[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2868-S2869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016--Continued
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Amendments Nos. 3934, 3918, 3905, 3926, 3961, and 3941 to Amendment No.
3896
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to report that due to a lot
of hard work on both sides of the aisle by Senators and their staffs,
the leaders, and particularly my colleague Senator Reed of Rhode
Island, we have another group of amendments we are able to clear
tonight.
I therefore ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be
called up en bloc and reported by number: amendment No. 3934, offered
by Senator King; amendment No. 3918, offered by Senator Rubio;
amendment No. 3905, offered by Senator Heller; amendment No. 3926,
offered by Senator Rubio; amendment No. 3961, offered by Senator
Manchin; and amendment No. 3941, offered by Senator Booker.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the amendments en bloc by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Maine [Ms. Collins], for others, proposes
amendments numbered 3934, 3918, 3905, 3926, 3961, and 3941 en
bloc to amendment No. 3896.
The amendments are as follows:
amendment no. 3934
(Purpose: To authorize the use of funds to carry out a matching program
with the Department of Education to identify veterans who are
unemployable due to a service-connected disability and who are also
borrowers of Federal student loans in order to streamline and expedite
the process through which such veterans may discharge their Federal
student loans)
On page 223, line 9, after ``interoperability:'' insert the
following: ``Provided further, That, notwithstanding any
other provision of law, $300,000 shall be available to carry
out a matching program with the Department of Education to
identify veterans who are unemployable due to a service-
connected disability and who are also borrowers of Federal
student loans in order to streamline and expedite the process
through which such veterans may discharge their Federal
student loans.''.
amendent no. 3918
(Purpose: To shorten the time given to a property owner to respond to a
violation of a contract and the time given to the Secretary to develop
a Compliance, Disposition, and Enforcement Plan)
On page 152, strike lines 1 through 13 and insert the
following:
(1) The Secretary shall notify the owner and provide an
opportunity for response within 15 days of UPCS inspection
results. If the violations remain, the Secretary shall
develop a Compliance, Disposition and Enforcement Plan within
30 days of the UPCS inspection results and must provide the
owner with a Notice of Default with a specified timetable,
determined by the Secretary, for correcting all deficiencies.
The Secretary must also provide a copy of the Notice of
Default to the tenants, the local government, any mortgagees,
and any contract administrator. If the owner's appeal results
in a UPCS score of 60 or above, the Secretary may withdraw
the Notice of Default.
amendment no. 3905
(Purpose: To prohibit funds from being used to provide housing
assistance benefits to individuals convicted of certain criminal
offenses)
At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available under this Act
shall be used to provide housing assistance benefits for an
individual who is convicted of--
(1) aggravated sexual abuse under section 2241 of title 18,
United States Code;
(2) murder under section 1111 of title 18, United States
Code; or
(3) any other Federal or State offense involving--
(A) severe forms of trafficking in persons or sex
trafficking, as those terms are defined in paragraphs (9) and
(10), respectively, of section 103 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102); or
(B) child pornography, as defined in section 2256 of title
18, United States Code.
amendment no. 3926
(Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of Real Estate Assessment
Center physical inspections)
At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:
Sec. __. (a) Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall prepare a report, and post the report on
the public website of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (in this section referred to as the
``Department''), regarding Real Estate Assessment Center (in
this section referred to as ``REAC'') inspections of all
properties assisted, insured, or both, under a program of the
Department, which shall include--
(1) the percentage of all inspected properties that
received a REAC-inspected score of less than 65 within the
last 48 months;
(2) the number of properties in which the most recent REAC-
inspected score represented a decline relative to the
previous REAC score;
(3) a list of the 10 metropolitan statistical areas with
the lowest average REAC-inspected scores for all inspected
properties; and
(4) a list of the 10 States with the lowest average REAC-
inspected scores for all inspected properties.
(b) The Comptroller General of the United States shall
prepare a report, and post the report on the public website
of the Government Accountability Office, regarding areas in
which REAC inspections of all properties assisted, insured,
or both, under a program of the Department should be reformed
and improved.
amendment no. 3961
(Purpose: To allow airports to use airport improvement program funds to
repair damage to runway safety areas caused by natural disasters)
At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:
Sec. ___. (a) Subchapter I of chapter 471, as amended by
this subtitle, is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
``Sec. 47144. Use of funds for repairs for runway safety
repairs
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation may make
project grants under this subchapter to an airport described
in subsection (b) from funds under section 47114 apportioned
to that airport or funds available for discretionary grants
to that airport under section 47115 to conduct airport
development to repair the runway safety area of the airport
damaged as a result of a natural disaster in order to
maintain compliance with the regulations of the Federal
Aviation Administration relating to runway safety areas,
without regard to whether construction of the runway safety
area damaged was carried out using amounts the airport
received under this subchapter.
``(b) Airports Described.--An airport is described in this
subsection if--
``(1) the airport is a public-use airport;
``(2) the airport is listed in the National Plan of
Integrated Airport Systems of the Federal Aviation
Administration;
``(3) the runway safety area of the airport was damaged as
a result of a natural disaster;
``(4) the airport was denied funding under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 4121 et seq.) with respect to the disaster;
``(5) the operator of the airport has exhausted all legal
remedies, including legal action against any parties (or
insurers thereof) whose action or inaction may have
contributed to the need for the repair of the runway safety
area;
``(6) there is still a demonstrated need for the runway
safety area to accommodate current or imminent aeronautical
demand; and
``(7) the cost of repairing or replacing the runway safety
area is reasonable in relation to the anticipated operational
benefit of repairing the runway safety area, as determined by
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.''.
[[Page S2869]]
(b) The analysis for chapter 471, as amended by this
subtitle, is further amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 47143 the following:
``47144. Use of funds for repairs for runway safety repairs.''.
amendment no. 3941
(Purpose: To slightly modify the scope of projects eligible for
railroad safety grants)
On page 50 of division A, strike line 7 and all that
follows through ``Code:'' on line 10, and insert the
following: ``up to $25,000,000 shall be available to carry
out section 24407(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code; and
not less than $25,000,000 shall be available to carry out
paragraphs (2), (5), (6), (7) and (10) of section 24407(c) of
such title:''.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
now vote on these amendments en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on these
amendments.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
If not, the question occurs on agreeing to the amendments en bloc.
The amendments (Nos. 3934, 3918, 3905, 3926, 3961, and 3941) were
agreed to en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
Amendments Nos. 3914, 3938, 3948, 3954, and 3971 to Amendment No. 3896
Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following
amendments be called up en bloc and reported by number: No. 3914, by
Senator Tester; No. 3938, by me; No. 3948, by Senator Heller; No. 3954,
by Senator Heitkamp; and No. 3971, by Senator Bennet.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the amendments by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Illinois [Mr. Kirk], for himself and
others, proposes amendments numbered 3914, 3938, 3948, 3954,
and 3971 en bloc to amendment No. 3896.
The amendments are as follows:
amendment no. 3914
(Purpose: To require the Comptroller General of the United States to
submit to Congress a report evaluating force structure and military
construction requirements in Europe)
At the appropriate place in title I of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. __. (a) Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to the congressional defense committees a
report evaluating the extent to which the Department of
Defense has developed a comprehensive force structure plan,
including military construction requirements, to meet
emerging security threats in Europe.
(b) The report required under subsection (a) shall include
an assessment of the extent to which the Department of
Defense has--
(1) identified the near-term and long-term United States
military force requirements in Europe in support of the
European Reassurance Initiative;
(2) evaluated the posture, force structure, and military
construction options for meeting projected force
requirements;
(3) evaluated the long-term costs associated with the
posture, force structure, and military construction
requirements; and
(4) developed a Future Years Defense Program for force
structure costs associated with the European Reassurance
Initiative.
(c) The report shall also include any other matters related
to security threats in Europe that the Comptroller General
determines are appropriate, and recommendations as warranted
for improvements to the Department's planning and analysis
methodology.
amendment no. 3938
(Purpose: To make a technical correction to section 132 of title I of
division J of Public Law 114-113)
At the appropriate place in title I of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. __. (a) Of the amounts appropriated by section 132 of
the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 (division J of Public Law
114-13; 129 Stat. 2683), $30,000,000 is hereby rescinded.
(b) Notwithstanding section 123 of this title, for an
additional amount for fiscal year 2016 for ``Military
Construction, Army'' in this title, $30,000,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2021, is provided for advances
to the Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, for construction of access roads as
authorized by section 210 of title 23, United States Code.
(c) This section shall become effective immediately upon
enactment of this Act.
amendment no. 3948
(Purpose: To modify the contents of the quarterly report on disability
compensation claims)
On page 245, lines 23 through 24, strike ``and (7) the
number and results of Quality Review Team audits'' and insert
``(7) the number and results of Quality Review Team audits;
(8) the number of claims completed by each Regional Office
based on the Regional Office being the station of
jurisdiction; and (9) the number of claims completed by each
Regional Office based on the Regional Office being the
station of origin''.
amendment no. 3954
(Purpose: To require coordination within the Department of Veterans
Affairs to meet the readjustment and psychological counseling needs of
veterans in rural and highly rural communities)
At the end of title II of division B, add the following:
Sec. 251. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
ensure that the Readjustment Counseling Service of the
Department of Veterans Affairs coordinates directly with the
Office of Rural Health of the Department on efforts to expand
the capacity of Vet Centers (as defined in section 1712A(h)
of title 38, United States Code) in order to ensure that the
readjustment and psychological counseling needs of veterans
in rural and highly rural communities are met.
(b) Not later than one year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report
detailing the number of Vet Centers (as so defined) operated
by the Department and a strategic plan to increase the
capacity of such Vet Centers to address unmet readjustment
and psychological counseling needs of veterans in rural and
highly rural communities.
amendment no. 3971
(Purpose: To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide
monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans training to compete
on the United States Olympic Team)
At the end of title II of division B, add the following:
SEC. 251. MONTHLY ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE FOR DISABLED VETERANS
COMPETING ON OLYMPIC TEAMS.
Section 322(d)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking ``allowance to a veteran'' and inserting
the following: ``allowance to--
``(A) a veteran'';
(2) in subparagraph (A), as designated by paragraph (1), by
striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(B) a veteran with a service-connected disability rated
as 30 percent or greater by the Department who is selected by
the United States Olympic Committee for the United States
Olympic Team for any month in which the veteran is competing
in any event sanctioned by the National Governing Bodies of
the United States Olympic Sports.''.
Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now
vote on these amendments en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. KIRK. I know of no further debate on these amendments.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
If not, the question occurs on agreeing to the amendments en bloc.
The amendments (Nos. 3914, 3938, 3948, 3954, and 3971) were agreed to
en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
____________________