[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S358-S359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3056. Mr. FLAKE (for himself, Mrs. McCaskill, and Mr. Booker)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2953
proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S. 2012, to provide for the
modernization of the energy policy of the United States, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Strike section 1020 (relating to an evaluation of
potentially duplicative green building programs within the
Department of Energy) and insert the following:
SEC. 1020. EVALUATION OF POTENTIALLY DUPLICATIVE GREEN
BUILDING PROGRAMS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrative expenses.--
(A) In general.--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).
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``administrative expenses''
includes, with respect to an agency--
(i) costs incurred by--
(I) the agency; or
(II) any grantee, subgrantee, or other recipient of funds
from a grant program or other program administered by the
agency; and
(ii) expenses relating to personnel salaries and benefits,
property management, travel, program management, promotion,
reviews and audits, case management, and communication
regarding, promotion of, and outreach for programs and
program activities administered by the agency.
(2) Applicable program.--The term ``applicable program''
means any program that is--
(A) 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''; and
(B) administered by--
(i) the Secretary;
(ii) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(iii) the Secretary of Defense;
(iv) the Secretary of Education;
(v) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(vi) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(vii) the Secretary of Transportation;
(viii) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(ix) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(x) the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology; or
(xi) the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration.
(3) Service.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the term
``service'' has the meaning given the term by the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
(B) Requirements.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), the
term ``service'' shall be limited to activities, assistance,
or other aid that provides a direct benefit to a recipient,
such as--
(i) the provision of technical assistance;
(ii) assistance for housing or tuition; or
(iii) financial support (including grants, loans, tax
credits, and tax deductions).
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than January 1, 2017, the
Secretary, in consultation with the agency heads described in
clauses (ii) through (xi) of subsection (a)(2)(B), shall
submit to Congress and make available on the public Internet
website of the Department a report that describes the
applicable programs.
(2) Requirements.--In preparing the report under paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall--
(A) determine the approximate annual total administrative
expenses of each applicable program;
(B) determine the approximate annual expenditures for
services for each applicable program;
(C) describe the intended market for each applicable
program, including the--
(i) estimated the number of clients served by each
applicable program; and
(ii) beneficiaries who received services or information
under the applicable program (if applicable and if data is
readily available);
(D) estimate--
(i) the number of full-time employees who administer each
applicable program; and
(ii) the number of full-time equivalents (the salary of
whom 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) briefly describe the type of services each applicable
program provides, such as information, grants, technical
assistance, loans, tax credits, or tax deductions;
(F) identify the type of recipient who is intended to
benefit from the services or information provided under the
applicable program, such as individual property owners or
renters, local governments, businesses, nonprofit
organizations, or State governments; and
(G) identify whether written program goals are available
for each applicable program.
(c) Recommendations.--Not later than January 1, 2017, the
Secretary, in consultation with the agency heads described in
clauses (ii) through (xi) of subsection (a)(2)(B), shall
submit to Congress a report that includes--
(1) a recommendation of whether any applicable program
should be eliminated or consolidated, including any
legislative changes that would be necessary to eliminate or
consolidate applicable programs; and
(2) methods to improve the applicable programs by
establishing program goals or increasing collaboration to
reduce any potential overlap or duplication, taking into
account--
(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''.
[[Page S359]]
(d) Analyses.--Not later than January 1, 2017, the
Secretary, in consultation with the agency heads described in
clauses (ii) through (xi) of subsection (a)(2)(B), shall
identify--
(1) which applicable programs were specifically authorized
by Congress; and
(2) which applicable programs are carried out solely under
the discretionary authority of the Secretary or any agency
head described in clauses (ii) through (xi) of subsection
(a)(2)(B).
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