[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S432-S433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 103. Mr. FLAKE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2 proposed by Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Hoeven, Mr.
Barrasso, Mr. Risch, Mr. Lee, Mr. Flake, Mr. Daines, Mr. Manchin, Mr.
Cassidy, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Portman, Mr. Alexander, and Mrs. Capito) to
the bill S. 1, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline; as follows:
On page 3, between lines 19 and 20, insert the following:
SEC. 4__. EVALUATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF DUPLICATIVE GREEN
BUILDING PROGRAMS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrative expenses.--The term ``administrative
expenses'' has the meaning given the term by the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget under section 504(b)(2)
of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2010 (31 U.S.C. 1105 note; Public Law
111-85), except that the term shall include, for purposes of
that section and this section, with respect to an agency--
(A) costs incurred by the agency and costs incurred by
grantees, subgrantees, and other recipients of funds from a
grant program or other program administered by the agency;
and
(B) expenses related to personnel salaries and benefits,
property management, travel, program management, promotion,
reviews and audits, case management, and communication about,
promotion of, and outreach for programs and program
activities administered by the agency.
(2) Applicable programs.--The term ``applicable programs''
means the programs listed in Table 9 (pages 348-350) of the
report of the Government Accountability Office entitled
``2012 Annual Report: Opportunities to Reduce Duplication,
Overlap and Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance
Revenue''.
(3) Appropriate secretaries.--The term ``appropriate
Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary;
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(C) the Secretary of Defense;
(D) the Secretary of Education;
(E) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(F) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(G) the Secretary of Transportation;
(H) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(I) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(J) the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology; and
(K) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
(4) Services.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the term
``services'' has the meaning given the term by the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget.
(B) Requirements.--The term ``services'' shall be limited
to activities, assistance, and aid that provide a direct
benefit to a recipient, such as--
(i) the provision of medical care;
(ii) assistance for housing or tuition; or
(iii) financial support (including grants and loans).
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than October 1, 2015, the
appropriate Secretaries shall submit to Congress and post on
the public Internet websites of the agencies of the
appropriate Secretaries a report on the outcomes of the
applicable programs.
(2) Requirements.--In reporting on the outcomes of each
applicable program, the appropriate Secretaries shall--
(A) determine the total administrative expenses of the
applicable program;
(B) determine the expenditures for services for the
applicable program;
(C) estimate the number of clients served by the applicable
program and beneficiaries who received assistance under the
applicable program (if applicable);
(D) estimate--
(i) the number of full-time employees who administer the
applicable program; and
(ii) the number of full-time equivalents (whose salary is
paid in part or full by the Federal Government through a
grant or contract, a subaward of a grant or contract, a
cooperative agreement, or another form of financial award or
assistance) who assist in administering the applicable
program;
(E) describe the type of assistance the applicable program
provides, such as grants, technical assistance, loans, tax
credits, or tax deductions;
(F) describe the type of recipient who benefits from the
assistance provided, such as individual property owners or
renters, local governments, businesses, nonprofit
organizations, or State governments; and
(G) identify and report on whether written program goals
are available for the applicable program.
(c) Program Recommendations.--Not later than January 1,
2016, the appropriate Secretaries shall jointly submit to
Congress a report that includes--
(1) an analysis of whether any of the applicable programs
should be eliminated or consolidated, including any
legislative changes that would be necessary to eliminate or
consolidate the applicable programs; and
(2) ways to improve the applicable programs by establishing
program goals or increasing collaboration so as to reduce the
overlap and duplication identified in--
(A) the 2011 report of the Government Accountability Office
entitled ``Federal Initiatives for the NonFederal Sector
Could Benefit from More Interagency Collaboration''; and
(B) the report of the Government Accountability Office
entitled ``2012 Annual Report: Opportunities to Reduce
Duplication, Overlap and Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and
Enhance Revenue''.
(d) Program Eliminations.--Not later than January 1, 2016,
the appropriate Secretaries shall--
(1) identify--
(A) which applicable programs are specifically required by
law; and
[[Page S433]]
(B) which applicable programs are carried out under the
discretionary authority of the appropriate Secretaries;
(2) eliminate those applicable programs that are not
required by law; and
(3) transfer any remaining applicable projects and
nonduplicative functions into another green building program
within the same agency.
______