropriated, not more than $12,000 may be
expended, on the certification of the Librarian of Congress,
in connection with official representation and reception
expenses for the Overseas Field Offices: Provided further,
That of the total amount appropriated, $500,000 shall remain
available until expended, and shall be transferred to the
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission for carrying out the
purposes of Public Law 106-173, of which $10,000 may be used
for official representation and reception expenses of the
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission: Provided further,
That of the total amount appropriated, $11,078,000 shall
remain available until expended for partial support of the
National Audio-Visual Conservation Center: Provided further,
That of the amounts made available under this heading in
chapter 9 of division A of the Miscellaneous Appropriations
Act, 2001 (Public Law 106-554; 114 Stat. 2763A-194),
$15,500,000 is rescinded.
[Copyright Office
[Salaries and Expenses
[For necessary expenses of the Copyright Office,
$58,601,000, of which not more than $30,481,000, to remain
available until expended, shall be derived from collections
credited to this appropriation during fiscal year 2006 under
section 708(d) of title 17, United States Code: Provided,
That the Copyright Office may not obligate or expend any
funds derived from collections under such section, in excess
of the amount authorized for obligation or expenditure in
appropriations Acts: Provided further, That not more than
$5,465,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal
year 2006 under sections 111(d)(2), 119(b)(2), 802(h), 1005,
and 1316 of such title: Provided further, That the total
amount available for obligation shall be reduced by the
amount by which collections are less than $35,946,000:
Provided further, That not more than $100,000 of the amount
appropriated is available for the maintenance of an
``International Copyright Institute'' in the Copyright Office
of the Library of Congress for the purpose of training
nationals of developing countries in intellectual property
laws and policies: Provided further, That not more than
$4,250 may be expended, on the certification of the Librarian
of Congress, in connection with official representation and
reception expenses for activities of the International
Copyright Institute and for copyright delegations, visitors,
and seminars: Provided further, That notwithstanding any
provision of chapter 8 of title 17, United States Code, any
amounts made available under this heading which are
attributable to royalty fees and payments received by the
Copyright Office pursuant to sections 111, 119, and chapter
10 of such title may be used for the costs incurred in the
administration of the Copyright Royalty Judges program.
[Congressional Research Service
[salaries and expenses
[For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of
section 203 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 166) and to revise and extend the Annotated
Constitution of the United States of America, $99,952,000:
Provided, That no part of such amount may be used to pay any
salary or expense in connection with any publication, or
preparation of material therefor (except the Digest of Public
General Bills), to be issued by the Library of Congress
unless such publication has obtained prior approval of either
the Committee on House Administration of the House of
Representatives or the Committee on Rules and Administration
of the Senate.
[Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
[salaries and expenses
[For salaries and expenses to carry out the Act of March 3,
1931 (chapter 400; 46 Stat. 1487; 2 U.S.C. 135a),
$54,049,000, of which $15,831,000 shall remain available
until expended.
[Administrative Provisions
[Sec. 1301. Incentive Awards Program.--Of the amounts
appropriated to the Library of Congress in this Act, not more
than $5,000 may be expended, on the certification of the
Librarian of Congress, in connection with official
representation and reception expenses for the incentive
awards program.
[Sec. 1302. Reimbursable and Revolving Fund Activities. (a)
In General.--For fiscal year 2006, the obligational authority
of the Library of Congress for the activities described in
subsection (b) may not exceed $109,943,000.
[(b) Activities.--The activities referred to in subsection
(a) are reimbursable and revolving fund activities that are
funded from sources other than appropriations to the Library
in appropriations Acts for the legislative branch.
[(c) Transfer of Funds.--During fiscal year 2006, the
Librarian of Congress may temporarily transfer funds
appropriated in this Act, under the heading ``LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS'' under the subheading ``Salaries and Expenses'' to
the revolving fund for the FEDLINK Program and the Federal
Research Program established under section 103 of the Library
of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 (Public
Law 106-481; 2 U.S.C. 182c): Provided, That the total amount
of such transfers may not exceed $1,900,000: Provided
further, That the appropriate revolving fund account shall
reimburse the Library for any amounts transferred to it
before the period of availability of the Library
appropriation expires.
[Sec. 1303. United States Diplomatic Facilities.--Funds
made available for the Library of Congress under this Act are
available for transfer to the Department of State as
remittance for a fee charged by the Department for fiscal
year 2006 for the maintenance, upgrade, or construction of
United States diplomatic facilities only to the extent that
the amount of the fee so charged is equal to or less than the
unreimbursed value of the services provided during fiscal
year 2006 to the Library of Congress on State Department
diplomatic facilities.
[Sec. 1304. (a) Section 208 of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 1996 (Public Law 104-53; 109 Stat. 532),
is hereby repealed.
[[Page S7745]]
[(b) The amendment made by this section shall take effect
on the date of the enactment of this Act or October 1, 2005,
whichever occurs earlier.
[GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
[Congressional Printing and Binding
[(including transfer of funds)
[For authorized printing and binding for the Congress and
the distribution of Congressional information in any format;
printing and binding for the Architect of the Capitol;
expenses necessary for preparing the semimonthly and session
index to the Congressional Record, as authorized by law
(section 902 of title 44, United States Code); printing and
binding of Government publications authorized by law to be
distributed to Members of Congress; and printing, binding,
and distribution of Government publications authorized by law
to be distributed without charge to the recipient,
$88,090,000 (reduced by $5,400,000): Provided, That this
appropriation shall not be available for paper copies of the
permanent edition of the Congressional Record for individual
Representatives, Resident Commissioners or Delegates
authorized under section 906 of title 44, United States Code:
Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available
for the payment of obligations incurred under the
appropriations for similar purposes for preceding fiscal
years: Provided further, That notwithstanding the 2-year
limitation under section 718 of title 44, United States Code,
none of the funds appropriated or made available under this
Act or any other Act for printing and binding and related
services provided to Congress under chapter 7 of title 44,
United States Code, may be expended to print a document,
report, or publication after the 27-month period beginning on
the date that such document, report, or publication is
authorized by Congress to be printed, unless Congress
reauthorizes such printing in accordance with section 718 of
title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That any
unobligated or unexpended balances in this account or
accounts for similar purposes for preceding fiscal years may
be transferred to the Government Printing Office revolving
fund for carrying out the purposes of this heading, subject
to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and Senate.
[Office of Superintendent of Documents
[salaries and expenses
[(including transfer of funds)
[For expenses of the Office of Superintendent of Documents
necessary to provide for the cataloging and indexing of
Government publications and their distribution to the public,
Members of Congress, other Government agencies, and
designated depository and international exchange libraries as
authorized by law, $33,337,000: Provided, That amounts of not
more than $2,000,000 from current year appropriations are
authorized for producing and disseminating Congressional
serial sets and other related publications for fiscal years
2004 and 2005 to depository and other designated libraries:
Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances
in this account or accounts for similar purposes for
preceding fiscal years may be transferred to the Government
Printing Office revolving fund for carrying out the purposes
of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate.
[Government Printing Office Revolving Fund
[For payment to the Government Printing Office Revolving
Fund, $1,200,000 for workforce retraining. The Government
Printing Office may make such expenditures, within the limits
of funds available and in accord with the law, and to make
such contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year
limitations as provided by section 9104 of title 31, United
States Code, as may be necessary in carrying out the programs
and purposes set forth in the budget for the current fiscal
year for the Government Printing Office revolving fund:
Provided, That not more than $5,000 may be expended on the
certification of the Public Printer in connection with
official representation and reception expenses: Provided
further, That the revolving fund shall be available for the
hire or purchase of not more than 12 passenger motor
vehicles: Provided further, That expenditures in connection
with travel expenses of the advisory councils to the Public
Printer shall be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions
of title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That the
revolving fund shall be available for temporary or
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5,
United States Code, but at rates for individuals not more
than the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such
title: Provided further, That the revolving fund and the
funds provided under the headings ``Office of Superintendent
of Documents'' and ``salaries and expenses'' together may not
be available for the full-time equivalent employment of more
than 2,621 workyears (or such other number of workyears as
the Public Printer may request, subject to the approval of
the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and Senate): Provided further, That
activities financed through the revolving fund may provide
information in any format: Provided further, That not more
than $10,000 may be expended from the revolving fund in
support of the activities of the Benjamin Franklin
Tercentenary Commission established by Public Law 107-202.
[GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
[Salaries and Expenses
[For necessary expenses of the Government Accountability
Office, including not more than $12,500 to be expended on the
certification of the Comptroller General of the United States
in connection with official representation and reception
expenses; temporary or intermittent services under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for
individuals not more than the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule
under section 5315 of such title; hire of one passenger motor
vehicle; advance payments in foreign countries in accordance
with section 3324 of title 31, United States Code; benefits
comparable to those payable under sections 901(5), (6), and
(8) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081(5),
(6), and (8)); and under regulations prescribed by the
Comptroller General of the United States, rental of living
quarters in foreign countries, $482,395,000: Provided, That
not more than $5,104,000 of payments received under section
782 of title 31, United States Code, shall be available for
use in fiscal year 2006: Provided further, That not more than
$2,061,000 of reimbursements received under section 9105 of
title 31, United States Code, shall be available for use in
fiscal year 2006: Provided further, That this appropriation
and appropriations for administrative expenses of any other
department or agency which is a member of the National
Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional Intergovernmental
Audit Forum shall be available to finance an appropriate
share of either Forum's costs as determined by the respective
Forum, including necessary travel expenses of non-Federal
participants: Provided further, That payments hereunder to
the Forum may be credited as reimbursements to any
appropriation from which costs involved are initially
financed.
[Payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund
[For a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust
Fund for financing activities of the Open World Leadership
Center under section 313 of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151), $14,000,000.
Capitol Power Plant
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Capitol Power Plant; lighting, heating,
power (including the purchase of electrical energy) and water
and sewer services for the Capitol, Senate and House office
buildings, Library of Congress buildings, and the grounds
about the same, Botanic Garden, Senate garage, and air
conditioning refrigeration not supplied from plants in any of
such buildings; heating the Government Printing Office and
Washington City Post Office, and heating and chilled water
for air conditioning for the Supreme Court Building, the
Union Station complex, the Thurgood Marshall Federal
Judiciary Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library,
expenses for which shall be advanced or reimbursed upon
request of the Architect of the Capitol and amounts so
received shall be deposited into the Treasury to the credit
of this appropriation, $58,817,000, of which $1,600,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2010: Provided, That not
more than $6,500,000 of the funds credited or to be
reimbursed to this appropriation as herein provided shall be
available for obligation during fiscal year 2006.
Library Buildings and Grounds
For all necessary expenses for the mechanical and
structural maintenance, care and operation of the Library
buildings and grounds, $70,948,000, of which $42,950,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2010.
Capitol Police Buildings and Grounds
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care, and
operation of buildings and grounds of the United States
Capitol Police, $10,031,000.
Botanic Garden
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Botanic Garden and the nurseries, buildings,
grounds, and collections; and purchase and exchange,
maintenance, repair, and operation of a passenger motor
vehicle; all under the direction of the Joint Committee on
the Library, $7,633,000: Provided, That this appropriation
shall not be available for construction of the National
Garden: Provided further, That of the amount made available
under this heading, the Architect may obligate and expend
such sums as may be necessary for the maintenance, care, and
operation of the National Garden established under section
307E of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1989 (2
U.S.C. 2146), upon vouchers approved by the Architect or a
duly authorized designee.
Capitol Visitor Center
For an additional amount for the Capitol Visitor Center
project, $41,900,000, to remain available until expended, and
in addition, $2,300,000 for Capitol Visitor Center operation
costs: Provided, That the Architect of the Capitol may not
obligate any of the funds which are made available for the
Capitol Visitor Center project without an obligation plan
approved by the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and
House of Representatives.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 1201. Executive Director of the Capitol Visitor
Center. The Architect of the Capitol may appoint an Executive
Director of the Capitol Visitor Center whose annual rate of
pay
[[Page S7746]]
shall be determined by the Architect of the Capitol and shall
not exceed $1,500 less than the annual rate of pay for the
Architect of the Capitol.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Salaries and Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Library of Congress not
otherwise provided for, including development and maintenance
of the Library's catalogs; custody and custodial care of the
Library buildings; special clothing; cleaning, laundering and
repair of uniforms; preservation of motion pictures in the
custody of the Library; operation and maintenance of the
American Folklife Center in the Library; preparation and
distribution of catalog records and other publications of the
Library; hire or purchase of one passenger motor vehicle; and
expenses of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board not
properly chargeable to the income of any trust fund held by
the Board, $397,285,000, of which not more than $6,000,000
shall be derived from collections credited to this
appropriation during fiscal year 2006, and shall remain
available until expended, under the Act of June 28, 1902
(chapter 1301; 32 Stat. 480; 2 U.S.C. 150) and not more than
$350,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal year
2006 and shall remain available until expended for the
development and maintenance of an international legal
information database and activities related thereto:
Provided, That the Library of Congress may not obligate or
expend any funds derived from collections under the Act of
June 28, 1902, in excess of the amount authorized for
obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided
further, That the total amount available for obligation shall
be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than
$6,350,000: Provided further, That of the total amount
appropriated, $13,972,000 shall remain available until
expended for the partial acquisition of books, periodicals,
newspapers, and all other materials including subscriptions
for bibliographic services for the Library, including $40,000
to be available solely for the purchase, when specifically
approved by the Librarian, of special and unique materials
for additions to the collections: Provided further, That of
the total amount appropriated, not more than $12,000 may be
expended, on the certification of the Librarian of Congress,
in connection with official representation and reception
expenses for the Overseas Field Offices: Provided further,
That of the total amount appropriated, $4,000,000 shall
remain available until expended for the digital collections
and school curricula program under section 1305 of this Act:
Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated,
$600,000 shall remain available until expended, and shall be
transferred to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
for carrying out the purposes of Public Law 106-173, of which
$10,000 may be used for official representation and reception
expenses of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission:
Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated,
$12,085,000 shall remain available until expended for partial
support of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center:
Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated,
$250,000 shall be used to provide a grant to the Middle
Eastern Text Initiative for translation and publishing of
middle eastern text: Provided further, That no funds made
available under this heading may be expended inconsistently
with the provisions and intent of section 1006 of the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108-
83), as amended, and the memorandum of understanding between
the Library of Congress and the Capitol Police entered into
on December 12, 2004.
Copyright Office
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Copyright Office and the new
Copyright Royalty Judges program, $57,322,000, of which not
more than $30,481,000, to remain available until expended,
shall be derived from collections credited to this
appropriation during fiscal year 2006 under section 708(d) of
title 17, United States Code: Provided, That the Copyright
Office may not obligate or expend any funds derived from
collections under such section, in excess of the amount
authorized for obligation or expenditure in appropriations
Acts: Provided further, That not more than $4,141,000 shall
be derived from collections during fiscal year 2006 under
sections 111(d)(2), 119(b)(2), 802(h), 1005, and 1316 of such
title: Provided further, That the total amount available for
obligation shall be reduced by the amount by which
collections are less than $34,622,000: Provided further, That
not more than $100,000 of the amount appropriated is
available for the maintenance of an ``International Copyright
Institute'' in the Copyright Office of the Library of
Congress for the purpose of training nationals of developing
countries in intellectual property laws and policies:
Provided further, That not more than $4,250 may be expended,
on the certification of the Librarian of Congress, in
connection with official representation and reception
expenses for activities of the International Copyright
Institute and for copyright delegations, visitors, and
seminars.
Congressional Research Service
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of
section 203 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 166) and to revise and extend the Annotated
Constitution of the United States of America, $101,755,000:
Provided, That no part of such amount may be used to pay any
salary or expense in connection with any publication, or
preparation of material therefor (except the Digest of Public
General Bills), to be issued by the Library of Congress
unless such publication has obtained prior approval of either
the Committee on House Administration of the House of
Representatives or the Committee on Rules and Administration
of the Senate.
Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
salaries and expenses
For salaries and expenses to carry out the Act of March 3,
1931 (chapter 400; 46 Stat. 1487; 2 U.S.C. 135a),
$64,172,000, of which $25,667,000 shall remain available
until expended.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 1301. Incentive Awards Program. Of the amounts
appropriated to the Library of Congress in this Act, not more
than $5,000 may be expended, on the certification of the
Librarian of Congress, in connection with official
representation and reception expenses for the incentive
awards program.
Sec. 1302. Reimbursable and Revolving Fund Activities. (a)
In General.--For fiscal year 2006, the obligational authority
of the Library of Congress for the activities described in
subsection (b) may not exceed $109,943,000.
(b) Activities.--The activities referred to in subsection
(a) are reimbursable and revolving fund activities that are
funded from sources other than appropriations to the Library
in appropriations Acts for the legislative branch.
(c) Transfer of Funds.--During fiscal year 2006, the
Librarian of Congress may temporarily transfer funds
appropriated in this Act, under the heading ``LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS'' under the subheading ``Salaries and Expenses'' to
the revolving fund for the FEDLINK Program and the Federal
Research Program established under section 103 of the Library
of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 (Public
Law 106-481; 2 U.S.C. 182c): Provided, That the total amount
of such transfers may not exceed $1,900,000: Provided
further, That the appropriate revolving fund account shall
reimburse the Library for any amounts transferred to it
before the period of availability of the Library
appropriation expires.
Sec. 1303. National Digital Information Infrastructure and
Preservation Program. The Miscellaneous Appropriations Act,
2001 (enacted into law by section 1(a)(4) of Public Law 106-
554, 114 Stat. 2763A-194) is amended in the first proviso
under the subheading ``Salaries and Expenses'' under the
heading ``LIBRARY OF CONGRESS'' in chapter 9 of division A by
adding at the end ``, except that an amount not to exceed
$25,000,000 of such additional $75,000,000 shall remain
available until expended and may be used for competitive
grants to State governmental entities, without regard to any
matching contribution requirement, to work cooperatively to
collect and preserve at-risk digital State and local
government information''.
Sec. 1304. United States Diplomatic Facilities. Funds made
available for the Library of Congress under this Act are
available for transfer to the Department of State as
remittance for a fee charged by the Department for fiscal
year 2006 for the maintenance, upgrade, or construction of
United States diplomatic facilities only to the extent that
the amount of the fee so charged is equal to or less than the
unreimbursed value of the services provided during fiscal
year 2006 to the Library of Congress on State Department
diplomatic facilities.
Sec. 1305. Incorporation of Digital Collections Into School
Curricula. (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Library of Congress Digital Collections and School
Curricula Act of 2005''.
(b) Program.--The Librarian of Congress shall administer a
program to teach educators and librarians how to incorporate
the digital collections of the Library of Congress into
school curricula.
(c) Educational Consortium.--In administering the program
under this section, the Librarian of Congress may--
(1) establish an educational consortium to support the
program; and
(2) make funds appropriated for the program available to
consortium members, educational institutions, and libraries.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated such sums as necessary to carry out this
section for fiscal year 2006 and each fiscal year thereafter.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
Congressional Printing and Binding
(including transfer of funds)
For authorized printing and binding for the Congress and
the distribution of Congressional information in any format;
printing and binding for the Architect of the Capitol;
expenses necessary for preparing the semimonthly and session
index to the Congressional Record, as authorized by law
(section 902 of title 44, United States Code); printing and
binding of Government publications authorized by law to be
distributed to Members of Congress; and printing, binding,
and distribution of Government publications authorized by law
to be distributed without charge to the recipient,
$88,090,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall not be
available for paper copies of the permanent edition of the
Congressional Record for individual Representatives, Resident
Commissioners or Delegates authorized under section 906 of
title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That this
appropriation shall be available for the payment of
obligations incurred under the appropriations for similar
purposes for preceding fiscal years: Provided further, That
notwithstanding the 2-year limitation under section 718 of
title 44, United States Code, none of the funds appropriated
or made available under this Act or any other Act for
printing and binding and related services provided to
Congress under chapter 7 of title 44, United States Code, may
be expended to print a document, report, or publication after
the 27-month period beginning on the date that such document,
report, or publication is authorized by Congress to be
printed, unless Congress reauthorizes such printing in
accordance with
[[Page S7747]]
section 718 of title 44, United States Code: Provided
further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances in this
account or accounts for similar purposes for preceding fiscal
years may be transferred to the Government Printing Office
revolving fund for carrying out the purposes of this heading,
subject to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Office of Superintendent of Documents
salaries and expenses
(including transfer of funds)
For expenses of the Office of Superintendent of Documents
necessary to provide for the cataloging and indexing of
Government publications and their distribution to the public,
Members of Congress, other Government agencies, and
designated depository and international exchange libraries as
authorized by law, $33,837,000: Provided, That amounts of not
more than $2,000,000 from current year appropriations are
authorized for producing and disseminating Congressional
serial sets and other related publications for fiscal years
2004 and 2005 to depository and other designated libraries:
Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances
in this account or accounts for similar purposes for
preceding fiscal years may be transferred to the Government
Printing Office revolving fund for carrying out the purposes
of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Government Printing Office Revolving Fund
For payment to the Government Printing Office Revolving
Fund, $5,000,000 for workforce retraining: Provided, That the
Government Printing Office may make such expenditures, within
the limits of funds available and in accordance with law, and
to make such contracts and commitments without regard to
fiscal year limitations as provided by section 9104 of title
31, United States Code, as may be necessary in carrying out
the programs and purposes set forth in the budget for the
current fiscal year for the Government Printing Office
revolving fund: Provided further, That not more than $5,000
may be expended on the certification of the Public Printer in
connection with official representation and reception
expenses: Provided further, That the revolving fund shall be
available for the hire or purchase of not more than 12
passenger motor vehicles: Provided further, That expenditures
in connection with travel expenses of the advisory councils
to the Public Printer shall be deemed necessary to carry out
the provisions of title 44, United States Code: Provided
further, That the revolving fund shall be available for
temporary or intermittent services under section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not
more than the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic
pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316
of such title: Provided further, That the revolving fund and
the funds provided under the headings ``Office of
Superintendent of Documents'' and ``salaries and expenses''
together may not be available for the full-time equivalent
employment of more than 2,621 workyears (or such other number
of workyears as the Public Printer may request, subject to
the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives and Senate): Provided further, That
activities financed through the revolving fund may provide
information in any format: Provided further, That not more
than $10,000 may be expended from the revolving fund in
support of the activities of the Benjamin Franklin
Tercentenary Commission established by Public Law 107-202.
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Government Accountability
Office, including not more than $12,500 to be expended on the
certification of the Comptroller General of the United States
in connection with official representation and reception
expenses; temporary or intermittent services under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for
individuals not more than the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule
under section 5315 of such title; hire of one passenger motor
vehicle; advance payments in foreign countries in accordance
with section 3324 of title 31, United States Code; benefits
comparable to those payable under section 901(5), (6), and
(8) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081(5),
(6), and (8)); and under regulations prescribed by the
Comptroller General of the United States, rental of living
quarters in foreign countries, $484,383,000: Provided, That
not more than $5,104,000 of payments received under section
782 of title 31, United States Code, shall be available for
use in fiscal year 2006: Provided further, That not more than
$2,061,000 of reimbursements received under section 9105 of
title 31, United States Code, shall be available for use in
fiscal year 2006: Provided further, That this appropriation
and appropriations for administrative expenses of any other
department or agency which is a member of the National
Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional Intergovernmental
Audit Forum shall be available to finance an appropriate
share of either Forum's costs as determined by the respective
Forum, including necessary travel expenses of non-Federal
participants: Provided further, That payments hereunder to
the Forum may be credited as reimbursements to any
appropriation from which costs involved are initially
financed.
OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER TRUST FUND
For a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust
Fund for financing activities of the Open World Leadership
Center, $14,000,000.
JOHN C. STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
For payment to the John C. Stennis Center for Public
Service Development Trust Fund established under section 116
of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and
Development Act (2 U.S.C. 1105), $430,000.
TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 201. Maintenance and Care of Private Vehicles.--No
part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be used for
the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for
emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided under
regulations relating to parking facilities for the House of
Representatives issued by the Committee on House
Administration and for the Senate issued by the Committee on
Rules and Administration.
Sec. 202. Fiscal Year Limitation.--No part of the funds
appropriated in this Act shall remain available for
obligation beyond fiscal year 2006 unless expressly so
provided in this Act.
Sec. 203. Rates of Compensation and Designation.--Whenever
in this Act any office or position not specifically
established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 (46 Stat. 32
et seq.) is appropriated for or the rate of compensation or
designation of any office or position appropriated for is
different from that specifically established by such Act, the
rate of compensation and the designation in this Act shall be
the permanent law with respect thereto: Provided, That the
provisions in this Act for the various items of official
expenses of Members, officers, and committees of the Senate
and House of Representatives, and clerk hire for Senators and
Members of the House of Representatives shall be the
permanent law with respect thereto.
Sec. 204. Consulting Services.--The expenditure of any
appropriation under this Act for any consulting service
through procurement contract, under section 3109 of title 5,
United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts where
such expenditures are a matter of public record and available
for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under
existing law, or under existing Executive order issued under
existing law.
Sec. 205. Awards and Settlements.--Such sums as may be
necessary are appropriated to the account described in
subsection (a) of section 415 of the Congressional
Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415(a)) to pay awards
and settlements as authorized under such subsection.
Sec. 206. Costs of LBFMC.--Amounts available for
administrative expenses of any legislative branch entity
which participates in the Legislative Branch Financial
Managers Council (LBFMC) established by charter on March 26,
1996, shall be available to finance an appropriate share of
LBFMC costs as determined by the LBFMC, except that the total
LBFMC costs to be shared among all participating legislative
branch entities (in such allocations among the entities as
the entities may determine) may not exceed $2,000.
Sec. 207. Landscape Maintenance.--The Architect of the
Capitol, in consultation with the District of Columbia, is
authorized to maintain and improve the landscape features,
excluding streets and sidewalks, in the irregular shaped
grassy areas bounded by Washington Avenue, SW on the
northeast, Second Street SW on the west, Square 582 on the
south, and the beginning of the I-395 tunnel on the
southeast.
Sec. 208. Limitation on Transfers.--None of the funds made
available in this Act may be transferred to any department,
agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government,
except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority
provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.
[Sec. 209. Compensation Limitation.--None of the funds
contained in this Act or any other Act may be used to pay the
salary of any officer or employee of the legislative branch
during fiscal year 2006 or any succeeding fiscal year to the
extent that the aggregate amount of compensation paid to the
employee during the year (including base salary, performance
awards and other bonus payments, and incentive payments, but
excluding the value of any in-kind benefits and payments)
exceeds the annual rate of pay for a Member of the House of
Representatives or a Senator.]
Sec. 209. Compensation Limitation. Legislative branch
appropriations are not available to pay the salary of any
officer or employee to the extent that the aggregate amount
of compensation (including base salary, awards, bonus
incentives, excluding in-kind compensation) exceeds the
annual rate for a Senator or Member unless the applicable
entity head has certified that the entity has a performance
appraisal system which (as designed and applied) makes
meaningful distinctions based on relative performance
consistent with the criteria established pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
5307(d)(3)(A). Each entity head shall recertify its
performance appraisal system (bi-annually in accordance with
5 U.S.C. 5307(d)(3)(B)). Entities with such certified
appraisal systems may pay total annual compensation up to the
amounts Executive branch personnel subject to certified
performance appraisal systems may receive.
[TITLE III--CONTINUITY IN REPRESENTATION
[Sec. 301. Section 26 of the Revised Statutes of the United
States (2 U.S.C. 8) is amended--
[(1) by striking ``The time'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the time'';
and
[(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
[[Page S7748]]
[``(b) Special Rules in Extraordinary Circumstances.--
[``(1) In general.--In extraordinary circumstances, the
executive authority of any State in which a vacancy exists in
its representation in the House of Representatives shall
issue a writ of election to fill such vacancy by special
election.
[``(2) Timing of special election.--A special election held
under this subsection to fill a vacancy shall take place not
later than 49 days after the Speaker of the House of
Representatives announces that the vacancy exists, unless,
during the 75-day period which begins on the date of the
announcement of the vacancy--
[``(A) a regularly scheduled general election for the
office involved is to be held; or
[``(B) another special election for the office involved is
to be held, pursuant to a writ for a special election issued
by the chief executive of the State prior to the date of the
announcement of the vacancy.
[``(3) Nominations by parties.--If a special election is to
be held under this subsection, the determination of the
candidates who will run in such election shall be made--
[``(A) by nominations made not later than 10 days after the
Speaker announces that the vacancy exists by the political
parties of the State that are authorized by State law to
nominate candidates for the election; or
[``(B) by any other method the State considers appropriate,
including holding primary elections, that will ensure that
the State will hold the special election within the deadline
required under paragraph (2).
[``(4) Extraordinary circumstances.--
[``(A) In general.--In this subsection, `extraordinary
circumstances' occur when the Speaker of the House of
Representatives announces that vacancies in the
representation from the States in the House exceed 100.
[``(B) Judicial review.--If any action is brought for
declaratory or injunctive relief to challenge an announcement
made under subparagraph (A), the following rules shall apply:
[``(i) Not later than 2 days after the announcement, the
action shall be filed in the United States District Court
having jurisdiction in the district of the Member of the
House of Representatives whose seat has been announced to be
vacant and shall be heard by a 3-judge court convened
pursuant to section 2284 of title 28, United States Code.
[``(ii) A copy of the complaint shall be delivered promptly
to the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
[``(iii) A final decision in the action shall be made
within 3 days of the filing of such action and shall not be
reviewable.
[``(iv) The executive authority of the State that contains
the district of the Member of the House of Representatives
whose seat has been announced to be vacant shall have the
right to intervene either in support of or opposition to the
position of a party to the case regarding the announcement of
such vacancy.
[``(5) Protecting ability of absent military and overseas
voters to participate in special elections.--
[``(A) Deadline for transmittal of absentee ballots.--In
conducting a special election held under this subsection to
fill a vacancy in its representation, the State shall ensure
to the greatest extent practicable (including through the use
of electronic means) that absentee ballots for the election
are transmitted to absent uniformed services voters and
overseas voters (as such terms are defined in the Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) not later than 15
days after the Speaker of the House of Representatives
announces that the vacancy exists.
[``(B) Period for ballot transit time.--Notwithstanding the
deadlines referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3), in the case
of an individual who is an absent uniformed services voter or
an overseas voter (as such terms are defined in the Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act), a State shall
accept and process any otherwise valid ballot or other
election material from the voter so long as the ballot or
other material is received by the appropriate State election
official not later than 45 days after the State transmits the
ballot or other material to the voter.
[``(6) Application to district of columbia and
territories.--This subsection shall apply--
[``(A) to a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the
Congress in the same manner as it applies to a Member of the
House of Representatives; and
[``(B) to the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the United States
Virgin Islands in the same manner as it applies to a State,
except that a vacancy in the representation from any such
jurisdiction in the House shall not be taken into account by
the Speaker in determining whether vacancies in the
representation from the States in the House exceed 100 for
purposes of paragraph (4)(A).
[``(7) Rule of construction regarding federal election
laws.--Nothing in this subsection may be construed to affect
the application to special elections under this subsection of
any Federal law governing the administration of elections for
Federal office (including any law providing for the
enforcement of any such law), including, but not limited to,
the following:
[``(A) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et
seq.), as amended.
[``(B) The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and
Handicapped Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.), as amended.
[``(C) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.), as amended.
[``(D) The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42
U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.), as amended.
[``(E) The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), as amended.
[``(F) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et
seq.), as amended.
[``(G) The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15301
et seq.), as amended.''.]
This Act may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2006''.
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I am proud to present to the Senate the
Appropriations Committee's recommendations for fiscal year 2006
Legislative Branch appropriations, H.R. 2985. I would like to thank
Senator Durbin, ranking member of the subcommittee, for his full
cooperation in crafting the legislation. Under our recommendation,
funding for the legislative branch would total $3.83 billion in budget
authority and $3.84 billion in outlays. This is $230 million above the
FY05 enacted level and a reduction of $194 million below the request.
While there are very few programmatic increases in the bill, funding is
sufficient to maintain current operations in all agencies. Significant
increases above the fiscal year 2005 budget are recommended in only a
few areas, such as funding to complete the Capitol Visitor Center.
Highlights of the bill include funding of $264.6 million for the
Capitol Police, which will enable the Capitol Police to maintain its
current staffing level of 1,592 police officers and ensure appropriate
levels of security for the Capitol complex.
The recommendation also includes $427 million for the Architect of
the Capitol, including $42 million for Capitol Visitor Center
construction and $2.3 million for initial operational costs of the CVC.
The Architect believes this amount will be sufficient to complete the
CVC construction.
Also within the AOC budget is storage modules for the Library of
Congress at Ft. Meade, totaling $40.7 million. While this is an
expensive project, it is critically needed to take care of burgeoning
storage requirements at the Library.
For the Library of Congress, funding would total $580 million,
including funding for the Library's highest priorities such as the new
National Audio-Visual Conservation Center and Congressional Research
Service enhancements. A total of $9.8 million would be included for the
Books for the Blind digital talking book, as a ``downpayment'' on the
$75 million effort to replace the current cassette playback system with
digital ``flash memory'' technology.
Funding for the GPO would total $126.9 million, including $5 million
to retrain staff for the new digital environment; the Government
Accountability Office would receive $484 million, and the Open World
Leadership Program would be funded at the budget request level of $14
million.
Funding and language pertaining only to the House remains as passed
by the House, pursuant to the normal protocol of comity between the two
bodies.
This is a non-controversial and lean bill that meets the most
important needs of the Congress and its support agencies, and I urge my
colleagues to support the bill.
Before closing, I would like to thank the staff who have been
involved in this bill. Senator Durbin's staff, Nancy Olkewicz, Drew
Willison and Pat Souders, and my own staff, Lance Landry, Carrie
Apostolou, and Christen Taylor.
Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I thank the chairman for taking the time
to engage in a colloquy to discuss a program funded in the Legislative
Branch appropriations measure that is important to many Nevada
educators.
In this bill, the Library of Congress is slated to receive $4 million
for continued development of the Adventure of the American Mind
program. AAM facilitates the incorporation of digital collections into
school curricula. AAM provides teacher training so they can learn how
to use primary resources in their classroom instruction. I think it is
important to give educators and students--regardless of where they
live--access to what the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington,
calls ``the world's largest repository of knowledge.'' I commend the
chairman for his support for AAM.
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I know that he is aware of two Nevadans who have performed extensive
work to develop AAM. I am proud of my constituents. George and Carolyn
Breaz of Las Vegas have traveled all over the country to train teachers
in the five States that participate in the AAM Consortium. I believe it
is through an oversight that my State of Nevada was not included as a
member of the consortium. It was perhaps my staff's oversight for not
communicating my support for Nevada's participation to the previous
chairman, Senator Campbell, during the expansion of this AAM
consortium.
I think that participation in AAM should be based on merit. I am not
asking for special treatment for Nevada. Some states may get special
treatment. I don't know. I do know that Mr. and Mrs. Breaz have worked
hard to get this program to where it is today, and I believe that
taxpayers have a right to expect that technical experts are developing
AAM. The Breazes were quite devastated when they were not invited to
participate in the AAM consortium, particularly given the amount of
work they devoted for the past 5 years.
It is my understanding that the chairman and his staff will advocate
Nevada's participation in this important project, whether it is through
a legislative or administrative solution, prior to the Legislative
Branch appropriations bill becoming law. Is this correct?
Mr. ALLARD. Yes, that's correct.
Mr. ENSIGN. Thank you for your support and for your personal
commitment to be as helpful as possible. I appreciate very much your
assistance and the hard work of your staff.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I first congratulate Chairman Allard for
successfully crafting his first Legislative branch appropriations bill.
It has been a pleasure working through this process with him and I
thank him for his leadership. He has done an exceptional job.
The Fiscal Year 2006 Legislative branch appropriations bill we are
considering today is comprehensive, thorough, and fair. I want to thank
Chairman Cochran for providing us with an allocation which has allowed
us to adequately fund the agencies that support the Legislative branch,
such as the Capitol Police, the Government Accountability Office, the
Library of Congress, and the Architect of the Capitol.
The bill we are presenting today provides funding to support the
Capitol Police at the current staff level of 1,592 officers and 411
civilian staff, along with anticipated cost-of-living adjustments and
estimated overtime requirements. The bill also provides funding for 14
new officers for the Capitol Visitor Center. I believe it is critical
that we provide adequate funding to support the men and women who put
their lives on the line to protect us every day. Our bill does that.
The House Legislative branch bill made some painfully deep cuts to
some of our support agencies, particularly the Capitol Police, so we
will have a real challenge to face during conference.
This bill provides funding to the Architect of the Capitol to
complete construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. I thank Chairman
Allard for his diligence in holding monthly hearings to monitor the
progress of the CVC. These hearings have been very useful and
informative to the members of the subcommittee and have allowed us to
make the best of a very challenging situation.
I thank Chairman Allard for including funding for several projects
which are very important to the State of Illinois--the Abraham Lincoln
Bicentennial Commission and the Adventures of the American Mind. I am
also happy to note that a legislative provision is included in this
bill which provides permanent authorization for a program within the
Library of Congress, the Digital Collections into School Curricula Act
of 2005, which is patterned after the Adventures of the American Mind
program.
Finally, I thank Carrie Apostolou, Fred Pagan, and Christen Taylor of
the majority staff, and Terry Sauvain, Drew Willison, and Nancy
Olkewicz of the minority staff for their help on this bill.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, this amendment No. 1082 provides $800,000
for the NFB-NEWSLINE Service in the Books for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped program in the Library of Congress as a provision of H.R.
2985, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006.
The NFB-NEWSLINE service is a telephone-based electronic audio
newspaper service developed by the National Foundation of the Blind,
NFB. The Service ensures that newspapers are directly accessible to
blind readers at the same time when print publications are released.
In 1931, Congress established a national Books for the Blind program
within the Nation's premier library, the Library of Congress, to be
administered by the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped, NLS. The Books for the Blind program continues
to be the principal source of Braille and audio books and magazines for
blind adults. At present, NFB-NEWSLINE offers over 150 newspapers and
magazines daily.
The ultimate goal of the Service is to ensure that blind-patrons have
the same opportunity for access to daily newspapers as sighted-patrons.
The following statistics support the need: Approximately 57,000 blind
Americans are enrolled in elementary, secondary or post-secondary
education programs. NFB-NEWSLINE helps them be more informed about
current events. Approximately 300,000 blind Americans are of working
age. NFB-NEWSLINE supports them in numerous employment activities.
Approximately 700,000 blind Americans are seniors, age 65 and older.
NFB-NEWSLINE helps them keep up with current events in their community.
In 2001, Congress first appropriated funding to establish the NFB-
NEWSLINE service in the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Congress subsequently appropriated funds in two Legislative Branch
appropriations bills to pay the telecommunications costs for the
electronic service. The annual telecommunications costs, including
inflation adjustments, are approximately $850,000.
Telecommunications service is the only cost for which a regular and
continuing appropriation is needed from the Federal Government. Ongoing
operation of the Service is paid for by State sponsors, including
public libraries and rehabilitation agencies, to help defray the
telecommunications costs associated with the dissemination of audio
information to eligible individuals.
Many of you know that equal access for persons with disabilities has
long been a personal and family goal. My sister is an American with a
disability. She is a member of the National Foundation of the Blind.
The current appropriation will be expended at the end of 2005, making
it essential to provide funding in fiscal year 2006. The funding level
of $800,000 will ensure that the Service continues in fiscal year 2006
and that all persons with disabilities will continue to have equal
access to information.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The committee-reported amendments are agreed
to.
The Lott-Dodd amendment No. 1082 is agreed to.
The amendment is as follows:
AMENDMENT NO. 1082
(Purpose: To provide funds for the Librarian of Congress to pay
telecommunications costs for rapid dissemination of periodicals and
daily newspapers available to blind and physically handicapped readers)
On page 60, line 10, after ``expended'' insert ``and of
which $800,000 shall be available to the Librarian of
Congress to pay telecommunications costs for eligible readers
to have interstate toll free access to electronic editions of
periodicals and newspapers, disseminated in specialized audio
and electronic text formats from a multi-State nonprofit
source which obtains content from publishers for free
distribution to blind and physically handicapped readers in a
minimum of 20 States.''.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill is read a third time and passed. The
motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. The Senate insists on its
amendments and requests a conference with the House, and the Chair
appoints the following conferees: Senators Allard, DeWine, Cochran,
Stevens, Durbin, Johnson, and Byrd.
(The bill will be printed in a future edition of the Record.)
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