[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H11061-H11484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H11061]]

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                        House of Representatives

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY MRS. LOWEY, CHAIRWOMAN OF THE HOUSE 
 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS REGARDING H.R. 1865, FURTHER CONSOLIDATED 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       The following is an explanation of the Further Consolidated 
     Appropriations Act, 2020.
       This Act includes 8 regular appropriations bills for fiscal 
     year 2020. The divisions contained in the Act are as follows:
        Division A--Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
     Act, 2020
        Division B--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
     and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
     Act, 2020
        Division C--Energy and Water Development and 
     Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020
        Division D--Department of the Interior, 
     Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020
        Division E--Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 
     2020
        Division F--Military Construction, Veterans 
     Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020
        Division G--Department of State, Foreign 
     Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020
        Division H--Transportation, Housing and Urban 
     Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020
        Division I--Extensions
        Division J--Foreign Policy
        Division K--National Law Enforcement Museum 
     Commemorative Coin
        Division L--DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response 
     Teams
        Division M--Bipartisan American Miners
        Division N--Health and Human Services Extenders
        Division O--Setting Every Community Up for 
     Retirement Enhancement
        Division P--Other Matter
       Section 1 of the Act is the short title of the bill.
       Section 2 of the Act displays a table of contents.
       Section 3 of the Act states that, unless expressly provided 
     otherwise, any reference to ``this Act'' contained in any 
     division shall be treated as referring only to the provisions 
     of that division.
       Section 4 of the Act states that this explanatory statement 
     shall have the same effect with respect to the allocation of 
     funds and implementation of this legislation as if it were a 
     joint explanatory statement of a committee of conference.
       Section 5 of the Act provides a statement of 
     appropriations.
       Section 6 of the Act states that each amount designated by 
     Congress as being for emergency requirements or for Overseas 
     Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) is 
     contingent on the President so designating all such emergency 
     or OCO/GWOT amounts and transmitting such designations to 
     Congress.
       Section 7 of the Act relates to the cost of living 
     adjustments for Members of Congress.
       Section 8 of the Act makes technical adjustments to certain 
     reporting requirements.
       The Act does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
     limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
     by clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 
     Representatives.

   DIVISION A--DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND 
        EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       The explanatory statement accompanying this division is 
     approved and indicates Congressional intent. Unless otherwise 
     noted, the language set forth in House Report 116-62 carries 
     the same weight as language included in this explanatory 
     statement and should be complied with unless specifically 
     addressed to the contrary in this explanatory statement. 
     While some language is repeated for emphasis, it is not 
     intended to negate the language referred to above unless 
     expressly provided herein.
       In providing the operating plan required by section 516 of 
     this Act, the departments and agencies funded in this Act are 
     directed to include all programs, projects, and activities, 
     including those in House Report 116-62 and this explanatory 
     statement accompanying this Act. All such programs, projects, 
     and activities are subject to the provisions of this Act.
       In cases where House Report 116-62 or this explanatory 
     statement directs the submission of a report, that report is 
     to be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives and the Senate. Where this 
     explanatory statement refers to the Committees or the 
     Committees on Appropriations, unless otherwise noted, this 
     reference is to the House of Representatives Subcommittee on 
     Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related 
     Agencies and the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and 
     Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
       Each department and agency funded in this Act shall follow 
     the directions set forth in this Act and the accompanying 
     explanatory statement, and shall not reallocate resources or 
     reorganize activities except as provided herein. Funds for 
     individual programs and activities are displayed in the 
     detailed table at the end of the explanatory statement 
     accompanying this Act. Funding levels that are not displayed 
     in the detailed table are identified within this explanatory 
     statement. Any action to eliminate or consolidate programs, 
     projects, and activities should be pursued through a proposal 
     in the President's Budget so it can be considered by the 
     Committees on Appropriations.
       Congressional Reports.--Each department and agency is 
     directed to provide the Committees on Appropriations, within 
     30 days from the date of enactment of this Act and quarterly 
     thereafter, a summary describing each requested report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations along with its status.

                                TITLE I

                          DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

              Employment and Training Administration (ETA)


                    TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

       Grants to States.--The agreement is consistent with the 
     Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) authorization 
     regarding the amount of WIOA State grant funding that may be 
     reserved by Governors.
       Adult Employment and Training.--WIOA State grant funding 
     continues to serve critical functions, including to assist 
     States that continue to experience high unemployment.
       Youth Training.-- The Department is directed to evaluate 
     incorporating resilience training and trauma-informed 
     practices into WIOA youth job training programs and shall 
     consult with organizations with nationally recognized 
     expertise in such practices. The Department is directed to 
     provide a report to the Committees within six months of 
     enactment of this Act describing the findings of the 
     evaluation and an assessment of how WIOA youth job training 
     programs could adopt such practices and measure outcomes.

[[Page H11062]]

  

     Dislocated Worker National Reserve
       Career Pathways for Youth Grants.--The bill provides 
     $10,000,000 to utilize the demonstration grant authority 
     under the dislocated worker national reserve for grants to 
     support national out-of-school time organizations that serve 
     youth and teens and place an emphasis on age-appropriate 
     workforce readiness programming to expand job training and 
     workforce pathways for youth and disconnected youth, 
     including soft skill development, career exploration, job 
     readiness and certification, summer jobs, year-round job 
     opportunities, and apprenticeships. Funding will also support 
     partnerships between workforce investment boards and youth 
     serving organizations.
       Strengthening Community College Training Grants.--The 
     agreement provides $40,000,000 for the Strengthening 
     Community College Training Grant program. The Department is 
     directed to follow all requirements and directives in House 
     Report 116-62 related to this program, except that the 
     Secretary shall make individual grants to community colleges 
     of at least $1,000,000, unless grants are awarded in 
     consortia to community colleges and other eligible 
     institutions as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher 
     Education Act and do not exceed $5,000,000 per grant.
       Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities.--The agreement 
     provides $30,000,000 to continue this program in the 
     Appalachian and Delta regions. The Department is directed to 
     ensure broad geographic distribution of funds within these 
     regions and awards should not exceed $1,500,000 per award.
       Transition to WIOA.--The agreement requests additional 
     information regarding use of the Secretary's 10 percent 
     reservation of funds for technical assistance to transition 
     to WIOA under the dislocated worker assistance national 
     reserve in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.
     Apprenticeship Grant Program
       The agreement provides $175,000,000 to support registered 
     apprenticeships and includes new bill language referencing 
     WIOA, ensuring that funds are only used to support registered 
     apprenticeships, and that makes funds available starting July 
     1, 2020 to encourage better management and oversight.
       The agreement notes serious concerns regarding the 
     Department's misuse of registered apprenticeship funds and 
     the Department's communication of this misuse to the 
     Committees, including testimony before the Committees.
       The agreement notes that funding under this program should 
     be prioritized to support State, regional, and local 
     apprenticeship efforts, as well as efforts by intermediaries 
     to expand registered apprenticeships into new industries and 
     for underserved or underrepresented populations.
       State expansion grants have been used to positive effect in 
     States with high unemployment. The agreement directs the 
     Secretary to prioritize funding for national, regional, and 
     local intermediaries. The agreement directs the Secretary to 
     continue funding for business and labor industry partner 
     intermediaries and ensure that labor intermediaries are given 
     opportunities to apply for competitive grants, cooperative 
     agreements, contracts, and other funding opportunities.
       The Department is encouraged to support funding industry or 
     sector partnerships as a means of expanding registered 
     apprenticeships in in-demand industries. The Department 
     should collaborate with the Department of Defense to develop 
     registered apprenticeships that address the critical national 
     defense need for new submarine construction. The Department 
     is encouraged to support programs in the health care, 
     maritime, construction, and oil and gas industries. The 
     agreement notes concerns about shortages nationwide of 
     drinking water and wastewater management professionals and 
     encourages the Department to address the shortage of water 
     system management professionals.
       The agreement directs the Department to provide quarterly 
     briefings on all spending activities under this program to 
     the Committees, and to comply with directives and statements 
     in House Report 116-62.


                               JOB CORPS

       Job Corps.--In addition to the directives included in House 
     Report 116-62, the Department is directed to provide 30 days 
     notification to the Committees in advance of any action to 
     close or deactivate a Job Corps Center (Center), as well as 
     in advance of any action to establish a pilot program or 
     demonstration project at a Center. The Department is further 
     directed to minimize the amount of time a Center is inactive 
     prior to commencement of a pilot program or demonstration 
     project and to ensure training opportunities and slots do not 
     decline as a result of such pilot or demonstration. Not later 
     than 120 days after enactment of this Act, the Department 
     shall provide the Committees a report on the performance of 
     all pilot programs and demonstration projects, including a 
     detailed description of the performance metrics used to 
     evaluate the projects, and an analysis of the performance of 
     pilots and projects relative to other Centers. The Department 
     is expected to continue to comply with the directives under 
     the heading Job Corps in Senate Report 115-289.
       Construction and Renovation.--The Department is encouraged 
     to take into consideration critical municipal infrastructure 
     deficiencies when identifying construction and renovation 
     projects.


     STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OPERATIONS

     Unemployment Insurance Compensation
       State Unemployment System Needs.--The agreement notes that 
     State unemployment insurance (UI) systems are critical for 
     ensuring claimants receive timely processing of benefits. The 
     Department is encouraged to provide above-base State UI funds 
     through supplemental funding opportunities to States to the 
     extent that unobligated funds, not otherwise needed for 
     workload, are available at the end of the fiscal year. Such 
     funds should support improving operations and modernizing 
     State UI systems to help ensure that workers and their 
     families receive fast and high-quality assistance in their 
     time of need.
       UI Integrity Center of Excellence.--The agreement provides 
     $9,000,000 for the continued support of the UI Integrity 
     Center of Excellence (UIICE), including $6,000,000 for the 
     benefit of States to the entity operating the UIICE.
     Employment Service
       National Activities.--The agreement provides $2,500,000 to 
     reduce the processing backlog for the work opportunity tax 
     credit program.
     Foreign Labor Certification
       The agreement includes an increase of $6,500,000 for 
     continued implementation of the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. 
     Workforce Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-218). The agreement urges the 
     Department to provide careful oversight and transparency 
     related to the timely processing of visa applications for 
     temporary employment certifications. The agreement directs 
     the Department to provide an update on the upgrades to the 
     foreign labor certification technical system, including the 
     launch of the Foreign Labor Application Gateway, in the 
     fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.
     One-Stop Career Centers and Labor Market Information
       Occupational Licensing.--The Department is directed to 
     provide a briefing within 90 days of enactment of this Act to 
     the Committees on the outcomes and status of the occupational 
     licensing initiative, including the impact on military 
     spouses, dislocated workers, and transitioning service 
     members and a review of the grants awarded in fiscal years 
     2016, 2017, and 2018.

            Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

       The agreement directs EBSA to prioritize audit resources to 
     review the Thrift Savings Plan's (TSP) IT operating 
     environment, including the adequacy of controls at contractor 
     sites and TSP's progress in remediating previously identified 
     issues from past EBSA audits.

                  Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

       The agreement includes new bill language that extends the 
     period of availability of funding for certain administrative 
     expenses to five years to ensure the agency has sufficient 
     time to manage a large, unanticipated influx of participants 
     or costs.

                      Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

       WHD is encouraged to hire additional investigators and 
     restore WHD's investigative capacity.
       In the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification, WHD is 
     directed to provide annual and historical information on the 
     Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, 
     including administrative expenditures on PAID, amounts 
     recovered through PAID, and the number of businesses 
     participating in PAID.
       WHD shall collect data at the beginning of each fiscal year 
     and submit in an electronic format yearly reports to the 
     authorizing and appropriations Committees that shall include 
     the following: (1) the name and address of each employer 
     holding a certificate under 29 U.S.C. 214(c); (2) the 
     starting date and ending date of each certificate for each 
     employer under 29 U.S.C. 214(c); (3) information about the 
     certificate for each employer under 29 U.S.C. 214(c), 
     including if the certificate is an initial certificate or 
     renewal and if the certificate is issued or pending; and (4) 
     the current number of workers paid a subminimum wage by the 
     employer holding the certificate under 29 U.S.C. 214(c) at 
     the time of data collection. WHD is further directed to brief 
     the authorizing and appropriations Committees, within 90 days 
     of enactment of this Act, on its administration, monitoring, 
     and enforcement of the subminimum wage program authorized 
     under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
       The Department is directed to provide a report within 120 
     days of enactment of this Act to the Committees that shall 
     include the data and economic analysis supporting the 
     inclusion of the housing policy for industries requiring a 
     mobile workforce in the 2015 interim final rule leading to 
     its publication and the benefits and costs of such policy on 
     U.S. and guest workers and employers.

            Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)

       There is continued concern about overreliance on 
     unobligated funds for support of the Special Benefits for 
     Disabled Coal Miners Program. OWCP should not take action 
     that could disrupt the ability of the program to ensure all 
     beneficiaries receive promised benefits. The agency is 
     directed to include in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification: (1) the number of beneficiaries each

[[Page H11063]]

     year since fiscal year 2015 and (2) the total benefit 
     payments and budgetary resources and expenditures within the 
     program each year since fiscal year 2015.


    ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, ENERGY EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS 
                           COMPENSATION FUND

       The Department shall ensure the Advisory Board on Toxic 
     Substances and Worker Health has sufficient funding and 
     staffing to meet its obligations.

          Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

       The agreement directs OSHA to publish Funding Opportunity 
     Notices for fiscal year 2020 funds for the Susan Harwood 
     Training Grant program no later than June 30, 2020. Further, 
     the agreement directs OSHA to provide technical assistance, 
     guidance, and support to fiscal year 2020 applicants in order 
     to reduce the proportion that did not meet eligibility and 
     program requirements included in Funding Opportunity Notices 
     in fiscal year 2019.
       The agreement directs OSHA, in consultation with DoD, to 
     develop a webinar for DoD procurement officers on how to use 
     OSHA's website to find OSHA violations and Severe Injury 
     Reports. The webinar shall be developed and provided to DoD 
     within 180 days of enactment of this Act and shall be sent to 
     the Committees. Further, OSHA shall explore options for 
     gathering and entering Employee Identification Numbers from 
     all inspections of worksites and shall consider exemptions 
     for small worksites with few employees.
       The agreement continues to provide no less than $3,500,000 
     for the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). In the fiscal 
     year 2021 Congressional Justification, OSHA is directed to 
     include annual expenditures on VPP for each year since fiscal 
     year 2015 as well as planned expenditures in fiscal year 
     2021.

              Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)

       The fiscal year 2020 President's budget request proposed to 
     allow greater flexibility by combining the enforcement 
     functions for coal and metal/non-metal into a single 
     enforcement budget activity. This flexibility shall only be 
     exercised to bolster MSHA's ability to enforce the Mine 
     Safety and Health Act and provide greater protections to 
     miners. MSHA's Office of Accountability shall audit and 
     publicly report findings from reviews of crossover mine 
     inspections and monitor corrective actions to ensure MSHA 
     activities adhere to its policies and procedures and meet the 
     requirements of such Act. In addition, the Inspector General 
     shall conduct a comprehensive audit of this consolidation of 
     enforcement programs. Finally, the agency is directed to 
     include in future Congressional Justifications historical and 
     budget year information on enforcement activities and 
     outcomes, distinguishing between coal and metal/non-metal 
     mines. To promote transparency into agency spending on its 
     enforcement activities, MSHA will continue to separately 
     present annual spending on coal and metal/non-metal mines as 
     it has in past Congressional Justifications.
       The agreement removes authority, first provided in fiscal 
     year 2017, that allowed State assistance grants to be used by 
     operators for purchase and maintenance of continuous personal 
     dust monitors. No State has elected to use such authority.
       MSHA shall fully implement the requirements of section 103 
     of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act and make 
     inspections of each underground mine in its entirety at least 
     four times a year and each surface mine in its entirety at 
     least two times a year. MSHA should use existing funds to 
     equip all MSHA mine rescue teams with next generation mine 
     rescue communications equipment. To prepare properly for an 
     emergency, MSHA shall continue to devote sufficient resources 
     toward a competitive grant activity for effective emergency 
     response and recovery training in various types of mine 
     conditions.

                    Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

       The agreement includes an increase of $40,000,000 to 
     rebuild capacity at BLS and to support a headquarters 
     relocation to the Suitland Federal Center.
       With the increase, BLS is directed to support the following 
     critical investments:
        Provide an annual supplement to the Current 
     Population Survey to allow for collection of data on 
     contingent and alternative work arrangements every two years 
     and data on other topics related to the labor force in 
     alternate years, including an occasional veterans supplement;
        Restore the production and publication of 
     employment, unemployment, and labor force data under the 
     Local Area Unemployment Statistics program for New England 
     Minor Civil Divisions with populations less than 1,000; and
        Initiate spending on the planning and development 
     of a new National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) cohort. 
     BLS shall brief the Committees on the annual costs and a 
     five-year plan for implementing the new NLSY cohort within 90 
     days of enactment of this Act.
       When implementing these investments, BLS shall not reduce 
     or eliminate existing statistical work. Further, BLS shall 
     not reduce the number of full-time equivalent positions 
     beyond the apportioned fiscal year 2019 full-time equivalent 
     ceiling.
       Within the increase, the agreement includes $27,000,000 to 
     relocate BLS headquarters. BLS is strongly urged to consider 
     the needs of its employees throughout this transition and to 
     work with the General Services Administration to address any 
     outstanding safety concerns and office space considerations 
     for the development of sensitive economic indicators.

                        Departmental Management

       Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB).--The 
     agreement includes an increase of $10,000,000, of which 
     $7,500,000 is for grants to improve countries' capacity to 
     enforce labor rights agreed to under U.S. trade agreements 
     and trade preference programs. The remaining $2,500,000 is 
     provided for additional monitoring and enforcement staff at 
     the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs and additional labor 
     attaches in critical U.S. Embassies to increase field-based 
     and international monitoring and labor compliance 
     facilitation.
       ILAB should continue to release its annual Findings on the 
     Worst Forms of Child Labor report, including its assessment 
     ratings on Generalized System of Preference country efforts 
     to implement its commitments to eliminate the worst forms of 
     child labor, no later than it has historically.
       Faithful execution of the Foundations for Evidence-based 
     Policymaking Act will enhance the evidence-building capacity 
     of Federal agencies, strengthen privacy protections, improve 
     secure access to data, and provide more and higher quality 
     evidence to policymakers. The agreement directs the 
     Department to include in the fiscal year 2021 and future 
     Congressional Justifications an update on the implementation 
     of such Act for the current and budget years.
       The agreement expects the Department to prioritize the 
     submission of timely, accurate, quality, and complete 
     financial and award information under existing U.S. Treasury 
     reporting obligations in accordance with established 
     management guidance, reporting processes, and data standards 
     established under the requirements of the Digital 
     Accountability and Transparency Act.
       The Department should continue to notify the Committees of 
     the planned uses of funds derived from the evaluation 
     authority in section 107 of this Act.
       The Department should continue to provide a report not 
     later than 30 days after the conclusion of each quarter 
     detailing the number of full-time equivalent employees and 
     attrition by principal office and appropriations account.

                    Veterans Employment and Training

       Disabled Veterans.--The agreement provides $300,000 for the 
     purposes associated with the Disabled Veteran Program in 
     House Report 116-62.
       Transition Assistance Program.--The agreement provides 
     $29,379,000, an increase of $6,000,000, for the transition 
     assistance program (TAP). Within that amount, the agreement 
     provides $8,000,000 to enhance the quality of employment 
     support services for transitioning service members, with a 
     focus on improved outcomes. The agreement includes $1,500,000 
     for TAP course curriculum for military spouses, who are 
     currently eligible for the same TAP resources as service 
     members. Such curriculum should include resources and 
     information on related State and Federal license and 
     credential portability.

                           General Provisions

       The agreement modifies a provision related to the Treasure 
     Island Job Corps Center.
       The agreement includes a new provision related to H-1B 
     fees.
       The agreement modifies a provision related to funds 
     available to State Unemployment Insurance information 
     technology consortia.
       The agreement includes a new provision related to Job Corps 
     Civilian Conservation Centers.

                                TITLE II

                DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

          Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)


                          PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

       Domestic HIV Initiative.--The agreement includes 
     $50,000,000 for the first year of an initiative to reduce HIV 
     transmission. Funds will be distributed to Health Centers in 
     high-need jurisdictions to increase the use of pre-exposure 
     prophylaxis (PrEP) among high-risk groups.
       HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence.--The 
     agreement provides no less than $1,000,000 for the HRSA 
     Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence to continue 
     support for training, technical assistance, and resource 
     development to assist public health and healthcare 
     professionals in better serving impacted individuals and 
     communities.
       Native Hawaiian Health Care.--The agreement provides no 
     less than $19,000,000 for this program.
       Technical Assistance.--The agreement includes funds to 
     enhance technical assistance and training activities, further 
     quality improvement initiatives, and continue the development 
     of and support for health center-controlled networks so that 
     new and existing centers can improve patient access. The 
     agreement provides $1,000,000 for technical assistance grants 
     in States with a disproportionate share of new HIV diagnoses 
     in rural areas.


                            HEALTH WORKFORCE

       National Health Service Corps.--HRSA is instructed to 
     provide a report no later than 120

[[Page H11064]]

     days after enactment of this Act on the data collected on 
     maternity care target areas, including the availability and 
     need of maternity care health services in health professional 
     shortage areas (HPSAs), and in the target areas within such 
     HPSAs.
       Midwife Training.--Within the total for Scholarships for 
     Disadvantaged Students, the agreement includes no less than 
     $2,500,000 to educate midwives to address the national 
     shortage of maternity care providers, and specifically to 
     address the lack of diversity in the maternity care 
     workforce.
       Area Health Education Centers.--The agreement encourages 
     HRSA to invest in interprofessional networks that address 
     social determinants of health and incorporate field placement 
     programs for rural and medically-underserved populations.
       Mental and Substance Use Disorder Workforce Training 
     Demonstration.--Within the total for Behavioral Health 
     Workforce Education and Training (BHWET), the agreement 
     includes no less than $26,700,000 to establish the Mental and 
     Substance Use Disorder Workforce Training Demonstration, as 
     authorized under section 9022 of the 21st Century Cures Act 
     (P.L. 114-255) and described in House Report 116-62.
       Peer Support.--Within the total for BHWET, the agreement 
     includes no less than $10,000,000 for community-based 
     experiential training for students preparing to become peer 
     support specialists and other types of behavioral health-
     related paraprofessionals, as described in House Report 116-
     62.
       Loan Repayment Program for Substance Use Disorder Treatment 
     Workforce.--Within the total for BHWET, the agreement 
     includes no less than $12,000,000 to establish the Loan 
     Repayment Program for Substance Use Disorder Treatment 
     Workforce, as authorized under section 7071 of the SUPPORT 
     for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271) and described 
     in House Report 116-62.
       Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention.--The 
     agreement includes $2,000,000 for new competitive grants to 
     enhance nurse education and strengthen the nursing workforce 
     through the expansion of experiential learning opportunities. 
     HRSA is directed to ensure that these grants include as an 
     allowable use the purchase of simulation training equipment. 
     HRSA shall give priority to grantees located in a medically-
     underserved area in a State with an age-adjusted high burden 
     of stroke, heart disease, and obesity, and HRSA is encouraged 
     to prioritize submissions that support high poverty rate 
     communities.
       Nurse Practitioner Optional Fellowship Program.--The 
     agreement includes $5,000,000 to make grants to establish or 
     expand optional community-based nurse practitioner fellowship 
     programs that are accredited or in the accreditation process 
     for practicing postgraduate nurse practitioners in primary 
     care or behavioral health, as described in House Report 116-
     62.
       Veterans' Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing.--HRSA is 
     encouraged to consider the successful past practice of 
     entities that have received funding from this nursing program 
     in making new awards that support veterans and expand the 
     nursing workforce.
       Nursing Workforce Diversity.--The agreement includes no 
     less than $1,000,000 to support a model program under section 
     821 of the Public Health Service Act to increase and 
     strengthen the eldercare workforce in rural counties where 
     there are health care disparities related to access and 
     delivery of care. HRSA shall give priority to eligible 
     entities with training programs that serve one or more 
     communities that have: (1) a poverty rate exceeding 32 
     percent and a median household income below $34,000 a year as 
     reported by the Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty 
     Estimates program for 2017; and (2) are located in a State 
     with an elderly population that exceeds 15 percent of the 
     total State's population as reported by the Census Bureau for 
     2018. Funding will support education, training, and 
     partnerships with academia; primary care delivery sites; 
     community-based organizations; and other healthcare delivery 
     sites. HRSA is directed to give priority to established and 
     reputable nursing programs in historically black colleges and 
     universities that can demonstrate increased educational 
     opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
       Advanced Education Nursing.--The agreement provides 
     $9,000,000 to award grants for the clinical training of 
     sexual assault nurse examiners as described in Senate Report 
     115-150.
       Medical Student Education.--The agreement provides up to 
     $35,000,000 to fund additional applications received in 
     fiscal year 2019. Of the remaining amount, the agreement 
     directs HRSA to make supplementary grant awards to entities 
     funded in fiscal year 2019.
       Reports.--The agreement requests that HRSA provide the 
     reports requested under the Health Workforce header in House 
     Report 116-62 within 180 days of enactment of this Act.


                       MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

       Alliance for Maternal Health Safety Bundles.--The agreement 
     includes $5,000,000 for implementation of maternal safety 
     bundles in all U.S. States, the District of Columbia, and 
     U.S. territories, as well as tribal entities.
       Children's Health and Development.--The agreement provides 
     $3,500,000 within Special Projects of Regional and National 
     Significance (SPRANS) for another year of funding for the 
     study focused on improving child health through a statewide 
     system of early childhood developmental screenings and 
     interventions.
       Hemophilia Treatment Centers.--The agreement provides level 
     funding for Hemophilia Treatment Centers.
       Infant-Toddler Court Teams.--The agreement includes no less 
     than $10,000,000 for the third year of a cooperative 
     agreement to support research-based Infant-Toddler Court 
     Teams to change child welfare practices to improve the well-
     being of infants, toddlers, and their families, as described 
     in House Report 116-62.
       Set-asides within SPRANS.--The agreement includes the 
     following set-asides within SPRANS. Within the set-aside for 
     Oral Health, $250,000 is provided for activities described in 
     House Report 116-62.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Set-aside for Oral Health...............................      $5,250,000
Set-aside for Epilepsy..................................       3,642,000
Set-aside for Sickle Cell Disease.......................       3,000,000
Set-aside for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome....................       1,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Autism and Other Developmental Disorders.--The agreement 
     includes $52,344,000 for the Autism and Other Developmental 
     Disorders program. Within that total, the agreement provides 
     not less than $35,245,000 for the Leadership Education in 
     Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program.
       Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.--Within the total for the 
     Heritable Disorders Program, the agreement includes no less 
     than $3,000,000 for the third year of a grant to support 
     implementation, education, and awareness of newborn screening 
     for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency and related disorders.
       Healthy Start.--Within the total, the agreement includes no 
     less than $15,000,000 for the initiative to reduce maternal 
     mortality, allowing Healthy Start grantees to support nurse 
     practitioners, certified nurse midwives, physician 
     assistants, and other maternal-child advanced practice health 
     professionals within all program sites nationwide.


                      RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

       Domestic HIV Initiative.--The agreement includes 
     $70,000,000 for the first year of an initiative to reduce HIV 
     transmission. Funds will be distributed to high-need 
     jurisdictions to increase linkage, engagement, and retention 
     in care with the goal of increasing viral suppression among 
     people living with HIV.


                          HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

       National Living Donor Assistance Center.--Within the total 
     for Organ Transplantation, the agreement includes no less 
     than $4,500,000 for the National Living Donor Assistance 
     Center, as described in House Report 116-62.
       Organ Allocation Policy.--HRSA and the Organ Procurement 
     and Transplantation Network are encouraged to ensure the 
     process for changing organ allocation policies is 
     transparent, thorough, and accommodates the recommendations 
     of transplantation and organ donation professionals.


                              RURAL HEALTH

       Rural Health Outreach.--The agreement provides not more 
     than $12,000,000 for Outreach Service Grants; not less than 
     $12,900,000 for Rural Network Development Grants; not less 
     than $22,000,000 for the Delta States Network Grant Program; 
     not less than $1,900,000 for Network Planning Grants; and not 
     more than $6,400,000 for Small Health Care Provider Quality 
     Improvement Grants.
       Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program.--The 
     agreement provides $10,000,000 to support HRSA's 
     collaboration with the Delta Regional Authority, as described 
     under this heading in Conference Report 115-952.
       Telementoring Training Center.--Within the total for Rural 
     Health Research and Policy Development, the agreement 
     includes no less than $1,000,000 to support a telementoring 
     training center to train academic medical centers and other 
     centers of excellence in the creation of technology-enabled 
     telementoring learning programs, as described in House Report 
     116-62.
       Rural Hospital Flexibility Grants.--The agreement 
     recommends HRSA give preference in grant awards to Critical 
     Access Hospitals, as described in Senate Report 115-289.
       Telehealth Centers of Excellence.--The agreement provides 
     $6,000,000 for the Telehealth Centers of Excellence (Centers) 
     awardees. The Centers are encouraged to develop best 
     practices for treating HIV through telehealth that can be 
     replicated across rural America and accelerate progress 
     toward the goal of eliminating HIV transmission.
       Telehealth Evaluation.--The agreement provides $1,000,000 
     to support a comprehensive evaluation of nationwide 
     telehealth investments in rural areas and populations, as 
     described in House Report 116-62.
       Telehealth Network Grant Program.--The Office for the 
     Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) is instructed to consult with 
     the Bureau of Primary Health Care and develop a plan for the 
     dissemination of the work of the school-based services 
     clinical cohort, especially as it relates to providing 
     assessments and referrals for health, mental health, or 
     substance use disorder services to students who may struggle 
     with behavioral or mental health issues. HRSA is instructed 
     to provide a report on the OAT plan, including any findings 
     from the school-based clinical cohort, to the Committees 
     within 180 days of enactment of this Act.

[[Page H11065]]

       Rural Communities Opioids Response Program.--The bill 
     includes $110,000,000 to continue this program. The agreement 
     includes $10,000,000 to continue the three Rural Centers or 
     Excellence (Centers), as established in P.L. 115-245 and as 
     directed by Conference Report 115-952. In addition to such 
     conditions, the Centers shall work with neighboring States or 
     regionally to implement surveillance, needs assessment, 
     technical assistance, and educational outreach in the form of 
     subgrants to non-profit entities or academic institutions to 
     implement demonstrated interventions.


                            FAMILY PLANNING

       The Family Planning program administers Title X of the PHS 
     Act. This program supports preventive and primary healthcare 
     services at clinics nationwide. The agreement does not 
     include language proposed by the House.


                           PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

       Oral Health Literacy.--The agreement includes $300,000 for 
     the activity described under this heading in House Report 
     116-62.

               Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

       The agreement provides $7,974,554,000 in total program 
     level funding for the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (CDC), which includes $6,895,304,000 in budget 
     authority, $854,250,000 in transfers from the Prevention and 
     Public Health (PPH) Fund, and $225,000,000 from the HHS 
     Nonrecurring Expenses Fund.


                 IMMUNIZATION AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES

       The agreement provides a total of $803,405,000 for 
     Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, which includes 
     $433,105,000 in discretionary appropriations and $370,300,000 
     in transfers from the PPH Fund. The agreement shifts 
     $7,222,000 from tuberculosis to global tuberculosis in Global 
     Health to reflect CDC's yearly administrative shift. Within 
     this total, the agreement includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 317 Immunization Program........................    $615,847,000
Influenza Planning and Response.........................     187,558,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Acute Flaccid Myelitis.--The agreement includes funding 
     within the Section 317 Immunization Program to identify the 
     cause, prevention, and treatment of acute flaccid myelitis.
       Immunization Rates.--CDC is directed to continue increasing 
     awareness and knowledge of the safety and effectiveness of 
     vaccines, combating misinformation about vaccines, and 
     disseminating scientific and evidence-based vaccine-related 
     information, with the goal of increasing rates of vaccination 
     across all ages, particularly in communities with low rates 
     of vaccination.
       National Adenovirus Type Reporting System (NATRS).--CDC is 
     directed to submit a report no later than 180 days after 
     enactment of this Act to the Committees detailing impediments 
     to NATRS reporting and outlining recommendations to bolster 
     the reporting.


     HIV/AIDS, VIRAL HEPATITIS, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND 
                        TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION

       The agreement provides $1,273,556,000 for HIV/AIDS, Viral 
     Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Tuberculosis 
     Prevention. Within this total, the agreement includes the 
     following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research...............    $928,712,000
    HIV Initiative......................................     140,000,000
    School Health.......................................      33,081,000
Viral Hepatitis.........................................      39,000,000
Sexually Transmitted Infections.........................     160,810,000
Tuberculosis............................................     135,034,000
Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic.............      10,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Hepatitis B.--CDC is encouraged to work with stakeholders 
     to include a plan in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification to increase immunization coverage among adults 
     and reduce the number of hepatitis B cases.
       HIV/AIDS Data Sharing Platform.--CDC is encouraged to 
     enhance the Collaborative Advanced Analytics and Data Sharing 
     system to lower overall operating costs and reduce reporting 
     burdens on Federal and State health departments.
       HIV Initiative.--The agreement includes increased funding 
     to reduce new HIV infections.
       Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic.--The agreement 
     provides an increase to conduct the activities outlined in 
     House Report 116-62.
       Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).--The agreement 
     includes an increase to reduce rising STI rates.


               EMERGING AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES

       The agreement provides $622,372,000 for Emerging and 
     Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, which includes $570,372,000 in 
     discretionary appropriations and $52,000,000 in transfers 
     from the PPH Fund. The agreement shifts $8,000,000 from lab 
     safety and quality into Public Health Scientific Services to 
     account for CDC's yearly administrative shift. Within this 
     total, the agreement includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antibiotic Resistance Initiative........................     170,000,000
Vector-Borne Diseases...................................      38,603,000
Lyme Disease............................................      14,000,000
Prion Disease...........................................       6,000,000
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome................................       5,400,000
Emerging Infectious Diseases............................     188,797,000
Harmful Algal Blooms....................................       2,000,000
Food Safety.............................................      63,000,000
National Healthcare Safety Network......................      21,000,000
Quarantine..............................................      31,572,000
Advanced Molecular Detection............................      30,000,000
Epidemiology and Lab Capacity...........................      40,000,000
Healthcare-Associated Infections........................      12,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).--The agreement includes an 
     increase to address AMR through a ``One Health'' approach. 
     CDC is encouraged to continue to study effective strategies 
     to improve antibiotic prescribing including nutritional 
     alternatives in healthcare settings. CDC is also encouraged 
     to build off findings and experiences from the AMR Challenge 
     and provide an update in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification. Of the increase provided in the agreement, 
     $500,000 is provided for CDC to use its broad agency 
     agreement to fund an innovative project that uses population-
     based research to define risk factors for these pathogens in 
     community settings.
       Food Safety.--The agreement includes an increase to help 
     address critical unmet needs.
       Harmful Algal Blooms.--The agreement includes an increase 
     to enhance harmful algal bloom exposure activities, with a 
     priority given to geographic locations subject to a state of 
     emergency designation related to toxic algae blooms within 
     the past 12 months and the impact on salt and fresh water. 
     The agreement encourages CDC to expedite procedures to enable 
     rapid analysis and reporting of results to impacted State 
     health departments.
       Infectious Disease and Emerging Technology.--CDC is 
     encouraged to provide an update in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification on challenges and opportunities 
     associated with ongoing technological advancements and a plan 
     for how the Vector-Borne Disease and Advanced Molecular 
     Detection programs will continue to maximize new 
     technologies.
       Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses.--The 
     agreement includes an increase and encourages CDC, in 
     coordination with NINDS and NIMH, to include in its 
     surveillance the long-term effects. CDC is also encouraged to 
     coordinate with NIH on publishing reports that assess 
     prevention, treatment, diagnostic advancements, and links 
     between tick-borne disease and psychiatric illnesses. CDC is 
     encouraged to focus efforts in endemic areas as well as areas 
     not yet considered endemic.
       Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/
     CFS).--CDC is encouraged to develop a plan on how it intends 
     to foster collaboration to address the ME/CFS clinical care 
     crisis and to accelerate drug development following the 
     sunset of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee.
       Mycotic Diseases.--The agreement provides an increase of 
     $2,000,000 in Emerging Infectious Diseases for mycotic 
     diseases.
       Sepsis.--The agreement commends CDC's ongoing efforts to 
     work with healthcare partners to establish ways to perform 
     sepsis surveillance and reporting using data from the 
     patient's electronic health record.
       Vector-Borne Diseases.--CDC is encouraged to continue 
     efforts to fund activities as designated under the Mosquito 
     Abatement for Safety and Health Programs Act.


            CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION

       The agreement provides $1,239,914,000 for Chronic Disease 
     Prevention and Health Promotion, which includes $984,964,000 
     in discretionary appropriations and $254,950,000 in transfers 
     from the PPH Fund. Within this total, the agreement includes 
     the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobacco.................................................    $230,000,000
Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity...............      56,920,000
    High Obesity Rate Counties..........................      15,000,000
School Health...........................................      15,400,000
Health Promotion........................................      29,100,000
    Glaucoma............................................       4,000,000
    Vision and Eye Health...............................       1,000,000
    Alzheimer's Disease.................................      15,500,000
    Inflammatory Bowel Disease..........................       1,000,000
    Interstitial Cystitis...............................       1,100,000
    Excessive Alcohol Use...............................       4,000,000
    Chronic Kidney Disease..............................       2,500,000
Prevention Research Centers.............................      26,461,000
Heart Disease and Stroke................................     142,105,000
Diabetes................................................     148,129,000
National Diabetes Prevention Program....................      27,300,000
Cancer Prevention and Control...........................     381,049,000
    Breast and Cervical Cancer..........................     223,000,000
        WISEWOMAN.......................................      26,120,000
    Breast Cancer Awareness for Young Women.............       4,960,000
    Cancer Registries...................................      51,440,000
    Colorectal Cancer...................................      43,294,000
    Comprehensive Cancer................................      19,675,000
    Johanna's Law.......................................       9,000,000
    Ovarian Cancer......................................      11,000,000
    Prostate Cancer.....................................      14,205,000
    Skin Cancer.........................................       4,000,000
    Cancer Survivorship Resource Center.................         475,000
Oral Health.............................................      19,500,000

[[Page H11066]]

 
Safe Motherhood/Infant Health...........................      58,000,000
    Maternal Mortality Review Committees................      12,000,000
    Preterm Birth.......................................       2,000,000
Arthritis and Other Chronic Disease.....................      29,000,000
    Arthritis...........................................      11,000,000
    Epilepsy............................................       9,500,000
    National Lupus Registry.............................       8,500,000
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH)      59,950,000
    Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country..........      21,000,000
Million Hearts..........................................       4,000,000
National Early Child Care Collaboratives................       4,000,000
Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding.......................       9,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Alzheimer's Disease.--The agreement provides an increase to 
     build Alzheimer's disease and related dementias public health 
     infrastructure across the country, as authorized by the BOLD 
     Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act (P.L. 115-406).
       Farm-to-School.--The agreement continues $2,000,000 within 
     Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity for research and 
     education activities promoting healthy eating habits for 
     students. These grants support State farm to early childhood 
     programs with priority given to entities with experience 
     running farm to early childhood programs. CDC is directed to 
     coordinate efforts with the Office of Community Food Systems 
     at the Department of Agriculture.
       Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.--The agreement 
     includes an increase to strengthen and expand evidence-based 
     heart disease and stroke prevention activities focused on 
     high risk populations. CDC is encouraged to execute evidence-
     based prevention programs in high burden areas.
       Johanna's Law.--The agreement includes an increase to raise 
     awareness in women of all ages, races, and ethnic groups, and 
     healthcare providers about the five main types of 
     gynecological cancer.
       Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs).--The 
     agreement includes funding for CDC to continue its technical 
     assistance to existing State MMRCs to build stronger data 
     systems, improve data collection at the State level, and 
     create consistency in data collection.
       Million Hearts 2022.--CDC is encouraged to continue 
     implementing evidence-based approaches to improve 
     cardiovascular health in high risk populations and increase 
     access to care and rehabilitation among prior heart attack 
     and stroke victims.
       Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative (MDHC).--The 
     agreement encourages CDC to build on its long-standing 
     investment in MDHC by working to replicate the work in 
     additional sites while maintaining the current strategy. The 
     agreement requests an update in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification.
       National Diabetes Prevention Program.--CDC is encouraged to 
     support organizations that are serving populations at or 
     below the poverty level.
       National Lupus Patient Registry.--The agreement provides an 
     increase and encourages CDC to continue working with existing 
     childhood lupus registries to generate more robust 
     information about the prevalence of the disease in children 
     across the country and its impacts. The agreement also 
     encourages CDC to build on initiatives to partner with 
     national voluntary health agencies.
       Ovarian Cancer.--The agreement provides an increase for 
     prevention activities.
       Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).--The agreement 
     encourages CDC to support education and awareness activities 
     that promote early diagnosis of PAD.
       Pediatric Cardiomyopathy.--CDC is encouraged to develop 
     educational materials made available to the public about the 
     signs, symptoms, and risk factors of pediatric 
     cardiomyopathy.
       Pediatric Reference Intervals.--CDC is encouraged to submit 
     a plan for improving pediatric references intervals, 
     including the resources necessary for carrying out this 
     initiative in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification.
       Prostate Cancer.--CDC is encouraged to work to increase the 
     public's awareness of prostate cancer risks, screening, and 
     treatment, and improve surveillance of this disease.
       Skin Cancer Education and Prevention.--The agreement 
     provides an increase and encourages CDC to increase its 
     collaboration and partnership with local governments, 
     business, health, education, community, non-profit, and 
     faith-based sectors.
       Stakeholder Collaboration.--CDC is encouraged to continue 
     working closely with State health agencies in the prevention 
     and control of chronic diseases to achieve national goals for 
     healthy children, healthy families, healthy workforce, and 
     healthy seniors.
       State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program.--The 
     agreement supports funding to implement evidence-based 
     strategies at State and local levels to address risk factors 
     for obesity and improve nutrition and physical activity.
       Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH).--
     The agreement provides an increase for additional awards.
       Tobacco.--The agreement provides an increase and recognizes 
     that the individual elements of comprehensive tobacco control 
     programs are synergistic and when implemented together have 
     the greatest effect, but also encourages flexibility within 
     the context of CDC's National Tobacco Control Program to 
     ensure State and local health departments are able to direct 
     adequate resources to stem the tide of youth use of e-
     cigarettes. CDC is encouraged to identify strategies to 
     promote youth cessation, within existing resources used for 
     State quitlines.
       WISEWOMAN.--The agreement provides an increase to fund 
     additional grants to States to provide uninsured and under-
     insured, low-income women with lifesaving preventive 
     services.


              BIRTH DEFECTS AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

       The agreement provides $160,810,000 for Birth Defects and 
     Developmental Disabilities. Within this total, the agreement 
     includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Child Health and Development............................     $65,800,000
    Birth Defects.......................................      19,000,000
    Fetal Death.........................................         900,000
    Fetal Alcohol Syndrome..............................      11,000,000
    Folic Acid..........................................       3,150,000
    Infant Health.......................................       8,650,000
    Autism..............................................      23,100,000
Health and Development for People with Disabilities.....      67,660,000
    Disability & Health.................................      33,000,000
    Tourette Syndrome...................................       2,000,000
    Early Hearing Detection and Intervention............      10,760,000
    Muscular Dystrophy..................................       6,000,000
    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder............       1,900,000
    Fragile X...........................................       2,000,000
    Spina Bifida........................................       6,000,000
    Congenital Heart....................................       6,000,000
Public Health Approach to Blood Disorders...............       4,400,000
Hemophilia CDC Activities...............................       3,500,000
Hemophilia Treatment Centers............................       5,100,000
Thalassemia.............................................       2,100,000
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome............................       2,250,000
Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies.      10,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Cerebral Palsy (CP).--The agreement encourages CDC to use 
     existing resources to improve CP surveillance and develop 
     better understanding of the mechanisms leading to earlier 
     diagnosis and better outcomes. The agreement requests that 
     CDC share early detection guidelines with pediatric providers 
     and develop a U.S. implementation plan. Additionally, the 
     agreement encourages CDC to conduct an updated study from the 
     2003 report on the healthcare and societal costs of CP in the 
     U.S. and include in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification information on the cause, earlier diagnosis, 
     treatment, and costs of CP across the lifespan.
       Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).--The agreement includes an 
     increase to further implement the screening, surveillance, 
     research, and awareness activities authorized by the 
     Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act (P.L. 115-342).
       Disability and Health.--The agreement provides an increase 
     and directs CDC to allocate the increase in the same manner 
     as directed in P.L. 115-245.
       Fragile X.--The agreement encourages CDC to explore cross-
     divisional funding opportunities to accelerate data-driven 
     public health research to reduce the public health burdens of 
     both Fragile X and autism.
       Hemophilia.--CDC's hemophilia activities have been critical 
     to the advancement of care for patients with hemophilia and 
     other bleeding disorders.
       Sickle Cell Disease.--The agreement requests a report on 
     the resources CDC would require to implement P.L. 115-327, 
     which authorized CDC to award sickle cell disease data 
     collection grants to States, in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification.
       Tourette Syndrome.--CDC is encouraged to continue to 
     educate physicians, educators, clinicians, allied 
     professionals, and the general public about the disorder and 
     to improve scientific knowledge on prevalence, risk factors, 
     and co-occurring conditions of Tourette Syndrome.
       Zika Surveillance.--The agreement requests an update in the 
     fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.


                   PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENTIFIC SERVICES

       The agreement provides a total of $555,497,000 for Public 
     Health Scientific Services. The agreement shifts $8,000,000 
     from EZID lab safety and quality to reflect CDC's yearly 
     administrative shift. Within this total, the agreement 
     includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Health Statistics.......................................    $160,397,000
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Informatics.............     344,100,000
    Lab Safety and Quality..............................       8,000,000
    Lab Training........................................       5,000,000
    Public Health Data/IT Systems Modernization.........      50,000,000
Public Health Workforce.................................      51,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Familial Hypercholesterolemia.--Familial 
     hypercholesterolemia is classified as a tier 1 genomic 
     condition by the CDC Office of Public Health Genomics because 
     of the public health impact that early identification and 
     intervention can make. The agreement provides $100,000 within 
     Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Informatics and encourages 
     CDC to raise awareness of this condition.
       National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 
     (NHANES).--The agreement encourages CDC to fund childhood 
     obesity research,

[[Page H11067]]

     prevention, and treatment programs in non-NHANES-represented 
     States, and their native and underserved populations.
       National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System.--In 
     lieu of the directive in House Report 116-62, the agreement 
     provides a total of $5,000,000 within Surveillance, 
     Epidemiology, and Informatics to continue efforts on the two 
     initial conditions.
       Primary Immunodeficiencies.--The agreement includes an 
     increase of $1,000,000 within Surveillance, Epidemiology, and 
     Informatics for the Office of Public Health Genomics to 
     support existing efforts to enhance education and awareness 
     of primary immunodeficiencies.
       Public Health Data Surveillance/IT Systems Modernization.--
     The agreement includes funding for the initiative as outlined 
     in House Report 116-62 to support data modernization efforts 
     and the utilization of established standards. Within this 
     initiative, CDC is encouraged to prioritize advancements in 
     cancer registries. CDC is directed to provide a multi-year 
     plan, including at least five years of budget projections, as 
     well as the innovation strategy for surveys conducted by the 
     National Center for Health Statistics to the Committees no 
     later than 120 days after enactment of this Act.


                          environmental health

       The agreement provides $213,850,000 for Environmental 
     Health programs, which includes $196,850,000 in discretionary 
     appropriations and $17,000,000 in transfers from the PPH 
     Fund. Within this total, the agreement includes the following 
     amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environmental Health Laboratory.........................     $66,750,000
    Other Environmental Health..........................      48,500,000
    Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program.........      17,000,000
    Newborn Screening for SCID..........................       1,250,000
Environmental Health Activities.........................      46,100,000
    Safe Water..........................................       8,600,000
    Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry..............      10,000,000
    Trevor's Law........................................       1,500,000
    Climate Change......................................      10,000,000
    All Other Environmental Health......................      16,000,000
Environmental and Health Outcome Tracking Network.......      34,000,000
Asthma..................................................      30,000,000
Childhood Lead Poisoning................................      37,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry.--The agreement 
     requests an update to the report requested in fiscal year 
     2018 within one year of enactment of this Act.
       Childhood Lead Poisoning.--The agreement includes an 
     increase to support additional State and local programs.
       Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.--The agreement requests an 
     update in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification on 
     CDC's involvement in the ongoing Duchenne newborn screening 
     efforts.
       National Asthma Control Program.--The agreement provides an 
     increase to expand the number of States. CDC is encouraged to 
     continue to promote evidence-based asthma medical management 
     and strategies aimed at improving access and adherence to the 
     2007 National Asthma Education and Prevention Program.
       Trevor's Law.--The agreement provides an increase to better 
     understand the relationship between environmental exposures 
     and pediatric cancer, and to build capacity to conduct cancer 
     investigations according to the provisions in Trevor's Law 
     (P.L. 114-182).


                     injury prevention and control

       The agreement provides $677,379,000 for Injury Prevention 
     and Control activities. Within this total, the agreement 
     includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intentional Injury......................................    $119,050,000
    Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence...............      33,700,000
        Child Maltreatment..............................       7,250,000
        Child Sexual Abuse Prevention...................       1,000,000
    Youth Violence Prevention...........................      15,100,000
    Domestic Violence Community Projects................       5,500,000
    Rape Prevention.....................................      50,750,000
    Suicide Prevention..................................      10,000,000
    Adverse Childhood Experiences.......................       4,000,000
National Violent Death Reporting System.................      23,500,000
Unintentional Injury....................................       8,800,000
    Traumatic Brain Injury..............................       6,750,000
    Elderly Falls.......................................       2,050,000
Other Injury Prevention Activities......................      28,950,000
Opioid Overdose Prevention and Surveillance.............     475,579,000
Injury Control Research Centers.........................       9,000,000
Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research........      12,500,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Adverse Childhood Experiences.--The agreement provides 
     funding to inform how adverse childhood experiences increase 
     the risk of future substance use disorders, suicide, mental 
     health conditions, and other chronic illnesses as authorized 
     in section 7131 of the SUPPORT Act (P.L. 115-271).
       Child Sexual Abuse Prevention.--The agreement includes 
     funding to support more proactive approaches and research for 
     the development, evaluation, and dissemination of effective 
     practice and policy.
       Concussion Surveillance.--CDC is encouraged to investigate 
     the establishment of a national surveillance system to 
     accurately determine the incidence of sports- and recreation-
     related concussions among youth aged 5 to 21 years and 
     provide an update in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification.
       Opioid Overdose Prevention and Surveillance.--The agreement 
     directs CDC to continue funding overdose prevention efforts 
     in the same manner as directed in P.L. 115-245. The agreement 
     encourages CDC to continue to work collaboratively with 
     States to ensure that funding is available to all States for 
     opioid prevention and surveillance activities.
       Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research.--The 
     agreement includes $12,500,000 to conduct research on firearm 
     injury and mortality prevention. Given violence and suicide 
     have a number of causes, the agreement recommends the CDC 
     take a comprehensive approach to studying these underlying 
     causes and evidence-based methods of prevention of injury, 
     including crime prevention. All grantees under this section 
     will be required to fulfill requirements around open data, 
     open code, pre-registration of research projects, and open 
     access to research articles consistent with the National 
     Science Foundation's open science principles. The Director of 
     CDC is to report to the Committees within 30 days of 
     enactment on implementation schedules and procedures for 
     grant awards, which strive to ensure that such awards support 
     ideologically and politically unbiased research projects.
       Rape Prevention.--The agreement continues to direct that at 
     least 75 percent of the program's funds go to States for 
     State and local prevention activities. CDC should coordinate 
     efforts with higher education institutions to reduce the 
     incidence of sexual assault on campus.
       Suicide Prevention.--The agreement provides funding for a 
     new effort in recognition of the devastating impacts and 
     increasing rates of suicide. CDC is directed to focus 
     prevention efforts on vulnerable populations that have been 
     identified at higher risk for suicidal behaviors than the 
     general population.
       Tribal Use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs 
     (PDMP).--CDC is directed to work with the Indian Health 
     Service to ensure Federally-operated and tribally-operated 
     healthcare facilities benefit from the CDC's PDMP efforts.
       Understanding the Physical and Psychological Effects of 
     Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons.--The agreement 
     encourages CDC to fund a joint study with the National 
     Institute of Justice as directed by section 20 of the Abolish 
     Human Trafficking Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-392).


         national institute for occupational safety and health

       The agreement provides a total of $342,800,000 for the 
     National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 
     in discretionary appropriations. Within this total, the 
     agreement includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Occupational Research Agenda...................    $117,000,000
    Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing......................      26,500,000
Education and Research Centers..........................      30,000,000
Personal Protective Technology..........................      20,000,000
Mining Research.........................................      60,500,000
National Mesothelioma Registry and Tissue Bank..........       1,200,000
Firefighter Cancer Registry.............................       2,500,000
Other Occupational Safety and Health Research...........     111,600,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Total Worker Health.--The agreement provides an increase of 
     $2,000,000 to advance the safety, health, and well-being of 
     the diverse worker population.
       Underground Mine Evacuation Technologies and Human Factors 
     Research.--The agreement provides an increase for additional 
     grant opportunities to universities with graduate programs in 
     mining and explosives engineering to fund research related to 
     mine emergencies, to build on NIOSH's work to address 
     mandates in the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response 
     Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-236). Research will develop new 
     wireless communication devices and methodologies; develop 
     training, systems, and tools to facilitate miner self-escape; 
     and continue to improve the design of refuge alternatives.


                             global health

       The agreement provides $570,843,000 for Global Health 
     activities. The agreement shifts $7,222,000 from tuberculosis 
     prevention to account for CDC's yearly administrative shift. 
     Within this total, the agreement includes the following 
     amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global AIDS Program.....................................    $128,421,000
Global Tuberculosis.....................................       7,222,000
Global Immunization Program.............................     226,000,000
    Polio Eradication...................................     176,000,000
    Measles and Other Vaccine Preventable Diseases......      50,000,000
Parasitic Diseases and Malaria..........................      26,000,000
Global Public Health Protection.........................     183,200,000
    Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response.....     173,400,000
    Global Public Health Capacity and Development.......       9,800,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Children in Adversity.--The agreement directs CDC to 
     collaborate with the U.S. Agency for International 
     Development (USAID), the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS 
     Relief (PEPFAR), and the Department of Labor to ensure 
     monitoring and evaluation is aligned for all of the 
     objectives of the U.S. Government Action Plan.
       Global Health Security.--The agreement provides an increase 
     of $75,000,000 to accelerate the capacity of countries to 
     prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

[[Page H11068]]

     CDC is directed to provide a spend plan to the Committees no 
     later than 60 days after enactment of this Act. CDC is 
     directed to work with USAID on a coordinated global health 
     security effort, delineating roles and responsibilities, and 
     measuring progress. One year after submitting a spend plan, 
     CDC, in coordination with USAID, will brief the Committees on 
     the program status.
       Malaria and Parasitic Diseases.--The agreement encourages 
     CDC to continue to research, monitor, and evaluate efforts 
     for malaria and parasitic disease in collaboration with other 
     divisions and agencies.
       Soil Transmitted Helminth and Related ``Diseases of 
     Poverty''.--The agreement continues $1,500,000 for 
     surveillance, source remediation, and clinical care aimed at 
     reducing soil transmitted helminth to extend the currently 
     funded projects for another year.


                PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

       The agreement provides $850,200,000 for public health 
     preparedness and response activities. Within this total, the 
     agreement includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative            $675,000,000
 Agreement..............................................
Academic Centers for Public Health Preparedness.........       8,200,000
BioSense................................................      23,000,000
All Other CDC Preparedness..............................     144,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Strategic National Stockpile.--The agreement reiterates the 
     importance that CDC maintain a strong and central role in the 
     medical countermeasures enterprise.


                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

       The agreement provides $25,000,000 in discretionary budget 
     authority and $225,000,000 from the HHS Nonrecurring Expenses 
     Fund for Buildings and Facilities.
       Chamblee Research Support Building 108 and Campus 
     Infrastructure Improvements.--The agreement directs 
     $225,000,000 from the Nonrecurring Expenses Fund for these 
     one-time projects that will result in enhanced research 
     collaboration and long-term lease cost avoidance.
       Replacement of the Lake Lynn Experimental Mine and 
     Laboratory.--The CDC Director is directed to provide annual 
     reports to the Committees detailing activities to replace the 
     Lake Lynn Laboratory.


                          CDC-WIDE ACTIVITIES

       The agreement provides $358,570,000 for CDC-wide 
     activities, which includes $198,570,000 in discretionary 
     appropriations and $160,000,000 in transfers from the PPH 
     Fund. Within this total, the agreement includes the following 
     amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.......    $160,000,000
Public Health Leadership and Support....................     113,570,000
Infectious Disease Rapid Response Reserve Fund..........      85,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Infectious Disease Rapid Response Reserve Fund.--The 
     agreement provides increased funding to quickly respond to a 
     future, imminent infectious disease crisis that endangers 
     American lives, including for Ebola preparedness and 
     response, without regard to the limitations in the third 
     proviso in section 231 of division B of P.L. 115-245.
       Opioid Use and Infectious Diseases.--The agreement 
     encourages CDC to work across operating divisions to 
     integrate interventions aimed at preventing, tracking, and 
     treating infectious diseases with broader efforts to address 
     the opioid epidemic.
       Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant.--The 
     agreement encourages CDC to enhance reporting and 
     accountability, including how much funding is directed to 
     support public health needs at the local level.
       Tribal Advisory Committee.--The agreement encourages the 
     Director, with guidance from Tribal Advisory Committee, to 
     develop best practices around delivery of Tribal technical 
     assistance and provide an update on written guidelines in the 
     fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.

                     National Institutes of Health

       The agreement provides $41,684,000,000 for the National 
     Institutes of Health (NIH), including $492,000,000 from the 
     21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255), an increase of 
     $2,600,000,000, or 6.7 percent, above fiscal year 2019.
       The agreement provides a funding increase of no less than 
     3.3 percent above fiscal year 2019 to every Institute and 
     Center to continue investments in research that will save 
     lives, lead to new drug and device development, reduce health 
     care costs, and improve the lives of all Americans.
       The agreement appropriates funds authorized in the 21st 
     Century Cures Act. Per the authorization, $195,000,000 is 
     transferred to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for cancer 
     research; $70,000,000 to the National Institute of 
     Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and $70,000,000 to 
     the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) for the BRAIN 
     Initiative; and $157,000,000 will be allocated from the NIH 
     Innovation Fund for the Precision Medicine Initiative cohort 
     ($149,000,000) and regenerative medicine research 
     ($8,000,000).
       The Common Fund is supported as a set-aside within the 
     Office of the Director at $626,511,000. In addition, 
     $12,600,000 is provided to support pediatric research as 
     authorized by the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 
     (P.L. 113-94).
       The bill directs NIH to include updates on the following 
     research, projects, and programs in their fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification:
        Alopecia Areata
        Aortic Aneurysm and Fibrosis
        Congenital Heart Disease
        Government-wide collaborations, particularly with 
     the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA)
        Gynecologic cancer clinical trials
        Liver cancer
        Melanoma
        NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence
        Pain management, including multi-agency 
     partnership with NCCIH, DoD, and VA
        Pediatric Cancer
        Pediatric MATCH
        Progress on the development and advancement of 
     non-opioid chronic pain therapies
        Psycho-social Distress Complications related to 
     recommendations made in the 2008 Institute of Medicine report 
     Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial 
     Health Needs
        Rare cancers
        Research Project Grant, R21, P01, and R01--
     Equivalent Cumulative Investigator Rates by NIH Institute and 
     Center
        Suicide
        Temporomandibular Disorders
        Threat of emerging infectious disease, including a 
     progress report on the use of machine learning and validated 
     mechanistic models to advance critical biomedical research, 
     improve decision support for epidemiological interventions, 
     and enhance human health
        Traumatic Brain Injury, including information on a 
     coordinated portfolio, specifically regenerative medicine and 
     neuroplasticity


                    NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI)

       Cancer Moonshot.--The agreement directs NIH to transfer 
     $195,000,000 from the NIH Innovation Account to NCI to 
     support the Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
       Childhood Cancer Data Initiative.--The agreement includes 
     the full budget request for this fiscal year of $50,000,000 
     for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, which will 
     facilitate a connected data infrastructure and integrate 
     multiple data sources to make data work better for patients, 
     clinicians, and researchers.
       Deadliest Cancers.--The agreement directs NCI to develop a 
     scientific framework using the process outlined in the 
     Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act of 2012 for stomach and 
     esophageal cancers and urges NCI to continue to support 
     research with an emphasis on developing screening and early 
     detection tools and more effective treatments for all 
     recalcitrant cancers. NCI is directed to provide an update on 
     NCI-supported research to advance these goals in the fiscal 
     year 2021 Congressional Justification. Also, NCI is directed 
     to add esophageal and stomach cancers to future Research, 
     Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) reports. 
     Finally, the bill encourages NCI to place a high priority on 
     researching these cancers, which include anaplastic 
     astrocytoma, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, glioblastoma, 
     Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, high-risk neuroblastoma, 
     recurrent osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and diffuse 
     anaplastic Wilms tumors.
       Gynecologic Cancer Clinical Trials.--NCI is encouraged to 
     work with stakeholders to address priorities for the 
     gynecologic oncology clinical trials scientific agenda, 
     including consideration of the availability of trials for 
     these patients.
       NCI Paylines.--Grant applications to NCI have increased by 
     approximately 50 percent since 2013, outpacing available 
     funding, with requests for cancer research ten-fold greater 
     than other Institutes. With such a high demand for NCI 
     grants, only a fraction of this research is funded. To 
     support more awards and improve success rates, the agreement 
     provides $212,500,000 to prioritize competing grants and 
     sustain commitments to continuing grants.
       Precision Medicine.--The agreement strongly supports 
     precision medicine initiatives that are critical to 
     delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the 
     right time. At its core, precision medicine aims to 
     understand and treat the underlying cause of disease in 
     individual patients. Once the underlying cause of a patient's 
     disease is identified, this information can then be used to 
     gain new insights into the underlying basic biology and 
     disease pathogenesis, which will ultimately foster the 
     development of medicine targeted to those patient populations 
     most likely to benefit. NIH needs to focus cancer precision 
     medicine efforts towards comprehensive drug screening and 
     precision clinical trials and this agreement has included 
     sufficient funding to do so. Therefore, the bill directs NCI 
     to fund an initiative to foster the clinical demonstration of 
     novel methodologies for individualizing identification of 
     cancer therapeutics. Programs should be at a NCI-designated 
     Comprehensive Cancer Center at institutions that have 
     demonstrated institutional investment in precision medicine, 
     have a strong existing track record in NIH-supported cancer 
     funding, and have the expertise to conduct in-depth genomic 
     analysis of cancer tumors and do comprehensive drug 
     repurposing screens of

[[Page H11069]]

     all FDA-approved drugs on at least one tumor type. 
     Additionally, regional multi-institutional consortiums that 
     serve populations with significant health disparities and 
     traditionally underserved populations are strongly 
     encouraged.
       Psycho-Social Distress Complications.--NCI is encouraged to 
     ensure that all of its designated cancer centers are managing 
     and measuring patients for distress as an integral piece of 
     their treatment and follow-up care.
       Rare Cancers.--The bill supports a trans-NIH collaboration, 
     which includes NCATS, to accelerate therapies for rare 
     cancers and to support broader sharing of genomic-related 
     rare cancers data to accelerate research and drug development 
     for these cancers.
       STAR Act.--The agreement includes no less than $25,000,000 
     in funding for continued implementation of sections of the 
     Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and 
     Research (STAR) Act. Funding is in addition to the funds 
     allocated in fiscal year 2019 to expand existing 
     biorepositories for childhood cancer patients enrolled in 
     NCI-sponsored clinical trials to collect and maintain 
     relevant clinical, biological, and demographic information on 
     children, adolescents, and young adults, with an emphasis on 
     selected cancer subtypes (and their recurrences) for which 
     current treatments are least effective. Funding provided this 
     year will allow NCI to continue to conduct and support 
     childhood cancer survivorship research as authorized in the 
     STAR Act.


           NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE (NHLBI)

       Chronic Disease Precision Medicine.--The bill directs NHLBI 
     to fund an initiative to address chronic diseases through 
     translational science and the application of a precision 
     medicine approach and has included sufficient funding to do 
     so. Programs should focus on diseases and disorders relating 
     to heart, lung, blood, and sleep, and access to populations 
     with significant health disparities. Programs should have a 
     proven track record of NIH funding in all of these areas, as 
     well as have NIH-funded programs for health disparities 
     research. Additionally, regional multi-institutional 
     consortiums are strongly encouraged.
       Congenital Heart Disease.--NHLBI is encouraged to 
     prioritize congenital heart disease (CHD) activities outlined 
     in its strategic plan, including improving understanding of 
     outcomes and co-morbidities, modifying treatment options 
     across the lifespan, and accelerating advances by leveraging 
     CHD registries and networks.
       Fibrotic Diseases.--The bill encourages NIH to vigorously 
     support dedicated funding and research into fibrotic diseases 
     affecting different organs, including the lungs, liver, 
     kidneys, heart, skin, and bones. The agreement requests a 
     report on the current NIH Fibrosis Interest Group and its 
     progress no later than 90 days after the passage of this Act. 
     The bill encourages the Interest Group to continue its 
     efforts to bring together key stakeholders, at the NIH and 
     elsewhere, to develop strategic paths forward to maximize 
     efforts in fibrotic disease research. The bill also 
     encourages NIH to enhance its patient-centered clinical 
     research into pulmonary fibrosis to include traditional 
     observational and interventional studies looking at reducing 
     healthcare utilization such as hospitalizations, improving 
     symptoms such as cough, and prolonging life, and directs NIH 
     to include an update in its fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification on its work relating to idiopathic pulmonary 
     fibrosis following the November 2012 NHLBI workshop Strategic 
     Planning for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. The agreement 
     also encourages NIH to create a funding mechanism to fund 
     fibrosis research across all organs, building on the progress 
     and leveraging data that has and may result from NHLBI funded 
     projects.
       Hemophilia.--The agreement asks NHLBI to provide the 
     Committees with the final report and national blueprint for 
     future research from the May 2018 State of the Science 
     Workshop on Factor VIII Inhibitors and to take steps to 
     implement the research blueprint in collaboration with the 
     hemophilia patient, provider, and research communities.
       Pediatric Cardiomyopathy.--The agreement commends NHLBI for 
     its long-standing commitment to the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy 
     Registry and strongly encourages NHLBI to continue to support 
     cardiomyopathy research.
       Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.--NIH is directed 
     to submit the report on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia 
     Syndrome (POTS) that was requested in Senate Report 115-289, 
     now overdue, no later than 30 days after enactment of this 
     Act. NIH is strongly encouraged to include an estimate of 
     annual NIH funding allocated to POTS research in its publicly 
     available RCDC report.


     NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH (NIDCR)

       Temporomandibular Disorders.--NIDCR is encouraged to 
     continue collaboration with governmental agencies and other 
     stakeholders in the project entitled Temporomandibular 
     Disorders: From Research Discoveries to Clinical Treatment 
     and to increase funding to expand the science base in this 
     field.


   NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES 
                                (NIDDK)

       Chronic Diseases and Health Disparities.--Kidney disease, 
     type 2 diabetes, and obesity are among the most common, 
     costly, and preventable of all health conditions. NIH needs 
     to focus chronic disease efforts on those populations most 
     affected, particularly vulnerable populations and 
     underrepresented minorities. Therefore, the agreement 
     provides sufficient funding for an initiative to address 
     chronic diseases and health disparities in these areas. The 
     program must focus on kidney disease, obesity, diabetes, 
     exercise medicine, and health disparities. Programs should 
     have a strong existing track record of NIH funding in all of 
     these areas, such as an NIH-funded Nutrition Obesity Research 
     Center, Diabetes Research Center, Obesity Health Disparities 
     Research Center, and O'Brien Kidney Center. Additionally, 
     regional multi-institutional consortiums are strongly 
     encouraged.
       Diabetes.--NIDDK is urged to support research to improve 
     the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and reduce amputations. 
     Further, the agreement urges NIDDK to work with NIA to 
     explore the relationship between diabetes and neurocognitive 
     conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. 
     Finally, the agreement supports efforts to utilize adult-
     derived, non-embryonic pluripotent stem cells for developing 
     and commercializing the use of the stem cell-derived islets 
     for both drug discovery and testing platforms and therapeutic 
     delivery to patients with diabetes.
       Liver Diseases.--NIDDK is encouraged to continue to feature 
     liver diseases research considering recent progress and 
     improvements for liver disease patients.
       Medical Foods.--The agreement encourages further 
     incorporation of research topics associated with medical 
     foods and patient care into emerging research activities.


    NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS)

       Cerebral Palsy.--The agreement strongly encourages NIH to 
     prioritize and implement additional FOAs to significantly 
     strengthen, accelerate, and coordinate Cerebral Palsy (CP) 
     research to address priorities across the lifespan identified 
     in the five to 10 year Cerebral Palsy Strategic Plan 
     developed by NINDS and NICHD. FOAs should target basic and 
     translational discoveries, including genetics, regenerative 
     medicine, and mechanisms of neuroplasticity, as well as 
     clinical studies aimed at early intervention, comparative 
     effectiveness, and functional outcomes in adults. NIH is also 
     encouraged to coordinate with other agencies, including CDC, 
     to support additional research on preventing, diagnosing, and 
     treating CP.
       Dystonia.--The agreement urges NINDS to follow the 
     recommendations of the dystonia conference, including 
     identifying new research and therapeutic needs that will lead 
     to a better understanding of dystonia etiology and evaluation 
     of the status of translational research that may lead to more 
     treatment options for those affected by dystonia.
       Opioid Misuse and Addiction.--The agreement includes no 
     less than $250,000,000 for targeted research related to 
     opioid misuse and addiction, development of opioid 
     alternatives, pain management, and addiction treatment. The 
     agreement directs NIH to expand scientific activities related 
     to research on medications used to treat and reduce chronic 
     pain, and the transition from acute to chronic pain.
       POTS.--NIH is directed to submit the report on POTS 
     requested in Senate Report 115-289, now overdue, no later 
     than 30 days after enactment of this Act. NIH is strongly 
     encouraged to include an estimate of annual NIH funding 
     allocated to POTS research in its publicly available RCDC 
     report.


     NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NIAID)

       AIDS Conference.--The agreement includes $5,100,000 for the 
     U.S. contribution to the AIDS2020 Conference.
       Antimicrobial Resistance.--The agreement includes 
     $511,000,000 within NIAID for research related to combating 
     antimicrobial resistance (AMR), an increase of $50,000,000. 
     In April, the United Nations issued a report that, like the 
     2016 review sponsored by the government of the United Kingdom 
     and Wellcome Trust, warned that rampant overuse of 
     antibiotics and antifungal medicines in humans, livestock, 
     and agriculture could erase much of the improvement in public 
     health achieved since the development of the first 
     antimicrobials in the 1940s. The agreement includes 
     $1,700,000 to fund a National Academies of Sciences, 
     Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) study to examine and 
     quantify the long-term medical and economic impacts of 
     increasing AMR in the U.S. The review should examine progress 
     made on the U.S. National Strategy and Action Plan for 
     Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, including domestic 
     and international strategies employed by NIH, CDC, FDA, ASPR, 
     USDA, and USAID. The NASEM report should make recommendations 
     to address any gaps in research and development of 
     therapeutics and diagnostics; efforts to move new products to 
     market; animal and human surveillance, prevention efforts, 
     international coordination and collaboration; and any other 
     recommendations NASEM finds relevant to stopping the spread 
     of AMR. The agreement directs NIAID to report on trends in 
     AMR-related Research Project Grants, including the success 
     rates for such grants, and requests an update on these 
     activities in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification, including an overall assessment of the 
     progress to date of efforts to address AMR.
       Celiac Disease.--The agreement encourages NIH to devote 
     sufficient, focused research to

[[Page H11070]]

     the study of celiac disease, including the autoimmune 
     causation underpinning the affliction. The agreement urges 
     NIAID to better coordinate existing research and focus new 
     research efforts toward causation and, ultimately, a cure of 
     this disease. NIAID is encouraged to coordinate with other 
     Institutes and Centers as appropriate and to submit its plan 
     for coordination and execution of this research to the 
     Committees no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act.
       Hepatitis B Virus.--The agreement urges additional targeted 
     calls for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) research to fund the many 
     critical research opportunities identified by the scientific 
     community in the Roadmap for a Cure. The agreement urges 
     active participation and leadership by NIAID in the 
     Director's newly established Trans-NIH Hepatitis B working 
     group and requests that NIAID submit within 180 days of 
     enactment of this Act, a research plan to pursue a cure for 
     HBV in coordination with the other Institutes and Centers.
       HIV/AIDS.--The agreement provides an increase of no less 
     than $25,000,000 over the fiscal year 2019 level for HIV/AIDS 
     research.
       Centers for AIDS Research.--As part of the domestic HIV 
     initiative, the agreement includes no less than $51,000,000 
     for the Centers for AIDS Research.
       Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Diseases.--The agreement 
     encourages NIH to issue requests for grant applications for 
     research to investigate causes of all forms and 
     manifestations of Lyme disease and other high-consequence 
     tick-borne diseases, including post-treatment symptoms, as 
     well as research to develop diagnostics, preventions, and 
     treatments for those conditions, including potential vaccine 
     candidates. The agreement urges NIAID, in coordination with 
     CDC, to study the long-term effects on patients suffering 
     from post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, or ``chronic Lyme 
     disease''. Specifically, the agreement urges NIAID to 
     evaluate the effectiveness of laboratory tests associated 
     with the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi to diagnose the 
     disease early, which can improve the treatment of patients 
     suffering from Lyme disease. The agreement is also aware of 
     promising vaccine innovations to combat Borrelia and requests 
     a report within 90 days of enactment of this Act on agency 
     activities to support Lyme vaccine development. The agreement 
     also encourages NLM, in coordination with NIAID, to update 
     its terminology in line with new research to more accurately 
     reflect the long-term effects of Lyme disease.
       Medical Countermeasures.--The agreement supports the 
     continuation of NIAID's medical countermeasures program, but 
     expects the Institute to make sure any future contractor 
     selected for the program can refine its animal models, 
     particularly small animal models, to support the 
     establishment of adequate countermeasure efficacy to expedite 
     approval by the FDA. This requires close coordination with 
     NIAID and the adequate level of technical personnel to carry 
     out the program's important mission.
       Universal Flu Vaccine.--The agreement provides not less 
     than $200,000,000 to advance basic, translational, and 
     clinical research to develop a universal influenza vaccine, 
     an increase of $60,000,000.
       Valley Fever.--The agreement notes the recent increase in 
     the number of Valley Fever infections in Western States and 
     urges NIAID to prioritize research on this fungal disease.


         NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES (NIGMS)

       Institutional Development Award.--The agreement provides 
     $386,573,000 for the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) 
     program, an increase of $25,000,000.
       Maximizing Access to Research Careers.--The agreement 
     recognizes the importance of the Maximizing Access to 
     Research Careers (MARC) program and encourages the 
     continuation and enhancement of efforts underway with our 
     Nation's HBCUs. The agreement also encourages NIH to continue 
     and strengthen its engagement of institutions located in 
     rural parts of the U.S.


  EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                          DEVELOPMENT (NICHD)

       Impact of Technology and Digital Media on Children and 
     Teens.--The agreement recognizes that children's and teens' 
     lives increasingly involve widespread technology use and 
     consumption of digital media. The agreement encourages NIH to 
     prioritize research into how these types of stimuli affect 
     young people's cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional 
     outcomes, including attention, sleeping routines, and 
     anxiety.
       Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network.--The agreement fully 
     supports the work of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units 
     network (MFMU) and encourages NICHD to continue to build on 
     its success by ensuring its highly efficient structure of 
     multicenter collaborative research continues. There is 
     particular concern that any change in the funding mechanism 
     or structure for the MFMU could compromise the ability of the 
     network to remain nimble and directly address the changing 
     landscape of women's health, including to reduce health 
     disparities. The agreement directs NICHD to submit a report 
     to the Committees outlining any potential changes being 
     considered to the funding mechanism or structure of the MFMU 
     network within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
       Prenatal Opioid Use Disorders and Neonatal Abstinence 
     Syndrome.--The agreement encourages NIH to coordinate with 
     other agencies at HHS to support additional research on 
     prevention, identification, and treatment of prenatal opioid 
     exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), including 
     the best methods for screening and treating pregnant women 
     for opioid use disorder and the best methods for screening 
     for NAS. Additionally, the agreement encourages NIH to build 
     on the Advancing Clinical Trials in Neonatal Opioid 
     Withdrawal study to enhance understanding of the impact of 
     pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment techniques 
     on costs and outcomes in the short- term and longitudinally. 
     The agreement further encourages NIH to coordinate with other 
     agencies at HHS to support research on innovative care models 
     to optimize care and long-term outcomes for families.
       Research in Pregnant and Lactating Women.--The Task Force 
     on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women 
     issued a report to the Secretary of HHS outlining 15 
     recommendations to facilitate the inclusion of pregnant and 
     lactating women in clinical research. The agreement commends 
     the Secretary for extending the Task Force and believes this 
     extension should be for at least an additional two years to 
     continue to work towards healthcare professionals and 
     consumers having accurate information on the safety and 
     efficacy of drugs taken by these populations. NICHD should 
     oversee its part of the implementation of the already 
     released recommendations working with other relevant 
     Institutes and Centers, CDC, and FDA. The agreement requests 
     a progress report be provided in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification.


                      NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE (NEI)

       Age-Related Macular Degeneration.--The agreement recognizes 
     the tremendous strides in the treatment of patients with the 
     ``dry'' form of age-related macular degeneration and commends 
     NEI for its planned first-in-human clinical trial that would 
     test a stem cell-based therapy from induced pluripotent stem 
     cells. The agreement supports NEI's prospective international 
     study of patients that uses the latest advances in retinal 
     imaging to identify biomarkers of the disease and targets for 
     early therapeutic interventions.


      NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES (NIEHS)

       Hurricane Harvey Research.--The agreement includes 
     $3,000,000 for the continued funding and expansion of 
     research on the health effects of environmental exposures 
     directly related to the consequences of Hurricane Harvey in 
     2017. The research should focus on the full Hurricane Harvey-
     affected region, conduct follow-up health research on 
     affected populations on registrants, link to relevant 
     government and non-profit intervention research programs, and 
     provide critical information on disaster preparedness through 
     data sharing and analysis.


                   NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING (NIA)

       Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.--The agreement 
     provides an increase of $350,000,000 for Alzheimer's disease 
     and related dementias research, bringing the total funding 
     level in fiscal year 2020 to no less than $2,818,000,000.
       Diversity of Clinical Trials.--The agreement remains 
     concerned about underrepresented populations in research, 
     particularly clinical trials for Alzheimer's. The agreement 
     directs NIH to report to the Committees within 180 days of 
     enactment of this Act on how it is implementing the actions 
     outlined in the National Strategy for Recruitment and 
     Participation in Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Clinical 
     Research, including NIA resources that have been dedicated to 
     these efforts.
       EUREKA Prize.--The agreement requests a report within 180 
     days of enactment of this Act on NIA's initial EUREKA prize 
     competition, including the number of submissions received and 
     any unexpected challenges or impediments encountered in 
     executing the challenge, as well as lessons learned that 
     could be applied to future Alzheimer's or other prize 
     challenges. The agreement also requests that the report 
     include any recommendations to enhance the model going 
     forward.


       national institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism (niaaa)

       Mobile Assessment Technology Research for Addictive 
     Behaviors.--The agreement encourages NIAAA to support 
     meritorious research to improve the prevention and treatment 
     of substance misuse, addiction, and related consequences 
     through the use of mobile technologies.


                national institute on drug abuse (nida)

       Barriers to Research.--The agreement directs NIDA to 
     provide a brief report on the barriers to research that 
     result from the classification of drugs and compounds as 
     Schedule I substances no later than 120 days after enactment 
     of this Act.
       Cannabis Research.--The agreement encourages NIH to 
     consider additional investment in studying the medicinal 
     effects and toxicology of cannabidiol and cannabigerol.
       Methamphetamine Medication-Assisted Treatments.--The 
     agreement urges NIDA to continue its ongoing trials to 
     expeditiously find and approve a medication-assisted 
     treatment for methamphetamine.
       Opioid Misuse and Addiction.--The agreement includes no 
     less than $250,000,000 for targeted research related to 
     opioid misuse and addiction, development of opioid 
     alternatives, pain management, and addiction treatment. The 
     agreement directs NIH to expand scientific activities related 
     to research

[[Page H11071]]

     on medications used to treat and reduce chronic pain, and the 
     transition from acute to chronic pain. Further, the agreement 
     urges NIH to: (1) continue funding research on medication 
     development to alleviate pain and to treat addiction, 
     especially the development of medications with reduced misuse 
     liability; (2) as appropriate, work with private companies to 
     fund innovative research into such medications; (3) report on 
     what is known regarding the transition from opioid analgesics 
     to heroin and synthetic opioid use and addiction within 
     affected populations; (4) conduct pilot studies to create a 
     comprehensive care model in communities nationwide to prevent 
     opioid misuse, expand treatment capacity, enhance access to 
     overdose reversal medications, and enhance prescriber 
     practice; (5) test interventions in justice system settings 
     to expand the uptake of medications for treating opioid use 
     disorder (OUD) and methods to scale up these interventions 
     for population-based impact; and (6) develop evidence-based 
     strategies to integrate screening and treatment for OUD in 
     emergency department and primary care settings. In addition, 
     NIH should continue to sponsor research to better understand 
     the effects of long-term prescription opioid use, especially 
     as it relates to the prevention and treatment of opioid 
     misuse and addiction. Further, the agreement notes NIDA has 
     started to investigate the links among respiratory health, 
     disease, and deaths from opioids to determine if addressing 
     underlying respiratory physiology can prevent death due to 
     respiratory failure during overdoses.


               national institute of mental health (nimh)

       Suicide Prevention and Risk Detection Algorithms.--The 
     agreement continues to encourage NIMH to prioritize its 
     suicide screening and prevention research efforts to produce 
     risk detection models that are interpretable, scalable, and 
     practical for clinical implementation, including mental and 
     behavioral healthcare interventions, to combat suicide in the 
     U.S. In assessing research opportunities, the agreement 
     encourages NIMH to consider the recommendations included in 
     the Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's A Prioritized 
     Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention.


            national human genome research institute (nhgri)

       Computational Genomics and RNA Molecules.--The agreement 
     urges NHGRI to continue to support research on RNA molecules 
     and the mechanisms through which they affect biological 
     processes that cause disease.
       Emerging Centers of Excellence in Genomic Sciences.--The 
     agreement includes no less than $10,000,000 for a new 
     competitively-awarded center-based grant program for Emerging 
     Centers of Excellence. The purpose of these awards is to 
     build capacity at institutions that are not prior or current 
     grantees of the Centers of Excellence in Genomic Sciences 
     program. The agreement urges NHGRI to include plans for 
     sustainment of this capacity-building mechanism in its 2020 
     vision report.


    national center for complementary and integrative health (nccih)

       Pain Management.--The agreement urges NIH, along with DoD 
     and VA, to continue to support research on non-
     pharmacological treatments for pain management to ensure the 
     best quality of care for our Nation's veterans.


  national institute on minority health and health disparities (nimhd)

       Mental Health.--To address the multiple causes of suicide, 
     the agreement urges NIMHD to develop a behavioral health 
     approach focusing on at-risk populations and building the 
     mental health workforce at the community level. The proposed 
     model should improve mental health care access to underserved 
     populations, including those in rural areas, while 
     simultaneously providing training to potential rural 
     behavioral health providers.
       Neuroscience Research in African-Americans.--The agreement 
     urges the NIH Neurobiobank to work with NIMHD and relevant 
     extramural partners to develop the infrastructure needed to 
     accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for 
     neuropsychiatric disorders utilizing post-mortem brain 
     datasets from underrepresented ethnic minority groups, 
     including African-Americans.
       Research Centers in Minority Institutions.--The agreement 
     includes $75,000,000 for the Research Centers in Minority 
     Institutions (RCMI) program to support critical 
     infrastructure development and scientific discovery in 
     historically minority graduate and health professional 
     schools. The agreement also recognizes the importance of the 
     RCMI Coordinating Center in ensuring that collectively, 
     institutions can engage in multi-site collaborative research.
       Research Endowment Program.--The agreement urges NIMHD to 
     move forward with the recommendations made by the Advisory 
     Council workgroup to restore endowment eligibility for the 
     Research Endowment Program (REP) to the original 
     Congressional intent, which includes both current and former 
     centers of excellence. NIMHD is requested to report to the 
     Committees on progress made to implement these 
     recommendations prior to issuing its next FOA for REP.


 john e. fogarty international center for advanced study in the health 
                             sciences (fic)

       Global Infectious Diseases.--The agreement urges FIC to 
     continue its important work of building relationships with 
     scientists abroad to foster a stronger, more effective 
     science workforce and health research capacity on the ground, 
     helping to detect infectious diseases and building the 
     capacity to confront those diseases while improving the image 
     of the U.S. though health diplomacy in their countries.


      national center for advancing translational sciences (ncats)

       Clinical and Translational Science Awards.--The agreement 
     provides $578,141,000 for Clinical and Translational Science 
     Awards (CTSAs) and encourages NCATS to fund, through the 
     existing CTSA hubs, programs to address disparities and the 
     significant burden of diseases and other conditions that 
     disproportionately affect minority and special populations. 
     Accelerating this capacity will reduce the burden of disease 
     and promote health equity. Applying the CTSA model to address 
     long-standing regional health disparities can provide 
     innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing the 
     burden of disease among vulnerable populations.
       Cures Acceleration Network.--The agreement provides up to 
     $60,000,000 for the Cures Acceleration Network.


                      office of the director (od)

       7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome.--Duplication 7 syndrome is a 
     rare chromosomal abnormality and those affected by this 
     chromosomal duplication are likely to experience severe 
     behavioral and developmental disabilities requiring 
     consistent medical treatments and therapies. NIH is strongly 
     encouraged to expand research on rare genetic and chromosomal 
     abnormalities such as 7q11.23 duplication syndrome.
       Adult Cellular Therapies.--The agreement encourages NIH, in 
     coordination with FDA, to explore the feasibility and utility 
     of an outcomes database for adult cellular therapies that are 
     either FDA-approved or are being administered under FDA 
     Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption 
     protocols.
       All of Us Precision Medicine Initiative.--The agreement 
     includes $500,000,000 for the All of Us precision medicine 
     initiative. Funding provided in the 21st Century Cures Act is 
     reduced by $37,000,000 in fiscal year 2020. Ensuring 
     sustained, consistent funding for this study is important. 
     Therefore, the agreement has chosen to replace this reduction 
     and increase base funding for the program. The agreement 
     directs NIH to continue its efforts to recruit and retain 
     participants from historically underrepresented populations 
     in biomedical research so that the All of Us scientific 
     resources reflect the rich diversity of our country.
       Further, the agreement encourages NIH to continue to work 
     with a broad array of children's hospitals and networks to 
     leverage their expertise and ensure greater diversity in 
     pediatric recruitment and enrollment.
       Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.--The agreement directs the 
     NIH Director to facilitate further efforts involving, at a 
     minimum, NINDS and NIA, to study Amyotrophic Lateral 
     Sclerosis (ALS) disease mechanisms and identify genes to 
     facilitate the expeditious development of targeted therapies. 
     These trans-NIH efforts shall bring together research results 
     that will be available to academic researchers, non-profit 
     organizations, and industry researchers, and will supplement, 
     not supplant, existing NIH-supported activities for ALS 
     research. The near-term research opportunity to find a cure 
     is real for ALS. Any such breakthroughs will have significant 
     benefits for related neurological conditions including TBI, 
     Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. The agreement directs NIH to 
     report to the Committees within 180 days of enactment of this 
     Act on progress in furthering these research areas, 
     specifically on key areas of focus for fiscal years 2020-
     2024.
       Autism.--The agreement encourages NIH to continue to 
     aggressively invest in research on autism consistent with the 
     objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan. The agreement also 
     encourages NIH to support greater investment in research and 
     collaborations focused on addressing the gaps outlined in the 
     Strategic Plan, including studies to understand the 
     intersection of biology, behavior, and the environment.
       Autoimmune Conditions.--Autoimmune diseases are more common 
     in women than in men, typically manifesting in their 
     childbearing years. They include conditions such as 
     rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, celiac 
     disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and type 1 diabetes and 
     together affect an estimated five to seven percent of 
     Americans. Many affected women live with a second autoimmune 
     illness or other condition. Despite the impact of these 
     diseases and conditions on a domestic population ranging 
     between 15,000,000-25,000,000, there is no single office 
     within NIH tasked with coordinating research across the 
     agency, or examining the complex interplay among these 
     diseases and conditions. The 2010 NASEM study on Women's 
     Health Research identified autoimmune conditions as the 
     ``leading cause of morbidity in women, greatly affecting 
     quality of life.'' Despite their impact, the report found 
     that ``little progress has been made in understanding the 
     conditions better, in identifying the risk factors, or in 
     developing diagnostic tools, better treatments, or cures.'' 
     The agreement includes $1,500,000 for NIH to contract with 
     NASEM to identify and review NIH's research efforts in this 
     broad area of predominantly women's health. The review should 
     explore NIH's research in autoimmune and coexisting 
     disorders, including any barriers to such research, and

[[Page H11072]]

     the most promising areas for future research that would 
     benefit the greatest number of patients. The review should 
     also identify trends among the population suffering from 
     these conditions, and any significant barriers to accurate 
     diagnoses. Finally, the NASEM report should make 
     recommendations for how NIH could improve and better 
     coordinate research into these diseases and conditions, 
     including the potential effects of establishing dedicated 
     research entities within or external to NIH.
       Big Data.--Despite launching its STRIDES and Data Commons 
     initiatives, NIH has little yet to show in the area of 
     working with data. NIH has struggled to recruit the talent to 
     lead efforts to build an analysis platform. NIH leadership 
     recognizes it needs additional focus on how to consolidate 
     and deliver data to the research community in a more usable 
     and computationally minable form, but is challenged in how to 
     do so. Part of the problem appears to be the salary 
     restrictions of a civil service structure that never 
     contemplated the costs of recruiting highly sought after 
     elite technology talent. The Government Accountability Office 
     (GAO) is directed to identify and assess the options 
     available to NIH for securing the talent it needs to lead 
     these efforts. GAO should consider how other agencies meet 
     similar challenges, and whether statutory changes are 
     necessary. The agreement also directs GAO to review how NIH 
     funds computational talent in its grant awards and whether 
     its funding models adequately reflect the cost of these 
     skillsets to grantees. GAO should assess NIH's guidance for 
     the resource-sharing plan it requires for the typical 
     grantee, and whether these plans are sufficient and can be 
     sustained for ongoing analysis. NIH is urged to engage 
     industry, academic, and other Federal partners to take 
     advantage of cross-enterprise artificial intelligence 
     products, research, and tools. Artificial Intelligence could 
     play a vital role toward advancing the goals of the strategic 
     plan by organizing, managing, and making data usable to 
     researchers, institutions, and the public to drive outcomes. 
     Finally, the agreement includes $30,000,000 to support the 
     Chief Data Strategist's work in fiscal year 2020, and expects 
     NIH to provide a spending plan for these funds within 30 days 
     of enactment of this Act.
       Biomedical Research Facilities.--The bill provides 
     $50,000,000 for grants to public and/or not-for-profit 
     entities to expand, remodel, renovate, or alter existing 
     research facilities or construct new research facilities as 
     authorized under 42 U.S.C. section 283k. The agreement also 
     directs NIH to allocate no less than 25 percent of funding 
     for this program to Institutions of Emerging Excellence to 
     ensure geographic and institutional diversity. Finally, the 
     agreement urges NIH to consider recommendations made by the 
     NIH Working Group on Construction of Research Facilities, 
     including making awards that are large enough to underwrite 
     the cost of a significant portion of newly constructed or 
     renovated facilities.
       Brain Research through Advancing Innovative 
     Neurotechnologies Initiative.--The agreement provides 
     $500,000,000 for the BRAIN initiative, finally achieving the 
     initial BRAIN 2025 report recommendation of $500,000,000 per 
     year by fiscal year 2019. The agreement provides additional 
     resources to significantly expand efforts to working with the 
     BRAIN data. Neuroscience, and biosciences in general, need 
     additional focus on how to consolidate and deliver data to 
     the research community in a more usable and computationally 
     minable form. The agreement expects to receive a report in 
     the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification on the 
     initiative's achievements in its first five years of 
     operation and its objectives for the next five years, 
     including NIH's plans to address the challenge of making 
     large datasets usable.
       Clinical Research Professional Competency.--The agreement 
     encourages NIH to continue considering the training needs of 
     the clinical research workforce when determining best 
     practices in conducting clinical trials.
       Clinical Trials Policy.--The agreement supports NIH's 
     recent announcement to delay the implementation of certain 
     registering and reporting requirements for basic experimental 
     studies with humans. The agreement urges NIH to continue its 
     efforts, including working with the basic research community, 
     to achieve a balanced registration and reporting strategy 
     that meets the interests of study participants, 
     investigators, and taxpayers. NIH is directed to report to 
     the Committees no less than 60 days prior to moving forward 
     with any new proposals for registering basic experimental 
     studies with humans as clinical trials.
       Ethnic and Racial Diversity in Cancer Development and 
     Outcomes.--The agreement urges NIH, including NIMHD and NCI, 
     to continue to support research on the cause, prevention, and 
     treatment of cancer in populations with diverse cultural, 
     racial, and ethnic composition. The agreement also encourages 
     NCI to continue to consider an institution's research efforts 
     that specifically address the cancer burden, risk factors, 
     incidence, morbidity, mortality, and inequities in the 
     geographic area it serves, when considering applications from 
     cancer centers for NCI designation.
       Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research.--The 
     agreement includes $12,500,000 to conduct research on firearm 
     injury and mortality prevention. Given violence and suicide 
     have a number of causes, the agreement recommends the NIH 
     take a comprehensive approach to studying these underlying 
     causes and evidence-based methods of prevention of injury, 
     including crime prevention. All grantees under this section 
     will be required to fulfill requirements around open data, 
     open code, pre-registration of research projects, and open 
     access to research articles consistent with the National 
     Science Foundation's open science principles. The Director of 
     NIH is to report to the Committees within 30 days of 
     enactment on implementation schedules and procedures for 
     grant awards, which strive to ensure that such awards support 
     ideologically and politically unbiased research projects.
       Foreign Threats to Research.--There remains concern about 
     foreign threats to the research infrastructure in the U.S. In 
     particular, the Chinese government has started a program to 
     recruit NIH-funded researchers to steal intellectual 
     property, cheat the peer-review system, establish shadow 
     laboratories in China, and help the Chinese government obtain 
     confidential information about NIH research grants. As the 
     Federal Bureau of Investigation, HHS, and NIH continue to 
     investigate the impact the Thousand Talents and other foreign 
     government programs have had on the NIH research community, 
     the agreement directs NIH to notify the Committees quarterly 
     on the progress of the investigation, as well as 
     institutions, scientists, and research affected. Further, the 
     agreement directs NIH to carefully consider the NIH Advisory 
     Committee's recommendations, including to implement a broad 
     education campaign about the requirement to disclose foreign 
     sources of funding and develop enhanced cybersecurity 
     protocols. As recommended, NIH should use this campaign to 
     help institutions develop best practices for how to handle 
     these challenges, including training, communications 
     materials, and how to improve vetting, education, and 
     security. Further, NIH shall evaluate the peer-review system 
     and their internal controls through a lens that takes into 
     account national security threats. This includes holding 
     those accountable who inappropriately share information from 
     the peer-review process or illegally share intellectual 
     property. The agreement notes the partnership between NIH and 
     HHS' Office of National Security (ONS) on this issue and 
     ONS's implementation of a formal NIH CI/Insider Threat 
     program on NIH's behalf. The agreement believes this work 
     should be expanded in fiscal year 2020 and directs NIH to 
     allocate no less than $5,000,000 for this work that ONS does 
     on behalf of NIH.
       Frontotemporal Degeneration Research.--The agreement 
     encourages NIH to continue to support a multi-site network of 
     clinical centers to study genetic and sporadic cases of 
     frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and maintain progress 
     toward biomarker discovery and drug development in clinical 
     trials using these well-defined FTD cohorts. A key component 
     of this network will be the development of a data biosphere 
     that supports wide sharing of robust datasets, generated with 
     powerful -omic platforms. Data sharing will enable the 
     broader community of researchers outside of the clinical 
     networks, particularly early career scientists, to take on 
     the challenges currently confronting Alzheimer's disease and 
     related dementias disorders with a wider array of expertise. 
     Research has revealed that all forms of dementia may have a 
     variety of root causes and display multiple underlying 
     pathologies. Research on the related dementias is critical 
     for understanding basic disease mechanisms that may be common 
     across multiple forms of dementia and therefore speed the 
     translation of this information into much-needed 
     therapeutics. While the continued support of biomedical 
     research offers hope for the future, too many families and 
     individuals living with dementia cannot find the help they 
     need today. Therefore, the agreement also urges NIH to 
     support research on the development of new and improved 
     dementia care practices and long-term supports and services. 
     By supporting both types of research, NIH may advance 
     progress toward future therapies and treatments while also 
     helping people get the appropriate and effective care and 
     support they need today.
       Harassment Policies.--The NASEM report released last year 
     found that sexual harassment is rampant in the labs and 
     institutions supported by NIH. The Committees believe NIH 
     must play a more active role in changing the culture that has 
     long perpetuated the problem. The Committees direct NIH to 
     require institutions to notify the agency when key personnel 
     named on an NIH grant award are removed because of sexual 
     harassment concerns and to submit to the Committees plans to 
     implement measures that attend to harassment in extramural 
     settings with the same level of attention and resources as 
     those devoted to other research misconduct. The Committees 
     also direct NIH to support research in the areas identified 
     in the report, including the psychology underlying harassment 
     and the experiences and outcomes of diverse groups when 
     subjected to harassment. Additionally, the Committees direct 
     NIH to collaborate with NASEM to develop best practices for 
     developing more diverse and inclusive cultures in the grantee 
     research environments, including training individuals in 
     institutions that receive NIH funds to recognize and address 
     sexual harassment, and evaluating the efficacy of various 
     sexual harassment training programs.
       Hepatitis C.--The agreement urges NIH to prioritize 
     research aimed at supporting hepatitis C elimination.

[[Page H11073]]

       Human Microbiome Project.--The agreement encourages OD to 
     continue working collaboratively with NIDDK and other 
     relevant Institutes and Centers to expand and advance Human 
     Microbiome Project research.
       IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network.--The 
     agreement commends NIH for establishing the IDeA States 
     Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) to provide 
     medically-underserved and rural populations with access to 
     state-of-the-art clinical trials, apply findings from 
     relevant pediatric cohort studies to children in IDeA State 
     locations, and enhance pediatric research capacity to address 
     unmet pediatric research needs in underserved areas. The 
     agreement provides $15,000,000 in additional funding for the 
     Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program to 
     continue the ISPCTN program.
       Increasing Diversity in NIH Clinical Trials.--The agreement 
     recognizes efforts by NIH to reduce health disparities by 
     addressing significant barriers to clinical trial 
     participation and directs the agency to ensure eligibility 
     criteria for clinical trials funded by NIH do not create 
     unintentional barriers to participation for racial and ethnic 
     minorities as well as for patients with certain health 
     conditions. The agreement directs NIH to revise existing 
     protocol templates and guidelines for clinical trials that 
     receive funding by the agency to include eligibility criteria 
     that avoids inappropriate exclusions of racial and ethnic 
     minorities by taking steps to account for variations in 
     health status across racial and ethnic minority groups when 
     determining eligibility criteria as well as ensuring 
     exclusions based on health status are scientifically 
     justified and appropriate.
       Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.--The agreement directs NIH 
     to provide funding to support translational research, as well 
     as promote regional, collaborative consortiums to advance 
     scientific knowledge in the area of induced pluripotent stem 
     cells basic research. The agreement further instructs NIH to 
     conduct an assessment of agency efforts to: (1) address the 
     existing funding gap between basic science and clinical trial 
     research; and (2) develop a framework that provides both new 
     and existing grantees with funded opportunities for 
     translational research. The agreement expects this 
     information to be included in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification.
       Intellectual Property.--The agreement encourages the 
     Director to work with the HHS Assistant Deputy Secretary for 
     National Security to improve the security of intellectual 
     property derived from NIH-funded research. In particular, NIH 
     is encouraged to: improve the security of the peer review 
     system; augment the application process to identify funding 
     that applicants receive from a foreign government; and assist 
     the HHS Inspector General and appropriate law enforcement 
     agencies to identify violations of U.S. law or policy.
       Intramural Nonhuman Primate Research.--The agreement 
     recognizes the use of nonhuman primate research for the 
     advancement of biomedical research. It also understands that 
     NIH continues to seek scientific alternatives to reduce and 
     replace nonhuman primate use in biomedical research. NIH 
     reviews every project that uses nonhuman primates in research 
     to ensure both the welfare of the animal and that there are 
     no scientific alternatives that could replace an animal 
     model. The agreement requests a report to the Committees no 
     later than one year after enactment of this Act that includes 
     a discussion of nonhuman primate use and efforts to reduce 
     such research use specifically, an assessment of research 
     alternatives, including benefits and limitations of such 
     alternatives, cost estimates, and areas of further need for 
     innovative alternatives. In the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification, the agreement requests NIH 
     include a discussion of research alternatives in use and 
     those in development.
       Mucopolysaccharide Diseases.--The agreement encourages 
     expanded research of treatments for neurological, chronic 
     inflammation, cardiovascular, and skeletal manifestations of 
     mucopolysaccharide (MPS) and ML diseases, with an emphasis on 
     gene therapy. The agreement also encourages NIH to increase 
     funding to grantees to incentivize MPS research, particularly 
     given the age and small population of current researchers. 
     Understanding the manifestations and treatments of both the 
     skeletal and neurological disease continue to be the greatest 
     areas of unmet need.
       Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.--The 
     agreement commends NIH on its new Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/
     Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) efforts, including its 2019 
     conference on accelerating research into ME/CFS, the 
     formation of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and 
     Stroke (NANDSC) Council Working Group, and the unanimous 
     adoption of the working group's report and recommendations on 
     September 4, 2019. The agreement strongly encourages NIH to 
     implement the recommendations in the NANDSC report, in 
     particular to accelerate the identification of ME/CFS 
     subtypes through the development of an ME/CFS Registry and 
     Biorepository and to increase the number of ME/CFS research 
     grant applications by investing in early career investigators 
     as recommended in the NANDSC report. The agreement also 
     recommends that NIH expand ME/CFS efforts, for example, by 
     developing: (1) new ME/CFS disease specific funding 
     announcements, including those with set-aside funds, to 
     deliver needed diagnostics and treatments as quickly as 
     possible; (2) an initiative to reach consensus on the ME/CFS 
     case definition; and (3) mechanisms to incentivize 
     researchers to enter the field.
       National Commission on Lymphatic Diseases.--OD and NHLBI 
     are applauded for facilitating the 2015 Trans-NIH Lymphatics 
     Symposium. Lymphatics research has the scientific potential 
     to treat a variety of severe diseases, including heart 
     disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. The 
     Director is encouraged to establish a National Commission on 
     Lymphatic Diseases or other appropriate mechanism to explore 
     and make recommendations on the ongoing expansion and 
     coordination of lymphatic diseases research NIH-wide.
       News Briefings.--Until recently, NIH provided the 
     Committees with a summary of the day's news articles on 
     itself, health and medical news, global health updates, and 
     other topics affecting its operations. The agreement directs 
     NIH to resume providing daily NIH news briefings within 14 
     days of enactment of this Act.
       Organ Donation and Transplantation.--The agreement includes 
     $1,500,000 to contract with and fund a NASEM study to examine 
     and recommend improvements to research, policies, and 
     activities related to organ donation and transplantation. The 
     report shall include: (1) identification of current 
     challenges involved in modeling proposed organ allocation 
     policy changes and recommendations to improve modeling; (2) 
     recommendations about how costs should be factored into the 
     modeling of organ allocation policy changes; (3) a review of 
     scoring systems (e.g., CPRA, EPTS, KDPI, LAS, MELD, etc.) or 
     other factors that determine organ allocation and patient 
     prioritization and recommendations to assure fair and 
     equitable practices are established, including reducing 
     inequities affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged patient 
     populations; (4) recommendations to update the OPTN's 
     policies and processes to ensure that organ allocation 
     decisions take into account the viewpoints of expert OPTN 
     committees; and (5) such other issues as may be identified.
       Osteopathic Medical Schools.--The agreement notes concern 
     about a lack of access to research funding for osteopathic 
     medical schools through NIH, as osteopathic medicine is one 
     of the fastest growing healthcare professions in the country, 
     and realizes its vital role in treating our Nation's rural, 
     underserved, and socioeconomically challenged populations.
       Pediatric Clinical Trials Authorized under Best 
     Pharmaceuticals for Children Act.--The agreement directs that 
     no less than $25,000,000 be used toward research in 
     preparation for clinical trials authorized by the Best 
     Pharmaceuticals for Children Act.
       Platform Technologies.--The agreement directs NIH to 
     provide a report in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification that identifies: (1) the challenges that 
     currently limit NIH's ability to support the development of 
     platform technologies, and how these might be addressed. 
     Potential examples include: (a) low levels of engagement with 
     researchers in the physical sciences, engineering, math, and 
     computer science; (b) a culture that prioritizes hypothesis-
     driven as opposed to technology-driven proposals; (c) the 
     structure of the NIH, which is organized primarily around 
     specific diseases or organs of the body; (d) a typical size 
     and duration of research grants that may not be aligned with 
     the level of investment required for advances in platform 
     technologies; and (e) difficulty in supporting high-risk, 
     high-return ideas; (2) the specific unmet needs for basic, 
     clinical and translational research that might motivate 
     investment in transformational platform technologies that 
     could be high-impact and timely, given recent scientific and 
     technological advances and unmet medical needs; and (3) 
     changes that NIH and Congress should consider with respect to 
     its ability to identify and fund promising research proposals 
     for platform technologies. Examples include: (a) recruiting 
     NIH personnel and members of study sections with relevant 
     expertise; (b) supporting workshops and the development of 
     roadmaps for platform technologies; (c) increasing funding 
     mechanisms that are appropriate for platform technologies 
     that are relevant to multiple NIH Institutes, such as the 
     Common Fund or NIBIB; (d) increasing NIH's capacity to 
     partner with industry on the development of platform 
     technologies, such as use of Other Transactions authorities; 
     (e) experimentation with different models for funding and 
     managing research, such as the DARPA model for recruiting and 
     empowering world-class program managers; (f) use of incentive 
     prizes, milestone payments and open innovation techniques; 
     and (g) funding non-profit research institutes that have an 
     increased capacity to manage more complex research projects 
     that require professional scientists, engineers, and product 
     managers, not just graduate students and postdoctoral 
     researchers. The agreement encourages NIH to engage the 
     research community and industry as it develops its response 
     to these questions and options.
       Precision Medicine and the Pediatric Population.--The 
     agreement recognizes the potential that precision medicine 
     holds for all populations, including children, and encourages 
     NIH to prioritize timely and meaningful enrollment for the 
     pediatric population, including healthy children and those 
     with rare disease, in the All of Us program. The agreement 
     requests an update within 60 days on

[[Page H11074]]

     the timing for the Special Populations Committee to provide 
     recommendations regarding the practical considerations of 
     child enrollment and data collection involving children. 
     Additionally, the agreement directs that NIH provide an 
     update on plans to ensure that the research cohort includes a 
     sufficient number of children to make meaningful studies 
     possible, the target date for enrollment to commence and how 
     enrollment strategies will include input from pediatric 
     stakeholders across the country with experience in pediatric 
     clinical trial enrollment.
       Rare Diseases.--There is concern with unknown costs 
     resulting from undiagnosed and untreated rare diseases. As a 
     result, the agreement directs GAO to study what is known 
     about the total impact rare diseases have on the U.S. 
     economy, including direct medical costs, non-medical costs, 
     loss of income, and the societal consequence of undiagnosed 
     and untreated rare disease. No later than two years after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, GAO shall provide a report on 
     its findings to the Committees.
       Regenerative Medicine.--NIH is encouraged, in collaboration 
     with FDA and HRSA, to engage experts and stakeholders to 
     define data types and standards necessary to collect data and 
     measure outcomes related to regenerative cell therapies and 
     conduct real-world testing through a pilot outcomes database 
     for regenerative adult cell therapies, including products 
     administered under FDA Investigational New Drug or 
     Investigational Device Exemption protocols.
       Spina Bifida.--The agreement encourages NIA, NIDDK, NICHD, 
     and NINDS to study the causes and care of the neurogenic 
     bladder and kidney disease to improve the quality of life of 
     children and adults with Spina Bifida; to support research to 
     address issues related to the treatment and management of 
     Spina Bifida and associated secondary conditions, such as 
     hydrocephalus; and to invest in understanding the myriad co-
     morbid conditions experienced by individuals with Spina 
     Bifida, including those associated with both paralysis and 
     developmental delay. The agreement supports the specific 
     efforts of NICHD to understand early human development; set 
     the foundation for healthy pregnancy, and lifelong wellness 
     of women and children; and promote the gynecological, 
     andrological and reproductive health for people with Spina 
     Bifida. Additionally, NICHD is encouraged to identify 
     sensitive time periods to optimize health interventions; 
     improve health during transition from adolescence to 
     adulthood; and ensure safe and effective therapeutics and 
     devices.
       Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions 
     Initiative.--The agreement applauds NIH for its cross-cutting 
     Simulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions 
     Initiative and is pleased by the Initiative's attention to 
     research that aims to address gaps in treatments for patients 
     suffering from gastrointestinal, genitourinary, cardiac, and 
     other disorders. NIH is encouraged to work collaboratively 
     across its Institutes and Centers on innovative ways to 
     expand treatment options for these often burdensome 
     conditions.
       Temporomandibular Disorders.--For the first time, the 
     nation's leaders in health and medicine are enlisting experts 
     to review all aspects of TMD, generating recommendations for 
     research, regulation, and policy. To continue to build on 
     advances in coordinated research and treatment, the agreement 
     asks OD, as it continues to work with NASEM on the study, to 
     explore the creation of a NIH inter-Institute TMD working 
     group and to report to the Committees within 90 days 
     following the publication of the final report.
       Traumatic Brain Injury.--The agreement directs NIH to 
     enhance its research efforts on alternative treatment methods 
     for TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including 
     hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). The agreement encourages 
     NIH to partner with DoD and VA to research treatment 
     alternatives such as HBOT for veterans living with PTSD and/
     or TBI.
       Trisomy 21.--The agreement includes $60,000,000 for support 
     of the Investigation of Co-Occurring Conditions Across the 
     Lifespan to Understand Down Syndrome (INCLUDE) Initiative. It 
     is expected that this multi-year, trans-NIH research 
     initiative may yield scientific discoveries that could 
     significantly improve the health and quality of life of 
     individuals with Down syndrome as well as millions of typical 
     individuals. The agreement requests the Director provide a 
     plan within 60 days of enactment of this Act that includes a 
     timeline description of potential grant opportunities and 
     deadlines for all expected funding opportunities so that 
     young investigators and new research institutions may be 
     further encouraged to explore research in this space. This 
     plan should also incorporate pipeline research initiatives 
     specific to Down syndrome.
       Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.--The agreement encourages the 
     Director to apply recommendations from two recent NIH-
     sponsored workshops on Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC): the 
     Neurodevelopmental Disorders Biomarkers Workshop held in 
     December 2017 involving TSC and related neurodevelopmental 
     disorders to take advantage of biomarker expertise and 
     lessons learned across disease groups, and the workshop 
     entitled Accelerating the Development of Therapies for Anti-
     Epileptogenesis and Disease Modification held in August 2018 
     for which TSC is a model disorder with the ability to 
     diagnose TSC prior to onset of epilepsy.
       Urinary Tract Infections.--The agreement commends NIH for 
     supporting research across the lifespan to better understand 
     the genitourinary microbiome, the role of inflammation in 
     bladder health, and the impact of these factors in urinary 
     tract infections (UTIs). NIH should continue research in the 
     development of new and novel therapies to treat and prevent 
     UTIs, including small molecule candidates and other 
     approaches that can disrupt infection and new antibiotics 
     against extensively drug-resistant bacterial strains. The 
     agreement supports the development of preventive therapies 
     and new treatment strategies.
       Inclusion in Clinical Research.--The agreement directs NIH 
     to fund a NASEM study examining and quantifying the long-term 
     medical and economic impacts of the inclusion of women and 
     racial and ethnic minorities in biomedical research and 
     subsequent translational work, and has provided $1,200,000 to 
     fund this effort. NIH is directed to report to the Committees 
     on this issue and it should include a review of the existing 
     research on the long-term economic benefits of increasing the 
     participation of women and racial and ethnic minorities in 
     clinical trials and biomedical research, including an 
     analysis of fiscal implications of inclusion on the nation's 
     overall healthcare costs; examine new programs and 
     interventions in medical centers that are currently working 
     to increase participation of women of lower socioeconomic 
     status and women who are members of racial and ethnic 
     minority groups; identify programs that are positively 
     addressing issues of underrepresentation; and analyze whether 
     and how those programs are replicable and scalable; and 
     identify more inclusive institutional and informational 
     policies and procedures to improve health outcomes for racial 
     and ethnic minorities, including health referral forms, 
     continuing education classes, and more.


                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

       The bill includes $225,000,000 from HHS' Nonrecurring 
     Expenses Fund for buildings and facilities. The agreement 
     directs NIH to provide a report with the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification describing the steps it has taken 
     and will take to implement the recommendations in the 2019 
     NASEM report Managing the NIH Bethesda Campus' Capital Assets 
     in a Highly Competitive Global Biomedical Research 
     Environment. There is a particular interest in the actions 
     NIH is taking to apply the recommendations to update the 
     Buildings and Facilities prioritization model, develop an 
     annual budget request for Backlog of Maintenance and Repair, 
     and strengthen its internal governance process, including 
     assigning and empowering a senior leader to manage capital 
     planning.
       In addition, the agreement directs NIH to provide quarterly 
     briefings of its Buildings and Facilities maintenance and 
     construction plans, including specific milestones for 
     advancing projects, status of the project, cost, and 
     priority. These updates should also highlight and explain any 
     potential cost and schedule changes affecting projects.

   Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

       The agreement encourages SAMHSA to exercise maximum 
     flexibility when developing funding opportunity announcements 
     to ensure that all eligible applicants may apply.


                             MENTAL HEALTH

       Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.--The 
     agreement includes increased funding and directs SAMHSA to 
     prioritize resources to entities within States that are part 
     of the section 223(a) of the Protecting Access to Medicare 
     Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-93) demonstration and to entities 
     within States that were awarded planning grants.
       Mental Health.--The agreement directs SAMHSA to provide a 
     comprehensive plan to the Committees no later than 60 days 
     after enactment of this Act identifying current gaps in 
     mental health care programs, highlighting how programs can 
     help close those gaps, and providing recommendations to meet 
     the needs of those experiencing mental illness.
       National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative.--The agreement 
     intends that $13,000,000 is for a new competitive process to 
     expand support for universities, hospitals, and community-
     based programs, of which at least $4,000,000 is to be 
     prioritized for mental health services for unaccompanied 
     alien children. The agreement also provides an additional 
     $2,000,000 for activities authorized under section 582(d) and 
     (e) of the Public Health Service Act.
       Within the total provided for Mental Health Programs of 
     Regional and National Significance (PRNS), the agreement 
     includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capacity:
    Seclusion and Restraint.............................      $1,147,000
    Project AWARE.......................................     102,001,000
    Mental Health Awareness Training....................      22,963,000
    Healthy Transitions.................................      28,951,000
    Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health............       7,000,000
    Children and Family Programs........................       7,229,000
    Consumer and Family Network Grants..................       4,954,000
    Project LAUNCH......................................      23,605,000
    Mental Health System Transformation.................       3,779,000
    Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration......      49,877,000
    National Strategy for Suicide Prevention............      18,200,000
        Zero Suicide....................................      16,200,000
            American Indian and Alaska Native...........       2,200,000
    Suicide Lifeline....................................      19,000,000

[[Page H11075]]

 
    Garrett Lee Smith--Youth Suicide Prevention--States.      35,427,000
    Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention--Campus..       6,488,000
    American Indian and Alaskan Native Suicide                 2,931,000
     Prevention Initiative..............................
    Tribal Behavioral Grants............................      20,000,000
    Homelessness Prevention Programs....................      30,696,000
    Minority AIDS.......................................       9,224,000
    Criminal and Juvenile Justice Programs..............       6,269,000
    Assisted Outpatient Treatment.......................      19,000,000
    Assertive Community Treatment for Individuals with         7,000,000
     Serious Mental Illness.............................
    Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers...............       2,000,000
Science and Service:
    Garrett Lee Smith--Suicide Prevention Resource             7,988,000
     Center.............................................
    Practice Improvement and Training...................       7,828,000
    Primary and Behavioral Health Integration Technical        1,991,000
     Assistance.........................................
    Consumer & Consumer Support Technical Assistance           1,918,000
     Centers............................................
    Minority Fellowship Program.........................       9,059,000
    Disaster Response...................................       1,953,000
    Homelessness........................................       2,296,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers.--The agreement 
     includes funding to provide grants, as authorized by section 
     7121 of the SUPPORT Act (P.L. 115-271), to previous 
     recipients of HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program 
     Planning Grants that provide comprehensive treatment and 
     recovery services in rural communities, including Tribal 
     communities.
       Criminal Justice Activities.--The agreement prioritizes 
     funding for centers that provide assistance to those with 
     severe mental health needs who are at risk of recidivism. The 
     agreement encourages SAMHSA to prioritize applications from 
     areas with high rates of uninsured individuals, poverty, and 
     substance use disorders.
       Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health.--The agreement 
     includes an increase to fund additional grants. The agreement 
     continues to recommend providing grants to entities such as 
     State agencies, Tribal communities, and university or medical 
     centers.
       Mental Health Awareness Training.--SAMHSA is directed to 
     include as eligible grantees local law enforcement agencies, 
     fire departments, and emergency medical units with a special 
     emphasis on training for crisis de-escalation techniques. 
     SAMHSA is also encouraged to allow training for veterans and 
     armed services personnel and their family members within the 
     Mental Health First Aid program.
       Project AWARE.--The agreement includes an increase and 
     encourages SAMHSA to expand the identification of children 
     and youth in need of mental health services, increase access 
     to mental health treatment, promote mental health literacy 
     among teachers and school personnel, and provide mental 
     health services in schools and for school aged youth. Of the 
     amount provided, the agreement directs $10,000,000 for 
     discretionary grants to support efforts in high-crime, high-
     poverty areas and, in particular, communities that are 
     seeking to address relevant impacts and root causes of civil 
     unrest, community violence, and collective trauma. These 
     grants should maintain the same focus as fiscal year 2019 
     grants. The agreement requests a report on progress of 
     grantees 180 days after enactment of this Act.
       Suicide Prevention.--The agreement includes increased 
     funding to expand and enhance access to suicide prevention 
     resources of the Suicide Lifeline, the Zero Suicide program, 
     and Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Resource Center.


                       SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT

       State Opioid Response Grants.--The agreement includes bill 
     language to make addressing stimulant abuse an allowable use 
     of funds while maintaining the existing formula. The 
     agreement directs SAMHSA to ensure funds reach communities 
     and counties with the greatest unmet need. Additionally, the 
     agreement urges the Assistant Secretary to ensure the formula 
     avoids a significant cliff between States with similar 
     mortality rates. SAMHSA is also directed to provide State 
     agencies with technical assistance concerning how to enhance 
     outreach and direct support to providers and underserved 
     communities. Consistent with the objective of Comprehensive 
     Opioid Recovery Centers, the agreement encourages long-term 
     care and support services that dramatically improve outcomes 
     and contribute to best practices. The agreement notes concern 
     that the report requested under this heading in fiscal year 
     2018 has not been transmitted to the Committees. In addition, 
     the agreement urges transmittal of SAMHSA's evaluation of the 
     program to the Committees by April 2020. SAMHSA is directed 
     to make such report and evaluation available on SAMHSA's 
     website.
       Within the total provided for Substance Abuse Treatment 
     Programs of Regional and National Significance, the agreement 
     includes the following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capacity:
    Opioid Treatment Programs/Regulatory Activities.....      $8,724,000
    Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral, and              30,000,000
     Treatment..........................................
        PHS Evaluation Funds............................       2,000,000
    Targeted Capacity Expansion--General................     100,192,000
        Medication-Assisted Treatment for Prescription        89,000,000
         Drug and Opioid Addiction......................
    Grants to Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose.      12,000,000
    First Responder Training............................      41,000,000
        Rural Focus.....................................      23,000,000
    Pregnant and Postpartum Women.......................      31,931,000
    Recovery Community Services Program.................       2,434,000
    Children and Families...............................      29,605,000
    Treatment Systems for Homeless......................      36,386,000
    Minority AIDS.......................................      65,570,000
    Criminal Justice Activities.........................      89,000,000
        Drug Courts.....................................      70,000,000
    Improving Access to Overdose Treatment..............       1,000,000
    Building Communities of Recovery....................       8,000,000
    Peer Support Technical Assistance Center............       1,000,000
    Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids........       5,000,000
    Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support..........       4,000,000
Science and Service:
    Addiction Technology Transfer Centers...............       9,046,000
    Minority Fellowship Program.........................       4,789,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Adolescent Substance Use Screening, Brief Intervention, and 
     Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).--The agreement encourages 
     SAMHSA to use funds for the adoption of SBIRT protocols in 
     primary care and other appropriate settings that serve youth 
     12 to 21 years of age as well as on the adoption of system-
     level approaches to facilitate the uptake of SBIRT into 
     routine healthcare visits for adults. Further, the agreement 
     encourages SAMHSA to consider using existing resources for 
     grants to pediatric healthcare providers in accordance with 
     the specifications outlined in section 9016 of the Sober 
     Truth in Preventing Underage Drinking Reauthorization (P.L. 
     114-255).
       Building Communities of Recovery.--The agreement provides 
     an increase for enhanced long-term recovery support 
     principally governed by people in recovery from substance use 
     disorders. Such support reflects the community being served 
     and encourages the role of recovery coaches. SAMHSA is 
     encouraged to ensure that grants employing peers comply with 
     the highest standards within their respective States.
       Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids.--The 
     agreement includes funding to award new grants to hospitals 
     and emergency departments as authorized in section 7091 of 
     the SUPPORT Act (P.L. 115-271).
       First Responder Training.--Of the funding provided, the 
     agreement provides an additional $5,000,000 to make new 
     awards to rural public and non-profit fire and EMS agencies 
     as authorized in the Supporting and Improving Rural Emergency 
     Medical Services Needs (SIREN) Act, included in the 
     Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334). The 
     agreement directs SAMHSA to coordinate with the Federal 
     Office of Rural Health Policy in HRSA.
       Medication-Assisted Treatment for Prescription Drug and 
     Opioid Addiction.--Within the amount, the agreement includes 
     $10,000,000 for grants to Indian Tribes, Tribal 
     Organizations, or consortia.
       Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.--The agreement supports the 
     continued efforts of expanded implementation of SBIRT and its 
     possible impact on reducing the costs of neonatal abstinence 
     syndrome.
       Opioid Abuse in Rural Communities.--The agreement 
     encourages SAMHSA to support initiatives to advance opioid 
     abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery objectives, 
     specifically focusing on addressing the needs of individuals 
     with substance use disorders in rural and medically-
     underserved areas, as well as programs that emphasize a 
     comprehensive community-based approach involving academic 
     institutions, healthcare providers, and local criminal 
     justice systems.
       Peer Support Technical Assistance Center.--The agreement 
     provides funding for the creation of the Center, as 
     authorized by section 7152 of the SUPPORT Act (P.L. 115-271).
       Pregnant and Postpartum Women.--The agreement encourages 
     SAMHSA to prioritize States that support best-practice 
     collaborative models for the treatment and support of 
     pregnant women with opioid use disorders.
       Telehealth Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid 
     Treatment.--The agreement notes that some State Opioid 
     Response grant funding has been used to fund MAT through 
     telehealth and requests a report in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification on efficacy and sustainability of 
     this effort.
       Treatment Assistance for Localities.--The agreement 
     recognizes the use of peer recovery specialists and mutual 
     aid recovery programs that support MAT and encourages SAMHSA 
     to support these activities as applicable in its current 
     grant programs.
       Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support.--The agreement 
     includes funding to implement section 7081 of the SUPPORT Act 
     (P.L. 115-271). SAMHSA is directed to, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of Labor, award competitive grants to entities 
     to carry out evidence-based programs to support individuals 
     in substance use disorder treatment and recovery to live 
     independently and participate in the workforce.


                       SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION

       Within the total provided for Substance Abuse Prevention 
     Programs of Regional and National Significance, the agreement 
     includes the following amounts:

[[Page H11076]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capacity:
    Strategic Prevention Framework/Partnerships for         $119,484,000
     Success............................................
        Strategic Prevention Framework Rx...............      10,000,000
    Federal Drug-Free Workplace.........................       4,894,000
    Minority AIDS.......................................      41,205,000
    Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP          9,000,000
     Act)...............................................
        National Adult-Oriented Media Public Service           1,000,000
         Campaign.......................................
        Community-based Coalition Enhancement Grants....       7,000,000
        Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee on the        1,000,000
         Prevention of Underage Drinking................
    Tribal Behavioral Health Grants.....................      20,000,000
Science and Service:
    Center for the Application of Prevention                   7,493,000
     Technologies.......................................
    Science and Service Program Coordination............       4,072,000
    Minority Fellowship Program.........................         321,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP 
     Act).--The agreement provides an increase for community-based 
     coalition enhancement grants.
       Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success 
     Program.--The agreement encourages the program to support 
     comprehensive, multi-sector substance use prevention 
     strategies to stop or delay the age of initiation of each 
     State's top three substance use issues for 12 to 18 year old 
     youth as determined by the State's epidemiological data. The 
     agreement directs SAMHSA to ensure that State alcohol and 
     drug agencies remain eligible to apply along with community-
     based organizations and coalitions.


                HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AND PROGRAM SUPPORT

       Within the total provided for health surveillance and 
     program support, the agreement includes the following 
     amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Health Surveillance.....................................     $47,258,000
    PHS Evaluation Funds................................      30,428,000
Program Management......................................      79,000,000
Performance and Quality Information Systems.............      10,000,000
Drug Abuse Warning Network..............................      10,000,000
Public Awareness and Support............................      13,000,000
Behavioral Health Workforce Data........................       1,000,000
    PHS Evaluation Funds................................       1,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care.--The 
     agreement supports the authorized activities of the 
     Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care, including the 
     dissemination of trauma-informed best practices and the 
     promotion of such models and training strategies through all 
     relevant grant programs.
       Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders.--The 
     agreement encourages SAMHSA to examine post-traumatic stress 
     disorder among individuals working in the civilian first 
     responder disciplines to provide information on this effort 
     in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.

           Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)


                    HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY

       Antimicrobial Resistance.--The agreement provides no less 
     than $10,000,000 for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
       Diabetes.--AHRQ is encouraged to consider a pilot or 
     demonstration program to support safety net clinics in 
     increasing health literacy and preventing diabetes, with the 
     goal of reducing long-term costs.
       Diagnostic Errors.--The agreement includes no less than 
     $3,000,000 for the Partners Enabling Diagnostic Excellence 
     research program. Such grants will help establish the 
     incidence of and understanding of factors contributing to 
     diagnostic errors and examine the association between 
     diagnostic safety and quality and outcomes such as patient 
     harms, costs, expenditures, and utilization.
       Kratom.--Little research has been done to date on natural 
     products that are used by many to treat pain in place of 
     opioids. These natural plants and substances include kratom 
     and cannabidiol. The agreement recommends no less than 
     $1,000,000 for this research and directs AHRQ to make center-
     based grants. Such research should lead to clinical trials in 
     geographic regions which are among the hardest hit by the 
     opioid crisis.
       Malnutrition.--AHRQ is requested to convene a technical 
     expert panel charged with creating a malnutrition-related 
     readmissions quality measure to help prevent malnutrition in 
     hospitals.
       Primary Care Research.--Congress supports primary care 
     clinical research and dissemination as a core function of 
     AHRQ. AHRQ has proven to be uniquely positioned to support 
     high-quality primary care clinical and practice research, 
     especially in rural and underserved areas, where primary care 
     physicians are the main providers of care.
       State Primary Care Demonstrations.--Congress understands 
     that a number of States are taking steps to improve the 
     delivery of primary care. Congress believes that these 
     actions could provide a model for primary care nationally. 
     The agreement includes no less than $1,000,000 to support a 
     study of those States' actions, to be shared with the 
     Committees.

             Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)


                           PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

       Air Ambulance Costs.--The agreement requests CMS report to 
     the Committees no later than one year after enactment of this 
     Act on any evidence of air ambulance base closures in rural 
     areas which may have affected patients' access to care, and 
     to consider relevant factors that have affected air ambulance 
     transportation costs when setting appropriate air ambulance 
     payments, and consider whether costs currently align with 
     payments.
       Assistive Technology Act Programs Reutilization Program.--
     The agreement encourages CMS to support State Medicaid 
     programs in partnering with State Assistive Technology Act 
     programs to develop and implement reutilization programs with 
     a goal of containing Medicaid costs.
       At-risk Youth Medicaid Protection.--The agreement 
     encourages CMS to consider rulemaking related to section 1001 
     of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-
     271) and include an update on these activities in the fiscal 
     year 2021 Congressional Justification.
       Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.--The 
     agreement directs CMS to provide available cost information 
     to the Committees no later than 30 days after enactment of 
     this Act. CMS should include a preliminary analysis 
     summarizing cost data, as well as compare actual data to the 
     Congressional Budget Office estimate.
       Claim Payment Coordination.--The agreement requests 
     information in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification that provides options to reform the 
     identification of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare 
     Advantage or Part D plans by third party payers in situations 
     where no-fault or liability insurance, or workers' 
     compensation is involved.
       Colorectal Cancer Screenings.--The agreement encourages CMS 
     to use its existing authority to increase access to 
     colorectal cancer screenings by exploring options to reduce 
     out-of-pocket costs associated with screening colonoscopies 
     when a polyp or lesion is found and removed.
       Computed Tomography (CT) Colonography.--The agreement 
     encourages CMS to consider existing evidence to determine 
     whether CMS should cover CT colonography as a Medicare-
     covered colorectal cancer screening test under section 
     1861(pp)(1) of the Social Security Act.
       Data Collection Process for Laboratory Testing.--The 
     agreement encourages CMS to continue to work with laboratory 
     stakeholders to further refine and evaluate the data 
     collection process under section 216 of the Protecting Access 
     to Medicare Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-93) to ensure that the 
     information collected accurately reflects the national 
     laboratory market, including physician office laboratories 
     and hospital outreach laboratories.
       Detecting Cognitive Impairment.--The agreement encourages 
     CMS to evaluate and update its definition of the ``detection 
     of any cognitive impairment'' element to the Annual Wellness 
     Visit with reference to cognitive impairment detection tools 
     available at NIA's Alzheimer's and Dementia Resources for 
     Professionals website and to do so within one year of 
     enactment of this Act.
       Direct and Indirect Remuneration Fees.--The agreement 
     encourages CMS to work with stakeholders, including community 
     pharmacies and beneficiary groups, to develop standardized 
     performance metrics that can be adopted to move the Part D 
     program toward better patient outcomes and quality.
       Durable Medical Equipment.--The agreement encourages CMS to 
     consider whether implementation of the next round of 
     competitive acquisition program reforms should be fully 
     completed before adding ventilator equipment, supplies, and 
     services to the competitive bidding program.
       Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model.--The 
     agreement encourages CMS to work with applicants to ensure 
     interested parties are able to participate in the ET3 payment 
     model.
       Frontier Communities.--The agreement supports an extension 
     of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project program 
     beyond its original three years.
       Genome and Exome Sequencing.--CMS has yet to provide the 
     report requested in section 251 of division B of H.R. 6157. 
     CMS shall submit this required report no later than 30 days 
     after enactment of this Act.
       Graduate Medical Education Program.--In conjunction with 
     new medical residency programs language included in House 
     Report 116-62, the agreement encourages CMS to extend the 
     time described in section 413.79(e) of title 42, Code of 
     Federal Regulations, for new residency programs before a 
     full-time equivalent resident cap is applied as authorized in 
     P.L. 105-33.
       Health Insurance Exchange Transparency.--The agreement 
     continues bill language requiring CMS to continue to provide 
     cost information for the health insurance exchange, including 
     all categories described under this heading in the 
     explanatory statement accompanying division B of P.L. 115-
     245, as well as estimated costs for fiscal year 2021.
       Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers.--The agreement requests 
     an update in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification 
     on reducing pressure ulcer discharges.
       Immunization Information Systems.--The agreement encourages 
     CMS to work with CDC and other relevant stakeholders to 
     establish greater consistency and interoperability between 
     electronic health records and State and local immunization 
     information systems.

[[Page H11077]]

       Limited Wraparound Coverage.--The agreement strongly urges 
     CMS to extend the pilot program established by a final 
     regulation published on March 18, 2015, to allow limited 
     wraparound benefits, or supplements, to individual health 
     insurance coverage (or Basic Health Plan coverage). 
     Wraparound coverage is a specialized offering targeted to 
     help part-time workers and retirees whose employers or former 
     employers meet standards of responsibility and have agreed to 
     provide this supplemental coverage as an option. The 
     agreement directs the Department to submit a report within 90 
     days of enactment of this Act on the status of the program.
       Transparency.--The agreement encourages the Center for 
     Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to engage with stakeholders 
     and Congress during the project development process and 
     requests an update on such efforts in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification.
       Lymphatic System Failure.--The agreement encourages the 
     Secretary to promulgate rules for covering prescribed 
     compression garments as acknowledged by CMS's 2001 decision 
     memorandum in the treatment of lymphatic system failure.
       Medical Claims Databases.--The agreement urges CMS, in 
     consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Treasury, to, 
     once enacted, move swiftly to implement legislation creating 
     a secure Federal database and support States in collecting 
     data and claims that will enable analysis of the utilization 
     and prices of healthcare items and services.
       Medicare Coverage of Innovative Drugs and Products.--The 
     agreement encourages CMS to explore different ways to 
     reimburse for innovative drugs approved by FDA in a manner 
     that protects beneficiary access and encourages continued 
     innovation while preserving the Medicare trust funds.
       Medicare Coverage of In-Home Intravenous Immunoglobulin.--
     The agreement is aware of a demonstration evaluating bundled 
     payment covering items and services needed to administer 
     intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) into beneficiaries with 
     primary immunodeficiency diseases. The agreement is also 
     aware of ongoing rulemaking pertaining to the permanent 
     Medicare home infusion services payment for therapies like 
     IVIG. As CMS continues with rulemaking for the permanent home 
     infusion therapy benefit, the agreement encourages CMS to 
     articulate this position in future rulemaking.
       Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program.--The agreement 
     encourages CMS to minimize the regulatory barriers impeding 
     potential or existing suppliers from delivering the Diabetes 
     Prevention Program (DPP) to Medicare beneficiaries, and to 
     allow the full range of CDC-recognized DPP providers to 
     participate as Medicare DPP suppliers.
       Medicare Area Wage Index.--The agreement directs CMS to 
     provide a report to the Committees on its methodology for 
     calculating the labor-related share (LRS) percentage used in 
     the proposed rule entitled ``The Inpatient Prospective 
     Payment System and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective 
     Payment System for fiscal year 2020''. The report shall fully 
     describe all methodologies, allocations, and assumptions; and 
     provide a schedule(s) of the calculation used to derive the 
     LRS percent.
       Nonemergency Medical Transportation (NEMT).--The agreement 
     directs HHS to take no regulatory action on availability of 
     NEMT service until the study described under the ``Medicaid 
     and CHIP Payment and Access Commission'' header of this joint 
     explanatory statement is complete.
       Oral Health.--The agreement is concerned that CMS has 
     implemented policies that prevent consumers from purchasing 
     stand-alone dental benefits and encourages CMS to permit the 
     purchase of stand-alone dental plans separate from the 
     purchase of qualified health plans beginning with the 2020 
     plan year. The agreement encourages CMS to report annually on 
     State-level oral health and dental benefits available to 
     adult populations, including pregnant women.
       Program Integrity.--The agreement notes the Committees have 
     yet to receive the briefing on program integrity requested in 
     Senate Report 115-289. The agreement requests the briefing 
     from CMS's Center for Program Integrity within 60 days of 
     enactment of this Act.
       Recovery Audit Program.--The agreement directs CMS to 
     conduct an internal review of their Recovery Audit program in 
     an effort to identify inefficiencies in the current system. 
     CMS shall include their findings in the annual report to 
     Congress.
       Reimbursement Coding for Reducing Opioid Consumption.--The 
     agreement urges CMS to collaborate with the FDA and consider 
     approved devices and therapies for unique post-surgery 
     patient populations for effective pain management. In 
     addition, CMS should take steps to improve tracking of 
     patient pain scores and opioid consumption using alternative 
     means for effective pain management.
       Revisions to Office Visit Services.--The agreement notes 
     that the CMS final 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule 
     outlines significant changes to how evaluation and management 
     services will be documented and paid for beginning in 2021. 
     The agreement encourages CMS to ensure that payment changes 
     do not further exacerbate workforce shortages.
       Risk Corridor Program.--CMS is directed to provide a yearly 
     report to the Committees detailing any changes to the receipt 
     and transfer of payments.
       Robotic Stereotactic Radiosurgery.--The agreement 
     encourages CMS not to make payment changes to robotic 
     stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and robotic stereotactic body 
     radiation therapy (SBRT) in the freestanding or hospital 
     outpatient setting as CMS complies with the Patient Access 
     and Medicare Protection Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 
     2018. The agreement encourages CMS to maintain stable payment 
     for robotic SRS and robotic SBRT performed in Core-Based 
     Statistical Areas that are not randomly selected to 
     participate in the alternative payment model.
       Rural Healthcare Facilities.--The agreement encourages CMS 
     to continue working with States and State hospital 
     associations on alternative payment models for rural medical 
     centers that support future financial stability and announce 
     potential models in 2020 with participants who demonstrate 
     clear community support for engaging these new programmatic 
     flexibilities.
       Telehealth.--To address inconsistency with billing and 
     coding across Medicaid, the agreement encourages CMS to issue 
     guidance outlining a recommended, but voluntary, set of 
     billing codes, modifiers and/or place of service designations 
     for use in State Medicaid programs.
       Therapeutic Foster Care.--The agreement requests an update 
     in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification on the 
     study requested in House Report 114-699.
       Underperforming Healthcare Facilities.--Within six months 
     of enactment of this Act, the agreement directs CMS to 
     provide the Committees a report on the resources the agency 
     requires to ensure all nominees for the program become full 
     participants, subject to the special focus facility (SFF) 
     program's enhanced surveying and progressive enforcement 
     standards. The agreement further directs CMS to disclose the 
     names of nursing homes that are eligible for the SFF program, 
     but are not officially part of SFF, on the Nursing Home 
     Compare website.
       Workforce Capacity for Infectious Diseases and the Opioid 
     Epidemic.--The agreement continues to encourage CMS to 
     collaborate with SAMHSA, CDC, and HRSA to support education 
     and training for medical providers on the frontlines of the 
     opioid epidemic to help expand access to comprehensive, 
     coordinated care for opioid addiction and related infectious 
     diseases.

             Administration for Children and Families (ACF)


                   LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE

       The agreement includes a new provision limiting annual 
     decreases in State allocations, preventing States from 
     receiving less than 97 percent of what they received the 
     prior fiscal year.
       Within 120 days of enactment of this Act, the agreement 
     directs ACF to submit to the Committees and make publicly 
     available a report evaluating the program's formula and 
     allocations of funding among States, including an assessment 
     of available data, how the formula currently addresses annual 
     fluctuations in formula factors, and the percentage of 
     eligible households served, average assistance amount, and 
     percentage of home energy costs covered by that amount by 
     State.


                     REFUGEE AND ENTRANT ASSISTANCE

       The agreement notes that appropriate consultation with 
     Congress is required by statute in advance of the 
     Administration's determination on the number of refugees to 
     be admitted during the coming fiscal year. In times of 
     reductions in refugee arrivals, the agreement encourages HHS, 
     to the extent practicable, to ensure that resettlement 
     agencies can maintain their infrastructure and capacity at a 
     level to continue to serve all refugees and to ensure future 
     arrivals are adequately served. The agreement strongly 
     encourages the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to 
     continue to meet, on no less than a bi-monthly basis, with 
     outside organizations with expertise in ORR programs to 
     provide updates and hear the perspective of these 
     stakeholders.
       Transitional and Medical Services.--The agreement strongly 
     encourages ORR to increase the percentage of eligible 
     arrivals served by the matching grant program and to provide 
     flexibility to carry over unexpended funding and slots when 
     justified, including by providing exemptions to the 31 day 
     enrollment period.
       Refugee Support Services.--Within 30 days of enactment of 
     this Act, the agreement directs the Department to provide a 
     list of competitive grants and set-asides within Refugee 
     Support Services and to include their corresponding funding 
     levels in fiscal years 2016 through 2020.
       Victims of Trafficking.--The agreement includes $19,500,000 
     for services for foreign national victims and $8,255,000 for 
     services for U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. The 
     agreement includes no less than $3,500,000 for the National 
     Human Trafficking Hotline and urges extension of the 
     cooperative agreement from 3 to 5 years to align with other 
     Federally-funded hotlines.
     Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC)
       Children Separated from a Parent or Legal Guardian.--The 
     agreement includes a public reporting requirement with 
     respect to children who have been separated from a parent or 
     legal guardian. In addition, the agreement notes HHS has not 
     yet complied with the reporting requirements included in 
     Senate Report 115-289 regarding the demographics of separated 
     children and expects the Department to begin providing this 
     information.
       Facility Oversight.--ORR is expected to maintain strict 
     oversight of all ORR-funded care provider facilities and to 
     report and correct violations of Federal, State, or local

[[Page H11078]]

     codes related to standards of childcare or the wellbeing of 
     children. Within 60 days of enactment of this Act, ORR is 
     directed to submit to the Committees a report detailing the 
     number and nature of violations by facility, and steps taken 
     to address such infractions.
       Indigenous Languages.--ORR is encouraged, to the extent 
     possible, to provide culturally competent, in person 
     education and translation services to children in custody.
       Length of Care.--The agreement directs ORR to provide a 
     briefing to the Committees within 120 days of enactment of 
     this Act on options and plans for children who have been in 
     ORR custody for extended periods of time. In addition, ORR is 
     directed to continue to prioritize case management services 
     and staffing, including Federal Field Specialists, lowering 
     the ratio of children per case coordinator.
       The agreement includes language continuing current law 
     regarding the operational directives issued to modify sponsor 
     suitability requirements, which significantly reduced the 
     length of time children spend in care. The agreement expects 
     HHS to continue to work on efforts to reduce time in care and 
     to consider additional policy changes that can be made to 
     release children to suitable sponsors as safely and 
     expeditiously as possible. The agreement does not provide 
     further direction on this issue.
       Mental Health Services.--The agreement encourages ORR to 
     continue collaborating with the National Child Traumatic 
     Stress Network and notes that no less than $4,000,000 is 
     included in this agreement through SAMHSA for such efforts. 
     ACF is directed to keep the Committees informed of additional 
     resources necessary to support children and families who may 
     need access to these services. In addition, the agreement 
     directs ORR to provide a briefing to the Committees within 
     120 days of enactment of this Act on HHS' and grantees' 
     coordination of health and mental health services, including 
     training requirements for staff providing those services and 
     any challenges to providing adequate care for children.
       New Models of Care Delivery.--ORR is urged to include in 
     the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification information 
     about any plans being considered for new models of care 
     delivery, along with a justification for how new models could 
     best meet the needs of children in ORR care. When exploring 
     the feasibility of such models, ORR is expected to prioritize 
     community engagement, the use of pilot projects with short-
     term duration to demonstrate proof of concept before making 
     significant or long-term investments, and a collaborative and 
     transparent communications strategy with external 
     stakeholders and Congress.
       Office of Inspector General Report Recommendations.--The 
     agreement requests an update in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification on the status of ORR's 
     implementation of recommendations made in recent inspector 
     general reports.
       Records Requests.--The agreement expects ORR to maintain 
     records and respond to records requests consistent with the 
     requirements of section 552 of title 5, U.S. Code, for 
     information related to all children in care, regardless of 
     whether such children are housed in Federal facilities or, to 
     the extent possible, non-Federal facilities managed by 
     contractors or other private entities.
       Services for Children.--The agreement includes an increase 
     in funding for legal services, child advocates, and post-
     release services to support the expansion of State-licensed 
     shelters, and to allow for the resumption and expansion of 
     services to children released from ORR care. Using funds 
     provided in this agreement, combined with funding from the 
     Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian 
     Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 
     (P.L. 116-26), ORR is directed to continue to expand such 
     services beyond currently estimated levels, including for 
     children released in high-release communities.
       The agreement strongly encourages ORR to notify legal 
     service providers at the time new grant awards are made and 
     prior to opening a shelter, and to provide monthly estimates 
     of funded capacity by shelter. Additionally, the agreement 
     strongly encourages ORR to ensure that all UAC shelters 
     provide space for legal service providers to meet with 
     children.
       Within amounts provided for post-release services in this 
     agreement and combined with funds from P.L 116-26, ORR is 
     directed to expand post-release services capacity to 
     eliminate the waitlist of children qualifying for Trafficking 
     Victims Protection Reauthorization Act-mandated services, and 
     to expand services to children that case managers identify 
     would benefit from such services.
       Sibling Placement.--The agreement directs ORR to place 
     siblings in the same facility, or with the same sponsor, to 
     the extent practicable, and so long as it is appropriate and 
     in the best interest of the child.
       Spend Plan.--The agreement directs ORR to incorporate all 
     funding provided in this Act into a comprehensive spend plan 
     that must be submitted to the Committees every 60 days in 
     accordance with section 410 of the Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at 
     the Southern Border Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-26).
       Sponsorship Suitability Determination Process.--The 
     Department is directed to ensure all grantees are provided 
     clear guidance to communicate with potential sponsors 
     regarding current law regarding the use of personal 
     information collected as part of the sponsor suitability 
     determination process. The agreement expects consistent 
     monitoring to ensure program policies are applied 
     appropriately by all grantees in an effort to place children 
     with sponsors as safely and expeditiously as practicable.
       State Licensed Shelters.--The agreement directs ORR to 
     prioritize licensed, community-based residential care 
     placements (including long-term and transitional foster care 
     and small group homes) over large-scale institutions and to 
     notify the Committees prior to all new funding opportunity 
     announcements, grant or contract awards, or plans to lease or 
     acquire property. Such notification should include associated 
     timelines and costs.
       Temporary Influx Shelters.--The agreement includes language 
     continuing current law conditions on the use of temporary 
     influx shelters, strengthens oversight and monitoring of 
     facilities, and requires Congressional notifications and 
     reporting requirements if a shelter is operationalized. The 
     agreement requests HHS submit a report to the Committees 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act detailing the 
     barriers to State-licensing, including any State child 
     welfare laws and regulations, that could not be met for any 
     influx facility operational in fiscal year 2019. If an influx 
     shelter is opened in fiscal year 2020, ORR shall submit a 
     report to the Committees with the same information within 90 
     days. In addition, the agreement notes that the spend plan 
     required every 60 days must include a detailed cost breakdown 
     of any facility, regardless of its operational status.
       Tender Age Children.--The agreement directs ORR to include 
     in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification 
     information on efforts to ensure developmentally appropriate 
     care for tender age children, including placement options, 
     services and staff training, as well as an assessment of 
     circumstances under which very young children are referred to 
     ORR.


                CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICES PROGRAMS

       Early Head Start Expansion (EHS) and EHS-Child Care 
     Partnerships.--The agreement modifies bill language to 
     simplify the administration of EHS Expansion and EHS-Child 
     Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP) grants, but does not otherwise 
     change the use of funds provided for such purposes. The 
     agreement continues to strongly support EHS Expansion and 
     EHS-CCPs, and accordingly, the agreement includes at least 
     $905,000,000 for such purposes, an increase of $100,000,000. 
     Since fiscal year 2014, these funds have supported both the 
     expansion of traditional EHS and the establishment of 
     partnerships between EHS providers and local child care 
     programs. The agreement directs ACF to continue to prioritize 
     equally EHS Expansion and EHS-CCP, as determined by the needs 
     of local communities. The agreement expects that any funds 
     used for EHS Expansion and EHS-Child Care-Partnership grants 
     that are re-competed would continue to be used for such 
     purposes. Finally, the agreement directs ACF to include in 
     the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification and each 
     Congressional Justification thereafter, the actual and 
     estimated number of funded slots for each of the following: 
     Head Start, EHS, and EHS-Child Care Partnerships.
       Quality Improvement Funding for Trauma-Informed Care.--The 
     agreement provides $250,000,000 in quality improvement 
     funding, including a prioritization on addressing the rise of 
     adverse childhood experiences attributable to increased 
     prevalence of substance use, economic hardship, home and 
     community violence, and other traumatic experiences that can 
     negatively impact child development and lead to disruptions 
     in classroom environments. The agreement directs the 
     Administration to allow flexibility to meet local needs while 
     focusing these funds on staff training for trauma-informed 
     care and identification of signs of addiction and hardship; 
     mental health consultation services to provide expert care 
     and counseling to families and the Head Start workforce; and 
     additional staffing to Head Start classes in high-risk 
     substance use communities to maintain high-quality learning 
     environments while providing individualized care to children 
     expressing disruptive and challenging behaviors.
       Designation Renewal System.--ACF is encouraged to continue 
     to consider the unique challenges faced by Head Start 
     grantees in remote and frontier areas when reviewing such 
     grantees' compliance with health and dental screening 
     requirements as part of the designation renewal system.
       Preschool Development Grants.--The agreement includes an 
     increase of $25,000,000 for Preschool Development Grants and 
     expects these additional funds to be managed in conjunction 
     with funds appropriated in fiscal year 2019 that will be 
     awarded in December 2019.
       Runaway and Homeless Youth.--The agreement includes 
     $132,421,000 for Runaway and Homeless Youth programs. Within 
     120 days of enactment of this Act, ACF is directed to brief 
     the Committees on the feasibility of coordinating with the 
     Department of Housing and Urban Development's ongoing study 
     on the incidence, prevalence, needs, and characteristics of 
     youth homelessness and housing instability, including 
     geographic differences and vulnerable populations that have 
     not yet been studied.
       Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Infant Plans of 
     Safe Care.--The agreement continues $60,000,000 to help 
     States develop and implement plans of safe care as required 
     by section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii) of the Child Abuse

[[Page H11079]]

     Prevention and Treatment Act. The agreement directs ACF to 
     enhance its coordination with States, especially those with 
     high or increasing rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome, and 
     to brief the Committees on such effort within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act.
       Child Abuse Discretionary Activities.--The agreement 
     includes $1,000,000 for an additional year of grant funding 
     for text- and online chat-based intervention and education 
     services through the Child Abuse Hotline.
       Child Welfare Research, Training and Demonstration.--The 
     agreement continues the National Survey of Child and 
     Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) and encourages ACF to expand 
     data collection as part of the current NSCAW cohort to 
     include information necessary to evaluate the impact of 
     opioid and substance use on children.
       Adoption Opportunities.--The agreement includes an 
     additional $1,000,000 to continue the National Adoption 
     Competency Mental Health Training Initiative, and directs ACF 
     to provide ongoing resources to a national organization with 
     the capacity and expertise to continuously evaluate and 
     update the training curriculums, that will provide all 
     States, Tribes and territories the necessary technical 
     assistance to ensure that the curriculums are appropriately 
     used by State child welfare and mental health professionals.
       Native American Programs.--The agreement includes 
     $12,500,000 for Native American language preservation 
     activities, and not less than $4,500,000 for language 
     immersion programs authorized by section 803C(b)(7)(A)-(C) of 
     the Native American Programs Act, as amended by the Esther 
     Martinez Native American Language Preservation Act of 2006.
       Additionally, ACF is encouraged to convene a working group 
     of Federal early childhood program administrators, tribal 
     early childhood stakeholders, and tribal leaders to examine 
     coordination issues that may be impacting early childhood 
     initiatives in tribal communities.
       Community Services Block Grant.--The agreement notes that 
     community action agencies are well positioned to help address 
     substance use disorders and provide essential support and 
     services for individuals and families who experience poverty.
       National Domestic Violence Hotline.--The agreement includes 
     continued support for the StrongHearts Native Helpline.
       Program Administration.--The agreement expects ACF to work 
     with the Committees to develop a quarterly status of balances 
     report at the level of detail displayed in the table at the 
     end of this statement.


                   PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES

       Kinship Navigator Programs.--The agreement includes 
     $20,000,000 for Kinship Navigator Programs to help build the 
     evidence base in order for programs to become eligible for 
     mandatory funding available under the Family First Prevention 
     and Services Act (FFPSA).
       Prevention Services Clearinghouse.--The agreement includes 
     $2,750,000 for the clearinghouse to increase the capacity to 
     review research and evaluations of programs intended to 
     provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent 
     foster care placements. This in turn will increase the number 
     of such programs that may be eligible for funding under title 
     IV-E of the Social Security Act.
       Regional Partnership Grants.--The agreement includes 
     $10,000,000 for Regional Partnership Grants (RPGs) and 
     strongly encourages ACF to prioritize applicants that will 
     focus on preparing programs to qualify as evidence-based 
     foster care prevention services under FFPSA, including 
     family-focused, residential treatment programs and programs 
     that mitigate the traumatic impact of parental incarceration.

               Administration for Community Living (ACL)


                 AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES PROGRAMS

       Protection of Vulnerable Older Americans.--The agreement 
     includes a $1,000,000 increase for expansion of the ombudsman 
     program to assisted living facilities.
       National Family Caregiver Strategy.--The agreement includes 
     $100,000 for the Family Caregiving Advisory Council.
       Aging Network Support Activities.--Within the total, the 
     agreement provides not less than $5,000,000 for the Holocaust 
     Survivor's Assistance program.
       Alzheimer's Disease Program.--The agreement includes up to 
     $2,000,000 for the National Alzheimer's Call Center and a 
     $3,000,000 increase for expanding direct services, including 
     respite care, for paid and unpaid caregivers.
       Elder Rights Support Activities.--Within the total, the 
     agreement provides $12,000,000 for the Elder Justice and 
     Adult Protective Services program.
       Paralysis Resource Center.--The agreement includes 
     $9,700,000 for the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) and 
     directs ACL to continue support for the National PRC at not 
     less than $8,700,000.
       Developmental Disabilities State Councils.--ACL is 
     instructed to provide not less than $700,000 for technical 
     assistance and training for the State Councils on 
     Developmental Disabilities.
       Developmental Disabilities Protection and Advocacy.--Within 
     90 days of enactment of this Act, ACL is directed to provide 
     a report to the Committees, for which the agreement provides 
     sufficient funding, on the extent to which protection and 
     advocacy grantees currently provide legal, administrative, 
     and other human rights services to help individuals with 
     disabilities understand and navigate their respective State's 
     Medicaid system, including rural and urban States with 
     Medicaid managed care arrangements.
       Intermediate Care Facilities.--The Department is encouraged 
     to factor the needs and desires of patients, their families, 
     caregivers, legal representatives, and other stakeholders, as 
     well as the need to provide proper settings for care, into 
     its enforcement of the Developmental Disabilities Act.
       University Centers for Excellence in Developmental 
     Disabilities.--The agreement includes $1,000,000 to establish 
     a pilot program to support partnerships between existing 
     University Centers for Excellence in Developmental 
     Disabilities and highly-qualified, non-profit service 
     providers to develop models that offer individuals with 
     Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and their 
     families with community-based adult transition and daytime 
     services to support independent living.
       National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and 
     Rehabilitation Research.--The agreement provides $2,000,000 
     to continue projects as established by Senate Report 115-289. 
     Funding is provided to encourage investment in research by 
     universities and other eligible entities that seek to develop 
     technologies that allow for independent living, address the 
     disabled aging populations, and target rural, frontier, and 
     tribal communities.
       Assistive Technology.--The agreement includes a $1,000,000 
     increase for formula grant funding through section 4 of the 
     Assistive Technology Act.

                        Office of the Secretary


                    GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT

       Antibiotic Development.--The agreement encourages HHS to be 
     closely involved with the update of the National Action Plan 
     for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. HHS shall 
     include in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification a 
     detailed update on progress implementing such plan.
       Emergency Room Utilization.--HHS is encouraged to submit a 
     report that analyzes emergency room utilization at the State 
     and national levels to be provided to the Committees no later 
     than one year after enactment of this Act. The report should 
     focus on non-emergency services while in the emergency room 
     setting.
       Evidence-based Grants and Policy.--The agreement requests 
     an update in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification 
     on implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-based 
     Policymaking Act and implementation plans for the coming 
     year.
       Guidelines for Hair Testing.--The agreement directs the 
     Secretary to report to the Committees no later than 30 days 
     after enactment of this Act on progress establishing these 
     guidelines.
       Health Disparities.--Within 180 days of enactment of this 
     Act, HHS shall submit to the Committees an update of the 
     Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 
     The update should include barriers to full implementation and 
     proposed remedies. The report should include the extent that 
     HHS programs collect, report, and analyze health disparities 
     data based on race, ethnicity, disability, and other 
     characteristics for the population HHS programs serve. The 
     updated report shall include specific efforts to improve 
     birth outcomes for African-American women and children, 
     including how to address implicit bias in healthcare delivery 
     and the health impacts of trauma associated with racism.
       HIV Initiative.--The agreement fully funds the HIV 
     Initiative and directs HHS to provide a spend plan to the 
     Committees no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act, 
     to include resource allocation by State. The agreement 
     further directs HHS to submit an initial evaluation of the 
     program to the Committees no later than one year after 
     enactment of this Act.
       Hospital Acquired Conditions.--The agreement supports an 
     evaluation of the efforts to reduce Hospital Acquired 
     Conditions, outlined in House report 116-62, and directs the 
     Secretary to include the results of the evaluation in the 
     fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.
       KidneyX.--The agreement includes $5,000,000 for KidneyX and 
     directs the Secretary to submit a multi-year plan to the 
     Committees, outlining possible prize competitions in future 
     years, no later than 180 days after enactment of this Act.
       Lung Cancer in Women.--The agreement encourages the 
     Secretary, in consultation with DoD and VA, to conduct an 
     interagency study to evaluate the status of research on women 
     and lung cancer and make recommendations for additional 
     research on the disparate impact of lung cancer in women who 
     have never smoked. The study should make recommendations 
     regarding increased access to lung cancer preventive services 
     and strategic public awareness and education campaigns 
     related to lung cancer.
       Maternal Mental Health.--The agreement directs the 
     Secretary to submit the report requested under this heading 
     in House Report 116-62 to the Committees no later than 180 
     days after enactment of this Act.
       National Alzheimer's Disease Plan.--The agreement 
     encourages the Secretary to prioritize the Advisory Council 
     work to make recommendations to Congress and to assist in 
     coordinating the work of Federal agencies involved in 
     Alzheimer's research, care, and services.
       National Vaccine Program Office.--The agreement urges the 
     Secretary to ensure

[[Page H11080]]

     that National Vaccine Program Office activities continue 
     without interruption within the Office of the Assistant 
     Secretary for Health.
       Nonrecurring Expenses Fund.--The agreement directs HHS to 
     continue implementing previously notified projects and 
     prioritize obligations for the following projects: Indian 
     Health Services facilities, Cybersecurity, Food and Drug 
     Administration laboratory renovations, and the CDC National 
     Institute for Occupational Safety and Health facility.
       Obligation Reports.--The agreement directs the Secretary to 
     submit electronically to the Committees an Excel table 
     detailing the obligations made in the most recent quarter for 
     each office and activity funded under this appropriation no 
     later than 30 days after the end of each quarter.
       Pediatric Kidney Disease.--The agreement encourages HHS to 
     conduct a study of pediatric dialysis costs to ensure that 
     the data being collected by CMS is accurate and report 
     findings in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.
       Prescription Drug Disposal.--The agreement supports 
     expanded public access to in-home methods to deactivate and 
     dispose of prescription drugs that render the controlled 
     substance either unavailable or unusable for all practical 
     purposes.
       Regulation Reform.--The agreement directs the Secretary to 
     include in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification 
     any plan to repeal guidance documents or any plans to repeal 
     or revise regulations that the Department believes are 
     duplicative.
       Research on Poverty.--The agreement includes sufficient 
     funding to continue the existing Poverty Research Center 
     cooperative agreement and includes an increase of $1,000,000 
     above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level for the fourth year 
     of this five-year cooperative agreement to initiate new 
     research projects, data analysis, and evaluation plans.
       Safety in Health Care Facilities.--The agreement remains 
     concerned about safety in health care facilities and looks 
     forward to continued conversations on this matter.
     Office of Minority Health (OMH)
       Hispanic Serving Institutions.--The agreement urges OMH to 
     enter into cooperative agreements with Hispanic Serving 
     Institution medical schools in addition to existing 
     agreements with Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
     medical schools. OMH shall submit a report on these efforts 
     to the Committees within 180 days of enactment of this Act.
       Lupus Initiative.--The agreement provides an additional 
     $250,000 for this initiative. The agreement encourages OMH to 
     continue to develop public-private partnerships, validate 
     existing action plans, and engage the lupus community in 
     order to facilitate the use and development of action plans 
     to increase participation in clinical trials for all minority 
     populations at highest risk of lupus.
     Office on Women's Health (OWH)
       The agreement includes $4,100,000 to combat violence 
     against women through the State partnership initiative, an 
     increase of $1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2019 enacted 
     level. This program provides funding to State-level public 
     and private health programs to partner with domestic and 
     sexual violence organizations to improve healthcare 
     providers' ability to help victims of violence and improve 
     prevention programs. The agreement directs OWH to account for 
     geographical diversification in decisions on additional 
     awards.
       Menstrual Hygiene Products.--The agreement directs OWH to 
     commission the study described in House report 116-62 in time 
     to be submitted to Congress no later than 180 days after 
     enactment of this Act.


                     MEDICARE HEARINGS AND APPEALS

       Appeals Backlog.--The agreement revises existing bill 
     language to provide flexibility for the Department to address 
     current backlogs of appeals hearings, as well as retain and 
     recruit Administrative Law Judges at both agencies.


 OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                                 (ONC)

       Patient Matching.--The general provision limiting funds for 
     actions related to promulgation or adoption of a standard 
     providing for the assignment of a unique health identifier 
     does not prohibit efforts to address the growing problems 
     faced by health systems with patient matching. The agreement 
     encourages HHS to continue to provide technical assistance to 
     private-sector-led initiatives to develop a coordinated 
     national strategy that will promote patient safety by 
     accurately identifying patients to their health information. 
     Additionally, the agreement directs ONC, in coordination with 
     other appropriate Federal agencies, to provide a report to 
     the Committees one year after enactment of this Act studying 
     the current technological and operational methods that 
     improve identification of patients. The report shall evaluate 
     the effectiveness of current methods and recommend actions 
     that increase the likelihood of an accurate match of patients 
     to their health care data. Such recommendations may or may 
     not include a standard for a unique patient health 
     identifier. The report shall include the risks and benefits 
     to privacy and security of patient information.


            PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES EMERGENCY FUND

       The agreement includes a program level of $2,737,458,000 
     for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. 
     This funding will support a comprehensive program to prepare 
     for and respond to the health and medical consequences of all 
     public health emergencies, including bioterrorism, and 
     support the cybersecurity efforts of HHS.
       Infectious Diseases.--The agreement encourages the 
     Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to 
     delineate information on emerging infectious diseases, 
     pandemic influenza, and antimicrobial resistance investments 
     in its annual five-year budget plan for medical 
     countermeasure development to clarify how ASPR is considering 
     such naturally occurring threats in relation to other 
     priority areas.
       Medical Innovation for Disaster Response.--The agreement 
     supports the consideration of a Federally-funded research and 
     development center, led by an academic medical center, to 
     improve medical response, training, and innovation, 
     specifically utilizing health information technology, 
     unmanned aerial systems, countermeasure delivery, and remote 
     patient assessment and triage. ASPR shall evaluate the 
     potential for this mechanism and report findings to the 
     Committees within 180 days of enactment of this Act.
       Small Molecule Anti-toxin Drugs.--The agreement urges the 
     Department to continue the development, clinical testing, and 
     stockpiling of small molecule anti-toxin drugs.
     Hospital Preparedness Program
       High Consequence, Emerging, Infectious Disease Threats.--
     The agreement provides $11,000,000 to continue the National 
     Ebola Training and Education Center and the ten regional 
     Ebola and other special pathogen treatment centers.
       Notification Requirements.--The agreement directs ASPR to 
     notify the Committees 30 days in advance of any announcement 
     of a modification to the hospital preparedness program (HPP) 
     formula or funding for new activities or pilot programs. The 
     agreement notes that funding for HPP is provided for HPP 
     cooperative agreements and administrative activities that 
     directly support the mission of the program.
       Regional Disaster Health Response System Demonstration 
     Pilots.--The agreement continues funding for current pilots. 
     Before program expansion, and no later than 90 days after 
     enactment of this Act, the agreement directs HHS to provide 
     an evaluation of the pilot program and a plan for the 
     Regional Disaster Health Response System that does not 
     duplicate current services.
     Strategic National Stockpile
       Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise 
     (PHEMCE).--The agreement expects the next annual PHEMCE 
     multiyear budget to include the full costs of requirements, 
     including baseline costs, new/anticipated requirements, and 
     replenishment costs associated to PHEMCE programs.
       Strategic National Stockpile.--The agreement includes an 
     increase and expects that decisions continue to be approved 
     by PHEMCE which provides an opportunity for CDC and other 
     Federal partners to maintain a strong and central role in the 
     medical countermeasures enterprise. The agreement directs 
     ASPR to submit the report requested in Senate Report 115-289 
     regarding maintaining coordination and support for State and 
     local public health departments within 60 days of enactment 
     of this Act. Further, ASPR is encouraged to work toward novel 
     stockpiling concepts, to reduce the overhead required to 
     maintain the pandemic stockpile, and ensure that a safe, 
     reliable supply of pandemic countermeasures is available.

                           General Provisions

       Prevention and Public Health Fund.--The agreement includes 
     the following allocation of amounts from the Prevention and 
     Public Health Fund.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
              Agency                   Budget Activity       Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACL...............................  Alzheimer's Disease      $14,700,000
                                     Program.
ACL...............................  Chronic Disease Self-      8,000,000
                                     Management.
ACL...............................  Falls Prevention....       5,000,000
CDC...............................  Breast Feeding             9,000,000
                                     Grants (Hospitals
                                     Promoting
                                     Breastfeeding).
CDC...............................  Diabetes............      52,275,000
CDC...............................  Epidemiology and          40,000,000
                                     Laboratory Capacity
                                     Grants.
CDC...............................  Healthcare                12,000,000
                                     Associated
                                     Infections.
CDC...............................  Heart Disease &           57,075,000
                                     Stroke Prevention
                                     Program.
CDC...............................  Million Hearts             4,000,000
                                     Program.
CDC...............................  Office of Smoking        128,600,000
                                     and Health.
CDC...............................  Preventative Health      160,000,000
                                     and Health Services
                                     Block Grants.
CDC...............................  Section 317              370,300,000
                                     Immunization Grants.
CDC...............................  Lead Poisoning            17,000,000
                                     Prevention.
CDC...............................  Early Care                 4,000,000
                                     Collaboratives.
SAMHSA............................  Garrett Lee Smith-        12,000,000
                                     Youth Suicide
                                     Prevention.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement modifies a provision related to salary caps.
       The agreement modifies a provision related to contracts 
     under section 338B of the Public Health Service Act.
       The agreement modifies a provision related to a report on 
     staffing.
       The agreement modifies a provision relating to donations 
     for unaccompanied alien children.
       The agreement includes a provision limiting the use of 
     funds for changes to policy directives related to the 
     unaccompanied alien children program.
       The agreement includes a provision limiting the use of 
     funds for unlicensed shelters for unaccompanied alien 
     children.
       The agreement includes a provision requiring Congressional 
     notification prior to the

[[Page H11081]]

     use of influx facilities as shelters for unaccompanied alien 
     children.
       The agreement modifies a provision relating to Members of 
     Congress and oversight of facilities responsible for the care 
     of unaccompanied alien children.
       The agreement includes a provision requiring monthly 
     reporting of unaccompanied alien children.
       The agreement includes a new provision related to primary 
     and secondary school costs for eligible dependents of CDC 
     personnel stationed in a U.S. territory.
       The agreement includes a new provision for facilities and 
     infrastructure improvements for the National Institutes of 
     Health.
       The agreement includes a new provision for facilities and 
     infrastructure improvements for the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention.
       The agreement includes a provision for Infectious Disease 
     Rapid Response Reserve Fund within CDC.
       The agreement includes a provision rescinding unobligated 
     balances.

                               TITLE III

                        DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

                      School Improvement Programs

       Homeless Children and Youth.--The Department implemented a 
     reorganization of offices which in part altered the 
     administration of the McKinney-Vento program, recently 
     strengthened in the reauthorization of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Department shall brief 
     the Committees no later than 60 days after enactment of this 
     Act on the resources currently being devoted to monitoring 
     compliance with ESEA accountability and State and local 
     report card provisions related to homeless children and youth 
     and supporting State educational agencies (SEA) and local 
     educational agencies (LEA) in achieving and maintaining 
     compliance with such provisions; the internal support within 
     other program offices in the Department being provided to 
     assist with administration of the Education for Homeless 
     Children and Youth (EHCY) program; and the resources 
     available for monitoring compliance with EHCY program 
     requirements at the SEA and LEA level.
       Education for Native Hawaiians.--The agreement includes 
     sufficient funding for the Native Hawaiian Education Council.
       Alaska Native Education Equity.--The Department is directed 
     to make every effort to ensure that grants are awarded well 
     in advance of the school year, to maximize grantees' ability 
     to hire the necessary staff and have their programs in place 
     by the start of Alaska's school year in mid-August. The 
     Department is directed to ensure that Alaska Native Tribes, 
     Alaska Native regional non-profits, and Alaska Native 
     corporations have the maximum opportunity to compete 
     successfully for grants under this program by providing these 
     entities multiple opportunities for technical assistance in 
     developing successful applications for these funds, both in 
     Alaska and through various forms of telecommunications. 
     Finally, the Department is encouraged to include as many peer 
     reviewers as possible who have experience with Alaska Native 
     education and Alaska generally on each peer review panel.
       Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grants.--The 
     Department should examine State and local expenditures, 
     outlined by specific authorized activities, and provide 
     information about the most common uses of funds, as well as 
     information about how LEAs plan to evaluate the effectiveness 
     of their activities. The Department also should study how 
     SEAs are collecting data from LEAs, including how States are 
     verifying that funds are being used in an authorized manner 
     and, as applicable, in accordance with required comprehensive 
     needs assessments, and that LEAs are meeting the objectives 
     and outcomes described in their applications. The Department 
     should publish reports on these studies publicly and is 
     encouraged to conduct such studies periodically as 
     appropriate. Finally, the agreement does not provide 
     direction regarding guidance on allowable uses of funds.
       SSAE Technical Assistance and Capacity Building.--The 
     agreement expects funds reserved for technical assistance and 
     capacity building to be used strictly to support SEAs and 
     LEAs in carrying out authorized activities under this 
     program. In the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification, 
     the Department shall provide current and planned 
     expenditures, and include a plan for how resources will be 
     spent to build the capacity of SEAs and LEAs and provide 
     technical assistance. The plan should include how resources 
     will be spent helping SEAs and LEAs vet evidence, implement 
     evidence-based interventions, and incorporate evidence-based 
     SSAE activities into school improvement strategies.

                            Indian Education

       National Activities.--Within the total, the agreement 
     includes no less than $2,811,000 for Native American language 
     immersion programs authorized under section 6133 of ESEA. 
     These funds should be allocated to all types of eligible 
     entities, including both new and existing language immersion 
     programs and schools, to support the most extensive possible 
     geographical distribution and language diversity. Further, 
     the Department is directed to give the same consideration to 
     applicants that propose to provide partial immersion schools 
     and programs as to full immersion, as the local Tribes, 
     schools, and other applicants know best what type of program 
     will most effectively assist their youth to succeed.
       Special Programs for Indian Children.--The President's 
     budget request includes up to $10,000,000 to expand the 
     ability of families to choose high-quality educational 
     opportunities to meet the needs of Native youth. The 
     Department shall only pursue this initiative if supported by 
     Tribes after Tribal consultation. Accordingly, the Department 
     is directed to include information on the planned use of 
     funds under the Special Programs for Indian Children program 
     in the operating plan required under section 516 of this Act, 
     and to brief the Committees not less than 30 days prior to 
     posting any notice inviting applications under this program.

                       Innovation and Improvement

       Education Innovation and Research (EIR).--Within the total 
     for EIR, the agreement includes $65,000,000 to provide grants 
     for social and emotional learning (SEL). Within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act, the Department is directed to brief 
     the Committees on plans for carrying out the SEL competition. 
     In addition, the Department shall provide notice to the 
     Committees at least seven days before grantees are announced.
       In addition, within the total for EIR, the agreement 
     includes $65,000,000 for Science, Technology, Education, and 
     Math (STEM) and computer science education activities. This 
     could also include grants to SEAs, including in partnership 
     with non-profit organizations, for State-led efforts to 
     implement, replicate, or expand Statewide professional 
     development programs. Within the STEM and computer science 
     set-aside, awards should expand opportunities for 
     underrepresented students such as minorities, girls, and 
     youth from families living at or below the poverty line to 
     help reduce the enrollment and achievement gap. The agreement 
     supports the Department's prioritization of computer science 
     education in fiscal year 2019 EIR grant competitions and the 
     Department should continue this in fiscal year 2020.
       Grant Priorities.--There is significant demand from the 
     field to test many types of strategies and to examine 
     promising techniques that can be scaled-up in different 
     settings. EIR should continue to support diverse and field-
     initiated interventions. The Department is directed to brief 
     the Committees on the fiscal year 2020 funding opportunities 
     available under this program, including any specified 
     priorities, not less than 30 days prior to releasing a notice 
     inviting applications.
       Rural Set-Aside.--The Department is encouraged to take 
     steps necessary to ensure the set-aside is met and that EIR 
     funds are awarded to diverse geographic areas.
       Charter Schools Program.--The agreement includes 
     $140,000,000 for replicating and expanding high-quality 
     charter school models; $225,000,000 for grants to State 
     entities to support high-quality charter schools; and 
     $60,000,000 for facilities financing assistance, of which not 
     less than $50,000,000 shall be for the Credit Enhancement 
     program. In addition, the agreement continues support for 
     developer grants to establish or expand charter schools in 
     underserved, high-poverty, rural areas, as referenced in the 
     joint explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 115-245.
       Arts in Education.--The agreement provides funding for each 
     activity within this program at no less than the fiscal year 
     2019 level.
       Ready to Learn.--In addition to language in House Report 
     116-62, the Department should refrain from making changes to 
     the Ready to Learn program that would impede or impair 
     production and nationwide distribution of television content, 
     digital content, and supplemental materials through local 
     public telecommunications entities.
       Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED).--Within 
     SEED, the Department is directed to support professional 
     development that helps educators incorporate SEL practices 
     into teaching, and to support pathways into teaching that 
     provide a strong foundation in child development and 
     learning, including skills for implementing SEL strategies in 
     the classroom. Within 90 days of enactment of this Act, the 
     Department is directed to brief the Committees on plans for 
     supporting SEL within SEED. In addition, the Department shall 
     provide notice to the Committees at least seven days before 
     grantees are announced.
       In addition, the SEED program is an ideal vehicle for 
     helping ensure that more highly trained school leaders are 
     available to serve in traditionally underserved LEAs. 
     Therefore, the Secretary shall use a portion of funds made 
     available for SEED to support the preparation of principals 
     and other school leaders.
       Finally, students in rural public schools and public 
     schools serving high percentages of Native students have 
     particularly inequitable access to accomplished teachers. The 
     Department should strongly consider establishing a priority 
     for SEED projects addressing this issue and to increase the 
     number of teachers in such schools who have earned a 
     nationally recognized advanced credential.

                 Safe Schools and Citizenship Education

       Promise Neighborhoods.--The agreement includes $6,000,000 
     for additional extension awards for grantees that received 
     extension grants in fiscal year 2018 and have demonstrated 
     positive and promising results. This funding is intended to 
     support the final phase-out of Federal support.
       School Safety National Activities.--For fiscal year 2020, 
     $10,000,000 is provided for awards to SEAs, LEAs, or 
     consortia of LEAs to increase the number of qualified, well-
     trained

[[Page H11082]]

     counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental 
     health professionals that provide school-based mental health 
     services to students. To promote the sustainability of these 
     services, the Secretary shall require that awards include a 
     25 percent match from grantees and require that the awards do 
     not supplant existing mental health funding. Within 90 days 
     of enactment of this Act, the Department is directed to brief 
     the Committees on plans for carrying out the competition. In 
     addition, the Department shall provide notice to the 
     Committees at least seven days before grantees are announced.
       The Department is also directed to continue a demonstration 
     project initiated in fiscal year 2019 to test and evaluate 
     innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health 
     professionals.
       Demonstration projects and competitions to train and 
     increase the number of school-based mental health 
     professionals support the implementation of trauma-informed 
     practices and other mental health supports in schools. 
     Fostering trauma-informed cultures in schools helps both 
     students and staff succeed by addressing the impacts of 
     trauma; improves school capacity to identify, refer, and 
     provide services to students; can improve staff retention and 
     help keep students in school; and support learning 
     environments where students feel safe, supported, and ready 
     to learn.
       Opioid Substance Use Disorder and Prevention.--The 
     Department has implemented a priority in grant competitions 
     for projects addressing opioid substance use disorder and 
     prevention. More must be done to prevent opioid substance use 
     disorder by students and address the mental health needs of 
     students affected by opioid substance use disorder in their 
     families or communities.
       Project SERV.--The Department should ensure that funding 
     made available for Project SERV grants is promptly awarded to 
     eligible entities located in areas with high rates of 
     community violence to restore any learning environment that 
     was disrupted by a violent or traumatic crisis.
       School Safety and Climate.--The Department is encouraged to 
     partner with outside experts and other Federal agencies as 
     appropriate to develop best-practices to improve school 
     safety and school climate.
       State and Federal Coordination on School Safety and 
     Climate.--Many States have researched and in some cases 
     provided reports on the local needs and solutions to maintain 
     safe and welcoming school climates. The Department is 
     encouraged to review such reports and support SEAs, as 
     authorized in ESEA.
       School Safety Clearinghouse and Mental Health Services for 
     Students.--The Department is directed to brief the Committees 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act on: (1) the progress 
     made by the Department in identifying, assessing, and 
     disseminating evidence-based approaches to maintaining safe 
     schools and positive learning environments for all students, 
     including establishing a clearinghouse for such approaches; 
     and (2) improving and expanding access to mental health 
     services for students.

                      English Language Acquisition

       The Department is encouraged to help SEAs and LEAs make the 
     best use of funding within this program and other Department 
     programs to support English learners.

                           Special Education

       Education Materials in Accessible Formats for Students with 
     Visual Impairments.--The agreement provides an increase of 
     $500,000 and recognizes the ongoing progress made with the 
     tools and services provided under Educational Technology, 
     Media, and Materials that have allowed more than 620,000 
     students with disabilities free access to more than 700,000 
     books in digitally accessible formats. The Department is 
     encouraged to continue to expand this program's reach to K-12 
     students in underserved areas.
       Promoting Development of Social Skills for Students with 
     Disabilities.--Within the total for Educational Technology, 
     Media, and Materials, the agreement includes $1,000,000 for a 
     demonstration project to facilitate the development of new 
     educational strategies and programming for students with 
     disabilities who could benefit from social skills 
     instruction. This should include utilizing new technologies 
     and evidence-based curriculums in instructional settings, 
     including advanced social robotics that integrate evidence-
     based practices to improve social skills and generate 
     positive educational outcomes in students with disabilities.
       Medicaid Services.--Opportunities exist to streamline 
     access to and improve the quality of special education 
     services, and steps should be taken to reduce administrative 
     barriers for providing health services in and in coordination 
     with schools. The Office of Special Education and 
     Rehabilitative Services should coordinate with the Centers 
     for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop training and 
     provide technical assistance to assist with billing and 
     payment administration for Medicaid services in schools.
       Special Olympics.--Within the total for Technical 
     Assistance and Dissemination, the agreement includes 
     $20,083,000, an increase of $2,500,000 above the fiscal year 
     2019 funding level, to support activities authorized by the 
     Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act, including Project 
     UNIFY.

                        Rehabilitation Services

       Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants.--The agreement 
     directs the Secretary to submit a report within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act to the Committees evaluating any 
     changes in trends in employment outcomes for individuals with 
     disabilities served by State vocational rehabilitation 
     programs before and after the implementation of the WIOA. The 
     agreement directs the Secretary to ensure appropriate State 
     level implementation of the Rehabilitation Act, which may 
     include the Department providing technical assistance as 
     necessary.

           Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities

       American Printing House for the Blind.--The agreement 
     includes $2,000,000, an increase of $1,000,000, to continue 
     and expand the Center for Assistive Technology Training 
     regional partnership established in fiscal year 2019.
       National Technical Institute for the Deaf.--The agreement 
     includes $5,500,000 to continue the National Technical 
     Institute for the Deaf's (NTID) existing regional partnership 
     in fiscal year 2020, intended to expand NTID's geographical 
     reach and improve access to postsecondary STEM education and 
     employment for students who are deaf or hard of hearing in 
     underserved areas.
       Gallaudet University.--The agreement includes $3,000,000, 
     an increase of $1,000,000, to continue the regional 
     partnership established in fiscal year 2019 focused on early 
     language acquisition for children from birth through age 
     three who are deaf or hard of hearing.

                 Career, Technical, and Adult Education

       The Department is encouraged to establish the on-line 
     portal for career and technical education students described 
     in section 114(e)(7)(K) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
     Technical Education Act.
       The Department is encouraged to work with the Departments 
     of Defense, Labor, and Commerce to develop a pilot project to 
     increase the quality of and participation in career and 
     technical education programs that would help develop the 
     skilled workforce needed for new submarine construction.

                      Student Financial Assistance

       Pell Grants.--The agreement increases the maximum award by 
     $150, to $6,345 in academic year 2020-2021.
       Federal Work Study.--Within the total for Federal Work 
     Study, the agreement includes $10,051,000, for the Work 
     Colleges program authorized under section 448 of the Higher 
     Education Act (HEA).

              Federal Direct Student Loan Program Account

       The Department shall brief the Committees of jurisdiction 
     within 45 days of enactment of this Act on actions planned or 
     taken: (1) to address and implement recommendations outlined 
     in a GAO report titled ``Public Service Loan Forgiveness: 
     Improving the Temporary Expanded Process Could Help Reduce 
     Borrower Confusion'' (GAO-19-595); (2) to simplify the 
     Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) 
     application process so borrowers can apply for TEPSLF at the 
     same time as they apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness 
     (PSLF); (3) to provide more information to borrowers denied 
     TEPSLF on the reason for the denial; (4) to conduct outreach 
     to borrowers who may be eligible for TEPSLF; and (5) to 
     improve administration of the PSLF program, including by 
     implementing GAO's recommendations for that program.

                       Student Aid Administration

       Ability to Benefit.--The Department shall issue guidance 
     that serves as a simple and clear resource for implementing 
     Ability to Benefit at IHEs, which should restate the updated 
     definition of a career pathway program and contain answers to 
     frequently asked questions about program eligibility.
       Student Loan Servicing.-- The agreement includes 
     $1,768,943,000 for Student Aid Administration. The Department 
     has stated that the implementation of the Next Generation 
     Servicing Environment (Next Gen) will address problems with 
     the current student loan servicing environment and improve 
     accountability and services for students, borrowers and 
     families. However, full implementation of Next Gen will take 
     several years. In the interim, the Department should continue 
     to take steps to improve the current servicing environment.
       In addition to continuing statutory requirements from 
     fiscal year 2019, the agreement includes new provisions 
     directing the Department to hold servicers accountable for 
     high-quality outcomes, noncompliance with Federal Student Aid 
     (FSA) guidelines, contract requirements (e.g., an 
     understanding of Federal and State law), and applicable laws, 
     including misinformation provided to borrowers. In addition 
     to provisions ensuring accountability and high-quality 
     service from student loan servicers, the agreement also 
     includes a new provision ensuring similar expectations, as 
     applicable, for all of FSA's contractors. As part of this 
     effort, it is expected that FSA will monitor performance and 
     service delivery at the point of contact between contractors 
     and borrowers, as applicable, to ensure such accountability 
     and high-quality service.
       The Department should ensure, consistent with current 
     statutory requirements, that the transition to Next Gen, 
     including the Enhanced Processing Solution, does not rely on 
     a single-servicer model. In addition to the directives in 
     House Report 116-62, the agreement directs FSA to provide a 
     detailed strategic plan for Next Gen to the Committees within 
     180 days of enactment of this Act, accounting for the cost of 
     all activities associated with the full implementation of 
     Next

[[Page H11083]]

     Gen, including transition costs, and to conduct semiannual 
     briefings to the authorizing and Appropriations Committees.
       The agreement directs the Department to continue to provide 
     to the Committees quarterly reports detailing its obligation 
     plan by quarter for student aid administrative activities 
     broken out by servicer, Next Gen contractor and activity and 
     detailing performance metrics, total loan volume and number 
     of accounts, broken out by servicer, Next Gen contractor and 
     for each private collection agency.
       Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 
     Simplification and Data Linkages.--The agreement supports 
     efforts to further simplify the FAFSA and verification 
     process to reduce the burden on students and IHEs, including 
     swift implementation of recent legislative changes to the 
     sharing of information between the Department and Internal 
     Revenue Service and ensuring all service members and veterans 
     can identify their status when they apply for student aid 
     separate from the dependency determination.
       Return of Title IV Funds.--The Department is encouraged to 
     pursue efforts to simplify and streamline the return of title 
     IV funds process for IHEs and students.
       Student Aid Enforcement.--The Department shall include 
     information in its fiscal year 2021 Congressional 
     Justification on staffing levels of the Student Aid 
     Enforcement Unit and actions taken by the unit, including the 
     number and type of actions opened, pending, and closed 
     annually.
       Student Loan Cancellations and Discharges Reporting.--The 
     Department should continue to bolster transparency through 
     the Federal Student Aid Data Center by supplementing current 
     reporting with, at a minimum, semiannual reports beginning no 
     later than 90 days after enactment of this Act, on each of 
     the Federal student loan cancellation and discharge programs. 
     Each report should include the total number of unique 
     borrowers who have applied for a program or have been 
     identified under an applicable data match (``borrowers''), 
     unique borrowers in each applicable status (received, 
     pending, approved, and denied), total loan balance in each 
     applicable status (received, pending, approved, and denied), 
     median amount discharged for each program, and percentage of 
     unique borrowers subject to any partial discharge. The 
     Department should publish disaggregated information by State, 
     as possible, and make such information available publicly on 
     the Department's website.
       Total and Permanent Disability.--The agreement directs the 
     Department to provide a report to the Committees within 180 
     days of enactment of this Act on steps taken or planned to be 
     taken to improve information provided to students who are 
     eligible for total and permanent disability discharge of 
     Federal student loans or service obligations, including 
     strategies used to improve outreach to all eligible borrowers 
     and increase the number of qualifying individuals receiving 
     discharges.
       Veterans Affairs Data Matching.--The Secretary shall 
     provide a report not later than 90 days after enactment of 
     this Act to the Committees on the implementation of the data 
     matching system with the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
     facilitate the discharge of student loans for veterans with 
     total and permanent disabilities. Such report should include 
     information about the number of veterans identified through 
     the matching program, the number of loans automatically 
     discharged as the result of the matching program, the number 
     of loans discharged overall, and a description of the 
     barriers for veterans who may be eligible for a student loan 
     discharge for total and permanent disability but who have not 
     received one, and planned actions for eliminating such 
     barriers for veterans.

                            Higher Education

     Aid for Institutional Development
       Strengthening Institutions.--The Department is encouraged 
     to support programs at Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) 
     that offer training programs that lead to certificates or 
     industry-recognized credentials in high-demand fields; 
     provide educational experiences that are closely aligned to 
     actual workforce needs; provide customizable and quality 
     educational opportunities; and connect students to 
     comprehensive educational offerings that provide students 
     with other essential skills.
     Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual 
         Disabilities
       The agreement includes $11,800,000 to carry out activities 
     under title VII, part D, subparts 2 and 4 of the HEA. Funds 
     will be used by the Department to hold a new competition to 
     build on the important work that has been done to develop 
     postsecondary opportunities for students with intellectual 
     disabilities through model projects and the National 
     Coordinating Center (NCC), and to expand the work of the NCC 
     to conduct research to identify effective strategies used by 
     postsecondary programs for students with intellectual 
     disabilities that lead to positive employment and independent 
     living outcomes.
     Federal TRIO Programs
       The Department is directed to allocate any grant funding 
     not needed for non-competitive continuation awards or for 
     programs up for re-competition in fiscal year 2020 to provide 
     inflationary increases for current grantees and to increase 
     the number and size of new awards in the Student Support 
     Services grant competition. The Department is further 
     directed to include proposed funding levels for each of the 
     TRIO programs in the operating plan required under section 
     516 of this Act. There is great concern and disappointment 
     that the Department has yet to issue a notice inviting 
     applications for new awards for TRIO Student Support Services 
     grants. The Department is directed to publish such notice 
     inviting applications for new awards for TRIO Student Support 
     Services grants no later than December 30, 2019 and take 
     steps necessary to award funding as early as possible before 
     the beginning of the academic year.
     Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate 
         Programs (GEAR UP)
       The agreement notes concerns over the competition schedule 
     for GEAR UP State and partnership grants. The agreement 
     directs the Department to uphold the long-standing guidance 
     that States may only administer one active State grant at a 
     time. The Secretary is directed to provide written guidance 
     in the Federal Register notifying applicants that only States 
     without an active State grant, or States that have an active 
     State grant that is scheduled to end prior to October 1, 
     2020, will be eligible to receive a new State award funded in 
     whole or in part by this appropriation. The agreement directs 
     the Department to provide a briefing to the Committees within 
     90 days of enactment of this Act on this program and any 
     planned competitions for fiscal year 2020.
     Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
       The agreement includes $24,500,000 for FIPSE, to remain 
     available through December 31, 2020, for the following 
     activities.
       Career Pathways.--The agreement includes $10,000,000 for 
     grants to expand and improve career pathways opportunities 
     for students beginning in high school. These grants should 
     support the creation of sustainable, evidence-based career 
     exploration and guidance systems that promote multiple 
     pathways to postsecondary and career success.
       Centers of Excellence for Veterans Student Success 
     Program.--The agreement includes $7,000,000 for the activity 
     described under the heading ``Fund for the Improvement of 
     Postsecondary Education'' and as set out in the paragraphs 
     associated with the Centers of Excellence for Veterans 
     Student Success Program in House Report 116-62.
       Open Textbook Pilot.--The agreement includes $7,000,000 to 
     continue the Open Textbook Pilot and fund a new grant 
     competition in fiscal year 2020. The Department shall issue a 
     notice inviting applications consistent with notice and 
     comment procedures and allow for a 60-day application period. 
     This funding should support a significant number of grant 
     awards to IHEs as defined by 20 U.S.C. 1001, a group of IHEs, 
     or State higher education agencies that lead the activities 
     of (and serve as fiscal agent for) a consortium. Funding 
     should be used to create new open textbooks and expand the 
     use of open textbooks in courses that are part of a degree 
     granting program, and particularly those with high 
     enrollments. Allowable uses of funds should include 
     professional development for faculty and staff, including 
     relating to the search for and review of open textbooks; the 
     creation or adaptation of open textbooks; development or 
     improvement of tools and informational resources that support 
     the use of open textbooks, including accessible instructional 
     materials for students with disabilities; and research 
     evaluating the efficacy of the use of open textbooks for 
     achieving savings for students and the impact on instruction 
     and student learning outcomes. The Secretary shall require 
     that any open textbooks created with these funds shall be 
     released to the public under a non-exclusive, royalty-free, 
     perpetual, and irrevocable license to exercise any of the 
     rights under copyright conditioned only on the requirement 
     that attribution be given as directed by the copyright owner. 
     Further, any tools, technologies, or other resources that are 
     created, developed, or improved wholly or in part with these 
     funds for use with any open textbook must be similarly 
     licensed. Any eligible entity receiving a grant through the 
     Open Textbooks Pilot, upon completion of the supported 
     project, shall report to the Secretary regarding the 
     effectiveness of the project in expanding the use of open 
     textbooks and in achieving savings for students; the impact 
     of the project on expanding the use of open textbooks at IHEs 
     outside of the institution receiving the grant; open 
     textbooks created or adapted under the grant, including 
     instructions on where the public can access each open 
     textbook; the impact of the project on instruction and 
     student learning outcomes; and all project costs, including 
     the value of any volunteer labor and institutional capital 
     used for the project. The Secretary shall make such reports 
     publicly available.
       National Center for Information and Technical Support for 
     Postsecondary Students with Disabilities.--The agreement 
     includes $500,000 for the operation of the National Center 
     for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary 
     Students with Disabilities authorized under section 777(a) of 
     the HEA.

               Historically Black College and University

                   Capital Financing Program Account

       The agreement includes $46,484,000 for the Historically 
     Black College and University (HBCU) Capital Financing program 
     account. Using updated economic assumptions from the 
     Department of Education, the funding provided for private 
     loan deferments more

[[Page H11084]]

     accurately reflects those needs and continues all current 
     loan deferments. The agreement includes additional funding 
     and new bill language for the deferment of outstanding loans 
     for public HBCUs. Further, the agreement directs the 
     Department to provide such funding based on the quality of 
     applications received and to prorate funds across all 
     eligible schools.

                 Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

       Assessment.--The agreement supports assessments for 
     students in United States History and Civics. The National 
     Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) is directed to continue 
     administering assessments in these two areas, at least every 
     4 years, in accordance with the current National Assessment 
     of Educational Progress (NAEP) schedule. The agreement notes 
     concern with recent changes to the proposed NAEP schedule, 
     some of which differ from the schedule outlined in the fiscal 
     year 2020 budget request, which proposed a reduction in 
     funding for assessments that is part of the explanation for 
     the modified assessment schedule. The Department and NAGB are 
     directed to provide a briefing to the Committees within 45 
     days of enactment of this Act on the proposed changes and 
     estimated funding needed to maintain the schedule outlined in 
     the fiscal year 2020 budget request.
       Second Chance Pell.--The agreement directs IES to conduct a 
     rigorous evaluation of the Second Chance Pell Experiment as 
     announced in the Federal Register (Volume 80, Number 148 on 
     Monday, August 3, 2015) and work with the Department's Policy 
     and Program Studies on this effort. The agreement directs IES 
     to submit the evaluation to the Committees within 30 days of 
     completing the evaluation. The agreement also directs the 
     Department to report no later than 90 days after the 
     enactment of this Act on the implementation of GAO's 
     recommendation in its April 2019 report, ``Federal Student 
     Aid: Actions Needed to Evaluate Pell Grant Pilot for 
     Incarcerated Students'' (GAO-19-130).

                        Departmental Management

       Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Compliance with ESEA.--The 
     Department shall provide a report to the committees of 
     jurisdiction within 180 days of enactment of this Act on how 
     it evaluates the BIE's compliance with ESEA.
       Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC).--The agreement is 
     concerned with the proposed elimination of key data elements 
     from the 2019-20 CRDC that could impede efforts to identify 
     and address inequities in educational resources and outcomes. 
     Further, the agreement is concerned that the Department did 
     not first review or evaluate the 2017-18 CRDC collection 
     before proposing the elimination of these elements. As the 
     CRDC is used to monitor and enforce equal opportunity in 
     education, the agreement is concerned that the Department's 
     rationale for elimination focused on reducing regulatory 
     burden while not including a comprehensive analysis of 
     whether eliminating certain data elements would negatively 
     impact the ability to understand or address civil rights 
     issues in our nation's schools. The agreement directs the 
     Department to provide a briefing to the appropriations and 
     authorizing Committees within 90 days of enactment of this 
     Act on the proposed changes, how the changes reflect civil 
     rights enforcement needs, information on the comments 
     received on the proposal, an evaluation of the 2017-18 CRDC, 
     and any impact on the mission and purpose of the CRDC and the 
     Office for Civil Rights.
       Competitions.--The agreement notes long-standing concern 
     regarding the Department's failure to issue notices inviting 
     applications for competitive grant competitions in a timely 
     manner. Such delays often result in a significant number of 
     programs awarding grants in the final weeks of the fiscal 
     year. Moreover, these delays have occurred for enduring, 
     authorized programs for which there is sufficient funding 
     history to believe appropriations will continue. The 
     Department is directed to brief the Committees no later than 
     60 days after enactment of this Act on steps it has taken or 
     will take to issue notices earlier in fiscal year 2020 and 
     subsequent years.
       Computer Science Education.--The agreement supports the 
     Department's prioritization of computer science education in 
     fiscal year 2019 grant competitions and supports this focus 
     in fiscal year 2020.
       Department of Interior Schools.--The Departments of 
     Education and Interior are commended for their efforts to 
     improve the lives of American Indian students through a 
     quality education. However, more should be done to improve 
     the long-documented issues facing Department of Interior 
     schools. The Departments of Education and Interior are 
     encouraged to continue to work together to improve the 
     quality of education opportunities offered to Indian youth.
       Disaster Recovery.--Funding awarded under the Bipartisan 
     Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123) is available for obligation 
     through fiscal year 2022, in part to address potentially 
     lengthy recovery efforts. As grantees have experienced both 
     expected and unexpected challenges that have slowed the 
     expenditure of funds, the agreement strongly encourages the 
     Department to extend the time grantees awarded funds in 2018 
     currently have to expend funds, as applicable, consistent 
     with the terms of section 21208(b) of such Act.
       Disclosures of Foreign Gifts and Contracts.--The agreement 
     notes that section 117 of the HEA requires IHEs to disclose 
     certain gifts from or contracts with foreign entities and 
     that the Department makes such information publicly available 
     on its website. Such disclosures are critical to ensure 
     adequate oversight and transparency. The agreement directs 
     the Department to engage with IHEs to ensure requirements 
     under section 117 are clear and to provide guidance to IHEs 
     to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities. As the 
     Department provides guidance on this issue or modifies 
     reporting methods or requirements, IHEs should be given 
     adequate time to ensure proper reporting. The Department 
     should brief the Committees within 45 days of enactment of 
     this Act on efforts to engage with the stakeholder community, 
     efforts to provide greater guidance and clarity on reporting 
     requirements, and any additional information on agency 
     efforts to comply with such section.
       Diverse Geographical Distribution of Grants.--The 
     Department is encouraged to continue efforts to ensure that 
     competitive grants are distributed among eligible entities 
     that serve geographically diverse areas, including urban, 
     suburban, and rural areas. It is critical that support and 
     solutions developed with Federal funding are relevant to and 
     available in all areas consistent with authorizations of 
     Federal programs.
       Evidence-Based Grant Making.--The Secretary should use 
     demonstrated evidence of effectiveness as part of the 
     selection criteria through its Education Department General 
     Administrative Regulations, consistent with authorizations, 
     for all competitive grant programs. Non-competitive formula 
     grant funds have a range of evidence requirements and 
     preferences which the Department is directed to support 
     through enhancements to its technical assistance and support 
     activities.
       Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking.--Faithful 
     execution of the Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking 
     Act will enhance the evidence-building capacity of Federal 
     agencies, strengthen privacy protections, improve secure 
     access to data, and ultimately provide more and higher 
     quality evidence to policymakers. The Department shall 
     provide updates on its implementation of the law and plans 
     for the coming year in its next and subsequent Congressional 
     Justifications.
       GAO Report on Teacher Shortages.--The agreement requests 
     GAO provide a report to the Committees on trends and factors 
     contributing to school districts' challenges with teacher 
     recruitment and retention. The report should include a review 
     and analysis of challenges recruiting and retaining special 
     education teachers, paraprofessionals, and teacher aides; the 
     extent to which licensure requirements are waived or modified 
     to address shortages; and geographic and demographic 
     characteristics of districts facing the greatest challenges 
     or shortages, including rural and urban areas. The report 
     shall examine ways to improve the effectiveness of current 
     Federal policy in preventing and responding to teacher 
     shortages as well as make recommendations on potential 
     Federal interventions to improve teacher recruitment and 
     retention.
       Human Resources.--The agreement is concerned about the 
     full-time equivalent employment differences between the 
     Department's Congressional Justifications and actual on-board 
     staffing reports. The agreement notes an increase in the 
     number of separations and hiring challenges at the 
     Department. The agreement requests an update in the fiscal 
     year 2021 Congressional Justification on the activities the 
     Department has undertaken or will undertake to ensure 
     adequate staffing levels are achieved for the Department to 
     meet its obligations. The Committees request periodic updates 
     on this effort.
       Seclusion and Restraint Data.--The agreement strongly urges 
     the Assistant Secretary for the Office for Civil Rights to 
     take immediate steps in the ongoing 2017-2018 CRDC to improve 
     the accuracy of the data, to remind and clarify for all 
     schools and school districts to only report zero incidents of 
     seclusion and restraint when no incidents have occurred, to 
     leave cells blank for missing or incomplete data, and to 
     contact schools and school districts that already submitted 
     data for the 2017-2018 CRDC and verify the accuracy of the 
     data. Finally, the agreement strongly urges the Assistant 
     Secretary to monitor compliance with action plan requirements 
     for missing data, and ensure plans are submitted and address 
     all missing data. The agreement requests an update on these 
     efforts in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification.

                           General Provisions

       The agreement continues authority for pooled evaluation 
     authority.
       The agreement modifies a provision regarding endowment 
     income.
       The agreement continues authority for the National Advisory 
     Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity.
       The agreement continues authority for account maintenance 
     fees.
       The agreement modifies a provision rescinding unobligated 
     discretionary balances previously appropriated for the Pell 
     grant program.
       The agreement modifies a provision rescinding fiscal year 
     2020 mandatory funding to offset the mandatory costs of 
     increasing the discretionary Pell award.
       The agreement includes a new provision modifying the name 
     of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
       The agreement includes a new provision modifying existing 
     authority relating to cohort default rates for a period of 
     two years.

[[Page H11085]]

       The agreement includes a new provision related to the 
     Department of Education Organization Act.
       The agreement modifies a provision related to loan 
     forgiveness opportunities for borrowers.

                                TITLE IV

                            RELATED AGENCIES

 Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled

       The agreement includes an additional $1,350,000 for the 
     one-time costs associated with a move of the headquarters 
     office.

         Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)


                           OPERATING EXPENSES

       Innovation, Assistance, and Other Activities.--The 
     agreement includes $9,600,000 for innovation, assistance, and 
     other activities. The agreement includes $6,400,000 for the 
     Volunteer Generation Fund, $2,100,000 for the September 11th 
     National Day of Service and Remembrance and $1,100,000 for 
     the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service.
       Commission Investment Fund.--The agreement includes no less 
     than $8,500,000.
       Fixed Amount Grants.--CNCS is encouraged to expand 
     opportunities for AmeriCorps programs to utilize fixed amount 
     grants, which could reduce unnecessary administrative burdens 
     on current and potential AmeriCorps programs. Further, CNCS 
     is encouraged to increase the current maximum cost per member 
     service year of fixed amount grants to make it more 
     comparable to cost reimbursement grant levels and allow new 
     AmeriCorps programs to be eligible to apply for full-time 
     fixed amount grants, while also ensuring that fixed amount 
     grantees provide a comparable amount of matching funds and 
     that there is sufficient oversight and accountability of 
     fixed amount grantees.
       Professional Corps.--CNCS is directed to include a 
     determination of need by the local community among the 
     factors that a professional corps program may use to 
     demonstrate an inadequate number of professionals in a 
     community. Further, CNCS is strongly encouraged to increase 
     the maximum amount of operating funds per member service year 
     a professional corps program may request as part of their 
     grant application. Finally, CNCS is directed to provide 
     professional corps programs flexibility in justifying the 
     need for operating funds to ensure that these programs are 
     able to provide high-quality services in all communities.
       Transformation and Sustainability Plan.--There is concern 
     with CNCS' transformation and sustainability plan (TSP), 
     particularly related to moving from a State office to 
     regional office structure. CNCS is directed to ensure that 
     TSP does not create degradation in services, technical 
     assistance, or support for local community service programs, 
     particularly those operating in under-served and rural areas, 
     and to provide periodic briefings to the Committees on steps 
     taken to ensure that service is maintained. Further, the CNCS 
     is directed to provide a report within 30 days of enactment 
     of this Act to the Committees. Such report should contain 
     information on the metrics used and factors considered in 
     determining the new regions and the location of regional 
     offices; a complete analysis of all costs and savings 
     associated with the transition to regional offices, including 
     any increased travel or training costs; a description of 
     other field structures considered; and a detailed response to 
     each of the risk factors identified by the OIG. Finally, CNCS 
     is encouraged to evaluate and consider adding additional 
     regional offices as appropriate if it is determined that 
     offices would enhance support for local community service 
     programs.

               Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

       The bill removes unnecessary language related to the 
     Television Future Fund as no such fund exists. All operation 
     of the Television Future Fund ceased after a 2004 GAO report 
     titled ``Issues Related to Federal Funding for Public 
     Television by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting'' (GAO-
     04-284) determined activities were done in an unauthorized 
     manner. The agreement expects CPB to fully comply with all 
     statutory requirements for the allocation and distribution of 
     appropriated funds.

                Institute of Museum and Library Services

       Within the total for the Institute of Museum and Library 
     Services, the agreement includes funds for the following 
     activities:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FY 2020
                     Budget Activity                         Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Library Services Technology Act:
    Grants to States....................................    $166,803,000
    Native American Library Services....................       5,263,000
    National Leadership: Libraries......................      13,406,000
    Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian...................      10,000,000
Museum Services Act:
    Museums for America.................................      25,899,000
    Native American/Hawaiian Museum Services............       1,772,000
    National Leadership: Museums........................       8,113,000
African American History and Culture Act:
    Museum Grants for African American History & Culture       2,731,000
Research, Analysis, and Data Collection.................       3,013,000
Program Administration..................................      15,000,000
                                                         ---------------
        Total...........................................     252,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC)

       Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT).--Within the 
     amount provided, the agreement provides $300,000 for MACPAC 
     to examine, to the extent data are available, the benefits of 
     NEMT from State Medicaid programs on Medicaid beneficiaries, 
     including beneficiaries with chronic diseases including end 
     stage renal disease (ESRD), substance abuse disorders, 
     pregnant mothers, and patients living in remote, rural areas, 
     and to examine the benefits of improving local coordination 
     of NEMT with public transportation and other Federally-
     assisted transportation services. The agreement directs HHS 
     to take no regulatory action on availability of NEMT service 
     until the study is completed.

                 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

       The agreement notes concern regarding NLRB personnel and 
     obligation practices. Such practices have contributed to 
     significant underspending on personnel costs. As a result of 
     these practices, NLRB has had higher than historical funding 
     lapses for the past two fiscal years. The October 2019 
     Inspector General ``Top Management and Performance 
     Challenges'' memorandum included in NLRB fiscal year 2019 
     Performance and Accountability Report identifies NLRB's 
     current methodology for determining the workforce capacity 
     needed to process cases as a key challenge to the Board's 
     ability to ensure the quality of its investigative work 
     product and maintain a highly motivated workforce.
       The agreement directs NLRB to address this challenge by 
     posting position openings to restore critical field staff 
     capacity and to more aggressively fill vacancies in fiscal 
     year 2020, including the remaining open regional director 
     positions. To ensure NLRB makes progress toward addressing 
     this issue, the agreement directs the Board to expand the 
     number of regional full-time equivalent staff beyond the 
     amount on-board at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 
     year 2019. Within 90 days of enactment of this Act, NLRB is 
     directed to brief the Committees on its plans for addressing 
     these critical hiring challenges.
       Further, NLRB is directed to submit a report to the 
     Committees within 90 days of enactment of this Act detailing 
     the resources dedicated to regional offices. Such report 
     should include actual and planned data, as applicable, for 
     fiscal years 2011 through 2021: (1) the number of employees 
     stationed in each regional office and (2) administrative 
     expenses by object class for each regional office. In 
     addition, the agreement directs the Board to provide monthly 
     staffing reports to the Committees. Such staffing reports 
     should include the total number of employees in each position 
     for each regional office, attrition for each office, new 
     hires for each office, and any information on plans to 
     incentivize or encourage employee separations.

                       Railroad Retirement Board


                      LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATION

       The agreement includes $10,000,000 for the implementation 
     of information technology systems modernization efforts.
       GAO Review.--The agreement requests GAO conduct a 
     management review of the Railroad Retirement Board, 
     including, financial management practices, regional office 
     structure and workforce planning needs, oversight of 
     programs, and any other matters GAO considers relevant.

                  Social Security Administration (SSA)


                 LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

       The agreement includes an increase of $100,000,000 for 
     SSA's base administrative expenses for additional hires and 
     resources to improve public service at SSA field offices and 
     direct service operations.
       Continuing Disability Reviews.--The agreement directs SSA 
     to include in its next continuing disability review (CDR) 
     report to Congress an evaluation of its CDR prioritization 
     models and a cost-benefit analysis of how it uses estimated 
     savings in determining which beneficiaries receive a full-
     medical CDR. Additionally, the agreement requests in the 
     fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification, the process by 
     which SSA intends to pace its CDR workload to properly manage 
     Limitation on Administrative Expenses funding.
       Disability Case Processing System (DCPS).--SSA is 
     encouraged to engage with States to explore all possible 
     options for modernization of the case processing system, to 
     align with the needs of each State, so long as such options 
     have similar or better functionality as DCPS, similar or 
     lower costs to DCPS, and are consistent with Federal 
     procurement and security standards. SSA should continue to 
     provide regular updates on the effort to upgrade DCPS, 
     including the cost and anticipated timeline of the project, 
     and efforts by SSA to engage stakeholders, including any 
     barriers to implementation.
       Disability Hearings Backlog.--The agreement encourages SSA 
     to include comprehensive information in its existing reports 
     to Congress on the specific policies SSA has implemented, or 
     has considered, to streamline the disability determination 
     and adjudication process. When considering or implementing 
     changes, SSA should ensure due process, and that applicants 
     have a full and adequate opportunity to present their claims.
       Field Office Closures.--While SSA's Inspector General 
     reviews decisions to close field offices, the Commissioner is 
     strongly encouraged to take every action possible to maintain 
     operations at the offices under review.

[[Page H11086]]

     SSA is expected to support front line operations. As part of 
     the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Justification, SSA should 
     include a plan to identify opportunities for improved field 
     office operations. Finally, SSA is strongly encouraged to 
     ensure its policies and procedures for closing field offices 
     include at least 120 days advance notice to the public, SSA 
     employees, Congress, and other stakeholders. Such notice 
     should include a rationale for the proposed closure and an 
     evaluation of the effects on the public and SSA operations.
       Mail and Printing Systems.--SSA is encouraged to consider 
     and evaluate modernization of its mail and printing systems 
     and contracts that could result in budgetary savings while 
     improving fraud prevention. The agreement requests a briefing 
     for the Committees within 180 days of enactment of this Act 
     on current mailing and printing systems and contracts, 
     including systems or contracts relating to Social Security 
     Cards, and any ongoing efforts to modernize or otherwise 
     improve such systems.
       Medical Vocational Guidelines.--The agreement directs SSA 
     to provide a report to the Committees within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act on its plan and timetable for updating 
     and modernizing medical vocational guidelines and to engage 
     appropriate Committees of jurisdiction prior to making any 
     changes to such guidelines.
       Telework.--SSA is urged to develop a telework plan for 
     Operations employees as quickly as practicable and to brief 
     the Committees on the status of efforts to reinstate telework 
     within 60 days of enactment of this Act.
       Video Hearings.--The agreement reiterates the language 
     included under this heading in House Report 116-62, and 
     directs SSA to provide an update in the fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification detailing the extent to which SSA 
     meets best practices outlined by the Administrative 
     Conference of the U.S., and the extent to which SSA video 
     hearings, policies, and practices are accessible to 
     individuals with disabilities.
       Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) and 
     Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security 
     (PABSS).--The agreement includes $23,000,000 for WIPA and 
     $7,000,000 for PABSS.

                                TITLE V

                           General Provisions

       The agreement modifies a provision related to reports on 
     non-competitive contracts, grants and cooperative agreements.
       The agreement modifies a provision related to Performance 
     Partnerships.
       The agreement includes a new provision related to grant 
     notifications.
       The agreement includes a new provision related to questions 
     for the record.
       The agreement includes a provision rescinding various 
     unobligated balances.

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       DIVISION B--AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG 
     ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

                        CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTIVES

       The statement is silent on provisions that were in both the 
     House Report (H. Rpt. 116-107) and Senate Report (S. Rpt. 
     116-110) that remain unchanged by this agreement, except as 
     noted in this statement.
       The House and Senate report language that is not changed by 
     the statement is approved and indicates congressional 
     intentions. The statement, while repeating some report 
     language for emphasis, does not intend to negate the language 
     referred to above unless expressly provided herein.
       In cases in which the House or the Senate have directed the 
     submission of a report, such report is to be submitted to 
     both the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no 
     later than 60 days after enactment of this Act, unless 
     otherwise directed.
       Hereafter, in division B of this statement, the term `the 
     Committees' refers to the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives and the Senate.
       For the appropriations provided by this Act and previous 
     Acts, the departments and agencies funded by this agreement 
     are reminded that the Committees use the definitions for 
     transfer, reprogramming, and program, project, and activity 
     as defined by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 
     GAO-04-261SP Appropriations Law--Vol. I and GAO-05-734SP 
     Budget Glossary.
       A transfer is the shifting of funds between appropriations. 
     It applies to (1) transfers from one agency to another, (2) 
     transfers from one account to another within the same agency, 
     and (3) transfers to an interagency or intra-agency working 
     fund. In each instance, statutory authority is required.
       Reprogramming is the utilization of funds in an 
     appropriation account for purposes other than those 
     contemplated at the time of appropriation. It is the shifting 
     of funds from one object to another within an appropriation.
       A program, project, or activity (PPA) is an element within 
     a budget account. PPAs are identified by reference to include 
     the most specific level of budget items identified in the 
     Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, 
     and Related Agencies Act, 2020, accompanying Committee 
     reports, explanatory statements, and budget justifications. 
     Program activity structures are intended to provide a 
     meaningful representation of the operations financed by a 
     specific budget account by project, activity, or 
     organization.
       For fiscal year 2020, the Committees continue to include 
     bill language requiring advanced notification of certain 
     agency actions. Notification will be required at least 30 
     days in advance of any action if (1) a major capital 
     investment is modified; (2) an office is realigned or 
     reorganized; and (3) activities are carried out that were not 
     described in the budget request.
       The agreement directs the Office of Budget and Program 
     Analysis (OBPA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
     to provide an organizational chart for each agency funded by 
     this Act to the division and subdivision level, as 
     appropriate, by February 1, 2020. The agreement also directs 
     the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Commodity Futures 
     Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Farm Credit Administration 
     (FCA) to provide an organizational chart of each agency 
     respectively to the division and subdivision level, as 
     appropriate, by February 1, 2020.
       Further, USDA, FDA, and CFTC should be mindful of 
     Congressional authority to determine and set final funding 
     levels for fiscal year 2021. Therefore, the agencies should 
     not presuppose program funding outcomes and prematurely 
     initiate action to redirect staffing prior to knowing final 
     outcomes on fiscal year 2021 program funding. The agreement 
     directs OBPA to provide the Committees with the number of 
     staff years and employees on board for each agency funded by 
     this Act on a quarterly basis.

                                TITLE I

                         AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

                   Processing, Research and Marketing

                        Office Of The Secretary


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $46,139,000 for the Office of the 
     Secretary.
       The agreement is concerned with the number of staff 
     vacancies within USDA. While funding levels continue to 
     increase for many agencies, staffing levels continue to 
     decline. Within 180 days after enactment, the Secretary shall 
     provide detailed staffing levels for all research agencies, 
     the Farm Service Agency, all marketing agencies, Rural 
     Development, the Food and Nutrition Service, and the Foreign 
     Agricultural Service. The report shall include all vacancies 
     that have remained unfilled for more than six months and 
     detailed plans to fill those vacancies. The report shall also 
     include for each agency, the number of fulltime equivalent 
     (FTE) staff utilized and the number of vacancies for fiscal 
     years 2015 through 2019.
       The agreement notes the ongoing contract negotiations 
     between West Coast grain terminal operators and the 
     International Longshore and Warehouse Union and recognizes 
     the importance of reaching an agreement that works for both 
     parties. A failure to reach an agreement could result in an 
     interruption in grain terminal service that would negatively 
     impact the nation's grain exports. The agreement urges all 
     parties to continue negotiating in good faith to ensure an 
     equitable outcome for both grain terminal operators and their 
     workers is expeditiously reached.
       The agreement directs the Secretary to submit a report that 
     describes the economic and environmental impacts of importing 
     orchids in growing media. The report shall include: a 
     description of the economic impact of importing orchids in 
     growing media on a state-by-state basis, with data collected 
     from local growers; any incidents of pests detected on 
     orchids imported with growing media; and an analysis with 
     respect to additional resources that are necessary to prevent 
     and mitigate the introduction of pests resulting from 
     importing orchids in growing media.
       The agreement directs the Secretary to preserve the term 
     ``climate change'' in any publication where scientifically 
     appropriate.
       In addition to updates provided to the Committees, the 
     Department is directed to include in its fiscal year 2021 
     Congressional Justification, as a single exhibit, a table 
     listing all deliverables, with a column for due dates if 
     applicable.
       The Department is reminded of enacted language prohibiting 
     the initiating, planning, developing, implementing, or making 
     of any changes to remove or relocate any systems, missions, 
     or functions of the offices of the Chief Financial Officer or 
     any personnel from the National Finance Center prior to 
     written notification to and prior approval of the Committee 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
       The agreement recognizes the important role of the Forest 
     Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers and directs 
     the Secretary to continue the program as currently 
     structured.
       The Department is directed to treat crop losses due to 
     freeze as losses resulting from snowstorms and therefore 
     eligible for WHIP+ payments.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

                         OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Secretary....................................       $5,051
Office of Homeland Security................................        1,496
Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement...............        6,211
Office of Assistant Secretary for Administration...........          875
Departmental Administration................................       21,376
Office of Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations          3,869
 and Intergovernmental Affairs.............................
Office of Communications...................................        7,261
    Total, Office of the Secretary.........................      $46,139
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          Executive Operations


                     OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIST

       The agreement provides $24,013,000 for the Office of the 
     Chief Economist.
       The agreement includes an increase of $2,500,000 for the 
     work of the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) in 
     order to provide 24/7 backup of NDMC weekly data and build 
     capacity to respond to the increasing number of drought-
     related research and operations requests to NDMC by U.S. 
     regional climate hubs.


                     OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

       The agreement provides $15,222,000 for the Office of 
     Hearings and Appeals.


                 OFFICE OF BUDGET AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS

       The agreement provides $9,525,000 for the Office of Budget 
     and Program Analysis.

                Office of the Chief Information Officer

       The agreement provides $66,580,000 for the Office of the 
     Chief Information Officer, including $56,000,000 for 
     cybersecurity activities.
       The agreement provides an increase of $10,950,000 to fully 
     fund Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation cyber security 
     activities. The agreement assumes ongoing programs such as 
     network services will continue to be funded through the 
     Working Capital Fund.

                 Office of the Chief Financial Officer

       The agreement provides $6,028,000 for the Office of the 
     Chief Financial Officer.

           Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

       The agreement provides $901,000 for the Office of the 
     Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

                         Office of Civil Rights

       The agreement provides $24,206,000 for the Office of Civil 
     Rights.

                  Agriculture Buildings and Facilities


                     (Including Transfers of Funds)

       The agreement provides $128,167,000 for Agriculture 
     Buildings and Facilities.
       The agreement provides an increase of $68,100,000 for the 
     first phase of the One Neighborhood proposal to renovate USDA 
     headquarters buildings. In addition, through the Nonrecurring 
     Expenses Fund, USDA also has access to over $80,000,000 to 
     renovate the George Washington Carver facility in Beltsville, 
     MD. The agreement directs USDA to provide frequent updates of 
     these projects, including status of spending and funding 
     availability.

                     Hazardous Materials Management


                     (Including Transfers Of Funds)

       The agreement provides $4,503,000 for Hazardous Materials 
     Management.
       This includes an increase of $1,000,000 to address the 
     program's highest priorities related to ongoing contamination 
     cleanup efforts for the Agricultural Research Service and the 
     Farm Service Agency.

[[Page H11163]]

  


                      Office of Inspector General

       The agreement provides $98,208,000 for the Office of 
     Inspector General.

                     Office of the General Counsel

       The agreement provides $45,146,000 for the Office of 
     General Counsel.

                            Office of Ethics

       The agreement provides $4,136,000 for the Office of Ethics.

  Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics

       The agreement provides $800,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics.

                       Economic Research Service

       The agreement provides $84,757,000 for the Economic 
     Research Service.

                National Agricultural Statistics Service

       The agreement provides $180,294,000 for the National 
     Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), including up to 
     $45,300,000 for the Census of Agriculture.
       The agreement does not accept any proposed eliminations or 
     reductions of ongoing activities, including Acreage, Crop 
     Production and Grain Stocks; the Bee and Honey Program; the 
     Chemical Use Data Series; the Floriculture Crops Report; and 
     Fruit and Vegetable Reports, including in-season forecasts 
     for non-citrus fruit and tree nut crops such as pecans. The 
     funding provided will allow NASS to resume or begin 
     completion of these reports at the frequency levels assumed 
     in fiscal year 2019. NASS is directed to resume all of these 
     reports immediately upon enactment of this Act. In addition, 
     the agreement provides $2,000,000 to expand the Farm Labor 
     Survey, $1,000,000 for the Agriculture and Rural Prosperity 
     Initiative, and $2,000,000 to strengthen NASS activities in 
     support of the National Animal Health Monitoring System 
     (NAHMS) commodity studies and the Agricultural Resource 
     Management Survey. NASS is encouraged to coordinate with 
     APHIS in the collection and reporting of NAHMS data.

                     Agricultural Research Service


                         Salaries and Expenses

       The agreement provides $1,414,366,000 for the Agricultural 
     Research Service (ARS), Salaries and Expenses.
       The agreement does not accept the President's budget 
     request regarding the termination of research programs, 
     redirections of research programs, or closure of research 
     locations. The agreement expects extramural research to be 
     funded at no less than the fiscal year 2019 levels. The 
     agreement provides funding increases for African swine fever, 
     alfalfa, alternative technologies for waste utilization, 
     aquaculture seedstock, blueberry breeding, bovine 
     pleuropneumonia, cattle fever tick, Center for Pollinator 
     Health, chronic wasting disease, cotton blue disease, cotton 
     ginning, cover crops, cranberry research, East Coast 
     shellfish genetics, food systems, fruit fly and exotic pest 
     control, genetic oat research, germplasm enhancement in 
     maize, greenhouse technology, harmful algal bloom, healthy 
     soils, hemp production systems, high performance computing, 
     human nutrition research, livestock genetic research, long 
     term agro-ecosystem, macadamia tree health, National Ag 
     Library, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Pacific 
     Coast shellfish genetics, pollinator recovery, potato 
     research, poultry production technology development, 
     precision aquaculture, precision viticulture for premium 
     grapes, predictive modeling tools, pulse crop quality, pulse 
     health, shrimp production, small farm orchard unit, small 
     fruits, small grain genomics, sugar beet research, sugarcane 
     variety, sustainable aquaculture, sustainable water use, tree 
     fruit post-harvest research, turfgrass, U.S. Wheat and Barley 
     Scab Initiative, wheat and sorghum, and wildfire smoke taint.
       The agreement notes that there are numerous vacant 
     positions at ARS laboratories across the nation. The 
     agreement directs ARS to fill vacant positions in order to 
     optimize the utilization of ARS laboratory space and ensure 
     that research goals are met. Further, the agreement 
     encourages ARS to fill these vacancies with permanent 
     employees.
       The agreement provides funding for the Long-Term 
     Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network that will allow ARS to 
     provide an equal amount to all the LTAR sites.
       The agreement supports the collaborative efforts of the 
     diverse stakeholders working towards ensuring the US Sheep 
     Experiment Station remains a valuable asset and focuses 
     additional research opportunities on areas of mutual 
     interest.
       The agreement notes that some ARS facilities are located in 
     areas that are also used for recreational purposes. The 
     agreement directs ARS to continue to work with State and 
     local partners to ensure that access to public lands does not 
     come at the expense of site security or research activities.


                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

       The agreement provides $192,700,000 for ARS Buildings and 
     Facilities.

               National Institute of Food and Agriculture


                   RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

       The agreement provides $962,864,000 for the National 
     Institute of Food and Agriculture, Research and Education 
     Activities.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

    NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
                               ACTIVITIES
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hatch Act..........................  7 U.S.C. 361a-i.......     $259,000
McIntire-Stennis Cooperative         16 U.S.C. 582a through       36,000
 Forestry Act.                        a-7.
Research at 1890 Institutions        7 U.S.C. 3222.........       67,000
 (Evans-Allen Program).
Payments to the 1994 Institutions..  7 U.S.C. 301 note.....        4,000
Education Grants for 1890            7 U.S.C. 3152(b)......       23,009
 Institutions.
Scholarships at 1890 Institutions..  7 U.S.C. 3222a........        5,000
Education Grants for Hispanic-       7 U.S.C. 3241.........       11,200
 Serving Institutions.
Education Grants for Alaska Native   7 U.S.C. 3156.........        3,194
 and Native Hawaiian-Serving
 Institutions.
Research Grants for 1994             7 U.S.C. 301 note.....        3,801
 Institutions.
Capacity Building for Non Land-      7 U.S.C. 3319i........        5,000
 Grant Colleges of Agriculture.
Grants for Insular Areas...........  7 U.S.C. 3222b-2, 3362        2,000
                                      and 3363.
Agriculture and Food Research        7 U.S.C. 3157.........      425,000
 Initiative.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment.  7 U.S.C. 3151a........        8,000
Veterinary Services Grant Program..  7 U.S.C. 3151b........        3,000
Continuing Animal Health and         7 U.S.C. 3195.........        4,000
 Disease Research Program.
Supplemental and Alternative Crops.  7 U.S.C. 3319d........        1,000
Multicultural Scholars, Graduate     7 U.S.C. 3152(b)......        9,000
 Fellowship and Institution
 Challenge Grants.
Secondary and 2-year Post-Secondary  7 U.S.C. 3152(j)......          900
 Education.
Aquaculture Centers................  7 U.S.C. 3322.........        5,000
Sustainable Agriculture Research     7 U.S.C. 5811, 5812,         37,000
 and Education.                       5831, and 5832.
Farm Business Management...........  7 U.S.C. 5925f........        2,000
Sun Grant Program..................  7 U.S.C. 8114.........        3,000
Research Equipment Grants..........  7 U.S.C. 3310a........        5,000
Alfalfa and Forage Research Program  7 U.S.C. 5925.........        3,000
Minor Crop Pest Management (IR-4)..  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)......       11,913
Special Research Grants:...........  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)......  ...........
    Global Change/UV Monitoring....  ......................        1,405
    Potato Research................  ......................        2,750
    Aquaculture Research...........  ......................        2,000
    Total, Special Research Grants.  ......................        6,155
                                                            ------------
Necessary Expenses of Research and
 Education Activities:
Grants Management System...........  ......................        7,830
Federal Administration--Other        ......................       11,862
 Necessary Expenses for Research
 and Education Activities.
        Total, Necessary Expenses..  ......................       19,692
                                                            ------------
        Total, Research and          ......................     $962,864
         Education Activities.
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page H11164]]

  



              NATIVE AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS ENDOWMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $11,880,000 for the Native American 
     Institutions Endowment Fund.


                          EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

       The agreement provides $526,557,000 for the National 
     Institute of Food and Agriculture, Extension Activities.
       The agreement provides $4,000,000 for the Rural Health and 
     Safety Education program to address the opioid abuse epidemic 
     and to combat opioid abuse in rural communities. The 
     agreement includes $1,000,000 for competitive external grants 
     for eligible institutions to support the utilization of 
     telehealth, telemedicine, and distance learning strategies 
     for opioid education and training in minority rural 
     communities.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

     NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith-Lever, Section 3(b) and (c)    7 U.S.C. 343(b) and        $315,000
 programs and Cooperative Extension.  (c) and 208(c) of
                                      P.L. 93-471.
Extension Services at 1890           7 U.S.C. 3221.........       57,000
 Institutions.
Extension Services at 1994           7 U.S.C. 343(b)(3)....        8,000
 Institutions.
Facility Improvements at 1890        7 U.S.C. 3222b........       20,500
 Institutions.
Renewable Resources Extension Act..  16 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.        4,060
Rural Health and Safety Education    7 U.S.C. 2662(i)......        4,000
 Programs.
Food Animal Residue Avoidance        7 U.S.C. 7642.........        2,500
 Database Program.
Women and Minorities in STEM Fields  7 U.S.C. 5925.........          400
Food Safety Outreach Program.......  7 U.S.C. 7625.........        8,000
Food & Ag Service Learning.........  7 U.S.C. 7633.........        1,000
Farmer Stress Assistance Network...  7 U.S.C. 5936.........       10,000
Smith-Lever, Section 3(d):.........  7 U.S.C. 343(d).......  ...........
    Food and Nutrition Education...  ......................       70,000
    Farm Safety and Youth Farm       ......................        4,610
     Safety Education Programs.
    New Technologies for             ......................        1,550
     Agricultural Extension.
    Children, Youth, and Families    ......................        8,395
     at Risk.
    Federally Recognized Tribes      ......................        3,200
     Extension Program.
        Total, Section 3(d)........  ......................       87,755
                                                            ------------
Necessary Expenses of Extension
 Activities:.
Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom..  7 U.S.C. 3152(j)......          552
Federal Administration--Other        ......................        7,790
 Necessary Expenses for Extension
 Activities.
        Total, Necessary Expenses..  ......................        8,342
                                                            ------------
        Total, Extension Activities  ......................     $526,557
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Integrated Activities

       The agreement provides $38,000,000 for the National 
     Institute of Food and Agriculture, Integrated Activities.
       The following table reflects the amounts provided by the 
     agreement:

    NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Methyl Bromide Transition Program..  7 U.S.C. 7626.........       $2,000
Organic Transition Program.........  7 U.S.C. 7626.........        6,000
Regional Rural Development Centers.  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)......        2,000
Food and Agriculture Defense         7 U.S.C. 3351.........        8,000
 Initiative.
Crop Protection/Pest Management      7 U.S.C. 7626.........       20,000
 Program.
    Total, Integrated Activities...  ......................      $38,000
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs

       The agreement provides $800,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

               Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $1,042,711,000 for the Animal and 
     Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Salaries and 
     Expenses.
       The agreement provides a net increase of $31,575,000 for 
     high priority initiatives in order to protect the plant and 
     animal resources of the Nation from pests and diseases. 
     Within the increase total, the agreement includes the 
     following: $8,000,000 for Cattle Health to help control and 
     eventually eradicate cattle fever ticks; $5,700,000 for the 
     Equine, Cervid, and Small Ruminant Health program to help 
     address chronic wasting disease ($5,000,000), equine 
     encephalitis ($500,000), and bovine tuberculosis ($200,000); 
     $1,000,000 for the Center for Veterinary Biologics for 
     additional staff; $7,200,000 for the Veterinary Diagnostics 
     program, including the $4,200,000 as requested and $3,000,000 
     to carry out the science program at the National Bio and 
     Agro-defense Facility program; $2,000,000 for Field Crop and 
     Rangeland Ecosystems Pests in order to control or eradicate 
     pests destroying Roseau cane in wetlands near the Mississippi 
     River Delta as well as funds for APHIS to partner with states 
     in the control and eradication of the cogongrass weed; 
     $6,000,000 for Specialty Crop Pests for the control and 
     eventual eradication of the navel orangeworm; $1,380,000 for 
     Wildlife Damage Management to develop non-lethal strategies 
     to reduce predator depredation; and $295,000 for Horse 
     Protection.
       The agreement provides $9,000,000 for cervid health 
     activities. Within the funds provided, APHIS should give 
     consideration to indemnity payments if warranted. The 
     agreement notes the growing threat of chronic wasting disease 
     and its impact on free-ranging deer populations. Of the 
     amount provided for cervid health activities, $5,000,000 is 
     provided for APHIS to allocate funds directly to State 
     departments of wildlife and State departments of agriculture 
     to further develop and implement chronic wasting disease 
     surveillance, testing, management, and response activities. 
     In allocating these funds, APHIS shall give priority to 
     States that have experienced a recent incident of CWD, have a 
     CWD monitoring and surveillance program, and have a 
     diagnostic laboratory system certified for CWD testing.
       The agreement understands that sudden oak death pathogens 
     are a major threat to western forests and export markets for 
     log shipments. The agreement provides no less than the fiscal 
     year 2019 level to continue treatment methods and eradication 
     in order to control the spread of this disease.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

               ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
                        [in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Health Technical Services...........................      $37,857
Aquatic Animal Health......................................        2,253
Avian Health...............................................       62,840
Cattle Health..............................................      104,500
Equine, Cervid, and Small Ruminant Health..................       26,500
National Veterinary Stockpile..............................        5,725
Swine Health...............................................       24,800
Veterinary Biologics.......................................       17,417
Veterinary Diagnostics.....................................       57,340
Zoonotic Disease Management................................       16,523
                                                            ------------

[[Page H11165]]

 
    Subtotal, Animal Health................................      355,755
                                                            ------------
Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (Appropriated)..........       32,330
Cotton Pests...............................................       11,520
Field Crop & Rangeland Ecosystems Pests....................       13,826
Pest Detection.............................................       27,446
Plant Protection Methods Development.......................       20,686
Specialty Crop Pests.......................................      192,013
Tree & Wood Pests..........................................       60,000
                                                            ------------
    Subtotal, Plant Health.................................      357,821
                                                            ------------
Wildlife Damage Management.................................      109,756
Wildlife Services Methods Development......................       18,856
    Subtotal, Wildlife Services............................      128,612
                                                            ------------
Animal & Plant Health Regulatory Enforcement...............       16,224
Biotechnology Regulatory Services..........................       18,875
                                                            ------------
    Subtotal, Regulatory Services..........................       35,099
                                                            ------------
Contingency Fund...........................................          470
Emergency Preparedness & Response..........................       40,966
                                                            ------------
    Subtotal, Emergency Management.........................       41,436
                                                            ------------
Agriculture Import/Export..................................       15,599
Overseas Technical & Trade Operations......................       24,115
                                                            ------------
    Subtotal, Safe Trade...................................       39,714
                                                            ------------
Animal Welfare.............................................       31,310
Horse Protection...........................................        1,000
                                                            ------------
    Subtotal, Animal Welfare...............................       32,310
                                                            ------------
APHIS Information Technology Infrastructure................        4,251
Physical/Operational Security..............................        5,146
Rent and DHS Payments......................................       42,567
                                                            ------------
    Subtotal, Agency Management............................       51,964
                                                            ============
        Total, Direct Appropriation........................   $1,042,711
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

       The agreement provides $3,175,000 for APHIS Buildings and 
     Facilities.

                     Agricultural Marketing Service


                           MARKETING SERVICES

       The agreement provides $186,936,000 for Agricultural 
     Marketing Service.
       The agreement provides increases of $16,496,000 for 
     implementation of the Hemp Production Program; $5,400,000 for 
     the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program; 
     $4,454,000 for warehouse activities for one-time information 
     technology investments; $2,000,000 for the Acer Access and 
     Development Program; and $2,000,000 for the National Organic 
     Program.
       The agreement recognizes the importance of consumer 
     confidence in the integrity of the USDA Organic Seal. The 
     agreement appreciates the work the USDA has done to increase 
     training and certifier consistency with respect to dairy 
     operations. The agreement urges USDA to continue to conduct 
     this critical risk based oversight, particularly for large 
     complex dairy operations.


                 LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

       The agreement includes a limitation on administrative 
     expenses of $61,227,000.


    FUNDS FOR STRENGTHENING MARKETS, INCOME, AND SUPPLY (SECTION 32)

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $20,705,000 for Funds for 
     Strengthening Markets, Income, and Supply.
       The following table reflects the status of this fund for 
     fiscal year 2020:

       ESTIMATED TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE AND BALANCE CARRIED FORWARD
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation (30% of Customs Receipts).................     $15,123,425
Less Transfers:
    Food and Nutrition Service..........................     -13,535,591
    Commerce Department.................................        -183,834
    Total, Transfers....................................     -13,719,425
                                                         ---------------
    Budget Authority, Farm Bill.........................       1,404,000
                                                         ---------------
Rescisison of Current Year Funds:
Apprpriations Temporarily Reduced-- Sequestration.......         -72,275
    Budget Authority, Appropriations Act................       1,331,725
                                                         ---------------
Less Obligations:
    Child Nutrition Programs (Entitlement Commodities)..         485,000
    State Option Contract...............................           5,000
    Removal of Defective Commodities....................           2,500
    Disaster Relief.....................................           5,000
    Additional Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts Purchases...         206,000
    Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program...................         179,000
    Estimated Future Needs..............................         392,667
        Total, Commodity Procurement....................       1,275,167
                                                         ---------------
Administrative Funds:
    Commodity Purchase Support..........................          35,853
    Marketing Agreements and Orders.....................          20,705
        Total, Administrative Funds.....................          56,558
                                                         ---------------
        Total Obligations...............................      $1,331,725
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   PAYMENTS TO STATES AND POSSESSIONS

       The agreement provides $1,235,000 for Payments to States 
     and Possessions.


        LIMITATION ON INSPECTION AND WEIGHING SERVICES EXPENSES

       The agreement includes a limitation on inspection and 
     weighing services expenses of $55,000,000.

             Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety

       The agreement provides $800,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Food Safety.

                   Food Safety and Inspection Service

       The agreement provides $1,054,344,000 for the Food Safety 
     and Inspection Service.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

                   FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal....................................................     $936,324
State......................................................       66,682
International..............................................       16,758
Public Health Data Communications Infrastructure System....       34,580
                                                            ============
    Total, Food Safety and Inspection Service..............   $1,054,344
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                TITLE II

               Farm Production and Conservation Programs

   Office of the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation

       The agreement provides $901,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation.
       The agreement recognizes the importance of disaster 
     planning and directs the Department to work with producers 
     that want to voluntarily develop disaster plans to prevent 
     livestock deaths and injuries.

            Farm Production and Conservation Business Center


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $203,877,000 for the Farm Production 
     and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center. In addition, 
     $16,081,000 is transferred from the Agricultural Credit 
     Insurance Fund and $60,228,000 is transferred from the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation.
       The agreement recognizes the Farm and Production 
     Conservation (FPAC) Business Center was created with the goal 
     of consolidating administrative functions. The agreement 
     directs the Secretary to report to the Committees, within 60 
     days of enactment, on what efficiencies have been gained, by 
     which metrics the Business Center is being measured, how the 
     Business Center will accelerate hiring going forward, and any 
     existing plans for additional reorganizations of staff into 
     the Business Center.

                          Farm Service Agency


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $1,122,837,000 for Farm Service 
     Agency, Salaries and Expenses.
       The agreement includes an additional $35,000,000 for the 
     hiring of farm loan officers, county office trainees, and 
     county office staff to address staffing shortages across the 
     country. The total also accepts the proposed information 
     technology savings and provides a net increase of $6,182,000 
     for IT improvements.
       The agreement acknowledges the Department met the FSA 
     Workload Study as directed by House Report 114-205 through 
     the Optimally Productive Office (OPO) Study. The OPO provides 
     FPAC's frontline leaders with a set of tools that enables 
     them to better manage field capacity by focusing on both 
     level and distribution of staff as well as location of 
     offices by using data-driven methods. At this time, as the 
     Committees continue to analyze the results of the OPO Study, 
     the agreement continues language preventing the closure of 
     FSA county offices.
       The agreement recognizes avian predation and disease 
     threaten the viability of the U.S. aquaculture industry. The 
     agreement notes that the Secretary is authorized to provide 
     relief to farm raised fish producers under 7 U.S.C. 
     9081(d)(2) for losses due to disease, or other factors as 
     determined by the Secretary. The agreement directs FSA within 
     180 days of enactment to amend the existing regulations under 
     7 C.F.R. 1416 to ensure producers of farm-raised fish 
     intended for human consumption are eligible to receive 
     payments for death losses due to disease or avian predation.
       The agreement directs FSA to work with ranchers to tailor 
     the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to address unique 
     circumstances, such as panther and bald eagle depredation, 
     which are currently preventing producers from receiving 
     compensation for losses.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salaries and expenses......................................   $1,122,837
    Transfer from P.L. 480.................................          142
    Transfer from export loans.............................          318
    Transfer from ACIF.....................................      290,917
                                                            ============
        Total, FSA Salaries and expenses...................   $1,414,214
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         STATE MEDIATION GRANTS

       The agreement provides $5,545,000 for State Mediation 
     Grants.


               GRASSROOTS SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $6,500,000 for the Grassroots Source 
     Water Protection Program.


         DAIRY INDEMNITY PROGRAM (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $500,000 for the Dairy Indemnity 
     Program.

[[Page H11166]]

  



           AGRICULTURAL CREDIT INSURANCE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $8,431,016,000 for the ACIF program 
     account.
       The following table reflects the agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Authorizations:
Farm Ownership Loans:
    Direct.................................................   $1,875,000
    Guaranteed.............................................    2,750,000
        Subtotal, Farm Ownership Loans.....................    4,625,000
                                                            ------------
Farm Operating Loans:
    Direct.................................................    1,550,133
    Unsubsidized Guaranteed................................    1,960,000
        Subtotal, Farm Operating Loans.....................    3,510,133
                                                            ------------
Emergency Loans............................................       37,668
Indian Tribe Land Acquisition Loans........................       20,000
Conservation Loans-Guaranteed..............................      150,000
Relending Program..........................................       18,215
Indian Highly Fractionated Land............................       10,000
Boll Weevil Eradication....................................       60,000
Total, Loan Authorizations.................................    8,431,016
                                                            ============
Loan Subsidies:
Farm Operating Loan Subsidies:
    Direct.................................................       58,440
    Unsubsidized Guaranteed................................       20,972
        Subtotal, Farm Operating Subsidies.................       79,412
                                                            ------------
    Emergency Loans........................................        2,023
    Relending Program......................................        5,000
    Indian Highly Fractionated Land........................        2,745
    Boll Weevil Eradication................................           60
        Total, Loan Subsidies..............................       89,240
                                                            ============
ACIF Expenses:
    Salaries and Expenses..................................      290,917
    Administrative Expenses................................       10,070
    Transfer to FPAC Business Center.......................       16,081
        Total, ACIF Expenses...............................     $317,068
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Risk Management Agency


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $58,361,000 for the Risk Management 
     Agency (RMA), Salaries and Expenses.

                 Natural Resources Conservation Service


                        CONSERVATION OPERATIONS

       The agreement provides $829,628,000 for Conservation 
     Operations.
       The agreement provides $9,400,000 for the Snow Survey and 
     Water Forecasting Program; $9,481,000 for the Plant Materials 
     Centers; $74,987,000 the Soil Surveys Program; and 
     $735,760,000 for Conservation Technical Assistance, of which 
     $9,834,000 is for the farmers.gov Customer Experience Portal 
     program.
       The agreement acknowledges many States and Tribal Lands 
     lack adequate coverage of weather service monitors to 
     accurately report weather conditions, such as drought. The 
     agreement directs NRCS to work with States, Tribal 
     Organizations, and local governments to help purchase new or 
     upgrade existing weather stations to improve reporting 
     accuracy.


               WATERSHED AND FLOOD PREVENTION OPERATIONS

       The agreement provides $175,000,000 for Watershed and Flood 
     Prevention Operations.


                    WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $10,000,000 for the Watershed 
     Rehabilitation Program.

                              CORPORATIONS

                Federal CROP Insurance Corporation Fund

       The agreement provides such sums as may be necessary for 
     the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund.

                   Commodity Credit Corporation Fund


                 REIMBURSEMENT FOR NET REALIZED LOSSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides such sums as may be necessary for 
     Reimbursement for Net Realized Losses of the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation.


                       HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

                        (LIMITATION ON EXPENSES)

       The agreement provides a limitation of $5,000,000 for 
     Hazardous Waste Management.

                               TITLE III

                       RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

          Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development

       The agreement provides $800,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Rural Development.
       The agreement requires the Secretary to prioritize the 
     maintenance needs for rural housing facilities and staff 
     needs which shall include: (1) oversight of aging rental 
     housing program properties with capital repair needs; (2) the 
     needs of staff overseeing the Rural Housing Service and field 
     staff conducting housing inspections; and (3) enforcement 
     against property owners when those owners fail to make 
     necessary repairs.
       The agreement provides an additional $555,000,000 for the 
     Re-Connect program to increase access to broadband 
     connectivity in unserved and underserved rural communities 
     targeting areas of the country with the largest broadband 
     coverage gaps, including those with mountainous terrains. As 
     the Department concludes the first round of applications it 
     is encouraged to complete an assessment of the first round. 
     The agreement recognizes possible unintended consequences and 
     unanticipated obstacles may have arisen in varying program 
     stages and requests USDA to make necessary improvements to 
     the program moving forward. This may include, but is not 
     limited to, convening interested stakeholders, reassessing 
     scoring criteria and considering the challenges of accurate 
     broadband speed maps. The agreement reiterates the importance 
     of maximizing these investments and avoiding any duplication 
     of existing networks built by private investment or those 
     built leveraging and utilizing other Federal programs.

                           Rural Development


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $247,835,000 for Rural Development, 
     Salaries and Expenses.
       The agreement directs the Secretary to have no fewer than 
     4,600 full time on board staff by the end of fiscal year 
     2020, and directs the Department to provide a quarterly 
     update listing total Full Time Equivalents (FTE).
       The agreement provides an additional $1,000,000 for the 
     Rural Development mission area to enter into a request for 
     proposal to identify a public-private partnership or 
     partnerships with expertise and experience working with rural 
     communities in ``place-making'' as a way to foster 
     simultaneously the adoption of broadband services and the 
     creation of greater social and cultural vitality. Selection 
     criteria must include geographic and ethnic diversity as well 
     as such factors as the revitalization and shaping of future 
     town centers, community and county wellbeing and economic 
     vitality, and the enhancement of full community participation 
     in creating growth strategies. An annual report shall be 
     provided to Congress on the accelerators of and impediments 
     to success of implementation of broadband, integration of all 
     rural development programs and drivers for making a place 
     more livable.

                         Rural Housing Service


              RURAL HOUSING INSURANCE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides a total subsidy of $538,939,000 for 
     activities under the Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program 
     Account.
       The following table indicates loan, subsidy, and grant 
     levels provided by the agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan authorizations:
Single family housing (sec. 502)
    Direct.................................................   $1,000,000
    Unsubsidized guaranteed................................   24,000,000
Housing repair (sec. 504)..................................       28,000
Rental housing (sec. 515)..................................       40,000
Multi-family guaranteed (sec. 538).........................      230,000
Site development loans (sec. 524)..........................        5,000
Credit sales of acquired property..........................       10,000
Self-help housing land development (sec. 523)..............        5,000
Farm labor housing.........................................       28,000
    Total, Loan authorizations.............................  $25,346,000
                                                            ============
Loan subsidies, grants & administrative expenses:
Single family housing (sec. 502)
    Direct.................................................      $90,000
Housing repair (sec. 504)..................................        4,679
Rental housing (sec. 515)..................................       12,144
Farm labor housing (sec. 514)..............................        8,739
Site development loans (sec. 524)..........................          546
Self-help land development (sec. 523)......................          577
    Total, loan subsidies..................................      116,685
                                                            ------------
Farm labor housing grants..................................       10,000
    Total, loan subsidies and grants.......................      126,685
                                                            ------------
Administrative expenses (transfer to RD)...................      412,254
    Total, Loan subsidies, grants, and administrative           $538,939
     expenses..............................................
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $1,375,000,000 for the Rental 
     Assistance Program.


          MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REVITALIZATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $60,000,000 for the Multi-Family 
     Housing Revitalization Program Account, including $32,000,000 
     to fully fund rural housing voucher demand as estimated by 
     USDA.


                  MUTUAL AND SELF-HELP HOUSING GRANTS

       The agreement provides $31,000,000 for Mutual and Self-Help 
     Housing Grants.


                    RURAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS

       The agreement provides $45,000,000 for Rural Housing 
     Assistance Grants.
       The following table reflects the grant levels provided by 
     the agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very low income housing repair grants......................      $30,000
Housing preservation grants................................       15,000
    Total, grant program...................................      $45,000
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

               RURAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $49,000,000 for the Rural Community 
     Facilities Program Account.
       The agreement notes that the House and Senate reports 
     contain reporting requirements for Community Facilities 
     loans, and encourages Rural Development to make these 
     available on the Department's website.
       The agreement recognizes the importance of courthouses in 
     rural impoverished communities, particularly persistent 
     poverty counties, and notes that renovation and repair of 
     these courthouses are an eligible activity under the 
     Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program.

[[Page H11167]]

       The following table reflects the loan, subsidy, and grant 
     amounts provided by the agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan authorizations:
    CF direct loans........................................   $2,800,000
    CF guaranteed loans....................................      500,000
Loan subsidies and grants:
    CF grants..............................................       32,000
    Rural Community Development Initiative.................        6,000
    Economic Impact Initiative.............................        6,000
    Tribal college grants..................................        5,000
        Total, subsidy and grants..........................      $49,000
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Rural Business--Cooperative Service


                     RURAL BUSINESS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $66,500,000 for the Rural Business 
     Program Account.
       The agreement recognizes that certain territories may not 
     have unemployment rates by localities. In this event, the 
     agreement encourages USDA to consider granting priority 
     points for unemployment rates when an applicant does not have 
     unemployment rates by localities but the applicant's proposed 
     service area has an unemployment rate exceeding 125 percent 
     of the national average.
       The following table reflects the loan, subsidy, and grant 
     levels provided by the agreement:

                         (Dollars in Thousands)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan level:
    Business and industry guaranteed loans.................   $1,000,000
Loan subsidy and grants:
    Business and industry guaranteed loans.................       20,500
    Rural business development grants......................       37,000
    Delta Regional Authority/Appalachian Regional                  9,000
     Commission/Northern Border Regional Commission........
        Total, Rural Business Program subsidy and grants...      $66,500
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

              INTERMEDIARY RELENDING PROGRAM FUND ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $9,687,000 for the Intermediary 
     Relending Program Fund Account.
       The following table reflects the loan and subsidy levels 
     provided by the agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan level:
    Estimated loan level...................................      $18,889
Subsidies and administrative expenses:
    Direct loan subsidy level..............................        5,219
Administrative expenses....................................        4,468
    Subtotal, subsidies and administrative expenses........       $9,687
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

            RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $50,000,000 for the Rural Economic 
     Development Loans Program Account.


                  RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

       The agreement provides $26,600,000 for Rural Cooperative 
     Development Grants.

                    Rural Microentrepreneur Program

       The agreement provides $6,000,000 for the Rural Micro-
     Entrepreneur Program.


                    RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $706,000 for the Rural Energy for 
     America Program.

                        Rural Utilities Service


             RURAL WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $659,480,000 for the Rural Utilities 
     Service Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account.
       The following table reflects the loan, subsidy, and grant 
     levels provided by the agreement:

                         (Dollars in Thousands)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan authorizations:
    Water and waste direct loans...........................   $1,400,000
    Water and waste guaranteed loans.......................       50,000
Subsidies and grants:
    Water and Waste Direct Loans...........................       63,840
    Guaranteed loan subsidy................................           70
    Water and waste revolving fund.........................        1,000
    Water well system grants...............................        5,000
    Grants for Colonias, Native Americans, and Alaska             68,000
     Native Villages.......................................
    Water and waste technical assistance grants............       30,000
    Circuit Rider program..................................       19,570
    Solid waste management grants..........................        4,000
    High energy cost grants................................       10,000
    Water and waste disposal grants........................      443,000
    306A(i)(2) grants......................................       15,000
        Total, subsidies and grants........................     $659,480
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

   RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $37,065,000 for activities under the 
     Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program 
     Account.
       The following table indicates loan levels provided by the 
     agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan authorizations:
Electric:
    Direct, FFB............................................   $5,500,000
    Guaranteed underwriting................................      750,000
        Subtotal, electric.................................    6,250,000
                                                            ------------
Telecommunications:
    Direct, treasury rate..................................      345,000
    Direct, FFB............................................      345,000
Loan subsidy:
    Direct, treasury rate..................................        3,795
        Total, loan authorizations.........................    6,940,000
                                                            ------------
        Administrative expenses............................       33,270
        Total, budget authority............................      $37,065
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

         DISTANCE LEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, AND BROADBAND PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $87,000,000 for the Distance 
     Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program.
       The following table indicates loan levels provided by the 
     agreement:

                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan authorization:
    Broadband telecommunications...........................      $11,179
        Total, loan authorization..........................       11,179
                                                            ------------
Subsidy and grants:
    Distance learning and telemedicine grants..............       50,000
Broadband telecommunications program
    Direct (treasury rate loans)...........................        2,000
    Grants.................................................       35,000
        Total, subsidies and grants........................      $87,000
                                                            ============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                TITLE IV

                         DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS

    Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer 
                                Services

       The agreement provides $800,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services.
       The agreement requires the Secretary to conduct a study on 
     the challenges that the Food Distribution Program on Indian 
     Reservations, and other food distribution programs 
     administered by the Secretary, face in reaching underserved 
     populations. An emphasis should be placed on the homebound 
     and elderly to better capture data on the population of 
     people unable to travel to a distribution location.

                       Food and Nutrition Service


                        CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $23,615,098,000 for Child Nutrition 
     Programs, including $1,000,000 in Team Nutrition to help 
     schools meet the sodium-reduction targets.
       Summer EBT is an effective program that has been proven to 
     lower food insecurity. The agreement encourages FNS to 
     consider previous recipients to continue building on the 
     investments and nutritional gains made.
       The agreement directs the Department to review its decision 
     to maintain the current crediting standard for strained, 
     high-protein yogurt, and requests a briefing to better 
     understand food crediting in the Child Nutrition.
       The agreement provides the following for Child Nutrition 
     Programs:

                      TOTAL OBLIGATIONAL AUTHORITY
                         (Dollars in Thousands)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
School lunch program....................................     $12,507,478
School breakfast program................................       4,831,384
Child and adult care food program.......................       3,835,706
Summer food service program.............................         526,385
Special milk program....................................           7,064
State administrative expenses...........................         314,922
Commodity procurement...................................       1,419,968
Team Nutrition..........................................          18,004
Food safety education...................................           2,929
Coordinated review......................................          10,000
Computer support and processing.........................          12,124
CACFP training and technical assistance.................          33,935
Child Nutrition Program studies and evaluations.........          14,999
Child Nutrition payment accuracy........................          11,203
Farm to school tactical team............................           3,997
School meals equipment grants...........................          30,000
Summer EBT demonstration................................          35,000
                                                         ---------------
        Total...........................................     $23,615,098
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN 
                                 (WIC)

       The agreement provides $6,000,000,000 for the Special 
     Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
     Children.
       The agreement fully funds anticipated participation for 
     fiscal year 2020. Included in the agreement is $90,000,000 
     for breastfeeding peer counselors and $14,000,000 for 
     infrastructure.
       The work of the National Academies of Science (NAS) to 
     review and make recommendations for updating the WIC food 
     packages to reflect current science and cultural factors is 
     recognized. The agreement notes, however, that while all 
     revised packages now allow some fish, the amounts remain low 
     compared to the recommendations of other authoritative health 
     agencies. The agreement strongly encourages the Department to 
     consider the health and cultural benefits of fish consumption 
     as the NAS recommendations are reviewed and used to inform 
     the Department's next course of action.

[[Page H11168]]

     The agreement also strongly encourages the Department to 
     continue to allow states to submit cultural food package 
     proposals to respond to the cultural preferences of WIC 
     participants in states like Alaska.


               SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $67,886,285,000 for the Supplemental 
     Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
       The agreement provides $5,000,000 for the nationwide 
     implementation of the National Accuracy Clearinghouse, as 
     described in Section 4011 of the Agriculture Improvement Act 
     of 2018.
       The agreement provides the following for SNAP:

                      TOTAL OBLIGATIONAL AUTHORITY
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benefits................................................     $56,164,372
Contingency reserve.....................................       3,000,000
Administrative costs:
State administrative costs..............................       4,965,651
Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program         441,000
Employment and Training.................................         613,694
Mandatory other program costs...........................         218,289
Discretionary other program costs.......................             998
Administrative subtotal.................................       6,239,632
                                                         ---------------
Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico (NAP)..............       1,969,741
American Samoa..........................................           7,911
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations........         160,231
TEFAP commodities.......................................         322,250
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands............          12,148
Community Food Projects.................................           5,000
Program access..........................................           5,000
    Subtotal............................................       2,482,281
                                                         ---------------
        Total...........................................     $67,886,285
                                                         ===============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      COMMODITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $344,248,000 for the Commodity 
     Assistance Program.
       The agreement provides $245,000,000 for the Commodity 
     Supplemental Food Program; $18,548,000 for the Farmers' 
     Market Nutrition Program; and $79,630,000 for the Emergency 
     Food Assistance Program.


                   NUTRITION PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION

       The agreement provides $155,891,000 for Nutrition Programs 
     Administration.

                                TITLE V

                FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS

   Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural 
                                Affairs

       The agreement provides $875,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

                      Office of Codex Alimentarius

       The agreement provides $4,775,000 for the Office of Codex 
     Alimentarius.

                      Foreign Agricultural Service


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $215,513,000 for the Foreign 
     Agricultural Service, Salaries and Expenses and a transfer of 
     $6,063,000.
       The agreement provides increases of $900,000 for Capital 
     Security Cost Sharing, $1,600,000 for International 
     Cooperative Administrative Support Services, $1,530,000 for 
     locally engaged staff and $593,000 for Biotech. Within the 
     amount provided, the agreement also includes $7,200,000 for 
     the Country Strategy Support Fund.


  FOOD FOR PEACE TITLE I DIRECT CREDIT AND FOOD FOR PROGRESS PROGRAM 
                                ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $142,000 for administrative expenses 
     for the Food for Peace Title I Direct Credit and Food for 
     Progress Program Account to be transferred to and merged with 
     the appropriation for ``Farm Service Agency, Salaries and 
     Expenses''.


                     FOOD FOR PEACE TITLE II GRANTS

       The agreement provides $1,725,000,000 for Food for Peace 
     Title II Grants.

  McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition 
                             Program Grants

       The agreement provides $220,000,000 for the McGovern-Dole 
     International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.


              COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION EXPORT (LOANS)

                    CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $6,381,000 for the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation Export Loans Credit Guarantee Program Account.

                                TITLE VI

           RELATED AGENCIES AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

                Department of Health and Human Services


                      FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $3,159,678,000 in discretionary 
     budget authority and $2,612,764,000 in definite user fees for 
     a total of $5,772,442,000 for Food and Drug Administration, 
     Salaries and Expenses. This total does not include permanent, 
     indefinite user fees for: the Mammography Quality Standards 
     Act; Color Certification; Export Certification; Priority 
     Review Vouchers Pediatric Disease; Food and Feed Recall; Food 
     Reinspection; Voluntary Qualified Importer Program; the Third 
     Party Auditor Program; Outsourcing Facility; and Over-the-
     Counter Monograph.
       The agreement expects the FDA to continue all projects, 
     activities, laboratories, and programs as included in fiscal 
     year 2019 unless otherwise specified, and maintains the 
     $1,500,000 transfer to the Health and Human Services' 
     Inspector General for its audit and oversight work involving 
     the FDA.
       The agreement provides an increase of $91,000,000, of which 
     $78,900,000 is for medical product and food safety activities 
     and $12,100,000 for critical infrastructure improvements.
       Within the increases provided for medical products safety, 
     the agreement includes $7,000,000 for Medical Countermeasures 
     Initiatives; $10,000,000 for Integrated Pathogen Reduction of 
     the Blood Supply; $1,000,000 for the Office of Laboratory 
     Safety; $9,000,000 for Compounding; $4,000,000 to Transform 
     Medical Device Safety, Cybersecurity, Review, and Innovation; 
     $2,000,000 for MedTech Manufacturing; $1,900,000 for 
     Modernizing Generic Drug Development and Review; $8,000,000 
     to combat the Opioid Epidemic, $5,000,000 for Rare Cancer 
     Therapeutics; and $1,000,000 for the Pediatric Device 
     Consortia.
       Within the increases provided for food safety activities, 
     the agreement provides $5,000,000 for Promoting Innovation 
     and Emerging Technology While Maintaining Product Safety, of 
     which $500,000 is to address pentobarbital in pet food; 
     $7,000,000 for Advancing FSMA; $8,000,000 for Strengthening 
     Response Capabilities for Foodborne Outbreaks; $3,000,000 for 
     the Office of Dietary Supplements; $5,000,000 for Imported 
     Seafood Safety Pilot; $2,000,000 for Cannabidiol (CBD) 
     activities; $500,000 for the National Antimicrobial 
     Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS); and $1,000,000 for 
     Standards of Identity Activities for Foods.
       The agreement includes $2,000,000 for research, policy 
     evaluation, market surveillance, issuance of an enforcement 
     discretion policy, and appropriate regulatory activities with 
     respect to products under the jurisdiction of the FDA which 
     contain CBD and meet the definition of hemp, as set forth in 
     section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 
     U.S.C. 1639o). Within 60 days of enactment of this Act, the 
     FDA shall provide the Committees with a report regarding the 
     agency's progress toward obtaining and analyzing data to help 
     determine a policy of enforcement discretion and the process 
     in which CBD meeting the definition of hemp will be evaluated 
     for use in products. The FDA is further directed to perform a 
     sampling study of the current CBD marketplace to determine 
     the extent to which products are mislabeled or adulterated 
     and report to the Committees within 180 days of enactment of 
     this Act.
       The agreement acknowledges the submission of a 
     comprehensive petition pending at the FDA to establish a 
     separate U.S. Standard of Identity for different grades of 
     olive oil (e.g., extra virgin, virgin, and refined) and 
     olive-pomace oils. With a pending petition now at the FDA, 
     the agreement directs the FDA to complete work on this 
     petition as expeditiously as possible.
       The agreement notes that the SUPPORT ACT (P.L. 115-271) 
     granted the FDA new authority to require special packaging, 
     including unit dose packaging, for opioids and other drugs 
     that pose a serious risk of abuse or overdose for certain 
     patients and directs the FDA to provide an update on the 
     status of the review of comments received under the request 
     for information within 90 days of enactment, including any 
     proposed changes to the Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and 
     Mitigation Strategy (OA REMS) within 30 days after the FDA 
     requires a modification to the OA REMS to require unit dose 
     packaging for other opioids, should it do so.
       The agreement expects the Center for Food Safety and 
     Applied Nutrition to fund at least at the 2019 level those 
     agreements on outreach to farmers that are continued in 2020.
       The agreement encourages FDA to accelerate the review of 
     penicillin allergy skin tests to address the serious and 
     growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
       The agreement does not intend the language in Section 790 
     to apply to animals with an approved intentional genomic 
     alteration other than the animals approved by FDA in November 
     2015 or to marketing of other animals genetically engineered 
     to produce drugs.
       The agreement provides specific amounts by Food and Drug 
     Administration activity as reflected in the following table:

            FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION--SALARIES & EXPENSES
                         [Dollars in Thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Authority:
    Foods...............................................      $1,088,881
    Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition........         341,966
      Field Activities..................................         746,915
    Human Drugs.........................................         683,195
    Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.............         507,726
      Field Activities..................................         175,469
    Biologics...........................................         252,138
    Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research........         210,132
      Field Activities..................................          42,006
    Animal Drugs and Feeds..............................         190,869
    Center for Veterinary Medicine......................         122,099
      Field Activities..................................          68,770

[[Page H11169]]

 
    Devices and Radiological Products...................         395,168
    Center for Devices and Radiological Health..........         310,163
      Field Activities..................................          85,005
National Center for Toxicological Research..............          66,712
Other Activities/Office of the Commissioner.............         185,420
White Oak Consolidation.................................          45,914
Other Rent and Rent Related Activities..................          80,173
GSA Rent................................................         171,208
    Subtotal, Budget Authority..........................       3,159,678
                                                         ---------------
User Fees:
    Prescription Drug User Fee Act......................       1,074,714
    Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act.......         220,142
    Human Generic Drug User Fee Act.....................         513,223
    Biosimilar User Fee Act.............................          41,923
    Animal Drug User Fee Act............................          30,611
    Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act....................          20,151
    Tobacco Product User Fees...........................         712,000
        Subtotal, User Fees.............................       2,612,764
                                                         ---------------
            Total, FDA Program Level....................      $5,772,442
                                                         ===============
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

       The agreement provides $11,788,000 for the Food and Drug 
     Administration Buildings and Facilities.

                   FDA Innovation Account, Cures Act


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $75,000,000 for the FDA as 
     authorized in the 21st Century Cures Act.

                          INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

                  Commodity Futures Trading Commission

       The agreement provides $315,000,000 for the Commodity 
     Futures Trading Commission.

                       Farm Credit Administration


                 LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

       The agreement includes a limitation of $77,000,000 on 
     administrative expenses of the Farm Credit Administration.

                               TITLE VII

                           GENERAL PROVISIONS


             (INCLUDING RESCISSIONS AND TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       Section 701.--The bill includes language regarding motor 
     vehicles.
       Section 702.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     Working Capital Fund of the Department of Agriculture.
       Section 703.--The bill includes language limiting funding 
     provided in the bill to one year unless otherwise specified.
       Section 704.--The bill includes language regarding indirect 
     cost share.
       Section 705.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     availability of loans funds in Rural Development programs.
       Section 706.--The bill includes language regarding new 
     information technology systems.
       Section 707.--The bill includes language regarding fund 
     availability in the Agriculture Management Assistance 
     program.
       Section 708.--The bill includes language regarding Rural 
     Utilities Service program eligibility.
       Section 709.--The bill includes language regarding funds 
     for information technology expenses for the Farm Service 
     Agency and the Rural Development mission area.
       Section 710.--The bill includes language prohibiting first-
     class airline travel.
       Section 711.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     availability of certain funds of the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation.
       Section 712.--The bill includes language regarding funding 
     for advisory committees.
       Section 713.--The bill includes language regarding IT 
     system regulations.
       Section 714.--The bill includes language regarding Section 
     32 activities.
       Section 715.--The bill includes language regarding user fee 
     proposals without offsets.
       Section 716.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     reprogramming of funds and notification requirements.
       Section 717.--The bill includes language regarding fees for 
     the guaranteed business and industry loan program.
       Section 718.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     appropriations hearing process.
       Section 719.--The bill includes language regarding 
     government-sponsored news stories.
       Section 720.--The bill includes language regarding details 
     and assignments of Department of Agriculture employees.
       Section 721.--The bill includes language regarding Rural 
     Development programs.
       Section 722.--The bill includes language requiring spend 
     plans.
       Section 723.--The bill includes language regarding 
     nutrition programs.
       Section 724.--The bill includes language regarding section 
     502 single family direct loans.
       Section 725.--The bill includes language regarding USDA 
     loan program levels.
       Section 726.--The bill includes language regarding credit 
     card refunds and rebates.
       Section 727.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     definition of the term ``variety'' in SNAP.
       Section 728.--The bill includes language regarding the 
     Secretary's authority with respect to the 502 guaranteed loan 
     programs.
       Section 729.--The bill includes language regarding 
     electronically available information for prescribing 
     healthcare professionals.
       Section 730.--The bill includes language regarding FDA 
     regulations with respect to spent grains.
       Section 731.--The bill includes language regarding Food for 
     Peace.
       Section 732.--The bill includes funding for the Rural 
     Energy Savings Program.
       Section 733.--The bill includes language regarding country 
     or regional audits.
       Section 734.--The bill includes language regarding 
     partially hydrogenated oils.
       Section 735.--The bill includes language related to the 
     Animal Welfare Act.
       Section 736.--The bill includes language regarding U.S. 
     iron and steel products in public water or wastewater 
     systems.
       Section 737.--The bill includes language regarding 
     lobbying.
       Section 738.--The bill includes language relating to the 
     use of raw or processed poultry products from the People's 
     Republic of China in various domestic nutrition programs.
       Section 739.--The bill includes language related to the 
     Federal Meat Inspection Act.
       Section 740.--The bill includes language related to 
     persistent poverty counties.
       Section 741.--The bill includes language related to the 
     importation of poultry products slaughtered in the People's 
     Republic of China.
       Section 742.--The bill provides funding for the Farm to 
     School program.
       Section 743.--The bill provides funding for the Healthy 
     Foods Financing Initiative.
       Section 744.--The bill provides funding for activities 
     related to citrus greening.
       Section 745.--The bill includes language related to 
     investigational use of drugs or biological products.
       Section 746.--The bill includes language related to the 
     growing, harvesting, packing and holding of certain produce.
       Section 747.--The bill includes language related to certain 
     school food lunch prices.
       Section 748.--The bill provides funding for grants to 
     enhance farming and ranching opportunities for military 
     veterans.
       Section 749.--The bill includes language related to the 
     school breakfast program.
       Section 750.--The bill includes language regarding hemp.
       Section 751.--The bill includes language related to Food 
     and Drug Administration advice about eating fish.
       Section 752.--The bill provides funding for Centers of 
     Excellence.
       Section 753.--The bill provides funding for rural hospital 
     technical assistance.
       Section 754.--The bill provides funding for grants under 
     the section 12502 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 755.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 1621 of Public Law 110-246.
       Section 756.--The bill includes language related to the 
     National Organic Program.
       Section 757.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 4003(b) of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 758.--The bill includes provides funding for a 
     Conservation Reserve Program pilot program.
       Section 759.--The bill provides funding for the Water Bank 
     program.
       Section 760.--The bill includes language related to Rural 
     Economic Area Partnership Zones.
       Section 761.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 3307 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 762.--The bill includes language related to 
     matching fund requirements.
       Section 763.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 23 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
       Section 764.--The bill provides funding for a pilot program 
     related to multi-family housing borrowers.
       Section 765.--The bill includes language related to Rural 
     Development Programs.
       Section 766.--The bill includes language related to the 
     transfer of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to the 
     Department of Agriculture.
       Section 767.--The bill includes language related to 
     biotechnology risk assessment research.
       Section 768.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 12302 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 769.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 12504 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 770.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 4208 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 771.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 7209 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 772.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 12301 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 773.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 7120 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 774.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 7208 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 775.--The bill includes language related to potable 
     water.
       Section 776.--The bill provides funding for purposes 
     identified in House Report 116-107.
       Section 777.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 4206 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 778.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 12513 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 779.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 2103 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 780.--The bill provides funding for Food and Drug 
     Administration Buildings and Facilities.
       Section 781.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
     section 6424 of Public Law 115-334.
       Section 782.--The bill rescinds funds from previous Acts.
       Section 783.--The bill provides funding for a pilot program 
     for wastewater systems in historically impoverished areas.
       Section 784.--The bill includes language changing the due 
     date of a study.
       Section 785.--The bill includes language related to 
     information on illnesses associated with the use of certain 
     e-cigarettes and vaping products.
       Section 786.--The bill includes language changing dates in 
     Public Law 115-141.

[[Page H11170]]

       Section 787.--The bill provides funding for rural 
     broadband.
       Section 788.--The bill includes language related to the 
     Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act.
       Section 789.--The bill includes language related to certain 
     reorganizations within the Department of Agriculture.
       Section 790. The bill includes language related to 
     genetically engineered salmon.
       Section 791.--The bill provides funding for disasters.
       Section 792.--The bill provides funding related to the 
     prevention and treatment of Ebola.

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     DIVISION C--ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       The following statement to the House of Representatives and 
     the Senate is submitted in explanation of the agreed upon Act 
     making appropriations for energy and water development for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other 
     purposes.
       This explanatory statement, while repeating some report 
     language for emphasis, does not intend to negate the language 
     and allocations set forth in House Report 116-83 (``House 
     report'') and Senate Report 116-102 (``Senate report'') and 
     that direction shall be complied with unless specifically 
     addressed to the contrary in the accompanying bill or 
     explanatory statement. Additionally, where this explanatory 
     statement states that the ``agreement only includes'' or 
     ``the following is the only'' direction, any direction 
     included in the House or Senate report on that matter shall 
     be considered as replaced with the direction provided within 
     this explanatory statement. In cases where the House or the 
     Senate has directed the submission of a report, such report 
     is to be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress. House or Senate reporting 
     requirements with deadlines prior to or within 15 days of the 
     enactment of this Act shall be submitted not later than 60 
     days after enactment of this Act. All other reporting 
     deadlines not changed by this explanatory statement are to be 
     met.
       Funds for the individual programs and activities within the 
     accounts in this Act are displayed in the detailed table at 
     the end of the explanatory statement for this Act. Funding 
     levels that are not displayed in the detailed table are 
     identified in this explanatory statement.
       In fiscal year 2020, for purposes of the Balanced Budget 
     and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-
     177), the following information provides the definition of 
     the term ``program, project, or activity'' for departments 
     and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Energy and Water 
     Development Appropriations Act. The term ``program, project, 
     or activity'' shall include the most specific level of budget 
     items identified in the Energy and Water Development 
     Appropriations Act, 2020 and the explanatory statement 
     accompanying this Act.
       No specific funds for rejecting any application for a grant 
     available under funds appropriated by this Act because of the 
     use of the term ``global warming'' or the term ``climate 
     change'' in the application are included for any agency 
     funded in this Act.

                   TITLE I--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL

                         DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

                       Corps of Engineers--Civil

       The summary tables included in this title set forth the 
     dispositions with respect to the individual appropriations, 
     projects, and activities of the Corps of Engineers (Corps). 
     Additional items of this Act are discussed below.
       Asian Carp.--The agreement acknowledges that the Corps 
     completed the Report of the Chief of Engineers for the Great 
     Lakes--Mississippi River Interbasin Study--Brandon Road 
     Recommended Plan in fiscal year 2019. As the Corps 
     prioritizes projects, it shall consider critical projects to 
     prevent the spread of invasive species. The Corps is reminded 
     that this critical project is eligible to compete for 
     additional funding within the Investigations account in order 
     to initiate Planning, Engineering, and Design (PED). The 
     Corps is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress quarterly updates 
     on the progress and status of efforts to prevent the further 
     spread of Asian carp, including the Brandon Road Recommended 
     Plan, the location and density of carp populations, the use 
     of emergency procedures previously authorized by Congress, 
     and the development, consideration, and implementation of new 
     technological and structural countermeasures.
       There is disappointment that the administration chose to 
     cut Corps funding for the important inter-agency 
     collaborative work to address Asian carp. The Corps shall 
     continue to collaborate at levels commensurate with previous 
     years with the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
     Service, the State of Illinois, and members of the Asian Carp 
     Regional Coordinating Committee, including identifying 
     navigation protocols that would be beneficial or effective in 
     reducing the risk of vessels inadvertently carrying aquatic 
     invasive species, including Asian carp, through the Brandon 
     Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois. Any findings of such 
     an evaluation shall be included in the quarterly briefings to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. 
     The Corps is further directed to implement navigation 
     protocols shown to be effective at reducing the risk of 
     entrainment without jeopardizing the safety of vessels and 
     crews. The Corps and other federal and state agencies are 
     conducting ongoing research on potential solutions. The Corps 
     shall brief the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress on such navigation protocols and potential 
     solutions not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act.
       Budget Structure Changes.--The agreement includes House and 
     Senate language regarding budget structure changes.
       Inland Waterways System.--The agreement includes House and 
     Senate language.
       Regional Dredge Demonstration Program.--To respond more 
     effectively to critical national dredging requirements 
     resulting from significant recurring storm events, in 
     combination with routine annual dredging demands, the 
     agreement directs the Corps to execute a multi-year dredging 
     demonstration program within the Central Gulf Coast Region.
       Key features of the program will explore innovative ways of 
     executing dredging in a logical, sequenced manner, 
     unconstrained by more traditional project-specific, account-
     specific, or single-year practices and seek efficiencies and 
     cost savings by evaluating the region as a system to 
     determine when combining work across multiple deep draft 
     commercial navigation projects, across years, or across 
     Construction and Operation and Maintenance accounts is 
     appropriate. By including the Mississippi River Baton Rouge 
     to the Gulf of Mexico (Southwest Pass) and other nearby Gulf 
     Coast commercial navigation projects, the goals of the 
     program are to include being more responsive to dredging 
     demands within the region, while minimizing disruption to 
     critical construction and maintenance dredging requirements 
     enterprise-wide.
       To demonstrate the described multi-year efficiencies, the 
     agreement includes $377,650,000 in a Regional Dredge 
     Demonstration Program funding line item in the Construction 
     account to be used for deep draft navigation projects in the 
     Gulf of Mexico between Louisiana and Alabama within the 
     Mississippi Valley Division and the South Atlantic Division 
     Civil Works boundaries. The Corps shall select one deepening 
     project in each eligible state for inclusion in the 
     demonstration program. Projects that have previously received 
     funding from the Construction account and require no new 
     authorization shall be eligible for inclusion in the 
     demonstration program. Consequently, such projects shall be 
     considered ongoing and shall not require a new start 
     designation. The agreement includes additional funding in the 
     Operation and Maintenance account to support this 
     demonstration program. Operation and Maintenance projects 
     eligible for inclusion in the demonstration program may 
     include Gulf of Mexico states between Florida and Texas, 
     where appropriate. The agreement also includes Senate 
     briefing and reporting requirements.

                           Additional Funding

       The agreement includes funding above the budget request to 
     ensure continued improvements to our national economy, public 
     safety, and environmental health that result from water 
     resources projects. This funding is for additional work that 
     either was not included in the budget request or was 
     inadequately budgeted. The bill contains a provision 
     requiring the Corps to allocate funds in accordance with only 
     the direction in this agreement. In lieu of all House and 
     Senate direction--under any heading--regarding additional 
     funding, new starts, and the fiscal year 2020 work plan, the 
     Corps shall follow the direction included in this explanatory 
     statement.
       The executive branch retains complete discretion over 
     project-specific allocation decisions within the additional 
     funds provided, subject to only the direction here and under 
     the heading ``Additional Funding'' or ``Additional Funding 
     for Ongoing Work'' within each of the Investigations, 
     Construction, Mississippi River and Tributaries, and 
     Operation and Maintenance accounts. A study or project may 
     not be excluded from evaluation for being ``inconsistent with 
     administration policy.'' Voluntary funding in excess of 
     legally-required cost shares for studies and projects is 
     acceptable, but shall not be used as a criterion for 
     allocating the additional funding provided or for the 
     selection of new starts.
       The administration is reminded that these funds are in 
     addition to the budget request, and administration budget 
     metrics shall not be a reason to disqualify a study or 
     project from being funded. It is expected that all of the 
     additional funding provided will be allocated to specific 
     programs, projects, or activities. The focus of the 
     allocation process shall favor the obligation, rather than 
     expenditure, of funds.
       The Corps shall evaluate all studies and projects only 
     within accounts and categories consistent with previous 
     congressional funding. When allocating the additional funding 
     provided in this Act, the Corps shall consider eligibility 
     and implementation decisions under Public Law 115-123 and 
     Public Law 116-20 so as to maximize the reduction of risk to 
     public safety and infrastructure and the reduction of future 
     damages from floods and storms nationwide.
       A project or study shall be eligible for additional funding 
     within the Investigations, Construction, and Mississippi 
     River and Tributaries accounts if: (1) it has received 
     funding, other than through a reprogramming, in at least one 
     of the previous three fiscal years; (2) it was previously 
     funded and could reach a significant milestone, complete a 
     discrete element of work, or produce significant outputs in 
     calendar year 2020; or (3) as appropriate, it is selected as 
     one of the new starts allowed in accordance with this Act and 
     the additional direction provided below. None of the 
     additional funding in any account may be used for any item 
     where funding was specifically denied or for projects in the 
     Continuing Authorities Program. Funds shall be allocated 
     consistent with statutory cost share requirements.
       Work Plan.--Not later than 60 days after enactment of this 
     Act, the Corps shall provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a work plan 
     including the following information: (1) a detailed

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     description of the process and criteria used to evaluate 
     studies and projects; (2) delineation of how these funds are 
     to be allocated; (3) a summary of the work to be accomplished 
     with each allocation, including phase of work and the study 
     or project's remaining cost to complete (excluding Operation 
     and Maintenance); and (4) a list of all studies and projects 
     that were considered eligible for funding but did not receive 
     funding, including an explanation of whether the study or 
     project could have used funds in calendar year 2020 and the 
     specific reasons each study or project was considered as 
     being less competitive for an allocation of funds.
       New Starts.--The agreement includes six new starts in the 
     Investigations account and six new starts in the Construction 
     account to be distributed across the authorized mission areas 
     of the Corps.
       Of the new starts in Investigations, one shall be for an 
     environmental restoration study; one shall be for a multi-
     purpose watershed study to address coastal resiliency; one 
     shall be for a flood and storm damage reduction study; one 
     shall be for a flood and storm damage reduction study or 
     environmental restoration study; and two shall be for 
     navigation studies. Of the two navigation study starts, one 
     may be for a Small, Remote or Subsistence Harbor navigation 
     study. Of the new construction starts, two shall be for 
     navigation projects; two shall be for environmental 
     restoration projects, of which one shall be for the new 
     project start requested by the administration pursuant to the 
     Fiscal Year 2020 Budget amendments transmitted to Congress on 
     May 13, 2019; and two shall be for flood and storm damage 
     reduction, environmental restoration, or multi-purpose 
     projects. No funding shall be used to initiate new programs, 
     projects, or activities in the Mississippi River and 
     Tributaries or Operation and Maintenance accounts.
       The Corps is directed to propose a single group of new 
     starts as a part of the work plan. None of the funds may be 
     used for any item for which the agreement has specifically 
     denied funding. The Corps may not change or substitute the 
     new starts selected once the work plan has been provided to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. 
     Each new start shall be funded from the appropriate 
     additional funding line item. Any project for which the new 
     start requirements are not met by the end of calendar year 
     2020 shall be treated as if the project had not been selected 
     as a new start; such a project shall be required to compete 
     again for new start funding in future years. As all new 
     starts are to be chosen by the Corps, all shall be considered 
     of equal importance, and the expectation is that future 
     budget submissions will include appropriate funding for all 
     new starts selected.
       There continues to be confusion regarding the executive 
     branch's policies and guidelines regarding which studies and 
     projects require new start designations. Therefore, the Corps 
     is directed to notify the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress at least seven days prior to 
     execution of an agreement for construction of any project 
     except environmental infrastructure projects and projects 
     under the Continuing Authorities Program. Additionally, the 
     agreement reiterates and clarifies previous congressional 
     direction as follows. Neither study nor construction 
     activities related to individual projects authorized under 
     section 1037 of the Water Resources Reform and Development 
     Act (WRRDA) of 2014 shall require a new start or new 
     investment decision; these activities shall be considered 
     ongoing work. No new start or new investment decision shall 
     be required when moving from feasibility to PED. A new start 
     designation shall be required to initiate construction of 
     individually-authorized projects funded within programmatic 
     line items. No new start or new investment decision shall be 
     required to initiate work on a separable element of a project 
     when construction of one or more separable elements of that 
     project was initiated previously; it shall be considered 
     ongoing work. A new construction start shall not be required 
     for work undertaken to correct a design deficiency on an 
     existing federal project; it shall be considered ongoing 
     work. The Corps is reminded that resumptions are just that--
     resumption of previously-initiated studies or projects and, 
     as such, do not require new start designations.
       In addition to the priority factors used to allocate all 
     additional funding provided in the Investigations account, 
     the Corps should give careful consideration to the out-year 
     budget impacts of the studies selected and to whether there 
     appears to be an identifiable local sponsor that will be 
     ready and able to provide, in a timely manner, the necessary 
     cost share for the feasibility and PED phases. The Corps is 
     reminded that the flood and storm damage reduction mission 
     area can include instances where non-federal sponsors are 
     seeking assistance with flood control and unauthorized 
     discharges from permitted wastewater treatment facilities and 
     that the navigation mission area includes work in remote and 
     subsistence harbor areas. Within the flood and storm damage 
     reduction mission, the Corps is urged to strive for an 
     appropriate balance between inland and coastal projects.
       In addition to the priority factors used to allocate all 
     additional funding provided in the Construction account, the 
     Corps also shall consider the out-year budget impacts of the 
     selected new starts, the cost sharing sponsor's ability and 
     willingness to promptly provide the cash contribution, if 
     any, as well as required lands, easements, rights-of-way, 
     relocations, and disposal areas. When considering new 
     construction starts, only those that can execute a project 
     cost sharing agreement not later than December 31, 2020, 
     shall be chosen.
       To ensure that the new construction starts are affordable 
     and will not unduly delay completion of any ongoing projects, 
     the Secretary is required to submit to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a realistic out-
     year budget scenario prior to issuing a work allowance for a 
     new start. It is understood that specific budget decisions 
     are made on an annual basis and that this scenario is neither 
     a request for nor a guarantee of future funding for any 
     project. Nonetheless, this scenario shall include an estimate 
     of annual funding for each new start utilizing a realistic 
     funding scenario through completion of the project, as well 
     as the specific impacts of that estimated funding on the 
     ability of the Corps to make continued progress on each 
     previously funded construction project, including impacts to 
     the optimum timeline and funding requirements of the ongoing 
     projects, and on the ability to consider initiating new 
     projects in the future. The scenario shall assume a 
     Construction account funding level at the average of the past 
     three budget requests.


                             INVESTIGATIONS

       The agreement includes $151,000,000 for Investigations. The 
     agreement includes legislative language regarding parameters 
     for new study starts.
       The allocation for projects and activities within the 
     Investigations account is shown in the following table:

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       Additional Funding.--The Corps is expected to allocate the 
     additional funding provided in this account primarily to 
     specific feasibility and PED phases, rather than to Remaining 
     Items line items as has been the case in previous work plans.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     environmental restoration or compliance, the Corps shall 
     allocate not less than $9,782,000 for ecosystem restoration 
     projects in the PED phase that have been funded within the 
     last three years.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     environmental restoration or compliance and other authorized 
     project purposes, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $2,000,000 for ecosystem restoration projects that are 
     modifications to flood protection project authorizations to 
     address degraded conditions due to prior flood protection 
     work. Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     environmental restoration or compliance and other authorized 
     project purposes, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $200,000 to PED activities for ecosystem restoration projects 
     that also provide additional flood storage capacity by 
     restoring the natural habitat.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     flood and storm damage reduction and flood control, the Corps 
     shall allocate not less than $1,500,000 for PED for projects 
     that are located in economically-disadvantaged communities 
     where per capita income is less than half of the state and 
     national averages and that have previously experienced loss 
     of life due to flooding.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     shore protection, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $905,000 for the PED phase of beach renourishment projects 
     that have been authorized by Congress for construction.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account, the 
     Corps shall allocate not less than $10,380,000 for 
     multipurpose projects in the PED phase that have been funded 
     within the last three years.
       When allocating the additional funding provided in this 
     account, the Corps shall consider giving priority to 
     completing or accelerating ongoing studies or to initiating 
     new studies that will enhance the nation's economic 
     development, job growth, and international competitiveness; 
     are for projects located in areas that have suffered recent 
     natural disasters; are for projects that protect life and 
     property; are for projects to restore floodplain and aquatic 
     habitat through cost-effective and tested means; or are for 
     projects to address legal requirements. The Corps shall use 
     these funds for additional work in both the feasibility and 
     PED phases. The agreement includes sufficient additional 
     funding to undertake a significant amount of feasibility and 
     PED work. The administration is reminded that a project study 
     is not complete until the PED phase is complete. The Corps is 
     reminded that the updating of economic analyses and economic 
     impact studies are eligible to receive additional funding.
       Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines.--Not later than 
     60 days after enactment of this Act, the Corps shall brief 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     on the efforts necessary to develop implementation rules and 
     guidelines for the final Principles, Requirements, and 
     Guidelines for Federal Investments in Water Resources 
     released in March 2013 and the final Interagency Guidelines 
     released in December 2014. The Corps shall include in this 
     briefing a timeline for completion of the implementation 
     rules and guidelines, how the Corps' ongoing planning efforts 
     would be impacted by implementation, impacts to funding 
     prioritization, and any challenges associated with the 
     development and implementation of such rules and guidelines. 
     The Corps is urged to prioritize these efforts.


                              CONSTRUCTION

       The agreement includes $2,681,000,000 for Construction. The 
     agreement includes legislative language regarding Chickamauga 
     Lock, Tennessee River, Tennessee. The agreement includes 
     legislative language regarding parameters for new 
     construction starts.
       The allocation for projects and activities within the 
     Construction account is shown in the following table:

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       Updated Capability.--The agreement adjusts some project-
     specific allocations downward from the budget request based 
     on updated information regarding the amount of work that 
     could be accomplished in fiscal year 2020.
       Additional Funding.--The agreement includes additional 
     funds for projects and activities to enhance the nation's 
     economic growth and international competitiveness.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     flood control, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $20,000,000 to undertake studies and recommendations for 
     construction resulting from a Dam Safety Modification Report 
     completed under section 1177 of the WIIN Act (Public Law 114-
     322), as amended. Of the additional funding provided in this 
     account for flood and storm damage reduction and flood 
     control, the Corps shall allocate not less than $20,000,000 
     to additional nonstructural flood control projects. Of the 
     additional funding provided in this account for flood and 
     storm damage reduction and flood control, the Corps shall 
     allocate not less than $25,000,000 to continue construction 
     of projects that principally address drainage in urban areas.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     navigation and other authorized project purposes, the Corps 
     shall allocate not less than $50,000,000 to continue 
     activities to construct new navigation infrastructure for 
     locks and Corps-owned bridges not on the inland waterways 
     system.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     environmental restoration or compliance and other authorized 
     project purposes, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $25,000,000 for multistate ecosystem restoration programs for 
     which a comprehensive restoration plan is in development or 
     has been completed, of which not less than $5,000,000 shall 
     be for projects or programs that restore and rehabilitate 
     native oyster reefs.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     environmental restoration or compliance and other authorized 
     project purposes, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $28,000,000 for ecosystem restoration projects that have 
     incidental flood risk management benefits.
       Of the additional funds provided in this account for flood 
     and storm damage reduction, navigation, and other authorized 
     project purposes, the Corps shall allocate not less than 
     $35,000,000 to authorized reimbursements for projects with 
     executed project cooperation agreements and that have 
     completed construction or where non-federal sponsors intend 
     to use the funds for additional water resources development 
     activities.
       Of the additional funds provided in this account, the Corps 
     shall allocate not less than $40,588,000 to projects with 
     riverfront development components.
       Public Law 115-123 and Public Law 116-20 included funding 
     within the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies account to 
     restore authorized shore protection projects to full project 
     profile. That funding is expected to address most of the 
     current year capability. Therefore, to ensure funding is not 
     directed to where it cannot be used, the agreement includes 
     $50,165,000 for construction of shore protection projects. 
     The Corps is reminded that if additional work can be done, 
     these projects are also eligible to compete for additional 
     funding for flood and storm damage reduction.
       When allocating the additional funding provided in this 
     account, the Corps is encouraged to evaluate authorized 
     reimbursements in the same manner as if the projects were 
     being evaluated for new or ongoing construction. The Corps 
     shall not condition these funds, or any funds appropriated in 
     this Act, on a non-federal interest paying more than their 
     required share in any phase of a project. When allocating the 
     additional funding provided in this account, the Corps shall 
     consider giving priority to the following:
       1. benefits of the funded work to the national economy;
       2. extent to which the work will enhance national, 
     regional, or local economic development;
       3. number of jobs created directly and supported in the 
     supply chain by the funded activity;
       4. significance to national security, including the 
     strategic significance of commodities;
       5. ability to obligate the funds allocated within the 
     calendar year, including consideration of the ability of the 
     non-federal sponsor to provide any required cost share;
       6. ability to complete the project, separable element, or 
     project phase with the funds allocated;
       7. legal requirements, including responsibilities to 
     Tribes;
       8. for flood and storm damage reduction projects (including 
     authorized nonstructural measures and periodic beach 
     renourishments),
       a. population, economic activity, or public infrastructure 
     at risk, as appropriate;
       b. the severity of risk of flooding or the frequency with 
     which an area has experienced flooding; and
       c. preservation of historically significant communities, 
     culture, and heritage;
       9. for shore protection projects, projects in areas that 
     have suffered severe beach erosion requiring additional sand 
     placement outside of the normal beach renourishment cycle or 
     in which the normal beach renourishment cycle has been 
     delayed, and projects in areas where there is risk of 
     environmental contamination;
       10. for navigation projects, the number of jobs or level of 
     economic activity to be supported by completion of the 
     project, separable element, or project phase;
       11. for projects cost shared with the Inland Waterways 
     Trust Fund (IWTF), the economic impact on the local, 
     regional, and national economy if the project is not funded, 
     as well as discrete elements of work that can be completed 
     within the funding provided in this line item;
       12. for other authorized project purposes and environmental 
     restoration or compliance projects, to include the beneficial 
     use of dredged material; and
       13. for environmental infrastructure, projects with the 
     greater economic impact, projects in rural communities, 
     projects in communities with significant shoreline and 
     instances of runoff, projects in or that benefit counties or 
     parishes with high poverty rates, projects in financially-
     distressed municipalities, projects that improve stormwater 
     capture capabilities, projects that provide backup raw water 
     supply in the event of an emergency, and projects that will 
     provide substantial benefits to water quality improvements.
       The following is the only direction with regard to the 
     availability of additional funds for IWTF cost-shared 
     projects. The agreement provides funds making use of all 
     estimated annual revenues and some additional prior year 
     revenues in the IWTF for ongoing projects. The agreement 
     includes a total appropriation of $131,075,000 from the IWTF. 
     The Corps shall continue to use, as appropriate, the Inland 
     and Intracoastal Waterways Twenty-Year Capital Investment 
     Strategy dated March 2016, as the applicable 20-year plan. 
     The agreement considers the 20-year Capital Investment 
     Strategy a planning document and therefore not subject to 
     administration budget metrics. The Corps shall allocate all 
     funds provided in the IWTF Revenues line item along with the 
     statutory cost share from funds provided in the Navigation 
     line item prior to allocating the remainder of funds in the 
     Navigation line item.
       It is understood that the Corps is developing metrics for 
     prioritization of environmental infrastructure projects. The 
     Corps is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 120 
     days after enactment of this Act a briefing on these metrics. 
     Notwithstanding the direction on new starts in the front 
     matter of Title I, the Corps may allocate funds to at least 
     one, but not more than two environmental infrastructure 
     authorities not previously funded, which may include regional 
     environmental infrastructure authorities. The Corps shall 
     consider the impacts of future funding when selecting these 
     projects.
       Alternative Delivery.--The Corps is reminded that Public-
     Private Partnerships and projects that utilize a split-
     delivery approach are eligible for additional funding in this 
     account.
       Aquatic Plant Control Program.--Of the funding provided for 
     the Aquatic Plant Control Program, $1,000,000 shall be for 
     activities for monitoring, surveys, and control of the 
     flowering rush. Of the funding provided for the Aquatic Plant 
     Control Program, $5,000,000 shall be for nationwide research 
     and development to address invasive aquatic plants; within 
     this funding, the Corps is encouraged to support cost shared 
     aquatic plant management programs. Of the funding provided 
     for the Aquatic Plant Control Program, $15,000,000 shall be 
     for watercraft inspection stations, as authorized by section 
     1039 of WRRDA, and $3,000,000 shall be for related 
     monitoring.
       Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Pilot Program.--The 
     agreement supports the pilot program authorized in section 
     1122 of the WIIN Act (Public Law 114-322), but concerns 
     remain about implementation of the program. The agreement 
     provides $7,500,000 for the 10 pilot projects selected to 
     date within ``Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Pilot 
     Program.'' The Corps shall not use Operation and Maintenance 
     funds provided or allocated to the projects from which the 
     dredged material is generated for costs beyond the costs of 
     the Federal Standard. The Corps shall brief the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 90 
     days after enactment of this Act on the planned activities, 
     costs estimates, and potential timelines for each of the 10 
     selected pilot projects. The Corps is further directed to 
     brief the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress prior to any effort to solicit or select any 
     additional pilot projects as authorized by the America's 
     Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
       Continuing Authorities Program.--The agreement supports all 
     sections of the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP). Funding 
     is provided for nine CAP sections at a total of $71,500,000, 
     an increase of $68,500,000 above the budget request, which 
     proposed funding for only three sections. This program 
     provides a useful tool for the Corps to undertake small, 
     localized projects without the lengthy study and 
     authorization process typical of larger Corps projects. 
     Within CAP and to the extent already authorized by law, the 
     Corps is encouraged to consider projects that enhance coastal 
     and ocean ecosystem resiliency and projects that restore 
     degraded wetland habitat and stream habitat impacted by 
     construction of Corps levees. The management of CAP shall 
     continue consistent with direction provided in previous 
     fiscal years.
       The Corps is encouraged to expedite the implementation of 
     feasibility studies approved in 2019 under section 206 of the 
     Flood

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     Control Act of 1958. The Corps shall allow for the 
     advancement of flood control projects in combination with 
     ecological benefits using natural and nature-based solutions 
     alone or in combination with built infrastructure where 
     appropriate for reliable risk reduction during the 
     development of projects under section 205 of CAP.
       Charleston Harbor.--The agreement includes House and Senate 
     direction and supports the budget request to fully fund, up 
     to the amount in the budget request, the remaining 
     construction activities once an amendment to the existing 
     Project Partnership Agreement is executed. It is understood 
     that the Corps and the non-federal sponsor are prepared to 
     sign the agreement upon enactment of this Act to ensure 
     expeditious completion of the deepening project.
       Murrieta Creek.--The non-federal sponsor intends to pursue 
     a section 221 In-Kind Credit Contribution agreement with the 
     Corps to do the design work to optimize the multi-purpose 
     basin, find the most cost-effective design, and initiate 
     excavation of the basin. The Corps is encouraged to move 
     forward with timely approval of the agreement. The non-
     federal sponsor also is moving forward to address the 
     outdated information in the Corps' economic side-by-side 
     analysis for the project in order to identify the most cost-
     effective project. The Corps is directed to coordinate with 
     the non-federal sponsor, as requested, in the economic update 
     in order to have a strong basis for proceeding with the 
     completion of the Limited Reevaluation Report.
       South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER).--As in previous 
     years, the agreement provides funding for all study and 
     construction authorities related to Everglades restoration 
     under the line item titled South Florida Ecosystem 
     Restoration, Florida.'' This single line item allows the 
     Corps flexibility in implementing the numerous activities 
     underway in any given fiscal year. For fiscal year 2020, the 
     Corps is directed to make publicly available a comprehensive 
     snapshot of all SFER cost share accounting down to the 
     project level and to ensure the accuracy of all budget 
     justification sheets that inform SFER Integrated Financial 
     Plan documents by October 31, 2020.


                   MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES

       The agreement includes $375,000,000 for Mississippi River 
     and Tributaries.
       The allocation for projects and activities within the 
     Mississippi River and Tributaries account is shown in the 
     following table:

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       Additional Funding for Ongoing Work.--When allocating the 
     additional funding provided in this account, the Corps shall 
     consider giving priority to completing or accelerating 
     ongoing work that will enhance the nation's economic 
     development, job growth, and international competitiveness or 
     are for studies or projects located in areas that have 
     suffered recent natural disasters. While this funding is 
     shown under Remaining Items, the Corps shall use these funds 
     in investigations, construction, and operation and 
     maintenance, as applicable. This may include work on 
     remaining unconstructed features of projects permitted and 
     authorized by law, in response to recent flood disasters.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account, the 
     Corps shall allocate not less than $30,000,000 for additional 
     flood control construction projects, of which $15,560,000 
     shall be for those projects with flood control, water 
     quality, and sediment reduction benefits.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     other authorized project purposes, the Corps shall allocate 
     not less than $1,160,000 for operation and maintenance of 
     facilities that are educational or to continue land 
     management of mitigation features.
       Mississippi River Commission.--No funding is provided for 
     this new line item. The Corps is directed to continue funding 
     the costs of the commission from within the funds provided 
     for activities within the Mississippi River and Tributaries 
     project.
       Concerns have been raised that there is a lack of fisheries 
     expertise when making decisions to open Corps spillways, 
     specifically related to the economic and ecological 
     consequences experienced by coastal communities and 
     ecosystems. The Corps is urged to work with the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to investigate options 
     for ensuring that the membership and staff of the Mississippi 
     River Commission include a fisheries expert.


                       OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

       The agreement includes $3,790,000,000 for Operation and 
     Maintenance.
       The allocation for projects and activities within the 
     Operation and Maintenance account is shown in the following 
     table:

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       Updated Capability.--The agreement adjusts some project-
     specific allocations downward from the budget request based 
     on updated information regarding the amount of work that 
     could be accomplished in fiscal year 2020.
       Additional Funding for Ongoing Work.--Of the additional 
     funding provided in this account for other authorized project 
     purposes, the Corps shall allocate not less than $2,200,000 
     to continue greenway trail improvements at federal projects.
       Of the additional funding provided in this account for 
     other authorized project purposes, the Corps shall allocate 
     not less than $2,000,000 for efforts to combat invasive 
     mussels at Corps-owned reservoirs.
       When allocating the additional funding provided in this 
     account, the Corps shall consider giving priority to the 
     following:
       1. ability to complete ongoing work maintaining authorized 
     depths and widths of harbors and shipping channels (including 
     small, remote, or subsistence harbors), including where 
     contaminated sediments are present;
       2. ability to address critical maintenance backlog;
       3. presence of the U.S. Coast Guard;
       4. extent to which the work will enhance national, 
     regional, or local economic development, including domestic 
     manufacturing capacity;
       5. extent to which the work will promote job growth or 
     international competitiveness;
       6. number of jobs created directly by the funded activity;
       7. ability to obligate the funds allocated within the 
     calendar year;
       8. ability to complete the project, separable element, 
     project phase, or useful increment of work within the funds 
     allocated;
       9. addressing hazardous barriers to navigation due to 
     shallow channels;
       10. risk of imminent failure or closure of the facility;
       11. for small, remote, and subsistence harbors,
       a. low-use ports with unexpected levels of deterioration 
     since their last dredging; and
       b. projects with public safety concerns; and
       12. for harbor maintenance activities,
       a. total tonnage handled;
       b. total exports;
       c. total imports;
       d. dollar value of cargo handled;
       e. energy infrastructure and national security needs 
     served;
       f. designation as strategic seaports;
       g. lack of alternative means of freight movement;
       h. savings over alternative means of freight movement; and
       i. improvements to dredge disposal facilities that will 
     result in long-term savings, including a reduction in regular 
     maintenance.
       Additional funding provided for donor and energy transfer 
     ports shall be allocated in accordance with 33 U.S.C. 2238c. 
     The Corps is encouraged to include funding for this program 
     in future budget submissions. The Corps is directed to fully 
     execute subsection (c) of 33 U.S.C. 2238c not later than 90 
     days after enactment of this Act.
       Concerns persist that the administration's criteria for 
     navigation maintenance do not allow small, remote, or 
     subsistence harbors and waterways to properly compete for 
     scarce navigation maintenance funds. The Corps is directed to 
     revise the criteria used for determining which navigation 
     projects are funded in order to develop a reasonable and 
     equitable allocation under this account. The agreement 
     supports including criteria to evaluate the economic impact 
     that these projects provide to local and regional economies.
       Aquatic Nuisance Research Program.--Concerns persist about 
     the increasing threat to human health and public safety from 
     harmful algal blooms (HABs) on our nation's surface waters. 
     The agreement provides additional funds in Aquatic Nuisance 
     Research Program to address HABs and to develop next 
     generation ecological models to maintain inland and 
     intracoastal waterways, which contribute over 
     $649,000,000,000 annually to the U.S. economy. The agreement 
     also provides additional funds to support research and 
     development that will identify the formation of HABs and 
     develop improved strategies for early detection, prevention, 
     and management techniques and procedures to reduce the 
     occurrence and impacts of HABs in the nation's water 
     resources. The Corps is urged to work collaboratively with 
     appropriate university partners to address these issues. The 
     Corps is encouraged to explore opportunities to address HABs 
     in the Great Lakes given the historic lake levels in the 
     region.
       Coastal Inlet Research Program.--The agreement includes 
     Senate direction.
       Gross Revenue Fees.--Improving public access to and usage 
     of Corps facilities and the continued enhancement of those 
     facilities are significant policy objectives. Concerns have 
     been raised that current Corps policy and actions related to 
     the fees placed on gross revenue have discouraged the 
     enhancement of facilities and amenities at certain 
     properties. Therefore, the Corps is urged to consider the 
     impact of gross revenue fees on recreational opportunities 
     and property enhancements when determining the level of 
     assessed gross revenue fees.
       Levee Safety.--The agreement includes House and Senate 
     direction.
       Monitoring of Completed Navigation Projects.--It is 
     understood that the Corps continues to explore non-
     destructive testing methods of inspection that can assist in 
     performing this vital mission with increased safety and 
     accuracy and at significantly less cost than current methods. 
     The agreement provides $2,000,000 for the Corps to complete 
     an asset management plan regarding non-destructive testing 
     methods. Within available funds, $4,000,000 shall be to 
     support the structural health monitoring program to 
     facilitate research to maximize operations, enhance 
     efficiency, and protect asset life through catastrophic 
     failure mitigation. Not later than 90 days after enactment of 
     this Act, the Corps shall brief the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on the status of 
     these efforts, including future funding requirements. The 
     agreement includes Senate direction regarding fisheries.
       Regional Dredge Demonstration Program.--Additional funds 
     are provided in this account to support the demonstration 
     program in accordance with the front matter under the heading 
     ``Regional Dredge Demonstration Program.''
       Scheduling of Reservoir Operations.--The agreement provides 
     that not less than $4,000,000 of the additional funds 
     provided in the Scheduling of Reservoir Operations line shall 
     be for a water control manual update for a non-Corps owned 
     high hazard dam where: (1) the Corps has a responsibility for 
     flood control operations under section 7 of the Flood Control 
     Act of 1944; (2) the dam requires coordination of water 
     releases with one or more other high-hazard dams for flood 
     control purposes; and (3) the dam owner is actively 
     investigating the feasibility of applying forecast-informed 
     reservoir operations technology.
       Water Control Manuals.--The agreement includes Senate 
     direction.


                           Regulatory Program

       The agreement includes $210,000,000 for the Regulatory 
     Program. Additional funds included above the budget request 
     are to be used by Districts to decrease permit review times.


            Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program

       The agreement includes $200,000,000 for the Formerly 
     Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program.


                 Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies

       The agreement includes $35,000,000 for Flood Control and 
     Coastal Emergencies.


                                Expenses

       The agreement includes $203,000,000 for Expenses.


     Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works

       The agreement includes $5,000,000 for the Office of the 
     Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. The 
     agreement includes legislative language that restricts the 
     availability of funding until the Secretary submits the 
     required baseline report and a work plan that allocates at 
     least 95 percent of the additional funding provided in each 
     account (i.e., 95 percent of additional funding provided in 
     Investigations, 95 percent of additional funding provided in 
     Construction, etc.). This restriction shall not affect the 
     roles and responsibilities established in previous fiscal 
     years of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
     for Civil Works, the Corps headquarters, the Corps field 
     operating agencies, or any other executive branch agency.
       A timely and accessible executive branch in the course of 
     fulfilling its constitutional role in the appropriations 
     process is essential. The requesting and receiving of basic, 
     factual information, such as budget justification materials, 
     is vital in order to maintain a transparent and open 
     governing process. The agreement recognizes that some 
     discussions internal to the executive branch are pre-
     decisional in nature and, therefore, not subject to 
     disclosure. However, the access to facts, figures, and 
     statistics that inform these decisions are not subject to 
     this same sensitivity and are critical to the budget process. 
     The administration shall ensure timely and complete responses 
     to these inquiries.

             General Provisions--Corps of Engineers--Civil


                     (Including Transfer Of Funds)

       The agreement includes a provision relating to 
     reprogramming.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding the allocation 
     of funds.
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds to carry out any contract that commits funds beyond the 
     amounts appropriated for that program, project, or activity.
       The agreement includes a provision concerning funding 
     transfers related to fish hatcheries.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding certain 
     dredged material disposal activities. The Corps is directed 
     to brief the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act 
     on dredged material disposal issues.
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting funds for 
     reorganization of the Civil Works program.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding eligibility 
     for additional funding. Whether a project is eligible for 
     funding under a particular provision of additional funding is 
     a function of the technical details of the project; it is not 
     a policy decision. The Chief of Engineers is the federal 
     government's technical expert responsible for execution of 
     the Civil Works program and for offering

[[Page H11234]]

     professional advice on its development. Therefore, the 
     provision in this agreement clarifies that a project's 
     eligibility for additional funding shall be solely the 
     professional determination of the Chief of Engineers.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding reallocations 
     at a project.

                  TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

                          Central Utah Project


                CENTRAL UTAH PROJECT COMPLETION ACCOUNT

       The agreement includes a total of $20,000,000 for the 
     Central Utah Project Completion Account, which includes 
     $16,700,000 for Central Utah Project construction, $1,800,000 
     for transfer to the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and 
     Conservation Account for use by the Utah Reclamation 
     Mitigation and Conservation Commission, and $1,500,000 for 
     necessary expenses of the Secretary of the Interior.

                         Bureau of Reclamation

       In lieu of all House and Senate direction regarding 
     additional funding and the fiscal year 2020 work plan, the 
     agreement includes direction under the heading ``Additional 
     Funding for Water and Related Resources Work'' in the Water 
     and Related Resources account.
       Unmanned Aerial Systems.--Concerns remain about the threat 
     posed to the national security of the United States by 
     unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that are produced by foreign-
     owned or controlled corporations and operated by the 
     Department of the Interior, to include Reclamation. The 
     agreement supports the Department of the Interior's recent 
     grounding of UAS produced by foreign-owned or controlled 
     corporations and encourages Reclamation to work with other 
     federal agencies to develop a strategy to end all United 
     States Government reliance on UAS from foreign-owned or 
     controlled corporations, while working with federal partners 
     to find a suitable domestic alternative.


                      WATER AND RELATED RESOURCES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $1,512,151,000 for Water and Related 
     Resources.
       The agreement includes legislative language, in accordance 
     with Public Law 114-322, to allow the use of certain funding 
     provided in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
       The agreement for Water and Related Resources is shown in 
     the following table:

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       Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act.--The agreement directs 
     Reclamation to use funds on hand for this settlement to 
     initiate construction of features necessary to prevent 
     additional cost overruns.
       Additional Funding for Water and Related Resources Work.--
     The agreement includes funds above the budget request for 
     Water and Related Resources studies, projects, and 
     activities. This funding is for additional work that either 
     was not included in the budget request or was inadequately 
     budgeted. Priority in allocating these funds should be given 
     to advance and complete ongoing work, including 
     preconstruction activities and where environmental compliance 
     has been completed; improve water supply reliability; improve 
     water deliveries; enhance national, regional, or local 
     economic development; promote job growth; advance tribal and 
     nontribal water settlement studies and activities; or address 
     critical backlog maintenance and rehabilitation activities.
       Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
     ``Water Conservation and Delivery,'' $134,000,000 shall be 
     for water storage projects as authorized in section 4007 of 
     the WIIN Act (Public Law 114-322).
       Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
     ``Water Conservation and Delivery,'' not less than 
     $20,000,000 shall be for construction activities related to 
     projects found to be feasible by the Secretary and that are 
     ready to initiate for the repair of critical Reclamation 
     canals where operational conveyance capacity has been 
     seriously impaired by factors such as age or land subsidence, 
     especially those that would imminently jeopardize 
     Reclamation's ability to meet water delivery obligations.
       Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
     ``Water Conservation and Delivery,'' $20,000,000 shall be for 
     water conservation activities in areas that are experiencing 
     extended drought conditions. These water conservation 
     activities shall include well construction and irrigation 
     related structural or other measures, programs and projects 
     that result in conservation of other surface water or 
     groundwater, or improve water system efficiency, resiliency, 
     reliability, delivery, and conveyance. Reclamation is 
     directed to brief the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress not later than 180 days after enactment of 
     this Act on the status of carrying out these activities.
       Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
     ``Environmental Restoration or Compliance,'' not less than 
     $40,000,000 shall be for activities authorized under sections 
     4001 and 4010 of the WIIN Act (Public Law 114-322) or as set 
     forth in federal-state plans for restoring threatened and 
     endangered fish species affected by the operation of 
     Reclamation's water projects.
       Funding associated with each category may be allocated to 
     any eligible study or project, as appropriate, within that 
     category; funding associated with each subcategory may be 
     allocated only to eligible studies or projects, as 
     appropriate, within that subcategory.
       Not later than 45 days after enactment of this Act, 
     Reclamation shall provide to the Committees on Appropriations 
     of both Houses of Congress a report delineating how these 
     funds are to be distributed, in which phase the work is to be 
     accomplished, and an explanation of the criteria and rankings 
     used to justify each allocation.
       Reclamation is reminded that the following activities are 
     eligible to compete for funding under the appropriate 
     heading: activities authorized under Indian Water Rights 
     Settlements; all authorized rural water projects, including 
     those with tribal components, those with non-tribal 
     components, and those with both; aquifer recharging efforts 
     to address the ongoing backlog of related projects; 
     conjunctive use projects and other projects to maximize 
     groundwater storage and beneficial use; ongoing work, 
     including preconstruction activities, on projects that 
     provide new or existing water supplies through additional 
     infrastructure; and activities authorized under section 206 
     of Public Law 113-235.
       Aquifer Storage and Recovery.--Of the funds provided in 
     this account above the budget request, not less than 
     $10,000,000 shall be for Aquifer Storage and Recovery 
     projects focused on ensuring sustainable water supplies and 
     protecting water quality with shared or multi-use aquifers, 
     including municipal, agricultural irrigation, industrial, 
     recreation, and domestic users.
       Research and Development: Desalination and Water 
     Purification Program.--Of the funding provided for this 
     program, $12,000,000 shall be for desalination projects as 
     authorized in section 4009(a) of the WIIN Act (Public Law 
     114-322).
       WaterSMART Program: Title XVI Water Reclamation & Reuse 
     Program.--Of the funding provided for this program, 
     $20,000,000 shall be for water recycling and reuse projects 
     as authorized in section 4009(c) of the WIIN Act (Public Law 
     114-322). Reclamation is reminded that Aquifer Storage and 
     Recovery projects such as those cited in Reclamation's 
     section 4009(c) Feasibility Study Review Findings dated 
     September 2018 are eligible to compete for funding in this 
     program.
       CALFED Water Storage Feasibility Studies.--The agreement 
     includes Senate language.
       Pick-Sloan Ability-to-Pay.--Concerns persist that more than 
     30 Pick-Sloan irrigation districts served by Reclamation may 
     experience significant financial impacts should Reclamation 
     move forward with the proposal to change the eligibility 
     requirements for the program related to user's ability to 
     pay. Reclamation shall review the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin 
     Program authorizing legislation and brief the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on its findings, 
     including the extent to which Congress authorized relief from 
     operation maintenance, and replacement costs for project use 
     power in that program based on an irrigation district's 
     ability to pay, how that authority has been applied over 
     time, and the impacts of the currently proposed changes. For 
     federal projects, Reclamation is directed to continue to 
     consider irrigation district ability to pay consistent with 
     the original intent of Congress and the 1944 Flood Control 
     Act.
       Rural Water Projects.--Voluntary funding in excess of 
     legally required cost shares for rural water projects is 
     acceptable, but shall not be used by Reclamation as a 
     criterion for allocating additional funding provided in this 
     agreement or for budgeting in future years.
       Buried Metallic Water Pipe.--Reclamation shall continue 
     following its temporary design guidance.


                CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT RESTORATION FUND

       The agreement provides $54,849,000 for the Central Valley 
     Project Restoration Fund.
       Anadromous Fish Screen Program.--The agreement includes 
     House direction regarding the Anadromous Fish Screen Program.


                    CALIFORNIA BAY-DELTA RESTORATION

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $33,000,000 for the California Bay-
     Delta Restoration Program.


                       POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

       The agreement provides $60,000,000 for Policy and 
     Administration.
       Reclamation Project Reimbursability Decisions.--In 
     September 2017, the Department of the Interior's Office of 
     Inspector General released a report calling into question the 
     transparency of Reclamation's financial participation in the 
     State of California's Bay-Delta Conservation Plan. Although 
     Reclamation disputed several findings and recommendations in 
     the report, Reclamation has taken steps to update its current 
     practices and internal guidelines to better align with report 
     recommendations. Reclamation is directed to provide to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not 
     later than 10 days after enactment of this Act or after 
     finalizing these updates, written copies of the relevant 
     documents, and not later than February 29, 2020, a list of 
     instances of redirecting appropriated funds from the intended 
     purpose outlined in the previous year's budget request.
       Concerns remain regarding administrative delays and 
     excessive review times in the award and implementation of 
     financial assistance agreement funding. Reclamation is urged 
     to address factors related to these issues, including lags in 
     completing contracts, in a timely and efficient manner.


                        ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

       The agreement includes a provision limiting Reclamation to 
     purchase not more than five passenger vehicles for 
     replacement only.

             General Provisions--Department of the Interior

       The agreement includes a provision outlining the 
     circumstances under which the Bureau of Reclamation may 
     reprogram funds.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding the San Luis 
     Unit and Kesterson Reservoir in California.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding section 
     9504(e) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding the CALFED 
     Bay-Delta Authorization Act.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding section 
     9106(g)(2) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding the Claims 
     Resolution Act of 2010.

                    TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

       The agreement provides $38,586,316,000 for the Department 
     of Energy to fund programs in its primary mission areas of 
     science, energy, environment, and national security.
       The Department shall not use any equipment, system, or 
     service that uses telecommunications equipment produced by 
     Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any 
     subsidiary or affiliate of such entities) or services as a 
     substantial or essential component of any system; or as 
     critical technology as part of any system; or maintain a 
     contract with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or 
     service that uses telecommunications equipment produced by 
     Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any 
     subsidiary or affiliate of such entities) or services as a 
     substantial or essential component of any system; or as 
     critical technology as part of any system.
       Working Capital Fund.--The agreement includes House report 
     language regarding the Working Capital Fund.
       Research and Development Policy.--The Department is 
     directed to maintain a diverse portfolio of early-, mid-, and 
     late-stage research, development, and market transformation 
     activities in each applied energy research and development 
     program office. The Department is further directed to fully 
     execute the funds appropriated in a timely manner and to keep 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     apprised of progress in implementing funded programs, 
     projects, and activities.

[[Page H11244]]

       U.S. Energy Employment Report.--The agreement only includes 
     language in the Departmental Administration account.
       Nonprofit Foundation.--The agreement only includes language 
     in the Departmental Administration account.

                       Reprogramming Requirements

       The agreement carries the Department's reprogramming 
     authority in statute to ensure that the Department carries 
     out its programs consistent with congressional direction. The 
     Department shall, when possible, submit consolidated, 
     cumulative notifications to the Committees on Appropriations 
     of both Houses of Congress.
       Definition.--A reprogramming includes the reallocation of 
     funds from one program, project, or activity to another 
     within an appropriation. For construction projects, a 
     reprogramming constitutes the reallocation of funds from one 
     construction project to another project or a change of 
     $2,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, in the scope of 
     an approved project.

                            ENERGY PROGRAMS

                 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $2,848,000,000 for Energy Efficiency 
     and Renewable Energy. The agreement also includes a 
     rescission of $58,000,000 of unused funds previously 
     appropriated under the Defense Production Act for biorefinery 
     construction for a net appropriation of $2,790,000,000.
       Staffing.--The Department is directed to report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not 
     later than 30 days after enactment of this Act with a plan 
     for reaching a staffing level of 675 to 700 full-time 
     equivalents by the end of fiscal year 2020. Furthermore, not 
     more than 50 percent of Working Capital Fund costs shall be 
     paid out of the Program Direction account.
       Workforce Development.--Within available funds, the 
     agreement provides $20,000,000 to partner with a land grant 
     university to pursue leading-edge interdisciplinary research 
     that promotes workforce development in emerging fields by 
     supporting a coordinated expansion of existing joint graduate 
     education programs with national laboratories to prepare the 
     next generation of scientists and engineers.


                       SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION

       Vehicle Technologies.--Within available funds, the 
     agreement includes not less than $174,700,000 for Battery and 
     Electrification Technologies. The agreement provides not less 
     than $40,000,000 for electric drive research and development, 
     of which not less than $7,000,000 is to enable extreme fast 
     charging and advanced battery analytics. Funding within 
     Battery and Electrification Technologies shall also support 
     research and development leading to improved methods for 
     processing and integrating advanced metals into both 
     lightweight structures and powertrain systems.
       The agreement provides $45,000,000 for Energy Efficient 
     Mobility Systems and $40,000,000 for Materials Technology. 
     Within Materials Technology, $32,500,000 is for early-stage 
     research on multi-material joining and propulsion materials 
     at the national laboratories and carbon fiber-reinforced 
     composites at the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility. The 
     agreement provides $70,000,000 for Advanced Engine and Fuel 
     Technologies.
       Within available funds, the agreement provides $66,300,000 
     for Outreach, Deployment, and Analysis. Within this amount, 
     $40,000,000 is for deployment through the Clean Cities 
     Program. Within Outreach, Deployment, and Analysis, but 
     outside of the Clean Cities Program, $20,000,000 is for up to 
     five competitive grant awards to develop Electric Vehicle 
     Community Partner Projects.
       Within available funds, up to $5,000,000 is to support 
     research and development on two-stroke opposed piston engines 
     to be conducted by industry-led teams.
       Bioenergy Technology.--Within available funds, the 
     agreement includes $40,000,000 for feedstock supply and 
     logistics, of which not less than $5,000,000 is for upgrades 
     at the Biomass Feedstock National User Facility.
       Within available funds, not less than $40,000,000 is 
     provided for Advanced Algal Systems.
       The agreement provides $9,500,000 for Analysis and 
     Sustainability.
       Within funding available for Demonstration and Market 
     Transformation, not less than $45,000,000 is provided to 
     support the multi-year strategy for pre-pilot, pilot, and 
     demonstration projects.
       The agreement provides $110,000,000 for Conversion 
     Technologies.
       The agreement provides $10,000,000 to continue efforts to 
     make full and innovative use of biomass, municipally-derived 
     biosolids, and other carbon already available and impacting 
     the environment, such as municipal solid waste, plastics, and 
     livestock waste.
       Within available funds, not less than $10,000,000 is for a 
     multi-university partnership to conduct research and enhance 
     educational programs that improve alternative energy 
     production derived from urban and suburban wastes. The 
     Department is directed to collaborate with institutions in 
     Canada and Mexico to leverage capacity and capitalize on 
     North American resources.
       Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies.--Within available 
     funds, the agreement provides $7,000,000 to enable integrated 
     energy systems using high- and low-temperature electrolyzers 
     with the intent of advancing the H2@Scale concept and 
     $10,000,000 to cost share the Office of Nuclear Energy 
     hydrogen demonstration project. Within Technology 
     Acceleration funds, $5,000,000 is for industry-led 
     manufacturing.
       The agreement provides $45,000,000 for Hydrogen Fuel 
     Research and Development; $25,000,000 for Hydrogen 
     Infrastructure R&D and $10,000,000 for safety, codes, and 
     standards.


                            RENEWABLE ENERGY

       Solar Energy.--The agreement provides $60,000,000 for 
     Concentrating Solar Power research and development, 
     $72,000,000 for Photovoltaic R&D, $50,000,000 for Systems 
     Integration, and $60,000,000 for Innovations in Manufacturing 
     Competitiveness.
       Within Balance of Systems Soft Costs, $1,000,000 is for the 
     Solar Ready Vets program and $5,000,000 is for the National 
     Community Solar Partnership program.
       The Department is directed to issue two funding opportunity 
     announcements. The first announcement shall be for 
     $20,000,000 to improve photovoltaic cell technologies, 
     including thin-film solar cell technologies and cadmium 
     telluride solar cell technologies, and to overcome grid 
     integration challenges and reduce the costs of solar 
     adoption. The second announcement shall be for $20,000,000 
     focused on perovskite research, including inherently scalable 
     production methods such as solution processing, roll-to-roll 
     manufacturing, the science of inherent material stability, 
     and ultrahigh efficiency through tandem manufacturing.
       Wind Energy.--The agreement provides $31,800,000 for Land-
     Based Wind, $52,500,000 for Off-Shore Wind, and $9,700,000 
     for Grid Integration and Analysis.
       Within available funds, $10,000,000 is for distributed wind 
     technologies.
       The agreement provides not less than $10,000,000 for a 
     competitively awarded solicitation for additional project 
     development for offshore wind demonstration projects.
       Water Power.--The agreement provides $109,000,000 for 
     marine and hydrokinetic technologies. The agreement supports 
     research and development, testing, and partnership activities 
     for the Powering the Blue Economy Initiative within available 
     funds. Within funding for marine and hydrokinetic 
     technologies, $40,000,000 is provided for competitive grants 
     to support industry- and university-led projects to validate 
     the performance, reliability, maintainability, environmental 
     impact, and cost of marine energy technology components, 
     devices, and systems at a variety of scales, including full 
     scale prototypes. Awards shall support a balanced portfolio 
     of marine and hydrokinetic technologies. Awards shall support 
     wave, ocean current, tidal, and in-river energy conversion 
     components and systems across the high- and low-technology 
     readiness spectrum to increase energy capture, reliability, 
     survivability, and integration into local or regional grids 
     for lower costs and to assess and monitor environmental 
     effects. Within funds for competitive solicitations, not more 
     than $10,000,000 is for the Testing Expertise and Access for 
     Marine Energy Research Program.
       Within available funds, $10,000,000 is provided to address 
     infrastructure needs at marine energy technology testing 
     sites.
       The agreement provides $26,000,000 under 42 U.S.C. 
     16352(b)(4) for the open-water wave energy test facility. Not 
     later than 60 days after enactment of this Act, the 
     Department shall brief the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress on its plan for completing the wave 
     energy test facility and funding its operations thereafter.
       The agreement provides not less than $5,000,000 to 
     establish an Atlantic Marine Energy Center.
       The agreement provides $39,000,000 for conventional 
     hydropower, of which $7,000,000 is for section 242 of the 
     Energy Policy Act of 2005.
       Geothermal Technologies.--The agreement provides 
     $69,000,000 for Enhanced Geothermal Systems. The agreement 
     provides $20,000,000 for the Frontier Observatory for 
     Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), with activities to 
     include ongoing novel subsurface characterization, full-scale 
     well drilling, and technology research and development to 
     accelerate the commercial pathway to large-scale enhanced 
     geothermal systems power generation. Not later than 60 days 
     after enactment of this Act, the Department shall provide to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a 
     briefing on the current status, research agenda, use by 
     outside entities, and decommissioning plans for FORGE.
       Within available funds, $10,000,000 is provided to fund at 
     least one demonstration project in an area with no obvious 
     surface expression. The Department is further directed to 
     fund at least one demonstration of geothermal technologies 
     for innovative distribution of heat through ground-source 
     heating and cooling of district heating.


                           ENERGY EFFICIENCY

       Advanced Manufacturing.--The agreement provides $25,000,000 
     for the Energy-Water Desalination Hub and $25,000,000 for the 
     Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) and the Carbon 
     Fiber Technology Facility. Within available funds for MDF, 
     $5,000,000 is provided for the development of additive 
     systems and automation technologies.
       Within available funds, the agreement supports funding for 
     Advanced Manufacturing Research and Development.
       The agreement provides $20,000,000 for process-informed 
     science, design, and engineering materials and devices in 
     harsh environments, including nuclear environments, and 
     $5,000,000 for dynamic catalyst science coupled with data 
     analytics.

[[Page H11245]]

       The agreement provides $45,000,000 for Industrial Technical 
     Assistance. Within available funds, the agreement provides 
     $12,000,000 for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical 
     Assistance Partnerships (TAPs), including $5,000,000 for the 
     TAPs and $7,000,000 for CHP activities; $10,000,000 for a 
     voluntary technical assistance initiative to assist energy 
     intensive manufacturing facilities and Senate direction on 
     the prioritization of assistance and outreach to 
     manufacturing facilities; $12,000,000 for 32 Industrial 
     Assessment Centers; and $5,000,000 for wastewater treatment 
     technical assistance and House direction regarding the 
     Department's briefing to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress on the plan to expand technical 
     assistance in this area.
       The agreement provides $20,000,000 for research and 
     development on technologies to achieve energy efficiency of 
     water and wastewater treatment plants, including the 
     deployment of alternative energy sources, as appropriate.
       The agreement provides up to $10,000,000 for the issuance 
     of a competitive solicitation for university or industry-led 
     teams to improve the efficiency of industrial drying 
     processes and foster new and innovative drying technologies.
       The agreement provides $4,000,000 for additive 
     manufacturing work on large wind blades that will allow for 
     rapid prototyping, tooling, fabrication, and testing.
       The agreement provides $10,000,000 for district energy, 
     within which the Department shall make grants to support 
     demonstration projects that deploy community district energy 
     projects in association with a renewably-fueled municipal 
     generating station.
       Building Technologies.--The agreement provides $40,000,000 
     for Residential Buildings Integration, $50,000,000 for 
     Commercial Buildings Integration, and $140,000,000 for 
     Building Energy R&D referred to as Emerging Technologies in 
     the Senate report.
       Within available funds, $25,000,000 is provided for solid-
     state lighting. If the Secretary finds solid-state lighting 
     technology eligible for the Twenty-First Century Lamp prize, 
     specified under section 655 of the Energy Independence and 
     Security Act of 2007, $5,000,000 shall be made available to 
     fund the prize or additional projects for solid-state 
     lighting research and development.
       The agreement provides $55,000,000 for Equipment and 
     Building Standards. Within Equipment and Building Standards, 
     not less than $10,000,000 is for Building Energy Codes.
       Federal Energy Management Program.--The agreement provides 
     $2,000,000 to establish a Performance-Based Contract National 
     Resource Collaborative Initiative. Reports directed by the 
     House and Senate shall be provided not later than 120 days 
     after enactment of this Act. The agreement provides 
     $11,000,000 for the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy 
     Conservation Technologies program.
       Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program.--Within 
     available funds, the agreement provides $500,000 for 
     technical assistance to continue the Sustainable Wastewater 
     Infrastructure of the Future Accelerator.
       Strategic Programs.--The agreement provides $3,000,000 for 
     the Energy Transition Initiative.

         Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response

       The agreement provides $156,000,000 for Cybersecurity, 
     Energy Security, and Emergency Response.
       The agreement includes the proposed movement of the energy 
     delivery system testing and analysis laboratory initiative 
     from Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) to 
     Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER).
       Within available funds for CEDS, the agreement provides 
     $10,000,000 for Consequence-driven Cyber-informed 
     Engineering, $10,000,000 for the DarkNet project, and 
     $30,000,000 for the Advanced Threat Mitigation initiative. 
     Within available funds for CEDS, $4,000,000 is provided for 
     university-based research and development of scalable cyber-
     physical platforms for resilient and secure electric power 
     systems that are flexible, modular, self-healing, and 
     autonomous. Within available funds for CEDS, the Department 
     is directed to provide $6,000,000 to continue to develop and 
     deploy cyber and cyber-physical solutions for distribution 
     and municipal utility companies.

                              Electricity

       The agreement provides $190,000,000 for Electricity.
       Within Transmission Reliability, the agreement provides not 
     less than $5,000,000 for the Grid Research Integration and 
     Demonstration Center.
       Within Resilient Distribution Systems, the agreement 
     provides not less than $10,000,000 for the COMMANDER 
     (Coordinated Management of Microgrids and Networked 
     Distributed Energy Resources) National Test Bed Laboratory.
       Within Energy Storage, the agreement provides not less than 
     $5,000,000 for battery storage projects that meet the 
     following criteria: are located in areas where grid capacity 
     constraints result in curtailment of existing renewable wind 
     energy generation; improve grid resilience for a public 
     utility that is regularly affected by weather-related natural 
     disasters; and provide rate reduction and renewable energy 
     benefits to businesses, farms, and residents in an 
     economically-stressed rural area.

                             Nuclear Energy

       The agreement provides $1,493,408,000 for Nuclear Energy. 
     The following is the only direction for Nuclear Energy.
       The agreement includes additional control points for fiscal 
     year 2020, and the Department is directed to submit its 
     fiscal year 2021 budget request using this budget structure.
       The fiscal year 2018 Act directed the Department to provide 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress a report detailing all current programs and projects 
     within the Office of Nuclear Energy, whether the Department 
     plans to continue to support each program or project, and the 
     expected out-year funding through completion of the program 
     or project. The Committees are still awaiting this report, 
     and the Department is directed to provide this report not 
     later than 30 days after enactment of this Act. The 
     Department may provide a briefing in lieu of a report, after 
     consultation with the Committees.
       Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP).--Since 2009, the 
     Department has allocated up to 20 percent of funds 
     appropriated to Nuclear Energy Research and Development 
     programs to fund university-led R&D and university 
     infrastructure projects through an open, competitive 
     solicitation process using formally certified peer reviewers. 
     The Department is directed to continue this practice, with 
     not less than $40,000,000 for R&D activities performed at 
     U.S. colleges and universities. The Department is directed to 
     provide to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress quarterly briefings on the status of NEUP and the 
     university work being funded.
       International Nuclear Energy Cooperation.--The agreement 
     includes funds for International Nuclear Energy Cooperation 
     activities within Program Direction.


                  NUCLEAR ENERGY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

       Crosscutting Technology Development.--The agreement 
     provides $10,000,000 for hybrid integrated energy systems and 
     not less than $7,000,000 for work on advanced sensors and 
     instrumentation.
       Nuclear Science User Facilities.--The agreement provides 
     $10,000,000 for nuclear energy computation system and 
     support, $3,000,000 for the Nuclear Materials Discovery and 
     Qualification initiative, and not less than $3,000,000 to 
     update the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library.
       Joint Modeling and Simulation Program.--The Department is 
     directed to manage the Energy Innovation Hub for Modeling and 
     Simulation and the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and 
     Simulation Program as a single integrated program called the 
     Joint Modeling and Simulation Program.


                  FUEL CYCLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

       Mining, Conversion, and Transportation.--The Department is 
     directed to contract not later than 60 days after enactment 
     of this Act with a Federally-Funded Research and Development 
     Center (FFRDC) or other independent organization to work with 
     industry to identify key challenges in reconstituting mining 
     and conversion capabilities in the United States. The FFRDC 
     or independent organization shall provide a report of its 
     findings and recommendations directly to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 180 
     days after enactment of this Act.
       The Department is directed to establish a team of experts 
     across the national laboratories and industry to evaluate the 
     anticipated demand for high-assay low-enriched uranium 
     (HALEU) and the timing of that demand, and evaluate the 
     options for meeting that demand. A report of the team's 
     findings and recommendations shall be provided directly to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act.
       The Department is directed to contract with a company 
     experienced in shipping nuclear materials to identify key 
     challenges in shipping HALEU. The company shall provide a 
     report of its findings and recommendations directly to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not 
     later than 180 days after enactment of this Act.
       The Department is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 180 
     days after enactment of this Act a report that identifies any 
     statutory, regulatory, and Departmental policy or procedural 
     restrictions that would prevent or inhibit the Department 
     from implementing public-private partnerships modeled after 
     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 
     Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) experience. 
     The report shall also specifically describe a payment-for-
     milestones approach to uranium enrichment capability 
     development, similar to how NASA partnered with private 
     companies in its COTS program.
       Material Recovery and Waste Form Development.--The 
     agreement provides not less than $8,000,000 for EBR-II 
     Processing for HALEU.
       Accident Tolerant Fuels.--The agreement provides 
     $55,600,000 to continue the participation of three industry-
     led teams in Phase 2B of the cost-shared research and 
     development program; $20,000,000 to support accident tolerant 
     fuels development at the national laboratories and other 
     facilities, including the Advanced Test Reactor and Transient 
     Reactor Test Facility; $15,000,000 for testing, code 
     development, and licensing of higher-enriched and higher 
     burnup fuels; and $5,000,000 for development of silicon-
     carbide ceramic matrix composite cladding to be used in light 
     water reactors. The Department shall award funding for 
     silicon-carbide ceramic matrix composite cladding to 
     individual participants within the industry-led teams that

[[Page H11246]]

     have demonstrated fabrication expertise in silicon-carbide 
     composites for nuclear fuel and have the expertise to scale-
     up to quantities that could support the current fleet.
       Fuel Cycle Laboratory R&D.--Within available funds, the 
     Department is directed to pursue research and development for 
     the use of innovative process control capabilities to support 
     closed nuclear fuel cycles for advanced reactors.
       Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition R&D.--Within available funds, 
     the Department is directed to study the behavior of spent 
     fuel under transportation conditions and opportunities to 
     improve safety of spent fuel rods during transportation.
       The Department is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 90 
     days after enactment of this Act a report on innovative 
     options for disposition of high-level waste and spent nuclear 
     fuel management. Priority should be given to technological 
     options that are cost-effective, are able to be implemented 
     in the short term, and consider siting stakeholder 
     engagement. The Department is encouraged to use research and 
     development funding for innovative technological options.
       The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
     Medicine is directed to evaluate the merits and viability of 
     different nuclear fuel cycles and technology options, 
     including both existing and future technologies. The 
     evaluation must account for linkages among all elements of 
     the fuel cycle (including waste transportation, storage, and 
     disposal) and for broader safety, security, and non-
     proliferation concerns.
       The Department is directed to contract with the National 
     Academy of Sciences (NAS) not later than 60 days after 
     enactment of this Act to conduct a comprehensive, independent 
     study on the waste aspects of advanced reactors. The NAS 
     shall convene a committee whose members have expertise in 
     advanced nuclear reactors, nuclear waste disposal, 
     reprocessing, economics, and other areas of expertise that 
     the NAS considers essential for completion of the study. 
     Also, the NAS committee's consensus study report shall 
     provide findings and recommendations that may consider policy 
     options as long as those do not involve non-technical value 
     judgements. The study's assessment shall include typical 
     volumes and characteristics of waste streams from various 
     proposed advanced nuclear reactor technologies, including 
     radioisotopes of concern, radioactivity level, and thermal 
     load. Advanced reactor technologies shall include the designs 
     under consideration by the Generation IV International Forum 
     and by the Department of Energy. The study shall also address 
     unique disposal or storage requirements for these wastes and 
     shall address the impact of possible reprocessing of spent 
     nuclear fuel on waste generation. In addition, the study 
     shall examine the economics of the possible waste disposal 
     systems that could be required for the advanced reactors. The 
     study shall be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations 
     of both Houses of Congress not later than 20 months after 
     enactment of this Act.
       The Department is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 180 
     days after enactment of this Act a report on new 
     electromagnetic technologies for the neutralization of 
     radioactive wastes, including an evaluation of the scientific 
     basis for the technology, potential effects on U.S. nuclear 
     waste and storage, potential benefits to the nuclear power 
     industry, and any implications for nuclear security.


               REACTOR CONCEPTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

       Advanced Small Modular Reactor R&D.--The agreement provides 
     $10,000,000 for the Joint Use Modular Program.
       Light Water Reactor Sustainability.--The agreement provides 
     $11,000,000 for a hydrogen production demonstration.
       Advanced Reactor Technologies.--The agreement provides 
     $20,000,000 for a new solicitation for at least two new 
     public-private partnerships focused on advancing reactor 
     designs towards demonstration phase, $20,000,000 for MW-scale 
     reactor research and development, and $15,000,000 for 
     Advanced Reactor Laboratory R&D.
       Versatile Advanced Test Reactor.--The agreement provides 
     $65,000,000 for the Versatile Advanced Test Reactor, only for 
     activities to support completion of CD-1. The Department is 
     directed to provide to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress the CD-1 documentation immediately 
     following the Department's approval of CD-1 for the Versatile 
     Advanced Test Reactor.


                 ADVANCED REACTOR DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $230,000,000 for the Advanced 
     Reactor Demonstration Program to demonstrate multiple 
     advanced reactor designs. Any entity other than a national 
     laboratory that receives fiscal year 2020 funds of more than 
     $200,000 under the Advanced Small Modular Reactor R&D program 
     is not eligible to receive fiscal year 2020 funds from within 
     the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
       The primary goal of this new program is to focus Department 
     and non-federal resources on actual construction of real 
     demonstration reactors that are safe and affordable (to build 
     and operate) in the near- and mid-term. The Department is 
     directed to streamline its procurement process and act 
     aggressively to ensure implementation of this program is not 
     delayed. The Department is directed to provide to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not 
     later than 30 days after enactment of this Act a briefing on 
     the schedule and milestones for this program.
       National Reactor Innovation Center.--The agreement provides 
     $20,000,000 for the National Reactor Innovation Center to 
     support testing, demonstration, and performance assessment to 
     accelerate deployment of advanced reactors.
       Advanced Reactor Demonstrations.--Not later than 30 days 
     after enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall request 
     proposals to build two demonstration advanced reactors. The 
     agreement provides $160,000,000 for the first year of the two 
     demonstrations, and the Department is directed to provide 
     specific out-year cost profiles for each demonstration in 
     future budget requests. The cost share for each demonstration 
     project shall be up to 50 percent from the Department and not 
     less than 50 percent from non-federal sources. For purposes 
     of this program, an advanced reactor can be any light water 
     or non-light water fission reactor with significant 
     improvements compared to the current generation of 
     operational reactors. Significant improvements may include 
     inherent safety features, lower waste yields, greater fuel 
     utilization, superior reliability, resistance to 
     proliferation, increased thermal efficiency, and the ability 
     to integrate into electric and nonelectric applications. For 
     purposes of this program, a demonstration can be an advanced 
     reactor operated as part of the power generation facilities 
     of an electric utility system or in any other manner for the 
     purpose of demonstrating the suitability for commercial 
     application of the advanced nuclear reactor.
       The Secretary is directed to convene an evaluation board to 
     review the proposals and recommend the best proposals to the 
     Secretary based on the following criteria: (1) technical 
     feasibility that the demonstration can be operational in five 
     to seven years; (2) likelihood that the design can be 
     licensed for safe operations by the Nuclear Regulatory 
     Commission; (3) use of certified fuel design or demonstration 
     of a clear path to certification within five to seven years; 
     (4) affordability of the design for full-scale construction 
     and cost of electricity generation; (5) ability of the team 
     to provide its portion of the cost share; and (6) technical 
     abilities and qualifications of teams desiring to demonstrate 
     a proposed advanced nuclear reactor technology. The 
     evaluation board should consider diversity in designs for the 
     advanced nuclear reactors to be demonstrated and must provide 
     the Secretary with a recommendation of which two proposals 
     best meet these criteria within 30 days of receipt of the 
     proposals. The Secretary is directed to contract with the 
     recommended teams unless the Secretary certifies that such a 
     selection is not in the national interest.
       The Secretary is directed to ensure the evaluation board 
     has the following members, in addition to any members the 
     Secretary selects: (1) a representative from an electric 
     utility that operates a nuclear power plant; (2) a 
     representative from an entity that uses high-temperature 
     process heat, district heating, hydrogen production, or heat 
     for manufacturing, industrial processing, or other purposes; 
     (3) experts from industry with experience in design, 
     manufacturing, and operation of nuclear reactors; and (4) a 
     representative from the finance industry with background in 
     the nuclear field.
       Risk Reduction for Future Demonstrations.--The agreement 
     provides $30,000,000 for Risk Reduction for Future 
     Demonstrations. The Secretary is directed to select two to 
     five teams that were not selected as one of the two Advanced 
     Reactor Demonstrations and that represent a diversity in 
     designs of the advanced nuclear reactors to enter into cost-
     share agreements to address technical risks in each 
     proposal's reactor design. The cost share for this work shall 
     be up to 80 percent from the Department and not less than 20 
     percent from non-federal sources.
       Regulatory Development.--The agreement provides $15,000,000 
     for Regulatory Development for the national laboratories to 
     work with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to identify and 
     resolve technical challenges with licensing advanced 
     reactors.
       Advanced Reactors Safeguards.--The agreement provides 
     $5,000,000 for Advanced Reactors Safeguards to evaluate 
     safeguards issues that are unique to advanced reactors.


                             INFRASTRUCTURE

       INL Facilities Operations and Maintenance.--The Department 
     is directed to brief the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress not later than 60 days after enactment of 
     this Act on the funding levels required for operations and 
     maintenance of activities at the Materials and Fuels Complex 
     and Advanced Test Reactor. The briefing should include an 
     accounting of how funds have been spent for the previous 
     three fiscal years and how funds will be spent for the 
     current fiscal year. The briefing should also include 
     information for the next four fiscal years on the funding 
     levels required for optimal operations for each facility and 
     funding levels required for multi-year infrastructure 
     improvements.
       Idaho Sitewide Safeguards and Security.--The agreement 
     provides $15,600,000 to construct a protective forces 
     building at the Materials and Fuels Complex that will meet 
     the needs for expanded protective force and security 
     operations under the Department's new Design Basis Threat but 
     that will not exceed a total project cost of $15,600,000.

[[Page H11247]]

  


                 Fossil Energy Research and Development

       The agreement provides $750,000,000 for Fossil Energy 
     Research and Development.
       The Department is directed to submit a report and provide a 
     briefing to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress not later than 180 days after enactment of this 
     Act on the recommendations for program structures that could 
     best support and maximize the impact of expanded research, 
     development, and demonstration efforts in three areas: 
     decarbonization of the industrial sector, direct air capture, 
     and carbon use.
       The agreement provides not less than $20,000,000 for 
     research and development of negative emissions technologies, 
     including not less than $10,000,000 for direct air capture.
       Within available funds for Carbon Capture, $4,000,000 is 
     for research and optimization of carbon capture technologies 
     for use at industrial facilities and not less than $7,000,000 
     is for carbon capture research for natural gas power systems.
       Within available funds for Carbon Storage, $21,000,000 is 
     for Carbon Use and Reuse.
       Within available funds for Advanced Energy Systems, 
     $25,000,000 is for Advanced Turbines and $30,000,000 is for 
     Advanced Coal Processing, of which not less than $10,000,000 
     is for utilizing coal as a precursor for high-value added 
     products at the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility.
       The Department is directed to issue a funding opportunity 
     announcement for $30,000,000 for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells that 
     includes all topic areas as outlined in the recommendations 
     of the Department's August 2019 Report on the Status of the 
     Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Program.
       Within available funds for Cross Cutting Research, 
     $39,000,000 is for Plant Optimization Technologies, which 
     includes materials R&D, water management R&D, and sensors and 
     controls, and $4,500,000 is for the Advanced Energy Storage 
     Initiative.
       Within available funds for NETL Coal Research and 
     Development, not less than $23,000,000 is for the recovery of 
     rare earth elements and minerals from U.S. coal and coal 
     byproduct sources.
       Within available funds for Natural Gas Technologies 
     Research, $20,000,000 is for methane hydrate research; 
     $12,000,000 is for Emissions Mitigation from Midstream 
     Infrastructure; $6,000,000 is for Emissions Quantification 
     from Natural Gas Infrastructure; and $12,000,000 is for 
     Environmentally Prudent Development, including not less than 
     $5,200,000 for the Risk Based Data Management System. The 
     Department is directed to focus on the long-term flow test on 
     the Alaska North Slope and continue planning for hydrates 
     resource characterization in the Gulf of Mexico.
       Within Unconventional Fossil Energy Technologies, the 
     Department is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 180 
     days after enactment of this Act a report that outlines the 
     Department's efforts to maintain a stable petroleum 
     engineering workforce and knowledge base and future 
     activities the Department can undertake to strengthen it.
       The agreement provides $50,000,000 for NETL Infrastructure, 
     and the Department is directed to prioritize funds for Joule, 
     the design and construction of a sensitive compartmented 
     information facility, the Computational Science and 
     Engineering Center, site-wide upgrades for safety, and 
     addressing and avoiding deferred maintenance.

                 Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves

       The agreement provides $14,000,000 for the operation of the 
     Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves.

                      Strategic Petroleum Reserve

       The agreement provides $195,000,000 for the Strategic 
     Petroleum Reserve. Funding above the budget request is to 
     address facilities development and operations, including 
     physical security and cavern integrity, and to maintain 
     1,000,000 barrels of gasoline blendstock in the Northeast 
     Gasoline Supply Reserve. The agreement includes legislative 
     language regarding a drawdown and sale of oil in fiscal year 
     2020 and use of those proceeds.

                         SPR Petroleum Account

       The agreement provides $10,000,000 for the SPR Petroleum 
     Account to pay for the costs of certain statutorily-mandated 
     crude oil sales.

                   Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve

       The agreement provides $10,000,000 for the Northeast Home 
     Heating Oil Reserve.

                   Energy Information Administration

       The agreement provides $126,800,000 for the Energy 
     Information Administration.

                   Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup

       The agreement provides $319,200,000 for Non-Defense 
     Environmental Cleanup.
       Small Sites.--Within amounts for Small Sites cleanup, 
     $31,000,000 is to continue work at Lawrence Berkeley National 
     Laboratory, $18,200,000 is for the Energy Technology 
     Engineering Center, $12,800,000 is for Idaho National 
     Laboratory, $45,000,000 is for Moab, $10,000,000 is for 
     excess Office of Science facilities, and $10,000,000 is for 
     Oak Ridge activities.
       Long Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury.--The 
     agreement provides $1,200,000 to comply with the Mercury 
     Export Ban Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-414), as amended, 
     regarding long-term management and storage of elemental 
     mercury generated within the United States. The Mercury 
     Export Ban Act of 2008 (MEBA) requires the Department to be 
     reimbursed by waste generators of elemental mercury for the 
     costs of providing such management and storage, including 
     facility operation and maintenance, security, monitoring, 
     reporting, personnel, administration, inspections, training, 
     fire suppression, closure, and other costs required for 
     compliance with applicable law.

      Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund

       The agreement provides $881,000,000 for activities funded 
     from the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and 
     Decommissioning Fund.

                                Science

       The agreement provides $7,000,000,000 for the Office of 
     Science.
       The Department is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 90 
     days after enactment of this Act a plan that responds to the 
     findings and recommendations in the Final Report of the 
     Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Task Force on Biomedical 
     Sciences. The plan shall include a reporting of successful 
     collaborations between the Department and the National 
     Institutes of Health to date and plans to expand on those 
     efforts.
       The agreement provides $71,000,000 for Artificial 
     Intelligence and Machine Learning for the six Office of 
     Science programs to apply those capabilities to the 
     Department's mission.
       The agreement provides $195,000,000 for Quantum Information 
     Sciences across the Office of Science programs to advance 
     early-stage fundamental research in this field of science, 
     including $120,000,000 to carry out a basic research program 
     on quantum information science and $75,000,000 for the 
     establishment of up to five National Quantum Information 
     Science Research Centers. To the greatest extent practical, 
     this effort shall be undertaken in coordination with the 
     National Science Foundation and the National Institute of 
     Standards and Technology.
       The agreement provides not less than $10,000,000 and up to 
     $15,000,000 for research in memory advancements for 
     accelerated architectures used to enhance Artificial 
     Intelligence and Machine Learning. The Department is directed 
     to develop a collaborative research program to produce 
     breakthroughs for intelligent memory systems that will 
     enhance the ability of the Department to cost effectively 
     address the largest problems in science while keeping the 
     United States as the leader in semiconductor technologies for 
     advanced computing.
       The agreement provides not less than $20,000,000 in Basic 
     Energy Sciences and Biological and Environmental Research for 
     research and development of negative emissions technologies, 
     including not less than $5,000,000 for direct air capture.
       Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR).--Within 
     available funds, $150,000,000 is for the Argonne Leadership 
     Computing Facility, $225,000,000 is for the Oak Ridge 
     Leadership Computing Facility, $110,000,000 is for the 
     National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at 
     Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and $90,000,000 is for 
     ESnet. Within available funds, not less than $39,000,000 is 
     for Research and Evaluation Prototypes, of which not less 
     than $10,000,000 is for the Computational Science Graduate 
     Fellowship program. The agreement provides not less than 
     $155,000,000 for Mathematical, Computational, and Computer 
     Sciences Research.
       Basic Energy Sciences (BES).--Within available funds, not 
     less than $15,000,000 and up to $20,000,000 is for the Fuels 
     from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub. Within available funds, 
     $139,000,000 is for facilities operations of the Nanoscale 
     Science Research Centers (NSRCs), $525,000,000 is for 
     facilities operations of the nation's light sources, 
     $292,000,000 is for facilities operations of the high flux 
     neutron sources, and $115,000,000 is for the Energy Frontier 
     Research Centers. The agreement provides no direction for the 
     DISCOVER Beamline. Within available funds, $5,000,000 is for 
     the NSRC Recapitalization project and $5,500,000 is for the 
     NEXT-II project.
       Biological and Environmental Research (BER).--The agreement 
     provides not less than $391,000,000 for Biological Systems 
     Science. Within available funds, not less than $100,000,000 
     is for the four Bioenergy Research Centers; not less than 
     $40,000,000 is for Biomolecular Characterization and Imaging 
     Science, of which not less than $5,000,000 is to advance the 
     study of complex biological systems and synthetic biology 
     using neutrons; $77,000,000 is for the Joint Genome 
     Institute; and not less than $5,000,000 is for low-dose 
     radiation research. The Department is directed to develop a 
     low-dose radiation research plan in coordination with the 
     low-dose radiation research community, other federal 
     agencies, and any other relevant entities.
       Within available funds, $30,000,000 is to build upon the 
     current modeling-focused effort and to develop observational 
     assets and associated research to study the nation's major 
     land-water interfaces, including the Great Lakes, by 
     leveraging national laboratories' assets as well as local 
     infrastructure and expertise at universities and other 
     research institutions.
       Within available funds, $15,000,000 is for cloud-aerosol 
     research and computing.
       Within available funds, not less than $38,200,000 is for 
     Terrestrial Ecosystem Science. Within available funds for 
     Terrestrial Ecosystem Science, not less than

[[Page H11248]]

     $10,000,000 is for Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments 
     Arctic, $8,300,000 is for the SPRUCE field site, $7,000,000 
     is for Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments Tropics, 
     $5,100,000 is for AmeriFLUX Long-Term Earth System 
     Observations, and $5,000,000 is to initiate planning and 
     pilot studies for new Terrestrial Ecosystem Science 
     manipulation experiments.
       Within available funds, not less than $31,800,000 is for 
     Subsurface Biogeochemical Research, including $6,800,000 for 
     Watershed Function SFA and not less than $3,500,000 to 
     support ongoing research and discovery related to mercury 
     biogeochemical transformations in the environment.
       Fusion Energy Sciences (FES).--Within available funds, 
     $68,000,000 is for NSTX-U operations; $4,000,000 is to 
     support the Department's recent creation of the Innovation 
     Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) research and development 
     program; $20,000,000 is for High Energy Density Laboratory 
     Plasmas, including activities for LaserNetUS; and $21,000,000 
     is for the Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment. The 
     Department is directed to expand the INFUSE program to allow 
     for both domestic and international companies.
       The agreement does not include funds for the creation of a 
     Fusion Public-Private Partnership Cost Share Program for 
     reactor technologies at this time. The Fusion Energy Sciences 
     Advisory Committee is directed to give full consideration to 
     the establishment of a cost share program for reactor 
     technologies as part of its ongoing long-range strategic 
     planning activity. The Department is directed to provide to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act a plan on 
     a possible cost share program for reactor technologies. The 
     plan should include program objectives, eligibility 
     requirements, and a funding profile for future fiscal years.
       The agreement provides $242,000,000 for the U.S. 
     contribution to the ITER project, of which not less than 
     $85,000,000 is for in-cash contributions.
       High Energy Physics (HEP).--Within available funds, 
     $30,000,000 is for the Sanford Underground Research Facility, 
     $100,000,000 is for the HL-LHC Upgrade Projects, and 
     $15,000,000 is for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.
       Nuclear Physics (NP).--Within available funds, $28,500,000 
     is for operations at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. The 
     Department is directed to provide optimal funding for 
     operations, major items of equipment, and other project 
     costs.
       Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS).--
     The agreement provides $28,000,000 for Workforce Development 
     for Teachers and Scientists. Within available funds, 
     $13,500,000 is for Science Undergraduate Laboratory 
     Internships, not less than $1,500,000 is for Community 
     College Internships, and $4,500,000 is for the Graduate 
     Student Research Program.
       Science Laboratories Infrastructure.--The agreement 
     includes funding to complete the land and facilities 
     acquisition for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

               Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy

       The agreement provides $425,000,000 for the Advanced 
     Research Projects Agency--Energy.

         Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program

       The agreement provides $32,000,000 in administrative 
     expenses for the Loan Guarantee Program. The agreement is 
     offset by $3,000,000 in estimated collections from loan 
     guarantee applicants, for a net appropriation of $29,000,000.
       As provided in 42 U.S.C. 16511, the Secretary may make 
     guarantees under this section only for projects that avoid, 
     reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic 
     emissions of greenhouse gases and employ new or significantly 
     improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies 
     in service in the United States upon issuance of the loan 
     guarantee.

        Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program

       The agreement provides $5,000,000 for the Advanced 
     Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The agreement 
     directs the Department to expeditiously evaluate and 
     adjudicate all loan applications received.

                  Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program

       The agreement provides $2,000,000 for the Tribal Energy 
     Loan Guarantee Program.

              Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

       The agreement provides $22,000,000 for the Office of Indian 
     Energy Policy and Programs.

                      Departmental Administration

       The agreement provides $161,000,000 for Departmental 
     Administration.
       Control Points.--In lieu of House and Senate direction on 
     control points, the agreement includes eight reprogramming 
     control points in this account to provide flexibility in the 
     management of support functions. The Other Departmental 
     Administration activity includes Management, Project 
     Management Oversight and Assessments, Chief Human Capital 
     Officer, Office of Technology Transitions, Office of Small 
     and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, General Counsel, 
     Office of Policy, and Public Affairs. The Department is 
     directed to continue to submit a budget request that proposes 
     a separate funding level for each of these activities.
       Within available funds for International Affairs, the 
     agreement includes $2,000,000 for the Israel Binational 
     Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation and 
     $4,000,000 to continue the U.S.-Israel Center of Excellence 
     in Energy Engineering and Water Technology. The agreement 
     does not adopt the proposal to transfer staff from the 
     applied energy offices to International Affairs. The 
     Department shall brief the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress not later than 90 days after 
     enactment of this Act on its plans to spend funds provided in 
     this agreement for the Office of International Affairs.
       Chief Information Officer.--The agreement provides 
     $2,000,000 for implementation of the 21st Century Integrated 
     Digital Experience Act.
       Other Departmental Administration.--The agreement provides 
     $5,000,000 above the budget request for the Office of 
     Technology Transitions for a competitive funding opportunity 
     for incubators supporting energy innovation clusters, with 
     requirements as outlined in the House report. The Department 
     is directed to provide to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress not later than 180 days after 
     enactment of this Act a report on the value of creating a 
     nonprofit foundation, with requirements as outlined in the 
     House and Senate reports. The agreement provides $1,700,000 
     within available funds for the Office of Policy to complete a 
     U.S. energy employment report, with requirements as outlined 
     in the House and Senate reports. The Department is directed 
     to produce and release this report annually.
       The agreement provides $24,316,000 for the Chief Human 
     Capital Officer and $32,575,000 for the Office of General 
     Counsel.
       Energy Technology Commercialization Fund.--In making awards 
     from the Energy Technology Commercialization Fund established 
     under section 1001(e) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
     U.S.C. 16391(e)), the requirements for matching funds shall 
     be determined by the Secretary of Energy in accordance with 
     section 988 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 16352).
       Small Refinery Exemption.--The agreement does not include 
     the Senate report direction regarding small refinery 
     exemption.

                    Office of the Inspector General

       The agreement provides $54,215,000 for the Office of the 
     Inspector General.

                    ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

                NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

       The agreement provides $16,704,592,000 for the National 
     Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
       The NNSA Act clearly lays out the functions of the NNSA and 
     gives the Administrator authority over, and responsibility 
     for, those functions. The agreement again directs that no 
     funds shall be used to reorganize, re-classify, or study 
     combining any of those functions with the Department.

                           Weapons Activities

       The agreement provides $12,457,097,000 for Weapons 
     Activities.
       W87-1 Modification Program.--In lieu of House direction, 
     the agreement provides $112,011,000, of which not more than 
     seventy-five percent shall be obligated until the NNSA 
     provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress a report on the W87-1 Modification Program that 
     includes the following: (1) a list of all major design 
     decisions that have been made or that remain open and a 
     description and explanation of the cost trade-offs for each 
     decision or potential decision including surety architecture, 
     technologies, and potential component re-use; (2) 
     identification of major risks and contingency plans to 
     address each risk, including the risk that restarting 
     plutonium pit production will not meet the current projected 
     schedule; and (3) plans to address technology maturation and 
     manufacturing readiness.
       Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Study.--In lieu of House 
     direction, the agreement provides $80,204,000 for W80 
     Stockpile Systems and $5,607,000 in a new control point in 
     Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation for assessments 
     and studies to support the ongoing Department of Defense 
     Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) for the Sea-Launched Cruise 
     Missile. To improve oversight and visibility of these 
     activities, the NNSA is directed to request funding for pre-
     Phase 6.1 activities within this new control point in all 
     future budget requests. The NNSA is directed to brief the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not 
     later than 90 days after enactment of this Act on the status 
     of the AoA and the range of options being considered. Not 
     later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, the NNSA 
     shall provide an estimate of the cost, schedule, and impact 
     on NNSA's current workload for each option under 
     consideration. In support of these efforts and of the AoA, 
     the Weapons Program shall coordinate with NNSA's Office of 
     Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation.
       B83 Stockpile Systems.--In lieu of House direction, the 
     NNSA is directed to submit to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both the Houses of Congress not later than 
     180 days after enactment of this Act a report on the current 
     status and future plans for the B83 system. The report shall 
     identify options, along with rough-order of magnitude costs 
     and key technical and policy milestones for meeting military 
     requirements through retirement, retention, and extension, 
     including the complete replacement of

[[Page H11249]]

     the system. The report shall include an assessment of the 
     supply and condition of limited-life components, and the 
     testing requirements of key components. An unclassified 
     version of the report shall be made available.
       Plutonium Pit Production.--Restarting plutonium pit 
     production will require the construction of new facilities, 
     refurbishment of existing facilities, and equipment 
     installations. The financial accounting and management 
     processes for these three types of capital acquisition 
     efforts are different, making oversight of such a large 
     project difficult. The Department is directed to manage 
     capital acquisitions to increase the production capacity of 
     PF-4 beyond 10 pits per year as well as associated general 
     infrastructure investments at Los Alamos National Laboratory 
     to support pit production as a single project, with multiple 
     sub-projects, and should follow the requirements for project 
     management under DOE Order 413. The Savannah River Pit 
     Production Facility shall also be managed as a single project 
     with multiple sub-projects under DOE Order 413. In addition, 
     the Department is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, starting not later 
     than 30 days after enactment of this Act, quarterly briefings 
     that shall include the following: (1) the status of pits one 
     through 10, including the cost estimate and schedule to 
     completion, and major milestones and deliverables; (2) the 
     status of the two projects for production beyond 10 pits per 
     year, including the cost estimate and schedule to completion, 
     and major milestones and deliverables; and (3) how the 
     lessons learned from the Uranium Processing Facility Red Team 
     Review are being applied to plutonium work.
       Science.--Within amounts for Academic Alliances, $5,000,000 
     shall be for Tribal Colleges and Universities and $25,000,000 
     shall be for the Minority Serving Institutions and 
     Partnership Program.
       Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield.--Within 
     available funds, not less than $344,000,000 is for the 
     National Ignition Facility, not less than $80,000,000 is for 
     OMEGA, not less than $66,900,000 is for the Z Facility, and 
     not less than $6,000,000 is for the NIKE Laser at the Naval 
     Research Laboratory. The agreement directs the NNSA to submit 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a 
     report on how the Joint Program in High Energy Density 
     Laboratory Plasmas supports the national security mission of 
     the agency. The NNSA shall submit to the Committees not later 
     than 45 days after enactment of this Act a report, with 
     appropriate classified annexes, describing the NNSA's plans 
     to meet or exceed proposed near-peer technological 
     developments with regard to laser and pulsed power facilities 
     and technologies. The NNSA shall include a preliminary budget 
     to build or modify existing facilities to address shortfalls 
     and prevent technological surprise.
       Independent Review of the Inertial Confinement Fusion 
     Program.--The agreement includes Senate direction. The NNSA 
     is reminded that if it is determined that ignition science 
     activities are necessary to maintain the stockpile, the 
     review shall recommend and prioritize research areas that 
     would improve the program.
       Stockpile Responsiveness Program.--A necessary part of 
     maintaining a responsive stockpile in a cost-effective manner 
     is understanding key drivers that impact the cost of life 
     extension programs, modifications, and major alterations. The 
     NNSA is directed to task the design and production agencies 
     to work together to study cost drivers and the duration and 
     periodicity of life extensions, modifications, and 
     alterations and to provide recommendations to the 
     Administrator not later than 120 days after enactment of this 
     Act. The study should consider opportunities to improve the 
     following: (1) the rigor with which technology and 
     manufacturing assessments are conducted; (2) early engagement 
     between design and production agencies; and (3) 
     implementation of design for manufacture strategies. The NNSA 
     is directed to provide to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress the results and recommendations of 
     the study not later than 30 days after completion of the 
     study.
       Advanced Simulation and Computing.--Within available funds, 
     the agreement provides $20,000,000 for advanced memory 
     technology research and up to $48,000,000 for artificial 
     intelligence to support NNSA work.

                    Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation

       The agreement provides $2,164,400,000 for Defense Nuclear 
     Nonproliferation.
       Transfer of Excess Plutonium.--No funds were requested to 
     transfer excess plutonium from the State of South Carolina to 
     the State of Nevada to comply with 50 U.S.C. 2566, and no 
     funds are provided for this purpose.
       Global Material Security.--Within available funds, not less 
     than $45,000,000 is for the Cesium Irradiator Replacement 
     Program. Within this amount, up to $20,000,000 is to address 
     the container breach in Seattle, Washington. The agreement 
     also provides up to $12,000,000 to partner with state or 
     local governments to train first-responders and experts in 
     nuclear operations, safeguards, cybersecurity, and emergency 
     operations.
       Material Management and Minimization.--Within amounts for 
     Laboratory and Partnership Support, $10,000,000 is for 
     technical support of global industry partners that are 
     seeking to minimize the use of highly-enriched uranium in the 
     production of Mo-99 and $35,000,000 is to support new 
     competitively-awarded cooperative agreements to establish a 
     stable domestic source of Mo-99. The NNSA may select one or 
     more recipients and is directed to consider technology 
     maturity in the selection process.
       Nonproliferation and Arms Control.--The agreement directs 
     the NNSA to support technical and policy work conducted by 
     the Office of Nuclear Energy to ensure nuclear safeguards, 
     security measures, and technologies are integrated into 
     advanced nuclear reactor designs.

                             Naval Reactors


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $1,648,396,000 for Naval Reactors.

                     Federal Salaries and Expenses

       The agreement provides $434,699,000 for Federal Salaries 
     and Expenses.
       The NNSA is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress starting not later 
     than 30 days after enactment of this Act a monthly update 
     that includes monthly hiring, attrition, and costs, with the 
     data broken out to show excepted service and non-excepted 
     service employees separately. In addition, not later than 
     July 1, 2020, the NNSA shall provide the Committees a 
     briefing on its efforts to streamline hiring for non-excepted 
     service employees and actions being taken to make full use of 
     its hiring authorities.

               ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

                     Defense Environmental Cleanup

       The agreement provides $6,255,000,000 for Defense 
     Environmental Cleanup.
       Richland.--Within available funds for Central Plateau 
     Remediation, the agreement redirects $11,800,000 in prior 
     year funds from the Containerized Sludge Removal Project to 
     replace and upgrade power supply infrastructure in support of 
     direct feed low-activity waste operations. Further, within 
     available funds, the Department is directed to carry out 
     maintenance, repair, and public safety efforts at historical 
     sites, such as B Reactor, including facility improvements 
     needed to expand public access and interpretive programs. 
     None of the Richland Operations funds shall be used to 
     directly carry out waste removal or treatment activities 
     within the Office of River Protection's tank farms.
       Idaho Site.--The Department is urged to continue developing 
     and testing the methods and equipment necessary to retrieve 
     and transfer calcine waste to a permanent repository. The 
     Department should also continue the engineering design work 
     required to install the calcine waste retrieval equipment in 
     the Calcine Solids Storage facility.
       Oak Ridge Reservation.--The agreement provides no funding 
     for the new landfill. The Department is directed to perform 
     an evaluation of the cost of onsite disposal compared to 
     offsite disposal, including the economic impacts to the local 
     community, and to brief the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress not later than 90 days after 
     enactment of this Act. The bill provides $5,900,000 for 
     Community and Regulatory Support. The Department is permitted 
     to fund the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) grant upon 
     receiving a detailed work plan from the state for the 
     upcoming year that identifies all critical work to be 
     performed pursuant to the FFA grant and a schedule for 
     meeting program milestones. Further, the Department is 
     directed to provide quarterly updates on compliance with the 
     work plan and schedule to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress.
       Savannah River Site.--Within available funds for Risk 
     Management Operations, the agreement provides $5,000,000 to 
     begin remediation of the D-Area and $20,000,000 for H-Canyon 
     operations. Any unused funds in the 05-D-405 Salt Waste 
     Processing Facility construction line-item may be used for 
     SWPF operations.

                        Other Defense Activities

       The agreement provides $906,000,000 for Other Defense 
     Activities. With respect to Order 140.1, concerns persist 
     with the Order's demonstrated impacts on the ability of the 
     DNFSB to carry out its congressionally-mandated 
     responsibilities. To ensure the DNFSB can continue to meet 
     its statutory oversight responsibilities, the Department is 
     directed to collaborate with the DNFSB to address the Board's 
     specific concerns with Order 140.1. The Department must 
     demonstrate a renewed focus on adequate protection of public 
     health and safety, including the health and safety of 
     workers. The agreement includes the House requirement for an 
     evaluation by the Comptroller General but does not include 
     the House requirement regarding a Memorandum of 
     Understanding.

                    POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS

                  Bonneville Power Administration Fund

       The agreement provides no appropriation for the Bonneville 
     Power Administration, which derives its funding from revenues 
     deposited into the Bonneville Power Administration Fund. The 
     agreement includes legislative language permanently 
     authorizing certain activities related to state clean energy 
     programs.

      Operation and Maintenance, Southeastern Power Administration

       The agreement provides a net appropriation of $0 for the 
     Southeastern Power Administration.

[[Page H11250]]

  


      Operation and Maintenance, Southwestern Power Administration

       The agreement provides a net appropriation of $10,400,000 
     for the Southwestern Power Administration. To ensure 
     sufficient authority to meet purchase power and wheeling 
     needs, the agreement includes $28,000,000 above the level 
     credited as offsetting collections by the Congressional 
     Budget Office. The Department is directed to continue working 
     with the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress to provide necessary information to address this 
     scoring issue for future fiscal years.

 Construction, Rehabilitation, Operation and Maintenance, Western Area 
                          Power Administration


                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides a net appropriation of $89,196,000 
     for the Western Area Power Administration. The agreement 
     includes a rescission of $176,000 as proposed in the budget 
     request. To ensure sufficient authority to meet purchase 
     power and wheeling needs, the agreement includes $59,000,000 
     above the level credited as offsetting collections by the 
     Congressional Budget Office. The Department is directed to 
     continue working with the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress to provide necessary information to 
     address this scoring issue for future fiscal years.

           Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund

       The agreement provides a net appropriation of $228,000 for 
     the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund.

                  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $382,000,000 for the Federal Energy 
     Regulatory Commission (FERC). Revenues for FERC are set to an 
     amount equal to the budget authority, resulting in a net 
     appropriation of $0.
       FERC is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 180 
     days after enactment of this Act a study and report outlining 
     the barriers and opportunities for high voltage transmission, 
     including over the nation's transportation corridors. The 
     report shall examine the reliability and resilience benefits, 
     permitting barriers, and any barriers in state or federal 
     policy or markets.

                GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


              (INCLUDING TRANSFER AND RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The agreement includes a modified provision prohibiting the 
     use of funds provided in this title to initiate requests for 
     proposals, other solicitations, or arrangements for new 
     programs or activities that have not yet been approved and 
     funded by Congress; requires notification or a report for 
     certain funding actions; prohibits funds to be used for 
     certain multi-year ``Energy Programs'' activities without 
     notification; and prohibits the obligation or expenditure of 
     funds provided in this title through a reprogramming of funds 
     except in certain circumstances.
       The agreement includes a provision authorizing intelligence 
     activities of the Department of Energy for purposes of 
     section 504 of the National Security Act of 1947.
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds in this title for capital construction of high hazard 
     nuclear facilities, unless certain independent oversight is 
     conducted.
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds in this title to approve critical decision-2 or 
     critical decision-3 for certain construction projects, unless 
     a separate independent cost estimate has been developed for 
     that critical decision.
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting funds in the 
     Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account for certain 
     activities and assistance in the Russian Federation.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding authority to 
     release refined petroleum product from the Strategic 
     Petroleum Reserve.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding environmental 
     stewardship and endangered species recovery efforts.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding a rescission.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding mercury 
     storage.
       The agreement includes a provision regarding pay for power 
     system dispatchers.

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[[Page H11269]]

  


                     TITLE IV--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

                    Appalachian Regional Commission

       The agreement provides $175,000,000 for the Appalachian 
     Regional Commission (ARC). The following is the only 
     direction for the Appalachian Regional Commission.
       The agreement includes the budget request proposal to 
     address the substance abuse crisis that disproportionally 
     affects Appalachia and the budget request proposal for 
     activities in support of the POWER Initiative.
       To diversify and enhance regional business development, 
     $10,000,000 is provided to continue the program of high-speed 
     broadband deployment in distressed counties within the 
     Central Appalachian region that have been most negatively 
     impacted by the downturn in the coal industry. The agreement 
     provides $5,000,000 for a program of high-speed broadband 
     deployment in economically distressed counties within the 
     North Central and Northern Appalachian regions.
       Within available funds, not less than $16,000,000 is for a 
     program of industrial site and workforce development in 
     Southern and South Central Appalachia, focused primarily on 
     the automotive supplier sector and the aviation sector. Up to 
     $13,500,000 of that amount is for activities in Southern 
     Appalachia. The funds shall be distributed to states that 
     have distressed counties in Southern and South Central 
     Appalachia using the ARC Area Development Formula.
       Within available funding, $16,000,000 is for a program of 
     basic infrastructure improvements in distressed counties in 
     Central Appalachia. Funds shall be distributed according to 
     ARC's distressed counties formula and shall be in addition to 
     the regular allocation to distressed counties.
       The ARC is directed to provide to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress not later than 90 
     days after enactment of this Act a report on the percentage 
     of funding that has been directed to persistent-poverty 
     counties and high-poverty areas in the last three fiscal 
     years. For the purposes of the report, the term persistent-
     poverty counties means any county that has had 20 percent or 
     more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 
     years, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses 
     and the most recent Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. 
     For the purposes of the report, the term high-poverty area 
     means any census tract with a poverty rate of at least 20 
     percent as measured by the 2013-2017 five-year data series 
     available from the American Community Survey of the Census 
     Bureau.

                Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $31,000,000 for the Defense Nuclear 
     Facilities Safety Board. The Board is directed to ensure a 
     minimum of 110 full-time equivalents or report why it was 
     unable to do so to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress. The Board is further directed to 
     establish and fill an Executive Director of Operations 
     position. The agreement does not provide funding for any 
     other elements of the Board's August 15, 2018, reorganization 
     plan. The agreement does not include the House report 
     requirement regarding a Memorandum of Understanding.

                        Delta Regional Authority


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $30,000,000 for the Delta Regional 
     Authority.

                           Denali Commission

       The agreement provides $15,000,000 for the Denali 
     Commission.

                  Northern Border Regional Commission

       The agreement provides $25,000,000 for the Northern Border 
     Regional Commission.
       Within available funds, not less than $4,000,000 is for 
     initiatives that seek to address the decline in forest-based 
     economies throughout the region and $750,000 is for the State 
     Capacity Building Grant Program.

                 Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

       The agreement provides $250,000 for the Southeast Crescent 
     Regional Commission.

                     Nuclear Regulatory Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (Commission) mission is 
     to ensure the safety and security of the nation's use of 
     nuclear power and nuclear materials and protect the workers 
     and public who use and benefit from these materials and 
     facilities. The agreement provides $842,236,000 for 
     Commission salaries and expenses. This amount is offset by 
     estimated revenues of $717,125,000, resulting in a net 
     appropriation of $125,111,000. The agreement provides 
     $15,478,000 for activities related to the development of 
     regulatory infrastructure for advanced nuclear reactor 
     technologies and $14,500,000 for international activities, 
     which are not subject to the Commission's fee recovery 
     collection requirements. The agreement directs the use of 
     $40,000,000 in prior-year unobligated balances.
       Unobligated Balances from Prior Appropriations.--The 
     Commission carries unobligated balances from appropriations 
     received in prior years. The agreement requires the use of 
     $40,000,000 of these balances, derived from fee-based 
     activities. The Commission is directed to apply these savings 
     in a manner that continues to ensure the protection of public 
     health and safety and maintains the effectiveness of the 
     current inspection program. Because the Commission has 
     already collected fees corresponding to these activities in 
     prior years, the agreement does not include these funds 
     within the fee base calculation for determining authorized 
     revenues and does not provide authority to collect additional 
     offsetting receipts for their use. Any remaining unobligated 
     balances carried forward from prior years are subject to the 
     reprogramming guidelines in section 402 of this Act, and 
     shall be used only to supplement appropriations consistent 
     with those guidelines.

                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Account                             Final Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuclear Reactor Safety.....................................     $447,574
Integrated University Program..............................       16,000
Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety.........................      103,191
Decommissioning and Low-Level Waste........................       22,891
Corporate Support..........................................      292,580
Use of Prior-Year Balances.................................      -40,000
    Total, Nuclear Regulatory Commission...................      842,236
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

       The agreement provides $13,314,000 for the Office of 
     Inspector General in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This 
     amount is offset by revenues of $10,929,000, resulting in a 
     net appropriation of $2,385,000.
       The agreement provides $1,171,000 to provide inspector 
     general services for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 
     Board.

                  Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $3,600,000 for the Nuclear Waste 
     Technical Review Board.


                GENERAL PROVISIONS--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

       The agreement includes a provision instructing the Nuclear 
     Regulatory Commission on responding to congressional requests 
     for information.
       The agreement includes a provision relating to 
     reprogramming.

                      TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement includes a provision relating to lobbying 
     restrictions.
       The agreement includes a provision relating to transfer 
     authority. No additional transfer authority is implied or 
     conveyed by this provision. For the purposes of this 
     provision, the term ``transfer'' shall mean the shifting of 
     all or part of the budget authority in one account to 
     another. In addition to transfers provided in this Act or 
     other appropriations Acts, and existing authorities, such as 
     the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535), by which one part of the 
     United States Government may provide goods or services to 
     another part, this Act allows transfers using section 4705 of 
     the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2745) and 15 U.S.C. 
     638 regarding SBIR/STTR.
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting funds to be 
     used in contravention of the executive order entitled 
     ``Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in 
     Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.''
       The agreement includes a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds to establish or maintain a computer network unless such 
     network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of 
     pornography, except for law enforcement investigation, 
     prosecution, or adjudication activities.

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[[Page H11281]]

  


   DIVISION D--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       The following statement is an explanation of the effects of 
     Division D, which provides appropriations for the Department 
     of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 
     the Forest Service, the Indian Health Service, and related 
     agencies for fiscal year 2020.
       The explanatory statement accompanying this Act is approved 
     and indicates congressional intent. Report language contained 
     in House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-123 providing 
     specific guidance to agencies regarding the administration of 
     appropriated funds and any corresponding reporting 
     requirements carries the same emphasis as the language 
     included in this explanatory statement and should be complied 
     with unless specifically addressed to the contrary herein. 
     This explanatory statement, while repeating some language for 
     emphasis, is not intended to negate the language referred to 
     above unless expressly provided herein.
       In cases where the House report, Senate report, or this 
     explanatory statement direct the submission of a report, such 
     report is to be submitted to both the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations. Where this explanatory 
     statement refers to the Committees or the Committees on 
     Appropriations, unless otherwise noted, this reference is to 
     the House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related 
     Agencies and the Senate Subcommittee on Interior, 
     Environment, and Related Agencies.
       Each department and agency funded in this Act is directed 
     to follow the directions set forth in this Act and the 
     accompanying statement and to not reallocate resources or 
     reorganize activities except as provided herein or otherwise 
     approved by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees 
     through the reprogramming process as referenced in this Act. 
     This explanatory statement addresses only those agencies and 
     accounts for which there is a need for greater explanation 
     than provided in the Act itself. Funding levels for 
     appropriations by account, program, and activity, with 
     comparisons to the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and the 
     fiscal year 2020 budget request, can be found in the table at 
     the end of this division.
       Unless expressly stated otherwise, any reference to ``this 
     Act'' or ``at the end of this statement'' shall be treated as 
     referring only to the provisions of this division.
       Bureau of Land Management, Reorganization.--The Department 
     has not fulfilled its obligation to fully communicate the 
     organizational and financial details of the reorganization 
     and relocation of the Bureau's Washington, DC headquarters. 
     It has not provided Bureau employees, Congress, agency 
     stakeholders or the general public with adequate information 
     regarding this move. Furthermore, it has not explained how it 
     will sustain its operations and remain an effective land 
     management agency following the anticipated loss of much of 
     its senior management and the expected significant attrition 
     of its workforce caused by the reorganization. The Department 
     is therefore directed to begin monthly briefings with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on the status of the 
     reorganization, including in an initial briefing explaining 
     the Bureau's plan for ensuring continuity of agency 
     operations and addressing the immediate impacts of likely 
     staff shortages caused by the reorganization.
       Requirement Relating to Information Requests.--The head of 
     a Federal agency that receives funds under this Act or any 
     other Act making appropriations for the Department of the 
     Interior, environment, and related agencies for any other 
     fiscal year shall respond completely and in full to a written 
     request for information received by the head of the Federal 
     Agency from the Comptroller General of the United States 
     relating to a decision or opinion on appropriations law not 
     later than the earlier of: (1) the date that is 45 days after 
     the date on which the head of the Federal agency receives the 
     written request; and (2) the date otherwise established by 
     the Comptroller General of the United States in the written 
     request. If the information requested by the Comptroller 
     General of the United States is not readily available and the 
     head of the Federal agency that received the written request 
     is not able to respond completely and in full within the time 
     period described, the head of the Federal agency shall by the 
     deadline established in the preceding sentence respond in 
     writing to provide as much information as practicable at the 
     time of the response; and an explanation for the reason why 
     the head of the Federal agency is unable to respond 
     completely and in full at the time of the response; and a 
     proposed timetable for the submission of all remaining 
     requested information. Not later than 30 days after the date 
     on which a response is submitted to the Comptroller General 
     of the United States and every 30 days thereafter until the 
     date on which the head of the Federal agency responds 
     completely and in full to the request for information, as 
     determined by the Comptroller General of the United States, 
     the head of the Federal agency shall update in writing the 
     response provided.
       Chaco Canyon.--On May 28, 2019, the Secretary announced 
     that the Department will refrain from oil and gas leasing 
     within the 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National 
     Historical Park pending completion of planning activities and 
     tribal consultation. The Bureau of Land Management is 
     directed not to conduct any oil and gas leasing activities 
     authorized by section 17 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 
     U.S.C. 226) in the withdrawal area identified on the map of 
     the Chaco Culture National Historical Park prepared by the 
     Bureau of Land Management and dated April 2, 2019, until the 
     completion of the cultural resources investigation included 
     in this agreement as part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs--
     Operation of Indian Programs appropriation. Nothing in this 
     directive prohibits an Indian tribe or individual member of 
     an Indian tribe or allottee from developing mineral rights 
     under the Indian Mineral Leasing Act.
       105(l) Lease costs.--Estimates for lease costs resulting 
     from section 105 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
     Education Assistance Act continue to increase and have the 
     potential to increase over the coming months. The uncertainty 
     surrounding the 105(l) lease agreement estimates has inserted 
     a high level of unpredictability into the budget process and 
     has placed the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations 
     in the difficult position where rapidly escalating 
     requirements for lease costs are negatively impacting the 
     ability to use discretionary appropriations to support core 
     tribal programs, including health, education and construction 
     programs, or provide essential fixed cost requirements. 
     Obligations of this nature are typically addressed through 
     mandatory spending, but in this case since they fall under 
     discretionary spending, they are impacting all other programs 
     funded under the Interior and Environment Appropriations 
     bill, including other equally important Tribal programs, and 
     they appear to be growing exponentially without the 
     Administration developing a long-term funding strategy to 
     address them. The agreement notes that payments for 105(l) 
     leases directly resulting from decisions in the case of 
     Maniilaq Ass'n v. Burwell in both 2014 (72 F. Supp. 3d 227 
     (D.D.C. 2014)) and 2016 (70 F. Supp. 3d 243 (D.D.C. 2016)) 
     appear to create an entitlement to compensation for 105(l) 
     leases that is typically not funded through discretionary 
     appropriations. The Department of the Interior and the 
     Department of Health and Human Services are directed to 
     consult with Tribes and work with the House and Senate 
     committees of jurisdiction, the Office of Management and 
     Budget, and the Committees on Appropriations to formulate 
     long-term accounting, budget, and legislative strategies to 
     address the situation, including discussions about whether, 
     in light of the Maniilaq decisions, these funds should be 
     reclassified as an appropriated entitlement.
       Bighorn Sheep.--In lieu of House direction, the Department 
     of the Interior and the Forest Service shall follow the 
     direction included in Senate Report 116-123 with regards to 
     Bighorn Sheep.
       Land and Water Conservation Fund.--The bill includes 
     $495,103,000 in new budget authority to be derived from the 
     Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for programs 
     consistent with chapter 2003 of title 54 of the United States 
     Code, as identified in the table below.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          FY 2019 Enacted    Budget  Request       This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land and Water Conservation Fund.......................       $438,303,000         32,882,000       $495,103,000
    State, Local and Forest Legacy Programs............        248,796,000          5,000,000        257,790,000
        National Park Service State Assistance.........        124,006,000                  0        140,000,000
        Coop. Endangered Species Conservation Fund.....         30,800,000                  0         30,800,000
        American Battlefield Protection Act............         10,000,000          5,000,000         13,000,000
        Highlands Conservation Act.....................         20,000,000                  0         10,000,000
    Forest Legacy Program..............................         63,990,000                  0         63,990,000
        Rescission.....................................         -1,503,000        -31,008,000        -18,771,000
    Federal Land Acquisition...........................        189,507,000         27,882,000        237,313,000
        Bureau of Land Management......................         28,316,000                  0         32,300,000
        Fish and Wildlife Service......................         45,189,000          9,864,000         60,715,000
        National Park Service..........................         34,438,000          9,828,000         55,400,000
        Forest Service.................................         72,564,000                  0         78,898,000
        Department of the Interior Valuation Services..          9,000,000          8,190,000         10,000,000
        Rescissions....................................         -1,800,000        -25,324,000        -10,274,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page H11282]]

       Mitigation from Border Barrier Construction.--The agreement 
     does not include direction requiring a report on the impacts 
     of border barrier construction.
       Project Identification and Prioritization.--The bill 
     contains statutory language in Title IV directing the 
     submission of detailed and prioritized project lists by a 
     date certain.
       Recreational Access.--The Department of the Interior and 
     the Forest Service shall follow the direction contained in 
     the Senate Report 116-123.
       Study on Outdoor Recreation.--The Comptroller General shall 
     conduct a study that identifies programs carried out by 
     federal agencies that directly impact the outdoor recreation 
     sector. The study should present federal spending information 
     for these programs, and in conducting the study, the 
     Comptroller General should obtain information as appropriate 
     from relevant stakeholders, including but not necessarily 
     limited to representatives of the outdoor recreation 
     industry, nongovernmental organizations, the Bureau of 
     Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and 
     other interested stakeholders. The Comptroller General should 
     work with relevant staff of the House and Senate 
     Appropriations Committees to determine the federal agencies 
     and fiscal years to be covered by the study. The Comptroller 
     General should brief the Committees on the results of the 
     study within one year, with a report to follow thereafter.
       Reports and Studies.--The agreement does not include the 
     direction regarding a National Academy of Sciences report of 
     the impacts on ecosystem services from mining and a mineral 
     withdrawal study.


                        REPROGRAMMING GUIDELINES

       The following are the procedures governing reprogramming 
     actions for programs and activities funded in the Department 
     of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
     Appropriations Act. The House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations are dismayed by multiple agencies' lack of 
     strict adherence to the Committees' reprogramming guidelines 
     and agencies funded by this Act are reminded that no 
     reprogramming shall be implemented without the advance 
     approval of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations 
     in accordance with the procedures included in this Act. The 
     agencies funded in this Act are reminded that these 
     reprogramming guidelines are in effect, and must be complied 
     with, until such time as the Committees modify them through 
     bill or report language.
       Definitions.--``Reprogramming,'' as defined in these 
     procedures, includes the reallocation of funds from one 
     budget activity, budget line-item, or program area to another 
     within any appropriation funded in this Act. In cases where 
     either the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations report 
     displays an allocation of an appropriation below that level, 
     the more detailed level shall be the basis for reprogramming.
       For construction, land acquisition, and forest legacy 
     accounts, a reprogramming constitutes the reallocation of 
     funds, including unobligated balances, from one construction, 
     land acquisition, or forest legacy project to another such 
     project.
       A reprogramming shall also consist of any significant 
     departure from the program described in the agency's budget 
     justifications. This includes all proposed reorganizations or 
     other workforce actions detailed below which affect a total 
     of 10 staff members or 10 percent of the staffing of an 
     affected program or office, whichever is less, even without a 
     change in funding. Any change to the organization table 
     presented in the budget justification shall also be subject 
     to this requirement.
       It is noted that agencies funded by this Act are continuing 
     to work to implement Executive Order 13781, a Comprehensive 
     Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch, and have included 
     in the fiscal year 2020 budget request funding for these 
     activities. It is also noted that agencies funded by this Act 
     continue to weigh additional organizational changes during 
     the fiscal year. Agencies are reminded that this 
     recommendation continues longstanding General Guidelines for 
     Reprogramming that require agencies funded by this Act to 
     submit reorganization proposals for the Committees' review 
     prior to their implementation. It is noted that such 
     reprogramming guidelines apply to proposed reorganizations, 
     workforce restructure, reshaping, transfer of functions, or 
     bureau-wide downsizing and include closures, consolidations, 
     and relocations of offices, facilities, and laboratories. In 
     addition, no agency shall implement any part of a 
     reorganization that modifies regional or State boundaries for 
     agencies or bureaus that were in effect as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act unless approved consistent with the 
     General Guidelines for Reprogramming procedures specified 
     herein. Any such reprogramming request submitted to the 
     Committees on Appropriations shall include a description of 
     anticipated benefits, including anticipated efficiencies and 
     cost-savings, as well as a description of anticipated 
     personnel impacts and funding changes anticipated to 
     implement the proposal.
       General Guidelines for Reprogramming.--
       (a) A reprogramming should be made only when an unforeseen 
     situation arises, and then only if postponement of the 
     project or the activity until the next appropriation year 
     would result in actual loss or damage.
       (b) Any project or activity, which may be deferred through 
     reprogramming, shall not later be accomplished by means of 
     further reprogramming, but instead, funds should again be 
     sought for the deferred project or activity through the 
     regular appropriations process.
       (c) Except under the most urgent situations, reprogramming 
     should not be employed to initiate new programs or increase 
     allocations specifically denied or limited by Congress, or to 
     decrease allocations specifically increased by the Congress.
       (d) Reprogramming proposals submitted to the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations for approval will be 
     considered as expeditiously as possible, and the Committees 
     remind the agencies that in order to process reprogramming 
     requests, adequate and timely information must be provided.
       Criteria and Exceptions.--A reprogramming must be submitted 
     to the Committees in writing prior to implementation if it 
     exceeds $1,000,000 annually or results in an increase or 
     decrease of more than 10 percent annually in affected 
     programs or projects, whichever amount is less, with the 
     following exceptions:
       (a) With regard to the Tribal priority allocations of the 
     Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education 
     (BIE), there is no restriction on reprogrammings among these 
     programs. However, the Bureaus shall report on all 
     reprogrammings made during a given fiscal year no later than 
     60 days after the end of the fiscal year.
       (b) With regard to the EPA, the Committees do not require 
     reprogramming requests associated with the States and Tribes 
     Partnership Grants or up to a cumulative total of $5,000,000 
     from carryover balances among the individual program areas 
     delineated in the Environmental Programs and Management 
     account, with no more than $1,000,000 coming from any 
     individual program area. No funds, however, shall be 
     reallocated from individual Geographic Programs.
       (c) With regard to the National Park Service, the 
     Committees do not require reprogramming requests associated 
     with the park base within the Park Management activity in the 
     Operation of the National Park System Account. The Service is 
     required to brief the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations on spending trends for the park base within 60 
     days of enactment of this Act.
       Assessments.--``Assessment'' as defined in these procedures 
     shall refer to any charges, reserves, or holdbacks applied to 
     a budget activity or budget line item for costs associated 
     with general agency administrative costs, overhead costs, 
     working capital expenses, or contingencies.
       (a) No assessment shall be levied against any program, 
     budget activity, subactivity, budget line item, or project 
     funded by the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
     Appropriations Act unless such assessment and the basis 
     therefore are presented to the Committees in the budget 
     justifications and are subsequently approved by the 
     Committees. The explanation for any assessment in the budget 
     justification shall show the amount of the assessment, the 
     activities assessed, and the purpose of the funds.
       (b) Proposed changes to estimated assessments, as such 
     estimates were presented in annual budget justifications, 
     shall be submitted through the reprogramming process and 
     shall be subject to the same dollar and reporting criteria as 
     any other reprogramming.
       (c) Each agency or bureau which utilizes assessments shall 
     submit an annual report to the Committees, which provides 
     details on the use of all funds assessed from any other 
     budget activity, line item, subactivity, or project.
       (d) In no case shall contingency funds or assessments be 
     used to finance projects and activities disapproved or 
     limited by Congress or to finance programs or activities that 
     could be foreseen and included in the normal budget review 
     process.
       (e) New programs requested in the budget should not be 
     initiated before enactment of the bill without notification 
     to, and the approval of, the Committees. This restriction 
     applies to all such actions regardless of whether a formal 
     reprogramming of funds is required to begin the program.
       Quarterly Reports.--All reprogrammings between budget 
     activities, budget line-items, program areas, or the more 
     detailed activity levels shown in this recommendation, 
     including those below the monetary thresholds established 
     above, shall be reported to the Committees within 60 days of 
     the end of each quarter and shall include cumulative totals 
     for each budget activity or budget line item, or 
     construction, land acquisition, or forest legacy project.
       Land Acquisitions, Easements, and Forest Legacy.--Lands 
     shall not be acquired for more than the approved appraised 
     value, as addressed in section 301(3) of Public Law 91-646, 
     unless such acquisitions are submitted to the Committees on 
     Appropriations for approval in compliance with these 
     procedures.
       Land Exchanges.--Land exchanges, wherein the estimated 
     value of the Federal lands to be exchanged is greater than 
     $1,000,000, shall not be consummated until the Committees 
     have had 30 days in which to examine the proposed exchange. 
     ln addition, the Committees shall be provided advance 
     notification of exchanges valued between $500,000 and 
     $1,000,000.
       Budget Structure.--The budget activity or line item 
     structure for any agency appropriation account shall not be 
     altered without advance approval of the Committees.

[[Page H11283]]

  


                  TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

                       Bureau of Land Management


                   MANAGEMENT OF LANDS AND RESOURCES

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       Management of Lands and Resources (MLR).--The bill provides 
     $1,237,015,000 for the Management of Land and Resources 
     appropriation. Specific allocations at the activity and 
     subactivity level are contained in the table at the back of 
     this explanatory statement. The increase provided in the 
     Cultural Resources Management subactivity is for the National 
     Cultural Resources Information Management System as directed 
     in House Report 116-100. Within funds made available in the 
     Wildlife Habitat Management subactivity, $64,000,000 shall be 
     for sage grouse conservation. Of the increase provided in the 
     Recreational Resources Management subactivity, $1,000,000 
     shall be for the historic and scenic trails program. The bill 
     also provides for two-year availability of funds within the 
     MLR appropriation, with certain exceptions. The Bureau is 
     directed to brief the Committees on Appropriations within 30 
     days of enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter, on 
     the budgetary transition.
       Wild Horse and Burro Management.--For the wild horse and 
     burro program, the bill contains a total appropriation of 
     $101,555,000, of which $21,000,000 shall not be available for 
     obligation until 60 days after the Bureau submits a 
     comprehensive and detailed plan for an aggressive, non-lethal 
     population control strategy. For purposes of the plan to be 
     submitted, the directives expressed by the House and Senate 
     in House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-123, 
     respectively, shall prevail, particularly with respect to 
     strict compliance with the Bureau's Comprehensive Animal 
     Welfare Program. In addition, the plan shall also include no 
     less than five consecutive years of detailed expenditure 
     estimates beginning with fiscal year 2020. The plan shall 
     also include a thorough discussion of the Bureau's proposed 
     management of the logistical details of the strategy, 
     including but not limited to: (1) the number of individuals 
     currently assigned and actively working in the program and 
     the number of additional personnel needed to implement the 
     strategy; (2) the resources (including personnel and 
     equipment) currently available for animal gathers and the 
     increases needed in those resources to substantially increase 
     the number of animals gathered for removal to achieve 
     appropriate management levels; (3) the number of all short-
     term and long-term holding facilities currently under 
     contract (including their current holding capacity and when 
     those contracts expire), and an estimate of the number of 
     additional facilities that will be needed and the Bureau's 
     strategy to obtain those facilities, and; (4) the amount of 
     fertility control resources currently available, the 
     additional resources anticipated to be needed and the plan 
     for obtaining those resources, and the plan for administering 
     those resources, all focused on implementing a strategy aimed 
     at minimizing future removals and maximizing treatment and 
     retreatment of on-range animals to maintain appropriate 
     management levels. Finally, the Bureau shall brief the 
     Committees upon submission of the report, and quarterly 
     thereafter.
       Bureau of Land Management Directives.--The Bureau is 
     reminded of the importance of the directives included in 
     House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-123.
       Soda Ash.--The Bureau shall follow the directive contained 
     in Senate Report 116-123.


                              CONSTRUCTION

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill rescinds unobligated balances from prior year 
     appropriations that are no longer needed.


                            LAND ACQUISITION

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $32,300,000 in new budget authority for 
     the Land Acquisition account and includes a rescission of 
     $2,367,000 to be derived from prior year unobligated 
     balances. The amounts provided by this bill for projects are 
     shown in the table below and are listed in the priority order 
     and in the amounts recommended by the Bureau for fiscal year 
     2020.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   State                                   Project                                   This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZ.........................................  Aravaipa Canyon Access.............                      $2,600,000
CA.........................................  Bodie Hills........................                         900,000
CA.........................................  Los Gatos Creek Ranch..............                       1,200,000
CO.........................................  McInnis Canyons National                                    600,000
                                              Conservation Area.
ID.........................................  Coeur d'Alene Lake Special                                1,300,000
                                              Recreation Management Area.
MT.........................................  Blackfoot River Watershed..........                       3,500,000
OR.........................................  Sandy River........................                             500
OR.........................................  Table Rocks Special Recreational                          2,700,000
                                              Management Area.
                                                                                 -------------------------------
                                             Subtotal, Line Item Projects.......                      13,300,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
                                                                                      Budget
                                                                                      Request        This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Acquisition Management.............               0       2,500,000
                                             Recreational Access................               0      13,000,000
                                             Emergencies, Hardships, and                       0       3,500,000
                                              Inholdings.
                                             Rescission of Funds................     -10,000,000      -2,367,000
                                                                                 -------------------------------
                                             Total, BLM Land Acquisition........     -10,000,000      29,933,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   OREGON AND CALIFORNIA GRANT LANDS

       The bill provides $112,094,000 for the Oregon and 
     California Grant Lands appropriation. Specific allocations at 
     the activity level are contained in the table at the back of 
     this explanatory statement.


                           RANGE IMPROVEMENTS

       The bill provides $10,000,000 to be derived from public 
     lands receipts and Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act lands 
     grazing receipts.


               SERVICE CHARGES, DEPOSITS, AND FORFEITURES

       The bill provides an indefinite appropriation estimated to 
     be $26,000,000 for Service Charges, Deposits, and 
     Forfeitures.


                       MISCELLANEOUS TRUST FUNDS

       The bill provides an indefinite appropriation estimated to 
     be $26,000,000 for Miscellaneous Trust Funds.

                United States Fish and Wildlife Service


                          RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

       The bill provides $1,364,289,000 for Resource Management. 
     All programs and activities, including youth programs, are 
     funded at the amounts enacted in fiscal year 2019 unless 
     otherwise specified below or in the table at the end of this 
     division. The Service is expected to comply with the 
     instructions and requirements at the beginning of this 
     division and in House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-
     123 unless otherwise specified below.
       Ecological Services.--The agreement provides $266,012,000 
     for programs and activities within Ecological Services.
       Planning and Consultation.--The agreement provides 
     $109,016,000 for project permitting and consultation 
     activities which includes $3,500,000 to avoid permitting 
     delays and to achieve compliance with other statutes and 
     $84,531,000 for general program activities.
       Conservation and Restoration.--The agreement provides 
     $33,696,000 for conservation and restoration activities. 
     Candidate Conservation is funded at $13,330,000.
       Recovery.--The agreement provides $102,982,000 for 
     activities in support of the recovery and delisting of 
     threatened and endangered species which includes: $3,250,000 
     for the State of the Birds; $1,200,000 for the Prescott Grant 
     program; $1,000,000 for the Wolf Livestock Demonstration 
     program; and $84,159,000 for general program activities. As 
     outlined in House Report 116-100, the Service is required by 
     law to use the best available science to make decisions to 
     delist species, and if such decisions are warranted, the 
     Service is directed to carefully analyze state management 
     plans to ensure adequate protections will be in place and 
     establish a monitoring system that guarantees rigorous 
     enforcement of those plans.
       The agreement also includes $100,000 for Florida 
     Grasshopper Sparrow and $7,000,000 for Recovery Challenge 
     matching grants to implement high priority recovery actions 
     as prescribed in recovery plans. Longstanding partnerships 
     should be funded at not less than $3,000,000 and partner 
     contributions should be not less than their current amounts. 
     The remaining funds should be dedicated to new partnerships 
     as outlined in House Report 116-100 and should require a 
     50:50 match, which may include in-kind services.
       Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC).--The Committees continue the 
     direction regarding Lesser Prairie-Chicken contained in the 
     explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated 
     Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6) and further, the 
     Committees direct the Service to collaborate with local and 
     regional stakeholders on improving voluntary solutions to 
     conserve the species with the goal of avoiding the necessity 
     of listing the

[[Page H11284]]

     LPC under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Public Law 91-
     135) and to provide a briefing to the Committees on its 
     efforts to develop guidance to advance this collaboration.
       Habitat Conservation.--The agreement provides $70,326,000 
     for habitat conservation programs, of which $56,951,000 is 
     for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program and 
     $13,375,000 is for the Coastal Program. The recommendation 
     provides $1,750,000 for the Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication 
     Project and $5,132,000 for Klamath River habitat restoration. 
     The agreement maintains funding at the enacted level for the 
     Service's work on the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish 
     Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery 
     Implementation Program.
       National Wildlife Refuge System.--The agreement provides 
     $502,404,000 for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
       Wildlife and Habitat Management.--The agreement provides: 
     $12,425,000 for invasive species; $1,750,000 for the 
     Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication Project; $21,924,000 for 
     Inventory and Monitoring; and $198,178,000 for general 
     program activities.
       The agreement supports the directives in House Report 116-
     100 and Senate Report 116-123 on trapping occurring on 
     refuges.
       Visitor Services.--The agreement includes $74,227,000 which 
     includes $4,500,000 for the Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership 
     program and $67,727,000 for general program activities.
       Refuge Maintenance.--The agreement includes $146,042,000 
     which includes $61,763,000 for maintenance support as 
     requested.
       The Service is commended for advancing conservation by 
     establishing the Green River National Wildlife Refuge as the 
     568th national wildlife refuge. The Service is expected to 
     provide robust support to the Refuge to further the goals for 
     which it was established.
       Conservation and Enforcement.--The agreement provides 
     $148,336,000 for other conservation and enforcement programs 
     as described below.
       Migratory Bird Management.--The agreement provides 
     $47,457,000 which includes $28,837,000 for Conservation and 
     Monitoring and $14,640,000 for the North American Waterfowl 
     Management Plan/Joint Ventures program. The recommendation 
     includes $600,000 to manage bird-livestock conflicts and no 
     funding for Aviation Management as it is provided in General 
     Operations.
       Law Enforcement.--The agreement provides $82,053,000, 
     including $9,000,000 for wildlife trafficking enforcement 
     activities which may also be used as needed to supplement 
     inspections. $3,500,000 is provided to continue the Service's 
     work with the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to combat 
     international trafficking of counterfeit arts and crafts and 
     to conduct criminal investigations of alleged violations of 
     the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.
       International Affairs.--The agreement provides $18,826,000 
     including $10,810,000 for International Conservation of which 
     $550,000 is to support the Arctic Council; $3,000,000 is to 
     combat wildlife trafficking; $1,000,000 is for the Theodore 
     Roosevelt Genius Prize; and $8,016,000 for International 
     Wildlife Trade, of which $793,000 is to combat wildlife 
     trafficking.
       In consultation with the United States Agency for 
     International Development (USAID), the Department of the 
     Interior shall develop policies and procedures for the 
     execution and oversight of programs from funds made available 
     by transfer from USAID to ensure that agreements for the 
     obligation of funds between implementing partners and the 
     Department include provisions requiring that: (1) information 
     detailing the proposed project and potential impacts is 
     shared with local communities and the free, prior, and 
     informed consent of affected indigenous communities is 
     obtained in accordance with international standards; (2) the 
     potential impacts of the proposed project on existing land or 
     resource claims by affected local communities or indigenous 
     peoples are considered and addressed in any management plan; 
     (3) any eco-guards, park rangers, and other law enforcement 
     personnel authorized to protect biodiversity will be properly 
     trained and monitored; and (4) effective grievance and 
     redress mechanisms for victims of human rights violations and 
     other misconduct exist. The Director shall consult with the 
     Committees not later than 45 days after enactment of this Act 
     on the development of such policies and procedures.
       The Endangered Species Act requires that importing sport-
     hunted trophies from endangered species is only permissible 
     if the exporting country has demonstrated that hunting 
     improves the survival of that species and proceeds of the 
     hunt will be reinvested in conservation. The current U.S. 
     Fish and Wildlife Service policy to evaluate applications for 
     importing trophies for elephants and lions on a case-by-case 
     basis may not adequately determine whether a country has 
     proper safeguards in place to protect species vulnerable to 
     poaching. Population counts continue to decline causing 
     concern that the current policy is detrimental. The Fish and 
     Wildlife Service is directed to reevaluate its current policy 
     and analyze how targeted investments and technical assistance 
     to the exporting countries' conservation programs would 
     impact the survival of elephants and lions, improve local 
     communities, and sustain species populations. The Service is 
     to brief the Committees 60 days after enactment of this Act 
     on their findings.
       Fish and Aquatic Conservation.--The agreement provides 
     $205,477,000 for fish and aquatic conservation programs.
       National Fish Hatchery System Operations.--The agreement 
     provides $64,272,000 which includes: $1,200,000 for the 
     Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership; $3,750,000 for 
     Klamath Basin restoration activities; and $4,700,000 for 
     mitigation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The agreement 
     maintains funding for mass marking at the fiscal year 2019 
     enacted level and directs the Service to work in cooperation 
     with State fish and game agencies on marking of anadromous 
     fish. None of the funds may be used to terminate operations 
     or to close any facility of the National Fish Hatchery 
     System. None of the production programs listed in the March 
     2013 National Fish Hatchery System Strategic Hatchery and 
     Workforce Planning Report may be reduced or terminated 
     without advance, informal consultation with affected States 
     and Tribes.
       The Service is expected to continue funding mitigation 
     hatchery programs via reimbursable agreements with Federal 
     partners. Future agreements should include reimbursement for 
     production, facilities, and administrative costs. The Service 
     is expected to ensure that its costs are fully reimbursed 
     before proposing to reduce or redirect base funding.
       Maintenance and Equipment.--The agreement provides 
     $25,846,000 for maintenance and equipment expenses related to 
     the National Fish Hatchery System. The Service is encouraged 
     to provide a portion of this funding to hatcheries where 
     partner agencies fund mitigation work.
       Habitat Assessment and Restoration.--The agreement provides 
     $43,037,000, which includes $9,700,000 to implement the 
     Delaware River Basin Conservation Act; $18,598,000 for the 
     National Fish Passage Program; and $2,750,000 to implement 
     Klamath Basin restoration activities. The Service is directed 
     to work with the affected Tribes on fish restoration 
     activities.
       Population Assessment and Cooperative Management.--The 
     agreement provides $31,840,000 which includes $1,680,000 for 
     Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration and $818,000 for 
     the Lake Champlain sea lamprey program. The Service is 
     reminded of the direction contained in Senate Report 116-123 
     regarding contributions to the Coded Wire Tag Program.
       Aquatic Invasive Species.--The agreement includes 
     $40,482,000 for the aquatic invasive species programs, of 
     which: $2,834,000 is to help States implement plans required 
     by the National Invasive Species Act (NISA); $1,566,000 is 
     for NISA coordination; $4,088,000 is to implement subsection 
     5(d)(2) of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act; $25,000,000 is for 
     Asian carp as outlined in House Report 116-100 and Senate 
     Report 116-123 including not less than $2,500,000 for 
     contract fishing; $3,000,000 is to prevent the spread of 
     quagga and zebra mussels; and $1,011,000 is for Great Lakes 
     Sea Lamprey administration costs.
       Cooperative Landscape Conservation.--The agreement includes 
     $12,500,000 for Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). 
     Within 60 days of enactment of this Act, the Service shall 
     provide a report to the Committees outlining how this program 
     deviates from that which was presented to Congress in the 
     annual budget justifications. This report must include how 
     the Service will engage previous stakeholders and how 
     conservation efforts are aligned with partners, especially 
     what will be done to ensure there is collaborative 
     conservation efforts on a landscape scale in fiscal year 
     2020. In addition, the report should include how the Service 
     will engage in areas where LCCs have been diminished or 
     dismantled. This report must also include the detailed 
     information outlined in House Report 116-100 and Senate 
     Report 116-123. Until this report is received by the 
     Committees, $1,000,000 of the funding provided for General 
     Operations, Central Office Operations, is not available for 
     obligation.
       Science Support.--The agreement provides $17,267,000 for 
     the Science Support program, which includes $3,500,000 for 
     White Nose Syndrome.
       General Operations.--The agreement provides $141,967,000 
     for general operations and includes $20,758,000 for central 
     office operations; $49,166,000 for management and 
     administration; and $35,770,000 for Servicewide bill paying. 
     The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is funded at 
     $7,022,000 and the National Conservation Training Center is 
     funded at $26,014,000. The recommendation includes $3,237,000 
     for Aviation Management, as requested.
       The agreement acknowledges the importance of the 
     development of an electronic permitting system that will make 
     the permitting process more efficient and can be used to 
     combat the illegal trafficking of products and wildlife. The 
     Department is directed to brief the Committees on the final 
     cost estimate and timeline and is encouraged to begin the 
     development of a new system in March 2020.
       The agreement continues support for the Everglades at not 
     less than the fiscal year 2019 enacted level.


                              CONSTRUCTION

       The bill provides $29,704,000 for Construction which 
     includes $9,093,000 for line item construction; $14,011,000 
     for the backlog of deferred maintenance principally at 
     national fish hatcheries and national wildlife refuges; 
     $1,232,000 for bridge and dam safety; and $5,368,000 for 
     nationwide engineering services. For line item construction, 
     the Service is expected to follow the project priority list

[[Page H11285]]

     in the table below. When a construction project is completed 
     or terminated and appropriated funds remain, the Service may 
     use those balances to respond to unforeseen reconstruction, 
     replacement, or repair of facilities or equipment damaged or 
     destroyed by storms, floods, fires and similar unanticipated 
     natural events.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Budget
                   State                       Refuge, Hatchery, or Other Unit        Request        This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CA.........................................  Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR..      $5,875,000      $5,875,000
MI.........................................  Jordan River NFH...................         500,000         500,000
VA.........................................  Harrison Lake NFH..................         558,000         558,000
N/A........................................  Branch of Dam Safety (Newly                 250,000         250,000
                                              acquired dams).
N/A........................................  Branch of Dam Safety (Seismic               200,000         200,000
                                              safety).
N/A........................................  Information Resources & Technology          250,000         250,000
                                              Management.
GA.........................................  Chattahoochee Forest NFH...........         816,000         816,000
WY.........................................  Saratoga National NFH..............         644,000         644,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            LAND ACQUISITION

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $70,715,000 in new budget authority for 
     the Land Acquisition account and includes a rescission of 
     $3,628,000 to be derived from prior year unobligated 
     balances. The amounts provided by this bill for projects are 
     shown in the table below and are listed in the priority order 
     and in the amounts recommended by the Service for fiscal year 
     2020. The Green River National Wildlife Refuge was 
     established on November 22, 2019, and the Department is 
     encouraged to purchase parcels as they become available as 
     outlined in Senate Report 116-123.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   State                                   Project                                   This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IA/MN......................................  Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR.....                      $1,000,000
TX.........................................  Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR........                       2,000,000
SD/ND......................................  Dakota Grassland Conservation Area.                       4,250,000
FL.........................................  Everglades Headwaters NWR and                             3,700,000
                                              Conservation Area.
WA.........................................  Steigerwald Lake NWR...............                       1,900,000
IA.........................................  Neal Smith NWR.....................                         500,000
LA.........................................  Bayou Sauvage NWR..................                       2,000,000
TX.........................................  Laguna Atascosa NWR................                       2,000,000
FL.........................................  St. Marks NWR......................                       1,500,000
WA.........................................  Willapa NWR........................                       1,500,000
IA/IL......................................  Upper Mississippi National Wildlife                       1,000,000
                                              and Fish Refuge.
MT.........................................  Montana National Wildlife Refuges                         2,000,000
                                              and Conservation Areas.
CA.........................................  North Central Valley Wildlife                               500,000
                                              Management Area.
KS.........................................  Flint Hills Legacy Conservation                           3,000,000
                                              Area.
NC.........................................  Alligator River NWR................                       1,000,000
CT/MA/ME/NH/NY/RI..........................  Great Thicket NWR..................                         500,000
CA.........................................  Humboldt Bay NWR...................                       1,100,000
AR.........................................  Cache River NWR....................                       1,800,000
                                                                                 -------------------------------
    Subtotal, Line Item Projects................................................                      31,250,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
                                                                                      Budget
                                                                                      Request        This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Acquisition Management.............       9,526,000      13,000,000
                                             Recreational Access................               0       8,000,000
                                             Emergencies, Hardships, and                 338,000       6,500,000
                                              Inholdings.
                                             Exchanges..........................              10       1,500,000
                                             Land Protection Planning...........               0         465,000
                                             Highlands Conservation Act Grants..               0      10,000,000
                                             Rescission of Funds................      -5,324,000      -3,628,000
                                                                                 -------------------------------
    Total, FWS Land Acquisition.................................................       4,540,000      67,087,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            COOPERATIVE ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $54,502,000 to carry out section 6 of the 
     Endangered Species Act of 1973, of which $23,702,000 is to be 
     derived from the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation 
     Fund and $30,800,000 is to be derived from the Land and Water 
     Conservation Fund. The detailed allocation of funding by 
     activity is included in the table at the end of this 
     explanatory statement. The agreement includes $13,000,000 for 
     traditional conservation grants and $8,000,000 for habitat 
     conservation plan (HCP) assistance grants. The agreement 
     includes a rescission of $18,771,000 to be derived from 
     unobligated balances of appropriations not including HCP land 
     acquisition. The Service shall follow the direction contained 
     in Senate Report 116-123 regarding unobligated balances, 
     particularly with respect to briefing the Committees.


                     NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE FUND

       The bill provides $13,228,000 for payments to counties from 
     the National Wildlife Refuge Fund.


               NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION FUND

       The bill provides $46,000,000 for the North American 
     Wetlands Conservation Fund.


              NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION FUND

       The bill provides $4,910,000 for the Neotropical Migratory 
     Bird Conservation Fund.


                MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND

       The bill provides $15,000,000 for the Multinational Species 
     Conservation Fund. The detailed allocation of funding by 
     activity is included in the table at the end of this 
     explanatory statement.


                    STATE AND TRIBAL WILDLIFE GRANTS

       The bill provides $67,571,000 for State and Tribal Wildlife 
     Grants which includes $55,000,000 for State Wildlife Formula 
     grants, $7,362,000 for State Wildlife Competitive grants, and 
     $5,209,000 for Tribal Wildlife grants.

                         National Park Service


                 OPERATION OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

       The bill provides $2,576,992,000 for Operation of the 
     National Park System (ONPS), $74,281,000 above the enacted 
     level and $151,475,000 above the budget request.
       For this and all other Service accounts funded in this 
     bill, the Service is expected to comply with the instructions 
     and requirements at the beginning of this division and in 
     House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-123, unless 
     otherwise specified below. Additional details, instructions, 
     and requirements follow below and in the table at the end of 
     this division.
       The budget realignment proposed in the budget request for 
     the ONPS account is insufficient to meet the oversight needs 
     of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. The 
     Service is directed to provide alternatives to restructure 
     the ONPS appropriation as expeditiously as possible and not 
     later than 90 days following enactment of this Act. 
     Additionally, until such time as a new structure is 
     determined, the Service shall brief the Committees on the 
     prior fiscal year's spending realignment within 60 days of 
     the end of the fiscal year.
       Funding levels have been adjusted to align with the 
     Service's fiscal year 2019 operating plan. The Committees 
     expect the Service to execute its spending at the levels 
     provided.

[[Page H11286]]

     The Service may not redistribute the recommendations in a 
     fiscal year 2020 operating plan.
       All programs, projects, and activities are funded at no 
     less than the fiscal year 2019 operating plan levels and the 
     bill does not include program changes proposed in the budget 
     request unless otherwise specified.
       Additional funding guidance is provided below.
       Resource Stewardship.--The bill includes: $3,576,000 for 
     the Partnership Wild & Scenic Rivers program and other 
     similarly managed rivers; $1,000,000 for Active Forest 
     Management; $3,000,000 for Quagga and Zebra Mussel programs; 
     $800,000 for Cave and Karst Ecosystem Research; $300,000 for 
     Recreational Access--Support Alaska Subsistence; and 
     $14,200,000 for the National Trails System. Additionally, the 
     bill provides $1,000,000 for the national networks, which 
     include the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, 
     the African American Civil Rights Network, the Reconstruction 
     Era National Historic Network, and the World War II Heritage 
     Cities Network. The agreement also provides $425,000 for New 
     Responsibilities at New and Existing Park Areas and a general 
     increase of $1,400,000. The agreement maintains $1,500,000 to 
     continue landscape restoration projects at newly authorized 
     national parks as provided by Public Law 114-113; the Service 
     is expected to merge these landscape restoration funds with 
     park unit operating budgets beginning in fiscal year 2020.
       Visitor Services.--Funding is provided at the requested 
     level of $737,000 for New Responsibilities at New and 
     Existing Park Areas; $200,000 is for Recreational Access--
     Recreational Fishing; the National Capital Area Performing 
     Arts Program is funded at the enacted level of $2,227,000; 
     and, the agreement includes a general increase of $4,632,000.
       Park Protection.--The requested transfer is accepted and 
     $821,000 is provided for New Responsibilities at New and 
     Existing Park Areas. The bill provides a general increase of 
     $2,200,000 and $200,000 for the Recreation Access--Veteran 
     Fire Corps.
       Facility Operations and Maintenance.--The requested program 
     increases are provided for DC Water and Sewer, and Rising 
     Visitation. Cyclic Maintenance Projects are funded at 
     $153,575,000 and $1,113,000 is provided for New 
     Responsibilities at New and Existing Park Areas. A general 
     increase of $17,380,000 is provided.
       Park Support.--New Responsibilities at New and Existing 
     Park Areas is funded at $1,104,000 and an increase of 
     $14,400,000 for Park and Program Operations is provided.
       Commissions.--The recommendation includes $3,300,000 for 
     the 400 Years of African-American History Commission to be 
     spent in accordance with the 400 Years of African-American 
     History Commission Act and $3,300,000 for the 
     Semiquincentennial Commission to be spent in accordance with 
     the Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016.
       Global Positioning System Modernization.--The 
     recommendation provides $2,000,000 for the replacement of 
     Global Positioning System (GPS) data collection devices used 
     by the Service for facilities planning, lands administration, 
     visitor safety, and infrastructure protection.
       National Park Foundation.--The recommendation accepts the 
     proposal to move funding for the National Park Foundation 
     from the Centennial Challenge account into the Operation of 
     the National Park System account, a total of $5,000,000.
       Additional Guidance.--The following additional direction 
     and guidance is provided with respect to funding provided 
     within this account:
       Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.--The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which 
     is located in Yosemite National Park, is the drinking water 
     source for 2.7 million Americans. Since the reservoir's 
     creation in 1923, boating has been prohibited to prevent the 
     introduction of contaminants, and to date the quality of the 
     water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is such that it does not 
     require filtration. The Service is directed to maintain this 
     longstanding prohibition.


                  NATIONAL RECREATION AND PRESERVATION

       The bill provides $71,166,000 for national recreation and 
     preservation, $7,028,000 above the enacted level and 
     $38,829,000 above the budget request. The amounts recommended 
     by the Committees compared with the budget estimates by 
     activity are shown in the table at the end of this 
     explanatory statement.
       Natural Programs.--The recommendation rejects the 
     reductions proposed in the budget request, but provides the 
     requested increases for Hydropower Recreation Assistance and 
     Federal Lands to Parks. The proposed transfer is accepted.
       Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance.--The 
     recommendation includes a program increase of $500,000 to 
     provide technical assistance and to work with partners, 
     including local leaders and nonprofit organizations, to 
     enhance on-water education and recreation programming for 
     youth.
       Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails.--The agreement 
     includes $3,000,000 for Chesapeake Bay Gateways and 
     Watertrails.
       Cultural Programs.--The bill provides $1,907,000 for Native 
     American Graves Protection and Repatriation Grants; 
     $3,155,000 for Japanese Confinement Site Grants; and, 
     $1,500,000 for grants to nonprofit organizations or 
     institutions for the purpose of supporting programs for 
     Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native culture and arts 
     development. The agreement also includes $2,000,000 for the 
     competitive grant program, as authorized by the 9/11 Memorial 
     Act (Public Law 115-413).
       Grants Administration.--The proposed transfer of the 
     funding in the grants administration budget activity into 
     Cultural Programs is accepted and provides $2,815,000.
       International Park Affairs.--The agreement includes 
     $1,903,000 for International Park Affairs and rejects the 
     proposed transfer.
       Heritage Partnership Programs.--The recommendation provides 
     $21,944,000 for the Heritage Partnership Program, including 
     $20,962,000 for Commissions and Grants, which is sufficient 
     to provide stable funding sources for both the newly 
     authorized and existing NHAs. The directive contained in the 
     explanatory statement that accompanied Public Law 116-6 with 
     regards to funding distribution is continued.


                       HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND

       The bill provides $118,660,000 for historic preservation, 
     $16,000,000 above the enacted level and $85,988,000 above the 
     budget request.
       Competitive Grants.--Competitive grants to document, 
     interpret, and preserve historical sites associated with the 
     African American Civil Rights Movement are funded at 
     $15,500,000. Building on the success of this program, the 
     Committee provides $2,500,000 to establish a new civil rights 
     grant program that would preserve and highlight the sites and 
     stories associated with securing civil rights for All 
     Americans, including women, American Latino, Native American, 
     Asian American, Pacific Islander, Alaska Native, Native 
     Hawaiian, and LGBTQ Americans. The recommendation also 
     includes $750,000 for grants to under-represented 
     communities.
       Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants.--The bill 
     provides $7,500,000 for historic revitalization grants and 
     retains the directives regarding the distribution of funding 
     included in Senate Report 116-123. The agreement hereafter 
     designates these grants as the ``Paul Bruhn Historic 
     Revitalization Grants,'' in recognition of his 40-year 
     commitment to historic preservation and downtown 
     revitalization, and his exceptional legacy of public service.
       Additional Guidance.--The following guidance is provided 
     with respect to funding provided within this account:
       National Register of Historic Places.--The agreement 
     includes the directives contained in House Report 116-100 and 
     Senate Report 116-123 pertaining to the proposed rulemaking 
     regarding the National Register of Historic Places.


                              CONSTRUCTION

       The bill provides $389,345,000 for Construction, 
     $24,641,000 above the enacted level and $143,012,000 above 
     the budget request.
       Line-Item Construction.--The bill includes funding for 
     updated line-item construction priorities transmitted to the 
     Committees by the Department on May 2, 2019, as part of its 
     budget recast. The Service is expected to use the general 
     program increase to fund additional priority projects 
     identified in its 5-year construction plan, with a final list 
     of selected projects transmitted to the Committees no later 
     than 60 days after enactment of this Act. The recommendation 
     does not include funds to rehabilitate the Fort Vancouver 
     National Historic Site to serve as a new regional office 
     location. The Service shall instead brief the Committee 
     within 60 days of enactment of this Act regarding an 
     alternative plan for the long-term utilization of the site.
       The following table details the line item construction 
     activity for specific projects requested or provided by the 
     administration.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Bill
                    State                                          Project                       (Discretionary)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NY...........................................  Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis           7,852,000
                                                Island, rehabilitate stone walls.
NJ...........................................  Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis           5,501,000
                                                Island, fire-life and safety.
PA...........................................  Independence National Historical Park, chiller.         3,587,000
PA...........................................  Independence National Historical Park, roof             3,669,000
                                                replacement.
PA...........................................  Independence National Historical Park, marble           3,127,000
                                                wall preservation.
AL...........................................  Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site,              3,533,000
                                                Carver Museum preservation.
MA...........................................  Boston National Historical Park, structure and          9,117,000
                                                facade repair.
TN...........................................  Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military             3,810,000
                                                Park, riverbank improvements.
OR...........................................  Crater Lake National Park, visitor center              10,613,000
                                                stabilization.
SC...........................................  Fort Sumter National Monument, breakwater               4,566,000
                                                rehabilitation.

[[Page H11287]]

 
AZ...........................................  Grand Canyon National Park, water                      16,700,000
                                                infrastructure improvements.
MA...........................................  Boston National Historical Park, heat and               5,445,000
                                                distribution system improvements.
CO...........................................  Curecanti National Recreation Area, visitor             7,080,000
                                                center improvements.
CA...........................................  Golden Gate National Recreation Area, seismic           6,311,000
                                                strengthening and repairs.
MO...........................................  Ozark National Scenic River, cabin and lodge           21,697,000
                                                rehabilitation.
MA...........................................  Cape Cod National Seashore, visitor service             3,245,000
                                                improvements.
WA...........................................  Fort Vancouver National Historic Site,                          0
                                                rehabilitate barracks.
AK...........................................  Western Arctic National Parklands, housing              3,068,000
                                                replacement.
AZ...........................................  Pipe Spring National Monument, housing                  3,860,000
                                                replacement.
AK...........................................  Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park,            4,295,000
                                                housing replacement.
WY...........................................  Yellowstone National Park, housing replacement.         3,630,000
WY...........................................  Devil's Tower National Monument, housing                4,118,000
                                                replacement.
WA...........................................  Olympic National Park, Elwha River restoration          2,500,000
                                                settlement.
OH...........................................  Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial,        29,671,000
                                                seawall replacement.
NC...........................................  Cape Hatteras National Seashore, lighthouse            18,727,000
                                                repair.
MD...........................................  Catoctin Mountain Parkwide, utility                    21,811,000
                                                infrastructure.
SC...........................................  Congaree National Park, boardwalk replacement..         4,798,000
NC...........................................  Cape Lookout National Seashore, lighthouse              8,136,000
                                                repair.
CO...........................................  Mesa Verde National Park, water infrastructure          2,369,000
                                                improvements.
CO...........................................  Dinosaur National Monument, building                    5,647,000
                                                replacement.
NJ...........................................  Gateway National Recreation Area, water                 5,424,000
                                                infrastructure improvements.
Multi........................................  General Program Increase.......................        29,049,000
Multi........................................  Abandoned Mine Lands...........................         5,000,000
 
Multi........................................  Demolition and Disposal........................         5,000,000
                                                                                               -----------------
    Total, Line Item Construction............                                                        272,956,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 LAND ACQUISITION AND STATE ASSISTANCE

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $208,400,000 in new budget authority for 
     the Land Acquisition account and includes a rescission of 
     $2,279,000 to be derived from prior year unobligated 
     balances. The amounts provided by this bill for projects are 
     shown in the table below and are listed in the priority order 
     and in the amounts recommended by the Service for fiscal year 
     2020.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   State                                   Project                                   This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WA/OR......................................  Lewis and Clark National Historical                      $2,555,000
                                              Park.
GA.........................................  Cumberland Island National Seashore                      $1,100,000
TX.........................................  Palo Alto Battlefield National                            3,500,000
                                              Historical Park.
NM.........................................  El Malpais National Monument.......                       5,182,000
VA.........................................  Petersburg National Battlefield....                       2,418,000
KY/TN......................................  Big South Fork National River and                           850,000
                                              Recreation Area.
NC.........................................  Guilford Courthouse National                                400,000
                                              Military Park.
Multi......................................  Battlefield Parks..................                       2,000,000
HI.........................................  Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail                       6,000,000
NE/SD......................................  Missouri National Recreation River.                       2,100,000
ND.........................................  Theodore Roosevelt National Park...                         900,000
MD/VA......................................  George Washington Memorial Parkway.                       1,395,000
                                                                                                 ---------------
    Subtotal, Line Item Projects................................................                      28,400,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
                                                                                  Budget Request     This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Acquisition Management.............       8,828,000      10,500,000
                                             Recreational Access................       1,000,000       7,000,000
                                             Emergencies, Hardships,                           0       4,000,000
                                              Relocations, and Deficiencies.
                                             Inholdings, Donations, and                        0       5,500,000
                                              Exchanges.
                                             American Battlefield Protection           5,000,000      13,000,000
                                              Program.
                                             Rescission of Funds................     -10,000,000      -2,279,000
                                                                                 -------------------------------
    Total, NPS Land Acquisition.................................................       4,828,000      66,121,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistance to States:
                                             State conservation grants (formula)               0     110,000,000
                                             State conservation grants                         0      25,000,000
                                              (competitive).
                                             Administrative expenses............               0       5,000,000
                                                                                 -------------------------------
    Total, Assistance to States............  ...................................               0     140,000,000
                                                                                 -------------------------------
                                             ...................................
    Total, NPS Land Acquisition and State    ...................................       4,828,000     206,121,000
     Assistance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE

       The bill provides $15,000,000 for the Centennial Challenge 
     matching grant program, $5,000,000 below the enacted level 
     and $15,000,000 above the budget request. The agreement 
     accepts the budget proposal to continue $5,000,000 for 
     critical programs and projects, pursuant to 54 U.S.C. 1011 
     Subchapter II, in the ONPS account.

                    United States Geological Survey


                 SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH

       The bill provides $1,270,957,000 for Surveys, 
     Investigations, and Research of the U.S. Geological Survey 
     (USGS, or the Survey). The detailed allocation of funding by 
     program area and activity is included in the table at the end 
     of this explanatory statement and is maintained in the fiscal 
     year 2019 budget structure and at enacted funding levels 
     unless otherwise specified below.
       The agreement does not approve the budget restructure as 
     requested. Consolidating

[[Page H11288]]

     programs of related focus and practice may improve 
     efficiency; however, more information is necessary in order 
     to properly evaluate if any budget restructure would achieve 
     that goal. If the Survey proposes another budget restructure 
     in the fiscal year 2021 budget request, the Committees stand 
     ready to work with the Survey to obtain the needed program 
     data and funding levels to consider the request.
       Ecosystems.--The agreement provides $170,544,000, 
     including: $16,706,000 for Status and Trends which provides 
     $500,000 for museum collections, and $250,000 for 
     competitively awarded grants for applied research to develop 
     a system for integrating sensors as outlined in Senate Report 
     116-123; $22,136,000 for the Fisheries program which provides 
     an increase of $3,000,000 for the Great Lakes Science Center; 
     $45,957,000 for Wildlife programs which provides $3,748,000 
     for White Nose Syndrome research and not less than $400,000 
     to be devoted to Coral Disease research; and $38,415,000 for 
     the Environments program which includes the funding level for 
     Chesapeake Bay provided in House Report 116-100. The 
     Committees expect work to continue at the enacted levels for 
     other priority landscapes such as the Arctic, Puget Sound, 
     California Bay Delta, Everglades, Great Lakes, and Columbia 
     River.
       The recommendation provides $23,330,000 for Invasive 
     Species which includes $1,720,000 for Chronic Wasting Disease 
     and a total of $10,620,000 for Asian carp research, of which 
     $3,000,000 is for research on grass carp and the additional 
     increase is to be used in accordance with the specifications 
     outlined in Senate Report 116-123. The agreement encourages 
     the Survey to prioritize research, detection, and response 
     efforts on invasive species with extremely high impacts on 
     public lands, such as the Burmese Python, and to examine 
     expanding their efforts to include Lionfish.
       Cooperative Research Units are funded at $24,000,000 in 
     accordance with the specifications outlined in House Report 
     116-100 and the enacted level of $250,000 for moose research 
     is continued.
       Land Resources.--The agreement provides $166,274,000, which 
     includes $98,894,000 for the National Land Imaging activity 
     maintaining all programs at the enacted level, including 
     $1,215,000 for AmericaView State grants and $84,337,000 for 
     satellite operations.
       The recommendation provides $29,045,000 in Land Change 
     Science which acknowledges the completion of biological 
     carbon sequestration activities as outlined in Senate Report 
     116-123.
       The recommendation provides $38,335,000 for National and 
     Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers for the purposes 
     outlined in House Report 116-100. This funding level supports 
     the development of the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science 
     Center which was first requested in the fiscal year 2017 
     Congressional budget justification.
       Energy, Minerals, and Environmental Health.--The agreement 
     provides $113,536,000 for Energy, Minerals, and Environmental 
     Health. Mineral Resources is funded at $59,869,000 which 
     includes $10,598,000, the budget request, for the critical 
     minerals Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, (Earth MRI). 
     Energy Resources is funded at $30,172,000 and provides 
     $4,000,000 for the implementation of Secretarial Order 3352. 
     Funding requested for the magnetotelluric survey is included 
     in the Geomagnetism Program in the Natural Hazards Mission 
     Area.
       The agreement provides $23,495,000 for Environmental 
     Health, which includes $10,397,000 for Contaminant Biology. 
     The recommendation includes an increase of $200,000 for 
     research on the impacts of unconventional oil and gas. The 
     recommendation also includes $13,098,000 for toxic substances 
     hydrology, which includes $1,750,000 for research on harmful 
     algal blooms and an increase of $500,000 over the enacted 
     level for unconventional oil and gas research.
       Natural Hazards.--The agreement provides $170,870,000 for 
     the Natural Hazards Program, including $84,903,000 for 
     earthquake hazards. Within this funding, $19,000,000 is 
     included for continued development and expansion of the 
     ShakeAlert West Coast earthquake early warning (EEW) system 
     and $6,700,000 is provided for infrastructure funding for 
     capital costs associated with the buildout of the ShakeAlert 
     EEW. The recommendation includes $2,000,000 for the national 
     seismic hazard maps and $3,000,000 for regional networks to 
     operate and maintain recently acquired USArray stations as 
     specified in Senate Report 116-123. The recommendation also 
     includes $2,000,000 in infrastructure funding for Advanced 
     National Seismic System (ANSS) deferred maintenance and 
     modernization and $1,800,000 for regional seismic networks. 
     The Survey is directed to provide to the Committees a 
     breakout of the budget components of the Earthquakes program 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act to gain a more 
     comprehensive understanding of base funding and the 
     allocation of resources to ANSS, Hazard Assessments, and 
     Targeted Research.
       The agreement provides $30,266,000 for volcano hazards, 
     which maintains programs at the enacted level.
       The recommendation includes $4,038,000 for Landslide 
     hazards; $7,153,000 for Global seismographic network; and 
     $4,000,000 for Geomagnetism including $1,726,000 for the 
     magnetotelluric survey as well as funding to maintain 
     operation of all observatories.
       Water Resources.--The agreement provides $234,120,000 for 
     Water Resources, with $63,529,000 directed to activities 
     associated with the Cooperative Matching Funds. Water 
     availability and use science is funded at $47,487,000, which 
     includes $6,000,000 for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain 
     Aquifer Assessment and $1,000,000 for the U.S. Mexico 
     transboundary aquifer assessment. Groundwater and Streamflow 
     Information is funded at $84,173,000 which includes 
     $1,500,000 for implementation of a baseline strategy for 
     transboundary rivers; $300,000 for work to examine 
     perflourinated compounds; $120,000 for the streamgage on the 
     Unuk River; and $1,500,000 for streamgages on certain 
     transboundary rivers.
       The recommendation includes $92,460,000 for the National 
     Water Quality program which includes $4,000,000 for harmful 
     algal bloom research; $1,000,000 for urban waters; and 
     $300,000 for Shallow and Fractured Bedrock Terrain research.
       The recommendation includes $10,000,000 for the Water 
     Resources Research Institutes, of which $1,000,000 is for 
     research on aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi 
     River region to address a critical need for multi-state 
     research.
       Core Science Systems.--The agreement provides $137,902,000, 
     which includes $24,051,000 for science, synthesis, and 
     analysis. National Cooperative Geologic Mapping is funded at 
     $34,397,000 which provides funding for Phase Three of the 
     National Geologic Database as outlined in House Report 116-
     100.
       The National Geospatial program is funded at $79,454,000 
     which includes $7,722,000 for the Alaska mapping initiative 
     and the following increases: $5,000,000 for the 3D Elevation 
     program (3DEP) to accelerate achievement of 100 percent 
     coverage of the Great Lakes region; $2,000,000 for the U.S. 
     Topo program to procure product-on-demand updates; and 
     $3,000,000 to produce digital surface models using 
     unclassified satellite optical data for the U.S. and 
     territories not mapped with LiDAR in 2021. It is expected 
     that any funding awarded outside the Federal sector will 
     undergo a competitive review process.
       Science Support.--The agreement includes $96,828,000 which 
     includes $74,881,000 for administration and management and 
     $21,947,000 for Information Services.
       Facilities.--The agreement includes $180,883,000 for 
     facilities, deferred maintenance and capital improvement. 
     Within these amounts, $104,719,000 is included for rental 
     payments and operations and maintenance. The recommendation 
     provides $76,164,000 for deferred maintenance and capital 
     improvement which includes funding as outlined in Senate 
     Report 116-123 to build a new Hydrologic Instrumentation 
     Facility (HIF) consistent with the Survey's current plan to 
     colocate with complementary academic and federal partners and 
     to replace the Survey's facilities on the island of Hawaii 
     impacted by the 2018 volcanic events at Kilauea. Also 
     provided in this agreement is $5,000,000 for the National 
     Wildlife Health Center to renovate the Biosafety level 3 
     Diagnostic Laboratories and convert to a new solid waste 
     disposal.

                   Bureau of Ocean Energy Management


                        Ocean Energy Management

       The bill provides $191,611,000 in new budget authority for 
     the Ocean Energy Management appropriation, which is partially 
     offset with the collection of rental receipts and cost 
     recovery fees totaling $60,000,000, for a net discretionary 
     appropriation of $131,611,000. Specific activity-level 
     allocations are contained in the table at the back of this 
     explanatory statement. In renewable energy, the increase 
     above the budget request is for additional permitting and 
     environmental staff.
       Offshore Wind Permitting.--The Bureau shall follow the 
     direction in Senate Report 116-123.

             Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement


             Offshore Safety and Environmental Enforcement

                    (Including Rescission of Funds)

       The bill provides $192,812,000 for the Offshore Safety and 
     Environmental Enforcement appropriation. This amount is 
     partially offset with the collection of rental receipts, cost 
     recovery fees, and inspection fees totaling $69,479,000, and 
     a rescission of prior year unobligated balances of 
     $4,788,000, resulting in a net discretionary appropriation of 
     $118,545,000. Specific activity-level allocations are 
     contained in the table at the back of this explanatory 
     statement.


                           Oil Spill Research

       The bill provides $14,899,000 for Oil Spill Research.

          Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement


                       Regulation and Technology

       The bill provides $117,768,000 for the Regulation and 
     Technology appropriation. Specific allocations at the 
     activity and subactivity level are displayed in the table at 
     the back of this explanatory statement. In the Environmental 
     Protection activity, funding shall be allocated at the same 
     levels as it was in fiscal year 2019. All other activities 
     are funded as proposed in the budget request.


                    Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund

       The bill provides $139,713,000 for the Abandoned Mine 
     Reclamation Fund appropriation. Specific allocations at the 
     activity level are displayed in the table at the back of this 
     explanatory statement. Of the funds provided, $24,713,000 
     shall be derived from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and 
     $115,000,000 shall be derived from the General Fund and shall 
     be distributed to states consistent with the direction in 
     Senate Report 116-123.

[[Page H11289]]

  


                             Indian Affairs

                        Bureau of Indian Affairs


                      Operation of Indian Programs

                     (Including Transfers of Funds)

       The agreement accepts the budget proposal to strengthen the 
     Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) as an independent bureau 
     with a separate budget structure, including a separate 
     construction budget, from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). 
     The separation is reflected below.
       The bill provides $1,577,110,000 for Operation of Indian 
     Programs. All programs, projects, and activities are 
     maintained at fiscal year 2019 levels, except for requested 
     fixed cost increases and internal transfers, or unless 
     otherwise specified below. For this and all other Bureau 
     accounts funded in this bill, Indian Affairs is expected to 
     comply with the instructions and requirements at the 
     beginning of this division and in House Report 116-100 and 
     Senate Report 116-123, unless otherwise specified below. 
     Additional details, instructions, and requirements are 
     included below and in the table at the end of this division. 
     Indian Affairs is reminded of the importance of meeting 
     reporting requirement deadlines so that the Committees can 
     properly evaluate programs. Failure to do so could negatively 
     impact future budgets.
       Tiwahe.--The bill continues the Tiwahe Initiative at fiscal 
     year 2019 levels across all programs and activities with 
     funding distributed in the same amounts to the same 
     recipients, including the funding to support women and 
     children's shelters. There is concern that Tiwahe funding was 
     not properly documented or distributed as outlined in the 
     Office of Inspector General report published in 2018; 
     therefore, BIA is directed to submit the final reports as 
     directed by House Report 115-765 and Senate Report 116-123 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
       NATIVE Act.--Funding is continued across all programs and 
     activities at fiscal year 2019 levels for the Native American 
     Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act of 2016 (P.L. 
     114-221) (NATIVE Act). The agreement directs BIA to comply 
     with the reporting requirement for the road maintenance 
     program funding in Senate Report 116-123.
       Alternative Financing/105(l) Lease Costs.--Estimates for 
     lease costs resulting from section 105 of the Indian Self-
     Determination and Education Assistance Act continue to 
     increase and have the potential to increase over the coming 
     months. The agreement directs BIA to comply with the 105(l) 
     lease costs language included in the front of this 
     explanatory statement.
       Staffing.--The high level of staff vacancies prevents BIA 
     from fulfilling its trust responsibilities. Indian Affairs is 
     directed to submit a report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations detailing actual staffing and vacancy levels 
     within the Bureau by region and headquarters for each 
     program, and the amount of funding associated with any vacant 
     positions within 120 days of enactment of this Act.
       Human Services.--The bill provides $155,685,000 for human 
     services programs and includes $1,000,000 to implement 
     section 202 of the Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. 
     Sec. 1932), and an increase of $2,000,000 for the Housing 
     Program for a total funding level of $11,708,000. BIA is 
     instructed to report back within 30 days of enactment of this 
     Act on how this funding will be distributed.
       Trust--Natural Resources Management.--The bill provides 
     $226,819,000 for natural resources management programs, 
     including $2,000,000 to finalize implementation of section 7 
     of the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act 
     (P.L. 102-495), and $41,743,000 for Rights Protection 
     Implementation, of which an additional $500,000 is for the 
     law enforcement needs for treaty sites on the Columbia River; 
     and an additional $900,000 is to implement the Pacific Salmon 
     Treaty. The agreement continues funding for the Everglades at 
     the fiscal year 2019 levels.
       Within the Tribal Management Development program, the bill 
     includes an additional $255,000 to advance the understanding 
     of salmon and steelhead habitat; an additional $500,000 to 
     develop Tribal buffalo herds and support related activities; 
     and an additional $700,000 for pilot projects and programs 
     for Alaska subsistence activities as further outlined in the 
     Senate Report 116-123. In addition, the agreement includes 
     $25,541,000 for the Agriculture Program (TPA); $9,773,000 for 
     Invasive Species; $6,549,000 for Wildlife and Parks (TPA); 
     and $8,525,000 for water management, planning and pre-
     development.
       The agreement includes $1,000,000 for the Assistant 
     Secretary of Indian Affairs to contract with relevant 
     federally recognized Tribes or Tribal organizations to allow 
     Tribal cultural experts to perform a cultural resources 
     investigation to identify culturally and historically 
     significant areas and sites in areas of high energy 
     development potential within the Chaco Canyon region of the 
     Southwest. As part of this investigation, the agreement 
     expects special emphasis to be given to areas of high 
     development potential as defined in Figure 10 of the Bureau 
     of Land Management's February 2018 Final Report, ``Reasonable 
     Development Scenario of Oil and Gas Activities'' for the 
     Mancos-Gallup RMPA Planning Area. The Assistant Secretary 
     shall consult with affected Tribes prior to soliciting 
     proposals and shall award funds within 270 days of enactment 
     of this Act.
       Trust--Real Estate Services.--The bill provides 
     $138,097,000 for real estate services, of which $500,000 is 
     to implement the Gila River Indian Community Federal Rights-
     of-Way, Easements and Boundary Clarification Act (P.L. 115-
     350); $4,852,000 is for Environmental Quality Program (TPA); 
     $17,743,000 is for Environmental Quality Projects; $4,078,000 
     is for Rights Protection (TPA); and $10,727,000 is for Water 
     Rights Negotiation, including $1,500,000 for rights 
     protection litigation support.
       Funding is continued for the Alaska Native Claims 
     Settlement Act historical places. The Bureau is reminded of 
     the directives in House Report 116-100 regarding water rights 
     negotiations.
       Public Safety and Justice.--The bill provides $434,326,000 
     for public safety and justice programs, of which: an 
     additional $1,000,000 is to solve Missing and Murdered 
     Indigenous Women cold cases; an additional $1,000,000 is for 
     background checks to hire more law enforcement officers; an 
     additional $2,000,000 is to supplement fiscal year 2019 
     funding levels to hire additional detention/corrections staff 
     at facilities located on Indian lands; an additional 
     $2,000,000 is to purchase equipment to collect and preserve 
     evidence at crime scenes throughout Indian Country; 
     $3,000,000 is for activities to implement and ensure 
     compliance with the Violence Against Women Act; $14,000,000 
     is to address the needs of Tribes affected by Public Law 93-
     280 and as further outlined in the Senate Report 116-123; and 
     $18,203,000 is for facilities operations and maintenance, of 
     which $2,000,000 is to supplement fiscal year 2019 funding 
     levels for facilities located on Indian lands.
       The recommendation also includes $2,500,000 to focus on 
     advanced training needs to help address the crisis for 
     missing, trafficked, and murdered indigenous women. These 
     activities shall focus on training for detectives, forensics, 
     and other specialized courses in an effort to provide greater 
     access to programs for Indian country law enforcement 
     personnel to create safer communities. This advanced training 
     shall not duplicate those activities at the Indian Police 
     Academy, which continues as the central justice services 
     training location for tribal law enforcement, including for 
     entry-level law enforcement officers, agents and corrections 
     officers, and the agreement provides full funding for these 
     programs.
       To further address the crisis of missing, trafficked, and 
     murdered indigenous women, it is necessary to both boost 
     coordination and data collection among Tribal, local, State, 
     and Federal law enforcement. For this reason, the agreement 
     directs BIA to designate an official within the Office of 
     Justice Services to work with Tribes to develop a set of 
     guidelines on how to best collect the statistics on missing, 
     trafficked, and murdered native women. The designee is 
     expected to report back to the Committees on his or her 
     findings within 1 year after enactment of this Act. 
     Additionally, the Government Accountability Office is 
     directed to conduct a review of the BIA's policy for 
     investigating and reporting missing and murdered Native 
     Americans as well as outline recommendations for ways in 
     which the BIA can improve and better coordinate BIA and 
     Tribal law enforcement activities with other Federal agencies 
     to improve access to databases and public notification 
     systems.
       The agreement directs BIA to conduct the study identified 
     in section 117 of Division B of H.R. 3055, as passed by the 
     Senate on October 31, 2019, related to law enforcement 
     staffing needs of Indian Tribes, and submit such study to the 
     House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 270 days 
     of enactment of this Act.
       Community and Economic Development.--The bill provides 
     $52,529,000 for community and economic development programs, 
     including $13,525,000 for Job Placement and Training (TPA) 
     and $2,791,000 for Economic development (TPA). The agreement 
     also includes $3,000,000 for grants to federally recognized 
     Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to provide native 
     language instruction and immersion programs to native 
     students not enrolled at BIE schools, including those Tribes 
     and organizations in states without Bureau-funded schools.
       Executive Direction and Administrative Services.--The bill 
     includes $235,475,000 for executive direction and 
     administrative services, of which: $10,200,000 is for 
     Assistant Secretary Support; $20,425,000 is for Executive 
     Direction; and $48,030,000 is for Administrative Services.


                         CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS

       The bill provides an indefinite appropriation for contract 
     support costs, consistent with fiscal year 2019 and estimated 
     to be $271,000,000.


                              CONSTRUCTION

             (INCLUDING TRANSFERS AND RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The agreement accepts the budget proposal to strengthen BIE 
     as an independent bureau with a separate budget structure, 
     including a separate construction budget, from BIA. The 
     separation is reflected below.
       The bill provides $128,591,000 for Construction. All 
     programs, projects, and activities are maintained at fiscal 
     year 2019 levels, except for requested fixed cost increases 
     and transfers, or unless otherwise specified below.
       Public Safety and Justice Construction.--The bill provides 
     $42,811,000 for public safety and justice construction and 
     includes the following: $25,500,000 for facilities 
     replacement and new construction; $4,494,000 for employee 
     housing; $9,372,000 for facilities improvement and repair; 
     $170,000 for fire safety coordination; and $3,274,000 for 
     fire protection. With

[[Page H11290]]

     the funds provided, the agreement encourages the Department 
     to incorporate planning, design, and operations of buildings 
     to reduce costs, minimize environmental impacts, use 
     renewable energy and incorporate green infrastructure and the 
     most current energy efficiency codes and standards to the 
     maximum extent practicable and submit a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations within 90 days of enactment of 
     this Act describing how the Department incorporated these 
     activities.
       The agreement directs BIA to submit the report describing 
     the facilities investments required to improve the direct 
     service and Tribally operated detention and public safety 
     facilities in Indian country that are in poor condition, 
     including associated cost estimates, as provided in Division 
     B of H.R. 3055, as passed by the Senate on October 31, 2019.
       Resources Management Construction.--The bill provides 
     $71,258,000 for resources management construction programs 
     and includes the following: $28,698,000 for irrigation 
     project construction, of which $3,402,000 is for the Navajo 
     Indian Irrigation Project and $10,000,000 is for projects 
     authorized by the WIIN Act; $2,613,000 for engineering and 
     supervision; $1,016,000 for survey and design; $651,000 for 
     Federal power compliance; and $38,280,000 for dam safety and 
     maintenance. The bill rescinds $2,000,000 in prior year 
     resources management construction funding that is no longer 
     necessary as the project was completed using funding provided 
     under the Environmental Quality Projects program in the 
     Operation of Indian Programs.
       Other Program Construction.--The bill provides $14,522,000 
     for other program construction and includes $1,419,000 for 
     telecommunications; $3,919,000 for facilities and quarters; 
     and $9,184,000 for program management, which includes 
     $3,211,000 to continue the project at Fort Peck.


INDIAN LAND AND WATER CLAIMS SETTLEMENTS AND MISCELLANEOUS PAYMENTS TO 
                                INDIANS

       The bill provides $45,644,000 for Indian Land and Water 
     Claims Settlements and Miscellaneous Payments to Indians, 
     ensuring that Indian Affairs will meet the statutory 
     deadlines of all authorized settlement agreements to date. 
     The recommended level enables Indian Affairs to make a final 
     payment to the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians if 
     needed to complete the Federal obligation and includes 
     amounts to make a payment, in an amount to be determined by 
     the Secretary, to the Blackfeet Settlement Trust Fund. The 
     Department is directed to submit a spending plan to the 
     Committees within 90 days of enactment of this Act on how it 
     plans to allocate the funds provided by the bill for the 
     specific settlements.


                 INDIAN GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The bill provides $11,779,000 for the Indian Guaranteed 
     Loan Program Account to facilitate business investments in 
     Indian Country.

                       Bureau of Indian Education


                      OPERATION OF INDIAN PROGRAMS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement accepts the budget proposal to strengthen the 
     Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) as an independent bureau 
     with a separate budget structure, including a separate 
     construction budget, from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). 
     The separation is reflected below.
       Alternative Financing/105(l) Lease Costs.--Estimates for 
     lease costs resulting from section 105 of the Indian Self-
     Determination and Education Assistance Act continue to 
     increase and have the potential to increase over the coming 
     months. The agreement directs Indian Affairs to comply with 
     the 105(l) lease costs language included in the front of this 
     explanatory statement.
       Bureau of Indian Education.--The bill includes $943,077,000 
     for the operation of BIE. All programs, projects, and 
     activities are maintained at fiscal year 2019 levels when BIE 
     was part of BIA, except for requested fixed cost increases 
     and transfers, or unless otherwise specified below. For this 
     and all other Bureau accounts funded in this bill, BIE is 
     expected to comply with the instructions and requirements at 
     the beginning of this division and in House Report 116-100 
     and Senate Report 116-123, unless otherwise specified below. 
     Additional details, instructions, and requirements follow 
     below and in the table at the end of this division.
       Post-secondary programs (forward-funded) are provided with 
     a five percent increase above the fiscal year 2019 enacted 
     level and Tribal grant support costs are funded at current 
     estimates. Within education program enhancements, a total of 
     $4,000,000 is included for Native language immersion grants 
     at BIE-funded schools; $18,852,000 is included for Early 
     Child and Family Development programs to continue current 
     activities; and $42,607,000 is provided for Education 
     Management for the separation transition of BIE and BIA.
       Within facility operations, $6,000,000 is included to meet 
     the Department's efforts to pursue alternative financing 
     options to address the significant need for replacement 
     school construction at BIE-funded schools. The Department is 
     directed to obligate only the actual amount required to meet 
     the terms of a negotiated lease. The agreement directs the 
     Department to comply with the directive contained in the 
     explanatory statement accompanying the fiscal year 2019 
     consolidated appropriations bill.
       Johnson O'Malley.--The bill provides $20,335,000 for 
     Johnson O'Malley programs, including $2,500,000 for one time 
     capacity building. With the remaining additional funding, the 
     agreement directs BIE to provide funding to more Tribes in 
     order to assist more students.


                         EDUCATION CONSTRUCTION

       The agreement accepts the budget proposal to strengthen BIE 
     as an independent bureau with a separate budget structure, 
     including a separate construction budget, from BIA. The 
     separation is reflected below.
       Education Construction.--The bill provides $248,257,000 for 
     schools and related facilities within the BIE system and 
     includes the following: $115,504,000 for replacement school 
     campus construction; $23,935,000 for replacement facility 
     construction; $13,578,000 for employee housing repair; and 
     $95,240,000 for facilities improvement and repair. No funding 
     is included for the proposed Replacement/New Employee Housing 
     initiative.
       Green Infrastructure.--With the funds provided, the 
     agreement encourages the Department to incorporate planning, 
     design, and operations of buildings to reduce costs, minimize 
     environmental impacts, use renewable energy and incorporate 
     green infrastructure and the most current energy efficiency 
     codes and standards to the maximum extent practicable and 
     submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations within 90 
     days of enactment of this Act describing how the Department 
     incorporated these activities.
       BIE is reminded that the status of the facilities impacts 
     the health and safety of children. There is concern that BIE 
     health and safety inspections may be merely cursory reviews 
     rather than detailed inspections. The agreement directs BIE 
     to submit within 90 days of enactment of this Act details on 
     what is included in annual health and safety inspections and 
     to provide a copy of such inspections to the Committees on 
     Appropriations within 30 days of a request for a copy of an 
     inspection.


                       ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement continues to allow transfers of Tribal 
     priority allocations funds between BIA Operation of Indian 
     Programs and BIE Operation of Indian Programs initiated at 
     the request of an Indian Tribe. This authority does not apply 
     to any other transfers, including those to separate the BIA 
     and the BIE.

                          Departmental Offices

                        Office of the Secretary


                        DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $131,832,000 for Departmental Offices, 
     Office of the Secretary, Departmental Operations. Allocations 
     at the activity level are provided for in the table at the 
     end of this explanatory statement.
       Freedom of Information Act.--It is appreciated that the 
     Department incorporated significant revisions in the final 
     rule it released on October 24, 2019, to amend its Freedom of 
     Information Act (FOIA) regulations to ensure consistency with 
     the statute. The bill also provides $1,000,000 in new funding 
     to help the Department address its FOIA workload.
       Appraisal and Valuation Services Office.--The agreement 
     provides $10,000,000, derived from the LWCF, to improve the 
     speed of the office's activities related to conservation 
     grants and land acquisition projects.

                            Insular Affairs


                       ASSISTANCE TO TERRITORIES

       The bill provides $102,881,000 for Assistance to 
     Territories. The detailed allocation of funding is included 
     in the table at the end of this explanatory statement.
       The bill provides $6,250,000, an increase of $1,250,000 
     over the fiscal year 2019 enacted level, for Empowering 
     Insular Communities to be used in accordance with 48 U.S.C. 
     1492a, as well as the related reporting requirement provided 
     in House Report 116-100 on updating and implementing energy 
     action plans.
       The bill provides $4,375,000, an increase of $375,000 over 
     the fiscal year 2019 enacted level, for the Maintenance 
     Assistance Fund. The Department is expected to continue its 
     work institutionalizing better maintenance practices.


                      COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION

       The bill provides $8,463,000 for Compact of Free 
     Association, $5,050,000 above the fiscal year 2019 enacted 
     level and $5,354,000 above the budget request. A detailed 
     table of funding recommendations below the account level is 
     provided at the end of this explanatory statement.
       Within the program, $5,000,000 is provided as an initial 
     payment towards the $20,000,000 in compensation requested by 
     the Republic of the Marshall Islands for adverse financial 
     and economic impacts as authorized by Public Law 108-188.

                        Office of the Solicitor


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $66,816,000 for the Office of the 
     Solicitor. The detailed allocation of funding is included in 
     the table at the end of this explanatory statement.

                      Office of Inspector General


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $55,986,000 for the Office of Inspector 
     General. The detailed allocation of funding is included in 
     the table at the end of this explanatory statement. The 
     agreement includes additional funds to hire auditors, 
     investigators, and mission support staff, and provides the 
     requested two-year funding availability to avoid disruption 
     in oversight activities.

[[Page H11291]]

  


           Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians


                         FEDERAL TRUST PROGRAMS

              (INCLUDING TRANSFER AND RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $111,540,000 for the Office of the 
     Special Trustee for American Indians. The detailed allocation 
     of funding by activity is included in the table at the end of 
     this explanatory statement. The bill rescinds $3,000,000 from 
     prior year unobligated balances within Executive Direction 
     and Program Operations, Support and Improvements to the 
     Office of the Special Trustee, however, no funds appropriated 
     for historical accounting activities are being rescinded.

                        Department-Wide Programs


                        WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides a total of $1,252,338,000 for Department 
     of the Interior Wildland Fire Management. Of the funds 
     provided, $683,657,000 is for suppression operations, of 
     which $300,000,000 is provided through the Wildland Fire Cap 
     Adjustment authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
     2018 (P.L. 115-141). The detailed allocation of funding by 
     activity is included in the table at the end of this 
     explanatory statement.


                    CENTRAL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FUND

       The bill includes $22,010,000 for the Central Hazardous 
     Materials Fund. Of that amount, $12,000,000 shall be for a 
     one-time competitive grant program that will fund radium 
     decontamination and remediation of facilities at any land-
     grant university that was subjected to such contamination by 
     actions of the former United States Bureau of Mines and has 
     been notified by federal or state agencies that such 
     contamination exceeds allowable levels. The Department is 
     urged to publish application guidelines within 60 days of 
     enactment of this Act and make final selections and issue 
     such grants as soon as practicable thereafter.

           Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration


                NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FUND

       The bill provides $7,767,000 for the Natural Resource 
     Damage Assessment Fund. The detailed allocation of funding by 
     activity is included in the table at the end of this 
     explanatory statement.


                          WORKING CAPITAL FUND

       The bill provides $55,735,000 for the Department of the 
     Interior, Working Capital Fund. Funds are to be allocated 
     between the FBMS and Cybersecurity activities at the 2019 
     enacted level. No funds are provided for the New Pay 
     initiative.


                  OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE

       The bill provides $147,330,000 for the Office of Natural 
     Resources Revenue.

             General Provisions, Department of the Interior


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The bill includes various legislative provisions affecting 
     the Department in Title I of the bill, ``General Provisions, 
     Department of the Interior.'' The provisions are:
       Section 101 provides Secretarial authority for the intra-
     bureau transfer of program funds for expenditures in cases of 
     emergencies when all other emergency funds are exhausted.
       Section 102 provides for the Department-wide expenditure or 
     transfer of funds by the Secretary in the event of actual or 
     potential emergencies including forest fires, range fires, 
     earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, storms, oil spills, 
     grasshopper and Mormon cricket outbreaks, and surface mine 
     reclamation emergencies.
       Section 103 provides for the use of appropriated funds by 
     the Secretary for contracts, rental cars and aircraft, 
     telephone expenses, and other certain services.
       Section 104 provides for the expenditure or transfer of 
     funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian 
     Education, and the Office of the Special Trustee for American 
     Indians, for Indian trust management and reform activities.
       Section 105 permits the redistribution of Tribal priority 
     allocation and Tribal base funds to alleviate funding 
     inequities.
       Section 106 authorizes the acquisition of lands for the 
     purpose of operating and maintaining facilities that support 
     visitors to Ellis, Governors, and Liberty Islands.
       Section 107 continues Outer Continental Shelf inspection 
     fees to be collected by the Secretary of the Interior.
       Section 108 provides the Secretary of the Interior with 
     authority to enter into multi-year cooperative agreements 
     with non-profit organizations for long-term care of wild 
     horses and burros.
       Section 109 addresses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 
     responsibilities for mass marking of salmonid stocks.
       Section 110 allows the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau 
     of Indian Education to more efficiently and effectively 
     perform reimbursable work.
       Section 111 provides for the establishment of a Department 
     of the Interior Experienced Services Program.
       Section 112 requires funds to be available for obligation 
     and expenditure not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment.
       Section 113 addresses Natural Heritage Areas.
       Section 114 provides Secretary of the Interior the ability 
     to transfer funds among and between the Bureau of Indian 
     Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.
       Section 115 provides funding for the Payments in Lieu of 
     Taxes (PILT) program.
       Section 116 addresses the issuance of rules for sage-
     grouse.
       Section 117 directs notification of any deviation in 
     procedure or equipment.

               TITLE II--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

       The agreement provides $9,057,401,000 for the Environmental 
     Protection Agency (EPA). The agreement does not support 
     reductions proposed in the budget request unless explicitly 
     noted in the explanatory statement. The bill does not include 
     any of the requested funds for workforce reshaping.
       Congressional Budget Justification.--As part of its fiscal 
     year 2021 budget justification submittal, the Agency is 
     directed to include the information specified in the joint 
     explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 116-6.
       Budget Rebaselining.--In previous fiscal years, the 
     Committees have included account-wide rescissions of funds to 
     the Science and Technology account, Environmental Programs 
     and Management account, and State and Tribal Assistance 
     Grants (STAG) account and provided additional infrastructure 
     funding in a Title IV general provision. The Agency was given 
     guidance on how to apply the rescissions, and directed to 
     submit, as part of its annual operating plan, details of its 
     application of these rescissions at the program project 
     level. For fiscal year 2020, the Committees end both 
     practices. The agreement provides all Agency funds in Title 
     II of the bill and does not include any rescissions of funds. 
     Any reference in this explanatory statement to the fiscal 
     year 2019 operating plan level for a program area or program 
     project are to the levels contained in the fiscal year 2019 
     operating plan after the application of any rescissions. For 
     reference, operating plan program area funding levels for 
     fiscal year 2019 can be found in Senate Report 116-123.
       Operating Plan.--Within 30 days of enactment or February 
     10, 2020, whichever is later, the Agency is directed to 
     submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations 
     its annual operating plan for fiscal year 2020. The operating 
     plan shall adhere to the program area levels, and where 
     applicable, program project levels, specified within this 
     explanatory statement. For program project levels not 
     otherwise specified herein, the operating plan should detail 
     how the Agency plans to allocate funds at the program project 
     level.
       Workforce and Staffing Plans.--The Committees expect the 
     Agency to submit, as part of its operating plan, FTE targets 
     by National Program Management area, with separate FTE 
     targets for headquarters and each regional office within each 
     Program, in line with the Agency's enacted fiscal year 2020 
     appropriation. The Agency is directed to brief the Committees 
     quarterly on ongoing Agency actions to meet these FTE goals. 
     The Agency should also develop workforce and staffing plans 
     to achieve these FTE targets.
       Study on Grants to Communities in Need.--The Agency is 
     directed to brief the Committees within 60 days of enactment 
     on how the Agency tracks competitive grant program funds and 
     the Agency's ability to track grant dollars as outlined under 
     this heading in House Report 116-100.

                         Science and Technology

       For Science and Technology programs, the bill provides 
     $716,449,000. The bill transfers $30,747,000 from the 
     Hazardous Substance Superfund account to this account. The 
     agreement provides the following specific funding levels and 
     direction:
       Clean Air.--The agreement provides $116,064,000, which 
     includes a $700,000 increase for the Federal Vehicle and 
     Fuels Standards Certification program project above the 
     fiscal year 2019 operating plan level.
       Enforcement.--The agreement provides $13,592,000, which 
     includes a $600,000 increase for essential operations and 
     maintenance costs at the National Enforcement Center's 
     laboratory.
       Indoor Air and Radiation.--The agreement provides 
     $5,149,000 and funding for the Radon Program is maintained at 
     not less than the fiscal year 2019 operating plan level.
       Research: Air and Energy.--The agreement provides 
     $94,496,000 for Research: Air and Energy. Of this amount, up 
     to $4,500,000 shall be used to continue the study under the 
     heading ``Partnership Research'' contained in the joint 
     explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 115 141. The 
     agreement does not include the directive contained in House 
     Report 116-100 with respect to a National Academy of Sciences 
     review of the Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate 
     Matter.
       Maintaining IRIS Program Integrity.--The Agency is directed 
     to continue funding for the Integrated Risk Information 
     System (IRIS) program at the fiscal year 2017 level and to 
     continue the program within the Office of Research and 
     Development (ORD). Within 60 days of enactment, the Agency is 
     directed to brief the Committees on the IRIS FTE structure 
     and the detail of IRIS FTEs to support other, non-IRIS, 
     Agency programs, as well as to support other Executive Branch 
     agencies. The Agency is expected to fully cooperate with the 
     Committees' requests for information.
       Research: National Priorities.--The agreement provides 
     $6,000,000 to be used for extramural grants, independent of 
     the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program, as 
     specified under this heading in Senate Report 116-123.

[[Page H11292]]

       Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources.--The 
     agreement provides $110,890,000, a $6,000,000 increase above 
     the fiscal year 2019 operating plan level. Of this increase, 
     $3,000,000 should be used to support the Agency's ongoing 
     work to establish Maximum Contaminant Levels under the Safe 
     Drinking Water Act for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances 
     (PFAS) chemicals, and up to $1,000,000 shall be used for 
     grants under Section 2007 of Public Law 115-270.
       Water: Human Health Protection.--The agreement provides 
     $4,094,000, as requested.
       Additional Guidance.--The following additional guidance is 
     included:
       STAR Grants.--The agreement provides funds to continue the 
     STAR program, and the Agency is directed to distribute grants 
     consistent with fiscal year 2019. The Agency is further 
     directed that funding for the Children's Environmental Health 
     and Disease Prevention Research Centers shall be continued at 
     a level consistent with prior years of funding, and the 
     Agency shall brief the Committees on its efforts to 
     reestablish a grant process for the Centers within 60 days of 
     enactment.
       Harmful Algal Blooms.--The agreement provides $6,000,000 
     for the Agency to carry out harmful algal bloom work 
     consistent with the direction in House Report 116-100.
       Enhanced Aquifer Use.--The Agency is directed to continue 
     following the guidance contained in Senate Report 114-281. 
     Further, from the funds provided to Research: Safe and 
     Sustainable Waters, $2,000,000 shall be for research for 
     Enhanced Aquifer Use and Recharge. The Agency shall 
     distribute funds to appropriate Research Centers to carry out 
     research activities that would directly support groundwater 
     research on Enhanced Aquifer Recharge, including support of 
     sole source aquifers; to work collaboratively with U.S. 
     Geological Survey to carry out these activities; and to 
     partner, through cooperative agreements, contracts, or 
     grants, with universities, Tribes, and water related 
     institutions for planning, research, monitoring, outreach, 
     and implementation in furtherance of Enhanced Aquifer 
     Recharge research.
       Microplastics.--The Committees support the Agency's ongoing 
     efforts to develop standards for microplastics analysis. The 
     agreement provides $500,000 from within funds made available 
     under Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources for the 
     work described in Senate Report 116-123.
       Environmental Impact of Currently Marketed Sunscreens.--The 
     Committees recognize the important health benefits that come 
     from reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation, including by 
     the use of sunscreens. To better assess any potential 
     environmental impacts of currently marketed sunscreen filters 
     on the environment, the Agency is directed to contract with 
     the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a review of 
     the scientific literature of currently marketed sunscreens' 
     potential risks to the marine environment. This review should 
     include any risks that sunscreen filters might pose to 
     freshwater ecosystems, coral reefs, aquatic and marine life, 
     and wetland ecosystems, and should identify any additional 
     research needed to conduct aquatic environmental risk 
     assessments. Additionally, the study should also review the 
     current scientific literature on the potential public health 
     implications associated with reduced use of currently 
     marketed sunscreen ingredients for protection against excess 
     ultraviolet radiation.

                 Environmental Programs and Management

       For Environmental Programs and Management, the bill 
     provides $2,663,356,000. The agreement provides the following 
     specific funding levels and direction:
       Clean Air.--The agreement provides $273,108,000. This 
     includes $129,350,000 for Federal Support for Air Quality 
     Management. The agreement also funds both program areas 
     related to stratospheric ozone at not less than the fiscal 
     year 2019 enacted levels. The agreement provides $38,379,000 
     for the EnergySTAR program, equal to the fiscal year 2019 
     level, and the Agency is directed to follow the guidance 
     related to the operation of this program in the joint 
     explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 116-6.
       Compliance.--The agreement provides $101,665,000. The 
     Agency is directed to provide to the Committees, within 30 
     days of enactment, separate targets for onsite inspections 
     and offsite compliance monitoring activities for fiscal year 
     2020, and similar separate target and actuals data from the 
     previous five fiscal years. Further, the Agency is encouraged 
     to present targets for these activities separately in future 
     budget requests.
       Enforcement.--The agreement provides $240,637,000 for 
     enforcement, and the Agency is directed to follow the 
     guidance regarding Environmental Justice under this heading 
     in House Report 116-100.
       Environmental Protection: National Priorities.--The 
     agreement provides $17,700,000 for a competitive grant 
     program for qualified non-profit organizations, to provide 
     technical assistance for improved water quality or safe 
     drinking water, adequate waste water to small systems or 
     individual private well owners. The Agency shall provide 
     $15,000,000 for Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water 
     Systems Assistance Act, for activities specified under 
     Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
     U.S.C.300j-1(e)(8)). The Agency is also directed to provide 
     $1,700,000 for grants to qualified not-for-profit 
     organizations for technical assistance for individual private 
     well owners, with priority given to organizations that 
     currently provide technical and educational assistance to 
     individual private well owners. The Agency is directed to 
     provide on a national and multi-State regional basis, 
     $1,000,000 for grants to qualified organizations, for the 
     sole purpose of providing on-site training and technical 
     assistance for wastewater systems. The Agency shall require 
     each grantee to provide a minimum 10 percent match, including 
     in kind contributions. The Agency is directed to allocate 
     funds to grantees within 180 days of enactment.
       The Committees remain concerned that the Agency made a 
     decision to put out a multi-year Request for Applications for 
     fiscal years 2017 and 2018 without the express approval of 
     the Committees. The Agency is directed to obtain approval 
     from the Committees for any similar activity in the future.
       Geographic Programs.--The agreement provides $510,276,000 
     as described in the table at the end of this division, and 
     includes the following direction:
       Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.--The agreement provides 
     $320,000,000, and the Agency is directed to follow the 
     guidance in House Report 116-100.
       Chesapeake Bay.--The agreement provides $85,000,000 for the 
     Chesapeake Bay program and the Agency is directed to follow 
     the guidance in House Report 116-100.
       San Francisco Bay.--The agreement provides $5,922,000 for 
     the San Francisco Bay program and the Agency is directed to 
     follow the guidance in House Report 116-100.
       Puget Sound.--The agreement provides $33,000,000 and the 
     Agency is directed to follow the guidance in House Report 
     116-100.
       Long Island Sound.--The agreement provides $21,000,000 and 
     the Agency is directed to follow the guidance in House Report 
     116-100.
       Gulf of Mexico.--The agreement provides $17,553,000 for the 
     Gulf of Mexico Geographic Program and the Agency is directed 
     to follow the guidance in Senate Report 116-123.
       South Florida Program.--The agreement provides $4,845,000 
     for the South Florida program and the Agency is directed to 
     follow the guidance in Senate Report 116-123.
       Lake Champlain.--The agreement provides $13,390,000 for the 
     Lake Champlain program and the Agency is directed to follow 
     the guidance in Senate Report 116-123.
       Lake Pontchartrain.--The agreement provides $1,442,000 for 
     the Lake Pontchartrain program.
       Southern New England Estuaries.--The agreement provides 
     $5,400,000 and the Agency is directed to follow the guidance 
     in House Report 116-100.
       Columbia River Basin Restoration Program.--The agreement 
     provides $1,236,000.
       Northwest Forest Program.--The agreement maintains funding 
     to support the Northwest Forest Program at not less than the 
     fiscal year 2019 funding level.
       Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive Species Program.--
     As authorized by the recently enacted Vessel Incident 
     Discharge Act (P.L. 115-282), the Agency is charged with 
     implementing the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive 
     Species Program. As the Agency develops its implementation 
     plan, it is expected to coordinate with all appropriate 
     Federal agency partners, as well as the Federally authorized 
     Lake Champlain Basin Program. The Agency is directed to 
     submit an implementation plan within 90 days of enactment 
     detailing actions the Agency expects to take in fiscal year 
     2020 to implement this important program.
       Indoor Air and Radiation.--The agreement provides 
     $24,951,000 and maintains the Radon program at not less than 
     the fiscal year 2019 enacted level of $3,136,000. The Agency 
     is directed to continue following the guidance under this 
     heading in the joint explanatory statement accompanying 
     Public Law 116-6.
       Information Exchange/Outreach.--The agreement provides 
     $118,828,000. Funding for the Tribal Capacity Building and 
     Toxic Release Inventory program projects are maintained at 
     the fiscal year 2019 operating plan level. The Agency is 
     expected to continue the Small Minority Business Assistance 
     program.
       Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.--The agreement 
     provides $112,789,000. Of funds provided under this section, 
     $9,000,000 should be allocated for the purpose of developing 
     and implementing a Federal permit program for the regulation 
     of coal combustion residuals in nonparticipating states, as 
     authorized under section 4005(d)(2)(B) of the Solid Waste 
     Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(2)(B)), or to provide 
     technical assistance to states establishing their own 
     permitting program under section 4005(d) of the Solid Waste 
     Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6945(d)). The Water Infrastructure 
     Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-322) 
     provided the Agency the authority to approve state coal 
     combustion residual management permit programs in lieu of 
     federal requirements if the state's standards are as 
     protective as the federal standards. The Committees note that 
     the Agency has already approved one state coal combustion 
     residual program and the Committees understand that the 
     Agency is working with other states as well. To better 
     support and engage with states on coal combustion residual 
     management plans, the Agency is encouraged to proactively 
     work with states seeking to establish their own programs and 
     provide any requested technical assistance on the creation 
     and operation of state coal combustion residual management 
     permit programs.
       Additionally, the Agency should continue the Waste 
     Minimization and Recycling program at the enacted level, and 
     the agreement provides $2,000,000 to help public entities 
     demonstrate community anaerobic digester applications, as 
     specified in Senate Report 116-123.

[[Page H11293]]

       Water: Ecosystems.--The agreement provides $49,064,000. 
     Within the amount provided, $29,823,000 has been provided for 
     National Estuary Program (NEP) grants as authorized by 
     section 320 of the Clean Water Act. This amount is sufficient 
     to provide each of the 28 national estuaries in the program 
     with a grant of at least $662,500. Further, in the 
     Administrative Provisions section, the bill directs that 
     $1,350,000 in competitive grants be made available for 
     additional projects.
       Water: Human Health Protection.--The agreement provides 
     $102,487,000. Of the increase provided above the operating 
     plan level, $1,000,000 is provided as requested for PFAS work 
     in drinking water systems, $1,500,000 should be used for the 
     initiation of the next Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs 
     Survey, and the remainder should be applied towards 
     implementation of Public Law 115-270. The beach program is 
     funded at the fiscal year 2019 enacted level.
       Water Quality Protection.--The agreement provides 
     $207,689,000, and the increase above the operating plan level 
     is provided to support the development of the next Clean 
     Watershed Needs Survey. The agreement rejects the proposed 
     elimination of the WaterSense and Urban Waters programs. The 
     Agency is directed to continue funding for these activities 
     at the fiscal year 2019 enacted levels of $4,510,000 and 
     $2,475,000, respectively. Additionally, the agreement 
     supports the Agency's ongoing activities related to 
     integrated planning, which will be increasingly necessary as 
     States and communities work to meet their clean water 
     obligations while keeping rates affordable for water 
     ratepayers.
       Additional Guidance.--The following additional guidance is 
     included:
       National Recycling Strategy.--The Committees applaud recent 
     announcements by the Agency promoting recycling and waste 
     minimization efforts. As part of its ongoing work in this 
     area, the Agency is directed to submit the report detailed 
     under this heading in House Report 116-100.
       Diesel Generators in Remote Alaska Villages.--On October 4, 
     2019, the Alaska Remote Generator Reliability and Protection 
     Act was signed into law (P.L. 116-62). A final rule modifying 
     emissions performance requirements for stationary diesel 
     generators in remote areas was published in the Federal 
     Register on November 13, 2019. This rule will increase energy 
     affordability and reliability in remote Alaska.
       PFOA/PFAS.--The Agency is directed to brief the Committees 
     within 60 days of enactment on its ongoing work to set 
     maximum contaminant levels for PFAS under the Safe Drinking 
     Water Act, as called for in its PFAS Action Plan. The 
     briefing should include detailed accounting by program 
     project of all PFAS-related work and associated expenditures 
     at the Agency over the prior two fiscal years, planned 
     activities and resource allocations for ongoing PFAS-related 
     work for fiscal year 2020, and estimates for any work 
     outlined in the Action Plan that the Agency intends to 
     undertake in fiscal year 2021.
       Protecting School Children from Lead.--The Committees note 
     that the Agency published proposed revisions to the Lead and 
     Copper Rule on November 13, 2019. The Committees acknowledge 
     that the proposed revisions contain important proposals 
     regarding lead and copper monitoring in schools and child 
     care facilities. The Committees strongly support policies 
     that enhance the safety and quality of water in schools and 
     child care facilities. The Agency is urged to finalize the 
     proposed revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule as 
     expeditiously as possible.
       U.S.-British Columbia Transboundary Watersheds.--The 
     Committees direct the Agency to continue and expand its work 
     coordinating with Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies 
     to monitor and reduce transboundary hazardous contaminants in 
     the Kootenai watershed. The Agency is directed to coordinate 
     with the Department of State, U.S. Geological Survey, and 
     other partners to submit a report to the Committees within 60 
     days of enactment on any remaining data gaps to address 
     transboundary watershed contamination in the Kootenai with 
     Canada. The Agency is also directed to release to the 
     Committees, within 180 days of enactment, any data gap 
     analysis relating to potential impacts to water quality and/
     or aquatic resources related to hard rock copper and gold 
     mining projects in British Columbia for transboundary rivers.


            HAZARDOUS WASTE ELECTRONIC MANIFEST SYSTEM FUND

       The bill provides $8,000,000, which is expected to be fully 
     offset by fees for a net appropriation of $0.

                      Office of Inspector General

       The bill provides $41,489,000 for the Office of Inspector 
     General.


                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

       The bill provides $33,598,000 for Buildings and Facilities.


                     HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SUPERFUND

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $1,184,755,000 for the Hazardous 
     Substance Superfund account and includes bill language to 
     transfer $11,586,000 to the Office of Inspector General 
     account and $30,747,000 to the Science and Technology 
     account. The agreement provides the following additional 
     direction:
       Enforcement.--The agreement provides $168,375,000, and the 
     Agency is directed to follow the additional guidance under 
     this heading contained in House Report 116-100 and Senate 
     Report 116-123.
       Research: Chemical Safety and Sustainability.--The 
     agreement provides $12,824,000, a $10,000,000 increase above 
     the fiscal year 2019 operating plan level to address research 
     needs in support of designating PFAS chemicals as hazardous 
     substances under Section 102 of CERCLA. The Agency is 
     directed to include these funds as part of the transfer to 
     the Science and Technology account.
       Research: Sustainable and Healthy Communities.--The 
     agreement provides $16,463,000, a $5,000,000 increase above 
     the fiscal year 2019 operating plan level to address research 
     needs in support of designating PFAS chemicals as hazardous 
     substances under Section 102 of the Comprehensive 
     Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
     (CERCLA). The Agency is directed to include these funds as 
     part of the transfer to the Science and Technology account.
       Superfund Cleanup.--The agreement provides $794,740,000, a 
     $5,000,000 increase above the fiscal year 2019 operating plan 
     level.
       Operation of Aircraft.--The bill provides authority within 
     this account for the Agency to use aircraft to assist in 
     carrying out its response mission.


          LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK TRUST FUND PROGRAM

       The bill provides $91,941,000 for the Leaking Underground 
     Storage Tank Trust Fund Program and is directed to allocate 
     funds as in fiscal year 2019.


                       INLAND OIL SPILL PROGRAMS

       The bill provides $19,581,000 for Inland Oil Spill 
     Programs.
       Oil.--The agreement provides $15,700,000. Of the increase 
     provided, $500,000 should be used to support emergency 
     responder trainings, and the remainder should be used for oil 
     accident preparedness and prevention, as specified in House 
     Report 116-100.
       Preventing Oil Spills.--The Committees are aware of the 
     high non-compliance rate among facilities that are required 
     to submit Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plans 
     or Facility Response Plans. The Committees direct the agency 
     to develop and implement strategies to reduce the rate of 
     non-compliance. The Agency is directed to brief the 
     Committees on its strategy within 90 days of enactment.
       Operation of Aircraft.--The bill provides authority within 
     this account for the Agency to use aircraft to assist in 
     carrying out its response mission.


                   STATE AND TRIBAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS

       The bill provides $4,246,232,000 for the State and Tribal 
     Assistance Grants program and includes the following specific 
     funding levels and direction:
       Infrastructure Assistance.--The bill provides 
     $3,170,325,000 for infrastructure assistance.
       Mexico Border.--The bill provides $25,000,000 for the 
     Mexico Border Program. Projects that seek to abate a mixture 
     of stormwater runoff and raw sewage are eligible.
       Brownfields Program.--The bill provides $89,000,000 for 
     Brownfields grants and directs that at least 10 percent of 
     such grants be provided to areas in which at least 20 percent 
     of the population has lived under the poverty level over the 
     past 30 years as determined by censuses and the most recent 
     Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The bill makes U.S. 
     territories and possessions categorically eligible for 
     funding from within this setaside.
       Diesel Emission Reductions Grants (DERA).--The agreement 
     provides $87,000,000 for DERA grants and the Agency is 
     expected to allocate funds consistent with the guidance 
     contained in the explanatory statement accompanying Public 
     Law 116-6.
       Targeted Airshed Grants.--The agreement provides 
     $56,306,000, and the Agency is directed to follow the 
     guidance contained in the explanatory statement accompanying 
     Public Law 116-6.
       Combined Sewer Overflow Grants.--The agreement provides 
     $28,000,000 for grants as authorized under section 221 of the 
     Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301).
       Categorical Grants.--The bill provides $1,075,907,000 for 
     Categorical Grants. Funding levels are specified in the table 
     at the end of this division. Within this amount, the Beaches 
     Protection program and Radon program are both maintained at 
     the fiscal year 2019 operating plan levels.
       Hazardous Waste Financial Assistance Grants.--The agreement 
     provides $96,446,000 for grants authorized under the Solid 
     Waste Disposal Act, as amended by Sec. 3011 of the Resource 
     Conservation and Recovery Act.
       Public Water System Supervision Grants.--The agreement 
     provides $106,250,000. Of the increase provided, $7,000,000 
     is intended to further support States, Territories, and 
     Tribes in addressing PFAS and other contaminants of emerging 
     concern as they carry out their Public Water System 
     Supervision programs.
       Multipurpose Grants.--The agreement provides $13,000,000. 
     States and Tribes play a significant role helping reduce 
     public exposure to emerging contaminants like PFAS. These 
     grants are expected to assist States and Tribes in their 
     efforts to facilitate treatment, cleanup, and remediation 
     efforts of PFAS and other emerging contaminants in 
     contaminated water sources, water systems, and lands. The 
     Agency is directed to continue to give maximum flexibility to 
     States and Tribes so that they, not the Agency, may determine 
     where funds from this grant program are of most value.

[[Page H11294]]

  



      WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND INNOVATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides a total of $60,000,000 for the Water 
     Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Of 
     the amount provided, $5,000,000 shall be for implementation 
     of the SRF WIN Act, as authorized by section 4201 of Public 
     Law 115-270.


       ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The bill continues several administrative provisions from 
     previous years.
       The bill directs the availability of not less than 
     $1,350,000 of funds for the National Estuary Program for 
     competitive grants.
       The bill extends the authority for the Agency to hire 
     scientists under 42 U.S.C. 209 until 2025. The Agency is 
     directed to submit a report biannually on its use of this 
     authority to the Committees and to the Committees on Energy 
     and Commerce and Science, Space and Technology in the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works in the Senate.

                      TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES

                       Department of Agriculture


  OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

       The bill provides $875,000 for the Office of the Under 
     Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment.
       Forest Service Accounting, Budgeting, and Management.--The 
     Forest Service's (Service) efforts to improve its accounting, 
     budgeting, and management practices are appreciated and 
     ongoing work of the Service, Office of Budget and Program 
     Analysis, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and 
     Environment, and Secretary of Agriculture to continue these 
     improvements is expected. To ensure the enactment of these 
     efforts on October 1, 2020, bill language has been included 
     directing the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the 
     ``Forest Service Operations'' account. The Secretary of 
     Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 
     is directed to transmit to the Committees a proposal for an 
     alternative budget structure within 45 days of enactment of 
     this Act. Subsequent to the transmittal of this proposal, the 
     Service shall consult with the Committees to develop a 
     finalized alternative budget structure. The Forest Service's 
     Office of Strategic Planning, Budget, and Accountability, not 
     later than June 1, 2020, shall submit to the Committees:
       1. technical assistance on new legislative language for the 
     account structure;
       2. comparison tables of fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021 
     in the account structure;
       3. a copy of the interim financial management policy manual 
     addressing changes made in this Act;
       4. an outline of the financial management policy manual 
     changes necessary for the account structure;
       5. proposed changes to transfer and reprogramming 
     requirements, including technical assistance on legislative 
     language;
       6. certification by the USDA Chief Financial Officer that 
     the Forest Service's financial systems can report in the new 
     account structure; and
       7. a plan for training and implementation of the account 
     structure.
       Forest Service Directives.--The Service is reminded of the 
     directives included in House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 
     116-123 that are not specifically addressed herein, as well 
     as the new directives in this statement, including the front 
     matter.
       Wildland Fire Management.--The Consolidated Appropriations 
     Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) provided a budget cap adjustment for 
     wildfire suppression costs and included forest management 
     reforms. The Service and the Secretary of Agriculture are 
     reminded of the multi-year effort to achieve these budget and 
     legislative changes and the expectation that all authorities 
     will be appropriately used to improve the condition of the 
     Nation's forests, as well as the ability of the Service to 
     proactively manage and sustain them for future generations. 
     The Service is also reminded of expectations for more 
     accurate accounting for wildfire suppression costs, 
     especially in light of the Service's ability to access cap 
     adjustment funding for the first time in fiscal year 2020.


                             FOREST SERVICE

                     FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH

       The bill provides $305,000,000 for Forest and Rangeland 
     Research. This includes $228,000,000 for base research 
     activities and $77,000,000 for Forest Inventory and Analysis. 
     The Service is directed to provide $3,000,000 to the Joint 
     Fire Science Program for fiscal year 2020.
       The Service is expected to restructure the research program 
     by fiscal year 2021 and to report on the restructuring 
     progress within 30 days of the enactment of this Act. This 
     restructure shall ensure that research activities are focused 
     on the key areas where the Service's management 
     responsibilities will benefit the most.


                       STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY

       The bill provides $346,990,000 for State and Private 
     Forestry. The detailed allocation of funding by activity is 
     included in the table at the end of this explanatory 
     statement. Of the funds provided for Federal Lands Forest 
     Health Management, $3,000,000 is for Service-wide strategic 
     workforce planning efforts.
       Landscape Scale Restoration.--The Service is directed to 
     use funds for competitive grants.
       Forest Legacy.--The bill provides $63,990,000 for the 
     Forest Legacy program. This includes $6,400,000 for program 
     administration and $57,590,000 for projects. The Service 
     should fund projects in priority order according to the 
     updated, competitively selected national priority list 
     submitted to the Committees.
       International Forestry.--The bill includes $12,000,000 for 
     International Programs, an increase of $3,000,000 above the 
     fiscal year 2019 enacted level. This increase will be used 
     for the office's programmatic work to include combatting 
     overseas illegal timber harvests and conserving the habitat 
     of U.S. migratory species, including the monarch butterfly.


                         NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM

       The bill provides $1,957,510,000 for the National Forest 
     System. The detailed allocation of funding by activity is 
     included in the table at the end of this explanatory 
     statement. The agreement does not include the direction 
     regarding the Dakota Prairie Grasslands.
       Hazardous Fuels.--The bill provides $445,310,000 for 
     hazardous fuels management activities within the National 
     Forest System account. Included in this amount is $4,000,000 
     for the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes.
       Four Forests Restoration Initiative.--The Service is 
     directed to submit a report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations, the House Natural Resources Committee, and 
     the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, not later 
     than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, detailing 
     efforts to accelerate forest ecosystem restoration under the 
     Four Forest Restoration Initiative.


   CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $455,000,000 for Capital Improvement and 
     Maintenance programs.
       Facilities.-- The bill includes $154,000,000 for 
     Facilities. The Service is expected to follow the directions 
     in House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-123 and within 
     the funds provided, at least $53,000,000 shall be for capital 
     improvements, decommissioning, and dam safety projects, of 
     which, an additional $2,000,000 is included for air tanker 
     base repairs. Consistent with Service planning for a new 
     Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests Supervisor's 
     Office, the Service shall begin construction.
       Roads.--The bill includes an increase of $2,000,000 for 
     Roads to be used to increase public safety.
       Trails.--The bill includes $81,000,000 for Trails.


                            LAND ACQUISITION

                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $78,898,000 in new budget authority for 
     Land Acquisition, and includes a rescission of $2,000,000 to 
     be derived from prior year unobligated balances. The amounts 
     provided by this bill for projects are shown in the table 
     below and are listed in the priority order and in the amounts 
     recommended by the Service for fiscal year 2020.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                State                          Project                Forest Unit               This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MT...................................  Clearwater Blackfoot...  Lolo...................               $9,000,000
ID...................................  Teton Timbers..........  Caribou-Targhee........                2,750,000
MT...................................  Lolo Trails Landmark...  Lolo...................                4,400,000
OR...................................  Wasson Creek...........  Siuslaw................                4,268,000
MN...................................  Minnesota School Trust   Superior...............                4,500,000
                                        Lands.
CA...................................  Sanhedrin..............  Mendocino..............                6,400,000
SC...................................  Promise of the Piedmont  Francis Marion & Sumter                1,600,000
CA...................................  Wild & Scenic Kern       Sequoia................                1,505,000
                                        River Access.
MI...................................  West Branch of the       Ottawa.................                2,000,000
                                        Ontonagon.
TN...................................  Tennessee Mountain       Cherokee...............                4,000,000
                                        Trails & Waters.
NC...................................  NC Threatened Treasures  Nantahala/Pisgah/                      4,500,000
                                                                 Uwharrie.
ID...................................  SF Wilderness Ranch....  Payette................                1,500,000
NM...................................  Mimbres River Parcels..  Gila...................                2,906,000
WV...................................  Hooke Brothers.........  Monongahela............                  750,000
KY...................................  Daniel Boone NF........  Daniel Boone...........                  350,000
VT...................................  Green Mountain NF        Green Mountain.........                  600,000
                                        (inholdings).

[[Page H11295]]

 
VA/WV................................  George Washington and    George Washington and                    920,000
                                        Jefferson NF.            Jefferson.
AL...................................  Alabama's Wild Wonders.  Bankhead/Talladega/                      500,000
                                                                 Conecuh.
OR...................................  Three Rivers...........  Siuslaw................                  720,000
AK...................................  Kadashan...............  Tongass................                  500,000
GA...................................  Chattahoochee-Oconee NF  Chattahoochee-Oconee...                  620,000
WA...................................  Washington Cascades....  Okanogan-Wenatchee.....                1,800,000
VT...................................  Lincoln Peak...........  Green Mountain.........                  350,000
CA...................................  Trinity Alps Wilderness  Shasta-Trinity.........                1,200,000
                                        (inholdings).
                                                                                        ------------------------
                                       Subtotal, Line-item      .......................               57,639,000
                                        projects.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
                                                                                      Budget
                                                                                      Request        This Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                             Acquisition Management.............               0       8,000,000
                                             Recreational Access................               0       9,500,000
                                             Critical Inholdings/Wilderness.....               0       3,500,000
                                             Cash Equalization..................               0             250
                                             Rescission of Funds................     -17,000,000      -2,000,000
 
                                             Total, FS Land Acquisition.........     -17,000,000      76,898,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         ACQUISITION OF LANDS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS SPECIAL ACTS

       The bill provides $700,000 for the Acquisition of Lands for 
     National Forests Special Acts.


            ACQUISITION OF LANDS TO COMPLETE LAND EXCHANGES

       The bill provides $150,000 for the Acquisition of Lands to 
     Complete Land Exchanges.


                         RANGE BETTERMENT FUND

       The bill provides $2,000,000 for the Range Betterment Fund.


    GIFTS, DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS FOR FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH

       The bill provides $45,000 for Gifts, Donations and Bequests 
     for Forest and Rangeland Research.


        MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL FOREST LANDS FOR SUBSISTENCE USES

       The bill provides $2,500,000 for the Management of National 
     Forest Lands for Subsistence Uses.


                        WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides a total of $4,300,620,000 for Forest 
     Service Wildland Fire Management. Of the funds provided, 
     $2,961,000,000 is for suppression operations, of which 
     $1,950,000,000 is provided through the Wildland Fire Cap 
     Adjustment authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
     2018 (P.L. 115-141).

                Department of Health and Human Services


                         INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

                         INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES

       The bill provides a total of $6,047,094,000 for the Indian 
     Health Service (IHS), of which $4,315,205,000 is for the 
     Services account as detailed below. All programs, projects, 
     and activities are maintained at fiscal year 2019 enacted 
     levels unless otherwise specified below. IHS is expected to 
     comply with the instructions and requirements at the 
     beginning of this division and in House Report 116-100 and 
     Senate Report 116-123, unless otherwise specified below. 
     Additional details, instructions, and requirements follow 
     below and in the table at the end of this division.
       Staffing for New Facilities.--The agreement includes 
     $78,200,000 for staffing newly opened health facilities, 
     which is the full amount based upon updated estimates 
     provided to the Committees. Funds for the staffing of new 
     facilities are limited to facilities funded through the 
     Health Care Facilities Construction Priority System or the 
     Joint Venture Construction Program that have opened in fiscal 
     year 2019 or will open in fiscal year 2020. None of these 
     funds may be allocated to a facility until such facility has 
     achieved beneficial occupancy status. As part of its annual 
     budget justification, IHS is expected to detail, for the two 
     prior fiscal years, the transfer from the Staffing for New 
     Facilities account into the base amount of each facility as 
     well as continue detailing the amounts necessary for the 
     Staffing for New Facilities account by facility for the 
     upcoming fiscal year. As initial estimates included as part 
     of the annual budget request are refined, IHS is expected to 
     communicate updated cost estimates to the Committees.
       105(l) Lease Costs.--The recommendation includes 
     $125,000,000 for section 105(l) lease costs, $89,000,000 
     above the enacted level. These funds are to supplement 
     existing funds available for operational costs at Village 
     Built Clinics and Tribal clinics operated under an Indian 
     Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act compact or 
     contract where health care is delivered in space acquired 
     through a full-service lease. IHS is directed to comply with 
     the 105(l) lease costs language included in the front of this 
     report as well as the directive in the Senate Report 116-123 
     regarding the specific statutory and regulatory challenges 
     that may make it difficult to accurately formulate a budget 
     for these costs.
       Hospitals and Health Clinics.--The agreement provides 
     $2,324,606,000 for hospitals and health clinics, and includes 
     $9,967,000 for domestic violence prevention, $5,433,000 for 
     Tribal Epidemiology Centers, $11,463,000 for new Tribes, 
     $2,000,000 for quality and oversight, and $5,000,000 for the 
     national Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) expansion, 
     which shall not divert funding from the existing CHAP program 
     serving Alaska. The agreement funds the existing CHAP program 
     at the fiscal year 2019 level.
       Electronic Health Records.--The agreement provides 
     $8,000,000 for Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to 
     improve the current IT infrastructure system in order to 
     support the deployment of a new or modernized EHR solution. 
     The new or modernized EHR shall be compatible with the new 
     Veterans Affairs system and with systems used by Indian 
     Tribes or Tribal organizations that do not currently use the 
     resource patient management system (RPMS).
       Dental Health.--The agreement provides $210,590,000 for 
     dental health and includes $2,000,000 for the electronic 
     dental health records (EDR) system to enable IHS to bring 
     more dental centers onto the system and to manage the current 
     electronic dental record system. IHS is directed to include 
     EDR in its assessment and incorporate EDR in overall efforts 
     to enhance its EHR system.
       Mental Health.--The bill provides $108,933,000 for mental 
     health and continues funding at fiscal year 2019 levels for 
     the behavioral health integration initiative and for suicide 
     prevention.
       Opioid Grants.--To better combat the opioid epidemic, the 
     agreement continues funding of $10,000,000 and instructs IHS, 
     in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
     Health and Substance Abuse, to use the funds provided to 
     continue a Special Behavioral Health Pilot Program as 
     authorized by Public Law 116-6. The Director of IHS, in 
     coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
     and Substance Use, shall award grants for providing services, 
     providing technical assistance to grantees under this 
     section, collecting data, and evaluating performance of the 
     program.
       IHS is finishing Tribal consultation for the substance 
     abuse, suicide prevention, and domestic violence funding and 
     the Service is urged to complete this phase of the process 
     within 90 days of the date of enactment of this Act so that 
     funds can be distributed expeditiously.
       Alcohol and Substance Abuse.--The bill provides 
     $245,603,000 for alcohol and substance abuse and includes the 
     $1,369,000 transfer of the former National Institute on 
     Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism programs (former-NIAAA programs) 
     to the urban Indians health program. As noted above, the 
     agreement continues fiscal year 2019 funding levels to 
     address opioid abuse and provide essential detoxification 
     services as well as fund Generation Indigenous and the Youth 
     Pilot project. Funding for detoxification services shall be 
     distributed as directed in Senate Report 116-123.
       Urban Indian Health.--The agreement provides $57,684,000 
     for urban Indian health programs and includes the requested 
     transfer of $1,369,000 former-NIAAA programs from the alcohol 
     and substance abuse program.
       Indian Health Professions.--The agreement provides 
     $65,314,000 for Indian health professions, including 
     $40,000,000 for the loan repayment program and a $3,951,000 
     general program increase to help with the recruitment and 
     retention of health professionals. The agreement has provided 
     these funds with the Indian Health Professions program rather 
     than within the Hospitals and Health Clinics program as 
     originally requested by the Administration. Funding is 
     continued at the fiscal year 2019 levels for the InMed fourth 
     site, Quentin N. Burdick Indians into Nursing, and the 
     American Indians into Psychology Programs.


                         CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS

       The bill continues language from fiscal year 2019 
     establishing an indefinite appropriation for contract support 
     costs estimated to be $820,000,000, which is equal to the 
     request.

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                        INDIAN HEALTH FACILITIES

       The bill provides $911,889,000 for Indian Health 
     Facilities. All programs, projects, and activities are 
     maintained at fiscal year 2019 enacted levels unless 
     otherwise specified below. Current services are provided, as 
     requested.
       Staffing for New Facilities.--The bill includes $5,740,000 
     for staffing newly opened health facilities, which is the 
     full amount based upon updated estimates provided to the 
     Committees. The stipulations included in the ``Indian Health 
     Services'' account regarding the allocation of funds pertain 
     to this account as well.
       Funds for the staffing of new facilities are limited to 
     facilities funded through the Health Care Facilities 
     Construction Priority System or the Joint Venture 
     Construction Program that have opened in fiscal year 2019 or 
     will open in fiscal year 2020. None of these funds may be 
     allocated to a facility until such facility has achieved 
     beneficial occupancy status. There is continued support for 
     the Joint Venture program as currently implemented by IHS 
     although IHS is directed to establish a more consistent 
     application cycle of between three to five years. At each 
     competitive cycle, IHS should select a specific number of 
     awards and non-selected applications should be eligible to 
     reapply during the next competitive cycle.
       Health Care Facilities Construction.--The agreement 
     provides $911,889,000 for health care facilities 
     construction, of which $5,000,000 is for green infrastructure 
     and $25,000,000 is for small ambulatory clinics. Of the small 
     ambulatory funds, $5,000,000 is for replacement and expansion 
     projects.
       With the funds provided for green infrastructure, the 
     agreement directs the Service to incorporate planning, 
     design, and operations of buildings to reduce costs, minimize 
     environmental impacts, use renewable energy and incorporate 
     green infrastructure and the most current energy efficiency 
     codes and standards to the maximum extent practicable and 
     submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations within 
     120 days of enactment of this Act describing how the Service 
     plans to use these funds to incorporate these activities into 
     facilities, including how the funds were distributed by Tribe 
     and project.

                     National Institutes of Health


          NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

       The agreement provides $81,000,000 for the National 
     Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The $2,000,000 
     increase above the enacted level is provided to help meet the 
     demands of the Superfund Research Program and to support 
     research on PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern.

            Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


            TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH

       The agreement provides $76,691,000. The $2,000,000 increase 
     is provided to further support the Agency's research efforts 
     for PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern, by 
     increasing the Agency's statistical and data analytical 
     capacity and technical expertise. The Committees expect this 
     increase will position the Agency to better respond to 
     communities exposed to such chemicals. Further, the Agency is 
     directed to follow the additional guidance provided in Senate 
     Report 116-123.

                         Other Related Agencies

                   Executive Office of the President


  COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

       The agreement provides $2,994,000 for the Council on 
     Environmental Quality and Office of Environmental Quality.

             Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $12,000,000 for the Chemical Safety and 
     Hazard Investigation Board.

              Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $7,500,000 for the Office of Navajo and 
     Hopi Indian Relocation for salaries and expenses. The bill 
     continues the direction provided in the explanatory statement 
     accompanying Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations 
     Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31). There is continued commitment to 
     bringing the relocation process to an orderly conclusion and 
     ensuring all eligible relocatees receive the relocation 
     benefits to which they are entitled. Consultation with all 
     affected parties and agencies is the key to a transparent, 
     orderly closeout.

    Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts 
                              Development


                        PAYMENT TO THE INSTITUTE

       The bill provides $10,458,000 for fixed costs and academic 
     program requirements of the Institute of American Indian 
     Arts.

                        Smithsonian Institution


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides a total of $1,047,358,000 for all 
     Smithsonian Institution accounts, of which $793,658,000 is 
     provided for salaries and expenses and remains available 
     until September 30, 2021. The detailed allocation of funding 
     is included in the table at the end of this explanatory 
     statement.
       Within amounts provided for the Salaries and Expenses 
     account, the recommendation includes $5,000,000 for the 
     Institution's Latino initiatives and the Smithsonian Latino 
     Center; $1,300,000 for the Research equipment pool; 
     $3,187,000 for the information resources management pool; 
     $5,000,000 for the American Women's History Initiatives; and 
     funding as requested for the Asian Pacific American 
     experience.
       The agreement provides funding increases above the enacted 
     level of $500,000 for animal welfare; $570,000 for 
     digitization; $200,000 for library subscription inflation; 
     and $1,338,000 to cover higher communication costs. The 
     agreement also includes $500,000 in the National Museum of 
     African American History and Culture for partnership 
     activities related to the recently discovered Clotilda, as 
     provided in Senate Report 116-123.
       The agreement provides $114,545,000 for facilities 
     maintenance, including a surge of $35,000,000 to address 
     deferred maintenance and repairs. The increases provided to 
     address the deferred maintenance backlog will be executed 
     with contractor support.
       The recommendation provides $236,673,000 for facilities 
     operations, security and support as requested in the 
     Congressional budget justification.
       Bill language is included to allow the Institution to 
     purchase a new administrative building with the Institution's 
     trust funds to avoid escalating lease costs and increase 
     efficiency by consolidating functions in one location. The 
     Committees also include bill language requiring a report to 
     Congress prior to any agreement by the Institution to sell 
     its ownership interest or any portion of the building it 
     acquires. This report is to include a justification for the 
     proposed sale, a description of the expected principal 
     provisions of such an agreement, as well as an analysis of 
     the potential effects of the agreement on the Federal 
     Government. This analysis must include an estimate of revenue 
     or loss associated with the proposed sale, a description of 
     the Secretary's plans for using any revenue in a way that 
     advances the mission of the Smithsonian, and a plan for 
     providing appropriate work space for impacted federal 
     employees.


                           FACILITIES CAPITAL

       The bill provides $253,700,000 for Facilities Capital. The 
     recommendation includes $224,400,000 for revitalization, of 
     which $135,000,000 is provided for the multi-year, multi-
     phase National Air and Space Museum revitalization effort. 
     Facilities planning and design is funded at $29,300,000 of 
     which $16,000,000, as requested, is for the Smithsonian 
     Castle and Arts and Industries Buildings.

                        National Gallery of Art


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $147,022,000 for the Salaries and 
     Expenses account of the National Gallery of Art, of which not 
     to exceed $3,660,000 is for the special exhibition program.


            REPAIR, RESTORATION, AND RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS

       The bill provides $26,203,000 for the Repair, Restoration, 
     and Renovation of Buildings account and includes funds for 
     the design of an off-site art storage facility in partnership 
     with the Smithsonian Institution.

             John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts


                       OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

       The bill provides $25,690,000 for the Operations and 
     Maintenance account.


                     CAPITAL REPAIR AND RESTORATION

       The bill provides $17,800,000 for the Capital Repair and 
     Restoration account. Funds provided above the request are to 
     address critical safety, security, and capital repair and 
     restoration needs.

            Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $14,000,000 for the Woodrow Wilson 
     International Center for Scholars to continue the Federal 
     commitment and support operations.

           National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities


                    National Endowment for the Arts

                       GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION

       The bill provides $162,250,000 for the National Endowment 
     for the Arts to continue the important work of the Endowment 
     (NEA). Changes to the enacted level are included in the table 
     at the end of this explanatory statement. The NEA is reminded 
     of the directives included in House Report 116-100 and Senate 
     Report 116-123 regarding the collaborative relationship among 
     NEA and the States, priorities, and allocation to State arts 
     agencies.


                 National Endowment for the Humanities

                       GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION

       The bill provides $162,250,000 for the National Endowment 
     for the Humanities (NEH) to continue the important work of 
     the Endowment. Changes to the enacted level are included in 
     the table at the end of this explanatory statement. The 
     agreement includes $4,172,000 for the program development and 
     cross-cutting grants associated with the ``A More Perfect 
     Union'' initiative focused on three programmatic areas: The 
     United States Semiquincentennial; civics education; and 
     veterans programming. NEH has supported these program areas 
     within core budget lines in previous years and may continue 
     to do so for activities that fit those budget lines. The 
     Committee also encourages the NEH to incorporate and continue 
     two popular components of the former ``We the People'' 
     initiative grant opportunities, the

[[Page H11297]]

     National Digital Newspapers Program, and the Landmarks of 
     American History and Culture workshops as part of the new 
     initiative or with other funds. Within the funds provided, 
     NEH is also expected to continue its support of native 
     language preservation and education programs.

                        Commission of Fine Arts


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $3,240,000 for the Commission of Fine 
     Arts. Within the increase, funding has been included to 
     provide an additional FTE for IT and cybersecurity support.

               National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs

       The bill provides $5,000,000 for the National Capital Arts 
     and Cultural Affairs program. Grant funds shall be 
     distributed consistent with the established formula and 
     eligibility requirements used in fiscal year 2019.

               Advisory Council on Historic Preservation


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $7,378,000 for the Advisory Council on 
     Historic Preservation.

                  National Capital Planning Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $8,124,000 for the National Capital 
     Planning Commission.

                United States Holocaust Memorial Museum


                       HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM

       The bill provides $60,388,000 for the United States 
     Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Director shall submit a report 
     to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 
     120 days of enactment of this Act that describes the efforts 
     of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to support 
     memory and a range of educational programs relating to the 
     Holocaust, including the collection and usage of historical 
     documentation, such as survivor testimony.

                Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $1,800,000 for salaries and expenses of 
     the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

                 Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $1,000,000 for the Women's Suffrage 
     Centennial Commission to plan, execute, and coordinate 
     programs and activities in honor of the 100th anniversary of 
     the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to 
     the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to 
     vote.

                   World War I Centennial Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $7,000,000 for the Salaries and Expenses 
     account of the World War I Centennial Commission.

  Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $500,000 for necessary expenses of the 
     Commission and makes technical and conforming changes in 
     order to execute the funds provided by removing the Office of 
     Tribal Justice as the administering agency; however, the 
     agreement expects the Commission to continue coordination 
     with the Office of Tribal Justice and Department of Interior.

                      TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

       The bill includes various legislative provisions in Title 
     IV of the bill. The provisions are:
       Section 401 continues a provision providing that 
     appropriations available in the bill shall not be used to 
     produce literature or otherwise promote public support of a 
     legislative proposal on which legislative action is not 
     complete.
       Section 402 continues a provision providing for annual 
     appropriations unless expressly provided otherwise in this 
     Act.
       Section 403 continues a provision providing restrictions on 
     departmental assessments unless approved by the Committees on 
     Appropriations.
       Section 404 continues a limitation on accepting and 
     processing applications for patents and on the patenting of 
     Federal lands.
       Section 405 continues a provision regarding the payment of 
     contract support costs.
       Section 406 addresses the payment of contract support costs 
     for fiscal year 2020.
       Section 407 continues a provision providing that the 
     Secretary of Agriculture shall not be considered in violation 
     of certain provisions of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
     Resources Planning Act solely because more than 15 years have 
     passed without revision of a forest plan, provided that the 
     Secretary is working in good faith to complete the plan 
     revision.
       Section 408 continues a provision limiting preleasing, 
     leasing, and related activities within the boundaries of 
     National Monuments.
       Section 409 restricts funding appropriated for acquisition 
     of land or interests in land from being used for declarations 
     of taking or complaints in condemnation.
       Section 410 continues a provision which prohibits no-bid 
     contracts.
       Section 411 continues a provision which requires public 
     disclosure of certain reports.
       Section 412 continues a provision which delineates the 
     grant guidelines for the National Endowment for the Arts.
       Section 413 continues a provision which delineates the 
     program priorities for the programs managed by the National 
     Endowment for the Arts.
       Section 414 requires the Department of the Interior, 
     Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service and Indian 
     Health Service to provide the Committees on Appropriations 
     quarterly reports on the status of balances of 
     appropriations.
       Section 415 amends the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter 
     Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act.
       Section 416 addresses Forest Service fee collections.
       Section 417 extends certain authorities through fiscal year 
     2020 allowing the Forest Service to renew grazing permits.
       Section 418 prohibits the use of funds to maintain or 
     establish a computer network unless such network is designed 
     to block access to pornography websites.
       Section 419 addresses the humane transfer and treatment of 
     excess wild horses and burros.
       Section 420 extends the authority of the Forest Service 
     Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act.
       Section 421 sets requirements for the use of American iron 
     and steel for certain loans and grants.
       Section 422 provides for a rescission of funds.
       Section 423 reauthorizes funding for one year for the John 
     F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
       Section 424 provides authority for the Secretary of the 
     Interior to enter into training agreements and to transfer 
     excess equipment and supplies for wildfires.
       Section 425 provides a one-year extension of the Federal 
     Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
       Section 426 incorporates Reprogramming Guidelines into the 
     Act.
       Section 427 requires the submission of certain project 
     lists to the Committees by a date certain.
       Section 428 continues a provision through fiscal year 2020 
     authorizing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
     of Agriculture to consider local contractors when awarding 
     contracts for certain activities on public lands.
       Section 429 extends the authority for the Shasta-Trinity 
     Marina fee for one year.
       Section 430 extends the authority for the Interpretive 
     Association for one year.
       Section 431 extends the authority for Puerto Rico Schooling 
     for one year.
       Section 432 extends the authority for Forest Botanical 
     Products fee collection for one year.
       Section 433 extends the authority for Alaska Native 
     Regional Health entities for one year.
       Section 434 extends the authority for the Chesapeake Bay 
     Initiative Act for one year.
       Section 435 pertains to the Forest Service budget 
     restructure.
       Section 436 addresses timber sales involving Alaska western 
     red and yellow cedar.
       Section 437 continues a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds to promulgate or implement any regulation requiring the 
     issuance of permits under Title V of the Clean Air Act for 
     carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor, or methane 
     emissions.
       Section 438 continues a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds to implement any provision in a rule if that provision 
     requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from 
     manure management systems.
       Section 439 continues a provision prohibiting the use of 
     funds to regulate the lead content of ammunition or fishing 
     tackle.
       Section 440 addresses carbon emissions from forest biomass.
       Section 441 addresses the use of small remote incinerators 
     in the State of Alaska.
       Section 442 includes certain limitations on oil and gas 
     development near Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
       Section 443 designates the David R. Obey Northern Great 
     Lakes Visitor Center.

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        DIVISION E--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       The following is an explanation of the effects of Division 
     E, which makes appropriations for the legislative branch for 
     fiscal year 2020. Unless otherwise noted, reference to the 
     House and Senate reports are to House Report 116-64 and 
     Senate Report 116-124. The language included in these reports 
     should be complied with and carries the same emphasis as the 
     language included in the explanatory statement, unless 
     specifically addressed to the contrary in this explanatory 
     statement. While repeating some report language for emphasis, 
     this explanatory statement does not intend to negate the 
     language referred to above unless expressly provided herein.
       Reprogramming Guidelines: It is expected that all agencies 
     notify the Committees on Appropriations of the House and the 
     Senate (hereinafter ``the Committees'') of any significant 
     departures from budget plans presented to the Committees in 
     any agency's budget justifications. In particular, agencies 
     funded through this bill are required to notify the 
     Committees prior to any reprogramming of funds in excess of 
     the lesser of 10 percent or $750,000 between programs, 
     projects or activities, or in excess of $750,000 between 
     object classifications (except for shifts within the pay 
     categories, object class 11, 12, and 13 or as further 
     specified in each agency's respective section). This includes 
     cumulative reprogrammings that together total at least 
     $750,000 from or to a particular program, activity, or object 
     classification as well as reprogramming full time equivalents 
     (FTE) or funds to create new organizational entities within 
     the agency or to restructure entities which already exist. In 
     addition, the Committees must be notified of reprogramming 
     actions that involve less than the above-mentioned amounts if 
     such actions would have the effect of changing an agency's 
     funding requirements in future years or if programs or 
     projects specifically cited in the Committees' reports are 
     affected.
       Updating Congressional Budget Justifications: Congressional 
     Budget Justifications are essential tools within the 
     appropriations process. The efforts of the Legislative Branch 
     Financial Managers Council (LBFMC) to share financial 
     information and improve financial processes across the entire 
     legislative branch are applauded. With these efforts in mind, 
     the members of the LBFMC are directed to explore refining and 
     standardizing Congressional Budget Justifications and present 
     the findings to the Committees within 180 days of the 
     enactment of this act. The findings should include but not be 
     limited to best practices for using Zero Base Budgeting, 
     aligning FTE levels with current enacted appropriations and 
     the funding requested in the budget year and providing 
     detailed justifications for large multi-year or joint 
     projects.
       Offices of Inspectors General Budgets: It is important to 
     ensure independence between legislative branch Offices of 
     Inspectors General (OIG) and their respective reporting 
     agencies. There shall be a separate section in each agency's 
     fiscal year 2021 budget justification reflecting a detailed 
     budget request for the agency's OIG. Each OIG is directed to 
     keep the Committees fully apprised of its funding needs. In 
     addition, each agency is directed to avoid interference with 
     or require approval for such communications.
       Science and Technology Needs in Congress: The report 
     released on November 14, 2019, by the National Academy of 
     Public Administration (NAPA) identified the existing gaps in 
     science and technology expertise and resources available to 
     Congress. The Committees, Members, stakeholders and other 
     committees of jurisdiction working together will continue to 
     evaluate the recommendations in the report to address this 
     gap.
       Data Centers: Legislative branch agencies use information 
     technology (IT) infrastructure, systems and services to 
     support critical functions to carry out their statutory 
     missions, including functions essential to carrying out the 
     constitutional responsibilities of the legislative branch.
       IT infrastructure, systems and services may be located in 
     data centers covering several geographic regions or using 
     several types of cloud services. Regardless of how such 
     infrastructure, systems and services are provisioned, an 
     agency's IT infrastructure, systems or services must satisfy, 
     or have a plan to achieve, the following requirements: must 
     meet ``concurrently maintainable'' requirements, as set forth 
     by the Uptime Institute or a designated agency authority; 
     must maintain continuous operation against agency-defined 
     hazards and risks; and must incorporate technical 
     communications capabilities to ensure that all necessary IT 
     resources required to support the mission of the legislative 
     branch can interoperate effectively with the House, Senate, 
     and other agencies.
       Advertising Contracts: Each agency is directed to include 
     the following information in its fiscal year 2021 budget 
     justification: Expenditures for fiscal year 2019 for (1) all 
     contracts for advertising services; and (2) contracts for the 
     advertising services with (I) socially and economically 
     disadvantaged small business concerns (as defined in section 
     8(a)(4) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(4)); and 
     (II) women- and minority-owned businesses.

                                TITLE I

                                 SENATE

       The agreement includes $969,395,000 for Senate operations. 
     This item relates solely to the Senate and is in accordance 
     with long practice under which each body determines its own 
     housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without 
     intervention. The language included in the Senate report 
     should be complied with and carry the same emphasis as the 
     language included in the explanatory statement, unless 
     specifically addressed to the contrary in this explanatory 
     statement.
       In lieu of language included in the Senate report, the 
     agreement includes:
       Under the heading ``Contingent Expenses of the Senate'', 
     the amount provided for the Secretary of the Senate for the 
     Senate Information Services program is $5,136,000 and under 
     the heading ``Miscellaneous Items'', the amount provided for 
     Postage is $6,000.

                        Administrative Provision

       The agreement provides for unspent amounts remaining in 
     Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account to be 
     used for deficit or debt reduction.

                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

       The agreement includes $1,365,725,000, for House 
     operations, which includes a rescission of $5,000,000. This 
     item relates solely to the House and is in accordance with 
     long practice under which each body determines its own 
     housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without 
     intervention. The language included in the House report 
     should be complied with and carry the same emphasis as the 
     language included in the explanatory statement, unless 
     specifically addressed to the contrary in this explanatory 
     statement.
       Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress: The 
     Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has issued 
     several constructive recommendations to improve the 
     operations of Congress. All House Officers and Offices are 
     encouraged to review the recommendations for feasibility and 
     begin implementation where possible, in consultation with the 
     Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on House 
     Administration.
       House Annunciator Project: The Sergeant at Arms is directed 
     to provide a status update regarding the House Annunciator 
     Project within 180 days from the enactment of this act.
       Government Contributions: The increase for this account is 
     due to the Office of Personnel Management revising long term 
     economic assumptions and changes to the demographic 
     assumptions for use in actuarial valuations of the Civil 
     Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees 
     Retirement System (FERS).
       Wounded Warrior and Congressional Gold Star Family 
     Fellowship Program: The agreement includes $3,000,000 for the 
     Wounded Warrior Program and the Congressional Gold Star 
     Family Fellowship Program. The Congressional Gold Star Family 
     Fellowship Program was established on October 29, 2019, and 
     is cited as the SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton 
     Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program Act (H. 
     Res. 107).
       In lieu of language included in the House report, the 
     agreement includes:
       Under the heading ``House Leadership Offices'', the amount 
     provided is $28,884,000, the amount provided for Office of 
     the Speaker is $8,295,000, the amount for Office of the 
     Majority Floor Leader is $2,947,000, the amount for Office of 
     the Minority Floor Leader is $8,295,000, the amount for 
     Office of the Majority Whip is $2,448,000, the amount for 
     Office of the Minority Whip is $2,219,000, the amount for 
     Republican Conference is $2,340,000, and the amount for 
     Democratic Caucus is $2,340,000; under the heading 
     ``Salaries, Officers and Employees'' the amount provided is 
     $231,903,000, the amount provided for Office of the Clerk is 
     $30,766,000, the amount provided for Office of the Sergeant 
     of Arms is $20,225,000, the amount provided for Chief 
     Administrative Officer is $153,550,000, and the amount 
     provided for Office of General Counsel is $1,751,000; under 
     the heading ``Allowances and Expenses'', the amount provided 
     is $323,920,000, the amount provided for Supplies, Materials, 
     Administrative Costs and Federal Tort Claims is $1,526,000, 
     and the amount provided for Government Contributions is 
     $294,377,000.
       Legislative Information Management System: The bill 
     provides $1,500,000, which is below the request but 
     consistent with the project timeline and current needs for 
     the upgrade of the Legislative Information Management System. 
     With this major investment for House operations, the Clerk is 
     directed to provide quarterly status updates including 
     project milestones and spending targets.
       Funding for the Chief Administrative Officer: The bill 
     provides $153,550,000 for the salaries and expenses of the 
     Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), including 
     $88,450,000 for House Information Resources; $5,450,000 for 
     House-Wide Training Programs; and $1,413,000 for the Office 
     of Employee Advocacy. The CAO is directed to provide 
     quarterly status updates on spending including IT project 
     milestones and spending targets.

                       Administrative Provisions

       The agreement provides for unspent amounts remaining in the 
     Members' Representational Allowances account to be used for 
     deficit or debt reduction; places a limitation on amount 
     available to lease vehicles; amends the allowance for 
     compensation of interns in member offices and allows transfer 
     authority; provides an allowance for compensation of interns 
     in Leadership offices and allows transfer authority; limits 
     the sharing of House information by Federal entities; 
     rescinds amounts in the Stationery

[[Page H11362]]

     and Page Dorm revolving funds; provides for using available 
     balances of expired funds for death gratuity payment and 
     workers compensation and unemployment compensation payments; 
     and provides for reduction in the amount of tuition charged 
     for children of House Child Care Center employees.

                              JOINT ITEMS

                        Joint Economic Committee

       The agreement includes $4,203,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.

     Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 2021

       The agreement includes $1,500,000 for salaries and expenses 
     associated with conducting the inaugural ceremonies of the 
     President and Vice President of the United States on January 
     20, 2021, in accordance with such program as may be adopted 
     by the joint congressional committee authorized to conduct 
     the inaugural ceremonies of 2021.

                      Joint Committee on Taxation

       The agreement includes $11,563,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.

                   Office of the Attending Physician

       The agreement includes $3,868,000.

             Office of Congressional Accessibility Services


                         Salaries and Expenses

       The agreement includes $1,509,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.

                             CAPITOL POLICE

                                Salaries

       The agreement includes $379,062,000 for salaries of the 
     United States Capitol Police (USCP). The increase includes 
     funds to support 57 additional sworn officers as well as one 
     additional position for the USCP Office of Inspector General. 
     No more than $47,048,000 is recommended for overtime in 
     fiscal year 2020. This provides for approximately 717,791 
     hours of additional duty including coverage of the 2020 
     National Conventions and pre-inauguration.
       USCP Office of Inspector General: The agreement provides 
     funding to support not less than six FTE within the USCP 
     Office of Inspector General.
       The agreement reiterates directives included in the Senate 
     report and/or House report related to:
       USCP Wellness Program: The Department's efforts to date to 
     develop an overall Wellness Program for the officers and 
     civilian personnel of the U.S. Capitol Police are 
     encouraging. It is important to ensure the Capitol Police 
     workforce has the needed support in order to perform its 
     critical national security mission of defending the 
     legislative process. As a part of this law enforcement 
     function, it is important for the Department to continue its 
     effort to maintain the highest level of readiness.
       Therefore, the Department is encouraged to begin 
     implementation of a holistic wellness and resiliency program 
     for its workforce that emphasizes the importance of physical 
     fitness, nutritional health, mental and emotional health, and 
     financial wellness. Mindfulness plays an important role in 
     having a first responder workforce that is holistically 
     balanced and resilient. With an emphasis on improving and 
     maintaining both physical fitness and mental health, the 
     Department will be able to provide the support to its 
     workforce to enable them to maintain full focus and attention 
     to the Department's critical mission.
       Within 45 days of enactment of this act, the Department is 
     directed to submit a report to the Committees providing the 
     scope, timeline and the cost estimates for implementation and 
     maintenance of such a program. This report should include 
     specific details on how the Department plans to utilize its 
     current resources, such as fitness centers and contracted 
     fitness training support in this effort, and how it would 
     expand these capabilities to provide the greatest opportunity 
     for its workforce to improve and maintain their physical 
     fitness and nutritional health. The Department should also 
     include details of the other focus areas for its Wellness 
     Program, to include, but not limited to mental, emotional and 
     financial health. This Program should be designed to achieve 
     the highest level of participation of the USCP's workforce. 
     The Committees look forward to working closely with the 
     Department to achieve this effort.
       Micromobility Options on U.S. Capitol Grounds: Dockless 
     commercial scooters, or e-scooters, and other motorized 
     devices for rent have grown as a commuting option for 
     congressional staffers, tourists and other visitors to the 
     District of Columbia and Capitol Grounds. It is recognized 
     that new and expanding micromobility options in the District 
     can offer alternatives to car travel and increase access to 
     public transportation. However, these options can create a 
     public safety concern impacting vehicular and pedestrian 
     traffic on the Capitol Grounds if not appropriately regulated 
     and if left unchecked. The safety and security concerns--
     specifically e-scooters left unattended on sidewalks, 
     roadways, and high-pedestrian access areas throughout the 
     Capitol Grounds--raised by the Capitol Police and other 
     members of the congressional community should continue to be 
     addressed by both the USCP and the House and Senate Sergeants 
     at Arms. The Capitol Police and the Sergeants at Arms are 
     directed to continue and expand efforts to communicate to e-
     scooter companies, congressional staff, District residents 
     and visitors current restrictions for using and/or parking e-
     scooters on or around Capitol Grounds. The USCP and the 
     Sergeants at Arms are also directed to engage with the e-
     scooter companies and the District to explore the feasibility 
     of having locations adjacent to campus to designate as e-
     scooter parking areas.
       Use of Grounds: The Committees understand the need to 
     maintain safety and order on the Capitol Grounds and the USCP 
     is commended for its efforts. Given the family-style 
     neighborhood that the Capitol shares with the surrounding 
     community the Capitol Police is instructed to forebear 
     enforcement of 2 U.S.C. 1963 (``an act to protect the public 
     property, turf, and grass of the Capitol Grounds from 
     injury'') and the Traffic Regulations for the United States 
     Capitol Grounds when encountering snow sledders on the 
     grounds.

                            General Expenses

       The agreement includes $85,279,000 for general expenses of 
     the Capitol Police.
       USCP Office of Inspector General: The agreement provides 
     funding not less than $452,500 for expenses of the Office of 
     Inspector General.

                        Administrative Provision

       The agreement amends 2 U.S.C. 1926(c), by increasing the 
     employee educational assistance program reimbursement limit 
     from $40,000 to $60,000 for student loan repayments.

                OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL WORKPLACE RIGHTS


                         Salaries and Expenses

       The agreement includes $6,333,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.

                      CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE


                         Salaries and Expenses

       The agreement includes $54,941,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.
       Responsiveness: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is 
     expected to ensure a high level of responsiveness to 
     committees, leadership and Members, to the greatest extent 
     practicable under the priorities for CBO set by law, 
     especially when working on current pending legislation. As an 
     agency that prides itself as being nonpartisan, CBO should be 
     providing the same information to all stakeholders at the 
     appropriate time when addressing legislation that has been 
     made public.

                        ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

       The agreement includes $695,933,000 for the activities of 
     the Architect of the Capitol (AOC).
       AOC Office of Inspector General (OIG): The agreement 
     includes not less than $3,810,000 to support no fewer than 15 
     FTE within the AOC OIG during fiscal year 2020.
       AOC Response to Sexual Harassment Complaints: There 
     continues to be a concern with the findings of the March 15, 
     2019, AOC OIG review of the AOC's response to sexual 
     harassment complaints over the previous 10-year period. 
     Employees of the AOC should feel their work environment is 
     safe and that complaints of harassment and discrimination are 
     taken seriously.
       The AOC is directed to report to the Committees within 60 
     days of enactment of this act on the status of implementation 
     for each of the 16 inquiry results listed in the AOC OIG's 
     report, to include the implementation of the recommendations 
     identified in prior OIG sexual harassment management 
     advisories that went unimplemented in previous years. The 
     report should detail the timeline for implementation as well 
     as any updates or revisions to the AOC's internal policies 
     relating to harassment and discrimination, including employee 
     training on how to prevent and properly report incidents.
       Improved Coordination of Legislative Branch Data Centers: 
     Each legislative branch agency independently determines how 
     to manage its data center needs, including: which type of 
     computing (center-based versus cloud-based) to use, the 
     appropriate location for its data centers and required tier 
     of security, the type of facility business model (owned or 
     leased) and expected length of occupancy. While it is 
     appropriate for each agency to make these decisions 
     unilaterally, it does create governance issues across the 
     legislative branch. The AOC manages several facilities that 
     provide space for data centers, but their use is subject to 
     individual agency decisions, making it difficult for AOC to 
     plan for building maintenance and renovations. Coordination 
     of agency decisions regarding data centers would likely 
     result in cost savings from economies of scale and agreements 
     on physical building space usage. The chief information 
     officers (CIOs) of the legislative branch agencies are 
     directed to form a governance board that will have authority 
     over common elements among agencies' management of their data 
     centers. Such elements should include agreements on the use 
     of available space in data centers that are owned and managed 
     by the AOC. The board should identify the expected rate of 
     occupancy of AOC data centers over the next 5 to 10 years, 
     their required level of security, and agreed-upon uses of 
     unused space for other purposes. The CIOs should report to 
     the Committees within 180 days of enactment of this act that 
     the governance board has been created. Thereafter, the board 
     should provide annual reports to the Committees on its 
     deliberations and decisions, with the first report being due 
     by January 30, 2021.
       Data Provided for AOC Projects in Budget Justifications: 
     The AOC is requested to provide in its fiscal year 2022 
     budget justification additional information about the line

[[Page H11363]]

     item construction projects requested that total $25,000,000 
     or more. Similar to the information provided for Department 
     of Defense projects in form 1391 (DD 1391), the budget 
     justifications should include data such as: (1) project 
     description, to include phases (if applicable) delineated by 
     fiscal year, funding for each phase by fiscal year, and a 
     detailed description of what that funding procures; (2) 
     project justification and analysis of benefits; (3) a 
     comparison of budget authority with the prior year's budget 
     for budget authority already received and needed in future 
     years; (4) a justification of any cost, schedule, or design 
     change from prior years; (5) total estimated cost with a 
     detailed breakout by design, construction, and operating 
     costs; (6) a complete project schedule to include dates 
     indicating design start, 35 percent design completion, award 
     of construction documents, design completion, award of 
     construction contract, and estimated construction completion; 
     (7) design contract type; and (8) an analysis of alternatives 
     with associated costs.

                  Capital Construction and Operations

       The agreement includes $120,000,000 for Capital 
     Construction and Operations.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................    $120,000,000
        Total, Capital Construction and Operations......    $120,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            Capitol Building

       The agreement includes $68,878,000, for maintenance, care, 
     and operation of the Capitol, of which $40,899,000 shall 
     remain available until September 30, 2024.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $27,979,000
Project Budget:
    Exterior Stone and Metal Preservation, West, Phase        22,300,000
     III................................................
    FY2021 Presidential Inaugural Stands & Support             7,000,000
     Facilities.........................................
    Electric Power Distribution System Replacement,            5,500,000
     House..............................................
    Conservation of Fine and Architectural Art..........         599,000
    Minor Construction..................................       5,500,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                              40,899,000
        Total, Capitol Building.........................     $68,878,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Accessibility: It is critical for all individuals visiting 
     the U.S. Capitol complex to have the opportunity to be 
     inspired and learn. Individuals with disabilities should 
     receive the same information and experiences as those who do 
     not have disabilities. Signage, brochures and many exhibit 
     descriptions are available in Braille and/or large print. 
     There are several touchable models available as is an audio 
     descriptive tour of Exhibition Hall in the Capitol Visitor 
     Center (CVC). The efforts of the Office of Congressional 
     Accessibility Services (OCAS) to develop a touchable model/
     map of the CVC and the Capitol complex are helpful, as well 
     as its development of a descriptive audio tour for the 
     redesigned Exhibition Hall located in the CVC. In addition, 
     its efforts to enhance independent navigation and access to 
     visual information for those who are blind or have low vision 
     are important. However, emerging access technologies, 
     including remote video connectivity to trained visual 
     interpreters that can support such access, should be 
     considered. The AOC, working with the OCAS, is encouraged to 
     research and evaluate access technologies for those who are 
     blind or have low vision that enable access to visual 
     information and enhance independent navigation. The AOC is 
     expected to provide a briefing to the Committees within 180 
     days of enactment of this act on plans to incorporate these 
     technologies into the visitor experience in the Capitol 
     building.
       Display of the Official Flags of Federally Recognized 
     Indian Tribes: The AOC is encouraged to study the feasibility 
     of the display of the official flags of federally recognized 
     Indian Tribes in visible spaces on the Capitol campus. The 
     AOC is requested to provide a report to the Committees within 
     120 days of enactment of this act describing potential scope 
     and display method options.
       Depictions of Native Americans and Native American History 
     in the Capitol: There are depictions of Native Americans 
     throughout the Capitol complex that do not portray Native 
     Americans as equals or Indian Tribes as independent 
     sovereigns. The AOC is urged to work with the Native American 
     historians and professionals at the National Museum of the 
     American Indian to ensure that the Capitol complex describes 
     more accurately and respectfully represents the history of 
     Native Americans. The AOC is also encouraged to acknowledge 
     in its exhibitions on American history and tradition the 
     elements that have originated from Native American cultures.

                            Capitol Grounds

       The agreement includes $15,024,000 for the care and 
     improvements of the grounds surrounding the Capitol, House 
     and Senate office buildings, and the Capitol Power Plant, of 
     which $3,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 
     2024.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $12,024,000
Project Budget:
    Minor Construction..................................       3,000,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                               3,000,000
        Total, Capitol Grounds..........................     $15,024,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Summerhouse: The historic Summerhouse on the Capitol 
     grounds designed in 1880 by Frederick Law Olmsted is badly 
     deteriorated and has needed masonry structure renovation for 
     years. Yet, the project has been deemed lower priority than 
     other important projects and not funded. The Architect is 
     encouraged to apply to the United States Capitol Preservation 
     Commission for the $3,200,000 requested in the fiscal year 
     2020 budget for renovation of the Summerhouse. The Commission 
     uses the Capitol Preservation Fund to provide financing for 
     preservation of the Capitol and structures on Capitol 
     grounds, making the Summerhouse an appropriate project 
     recipient. The Architect is requested to notify the 
     Committees when a request has been made to the Commission for 
     Summerhouse funding.

                        Senate Office Buildings

       The agreement includes $88,424,000 for the maintenance, 
     care and operation of the Senate Office Buildings, of which 
     $23,100,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2024.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $65,324,000
Project Budget:
               HVAC AHU Improvements, HSOB                    13,700,000
    Prescriptive Egress Improvements, HSOB..............       1,800,000
    Exterior Envelope Rehabilitation, DSOB..............       1,600,000
    Minor Construction..................................       6,000,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                              23,100,000
        Total, Senate Office Buildings..................     $88,424,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       This item relates solely to the Senate and is in accordance 
     with long practice under which each body determines its own 
     housekeeping requirements, and the other concurs without 
     intervention.
       Senate Employees' Child Care Center (SECCC): In 
     anticipation of receipt by March 31, 2020, of the AOC report 
     to identify and evaluate potential options for expanding the 
     physical capacity of the SECCC, and a potential decision made 
     on the path forward for SECCC facility expansion, the 
     agreement concurs with the Senate Report and provides an 
     additional $1,000,000 for Senate Office Buildings Minor 
     Construction above the fiscal year 2020 budget request to be 
     used for pre-design activities if the selection of a 
     preferred option from the ongoing study is finalized. Such 
     pre-design activities would include developing a site-
     specific program of requirements, an acquisition plan, and an 
     independent government estimate.

                         House Office Buildings


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement includes $153,273,000 for the care and 
     maintenance of the House Office Buildings, of which 
     $30,300,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2024, 
     and $62,000,000 shall remain available until expended for the 
     restoration and renovation of the Cannon House Office 
     Building.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $60,973,000
Project Budget:
    Electrical Distribution Switchgear Upgrade, LHOB....      17,200,000
    CAO Project Support.................................       6,100,000
    Minor Construction..................................       7,000,000
    Cannon Building Restoration.........................      62,000,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                              92,300,000
        Total House Office Buildings (base program).....    $153,273,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       This item relates solely to the House and is in accordance 
     with long practice under which each body determines its own 
     housekeeping requirements, and the other concurs without 
     intervention.

                          Capitol Power Plant

       In addition to the $10,000,000 made available from receipts 
     credited as reimbursements to this appropriation, the 
     agreement includes $98,957,000 for maintenance, care and 
     operation of the Capitol Power Plant, of which $15,300,000 
     shall remain available until September 30, 2024.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $83,657,000
Project Budget:
    R Tunnel Improvements, Constitution.................      10,100,000
    Switchgear A and the Final Chiller Replacement, RPF,       1,200,000
     Phase VIII, WRP....................................
    Minor Construction..................................       4,000,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                              15,300,000
        Total, Capitol Power Plant......................     $98,957,000
            Offsetting Collections......................      10,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Reimbursable Authority: The reimbursable authority for 
     steam and chilled water provides additional resources for 
     Capitol Power Plant operations beyond those provided through 
     appropriated funds. However, the use of this funding, 
     expected to total $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2020, is not 
     described in Architect of the Capitol budget justifications 
     or controlled by Congress in any way. The AOC is directed to 
     include projected uses of this reimbursable authority in its 
     future budgets.

                     Library Buildings and Grounds

       The agreement includes $55,746,000 for Library of Congress 
     Buildings and Grounds, of which $25,200,000 shall remain 
     available until September 30, 2024.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

[[Page H11364]]

  


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $30,546,000
Project Budget:
    Copper Roof Replacement and Fall Protection, JAB....      16,500,000
    ESPC Management Program, LBG........................       5,200,000
    Minor Construction..................................       3,500,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                              25,200,000
        Total, Library Buildings and Grounds............     $55,746,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

             Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security

       The agreement includes $55,216,000 for Capitol Police 
     Buildings, Grounds and Security, of which $28,000,000 shall 
     remain available until September 30, 2024.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $27,216,000
Project Budget:
    Barrier Lifecycle Perimeter Security Kiosk Rplcmt,         8,300,000
     Phase IV, OSP......................................
    Roof Replacement, Alternate Computer Facility.......       7,300,000
    Perimeter Security Fence Modification, OSP..........       4,900,000
    Off-Site Delivery Screening Center Study, OSP.......       1,500,000
    Visitor Vestibules, USC.............................       1,000,000
    Minor Construction..................................       5,000,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                              28,000,000
        Total, Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and         $55,216,000
         Security.......................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                             Botanic Garden

       The agreement includes $16,094,000 for the U.S. Botanic 
     Garden (USBG), of which $4,000,000 shall remain available 
     until September 30, 2024. Within Operating Expenses, the 
     recommendation includes the $150,000 increase requested for 
     the exhibits program celebrating the USBG's 200th anniversary 
     year. The agreement also includes the requested $200,000 
     increase for the partnerships program for urban agriculture, 
     which will expand the Botanic Garden's urban agricultural 
     training and education initiative.
       With respect to operations and projects, the agreement 
     includes the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Budget:.......................................     $12,094,000
Project Budget:
    Minor Construction..................................       4,000,000
                                                         ---------------
                                                               4,000,000
        Total, Botanic Garden...........................     $16,094,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Capitol Visitor Center

       The agreement includes $24,321,000 for the Capitol Visitor 
     Center.

                        Administrative Provision

       The agreement prohibits payments of bonuses to contractors 
     behind schedule or over budget.

                          Library of Congress


                         Salaries and Expenses

       The agreement includes $504,164,000 in direct 
     appropriations and authority to spend receipts of $6,000,000 
     for a total of $510,164,000. This amount includes $3,587,000 
     for the Veterans History Project.
       Office of Inspector General: The agreement includes not 
     less than $3,991,000 for the Library's Office of Inspector 
     General during fiscal year 2020.
       Centralized Funding for Information Technology: As 
     requested by the Library, funding for centralized IT services 
     is appropriated directly to the main Library of Congress 
     Salaries and Expenses account for use by the Office of the 
     Chief Information Officer instead of to the component 
     organizations receiving the IT services. This realignment 
     reflects where services are actually being performed, 
     avoiding the need for repeated reimbursement transactions, 
     and will help facilitate the final phases of IT 
     centralization across the Library. As a result, a total of 
     $13,556,000 is provided to the Salaries and Expenses account, 
     with $2,708,000 allocated for Copyright Office IT services, 
     $8,767,000 designated for Congressional Research Service IT 
     services, and $2,081,000 allocated for National Library 
     Service for the Blind and Print Disabled IT services. As a 
     result of this realignment, funding for the three agencies 
     may appear lower, compared to fiscal year 2019. The Library 
     is expected to provide a detailed spending plan within 60 
     days of enactment of this act, including any increase in FTE 
     levels associated with the IT modernization.
       Primary Computing Facility: Included within this 
     recommendation is $7,000,000 for Data Center Transformation 
     and Modernization (phase II). The Library's Office of the 
     Chief Information Officer has confirmed that it is on 
     schedule to complete the Data Center Transformation Program 
     by the end of fiscal year 2020. The Librarian of Congress is 
     directed to provide a written report, within 30 days of 
     enactment of this act, outlining a month-by-month timeline of 
     when the data center migration will be completed, including a 
     detailed overview of how the Library intends to meet its 
     fiscal year 2020 deadline to migrate to an offsite certified 
     Tier III data center.
       IT Modernization and Integrated Master Schedule: The 
     agreement continues to build on investments in IT 
     modernization at the Library, including updating outdated 
     infrastructure, supporting migration to a Tier III data 
     center, and improving the security of the networks. To 
     facilitate the oversight of these investments, the Library is 
     directed to develop an integrated master schedule for its 
     overarching IT modernization efforts. The integrated master 
     schedule should use best practice criteria from the 
     Government Accountability Office, Project Management 
     Institute, or other entity with similar expertise to outline 
     the span of the modernization effort, to be updated on a 
     rolling basis as milestones are met and modernization moves 
     forward. In order to measure the modernization cost and 
     schedule performance on an ongoing basis, the integrated 
     master schedule should also include a comparison of the 
     applicable planned cost of completed work to actual cost 
     incurred, to be updated quarterly. The baselined integrated 
     master schedule should be completed and shared with the 
     Committees within 60 days of enactment of this act.
       Visitor Experience Project: The agreement provides 
     $10,000,000 to be available until expended for further design 
     and development of the Visitor Experience Project. This 
     brings the total Federal investment provided thus far for the 
     project to $20,000,000. The Library is expected to complete a 
     detailed plan with further design, along with cost estimates 
     completed by the Architect of the Capitol, for the project. 
     This material should be made available as part of the 
     Library's annual budget request. Language is included making 
     this funding available only upon approval of the House and 
     Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittees. Such 
     approval will be contingent upon agreement that the Library 
     has completed the necessary design and development of the 
     project, along with detailed cost estimates. The Library is 
     also requested to provide semi-annually the amount of non-
     Federal funding committed or received for this project.
       National Film and Sound Recording Preservation Programs: 
     The important work of the National Film Preservation Program 
     and the National Sound Recording Preservation Program is 
     recognized, including the federally chartered National Film 
     and National Recording Preservation Foundations 
     (Foundations). Consistent with the authorizing statute, the 
     Foundations utilize both public and private matching funds to 
     provide grants to a wide array of educational and non-profit 
     organizations that help preserve historical and cultural 
     artifacts that would otherwise disappear or be destroyed over 
     time. Given that these programs were reauthorized under the 
     Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation 
     Programs Reauthorization Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-217), 
     the Library is expected to provide support to these programs.

                            Copyright Office


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement includes $42,137,000 in direct appropriations 
     to the Copyright Office. An additional $45,700,000 is made 
     available from receipts for salaries and expenses and 
     $4,003,000 is available from prior year unobligated balances, 
     for a total of $91,840,000.
       Information Technology Modernization: The recommendation 
     continues funding for Copyright Office IT modernization. The 
     Copyright Office is directed to provide a detailed spend plan 
     for the IT modernization efforts intended to be addressed 
     with the funds provided in fiscal year 2020. Additionally, 
     the Copyright Office is directed to develop an integrated and 
     reliable master schedule for its mission specific 
     modernization efforts. The integrated master schedule should 
     use best practice criteria from the Government Accountability 
     Office, Project Management Institute, or other entity with 
     similar expertise to outline a set of detailed milestones and 
     outcome measures over the span of the modernization effort, 
     to be updated on a rolling basis as milestones are met and 
     modernization moves forward. In order to measure the 
     modernization cost and schedule performance on an ongoing 
     basis, the integrated master schedule should also include a 
     comparison of the applicable planned cost of completed work 
     to actual cost incurred, to be updated quarterly. The 
     baselined integrated master schedule should be completed and 
     shared with the Committees within 60 days of enactment of 
     this act.
       In lieu of language included in the Senate report, the 
     agreement includes the following:
       Satellite Subsidy Expiration: There is a concern that the 
     distant signal provision contained in the STELA 
     Reauthorization Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-200) may provide 
     a below-market incentive for a mature satellite industry to 
     restrict local news transmission. Recognizing that this law 
     is set to expire on December 31, 2019, the Register of 
     Copyrights is directed to conduct a study on the impact on 
     the market post-expiration, and report to the Committees 
     within 18 months of enactment of this act.


                     Congressional Research Service

                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement includes $120,495,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.
       Congressional Staff Education: The Congressional Research 
     Service (CRS) provides valuable education seminars for 
     congressional staff on the legislative process. CRS is 
     encouraged to continue to incorporate analyses of Federal law 
     and related judicial developments, legislation and the 
     regulatory process, and international law into its 
     curriculum.

       National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement includes $58,563,000 for salaries and 
     expenses.
       Modernization: The recommendation includes $5,000,000 for 
     replacement of the Braille and Audio Reading by Download

[[Page H11365]]

     (BARD) website which will enhance service to existing 
     National Library Service (NLS) patrons and is expected to 
     increase its number of users. The recommendation also 
     includes $2,375,000 to increase the supply of talking book 
     machines and Braille eReaders.


                        Administrative Provision

       The agreement includes a provision regarding reimbursable 
     and revolving funds.

                      Government Publishing Office


                        Congressional Publishing

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement includes $79,000,000 for authorized 
     publishing, printing and binding for the Congress.


     Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents

                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement includes $31,296,000.


    Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund

       The agreement includes $6,704,000.
       Office of Inspector General: The agreement includes not 
     less than $4,172,000 for the Government Publishing Office's 
     (GPO) Office of Inspector General (OIG) during fiscal year 
     2020.
       Responsiveness to Congress: The GPO OIG is responsible for 
     providing independent and objective information to the 
     Director of GPO and to the Congress. The information provided 
     is crucial to the oversight functions of Congress and the 
     daily functions of the agency and its employees. The OIG 
     shall fully inform the Committees of any problems and 
     deficiencies within the agency, as provided by statute. The 
     OIG should inform the Committees periodically and upon 
     request of all completed activities of the OIG that are not 
     classified in nature. In instances when information or 
     reports are deemed agency-sensitive, the OIG is expected to 
     be transparent and work collectively with the Committees to 
     ensure that Congress has access to information critical to 
     its legislative branch oversight functions.

                    Government Accountability Office

                         Salaries And Expenses

       The agreement includes $630,000,000 in direct 
     appropriations for salaries and expenses of the Government 
     Accountability Office (GAO). In addition, $24,800,000 is 
     available from offsetting collections, for a total of 
     $654,800,000.
       GAO Office of Inspector General: The agreement also 
     includes not less than $2,375,000 for the GAO Office of 
     Inspector General, which supports not less than 11 FTE.
       Science and Technology Issues: The funding provided will 
     allow GAO to increase support for Congress' work on evolving 
     science and technology issues. The 2019 report from the 
     National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) identified 
     the need for GAO to focus its advice to Congress on technical 
     assessments and short-to-medium term studies. The study also 
     highlighted that although GAO's support requests from 
     Congress have increased, GAO should consider expanding its 
     outreach to the science and technology community and 
     coordination with CRS to better fill these gaps. GAO is 
     encouraged to dedicate a specific number of experts to work 
     exclusively on GAO's Science, Technology Assessment, and 
     Analytics (STAA) team that was created in January 2019, a 
     recommendation that was included in the NAPA report.
       GAO Budget Appropriations Group: The GAO Budget 
     Appropriations Group provides important services to Congress 
     through its formal legal opinions, informal legal advice, the 
     updating of its three-volume treatise on appropriations law, 
     and its responsibilities under the Impoundment Control Act. 
     The number of requests to the Budget Appropriations Group has 
     increased dramatically over the last five years, making it 
     more difficult for GAO to respond to Congressional inquiries. 
     Within the increases provided, GAO is encouraged to enhance 
     the resources allocated to its important appropriations law 
     functions.


                OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER TRUST FUND

       The agreement includes $5,900,000.
       Mission: The Open World Leadership Center (OWLC) is 
     applauded on its twentieth year of operation. The highlight 
     of OWLC's accomplishments has been the engagement of program 
     participants with United States Government officials, 
     including Members of Congress, which helps to improve the 
     image of the United States in countries where leaders have 
     limited direct interface with Americans and our values.
       Open World should continue to support Congress in fostering 
     relationships with select foreign states in its programs as 
     an adjunct to United States diplomatic relations, and to gain 
     greater understanding between our nations. Such a course of 
     action would be in line with a national strategy to compete 
     for influence in Central and Eastern Europe as well as 
     Central Asian countries, given the current multi-polar world 
     that presents both challenges and opportunities.


   JOHN C. STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

       The agreement includes $430,000.

                      TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

       The agreement continues provisions related to maintenance 
     and care of private vehicles; fiscal year limitations; rates 
     of compensation and designation; consulting services; costs 
     of the LBFMC; limitation on transfers; guided tours of the 
     Capitol; limitation on telecommunications equipment 
     procurement; prohibition on certain operational expenses; 
     plastic waste reduction; adjustments to normal cost 
     percentage rates; and congressional staff compensation.

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[[Page H11378]]

  


   DIVISION F--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       The following is an explanation of the effects of Division 
     F which makes appropriations for Military Construction, 
     Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies for fiscal year 2020. 
     Unless otherwise noted, references to the House Report is 
     reference to House Report 116-63. The language set forth in 
     House Report 116-63 should be complied with and carry the 
     same emphasis as the language included in the joint 
     explanatory statement, unless specifically addressed to the 
     contrary in this joint explanatory statement. While repeating 
     some report language for emphasis, this joint explanatory 
     statement does not intend to negate the language referred to 
     above unless expressly provided herein.

                                TITLE I

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

       Reprogramming Guidelines.--The following reprogramming 
     guidelines apply for all military construction and family 
     housing projects. A project or account (including the sub-
     elements of an account) which has been specifically reduced 
     by the Congress in acting on the budget request is considered 
     to be a congressional interest item and as such, prior 
     approval is required. Accordingly, no reprogramming to an 
     item specifically reduced below the threshold by the Congress 
     is permitted, except that the DOD may seek reprogramming for 
     appropriated increments.
       The reprogramming criteria that apply to military 
     construction projects, which is 25 percent of the funded 
     amount or $2,000,000, whichever is less, also apply to new 
     housing construction projects and improvements. To provide 
     the services the flexibility to proceed with construction 
     contracts without disruption or delay, the costs associated 
     with environmental hazard remediation such as asbestos 
     removal, radon abatement, lead-based paint removal or 
     abatement, and any other legislated environmental hazard 
     remediation may be excluded, if such remediation requirements 
     could not be reasonably anticipated at the time of the budget 
     submission. This exclusion applies to projects authorized in 
     this budget year, as well as projects authorized in prior 
     years for which construction has not been completed.
       In addition to these guidelines, the services are directed 
     to adhere to the guidance for military construction 
     reprogramming actions and notifications, including the 
     pertinent statutory authorities contained in DOD Financial 
     Management Regulation 7000.14-R and relevant updates and 
     policy memoranda. Further, the agreement encourages the 
     Office of the Director of National Intelligence to use a 
     format similar to that used by the Office of the Secretary of 
     Defense to submit reprogramming requests.
       Natural Disasters and Military Installations Resiliency.--
     The Committees support the military's continued focus on 
     building lasting and resilient military installations, 
     including methods that update hurricane-resistant building 
     codes for bases, barracks, hospitals, and airfields. The 
     Committees strongly support Department-wide initiatives such 
     as revised structure planning, conservation programs and 
     modeling new installations with the threat of sea-level rise 
     in mind. The agreement strongly urges DOD to prioritize 
     investing in climate-sustainable infrastructure projects 
     because they yield positive results, such as increased 
     resiliency and cost-savings. The agreement reiterates the 
     direction provided in House Report 116-63 that directs DOD to 
     detail its plans to further develop lasting and resilient 
     military installations. The agreement also includes 
     $75,000,000 in planning and design funds for the Services to 
     address these and 10 U.S.C. 2864 master plan requirements in 
     future military construction programs.
       Bid Savings.--Cost variation notices required by 10 U.S.C. 
     2853 continue to demonstrate the Department of Defense (DOD) 
     continues to have bid savings on previously appropriated 
     military construction projects. Therefore, the agreement 
     includes rescissions to the Defense-Wide military 
     construction account and the NATO Security Investment 
     Program. The Secretary of Defense is directed to continue to 
     submit 1002 reports on military construction bid savings at 
     the end of each fiscal quarter to the Committees.
       Incremental Funding.--In general, the Committees support 
     full funding for military construction projects if they are 
     executable. However, it continues to be the practice of the 
     Committees to provide incremental funding for certain large 
     projects to enable the services to more efficiently allocate 
     military construction dollars among projects that can be 
     executed in the year of appropriation. Therefore, the 
     agreement includes 16 projects that have been incrementally 
     funded, however the full authorization of the projects was 
     provided in the National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal 
     Year 2020.
       Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization 
     (FSRM).--The Department of Defense is directed to continue 
     describing on form 1390 the backlog of FSRM requirements at 
     installations with future construction projects. For troop 
     housing requests, form 1391 should describe any FSRM 
     conducted in the past two years. Likewise, future 
     requirements for unaccompanied housing at the corresponding 
     installation should be included. Additionally, the forms 
     should include English equivalent measurements for projects 
     presented in metric measurement. Rules for funding repairs of 
     facilities under the Operation and Maintenance accounts are 
     described below:
       (1) components of the facility may be repaired by 
     replacement. Such replacement can be up to current standards 
     or codes;
       (2) interior arrangements and restorations may be included 
     as repair;
       (3) additions and new facilities may be done concurrently 
     with repair projects, as long as the final conjunctively 
     funded project is a complete and usable facility; and
       (4) the appropriate service secretary shall notify the 
     appropriate committees 21 days prior to carrying out any 
     repair project with an estimated cost in excess of 
     $7,500,000.
       Work In Progress Or Planned (WIP) Curve.--The Services and 
     the Office of the Secretary of Defense (on behalf of itself 
     and defense agencies) are directed to submit a WIP curve for 
     each project requested in a budget submission above 
     $90,000,000 with the 1391 justification to the congressional 
     defense committees. Due to the alarming amount of unawarded 
     prior-year military construction projects, the Secretary of 
     Defense is directed to report to the congressional defense 
     committees quarterly, beginning in the second quarter of 
     fiscal year 2020 and each quarter thereafter on projects that 
     remain unawarded from the current and prior fiscal years and 
     the reasons therefore. Finally, in order to improve 
     transparency and consistent with data publication required 
     under 10 U.S.C. 2851, the agreement directs the Secretary of 
     Defense to submit reports to the congressional defense 
     committees on a quarterly basis starting no later than the 
     second quarter of fiscal year 2020 identifying contracts 
     awarded in the relevant previous quarter for projects funded 
     in this title. At minimum the reports should include: the 
     project name and location, contract solicitation and award 
     date, and contract award amount.
       Military Construction Thresholds.--The agreement places no 
     restriction on military construction funding levels that can 
     be requested by the Department, whether domestic or overseas 
     although the Secretary of the Army has issued guidance that 
     the cost for individual military construction projects should 
     not exceed $100,000,000. Project scopes should not be 
     artificially capped by cost and the agreement directs the 
     Army to reevaluate this practice and to include incorporating 
     area cost factor into any related guidance. In accordance 
     with standing practice, the Department is directed to request 
     such funds for military construction as may be necessary to 
     meet military requirements and can be responsibly executed.
       Leveraging Military Construction for Emergent 
     Requirements.--The Committees recognize that other countries 
     are utilizing infrastructure to enhance national interest at 
     a higher rate of investment than the Department of Defense. 
     Military construction is vital to current and future force 
     readiness and can be a strategic asset to deter near-peer 
     competitors, particularly in nations that support U.S. 
     posture in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, such as Micronesia, the 
     Marshall Islands, and Palau. The agreement provides an 
     additional $10,000,000 in Defense-Wide planning and design 
     for emergent requirements in the Indo-Pacific Command 
     (INDOPACOM) region that support National Defense Strategy 
     objectives to sustain joint force military advantages and 
     deter adversaries from aggression against our national 
     interest. INDOPACOM is directed to provide a spend plan for 
     these funds no later than 180 days after enactment of this 
     Act.
       Project Delivery and Process Improvements.--Because of 
     concern with the number of projects delivered behind schedule 
     or over budget, the agreement directs the Secretary of 
     Defense to provide a report within 180 days of enactment of 
     this Act on the Department's progress in adopting best 
     industry practices and other initiatives to address and 
     mitigate risks in the delivery of construction projects. The 
     report should include descriptions of the specific 
     improvements that have been assessed and the extent of their 
     implementation, the intended results and metrics, suggested 
     refinements to budget documents, and individual assessments 
     by the Secretaries concerned and DOD construction agents on 
     the extent to which they have incorporated these improvements 
     into their military construction programs.
       Construction Costs.--DOD faces increasing challenges 
     meeting its construction requirements in remote and highly 
     remote markets where projects are less competitive in the DOD 
     planning, programming, and budgeting process compared to 
     those in low costs markets, regardless of the importance of 
     the project to the DOD mission. Therefore, no later than 270 
     days after enactment of this Act, the US Army Corps of 
     Engineers (USACE) and Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC) are 
     directed to provide a report assessing strategies for 
     controlling and reducing costs to military construction 
     projects. The report shall specifically consider project 
     costs in remote and highly remote markets, including overseas 
     markets in the Western and Southern Pacific. The report shall 
     also consider the costs that DOD can control through the 
     acquisition process, including potential changes to 
     procurement authorities that allow preference of alternative, 
     lower-cost building materials and techniques, such as 
     concrete curing, provided the materials and techniques meet 
     military specific design standards.
       Natural Disaster Recovery.--Consistent with standard 
     practice, the agreement directs DOD to adhere to all 
     applicable laws concerning National Environmental Protection 
     Act (NEPA) requirements prior to beginning any site 
     preparation or construction. The agreement further directs 
     DOD no later than

[[Page H11379]]

     30 days after enactment of this Act to brief the 
     congressional defense committees on any steps that have been 
     taken or are expected to be taken related to military 
     construction at installations recovering from natural 
     disasters that are not in accordance with NEPA requirements.
       Equivalent Standards.--The agreement encourages the 
     Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of 
     the Military Departments, to pursue the identification of 
     equivalent host nation standards as an option to align U.S. 
     and host country criteria and standards to improve project 
     delivery, particularly in those countries where construction 
     costs are escalating. Furthermore, the agreement encourages 
     DOD construction agents and project sponsors to utilize 
     equivalent standards as appropriate on DOD projects to the 
     maximum extent possible.
       Federal, State and Local Intelligence Collaboration.--
     Several states utilize National Guard Bureau (NGB) facilities 
     for intelligence analysis and fusion centers. As previously 
     indicated in Senate Report 115-130 and Senate Report 115-269, 
     the Committees remain supportive of such collaborative co-
     location projects particularly as it relates to the NGB's 
     Joint Force Headquarters Analysis Cells concept. The 
     Committees urge the Department and the NGB to prioritize 
     needed workplace replacement projects, including Sensitive 
     Compartmented Information Facility projects to conduct State 
     and Federal intelligence analysis, in the fiscal year 2021 
     and future budget submissions.
       Child Development Centers (CDCs) and Quality of Life 
     (QOL).--Adequate childcare is vitally important to 
     servicemembers and their families, and the lack of Child 
     Development Centers (CDCs) creates an unnecessary hardship 
     for them. To address this shortfall, the agreement includes 
     $11,000,000 in each of the Services' planning and design 
     accounts to assist them in preparing for the construction of 
     new CDCs at the most underserved military installations. In 
     addition, the Committees expect the direction given in House 
     Report 116-63 to be followed.
       Defense Access Roads.--Improving road safety at and around 
     military facilities is an important part of maintaining and 
     enhancing military readiness, and there is a concern that 
     DOD's lack of future planning for Defense Access Roads (DAR) 
     and transportation infrastructure needs around bases places 
     servicemembers and their families at risk especially at 
     Reserve bases. The agreement directs the Secretary of Defense 
     in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation to 
     prioritize all DAR certified roads and projects in the 
     outyears 2021-2026. The agreement directs the Secretary of 
     Defense to provide a list of planned DAR projects at active 
     and reserve installations no later than 60 days after the 
     enactment of this Act.

                      Military Construction, Army

       The agreement provides $1,178,499,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Army'', which is $275,000,000 below the budget 
     request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $136,099,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services, and host nation support. The agreement 
     also provides an additional $11,000,000 above the request for 
     planning and design for child development centers.
       Motorpools.-- The Committees look forward to receiving the 
     report requested in House Report 116-63 regarding the 
     modernization needs of motorpools that support the rapid 
     deployment of armored combat units.
       Alaska Infrastructure Readiness Initiative.--The agreement 
     recognizes that U.S. Army Pacific senior leaders proposed an 
     Alaska Infrastructure Readiness Initiative to address 
     identified deficiencies in infrastructure in Alaska and 
     encourages the Army to pursue this initiative and provide 
     biannual reports to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress on its progress.
       Range Expansion.--Recognizing the concern that the Army 
     lacks adequate testing and range space to test new, increased 
     range and capacity fires, and that it is currently in 
     discussions with Yuma Proving Grounds to provide additional 
     capability for testing, the agreement encourages the Army to 
     continue this planning and propose necessary resources in 
     future budgets to support this expansion.

              Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps

       The agreement provides $2,449,632,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', which is $356,111,000 
     below the budget request. Within this amount, the agreement 
     provides $178,715,000 for study, planning, design, architect 
     and engineer services. The agreement also provides an 
     additional $11,000,000 above the request for planning and 
     design for child development centers.
       Fire and Emergency Services.--There is continued concern 
     about the current state of fire and emergency services 
     facilities at installations across the country. Installations 
     such as Naval Support Activity Bethesda operate fire stations 
     built more than 70 years ago and are unable to be modified to 
     accommodate modern vehicles and fire trucks or provide the 
     appropriate livable quarters. Many of the stations lack the 
     appropriate fire suppression systems therefore rendering them 
     unusable. The Department of the Navy is directed to plan and 
     program sufficient funding to address fire and emergency 
     services shortfalls in its fiscal year 2021-2025 future years 
     defense program.
       Navy Pier Replacement Master Plan.--To address concerns 
     that the Navy has not properly synchronized or prioritized 
     pier replacement projects the agreement directs the Secretary 
     of the Navy to provide to the congressional defense 
     committees a report no later than 90 days after enactment of 
     this Act on pier replacement projects in the fiscal years 
     defense plan for 2021-2025.
       Naval Shipyard Modernization.--The agreement supports the 
     Department's Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan (SIOP) 
     submitted to Congress in February 2018. The Committees 
     continue to believe the Navy's assessment of public shipyard 
     dry dock capacity is particularly important, as it identifies 
     68 deferred maintenance availabilities under the status quo, 
     67 of which are restored upon making the public shipyard dry 
     dock investments within the timeframe recommended by the 
     plan. Accordingly, the Secretary of the Navy is urged to 
     prioritize the timely funding of public shipyard 
     infrastructure, and in particular dry dock and shore 
     infrastructure necessary to support critical maintenance of 
     surface and submarine fleets by public shipyards.
       The SIOP also includes ongoing feasibility assessments on 
     new concepts to improve shipyard maintenance efficiency. The 
     Committees expect the Navy to continue to assess these new 
     concepts without delaying construction improvements at the 
     public shipyards for which Congress has already appropriated 
     funding. As such, the Committees are disappointed that the 
     Navy cancelled for a second time a project requested and 
     appropriated for that would construct a dry dock waterfront 
     facility (P214) prior to providing a realistic plan to 
     address urgent safety issues and meet Pacific Fleet 
     maintenance requirements. The agreement directs the Secretary 
     of the Navy to develop a cost estimate for its dry dock 
     production facility (DDPF) concept, and to provide a report 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act on the feasibility of 
     programming and constructing the lead DDPF at Pearl Harbor 
     Naval Shipyard as a replacement for P214. The agreement also 
     directs the Secretary of the Navy to include in such report 
     the planned sustainment, restoration, and modernization 
     measures that will be undertaken to mitigate the effect of a 
     further delayed replacement facility.
       New Platforms and Weapons Systems.--There is concern that 
     the Department of the Navy's process to identify, plan, and 
     budget for requirements to provide adequate shore facilities 
     and infrastructure to support the deployment of new weapons 
     systems is flawed and that projects requested by the 
     Department do not include all facility and infrastructure 
     requirements needed to support the weapons systems, leading 
     to the need to alter the scope of the project or reprogram 
     already scarce funds. Therefore, the agreement directs the 
     Secretary of the Navy to provide a report within 180 days of 
     enactment of this Act on the Department's processes and 
     timelines for identifying the full range of infrastructure 
     and range requirements associated with the life cycle support 
     for major weapons systems, prior to the programming of those 
     systems for procurement. Specifically, the report should 
     address (1) the Department's processes and timelines 
     associated with incorporating those requirements into the 
     program of record, periodic reviews, and ultimately into 
     annual budget submissions; (2) the review and evaluation of 
     the risk associated with not funding certain requirements, to 
     include the assessment of the costs of workarounds; (3) how, 
     when, and to what extent organizations in the Department 
     responsible for the management of facilities and shore 
     infrastructure are incorporated into the process of 
     identifying requirements and developing budget input prior to 
     the fielding of new equipment; (4) the process to ensure that 
     budget justification and periodic program reviews include 
     work needed to provide adequate infrastructure, utilities, 
     and other systems needed to support the weapons systems; and 
     (5) any impediments in law or policy that impact the 
     Department's ability to make decisions about infrastructure 
     investments associated with major weapons system 
     procurements.

                    Military Construction, Air Force

       The agreement provides $1,687,230,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Air Force'', which is $492,000,000 below the 
     budget request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $153,148,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services. The agreement also provides an additional 
     $11,000,000 above the request for planning and design for 
     child development centers.
       Defense Laboratory Modernization Pilot Program.--The 
     agreement includes an additional $111,000,000 to support 
     three Air Force laboratories located at Edwards AFB, Eglin 
     AFB and Nellis AFB.
       Air Force Ballistic Missile Facilities.--There is concern 
     about the Air Force's decision to defer missile alert 
     facility (MAF) recapitalization until a Ground Based 
     Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) design solution has matured. While 
     it is not responsible to construct facilities that could soon 
     be obsolete, the Air Force should more thoroughly examine 
     whether recapitalization of MAFs is wholly incompatible with 
     future GBSD design. The agreement urges the Air Force to 
     invest sufficiently in the human component of the legacy 
     weapons system and ensure adequate funding for MAF 
     sustainment, and recapitalization, as necessary.
       The agreement also recognizes the importance of the Weapons 
     Generation Facility (WGF) modernization program but remains 
     concerned about execution delays, cost overruns, and the 
     impact to follow on projects,

[[Page H11380]]

     which may experience similar challenges. The agreement 
     encourages the Air Force to continue to follow its revised 
     plan for construction and upgrades to the WGF enterprise and 
     to provide quarterly briefings to update the Committees on 
     status, requirements changes, and timelines for current and 
     future projects associated with the WGF modernization 
     program.
       Corrosion Control and Painting Facilities.--There is 
     concern that the Air Force may not have adequate corrosion 
     control and painting facilities to support the RQ-4 aircraft. 
     For example, at Grand Forks Air Force Base, aircraft painting 
     is contracted out due to a lack of facilities that can 
     support these capabilities. Therefore, the agreement directs 
     the Secretary of the Air Force to report within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act on its capacity to perform corrosion 
     control and painting activities for the RQ-4 aircraft, the 
     outstanding infrastructure requirements needed to support 
     these efforts, and whether these requirements can be met with 
     facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization funding 
     or military construction.

                  Military Construction, Defense-Wide


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $2,362,529,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Defense-Wide'', which is $141,661,000 below the 
     budget request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $298,655,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services.
       Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program 
     (ERCIP).--The agreement provides $232,630,000 for ERCIP, an 
     increase of $82,630,000 above the budget request to fund 
     seven unfunded requirements of the program for energy 
     resilience. Also, an additional $13,300,000 is provided under 
     the Defense-Wide planning and design account specifically for 
     ERCIP. The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit to the 
     congressional defense committees a spend plan for the 
     additional ERCIP funds, to include the planning and design 
     funds, no later than 30 days after enactment of this Act.
       Renewable Energy Systems, Energy Conservation, and Energy 
     Policy.--The agreement supports the Department's efforts to 
     improve energy resilience, improve mission assurance, save 
     energy, and reduce energy costs. DOD must continue to 
     increase the integration of alternative energy sources, 
     particularly through renewable sources at all military 
     facilities and installations. The Committees expect DOD to 
     follow all directives provided in House Report 116-63 
     regarding Renewable Energy Systems, Energy Conservation, and 
     Energy Policy.
       Fuel Storage Assurance.--The agreement recognizes the 
     important role that assured access to adequate fuel has on 
     the Joint Force's readiness and the challenges the Defense 
     Logistics Agency will face funding fuel storage requirements 
     from within its existing military construction account that 
     accommodate future force structure and posture requirements, 
     environmental regulations, and other changes affecting the 
     Joint Force's fuel needs. No later than 180 days after 
     enactment of this Act, the agreement directs the Secretary of 
     Defense to provide a report assessing the feasibility of 
     meeting future fuel storage infrastructure requirements in 
     DOD's planning, programming, and budgeting process, using a 
     Joint Force funding construct.

               Military Construction, Army National Guard

       The agreement provides $210,819,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Army National Guard'', which is the same as the 
     budget request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $20,469,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services.
       Readiness Center Transformation Master Plan.--The Army 
     National Guard (ARNG) should continue to dedicate funding to 
     implement the Readiness Center Transformation Master Plan. 
     The Committees urge the Army and ARNG leadership to 
     sufficiently budget for military construction so that 
     sustained investment in Readiness Center transformation does 
     not result in severely neglected operational facilities 
     across the remaining infrastructure enterprise.
       Regional Training Institutes.--The Committees recognize the 
     importance of Regional Training Institutes (RTI) across the 
     country for the readiness of ARNG and are concerned about the 
     lack of infrastructure to support the mission of the RTIs. 
     For example, the RTI at Fort Hood is lacking sufficient 
     facilities to provide the proper training to achieve optimum 
     readiness. The Committees urge the Department of Defense to 
     prioritize facilities for this important and vital mission of 
     ARNG and Army Reserve.
       National Guard Training Center.--The Committees recognize 
     the importance of the National Guard Texas Training Center, 
     which has been in development since 2010 and has had 
     execution delays. The Committees recognize that the Texas 
     Training Center remains a high priority and the Texas Army 
     National Guard shall continue its efforts to establish the 
     Center. The agreement directs the Director of the Army 
     National Guard to provide a progress report to the 
     congressional defense committees no later than 90 days after 
     enactment of this Act.''

               Military Construction, Air National Guard

       The agreement provides $164,471,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Air National Guard'', which is $1,500,000 below 
     the budget request. Within this amount, the agreement 
     provides $17,000,000 for study, planning, design, architect 
     and engineer services.
       MQ-9 Facilities.--Some Air National Guard MQ-9 units will 
     require new operations facilities in the coming years to be 
     able to continue executing the MQ-9 mission. The National 
     Guard Bureau should continue to prioritize funding for 
     necessary construction projects in future budget requests to 
     avoid unnecessary risk to MQ-9 operations.

                  Military Construction, Army Reserve

       The agreement provides $60,928,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Army Reserve'', which is the same as the budget 
     request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $6,000,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services.

                  Military Construction, Navy Reserve

       The agreement provides $54,955,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Navy Reserve'', which is the same as the budget 
     request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $4,780,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services.

                Military Construction, Air Force Reserve

       The agreement provides $59,750,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Air Force Reserve'', which is the same as the 
     budget request. Within this amount, the agreement provides 
     $4,604,000 for study, planning, design, architect and 
     engineer services.

     North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program

       The agreement provides $172,005,000 for the ``North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program'', 
     an increase of $27,965,000 above the budget request.


               DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BASE CLOSURE ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $398,526,000 for the ``Department of 
     Defense Base Closure Account'', which is $120,000,000 above 
     the budget request.
       The agreement provides an additional $60,000,000 for the 
     Navy to accelerate environmental remediation at installations 
     closed under previous Base Closure and Realignment rounds. 
     Furthermore, the Navy shall provide to the Committees a spend 
     plan for these additional funds no later than 60 days after 
     enactment of this Act.
       Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid 
     (PFOA).--The agreement provides an additional $60,000,000 
     above the budget request to address PFOS and PFOA cleanup. 
     The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit a spend plan 
     no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act regarding 
     the use of these additional funds.
       The Committees are concerned about the extent PFOS/PFOA 
     contamination at U.S. military installations. While this 
     division only covers military installations funded through 
     the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) account that are 
     affected by PFOS/PFOA, the issue is not limited to the 
     Department of Defense and affects many communities across the 
     Nation. The Department is directed to engage the 
     Environmental Protection Agency as it evaluates the need for 
     a maximum containment level, as provided by the Safe Drinking 
     Water Act, as well as designate these chemicals as hazardous 
     under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
     and Liability Act, and to keep the Committees apprised of new 
     findings of PFOS/PFOA at BRAC sites.

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                             Family Housing


                           Items of Interest

       Housing Support and Management Costs.--The agreement also 
     includes section 131 under Administrative Provisions that 
     provides an additional $140,800,000 above the budget request 
     for Family Housing Support and Management Costs to increase 
     the Services' ability to provide oversight and management, 
     and personnel to track current and future issues that may 
     affect military family housing. The additional funds were 
     identified by the Services on the Unfunded Priority list 
     submitted to Congress by the Service Secretaries.
       Military Privatized Housing.--Quality military housing is a 
     key component of military readiness and quality of life, and 
     the health of our servicemembers and their families is of the 
     utmost importance. Substandard living conditions negatively 
     affect the ability to recruit and retain servicemembers to 
     the detriment of U.S. national security interests. Among 
     other things, House Report 116-63 directed the Services to 
     establish and maintain procedures for ensuring appropriate 
     response and remediation efforts to safety and health threats 
     in military housing managed by private sector property 
     management companies. DOD is expected to comply with all the 
     directives included in House Report 116-63.


                   FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, ARMY

       The agreement provides $141,372,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Construction, Army'', which is the same as the budget 
     request.


             FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, ARMY

       The agreement provides $357,907,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Operation and Maintenance, Army'', which is the same as the 
     budget request.


           FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

       The agreement provides $47,661,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', which is the same as 
     the budget request.

[[Page H11381]]

  



    FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

       The agreement provides $317,870,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps'', which is 
     the same as the budget request.


                 FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE

       The agreement provides $103,631,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Construction, Air Force'', which is the same as the budget 
     request.


          FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, AIR FORCE

       The agreement provides $295,016,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Operation and Maintenance, Air Force'', which is the same as 
     the budget request.


         FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, DEFENSE-WIDE

       The agreement provides $57,000,000 for ``Family Housing 
     Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide'', which is the same 
     as the budget request.


         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FAMILY HOUSING IMPROVEMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $3,045,000 for the ``Department of 
     Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund'', which is the same 
     as the budget request.


 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING IMPROVEMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $500,000 for the ``Department of 
     Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund'', 
     which is the same as the budget request.


                       ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

             (Including Transfers and Rescissions of Funds)

       The agreement includes section 101 limiting the use of 
     funds under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract.
       The agreement includes section 102 allowing the use of 
     construction funds in this title for hire of passenger motor 
     vehicles.
       The agreement includes section 103 allowing the use of 
     construction funds in this title for advances to the Federal 
     Highway Administration for the construction of access roads.
       The agreement includes section 104 prohibiting construction 
     of new bases in the United States without a specific 
     appropriation.
       The agreement includes section 105 limiting the use of 
     funds for the purchase of land or land easements that exceed 
     100 percent of the value.
       The agreement includes section 106 prohibiting the use of 
     funds, except funds appropriated in this title for that 
     purpose, for family housing.
       The agreement includes section 107 limiting the use of 
     minor construction funds to transfer or relocate activities.
       The agreement includes section 108 prohibiting the 
     procurement of steel unless American producers, fabricators, 
     and manufacturers have been allowed to compete.
       The agreement includes section 109 prohibiting the use of 
     construction or family housing funds to pay real property 
     taxes in any foreign nation.
       The agreement includes section 110 prohibiting the use of 
     funds to initiate a new installation overseas without prior 
     notification.
       The agreement includes section 111 establishing a 
     preference for American architectural and engineering 
     services for overseas projects.
       The agreement includes section 112 establishing a 
     preference for American contractors in United States 
     territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein 
     Atoll and in countries bordering the Arabian Gulf.
       The agreement includes section 113 requiring congressional 
     notification of military exercises when construction costs 
     exceed $100,000.
       The agreement includes section 114 allowing funds 
     appropriated in prior years for new projects authorized 
     during the current session of Congress.
       The agreement includes section 115 allowing the use of 
     expired or lapsed funds to pay the cost of supervision for 
     any project being completed with lapsed funds.
       The agreement includes section 116 allowing military 
     construction funds to be available for five years.
       The agreement includes section 117 allowing the transfer of 
     funds from Family Housing Construction accounts to the Family 
     Housing Improvement Program.
       The agreement includes section 118 allowing transfers to 
     the Homeowners Assistance Fund.
       The agreement includes section 119 limiting the source of 
     operation and maintenance funds for flag and general officer 
     quarters and allowing for notification by electronic medium. 
     The provision also requires an annual report on the 
     expenditures of each quarters.
       The agreement includes section 120 extending the 
     availability of funds in the Ford Island Improvement Account.
       The agreement includes section 121 allowing the transfer of 
     expired funds to the Foreign Currency Fluctuations, 
     Construction, Defense account.
       The agreement includes section 122 allowing for the 
     reprogramming of construction funds among projects and 
     activities subject to certain criteria.
       The agreement includes section 123 prohibiting the 
     obligation or expenditure of funds provided to the Department 
     of Defense for military construction for projects at 
     Arlington National Cemetery.
       The agreement includes section 124 providing additional 
     construction funds for various Military Construction 
     accounts.
       The agreement includes section 125 rescinding funds from 
     prior Appropriation Acts from various accounts.
       The agreement includes section 126 defining the 
     congressional defense committees.
       The agreement includes section 127 prohibiting the use of 
     funds in this Act to close or realign Naval Station 
     Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The provision is intended to prevent 
     the closure or realignment of the installation out of the 
     possession of the United States and maintain the Naval 
     Station's long-standing regional security and migrant 
     operations missions.
       The agreement includes section 128 restricting funds in the 
     Act to be used to consolidate or relocate any element of Air 
     Force Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair 
     Squadron Engineer until certain conditions are met.
       The agreement includes section 129 directing all amounts 
     appropriated to ``Military Construction, Army'', ``Military 
     Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', ``Military 
     Construction, Air Force'', and ``Military Construction, 
     Defense-Wide'' accounts be immediately available and allotted 
     for the full scope of authorized projects.
       The agreement includes section 130 providing additional 
     funds for planning and design, for improving military 
     installation resilience.
       The agreement includes section 131 providing additional 
     funds for Family Housing Support and Management Costs.

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[[Page H11397]]

  


                                TITLE II

                     DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

                       Items of Special Interest

       Notification of Allegations.--Reports of alleged negligence 
     or criminal behavior by VA providers that may have resulted 
     in serious health outcomes raise extreme concerns. In 
     multiple cases, there were warning signs of reckless or 
     illegal behavior that were not reported or acted upon in a 
     timely manner and may have resulted in the death of multiple 
     veterans. Therefore, the bill maintains a provision requiring 
     the Department to develop a plan to reduce the chances that 
     clinical mistakes by VA employees will result in adverse 
     events that require institutional or clinical disclosures, as 
     VA has not adequately addressed the requirement. The 
     agreement directs the Secretary to develop processes and 
     procedures for staff of medical facilities to report concerns 
     to Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and 
     Departmental leaders for awareness and action, as well as 
     procedures for expediting any remedial or follow-up care, an 
     impact analysis, and a communication and education plan for 
     making staff aware of the appropriate protocols. The 
     agreement further directs the Department to report on this 
     effort, as well as VA's recent commitment to retrain all 
     Veterans Health Administration leadership and personnel, to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     within 30 days of enactment of this Act.
       Blue Water Navy Veterans.--The agreement includes funds to 
     address the personnel, support and Information Technology 
     costs required to implement the Blue Water Navy Vietnam 
     Veterans Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-23) by January 1, 2020. 
     Although the administration refused to submit a formal 
     request for these funds, the Committees appreciate VA's 
     efforts to prepare for this increase in complex cases and to 
     prevent increases in the disability claims backlog.
       Transition from Active Duty to Civilian Life.--The 
     Department is encouraged, in consultation with the 
     Departments of Defense and Labor, to partner with community-
     built networks and non-profit programs, including faith-based 
     programs, that provide wraparound employment and counseling 
     services to veterans and their families, including high-risk 
     veterans, to ensure they have a successful transition to 
     civilian life.
       Contract Oversight.--The Department's lack of transparency 
     in the contracting process, including reported incidents of 
     willful misrepresentation of veteran or service-disabled 
     veteran status for the purposes of winning Federal contract 
     set-asides, remains a concern. The agreement directs the 
     Department, in consultation with relevant agency partners, to 
     provide any regulatory or legislative actions that would 
     serve as further disincentives to this fraudulent behavior. 
     Due to concern over the lack of visibility into contractor 
     performance, the agreement requires the Department to submit 
     to the Committees on Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of 
     both Houses of Congress notification whenever the Secretary 
     provides notice to a contracted service provider that the 
     service provider is failing to meet contractual obligations. 
     At a minimum, the notification should include: (1) an 
     explanation of the reasons for providing such notice; (2) a 
     description of the effect of such failure, including with 
     respect to cost, schedule, and requirements; (3) a 
     description of the actions taken by the Secretary to mitigate 
     such failure; and, (4) a description of the actions taken by 
     the contractor to address such failure.
       Use of Authority to Convert Non-Medical Services to 
     Contract Performance by Native Hawaiian Organizations or 
     Indian Tribes.--Section 238 of the Energy and Water, 
     Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans 
     Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 115-244) 
     maintained VA's authority to convert activities or functions 
     of VBA, VHA, and NCA to contractor performance by businesses 
     that are at least 51 percent owned by one or more Indian 
     tribes as defined in section 5304(e) of title 25, United 
     States Code, or one or more Native Hawaiian Organizations as 
     defined in section 637(a)(15) of title 15, United States 
     Code. The agreement directs the Department to submit a report 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress no later than 180 days after enactment of this Act 
     detailing VA's use of this authority to date and its plan for 
     using it in the future.
       Discontinued Use of Social Security Numbers.--Section 239 
     of Public Law 115-244 required the Department to discontinue 
     using Social Security account numbers to identify individuals 
     in all information systems of the Department within 5 years 
     for new claims and 8 years for all others. To date, the 
     Department has not yet provided Congress with any information 
     regarding its plan to implement this statutory requirement. 
     The agreement directs the Department to report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of both 
     Houses of Congress within 120 days of enactment of this Act a 
     detailed timeline for implementation of this requirement and 
     any budgetary requirements needed to carry it out.
       Security Risk Management.--Providing welcoming access to 
     Department facilities while maintaining the necessary 
     security is challenging. However, the Committees are 
     concerned that the Department's current risk management 
     policies and police governance processes are not sufficient 
     to ensure medical facilities are adequately protected. The 
     Department is urged to quickly implement the recommendations 
     in the Office of Inspector General (OIG) report entitled, 
     ``Inadequate Governance of the VA Police Program at Medical 
     Facilities.''
       Debt Recoupment.--The Department has not yet developed a 
     way to track debt incurred by an individual veteran, and how 
     much of that debt is a result of processing delays or errors 
     by VA. The agreement requires the Department to submit to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     within 120 days of enactment of this Act a plan and timeline 
     for tracking the cause of a debt incurred by a veteran. 
     Further, the Department should consider that debt assigned to 
     a veteran due to a delay or mistake in processing by VA or a 
     VA employee is considered by the Committees, for purposes of 
     tracking, to be an error by the Department.
       Unobligated Balances of Expired Discretionary Funds.--The 
     agreement directs the Secretary to submit to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report no 
     later than April 15, 2020, and quarterly thereafter, 
     detailing all unobligated balances of expired discretionary 
     funds by fiscal year.

                    Veterans Benefits Administration


                       COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $118,246,975,000 for Compensation 
     and Pensions in advance for fiscal year 2021. Of the amount 
     provided, not more than $18,147,000 is to be transferred to 
     General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration 
     (VBA) and Information Technology Systems for reimbursement of 
     necessary expenses in implementing provisions of title 38. 
     The agreement also provides $1,439,931,000 for fiscal year 
     2020 in addition to the advance appropriation provided last 
     year based on the administration's estimate of claims under 
     the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.


                         READJUSTMENT BENEFITS

       The agreement provides $12,578,965,000 for Readjustment 
     Benefits in advance for fiscal year 2021.


                   VETERANS INSURANCE AND INDEMNITIES

       The agreement provides $129,224,000 for Veterans Insurance 
     and Indemnities in advance for fiscal year 2021. The 
     agreement also provides $17,620,000 for fiscal year 2020 in 
     addition to the advance appropriation provided last year.


                 VETERANS HOUSING BENEFIT PROGRAM FUND

       The agreement provides such sums as may be necessary for 
     costs associated with direct and guaranteed loans for the 
     Veterans Housing Benefit Program Fund. The agreement limits 
     obligations for direct loans to not more than $500,000 and 
     provides that $200,377,391 shall be available for 
     administrative expenses.


            VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $57,729 for the cost of direct loans 
     from the Vocational Rehabilitation Loans Program Account, 
     plus $401,880 to be paid to the appropriation for General 
     Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration. The 
     agreement provides for a direct loan limitation of 
     $2,008,232.


              NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $1,186,000 for administrative 
     expenses of the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program 
     Account.


      GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

       The agreement provides $3,125,000,000 for General Operating 
     Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration and, of the amount 
     provided, not to exceed 10 percent is available for 
     obligation until September 30, 2021.
       The agreement provides $125,000,000 above the request to 
     hire additional claims and appellate staff and to meet the 
     requirements to implement the Blue Water Navy Vietnam 
     Veterans Act. The agreement requires VA to report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on a 
     quarterly basis information related to claims considered 
     under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act. This 
     information should include timeliness measures as well as 
     grant and denial rates for these claims. The agreement 
     requires the Department to provide monthly updates on 
     performance measures for each Regional Office.
       Veterans Transportation Program.--The agreement recognizes 
     the importance of the Veterans Transportation Program and the 
     role it plays in improving access to care by assisting 
     Veterans in overcoming transportation barriers when accessing 
     VHA services.
       Equitable Relief.--As described in House Report 116-63, the 
     Secretary is directed to continue to grant or extend 
     equitable relief to eligible veterans initially deemed 
     eligible in instances of administrative error.
       Education Benefits.--The Committees are concerned about the 
     levels of overpayments and improper payments being paid to GI 
     Bill beneficiaries. The agreement directs VA to work with 
     education stakeholders to ensure that veteran educational 
     benefits are paid in a timely and accurate manner, and that 
     efforts to recoup any overpayments or improper payments are 
     fair and not overly burdensome on student veterans and their 
     families. The agreement further directs VA, in collaboration 
     with the Departments of Defense and Education, to provide an 
     interagency report on the development and continued 
     implementation of the Principles of Excellence, oversight of 
     institutions complying with the Principles, and appropriate

[[Page H11398]]

     and timely accountability measures for educational programs 
     receiving Federal funding. Lastly, the agreement directs the 
     Department to continue to reform the compliance survey 
     process to allow early detection of fraudulent marketing or 
     predatory recruiting practices among institutions of higher 
     learning, and to codify a set of tools that is sufficiently 
     agile enough to curtail the behavior of scamming 
     institutions.
       Education Data Collection and Sharing.--The Committees 
     believe that both students and VA should be able to make more 
     evidence-based decisions when it comes to veterans' 
     education. The agreement directs the Department to work with 
     the Departments of Education and Defense to ensure that there 
     is a comprehensive database, or at a minimum, a set of data-
     sharing agreements in place between Federal entities involved 
     in the administration of Federal resources related to veteran 
     educational attainment. The agreement further directs the 
     Department to provide an interagency report on the 
     development and implementation of data-sharing agreements, 
     and the uses and effectiveness of the data shared. The report 
     must be completed and provided to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 270 
     days after enactment of this Act.
       Gulf War Veterans Claims for Service-Connected Disability 
     Compensation.--The Department's high rates of denial of Gulf 
     War veterans' claims for undiagnosed illnesses and chronic 
     multi-symptom illnesses continue to be concerning. The 
     agreement directs the Department to continue to seek ways to 
     improve the grant rate for disability claims and to better 
     address the needs of those veterans suffering with 
     undiagnosed illnesses and chronic multi-symptom illnesses 
     after their Gulf War service.
       Medical Disability Exams.--Consistent with statute, the 
     agreement directs the Department to ensure that any non-VA 
     physician contracted to conduct medical disability 
     examinations must have a current unrestricted license to 
     practice as a physician, and is not barred from practicing in 
     any State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, 
     Territory, or possession of the United States.
       Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service Counselor 
     to Client Ratio.--The significant understaffing within 
     rehabilitation programs negatively impacts veterans with a 
     service-connected disability using these programs. The 
     agreement encourages the Department to seek opportunities to 
     expand staffing counselors in these critical areas in order 
     to reach the ratio of 125 veterans to one full-time 
     equivalent (FTE) position, and to provide the comprehensive 
     individualized services that these veterans have earned.
       VetSuccess on Campus.--The agreement strongly encourages VA 
     to continue to support the VetSuccess on Campus program and 
     expand to additional schools.
       Anti-Recidivism Programs.--The agreement encourages VA to 
     look for opportunities to partner with non-profit 
     organizations that provide programs for incarcerated veterans 
     to reduce the likelihood of recidivism. VA should consider 
     partnering with organizations that provide combined services 
     to veterans to support their transition out of incarceration 
     to being productive members of the communities to which they 
     return. As VA pursues these partnerships, the agreement 
     encourages the establishment of metrics to measure the 
     partnerships' effectiveness, including reduced recidivism 
     rates among veterans.
       GI Bill Apprenticeships and On-the-Job-Training.--
     Apprenticeships and on-the-job training (OJT) programs are 
     important tools in teaching veterans valuable skills and 
     aiding veterans in securing employment after transitioning 
     from military service. However, these programs are largely 
     underutilized by veterans. The agreement directs VA to 
     provide a briefing to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress no later than 90 days after enactment 
     of this Act to update the Committees on the Department's 
     efforts to promote awareness and increased utilization of 
     apprenticeships and OJT, including VA's plans for tracking 
     data on program outcomes, such as employment and income 
     information, as well as information concerning any funding 
     needs or necessary legislative changes to ensure these 
     programs' success.

                     Veterans Health Administration

       Importance of In-House VA Care.--As VA continues to 
     implement the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel 
     R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening 
     Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-182), the Committees recognize the vital role of VA's 
     healthcare facilities in serving the unique needs of 
     veterans. VA's medical centers, community-based outpatient 
     centers, and other facilities provide veterans with necessary 
     services -- such as audiology, prosthetics, mental health 
     services for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic 
     brain injury, and rehabilitation services for spinal cord 
     injuries--that are highly specialized and at which VA often 
     has more expertise than community providers. Veterans 
     overwhelmingly report they are satisfied with the care they 
     receive at VA healthcare facilities. Research has also 
     consistently shown that VA produces as good, if not better, 
     health outcomes as the private sector. In addition, VA 
     healthcare facilities play a critical role in our Nation's 
     health system in training new doctors, nurses, and other 
     medical providers; conducting lifesaving medical research; 
     providing nationwide emergency preparedness support; and 
     innovating many best practices in healthcare delivery. The 
     Committees, therefore, stress the importance of VA continuing 
     to fully fund, fully staff, and appropriately maintain its 
     healthcare facilities, even as the VA MISSION Act is 
     implemented. The agreement requires VA to continue to enhance 
     the services provided in its facilities to ensure that VA 
     healthcare continues to be of the quality and effectiveness 
     that veterans have come to expect.
       VA MISSION Act.--The agreement provides $8,908,585,000 in 
     fiscal year 2020 and $11,291,827,000 in fiscal year 2021, 
     consistent with the budget request, to implement the VA 
     MISSION Act. The agreement fully funds the Department's 
     request in order to provide greater access to timely and 
     quality care for veterans, both in VA and in the community, 
     but is interested in closely monitoring the financial impact 
     of the access standards.
       The agreement directs the Department to submit quarterly 
     reports to the Committees on: (1) the number of veterans 
     served by each authority for care outlined in section 1703(d) 
     of title 38, United States Code (i.e., the Department does 
     not offer the care, the Department does not operate a full-
     service medical facility in the State in which the covered 
     veteran resides, etc.); (2) the cost of such care broken out 
     by the authorities in section 1703(d); and (3) the timeliness 
     of care, on average. In addition, the agreement directs the 
     Department to submit monthly reports to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress identifying 
     available resources, obligations, authorizations, and 
     anticipated funding needs. These monthly reports should 
     include the Veterans Choice Fund balances and clearly show 
     funds from the Veterans Choice Fund used to support new non-
     VA care authorizations since June 6, 2019. The reports should 
     also include detail on the timing of authorization of care 
     and the obligation of funds.
       Allocations.--The Committees remind the Department, in 
     accordance with the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying 
     Public Law 115-244, that it was directed to consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations and Veterans Affairs of both 
     Houses of Congress before any future attempts are made to 
     realign Specific Purpose funding to General Purpose funding, 
     and that such future realignments must be proposed in an 
     annual budget submission. No such consultation occurred, and 
     the fiscal year 2020 budget submission did not reflect any 
     conversion of funding. Therefore, the agreement directs that 
     the Department not convert any Special Purpose funding to 
     General Purpose funding in fiscal year 2020.
       Joint National Intrepid Spirit Center.--The agreement 
     directs the VA/DOD Health Executive Committee to provide a 
     report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act on 
     the Departments' collaborative efforts related to traumatic 
     brain injury (TBI) care, research and education to improve 
     the quality of and access to TBI care, and the pros and cons 
     of establishing a joint DOD/VA Intrepid Spirit Center that 
     serves both the active duty and veteran populations for the 
     mutual benefit and growth in treatment and care. The report 
     should include an analysis of how better to serve 
     servicemembers and veterans with TBI in areas with limited 
     access to TBI care (i.e., rural areas), including the 
     establishment of a joint DOD/VA Intrepid Spirit Center in 
     such an area. The report must include an analysis of existing 
     DOD medical facilities that partner with VA, existing warrior 
     transition units or similar units that support active duty 
     servicemembers who require comprehensive care, and academic 
     institutions specializing in Polytrauma/TBI in geographic 
     locations without an existing National Intrepid Center of 
     Excellence or Intrepid Spirit Center. In addition, the report 
     should propose metrics that demonstrate short-term as well as 
     long-term (i.e., 6 to 24 months) program effectiveness, 
     including sustainability of patient independence by 
     geographic area, a plan to collect longitudinal data to 
     analyze longer-term effects, and the financial requirements 
     to establish and maintain such a Center.
       Prompt Payment.--The Committees remain committed to 
     supporting VA's efforts to ensure timely reimbursement for 
     non-VA healthcare providers and facilities that provide 
     necessary care for our veterans. The agreement encourages the 
     Department to provide strong oversight and improve timely 
     payment to non-VA providers. The agreement also urges VA to 
     facilitate the completion of all outstanding reimbursements 
     as promptly as possible.
       Public-Private Partnerships.--The Department's research 
     investment could be expanded to leverage non-Federal 
     initiatives that provide the opportunity for strong co-
     location of VA and university biomedical scientists for 
     translational investigation, which has high potential for 
     precision medicine outcomes for wounded warriors and other 
     high-risk veteran populations. The agreement notes the high 
     concentration of VA research enterprises on the Nation's two 
     coasts and urges the Under Secretary for Health to expedite 
     consideration of proposals for the Department to lease space 
     from research complexes where there is multi-disciplinary 
     investigation related to veterans and wounded warriors, 
     including medicine, engineering and veterinary science. Such 
     consideration should be timely to inform action in the fiscal 
     year 2021 budget.
       Medical Center Internet Access.--The Committees believe 
     that having access to WiFi

[[Page H11399]]

     and the internet at VA medical facilities is important, and 
     while many VA facilities provide internet access in certain 
     specific locations, access is not provided to inpatient 
     treatment rooms or waiting areas across the campus. The 
     agreement directs the Department to assess internet coverage 
     for veterans and guests across facilities, and to report on 
     the current status of internet access, the cost estimates for 
     expanding internet coverage to all appropriate locations at 
     VA facilities, and the infrastructure and cyber security 
     requirements to support such expansion. The report must be 
     provided to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress within 180 days of enactment of this Act.
       Veterans Health Administration Staffing Model.--It is 
     critical that VHA develop a staffing model to better 
     understand and more quickly address staffing needs across the 
     organization, particularly in critical need occupations. The 
     agreement directs OIG to review VHA's progress in developing 
     a comprehensive staffing model and timeline for 
     implementation. The agreement further directs OIG to meet 
     with the Committees within 30 days of enactment of this Act 
     to discuss details of the planned study.
       Emergency Room Claims.--The United States Court of Appeals 
     for Veterans Claims decided in Wolfe v. Wilkie that VA was 
     responsible for reimbursing veterans inappropriately denied 
     payment for emergency care obtained outside of the VA system. 
     The agreement directs the Department to undertake a review of 
     post-April 8, 2016, rejected and denied emergency care 
     claims, and to explore the feasibility of reviewing claims 
     rejected or denied prior to that date. Further, the agreement 
     directs the Department to examine what it can do to mitigate 
     the financial damage done to those veterans whose unpaid 
     emergency care claims were sent to a collection agency and 
     now have damaged credit. Finally, the agreement directs the 
     Department to provide a detailed plan for how it will re-
     adjudicate inappropriately denied post-April 8, 2016 claims; 
     describe whether and how it will review claims denied or 
     rejected before that date; provide an analysis of how it came 
     to that conclusion; and describe steps it will take to 
     mitigate damage done to veterans' credit within 90 days of 
     enactment of the Act. The Committees expect that the 
     Department will implement measures to avoid similar outcomes 
     in the future.
       Reporting on VA Healthcare Facilities for Treatment of 
     Women.--The agreement directs the Department to submit a 
     report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act, 
     and annually thereafter, with the following information: the 
     number of facilities in each model of delivery of care to 
     women (by VISN and by State); the criteria used to determine 
     which model is most appropriate for each facility; the 
     triggers or criteria to upgrade facilities to the next higher 
     model; plans, if any, to upgrade facilities from the lowest 
     model (General Primary Care Clinics) to a higher model within 
     planned Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) 
     investments; and whether VA has a plan or goal for how many 
     facilities should fall into each of the models of care.


                            MEDICAL SERVICES

       The agreement provides $56,158,015,000 in advance for 
     fiscal year 2021 for Medical Services and makes 
     $1,500,000,000 of the advance available through fiscal year 
     2022. The agreement includes bill language requiring the 
     Secretary to ensure that sufficient amounts are available for 
     the acquisition of prosthetics designed specifically for 
     female veterans. Of the amounts provided, the agreement 
     provides that at least $585,000,000 shall be dedicated to 
     gender-specific care for women.

                           Caregivers Support

       The agreement includes $710,000,000 for VA's Caregivers 
     Program, which VA is expected to dedicate to the Caregivers 
     Program and not divert resources to other areas. The 
     Department should note that notification should be provided 
     to the Committees of any attempts to reprogram this funding.
       Expansion and Support for Caregivers.--The Caregivers 
     Program was enhanced as part of the VA MISSION Act, and the 
     Department is expected to carry out this expansion according 
     to the statutory timeline, and to fully staff the program, 
     including ensuring that the Caregiver Coordinators at each 
     Medical Center are fully resourced and, to the maximum extent 
     possible, assigned designated caregiver duties as their chief 
     and only responsibility. The agreement directs VA to provide 
     quarterly projections and monthly expenditure reports for the 
     Caregivers Program to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress. These reports should also highlight 
     any changes to the implementation schedule due to the 
     Department's decision-making delays, as well as the timing of 
     information technology requirements.
       Additionally, the Committees are concerned by recent 
     actions of the Department to implement policy changes that 
     would limit eligibility of veterans and caregivers or curtail 
     the support services provided to them. Any steps to limit 
     eligibility are rejected by the Congress and the agreement 
     directs the Department to submit a report detailing 
     justification no later than 180 days prior to any changes in 
     eligibility criteria not made as a result of public law.
       The Committees recognize that many caregivers for severely 
     wounded veterans face a reduction in outside earnings, 
     resulting in difficulties meeting financial obligations, 
     including student loan debt held by the caregiver. The 
     agreement directs the Department to survey all caregivers 
     currently in the program who seek the financial planning 
     services required under the VA MISSION Act, in order to 
     identify the number possessing outstanding student loan debt, 
     and to develop a plan to monitor this issue, including 
     providing counseling related to student loan and other debt 
     management, under such financial planning services to 
     caregivers required by the VA MISSION Act.

                             Mental Health

       Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.--The agreement 
     provides $9,432,833,000 in discretionary funds for mental 
     health programs, which is $20,000,000 above the budget 
     request, and includes $221,765,000 for suicide prevention 
     outreach. The Secretary is directed to make any necessary 
     improvements to Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) operations 
     including, but not limited to, ensuring appropriate staffing 
     for call centers and back-up centers, providing necessary 
     training for VCL staff, and ensuring that staff are able to 
     appropriately and effectively respond to the needs of 
     veterans needing assistance. The Secretary is also directed 
     to provide the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress a report, no later than 90 days after enactment of 
     this Act, which contains an update detailing findings on the 
     outcomes and efficacy of the VCL from the Veterans Crisis 
     Line Study Act of 2017.
       The agreement also maintains the direction provided in 
     House Report 116-63 for VA to implement a safety plan to 
     address parking lot suicides and expand the Coaching Into 
     Care program, remove barriers that impact a veteran's ability 
     to receive mental healthcare, and implement a program to 
     educate local law enforcement on how to deal with veterans 
     during a mental health crisis. This report should also 
     address the status of recommendations from the OIG following 
     investigations of specific suicides on VA campuses.
       In addition, the agreement directs the Department to 
     provide a report no later than 60 days after enactment, and 
     quarterly thereafter, a detailed expenditure plan for suicide 
     outreach and treatment programs, how VA is meeting the 
     Committees' directives, and updates on obligations to date. 
     Furthermore, the agreement directs the Department to staff 
     every VA Medical Center with at least one suicide prevention 
     coordinator.
       National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.--The 
     agreement supports the mission and work of the National 
     Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has provided 
     $40,000,000, which includes $10,000,000 for the coordination 
     of the VA National PTSD Brain Bank, to continue the center's 
     advancement of the clinical care and social welfare of 
     America's veterans, through research, education, and training 
     in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-
     related disorders.
       PREVENTS Initiative.--The agreement includes $3,000,000 for 
     VA's efforts to coordinate veteran suicide prevention efforts 
     under the Presidential Task Force established under the 
     PREVENTS Initiative, as directed in House Report 116-63.
       Expansion of Mental Health Benefits to Guard and 
     Reservists.--The agreement acknowledges the importance of 
     providing mental healthcare to all warfighters, which 
     includes Guard and Reservists. The Committees recognize that 
     these individuals may benefit from access to mental health 
     services provided by VA--including suicide prevention 
     services--even if they were not activated under Federal 
     orders. Therefore, the agreement directs the Department to 
     provide a report to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress no later than 180 days after enactment of 
     this Act on the feasibility of extending access to these 
     services to all members of the National Guard and Reserves, 
     regardless of their Federal activation status. This report 
     shall include the costs associated with this effort, an 
     estimate of the impact on capacity, as well as any relevant 
     legislative language needed to accomplish this goal.
       Reduce Suicide, Relapse, and Hospital Visits.--The 
     agreement encourages VA to consider the use of cutting-edge, 
     off-the-shelf technology and pharmacy management protocols as 
     tools to reduce suicide, relapse and hospital visits by 
     veterans treated for mental health issues, including PTSD and 
     TBI.
       Vets Corps.--The agreement provides up to $2,500,000 to 
     carry out the direction provided in House Report 116-63 
     regarding Vets Corps.
       REACH Veteran in Crisis Initiative.--The agreement supports 
     the Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health--Veterans 
     Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET) program. The Department is 
     encouraged to work in partnership with the Department of 
     Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to update and improve 
     predictive models and expand the use of predictive analytics 
     for decision support and identification of veterans in need 
     and at risk.
       Prescription Practices.--The June 2019 GAO report, ``VA 
     Mental Health: VHA Improved Certain Prescribing Practices, 
     but Needs to Strengthen Treatment Plan Oversight'' (GAO-19-
     465) reviewed how mental health treatment decisions are made 
     by providers in VA Medical Centers and monitored by VHA. The 
     agreement directs the Department to submit a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no 
     later

[[Page H11400]]

     than 90 days after enactment of this Act, detailing progress 
     towards implementing the GAO recommendations in this report.
       Sleep Disorders.--Senate Report 115-269, which accompanied 
     the FY 2019 appropriations, included a recommendation for the 
     Department to assign a program manager for sleep disorders. 
     The Department indicated it would make a determination upon 
     completion of the Healthcare Analytics and Information 
     Group's survey of existing resources and practices. The 
     agreement directs the Department to provide an update on this 
     review and recommendation to the Committees on Appropriations 
     of both Houses of Congress no later than June 30, 2020.

                          Homeless Assistance

       The agreement provides $1,847,466,000 for homeless 
     assistance programs, which is $28,932,000 above the budget 
     request. This includes $380,000,000 for the Supportive 
     Services for Veteran Families program; $408,300,000 for the 
     Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive 
     Housing (HUD-VASH) program case management; $250,000,000 for 
     the Grant and Per Diem Program; and $69,107,000 for the 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
       Homeless Women Veterans.--The Secretary is directed to 
     report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress within 180 days of enactment of this Act on the 
     growing number of women veterans who are homeless or unstably 
     housed and the programs intended to serve them. The report 
     should identify if and how the programs are failing and 
     include a plan to address any deficiencies.
       Veteran Homeless Report.--The Secretary is directed to 
     prepare a report in consultation with DOD and the U.S. 
     Interagency Council on Homelessness on the progress made to 
     date to ensure servicemembers identified through the 
     Transition Assistance Program process as lacking viable 
     housing options receive appropriate housing-related 
     assistance. The report shall be provided to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 120 days of 
     enactment of this Act and include: 1) data for fiscal years 
     2018 and 2019; 2) the number and percentage of transitioning 
     servicemembers who are evaluated as not having a viable post-
     transition housing plan; 3) and of those, a) the number and 
     percentage who receive a warm handover from DOD to VA; b) the 
     number who received services from appropriate VA homeless 
     program staff; and c) and are identified as experiencing 
     homelessness.
       Limited Affordable Housing.--The Secretary is directed to 
     provide an update on the effects of limited affordable 
     housing opportunities on the Department's homeless programs 
     in rural communities. The report also should include 
     recommendations on ways the Department and local housing 
     entities can better partner to ensure access to housing for 
     veterans in rural and high-cost urban areas and be provided 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress within 180 days of enactment of this Act.
       Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF).--Although 
     funds were appropriated, the Department's policy decisions 
     led to fluctuations in funding to grantees and possible gaps 
     in services being provided. The agreement provides for at 
     least $380,000,000 in grant awards in fiscal year 2020 and 
     encourages the Department to plan for $400,000,000 in fiscal 
     year 2021 to expand to other locations to address gaps in 
     services, as appropriate. The Secretary is directed to submit 
     a report describing the effectiveness of the SSVF program; 
     results of the gap analysis; and a plan to expand the 
     program, as appropriate, to address service gaps within 90 
     days of enactment of this Act to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
       HUD-VASH.--Due to concerns the Department is not properly 
     staffing its HUD-VASH program to meet the needs of changing 
     homeless populations, the Secretary is directed to submit a 
     report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress within 90 days of enactment of this Act. The report 
     shall include details regarding: 1) the process by which each 
     VA medical center fills their HUD-VASH case management 
     positions; 2) the current ratio of HUD-VASH case managers to 
     veterans for each VA medical center; 3) a list of all vacant 
     specific purpose-funded positions to support the HUD-VASH 
     program; 4) steps taken to recruit and retain case managers 
     for this program; 5) a list of VA Medical Centers where HUD-
     VASH cases are being contracted out; 6) a list of the current 
     allocations of HUD-VASH vouchers by State; 7) a list of 
     requests for additional HUD-VASH vouchers received by the 
     Department and the outcome of such requests; and 8) efforts 
     currently underway to assist HUD-VASH case management in 
     highly rural areas.
       Homeless Providers Grants Per Diem (GPD) Program.--The 
     agreement supports the Department's goal of a systemic end to 
     veteran homelessness and agrees that service-intensive 
     transitional housing provided through VA's GPD Program is an 
     important tool in this effort. The agreement provides 
     $250,000,000, an increase of $23,932,000 over the request, 
     for GPD. The most appropriate mix of housing services for 
     veterans should be determined locally through a collaborative 
     process including local housing partners, service providers, 
     and VA medical centers, and VA should continue to make 
     funding available for GPD beds based on this process. The 
     Department is directed to submit a report to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 
     180 days after enactment of this Act on the contingency/
     remediation plans that current providers serving rural or 
     highly rural areas have for veterans that may be affected by 
     changes in availability or the loss of GPD Program funds that 
     would result in the loss of their access to transitional 
     housing assistance.
       Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Program.--The agreement 
     provides $5,000,000 over the budget request to support the 
     VJO Program and its goal to prevent homelessness and avoid 
     the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and 
     extended incarceration among veterans by ensuring eligible 
     veterans encountered by police, and in jails or courts, have 
     timely access to VA services, including mental health, 
     substance abuse, and homeless programs.

                           Clinical Workforce

       Healthcare Workforce.--VHA's ability to recruit and retain 
     quality clinical and support staff remains a concern. 
     Accordingly, the agreement directs the Department to comply 
     with GAO's recommendations to improve staffing, recruitment, 
     and retention strategies for clinicians.
       Mental Health Staffing.--There is a growing need for mental 
     health professionals, and VA should maintain appropriate 
     mental health staffing levels to provide veterans timely, 
     effective, high-quality care. The agreement directs the 
     Department to prioritize the hiring of mental health 
     professionals and to keep the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress apprised on a quarterly basis on 
     meeting its hiring goals, including actions taken to improve 
     recruitment and retention across the country, and 
     specifically in rural areas. This report should include 
     updates to the ratio of faculty staff to outpatient mental 
     health veterans being treated for mental health needs.
       Rural Recruitment.--To improve recruitment and retention 
     initiatives for healthcare providers in rural and highly 
     rural areas the agreement urges the Department to conform 
     with the recommendations contained in GAO report, GAO-181-24. 
     The agreement directs the Department to provide a report to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act on the 
     status of compliance with these recommendations.
       Credentialing.--The agreement strongly encourages VA to 
     expand the Military Transition and Training Advancement 
     Course nationally in order to facilitate the recruitment of 
     separating military personnel who served in the healthcare 
     field. The agreement directs VHA to identify remaining 
     barriers to expediting the credentialing process for 
     qualified licensed personnel, and to report on such barriers 
     and limitations to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress within 180 days after enactment of this 
     Act.
       In addition, a recent GAO report found that greater focus 
     on credentialing is needed to prevent disqualified providers 
     from delivering patient care. The agreement urges the 
     Secretary to implement the GAO recommendations to improve 
     Departmental oversight over VHA facility credentialing 
     policies. The agreement directs the Department to provide a 
     progress report on implementation of such recommendations to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     within 60 days after enactment of this Act.
       Orthotics & Prosthetics Workforce.--The sustainability of 
     the orthotics and prosthetics workforce treating veterans, 
     particularly given an aging workforce with imminent 
     retirements as well as a lack of availability of advanced 
     degree programs necessary to train new professionals is a 
     concern. VHA's Orthotic and Prosthetic Residency Program 
     provides rotation opportunities through the VA system, but 
     this program alone is inadequate to ensure a sustainable 
     workforce for the future, especially in light of the skill 
     set necessary to provide the increasingly complex, state-of-
     the-art orthotics and prosthetics care for Iraq and 
     Afghanistan war veterans. The agreement directs VA to work 
     with outside industry experts to survey and examine the 
     latest data available on the current extent of orthotics and 
     prosthetics care provided outside of VA facilities and 
     provide projections on requirements over the next decade 
     based on overall population growth among veterans with 
     orthotics and prosthetics needs. This information is to be 
     reported to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress within 180 days of enactment of this Act.
       Physician Assistants.--VA has failed to utilize existing 
     authorities to hire and retain Physician Assistants (PAs). As 
     such, the agreement directs VA to accelerate the rollout of 
     competitive pay for PAs, to develop a plan on how to better 
     utilize the Health Professional Scholarship Program and 
     Education Debt Reduction Program, and to develop a staffing 
     plan on how to utilize PAs within the Department.
       Medical Staff Retention.--The agreement expands upon the 
     Medical Staff Retention reports directed in House Report 116-
     63. In addition, the Department is directed to submit a 
     report to the Committees on Appropriations and Veterans' 
     Affairs of both Houses of Congress within 90 days detailing 
     compliance with its policy to (1) conduct reviews of each 
     healthcare provider of the Department who transfers to 
     another medical facility of the Department, resigns, retires, 
     or is terminated to determine whether there are any concerns, 
     complaints, or allegations of violations relating to the 
     medical practice of the

[[Page H11401]]

     healthcare provider; and (2) to take appropriate action with 
     respect to any such concern, complaint, or allegation. The 
     Department previously informed Congress it was implementing 
     an auditing tool to require medical facilities to certify 
     compliance with these policies to their respective VISN 
     leadership. The agreement requests that a summary of this 
     auditing tool also be included in this report.
       VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines.--The Departments of 
     Veterans Affairs and Defense have created VA/DOD Clinical 
     Practice Guidelines for many conditions that affect both 
     veterans and active duty servicemembers. Currently, VA and 
     DOD do not have guidelines for the comorbidity of trauma 
     (e.g., PTSD, TBI, Military Sexual Trauma) and substance use 
     disorder or chronic pain, despite the fact that many veterans 
     and active duty servicemembers are suffering from multiple 
     conditions. It is crucial that frontline clinicians are 
     informed about the most effective treatments for these 
     conditions when they are co-occurring. The agreement strongly 
     encourages VA and DOD to work together to create Clinical 
     Practice Guidelines for the treatment of trauma, including 
     PTSD, TBI, and Military Sexual Trauma, that is comorbid with 
     substance use disorder or chronic pain.

                            Rural Healthcare

       Office of Rural Health.--The agreement notes that veterans 
     residing in rural and remote areas face unique barriers to 
     receiving high-quality mental health, primary healthcare, and 
     specialty care services. While enhanced community care 
     programs offer veterans increased flexibility to obtain care 
     close to home, often this same gap in services exists in the 
     private market in rural and remote communities. Over the past 
     10 years, the Office of Rural Health (ORH) and its Rural 
     Health Initiative has played a critical role in assisting VA 
     in its efforts to increase access to care. Therefore, the 
     agreement provides $300,000,000 for ORH and the Rural Health 
     Initiative.
       The agreement supports Rural Health Resource Centers, 
     operated by ORH, and encourages the Department to increase 
     the number of these centers. Any expansion should also 
     emphasize increasing access to healthcare for women veterans, 
     treating traumatic brain injuries, and recruiting and 
     retaining healthcare providers to serve rural and remote 
     areas.
       The agreement also encourages continued operation of a 
     nurse advice line at all VA medical centers, including 
     facilities serving rural areas and highly rural areas, as a 
     way to reach a large percentage of veteran enrollees. The 
     agreement further supports the continuation of the efforts of 
     the Department's Community Clergy Training to Support Rural 
     Veterans Mental Health Initiative. The Department is urged to 
     increase the financial resources made available in order to 
     increase accessibility of this initiative to rural 
     communities.
       The Department is reminded of the directions regarding 
     rural transportation included in House Report 116-63.
       Rural Health Continuity of Care.--The Committees note the 
     Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) pilot program was 
     highly successful in some areas in providing healthcare 
     services to veterans who live in the rural and highly rural 
     States in which it operated, and that veterans who received 
     medical care through the ARCH pilot program were ``completely 
     satisfied'' with their care and cited significantly shortened 
     travel and wait times to receive care. As the Department 
     transitions to a new community care program established by 
     the VA MISSION Act, the agreement encourages the Secretary to 
     sustain continuity of care for rural veterans through 
     provider agreements, based on previous models such as the 
     ARCH program, to ensure veterans do not experience a lapse in 
     existing healthcare access during the transition to the new 
     community care program and any resulting integrated networks. 
     The Committees continue to support enabling the Department to 
     enter into provider agreements with non-VA long-term care 
     providers, including skilled nursing facilities.
       Home-Based Primary Care.--The agreement supports the 
     collaboration between VA and the Indian Health Service (IHS) 
     and collaboration by Federal agencies with Tribes to expand 
     access to care for Native veterans, including the recent 
     expansion of evidence-based home-based primary care (HBPC) 
     programs at 14 VA medical centers. This expansion is designed 
     to reach new populations of American Indian veterans living 
     in rural reservation communities, which are served by medical 
     facilities operated directly by IHS or by Tribes and Tribal 
     organizations with funding provided by IHS. The agreement 
     urges the Secretary to increase funding within ORH to expand 
     HBPC programs to additional American Indian reservations and 
     to other rural areas, and to continue to improve planning 
     coordination with other Federal healthcare organizations. 
     Planning efforts should take into account conducting a 
     population-based needs assessment and allowing sufficient 
     time to develop trusting relationships with Native veterans, 
     Tribal health and social service personnel, IHS and Tribal 
     community health representatives, and Tribal communities. 
     Planning efforts should also consider availability of IHS and 
     Tribal resources for patients, as well as identify potential 
     opportunities for co-management to prevent unintended 
     duplication of effort, over-prescribing of medications, and 
     other inefficiencies.


                     Gender-Specific Care for Women

       Gender-Specific Care for Women.--The agreement provides 
     $585,000,000 for gender-specific care for women, which is 
     $38,486,000 over the budget request. The agreement directs VA 
     to continue redesigning its women's healthcare delivery 
     system and facilities to ensure women receive equitable, 
     timely, and high-quality healthcare. The agreement further 
     directs VA to prioritize hiring women primary care providers 
     and psychologists for women clinics, employees for women-
     specific services, and women peer support specialists. The 
     agreement directs women's health program managers to be full-
     time jobs and not to be tasked with supplemental 
     responsibilities outside their specified job descriptions. 
     The agreement supports the expansion of the Women's Health 
     Mini-Residency program.


       Opioid Safety Initiatives and Substance Use Disorder Care

       To continue to build upon opioid reduction efforts and 
     safety initiatives, the agreement includes $402,000,000 for 
     Opioid Prevention and Treatment programs at VA. This includes 
     $345,946,000 for prevention and treatment programs, and 
     $56,054,000 to continue implementation of the Comprehensive 
     Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-198).
       Office of Patient Advocacy.--The Committees believe that 
     the Jason Simcakoski Memorial and Promise Act's (Title IX, 
     Public Law 114-198) establishment of the Office of Patient 
     Advocacy will ensure that patient advocates put the interests 
     of the veterans they serve first, not the interests of the 
     facility. Accordingly, within 90 days of enactment, the 
     agreement directs the Department to provide a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of both 
     Houses of Congress on its progress implementing the relevant 
     sections of Public Law 114-198, including progress on all six 
     recommendations from GAO's April 2018 report (GAO-18-356), 
     and the specific training and instructions Patient Advocates 
     are given to escalate a concern outside of a VA facility when 
     they believe a VA facility is not acting in the best interest 
     of the veteran.
       Improvement of Opioid Safety Initiative.--The Committees 
     support VA's Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) and encourage 
     continued implementation at all VA medical facilities, as 
     directed under the Jason Simcakoski Memorial and Promise Act. 
     The Committees acknowledge overall improvements in opioid 
     safety at VA and believe that it is imperative that all VA 
     providers who prescribe opioids continue to consistently use 
     the Opioid Therapy Risk Report tool under the OSI. In May 
     2018, GAO submitted report GAO-18-380 to Congress detailing 
     the Department's progress made towards improving opioid 
     safety, and VA set a target date of April 2019 to satisfy and 
     closeout the five recommendations. The agreement directs the 
     Department to submit a report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of both Houses of 
     Congress detailing the actions to address each finding and 
     recommendation made by this report within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act. Additionally, this should include a 
     report on efforts to ensure that VA medical centers have 
     established an additional control procedure, in accordance 
     with GAO recommendations to improve oversight of the 
     controlled substance inspection program.
       Furthermore, to ensure that VA physicians have equal 
     opportunity to prescribe effective, lower risk, safer 
     Schedule III (CIII) opioids before prescribing highly potent 
     and addictive Schedule II opioids, the agreement recommends 
     that the Pharmacy Benefits Management Services consider 
     clarifying guidance related to dispensing CIII opioids.
       Community Care Opioid Safety.--The Committees recognize 
     that VA has made important progress increasing opioid safety 
     and reducing overprescribing within the VA healthcare system. 
     However, the Department still needs to make comparable 
     progress implementing opioid safety reforms in VA community 
     care programs. The July 2017 OIG report (VA OIG 17-01846-316) 
     on opioid prescribing in VA community care programs provides 
     further evidence that veterans receiving opioid therapy from 
     community care providers are at significant risk, due to lack 
     of consistent tracking and limited awareness of VA opioid 
     therapy and safe prescribing protocols. The agreement directs 
     the Department to provide a report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations and Veterans' Affairs of both Houses of 
     Congress on implementation of all OIG recommendations and 
     statutory requirements within the VA MISSION Act within 90 
     days after enactment of this Act.
       VA participation in State Prescription Drug Monitoring 
     Programs, as required in the VA Prescription Data 
     Accountability Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-144), is a 
     critical component to an effort to ensure a patient's 
     prescription history is available to all prescribers. No 
     later than February 1, 2021, the agreement directs VA to 
     submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress identifying progress toward full 
     participation in State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs 
     during calendar year 2020, broken out by VISN and Medical 
     Facility. The agreement also encourages VA, to the maximum 
     extent permitted by law, to share prescription drug 
     information with other Federal medical facilities that may 
     serve veterans, including DOD medical facilities and Indian 
     Health Service facilities.
       Complementary and Integrative Health.--Expanding access to 
     comprehensive pain management and complementary and 
     integrative

[[Page H11402]]

     health (CIH) services is vital to improving the delivery of 
     high-quality care for veterans. The agreement urges robust 
     implementation of VA's plan to expand the scope of research, 
     education, delivery, and integration of CIH into the 
     healthcare services provided to veterans, and as required 
     under section 932 of the Jason Simcakoski Memorial and 
     Promise Act, VA must continue to prioritize implementation of 
     the pilot program at VA medical centers, including polytrauma 
     rehabilitation centers, to assess the feasibility and 
     advisability of delivery using wellness-based programs to 
     complement pain management and related healthcare services. 
     The Department is encouraged to continue to expand access to 
     CIH services as part of the VA's Whole Health System 
     approach.
       Substance Use Disorder Care.--The Committees support VA's 
     ongoing efforts to reduce wait times for substance use 
     disorder (SUD) treatment by balancing nationwide care within 
     the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (RRTP). 
     However, the Committees are aware that the median wait time 
     between screening and admission for non-priority SUD RRTP 
     care remained unacceptably high. The agreement urges the 
     Department to improve efforts to address the uneven and 
     limited distribution of inpatient addiction crisis 
     detoxification beds that employ a medical/psychosocial 
     approach, a supply of Medication Assisted Treatment including 
     availability of appointments for veteran access to 
     buprenorphine, alternative co-adjuvant therapies to reduce 
     anxiety, and mobile tools aimed at concurrent recovery and 
     relapse prevention. The agreement urges the Department to 
     expand existing successful model behavioral-health programs 
     in partnership with community providers in high-demand 
     treatment areas with proven, veteran-specific, evidence-
     based, one-stop-shop (integrated), SUD treatment that go 
     beyond basic ``shelter care.'' These public-private 
     partnerships should encompass the full continuum of care for 
     veterans suffering from SUD (detoxification/recovery, sober 
     housing), and those at risk of suicide due to SUD. 
     Additionally, the agreement directs the Department to provide 
     a report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, that 
     shall include average wait times for priority, routine and 
     residential SUD care; the results of efforts to balance RRTP 
     availability; projected RRTP wait times for fiscal years 2020 
     and 2021; and plans to scale successful evidence-based, 
     integrated SUD care model programs.
       Overmedication of Veterans.--In fiscal year 2018, the 
     Congress provided $500,000 for VA to enter into an agreement 
     with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
     Medicine (NASEM) to conduct an assessment of the potential 
     overmedication of veterans during fiscal years 2010 to 2017 
     that led to suicides, deaths, mental disorders, and combat-
     related traumas. Though the Committees are frustrated that, 
     rather than conducting a study, the Department used the full 
     amount of funding to contract for a study design, NASEM 
     provided a credible study design report entitled, An Approach 
     to Evaluate the Effects of Concomitant Prescribing of Opioids 
     and Benzodiazepines on Veterans Deaths and Suicides. As such, 
     the agreement directs the Department to work in close 
     consultation and coordination with NASEM to implement the 
     study design to evaluate and understand the effects of 
     opioids and benzodiazepine on veteran suicides. The agreement 
     directs the Department to brief the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 60 
     days after enactment of this Act on the proposed study design 
     to be implemented, and to provide periodic updates 
     thereafter.

                              Whole Health

       Whole Health.--The agreement provides $63,600,000 for the 
     Whole Health initiative, which is $10,000,000 above the 
     budget request. The agreement directs VA to expand its use of 
     interactive patient care and to ensure coordination and 
     standardization of the field implementation of the Whole 
     Health initiative. The agreement provides up to $5,000,000 
     for creative arts therapies. The agreement further directs 
     the Department to submit complete and detailed accounting of 
     the Whole Health program in the fiscal year 2021 budget 
     request.
       Alternative Therapies.--The agreement directs VA to study 
     the feasibility and advisability of making yoga, meditation, 
     creative arts therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture 
     also accessible as treatment for mental health conditions, 
     including suicide risk, to veterans at all Department 
     facilities, either in person, or through telehealth.

                        Other Items of Interest

       Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS).--The 
     Department is directed to address the deficiencies at CAVHCS, 
     as identified in House Report 116-63.
       Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Transparency.--Although the 
     Department issued a policy directive on the prevention and 
     management of pressure injuries, and is exploring non-
     invasive innovative biometric sensor technologies that have 
     produced promising results in the early detection of pressure 
     ulcers, more can be done. The agreement directs the 
     Department to address pressure ulcer prevention and 
     transparency, as identified in House Report 116-63, though 
     the agreement does not specify funds for the pilot. The 
     agreement directs the Under Secretary for Health to complete 
     the directed assessment within 120 days of enactment of this 
     Act. In addition, the agreement encourages the Department to 
     consider incorporating into its directive the steps included 
     in the peer-reviewed Standardized Pressure Injury Prevention 
     Protocols.
       Access for Veterans in the Commonwealth of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Freely Associated 
     States.--The Committees remain concerned about the challenges 
     for veterans residing in the Freely Associated States (FAS) 
     to access the quality healthcare they have earned through 
     their military service. Given the significant time, 
     resources, and high costs for travel for some veterans, 
     including airfare, transportation, and lodging, many FAS 
     veterans are never able to access VA health services. The 
     agreement urges the Department to enhance access to care for 
     these veterans. The Committees are seeking to understand 
     potential obstacles in data collection to account for the 
     number of veterans residing in the FAS, and how VA can 
     improve data collection from the outlying areas to help 
     inform the development of proposals to ensure that health 
     needs of these veterans are met. The agreement directs the 
     Department to conduct a survey related to barriers veterans 
     may face in utilizing VA services and other benefits when 
     living in outlying and remote areas, and to provide a report 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress on the findings of this survey, an assessment of 
     options for improving access to VA healthcare for FAS 
     veterans, as well as the outreach efforts taken to inform FAS 
     and remotely located veterans about enrollment in the Foreign 
     Medical Program. This report is directed to be provided 
     within 270 days of enactment of this Act.
       Furthermore, the agreement directs the Department to 
     increase access to VA care for veterans living in remote and 
     underserved areas of the FAS by increasing the number of 
     full-time, dedicated, VA medical and mental health providers 
     in these areas, as well as to work with Federal and non-
     Federal partners, including the Departments of Defense, 
     Interior, and Health and Human Services, community healthcare 
     facilities and educational institutions to leverage shared 
     resources and improve access for delivery of care through 
     technology and collaboration.
       Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.--The 
     Department is reminded of the report requested in House 
     Report 116-63.
       Orthotics and Prosthetics.--The Department is expected to 
     ensure veterans continue to receive the prosthetics services 
     that best meet their needs in the final Orthotics and 
     Prosthetics regulation.
       Veterans Exposed to Open Burn Pits and Airborne Hazards.--
     In order to provide full and effective medical care, it is 
     essential for the Department to better understand the impacts 
     that exposure during service has had on the health of 
     veterans. Therefore, the agreement supports language included 
     in House Report 116-63, including $5,000,000 to carry out 
     responsibilities and activities of the Airborne Hazards and 
     Burn Pits Center of Excellence.
       Community Wellness Programs.--VA has not yet implemented 
     the VSO Wellness pilot program, authorized in Section 252 of 
     the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-
     141). It is concerning that the Department is still in the 
     process of establishing this program and may not be prepared 
     to launch until fiscal year 2021. The agreement directs the 
     Department to expeditiously implement the program, and 
     further directs the Department to provide quarterly status 
     updates to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress.
       Intimate Partner Violence Program.--The agreement supports 
     VA's efforts to expand its Intimate Partner Violence Program 
     to all sites within the next 2 years, and its plans to screen 
     all veterans for Intimate Partner Violence and provide the 
     appropriate resources. The agreement directs VA to fully 
     resource this program at $20,300,000, as requested, in fiscal 
     year 2020 and include it as a program of interest with budget 
     detail in the justifications accompanying the fiscal year 
     2021 budget submission.
       Adaptive Sports.--The agreement includes $24,309,000 for 
     National Veterans Sports Programs, including $16,000,000 for 
     adaptive sports programs. Veterans have shown marked 
     improvements in mental and physical health from participating 
     in adaptive sports and recreational therapy and veterans have 
     expressed the need for these activities to be included in the 
     healthcare services VA offers. The Committees also recognize 
     that adaptive sports and recreational therapy provide a low-
     cost alternative to other healthcare services that produce 
     similar health outcomes. The Department is directed to make 
     recreational and lifelong sports, such as open-ocean 
     swimming, surfing, outrigger canoeing, hunting, and fishing 
     eligible for grants.
       Equine Therapy.--The agreement recommends the Department 
     use $1,500,000 of funds for the adaptive sports program for 
     equine therapy. Moreover, the Department should utilize 
     funding to conduct a comprehensive program evaluation to 
     ensure the continued effectiveness of equine therapy in 
     addressing the mental health needs of veterans that 
     participate in these programs, including through the 
     systematic assessment and tracking of mental health issues 
     and symptoms, and the measurement of key outcomes, such as 
     functional improvement in veterans' different life domains.
       Beneficiary Travel.--The allocation of beneficiary travel 
     to VISNs where unconventional modes of travel, such as air, 
     are the primary means for veterans to visit a VA

[[Page H11403]]

     hospital remains a concern. Beneficiary travel is often 
     expected to be paid out of pocket by the veteran, and then 
     reimbursed by the Department at some later date, even for 
     those veterans whose care is determined to be necessary by 
     VA. This is an above average burden for veterans who live in 
     rural and highly remote areas where veterans travel long 
     distances to appointments using atypical means of 
     transportation, such as by air, and must pay to stay 
     overnight in area hotels. The agreement urges the Department 
     to staff each facility with at least one full-time employee 
     to manage beneficiary travel, in order to speed 
     reimbursements to veterans, and also to identify ways in 
     which VA might be able to cover more of these veterans' costs 
     up front.
       DOD and VA Prescription Purchasing.--The agreement 
     encourages VA to work with DOD on the feasibility of aligning 
     their structures, statutory parameters, and regulatory 
     guidance in order to increase buying power and reduce the 
     cost of the prescription buying program, and to report 
     findings to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress.
       Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.--Many National Guard 
     veterans engaged in training activities at Canadian Forces 
     Base (CFB) Gagetown in the 1950s and 1960s. The Committees 
     are also aware that Veterans Affairs Canada approved one-
     time, lump sum payments to eligible veterans exposed to Agent 
     Orange and other defoliants who served at CFB Gagetown; and 
     that veterans who served there between June 20 and June 24, 
     1964, are currently eligible for an Agent Orange Registry 
     Health Exam from the Veterans Health Administration. The 
     agreement urges the Department to establish and maintain a 
     health registry for American veterans who were stationed or 
     underwent training at CFB Gagetown and who have subsequently 
     experienced health problems which may be attributed to Agent 
     Orange or other defoliants. The agreement further urges the 
     Department to commission an independent study tasked with 
     investigating the linkage between service at CFB Gagetown and 
     the development of health problems and disease associated 
     with exposure to Agent Orange.
       Emergency Ambulance Reimbursement.--VA has made efforts to 
     improve claims reimbursement processes for emergency 
     ambulance service providers, however, continued problems with 
     emergency ambulance transportation services result in lengthy 
     claims payment delays or unwarranted financial burdens on 
     veterans. The agreement urges the Department to take any 
     necessary actions to process such claims using the ``prudent 
     layperson'' standard for claims of emergency ambulance 
     transportation of veterans to non-VA facilities. The 
     agreement further directs the Department to provide a brief 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act to 
     update the Committees on the Department's efforts to 
     streamline reimbursement of claims by emergency ambulance 
     service providers. This brief should include an assessment by 
     VA of the impacts of permitting conditional payments to 
     ambulance service providers while seeking reimbursement from 
     third-party payers where such payers have not made payment 
     within 120 days of the date on which emergency ambulance 
     services are provided, similar to Medicare program practices.
       Pilot Programs for Agritherapy.--The agreement provides 
     $5,000,000 to continue a pilot program to train veterans in 
     agricultural vocations, while also tending to behavioral and 
     mental health needs with behavioral healthcare services and 
     treatments by licensed providers at no fewer than three 
     locations.
       Lovell Federal Health Care Center.--The Captain James A. 
     Lovell Federal Health Care Center Demonstration Project, 
     established in 2010 under the National Defense Authorization 
     Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84), is an 
     innovative collaboration between VA and DOD. The Lovell 
     Federal Health Care Center has significant potential to 
     improve access, quality, and cost-effectiveness of healthcare 
     delivery to veterans, servicemembers, and their families; and 
     already serves as a valuable site demonstrating comprehensive 
     cooperation and interoperability between VA and DOD. The 
     important work of this integration effort must continue as 
     the two Departments continue to roll out their respective 
     electronic health record programs.
       Alaska Federal Health Care Partnerships.--The Alaska VA 
     Healthcare System leadership is investigating whether a 
     partnership with DOD, the Coast Guard, and Tribal healthcare 
     delivery could improve access and quality of care to all 
     Federal healthcare beneficiaries in Alaska with substantial 
     cost savings. The agreement encourages VA to consult with its 
     Federal and Tribal counterparts, and with other stakeholders, 
     including VA employee groups and community providers, with 
     respect to the benefits which might accrue from adoption of 
     this model, and to report periodically to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on the progress of 
     these discussions.
       Support for Vet Centers in Rural Communities.--Vet Centers 
     across the country provide a broad range of counseling, 
     outreach, and referral services to eligible veterans, active 
     duty servicemembers, and their families, to include 
     individuals with problematic discharges. The Committees 
     believe Vet Centers are critical in rural communities, and 
     the agreement encourages the Department to fully staff these 
     resources.
       Readjustment Counseling.--The Department's Vet Centers and 
     Mobile Vet Centers provide important readjustment counseling 
     services. The Department also partners with organizations 
     that provide outdoor experiences for veterans as part of a 
     continuum of care to support veterans in developing a 
     community of support to treat combat-related injuries, 
     including those related to behavioral health. The agreement 
     directs the Department to submit a report to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 
     120 days after enactment of this Act to highlight best 
     practices of Vet Centers, including partnerships to provide 
     outdoor experiences, and to include a plan to disseminate the 
     findings, as well as incorporate into criteria for additional 
     sites. The report should address whether successful programs 
     should be replicated in other areas.
       Telehealth Services.--The agreement includes an additional 
     $30,000,000 to increase telehealth capacity in rural and 
     highly rural areas. The agreement directs VA to develop a 
     plan to improve veteran and provider satisfaction, increase 
     awareness of the telehealth program, and enhance adoption of 
     telehealth by veterans and providers. The Department's plan 
     should include actions that will be taken to make telehealth 
     more accessible to patients in highly rural areas and be 
     provided to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress no later than 180 days after enactment of this 
     Act.
       Call Routing.--The Committees are still receiving reports 
     that veterans calling their community-based outpatient 
     clinics (CBOC) to make an appointment are sometimes 
     automatically routed to central call centers at VA medical 
     centers with no follow-up by the local CBOCs after the 
     initial call. The fiscal year 2019 Conference Report included 
     a reporting requirement for VA to explain its guidance on 
     call routing of the scheduling of appointments. The report 
     that was submitted to the Committees failed to explain VA 
     guidance and was rather useless for addressing this issue. 
     Therefore, the agreement directs VA to provide a report that 
     explains the Department's guidance on call routing of the 
     scheduling of appointments. The agreement further directs VA 
     to provide the Committees with an update on its call 
     modernization efforts referenced in the March 20, 2019, 
     Congressional Tracking Report on Call Routing. This report 
     shall be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress no later than 90 days after enactment 
     of this Act.

                             Long-Term Care

       Long-Term Care.--The agreement provides $9,781,721,000, as 
     requested by the Department for long-term care. This includes 
     $6,471,460,000 for institutional care and $3,310,261,000 for 
     non-institutional care. The Committees are aware of the aging 
     veteran population and support long-term care that focuses on 
     facilitating veteran independence, enhancing quality of life, 
     and supporting the family members of veterans. As such, the 
     agreement supports the Department's efforts to broaden 
     veterans' options regarding non-institutional long-term care 
     support and services, and to accommodate veterans' 
     preferences in receiving home-based services, as well as 
     community-based care, residential settings, nursing homes, 
     and other services. The Committees acknowledge that the 
     veteran population faces unique health risks and that each 
     veteran requires an individualized approach to care, and VA 
     is encouraged to continue cooperation with community, State, 
     and Federal partners to expand and grow these programs.
       Hospice Care.--As Vietnam-era veterans age, many of them 
     are facing unique end-of-life challenges related to their 
     combat experience that standard hospice care and palliative 
     services are not fully equipped to address. Public Law 115-
     244 urged VA to undertake a pilot program to develop 
     techniques, best practices, and support mechanisms to improve 
     end-of-life care for combat veterans and Vietnam-era 
     veterans. Due to the lack of meaningful advancement toward 
     addressing the unique needs of Vietnam veterans, the 
     agreement directs VA to carry out this pilot program and to 
     engage non-profit hospice and palliative care providers with 
     Vietnam veteran-centric programs in implementing the pilot 
     program. The Committees are aware that organizations such as 
     the non-profit, National Partnership for Hospice Innovation, 
     are developing programs designed to meet the specific end-of-
     life care needs for Vietnam-era veterans and strongly 
     reiterates that such an approach could be beneficial to Iraq, 
     Afghanistan, and Syria combat veterans in the future. The 
     agreement directs the Department to submit a report on this 
     effort to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act.
       Domiciliary Care Claims for Veterans with Early-Stage 
     Dementia.--Changes in VA's processing and treatment of 
     domiciliary care claims has led to some veterans with early-
     stage dementia who were earlier ruled eligible for VA 
     domiciliary care to now be deemed ineligible. The Department 
     has taken efforts to provide limited equitable relief for 
     current veteran patients previously deemed eligible for 
     domiciliary care. VA is directed to provide a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no 
     later than 90 days after enactment of this Act on the 
     Department's plan to address care for all impacted veterans 
     with early-stage dementia.


                         MEDICAL COMMUNITY CARE

       The agreement provides $17,131,179,000 in advance fiscal 
     year 2021 funding for Medical

[[Page H11404]]

     Community Care, with $2,000,000,000 available until September 
     30, 2022. The agreement provides an additional $4,521,400,000 
     above the fiscal year 2020 advance appropriation for the 
     Medical Community Care account, of which $615,000,000 shall 
     be from unobligated balances from the Veterans Choice Fund.


                     MEDICAL SUPPORT AND COMPLIANCE

       The agreement provides $7,914,191,000 in advance for fiscal 
     year 2021 for Medical Support and Compliance and makes 
     $150,000,000 of the advance funding available through fiscal 
     year 2022. The agreement provides an additional $98,800,000 
     above the fiscal year 2020 advance appropriation for the 
     Medical Support and Compliance account.


                           MEDICAL FACILITIES

       The agreement provides $6,433,265,000 in advance for fiscal 
     year 2021 for Medical Facilities. Of the advance funding, 
     $250,000,000 is made available through fiscal year 2022.
       The agreement provides $10,000,000 for women's health and 
     mental health non-recurring maintenance (NRM) projects. 
     Within the mental health NRM projects, the agreement directs 
     VA to prioritize construction to increase the number of beds 
     available for overnight mental health treatment for veterans. 
     The agreement further directs the Department to submit an 
     expenditure plan detailing the planned use of funds, and to 
     report on specific measures it takes to track and prioritize 
     the physical and cultural transformation within VA facilities 
     to better serve women veterans.
       Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Bakersfield, 
     California.--The latest delay in building a clinic in 
     Bakersfield, resulting from the cancellation of Lease No. 
     36C10F18L3394 due to errors made by the Department, is 
     extremely concerning. On November 20, 2019, the Secretary 
     provided a revised timeline to build the new clinic, but 
     future protests may result in additional delays. The 
     agreement directs the Secretary to expeditiously execute the 
     proposed timeline, including beginning site work as soon as 
     possible in 2020 and to provide monthly reports to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     detailing the Department's assessment on maintaining the 
     timeline provided on November 20th, until the new clinic in 
     Bakersfield is activated.
       Use of Smart Technologies.--The Department is encouraged to 
     work with industry leaders on the use of smart technologies 
     to improve VA facilities.
       War Related Illness and Injury Study Centers (WRIISC).--In 
     lieu of the direction provided in House Report 116-63, the 
     Committees direct VA to conduct a feasibility study to 
     establish a WRIISC focused on gender-based differences in the 
     development, diagnosis, and treatment of exposure-related 
     diseases.
       VHA Infrastructure Planning and Facility Assessments.--As 
     VA implements the VA MISSION Act and begins to make decisions 
     related to community capacity and the appropriate size of 
     VA's footprint, the agreement maintains that strong VHA 
     facilities are critical to a high-performing integrated 
     health network for veterans. Unfortunately, despite 
     significant investments from Congress in recent years to 
     address major and minor construction and non-recurring 
     maintenance, the Department's execution of these funds to 
     upgrade or expand treatment facilities for veterans has not 
     moved as quickly as intended. The agreement urges VA to look 
     for ways to be timelier in its execution of dollars and more 
     flexible in efforts to meet the evolving healthcare needs of 
     veterans. The agreement directs the Department to provide to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a 
     report on the biggest impediments to executing construction 
     and leasing projects in a more efficient and effective manner 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act. The report should 
     also include an update on the market assessment being 
     conducted pursuant to the VA MISSION Act.
       Energy Savings.--The agreement encourages VA to use energy-
     related Energy Savings Performance Contracting and Utility 
     Energy Service Contracting in concert with appropriated funds 
     to leverage more investment from the private sector for any 
     VA renovation project for which energy systems are involved.
       Rate of Return on Alternative Energy Investments.--The 
     Committees are concerned about VA's procurement of 
     alternative energy and the potential for the technology to be 
     obsolete before full return on investment is achieved. 
     Therefore, the agreement encourages the Secretary to assure 
     that any new alternative energy project has a return on 
     investment less than or equal to 10 years.


                    MEDICAL AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH

       The agreement provides $800,000,000 for Medical and 
     Prosthetic Research, available until September 30, 2021. Bill 
     language is included to ensure that the Secretary allocates 
     adequate funding for prosthetic research specifically for 
     female veterans and for toxic exposures.
       The Committees remain highly supportive of this program and 
     recognize its importance both in improving healthcare 
     services to veterans and recruiting and retaining high 
     quality medical professionals in the Veterans Health 
     Administration. The agreement encourages VA to continue its 
     research into developing novel approaches to restoring 
     veterans with amputation, central nervous system injuries, 
     loss of sight or hearing, or other physical and cognitive 
     impairments to full and productive lives.
       Neural-Enabled Prosthetics.--The Committees understand the 
     uniqueness of limb trauma injuries sustained by 
     servicemembers in combat and support additional research in 
     this area. In lieu of the directive in House Report 116-63, 
     the agreement directs VA to continue its efforts to fund and 
     conduct research that will design and develop technology to 
     offset the effects of limb amputation, orthopedic injury and 
     disease, neuropathic pain, and other neurodegenerative 
     diseases by partnering with colleges and universities that 
     specialize in these fields and provide a report on the 
     opportunities to expand this field of inquiry within 180 days 
     of enactment of this Act.
       Cancer Moonshot.--The agreement supports the Department's 
     efforts to utilize advances in genomic science to provide 
     targeted treatment to veterans. The Department has identified 
     prostate cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and 
     colorectal cancer as areas of priority. Due to the prevalence 
     of various skin cancers among servicemembers, the agreement 
     directs that skin cancer be included as well.
       Enewetak Atoll Registry Research.--Thousands of veterans 
     served on the Enewetak Atoll to clean up the island following 
     its use for nuclear weapons testing. There are many instances 
     of veterans who conducted the cleanup suffering serious 
     health problems, such as brittle bones, cancers, and birth 
     defects in their children. The agreement urges the Department 
     to study whether there is a connection between certain 
     illnesses and the potential exposure of individuals to 
     radiation related to service at Enewetak Atoll between 
     January 1, 1977, and December 31, 1980.
       Rare Cancer Research.--The agreement encourages the 
     Department to support research to evaluate the health status 
     of servicemembers from their time of deployment to Iraq and 
     Afghanistan over many years to determine their incidence of 
     chronic diseases including cancers that tend not to show up 
     for decades. Furthermore, the Department is encouraged to 
     establish a collaboration with the Department of Defense to 
     examine the impact of rare cancers on those who serve and 
     fund research in delivering treatments for rare cancers that 
     take a platform-agnostic approach to developing new 
     therapeutics.
       Gulf War Illness Studies.--The agreement recommends that 
     the Department continue to conduct epidemiological studies 
     regarding the prevalence of Gulf War illness, morbidity, and 
     mortality in Persian Gulf War veterans and the development of 
     effective treatments, preventions, and cures. The agreement 
     urges the Department to publish disease-specific mortality 
     data related specifically to Persian Gulf War veterans and 
     encourages the Department to utilize the term, ``Gulf War 
     illness''. The agreement urges the Secretary to consider 
     revising and updating the Clinical Practice Guideline for 
     Chronic Multi-symptom Illness consistent with the July 2011 
     Veterans Health Initiative, ``Caring for Gulf War Veterans,'' 
     and to focus on recent Gulf War illness treatment research 
     findings and ongoing Gulf War illness treatment research 
     direction. Furthermore, the agreement encourages VA to 
     strengthen the training of primary, specialty, and mental 
     healthcare providers on Gulf War illness.
       VA/Department of Energy Computing Collaboration.--The 
     agreement supports ongoing research between VA and the 
     Department of Energy's National Laboratories.
       Suicide Prevention.--VA is strongly encouraged to work with 
     DOD's Military Health System to place high priority on the 
     deployment of novel and innovative technologies to prevent 
     suicides and report in the fiscal year 2021 budget request on 
     outcomes of the effort.
       Longitudinal Study of Diagnostic Tools or Biomarkers for 
     Brain Conditions.--The agreement encourages the Department to 
     devise a longitudinal study to identify and validate two non-
     survey diagnostic tools or biomarkers for brain health 
     conditions including TBI and PTSD for clinical use at VA 
     medical facilities by 2023, in coordination with the National 
     Research Action Plan. Additionally, the agreement encourages 
     VA to consider the full range of brain health conditions, and 
     to seek the consultation of non-profit and non-governmental 
     research organizations currently engaged in research for 
     servicemember and veteran brain health conditions for 
     research collaboration, identification, and validation. 
     Reports on research shall be made publicly available and 
     submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress no later than 60 days after completion.
       Rapid Cerebral Therapeutic Hypothermia.--The agreement 
     encourages the Department to determine whether VA clinicians 
     and physicians have the necessary equipment to rapidly 
     administer cerebral therapeutic hypothermia.

                    National Cemetery Administration

       The agreement provides $329,000,000 for the National 
     Cemetery Administration (NCA). Of the amount provided, not to 
     exceed 10 percent is available until September 30, 2021.
       Committal Service Shelters.--The agreement directs the 
     Department to review the feasibility and appropriateness of 
     expanding committal shelters at State veteran cemeteries to 
     be able to accommodate at least 60 people in comfort with a 
     platform and sound system for conducting services, private 
     bathrooms, and temperature control. The agreement further 
     directs the Department to provide a report to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of

[[Page H11405]]

     both Houses of Congress on the findings of this review, 
     including the cost associated with making these changes, 
     within 180 days of enactment of this Act.
       National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.--Currently, the 
     Pacific Region of the National Cemetery Administration 
     performs more annual interments than any other region, but 
     has the fewest number of national cemeteries. In order to 
     provide appropriate burial space to veterans in the Pacific, 
     the agreement directs the Department to conduct a feasibility 
     review for the creation of a new national cemetery in the 
     Pacific region, and to report the findings to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 
     180 days after enactment of this Act.

                      Departmental Administration


                         GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $355,911,000 for General 
     Administration. Of the amount provided, not to exceed 10 
     percent is available for obligation until September 30, 2021. 
     The agreement continues to include bill language permitting 
     the transfer of funds from this account to General Operating 
     Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration.
       Pro-Bono Legal Services.--The Committees support the 
     Department's work with law schools to assist veterans, which 
     helps both the students and veterans.
       Lobbying Congress.--The agreement reminds the Department 
     that lobbying Congress in support of legislation imagined by 
     VA, and not at the request for technical assistance from 
     Congress, is not an appropriate use of taxpayer resources. 
     Further, the agreement directs the Department to make all 
     central-office based employees of the Office of Public 
     Affairs receive training on the Hatch Act and its application 
     to ensure official Department resources are being used in a 
     nonpartisan manner.
       The agreement provides funding for General Administration 
     in the amounts specified below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               ($ in
                         Office                            thousands of
                                                             dollars)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Secretary.................................         $14,715
Office of General Counsel...............................         112,209
Office of Management....................................          63,992
Office of Human Resources...............................          69,813
Office of Enterprise Integration........................          28,416
Office of Operations, Security and Preparedness.........          26,037
Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs..........          12,663
Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs.........           5,900
Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction......               0
Veterans Experience Office..............................               0
Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection...          22,166
                                                         ---------------
    Total, General Administration.......................         355,911
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The Secretary may alter these allocations if the Committees 
     have been notified and written approval is provided.
       Veterans Experience Office.--The agreement provides that 
     the Office continue to be funded through reimbursable 
     agreements.


                       BOARD OF VETERANS APPEALS

       The agreement provides $182,000,000 for the Board of 
     Veterans Appeals, of which not to exceed 10 percent shall 
     remain available until September 30, 2021.
       Appeals Process.--The agreement directs the Board to 
     develop a plan to address the backlog of hearing requests, 
     which includes expanded remote access for rural veterans, and 
     to identify any necessary information technology solutions. 
     The agreement directs the Board to provide this plan to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no 
     later than 180 days after enactment of this Act.


                     INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $4,371,615,000 for the Information 
     Technology Systems account. This amount includes funding for 
     systems supporting implementation of the Blue Water Navy 
     Vietnam Veterans Act and other anticipated needs. The 
     agreement includes $1,204,238,000 for staff salaries and 
     expenses, $2,739,597,000 for operation and maintenance of 
     existing programs, and $427,780,000 for program development.
       The agreement makes not to exceed 3 percent of pay and 
     associated costs funding available until the end of fiscal 
     year 2021; not to exceed 5 percent of operations and 
     maintenance funding available until the end of fiscal year 
     2021 and all IT systems development funding available until 
     the end of fiscal year 2021.
       The agreement continues language permitting funding to be 
     transferred among the three IT subaccounts, subject to 
     approval from the Committees.
       The agreement continues language providing that funding may 
     be transferred among development projects or to new projects 
     subject to the Committees' approval.
       The agreement continues language indicating that no 
     development project may be increased or decreased by more 
     than $1,000,000 prior to receiving approval of the Committees 
     or a period of 30 days has elapsed.
       VA is dealing with an aging IT infrastructure and 
     antiquated systems that have contributed to issues affecting 
     veterans, their families, and third parties with whom VA has 
     agreements. Additionally, the Department continues to 
     identify significant IT costs to support new and critical 
     initiatives, and to comply with requirements that have been 
     passed into law. The agreement provides an increase above the 
     President's request for IT and therefore assumes that the 
     Department will, within the allocation, be able to secure an 
     appropriate IT system for the Office of Accountability and 
     Whistleblower Protection to facilitate tracking and reporting 
     on data as required by law, and be able to certify the system 
     necessary to expand the Caregivers Program. Due to the number 
     of outdated legacy systems, the agreement encourages the 
     Department to consider decommissioning systems that are no 
     longer in use and requires the Department to provide 
     notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress when such action is taken. The agreement 
     directs the Department to include in future budget 
     submissions an Information Technology Decommissioning Report 
     that outlines what legacy systems will be decommissioned 
     during the fiscal year.
       Website Accessibility.--The agreement encourages the 
     Department to review its information technology systems to 
     ensure compliance with the law (29 U.S.C. 794), encompassing 
     the Department's websites, including files attached to those 
     websites, web-based applications and kiosks at medical 
     facilities. No later than 180 days after enactment of this 
     Act, the agreement directs the Department to report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on 
     the findings of the review, as well as a plan to become 
     compliant with 29 U.S.C. 794.
       This table is intended to serve as the Department's 
     approved list of development projects; any requested changes 
     are subject to reprogramming requirements.

               INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
                            [$ in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1  Clinical Applications:
    A  My HealtheVet....................................         $10,580
    B  Healthcare Administration Systems................           9,559
    C  Health Data Interoperability.....................           8,901
    D  Registries.......................................           3,870
        Subtotal, Clinical Applications.................          32,910
2  Health Management Platform:
    A  Community Care...................................          42,868
    B  Patient Record System............................           9,789
    C  Digital Health Platform..........................           9,620
    D  Purchased Care...................................           7,060
    E  Telehealth.......................................           5,830
    F  Pharmacy.........................................           5,523
        Subtotal, Health Management Platform............          80,690
3  Benefits Systems:
    A  Veterans Customer Experience.....................          62,569
    B  Benefits Systems.................................          41,933
    C  Education Benefits...............................          17,070
    D  Veterans Benefits Management.....................          33,417
    E  C&P Claims.......................................           4,267
    F  Benefits Appeals.................................           4,067
        Subtotal Benefits Systems.......................         163,323
4  Memorial Affairs:
    A  Memorials Automation.............................          13,877
        Subtotal, Memorial Affairs......................          13,877
5  Other IT Systems
    A  Financial and Acquisition Management                       57,695
     Modernization......................................
    B  Supply Chain Management..........................          36,785
    C  Innovations......................................           6,000
        Subtotal, Other IT Systems......................         100,480
6  Cyber Security:
    A  Cyber Security...................................          16,600
        Subtotal, Cyber Security........................          16,600
7  Information/Infrastructure Management:
    A  Data Integration and Management..................          19,900
        Subtotal, Information/Infrastructure Management.          19,900
                                                         ---------------
            Total IT Development........................         427,780
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   VETERANS ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD

       The agreement provides $1,500,000,000 for Veterans 
     Electronic Health Record for activities related to the 
     development and rollout of VA's Electronic Health Record 
     Modernization (EHRM) initiative, the associated contractual 
     costs, and the salaries and expenses of employees hired under 
     titles 5 and 38, United States Code.
       EHRM Initiative.--The agreement includes a substantial 
     increase of $393,000,000 for the EHRM initiative to provide 
     benefits to veterans and better management tools for the 
     Department. While the Committees remain supportive of the 
     EHRM initiative, as with any acquisition of this size and 
     magnitude, there are implementation concerns, including 
     maintaining budget, scope, implementation and deployment 
     schedules, security, reporting, and interoperability. As 
     such, the agreement directs the Secretary to continue to 
     provide quarterly reporting of obligations, expenditures, and 
     deployment implementation by facility. Moreover, the 
     agreement directs the Department to continue quarterly 
     briefings on performance milestones, costs, and changes to 
     implementation and management plans. The bill maintains a 
     provision that prohibits obligation of funds inconsistent 
     with deployment schedules provided to the Committees on 
     Appropriations. Henceforth, the Secretary is directed to 
     provide an accurate, up-to-date deployment schedule at each 
     quarterly briefing. The Secretary is not provided transfer 
     authority, as requested, and is directed to continue using 
     this account as the sole source of funding within the 
     Department for EHRM. Further, the agreement continues to 
     direct the Secretary to manage EHRM at the headquarters level 
     in the Office of the Deputy Secretary.

[[Page H11406]]

       Government Accountability Office (GAO) Review.--The 
     agreement continues the fiscal year 2019 directive to GAO to 
     conduct quarterly performance reviews of EHRM deployment and 
     to report to the Committees on Appropriations each quarter.
       VA/DOD Interoperability.--The need for a fully functional, 
     adaptable and interoperable electronic health record system 
     cannot be understated, especially as VA shifts its model of 
     care to include the expanded use of community providers. 
     However, the Department and DOD do not appear to be placing 
     sufficient priority and urgency on this matter. As such, VA 
     and DOD are directed to expeditiously utilize the joint 
     Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Program Office 
     to establish clear and agreed-upon metrics and goals for 
     interoperability, as well as timeframes for meeting these 
     goals. The Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization 
     Program Office is directed to incorporate metrics, goals, and 
     timeframes in the joint office's charter and to provide the 
     charter to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress within 30 days of enactment of this Act. The 
     Secretary is directed to provide updates from the joint 
     office, including any plans to alter its charter or 
     processes, in the quarterly reports and briefings provided to 
     the Committees on Appropriations.


                      OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

       The agreement provides $210,000,000 for the Office of 
     Inspector General, which is $3,000,000 above the request. Of 
     the amount provided, not to exceed 10 percent is available 
     for obligation until September 30, 2021. The additional funds 
     are provided to ensure robust oversight regarding 
     implementation of the VA MISSION Act and the Electronic 
     Health Record Modernization initiative.
       The Inspector General is strongly encouraged to undertake 
     and complete investigations in a timely manner and share 
     information with the Department, the Department of Justice, 
     and other entities as appropriate.
       Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center.--The 
     agreement urges the Inspector General to dedicate all 
     necessary resources to provide rigorous oversight of the 
     Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a facility 
     that has been plagued with management problems.


                      CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS

       The agreement provides $1,235,200,000 for Construction, 
     Major Projects. The agreement makes this funding available 
     for five years, except that $198,600,000 is made available 
     until expended, of which $35,000,000 shall be available for 
     seismic improvement projects.
       Challenges in Executing Construction Projects.--The 
     Committees are concerned by VA's inability to execute 
     appropriated construction dollars in a timely manner. Based 
     on its annual Strategic Capital Investment Planning process, 
     VA's capital needs over the next 10 years may require 
     resources up to $72,000,000,000 to address. However, VA has 
     been challenged to execute even a small fraction of that 
     amount in a given fiscal year. Therefore, the agreement 
     directs VA to provide within 240 days of enactment of this 
     Act a written report outlining VA's short- and long-term 
     plans to expand and strengthen its internal and contract 
     capacity to execute its construction budget across major, 
     minor, non-recurring maintenance, and leasing projects 
     efficiently and effectively. This report should provide a 
     holistic, VA-wide strategic plan incorporating the needs of 
     VHA, the Office of Acquisition, Logistics & Construction, the 
     Office of Management, and other relevant VA administrations/
     offices, to address the issue, including long-term staffing 
     needs, the cost of any temporary spaces, any legislative and 
     organizational changes, and requirements to improve and 
     streamline. The report should also look at the accuracy of 
     cost estimates used for planning construction and leasing 
     projects, the impact of underestimating costs on project 
     timeframes, and any actions that can be taken to improve the 
     accuracy of estimates of future projects to ensure timely 
     execution.
       Communities Helping Invest through Property and 
     Improvements Needed for Veterans Pilot.--The agreement 
     encourages the Department to utilize the authority granted by 
     the Communities Helping Invest through Property and 
     Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-
     294) to fulfill the Congressional intent and initiate 
     additional projects. Additionally, the Committees believe 
     that the Department should prioritize projects that result in 
     a public-private partnership between VA and a non-Federal 
     entity. In doing so, the agreement strongly encourages the 
     Department to look at projects that would avoid VA 
     duplicating services, and rather address gaps in necessary 
     services for veterans.
       The agreement funds the following items as requested in the 
     budget submission:

                      CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS
                            [$ in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Location                    Description          Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veterans Health Administration
 (VHA):
New York, NY......................  Manhattan VAMC Flood        $150,000
                                     Recovery.
Bay Pines, FL.....................  Inpatient/Outpatient          30,000
                                     Improvements.
San Juan, PR......................  Seismic Corrections--         30,000
                                     Building #1.
San Diego, CA.....................  SCI & Seismic                 20,000
                                     Corrections.
Reno, NV..........................  Correct Seismic               10,000
                                     Deficiencies &
                                     Expand Clinical
                                     Services Building.
Louisville, KY....................  New Medical Facility         410,000
West Los Angeles, CA..............  Build New Critical            25,000
                                     Care Center.
Alameda, CA.......................  Outpatient Clinic &           26,000
                                     National Cemetery.
Advance Planning and Design Fund..  Various Stations....          72,000
Asbestos..........................  Various Stations....          12,000
Construction and Facilities         Various Stations....          88,700
 Management Staff.
Judgment Fund.....................  Various Stations....          25,000
Non-Dept. Fed. Entity Project       Various Stations....         120,000
 Management Support.
Seismic Corrections...............  Various Stations....          35,000
    Subotal, VHA..................  ....................       1,053,700
National Cemetery Administration
 (NCA):
Bayamon, PR.......................  Replacement Cemetery          10,000
                                     (Morovis).
Riverside, CA.....................  Gravesite Expansion            3,000
                                     & Cemetery
                                     Improvements.
Elmira, NY........................  Western New York              10,000
                                     Cemetery.
Houston, TX.......................  Gravesite Expansion.          34,000
Bourne, MA........................  Massachusetts Phase           32,000
                                     4 Expansion.
Dallas, TX........................  Dallas National               28,000
                                     Cemetery Expansion.
Advance Planning and Design Fund..  ....................          35,000
NCA Land Acquisition..............  ....................          20,000
    Subtotal, NCA.................  ....................         172,000
General Admin.....................  Staff Offices                  9,500
                                     Advance Planning
                                     Fund.
                                   -------------------------------------
    Major Construction, Total.....  ....................       1,235,200
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      CONSTRUCTION, MINOR PROJECTS

       The agreement provides $398,800,000 for Construction, Minor 
     Projects. The agreement makes this funding available for five 
     years.
       The agreement encourages the Department to prioritize 
     construction for expanding gender-specific care for women and 
     mental health programs. The Department is directed to provide 
     an expenditure plan to the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress no later than 30 days after enactment 
     of this Act for the amount appropriated for minor 
     construction.


       GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF STATE EXTENDED CARE FACILITIES

       The agreement provides $90,000,000 for Grants for 
     Construction of State Extended Care Facilities, to remain 
     available until expended.


             GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VETERANS CEMETERIES

       The agreement provides $45,000,000 for Grants for 
     Construction of Veterans Cemeteries, to remain available 
     until expended.
  


                       Administrative Provisions


             (INCLUDING TRANSFERS AND RESCISSIONS OF FUNDS)

       The agreement includes section 201 allowing for the 
     transfer of funds among the three mandatory accounts.
       The agreement includes section 202 allowing for the 
     transfer of funds among the four medical accounts.
       The agreement includes section 203 allowing salaries and 
     expenses funds to be used for the hire of passenger vehicles, 
     lease of facilities or land, and purchase of uniforms.
       The agreement includes section 204 restricting the accounts 
     that may be used for the acquisition of land or the 
     construction of any new hospital or home.
       The agreement includes section 205 limiting the use of 
     funds in the Medical Services account only for entitled 
     beneficiaries unless reimbursement is made to the Department.
       The agreement includes section 206 allowing for the use of 
     certain mandatory appropriations accounts for payment of 
     prior year accrued obligations for those accounts.
       The agreement includes section 207 allowing the use of 
     appropriations available in this title to pay prior year 
     obligations.
       The agreement includes section 208 allowing the Department 
     to use surplus earnings from the National Service Life 
     Insurance Fund, the Veterans' Special Life Insurance Fund, 
     and the United States Government Life Insurance Fund to 
     administer these programs.
  

       The agreement includes section 209 allowing the Department 
     to cover the administrative expenses of enhanced-use leases 
     and provides authority to obligate these reimbursements in 
     the year in which the proceeds are received.
       The agreement includes section 210 limiting the amount of 
     reimbursement the Office of Resolution Management, the Office 
     of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, and the 
     Office of Diversity and Inclusion can charge other offices of 
     the Department for services provided.
       The agreement includes section 211 requiring the Department 
     to collect third-party payer information for persons treated 
     for a non-service-connected disability.

[[Page H11407]]

       The agreement includes section 212 allowing for the use of 
     enhanced-use leasing revenues for Construction, Major 
     Projects and Construction, Minor Projects.
       The agreement includes section 213 outlining authorized 
     uses for Medical Services funds.
       The agreement includes section 214 allowing for funds 
     deposited into the Medical Care Collections Fund to be 
     transferred to the Medical Services and Medical Community 
     Care accounts.
       The agreement includes section 215 which allows Alaskan 
     veterans to use medical facilities of the Indian Health 
     Service or tribal organizations.
       The agreement includes section 216 permitting the transfer 
     of funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs Capital 
     Asset Fund to the Construction, Major Projects and 
     Construction, Minor Projects accounts and makes those funds 
     available until expended.
       The agreement includes section 217 requiring the Secretary 
     to submit financial status quarterly reports for each of the 
     Administrations in the Department. The specific data 
     requested is similar to that requested in the fiscal year 
     2017 conference report.
       The agreement includes section 218 requiring the Department 
     to notify and receive approval from the Committees of any 
     proposed transfer of funding to or from the Information 
     Technology Systems account and limits the aggregate annual 
     increase in the account to no more than 10 percent of the 
     funding appropriated to the account in this Act.
       The agreement includes section 219 providing up to 
     $314,409,000 of specified fiscal year 2020 funds for transfer 
     to the Joint DOD-VA Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
       The agreement includes section 220 which permits up to 
     $322,931,000 of specified fiscal year 2021 medical care 
     funding provided in advance to be transferred to the Joint 
     DOD-VA Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
       The agreement includes section 221 which authorizes 
     transfers from the Medical Care Collections Fund to the Joint 
     DOD-VA Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
       The agreement includes section 222 which transfers at least 
     $15,000,000 from VA medical accounts to the DOD-VA Health 
     Care Sharing Incentive Fund.
       The agreement includes section 223 prohibiting funds from 
     being used to replace the current system by which VISNs 
     select and contract for diabetes monitoring supplies and 
     equipment.
       The agreement includes section 224 requiring that the 
     Department notify the Committees of bid savings in a major 
     construction project of at least $5,000,000, or 5 percent, 
     whichever is less, 14 days prior to the obligation of the bid 
     savings and describe their anticipated use.
       The agreement includes section 225 which prohibits VA from 
     increasing the scope of work for a major construction project 
     above the scope specified in the original budget request 
     unless the Secretary receives approval from the Committees.
       The agreement includes section 226 requiring a quarterly 
     report from each VBA regional office on pending disability 
     claims, both initial and supplemental; error rates; the 
     number of claims processing personnel; corrective actions 
     taken; training programs; and review team audit results. It 
     also requires a quarterly report on the number of appeals 
     pending at the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Board 
     of Veterans Appeals.
       The agreement includes section 227 requiring VA to notify 
     the Committees 15 days prior to any staff office relocations 
     within VA of 25 or more full-time-equivalent staff.
       The agreement includes section 228 requiring the Secretary 
     to report to the Committees each quarter about any single 
     national outreach and awareness marketing campaign exceeding 
     $1,000,000.
       The agreement includes section 229 permitting the transfer 
     to the Medical Services account of fiscal year discretionary 
     2020 funds appropriated in this Act or available from advance 
     fiscal year 2020 funds already appropriated, except for funds 
     appropriated to General Operating Expenses, VBA, to address 
     possible unmet, high priority needs in Medical Services, upon 
     approval of the Committees.
       The agreement includes section 230 permitting the transfer 
     of funding between the General Operating Expenses, Veterans 
     Benefits Administration account and the Board of Veterans 
     Appeals account upon approval of the Committees.
       The agreement includes section 231 prohibiting the 
     Secretary from reprogramming funds in excess of $7,000,000 
     among major construction projects or programs unless the 
     reprogramming is approved by the Committees.
       The agreement includes section 232 mandating certain 
     professional standards for the veterans crisis hotline and 
     requiring a study to assess its effectiveness.
       The agreement includes section 233 restricting funds from 
     being used to close medical facilities in the absence of a 
     national realignment strategy.
       The agreement includes section 234 prohibiting the use of 
     funds, from the period October 1, 2018 through January 1, 
     2024, in contravention of VHA's May 10, 2017 guidelines on 
     breast cancer screening.
       The agreement includes section 235 addressing the use of 
     funding for assisted reproductive technology treatment and 
     adoption reimbursement.
       The agreement includes section 236 prohibiting any funds 
     from being used in a manner that is inconsistent with 
     statutory limitations on outsourcing.
       The agreement includes section 237 pertaining to exceptions 
     for Indian- or Native Hawaiian-owned businesses contracting 
     with VA.
       The agreement includes section 238 directing the 
     elimination over a series of years of the use of social 
     security numbers in VA programs.
       The agreement includes section 239 referencing the 
     provision in the 2017 Appropriations Act pertaining to 
     certification of marriage and family therapists.
       The agreement includes section 240, which prohibits funds 
     from being used to transfer funding from the Filipino 
     Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to any other VA account.
       The agreement includes section 241 permitting funding to be 
     used in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to carry out and expand 
     the child care pilot program authorized by section 205 of 
     Public Law 111-163.
       The agreement includes section 242 prohibiting VA from 
     using funds to enter into an agreement to resolve a dispute 
     or claim with an individual that would restrict the 
     individual from speaking to members of Congress or their 
     staff on any topic, except those required to be kept secret 
     in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign 
     affairs.
       The agreement includes section 243 referencing language in 
     the 2017 Appropriations Act requiring certain data to be 
     included in budget justifications for major construction 
     projects.
       The agreement includes section 244 prohibiting the use of 
     funds to deny the Inspector General timely access to 
     information, unless a provision of law expressly refers to 
     the Inspector General and expressly limits such access.
       The agreement includes section 245 referencing language in 
     the 2017 Appropriations Act regarding the verification of 
     service for coastwise merchant seamen.
       The agreement includes section 246 requiring the ratio of 
     veterans to full-time employment equivalents in any 
     rehabilitation program not to exceed 125 veterans to one 
     full-time employment equivalent.
       The agreement includes section 247 prohibiting funding from 
     being used in a manner that would increase wait times for 
     veterans at medical facilities.
       The agreement includes section 248 prohibiting the use of 
     funds in fiscal year 2020 to convert any program which 
     received specific purpose funds in fiscal year 2019 to a 
     general purpose-funded program without the approval of the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at 
     least 30 days prior to any such action.
       The agreement includes section 249 addressing animal 
     research at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       The agreement includes section 250 prohibiting the closure 
     of the CBOC in Bainbridge, New York until the Secretary 
     submits a completed market area assessment to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
       The agreement includes section 251 directing VA to submit a 
     plan to reduce the chances that clinical mistakes by VA 
     employees will result in adverse events that require 
     institutional or clinical disclosures.
       The agreement includes section 252 requiring the Department 
     to update the Planning and Activating CBOC handbook every 
     five years and provide guidance and training to employees on 
     each update of the handbook.
       The agreement includes section 253 rescinding funds.
       The agreement includes section 254 extending the VSO 
     wellness pilot program authorized in section 252 of the 
     Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 155-141) until 
     2022.
       The agreement includes section 255 rescinding unobligated 
     emergency supplemental funds.
       The agreement includes section 256 to allow fiscal year 
     2020 and 2021 ``Medical Community Care'' funds to be used to 
     cover obligations that otherwise would be paid by the 
     Veterans Choice Fund, if necessary.
       The agreement includes section 257 clarifying fiscal year 
     2020 ``Medical Services'' funds should not be used for aid to 
     State homes.

                               TITLE III

                            RELATED AGENCIES

                  American Battle Monuments Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $84,100,000 for Salaries and 
     Expenses of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), 
     an increase of $9,000,000 above the budget request to support 
     ABMC's unfunded requirements for high-priority projects and 
     address the maintenance backlog at existing monuments and 
     cemeteries. The additional funds are provided to accelerate 
     the Commission's five-year plan, not only to maintain the 
     cemeteries and monuments honoring America's war dead, but 
     also to preserve and communicate these veterans' stories of 
     courage and sacrifice.
       American Battle Monuments Commission.--On October 22, 2018, 
     ABMC submitted a plan to spend $28,900,000 in additional 
     funding that Congress appropriated in fiscal year 2019 to 
     support ABMC's unfunded cemetery requirements. ABMC's plan 
     includes $20,400,000 for the Honolulu interpretive center at 
     the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the 
     ``Punchbowl.'' The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has 
     identified a site for the interpretive center adjacent to its 
     administrative facility that will

[[Page H11408]]

     serve ABMC's interpretive mission without affecting burial 
     space inside the cemetery. ABMC is directed, in conjunction 
     with NCA, to execute the funding appropriated for projects 
     identified in its October 2018 spend plan to Congress and to 
     complete the proposed siting and construction feasibility 
     evaluation at the administrative facility-adjacent location 
     to ensure the interpretive center remains in balance with the 
     long-term mission and legacy of the Punchbowl.


                 FOREIGN CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides such sums as necessary for the 
     Foreign Currency Fluctuations Account.

           united states court of appeals for veterans claims


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $35,400,000 for Salaries and 
     Expenses for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans 
     Claims.

                      DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--CIVIL

                       Cemeterial Expenses, Army


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $80,800,000 for Cemeterial Expenses, 
     Army.--Salaries and Expenses. This amount is equal to the 
     fiscal year 2019 enacted level and $10,000,000 above the 
     budget request. Within that amount, up to $15,000,000 in 
     funding is available until September 30, 2022.
       The budget request for Arlington National Cemetery's 
     operating account has been held artificially flat for a 
     number of years, and this action is having a deleterious 
     effect on the Cemetery's performance and ability to meet its 
     mission. It is unacceptable that the Cemetery's budget 
     requests are continually inadequate to maintain the current 
     level of services. The Cemetery cannot be under-resourced, 
     and accordingly, the bill provides an additional $10,000,000 
     to correct this deficiency.
       This agreement reflects unwavering support for the Cemetery 
     and the successful completion of the Cemetery's truly unique 
     and honored mission. Accordingly, the Secretary of the Army 
     is again directed to include this increase in the Cemetery's 
     baseline budget and ensure future budget requests provide 
     ample resources for the Cemetery, including funding to 
     complete the planned Southern Expansion and ensure that the 
     life of our Nation's most prestigious cemetery is extended 
     into the 2050 timeframe.


                      ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME

                               TRUST FUND

       The agreement provides a total of $75,300,000 for the Armed 
     Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), an increase of $11,000,000 
     above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and the budget 
     request. The increase is intended to support high-priority 
     capital projects.
       AFRH-W Development.--The Committees recognize the critical 
     role of AFRH in providing residences and related services for 
     certain retired and former members of the Armed Forces and 
     support AFRH's efforts to lease 80 acres of underutilized 
     land on its Washington, D.C., campus. AFRH is directed to 
     submit quarterly reports to the Committees on Appropriations 
     of both Houses of Congress outlining the redevelopment 
     progress against the AFRH-W Master Plan, including the status 
     of the lease negotiations and the financial transparency of 
     the development project.


                        ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

       The agreement includes section 301 allowing Arlington 
     National Cemetery to deposit and use funds derived from 
     concessions.

                                TITLE IV

                    Overseas Contingency Operations


                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

       The agreement includes title IV, Overseas Contingency 
     Operations, for military construction projects related to the 
     Global War on Terrorism and the European Deterrence/
     Reassurance Initiative.


                      MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY

       The agreement includes $111,968,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Army'', for planning and design and 
     construction in support of Overseas Contingency Operations 
     and the European Deterrence/Reassurance Initiative.


              MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

       The agreement includes $94,570,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', for planning and 
     design and construction in support of Overseas Contingency 
     Operations and the European Deterrence/Reassurance 
     Initiative.


                    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE

       The agreement includes $391,988,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Air Force'', for planning and design and 
     construction in support of Overseas Contingency Operations 
     and the European Deterrence/Reassurance Initiative.


                  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE

       The agreement includes $46,000,000 for ``Military 
     Construction, Defense-Wide'', for planning and design and 
     construction in support of Overseas Contingency Operations 
     and the European Deterrence/Reassurance Initiative.


                        ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

       The agreement includes section 401 which requires the 
     Department of Defense to provide a future year defense 
     program for European Deterrence/Reassurance Initiative to the 
     congressional defense committees.

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                                TITLE V

                        Natural Disaster Relief


                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

              MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

       The agreement includes $3,477,000,000 for ``Navy and Marine 
     Corps'' for military construction and planning and design for 
     damages related to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, flooding 
     and earthquakes in fiscal year 2019.


                    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE

       The agreement includes $2,605,200,000 for ``Air Force'' for 
     military construction and planning and design for damages 
     related to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, flooding and 
     earthquakes in fiscal year 2019.


                  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE

       The agreement includes $77,175,000 for ``Defense-Wide'' for 
     military construction and planning and design for damages 
     related to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, flooding and 
     earthquakes in fiscal year 2019.


               MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

       The agreement includes $66,000,000 for ``Army National 
     Guard'' for military construction and planning and design for 
     damages related to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and 
     flooding, tornadoes and earthquakes in fiscal year 2019.


                  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY RESERVE

       The agreement includes $3,300,000 for ``Army Reserve'' 
     military construction and planning and design for damages 
     related to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, flooding and 
     earthquakes in fiscal year 2019.


                        ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

       The agreement includes section 501 that notwithstanding any 
     other provision of law, funds made available in this title 
     shall only be used for the purposes as described under this 
     heading.

                                TITLE VI

                           General Provisions

       The agreement includes section 601 prohibiting the 
     obligation of funds in this Act beyond the current fiscal 
     year unless expressly so provided.
       The agreement includes section 602 prohibiting the use of 
     the funds in this Act for programs, projects, or activities 
     not in compliance with Federal law relating to risk 
     assessment, the protection of private property rights, or 
     unfunded mandates.
       The agreement includes section 603 encouraging all 
     Departments to expand their use of ``E-Commerce.''
       The agreement includes section 604 specifying the 
     congressional committees that are to receive all reports and 
     notifications.
       The agreement includes section 605 prohibiting the transfer 
     of funds to any instrumentality of the United States 
     Government without authority from an appropriations Act.
       The agreement includes section 606 prohibiting the use of 
     funds for a project or program named for a serving Member, 
     Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the United States House 
     of Representatives.
       The agreement includes section 607 requiring all reports 
     submitted to Congress to be posted on official web sites of 
     the submitting agency.
       The agreement includes section 608 prohibiting the use of 
     funds to establish or maintain a computer network unless such 
     network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of 
     pornography, except for law enforcement investigation, 
     prosecution, or adjudication activities.
       The agreement includes section 609 prohibiting the use of 
     funds for the payment of first-class air travel by an 
     employee of the executive branch.
       The agreement includes section 610 prohibiting the use of 
     funds in this Act for any contract where the contractor has 
     not complied with E-Verify requirements.
       The agreement includes section 611 prohibiting the use of 
     funds in this Act by the Department of Defense or the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs for the purchase or lease of a 
     new vehicle except in accordance with Presidential 
     Memorandum--Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.
       The agreement includes section 612 that any reference to 
     ``this Act'' contained in this division shall only apply to 
     this division.
       The agreement includes section 613 prohibiting these funds 
     to be used to close facilities under 2687 U.S.C., title 10.
       The agreement includes section 614 prohibiting the use of 
     funds in this Act for the renovation, expansion, or 
     construction of any facility in the continental United States 
     for the purpose of housing any individual who has been 
     detained at the United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, 
     Cuba.

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[[Page H11426]]

  


   DIVISION G--DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED 
                   PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

       In implementing this agreement, Federal departments, 
     agencies, commissions, and other entities are directed to 
     comply with the directives, reporting requirements, and 
     instructions contained in H. Rept. 116-78 (House report) 
     accompanying H.R. 2839 and incorporated by reference by 
     section 7066 in division D of H.R. 2740 (House bill) and S. 
     Rept. 116-126 (Senate report) accompanying S. 2583 (Senate 
     bill) as though stated in this explanatory statement, unless 
     specifically directed to the contrary.
       This explanatory statement, while repeating some House and 
     Senate report language for emphasis or clarification, does 
     not negate language in such reports unless expressly provided 
     herein. Language expressing an opinion or making an 
     observation in the House or Senate reports represents the 
     view of the respective committee unless specifically endorsed 
     in this explanatory statement. In cases in which the House 
     and Senate reports provide contradictory directives or 
     instructions that are not addressed in this explanatory 
     statement, such directives or instructions are negated.
       Reports required to be submitted pursuant to the Act, 
     including reports required by this explanatory statement and 
     the House and Senate reports, may not be consolidated to 
     include responses to multiple requirements in a single 
     report, except following consultation with the Committees on 
     Appropriations.
       In lieu of the tables and allocations of funding contained 
     in the House and Senate reports, the tables and allocations 
     contained in this explanatory statement shall guide 
     departments, agencies, commissions, and other entities when 
     allocating funds.
       Section 7019 of the Act requires that amounts designated in 
     the respective tables included in this explanatory statement 
     for funds appropriated in titles III through V, including 
     tables in title VII, shall be made available at not less than 
     such designated amounts, unless otherwise provided for in the 
     Act, and shall be the basis of the report required by section 
     653(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, where 
     applicable. The Act provides that the amounts designated in 
     the tables shall be made available notwithstanding the date 
     of the transmission of such report. Section 7019 also 
     includes limited authority to deviate not more than 10 
     percent below such designated amounts and continues language 
     similar to prior fiscal years including certain exceptions to 
     the requirements of the section.
  

       Proposed deviations from tables in titles I and II in this 
     explanatory statement are subject to the regular notification 
     procedures of the Committees on Appropriations, unless an 
     exception or deviation authority is specifically provided 
     herein.
       For purposes of this explanatory statement, the term 
     ``prior Acts'' means prior Acts making appropriations for the 
     Department of State, foreign operations, and related 
     programs. In addition, ``division F of Public Law 116-6'', 
     means the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and 
     Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019.
       For purposes of the Act and this explanatory statement, the 
     term ``regular notification procedures of the Committees on 
     Appropriations'' means such Committees are notified not less 
     than 15 days in advance of the obligation of funds. The 
     Secretary of State and United States Agency for International 
     Development (USAID) Administrator are directed to submit 
     notifications for the obligation of funds made available by 
     the Act and prior Acts not later than 90 days prior to the 
     expiration of such funds.
       Congressional notifications submitted by the heads of the 
     relevant Federal agencies contained in the Act for funds that 
     are being reallocated prior to initial obligation, 
     reprogrammed, or reobligated after deobligation, shall, to 
     the maximum extent practicable, contain detailed information 
     about the sources of the funds and why such funds are no 
     longer needed or intended to be used as previously justified.
       For purposes of the Act and this explanatory statement, the 
     term ``prior consultation'' means a pre-decisional engagement 
     between a relevant Federal agency and the Committees on 
     Appropriations during which the Committees are provided a 
     meaningful opportunity to provide facts and opinions to 
     inform: (1) the use of funds; (2) the development, content, 
     or conduct of a program or activity; or (3) a decision to be 
     taken. Direction to consult with the ``Committee'' in either 
     the House or Senate reports shall mean to consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations.
       Notwithstanding authority included in any provision of the 
     Act shall not be construed to exclude the requirements of 
     such provision.
       In the Act, the term ``stabilization assistance'' has the 
     same meaning as defined by the Stabilization Assistance 
     Review in ``A Framework for Maximizing the Effectiveness of 
     U.S. Government Efforts to Stabilize Conflict-Affected Areas, 
     2018.''
       Similar to prior fiscal years, funding is made available 
     and designated as Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War 
     on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) pursuant to the Balanced Budget and 
     Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (BBEDCA) in the Act. 
     Such funds are intended to address the extraordinary costs of 
     operations and assistance in countries in conflict and areas 
     of instability and violence, particularly for security, 
     stabilization, and peacekeeping programs; humanitarian 
     activities; and counterterrorism and counterinsurgency 
     efforts. The Act does not contain or establish a regional 
     limitation on use of OCO/GWOT.
  

       The Secretary of State shall comply with the directive 
     under section 7015 in the House report regarding the transfer 
     or release of any individuals detained at Naval Station, 
     Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in the manner described.
       The agreement maintains the traditional uses and placement 
     in title III for the Development Assistance and Economic 
     Support Fund accounts.
       The Director of the Peace Corps shall inform the Secretary 
     of State prior to opening, closing, significantly reducing, 
     or suspending an overseas office or country program, which 
     will help strengthen communication and coordination of United 
     States policy overseas.
       Not later than 60 days after the release of any foreign 
     assistance review or realignment prepared or conducted by the 
     National Security Council, Office of Management and Budget, 
     Department of State, or USAID, or any combination thereof, 
     the Comptroller General of the United States shall provide an 
     assessment of such review or realignment to the appropriate 
     congressional committees, including an analysis of the 
     methodology used to determine any recommendations included in 
     such foreign assistance review or realignment. Each 
     assessment shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 
     include a classified annex.
       The agreement directs the Department of State to fully 
     restore $40,026,539 in Economic Support Fund that lapsed at 
     the end of fiscal year 2019 due to apportionment and 
     obligation delays, including $35,379,246 for the Bureau of 
     Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). Such programs shall 
     be funded at not less than the previously planned levels and 
     are in addition to any amounts identified for fiscal years 
     2019 and 2020 programs.

                                TITLE I

                 DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND RELATED AGENCY

                          DEPARTMENT OF STATE

                   Administration of Foreign Affairs

       The agreement provides $12,197,058,000 for Administration 
     of Foreign Affairs, of which $3,105,109,000 is designated for 
     OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA. The agreement includes a total 
     of $6,071,348,000 for embassy security, as contained in the 
     table below:

                            EMBASSY SECURITY
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Budget
                      Account/Program                         Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worldwide Security Protection..............................    4,095,899
Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance............    1,975,449
                                                            ------------
    Total..................................................    6,071,348
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          Diplomatic Programs

       The agreement provides $9,125,687,000 for Diplomatic 
     Programs, of which $2,626,122,000 is designated for OCO/GWOT 
     pursuant to BBEDCA.
  

       Within the total provided under this heading, up to 
     $4,095,899,000 is for Worldwide Security Protection (WSP) and 
     may remain available until expended; and $5,029,788,000 is 
     for operations, of which $754,468,000 may remain available 
     until September 30, 2021.
       Funds appropriated by the Act for activities, bureaus, and 
     offices under this heading are allocated according to the 
     following table:

                           DIPLOMATIC PROGRAMS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Category                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Resources.......................................         2,896,063
    Worldwide Security Protection.....................         [509,782]
Overseas Programs.....................................         1,840,143
Diplomatic Policy and Support.........................           780,057
Security Programs.....................................         3,609,424
    Worldwide Security Protection.....................       [3,586,117]
                                                       -----------------
        Total.........................................         9,125,687
------------------------------------------------------------------------


                              BUREAU/OFFICE
               [Includes salary and bureau-managed funds]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau of Administration..............................
    Freedom of Information Act........................          [33,960]
Cultural Antiquities Task Force.......................             1,000
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor..........            42,500
    Human Rights Vetting..............................          [10,000]
    International Freedom of Expression...............           [2,500]
    Atrocities Prevention Training....................             [500]
    Management and Oversight Programs.................           [5,000]
Implementation of Global Magnitsky Human Rights                    [500]
 Accountability Act...................................
    Special Advisor for International Disability                   [750]
     Rights...........................................
    Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI                    [250]
     Persons..........................................
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs...............
    Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues..             [750]
Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs...............
    Office of Terrorism Financing and Economic                   [6,100]
     Sanctions Policy.................................
    Implementation of Global Magnitsky Human Rights                [500]
     Accountability Act...............................
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and              41,859
 Scientific Affairs...................................

[[Page H11427]]

 
    Office of Oceans and Polar Affairs................           [5,121]
    of which, Special Representative for the Arctic                [438]
     Region...........................................
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs..................
    Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement...........           [3,609]
Office of International Religious Freedom.............             8,500
    Religious freedom curriculum development..........             [600]
Office of the Legal Advisor...........................
    Document Review Unit..............................           [2,889]
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons...            16,000
Office of the Secretary...............................
    Office of Global Women's Issues...................           [8,000]
    Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for                 [1,250]
     Hostage Affairs..................................
    Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues............           [1,000]
    Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism........             [500]
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Funds allocated for offices and programs under the bureaus 
     listed in the table under this heading that exceed the 2020 
     congressional budget justification (CBJ) levels for such 
     offices and programs are in addition to funds otherwise made 
     available for such bureaus.
       Global Engagement Center.--The agreement provides up to 
     $60,000,000 for the Global Engagement Center to counter state 
     and non-state propaganda and disinformation, including not 
     less than $5,000,000 from funds made available by the Act for 
     the Countering Chinese Influence Fund.
  

       Office of International Religious Freedom.--The agreement 
     recognizes the recent merger of the Office of International 
     Religious Freedom, which integrated the functions of several 
     advisory positions. Funds for the activities of the Special 
     Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South 
     Central Asia are included in the total funding provided for 
     the Office of International Religious Freedom.
       Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.--The 
     agreement includes $16,000,000 for the Office to Monitor and 
     Combat Trafficking in Persons for support of activities and 
     directives described in the House and Senate reports, 
     including additional staffing.
       Procurement.--The agreement endorses the directive in the 
     House report under this heading with respect to procurement, 
     except that such directive shall include veteran-owned 
     businesses.
       Public Diplomacy.--The agreement includes funds to support 
     public diplomacy programs. The Secretary of State is directed 
     to include projected funding levels for public diplomacy in 
     the operating plan required by section 7061(a) of the Act.
       Workforce Diversity.--The Secretary of State shall submit a 
     workforce diversity report as described in the House and 
     Senate reports not later than 60 days after enactment of the 
     Act.


                        CAPITAL INVESTMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $139,500,000 for Capital Investment 
     Fund.


                      OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

       The agreement provides $90,829,000 for Office of Inspector 
     General, of which $13,624,000 may remain available until 
     September 30, 2021, and an additional $54,900,000 for the 
     Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction 
     (SIGAR).
  

       SIGAR Assessments.--SIGAR is directed to consult with the 
     Inspectors General of the Department of State and USAID and 
     any other United States Government office providing oversight 
     of contributions to multilateral trust funds in Afghanistan 
     prior to conducting an assessment as described under this 
     heading in the Senate report.


               EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

       The agreement provides $730,700,000 for Educational and 
     Cultural Exchange Programs, of which not less than 
     $272,000,000 is for the Fulbright Program and $111,860,000 is 
     for the Citizen Exchange Program. Funds under this heading 
     are allocated according to the following table:

                   EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Program/Activity                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Academic Programs
    Fulbright Program.................................           272,000
    Global Academic Exchanges.........................            62,960
    English Language Programs.........................          [45,200]
    Special Academic Exchanges........................            17,875
    Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship Program.          [16,000]
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal..........................................           352,835
Professional and Cultural Exchanges
    International Visitor Program.....................           104,000
    Citizen Exchange Program..........................           111,860
    Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange.................           [4,125]
    Special Professional and Cultural Exchanges.......             5,700
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal..........................................           221,560
Special Initiatives
    Young Leaders Initiatives.........................            34,400
    Young African Leaders Initiative..................          [20,000]
    Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative..........           [7,800]
    Young Leaders in the Americas Initiative..........           [6,600]
    Countering State Disinformation and Pressure......            12,000
    Civil Society Exchange Program....................             5,000
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal..........................................            51,400
Programs from IIP-PA Merger...........................            27,855
Program and Performance...............................             9,050
Exchanges Support.....................................            68,000
                                                       -----------------
        Total.........................................           730,700
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The Secretary of State shall include in the operating plan 
     required by section 7061(a) of the Act the information listed 
     under this heading in the House and Senate reports.
       Countering State Disinformation and Pressure.--The 
     agreement includes $12,000,000 under this heading to counter 
     state-sponsored disinformation and hybrid threats, promote 
     democracy, and support exchanges with countries facing state-
     sponsored disinformation and pressure campaigns, particularly 
     in Europe and Eurasia.
       Citizen Exchange Program.--Funds made available for the 
     Citizen Exchange Program are intended for the purposes 
     described under this heading in the House report.
       Civil Society Exchange Program.--The agreement provides 
     $5,000,000 under this heading for a new Civil Society 
     Exchange Program for the purposes specified under this 
     heading in the Senate report. The Assistant Secretary for the 
     Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Department 
     of State, shall consult and coordinate with the relevant 
     bureaus and offices of the Department of State and USAID, 
     including DRL, on the design and implementation of such 
     program and to ensure the activities complement ongoing 
     programs of such bureaus.
       Fulbright Program.--The agreement continues the higher 
     funding levels appropriated in fiscal year 2019 under this 
     heading for the Fulbright Program for Afghanistan, Egypt, and 
     Pakistan.
  

       McCain Scholars and Fellowship Programs.--The agreement 
     includes funding for the McCain Scholars and Fellowship 
     Programs as described in the Senate report.
       Program Evaluations.-- The agreement includes not less than 
     $3,450,000 for the Evaluation Program, which is above the 
     fiscal year 2019 enacted level. The additional amount is made 
     available to augment support of independent external 
     evaluations of exchange programs and fund a strategic review 
     of the internal structure and program management of the ECA 
     Bureau as specified under this heading in the Senate report. 
     The ECA Assistant Secretary shall report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations on the implementation of such requirements not 
     later than 90 days after enactment of the Act.
       Special Academic and Professional and Cultural Exchanges.--
     The agreement includes funds to continue the Special Academic 
     Exchanges and Special Professional and Cultural Exchanges 
     described in the House and Senate reports, including the 
     Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship Program and the 
     Tibetan exchanges and fellowships.


                        REPRESENTATION EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $7,212,000 for Representation 
     Expenses, subject to section 7010 of the Act.


              PROTECTION OF FOREIGN MISSIONS AND OFFICIALS

       The agreement provides $30,890,000 for Protection of 
     Foreign Missions and Officials.


            EMBASSY SECURITY, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE

       The agreement provides $1,975,449,000 for Embassy Security, 
     Construction, and Maintenance, of which $424,087,000 is 
     designated for OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA. Within the amount 
     provided, $1,205,649,000 is for Worldwide Security Upgrades 
     (WSU) and $769,800,000 is for Repair, Construction, and 
     Operations.
       Acceptance of Gifts for Embassy Construction.--The 
     Secretary of State is directed to notify the Committees on 
     Appropriations not later than 15 days prior to the acceptance 
     of a gift to supplement funds made available under this 
     heading. Such notification shall include the amount, source, 
     and any terms associated with each gift, and the Secretary 
     shall consult with such Committees prior to submitting such 
     notification.
       Capital Security Cost Sharing and Maintenance Cost Sharing 
     Programs.--The agreement includes $1,085,649,000 for the 
     Department of State share of the Capital Security Cost 
     Sharing (CSCS) and Maintenance Cost Sharing (MCS) Programs, 
     not including additional funds to be provided from consular 
     fee revenue and other Federal agency contributions pursuant 
     to section 604(e) of the Secure Embassy Construction and 
     Counterterrorism Act of 1999. Federal agencies funded by the 
     Act and subject to CSCS assessments should make their 
     respective contributions consistent with the funding level of 
     $2,600,000,000 recommended by the Benghazi Accountability 
     Review Board.
       Operating Plan.--The operating plan required by section 
     7061(a) of the Act shall include the proposed allocation of 
     funds made available under this heading and the actual and 
     anticipated proceeds of sales or gifts for all projects in 
     fiscal year 2020.
       Funds under this heading are allocated according to the 
     following table:

             EMBASSY SECURITY, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repair, Construction, and Operations..................           769,800
    Repair and Construction...........................         [100,276]
    Operations........................................         [669,524]
    of which, Domestic Renovations....................          [18,000]

[[Page H11428]]

 
Worldwide Security Upgrades...........................        31,205,649
    Capital Security Cost Sharing and Maintenance Cost       [1,085,649]
     Sharing Program..................................
    Compound Security Program.........................         [120,000]
                                                       -----------------
                         Total                                 1,975,449
------------------------------------------------------------------------

           EMERGENCIES IN THE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE

       The agreement provides $7,885,000 for Emergencies in the 
     Diplomatic and Consular Service.
  



                   REPATRIATION LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $1,300,000 for Repatriation Loans 
     Program Account.


              PAYMENT TO THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN

       The agreement provides $31,963,000 for Payment to the 
     American Institute in Taiwan.


         INTERNATIONAL CENTER, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

       The agreement provides $743,000 for International Center, 
     Washington, District of Columbia.


     PAYMENT TO THE FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY FUND

       The agreement provides $158,900,000 for Payment to the 
     Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund.

                      International Organizations


              CONTRIBUTIONS TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

       The agreement provides $1,473,806,000 for Contributions to 
     International Organizations, of which $96,240,000 is 
     designated for OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA.
       The agreement provides not less than $67,397,000 for a 
     United States contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) for fiscal year 2020. The Secretary of 
     State shall consult with the Committees on Appropriations on 
     modifications to the United States assessment to NATO for 
     fiscal year 2021. No funds are included in the Act to 
     withdraw the United States from NATO.


        CONTRIBUTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES

       The agreement provides $1,526,383,000 for Contributions for 
     International Peacekeeping Activities, of which $988,656,000 
     is designated for OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA.
       Sufficient funds are provided in the agreement for United 
     States contributions to peacekeeping missions at the 
     statutory level of 25 percent. Funding for the United States 
     share of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia is 
     provided under Peacekeeping Operations in title IV of the 
     Act, instead of under this heading.

                       International Commissions


 INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO

                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $48,170,000 for Salaries and 
     Expenses.


                              CONSTRUCTION

       The agreement provides $36,900,000 for Construction, 
     including $7,500,000 to be made available to address deferred 
     maintenance requirements following consultation with the 
     Committees on Appropriations.


              AMERICAN SECTIONS, INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONS

       The agreement provides $15,008,000 for American Sections, 
     International Commissions, including $9,802,000 for the 
     International Joint Commission (IJC), $2,304,000 for the 
     International Boundary Commission, and $2,902,000 for the 
     Border Environment Cooperation Commission, in the amounts and 
     for the purposes specified under this heading in the Senate 
     report.
       The agreement provides the authority to make up to 
     $1,250,000 of funds for the IJC available until September 30, 
     2021.


                  INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES COMMISSIONS

       The agreement provides $62,718,000 for International 
     Fisheries Commissions. Such funds are allocated according to 
     the following table:

                   INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES COMMISSIONS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Commission/Activity                   Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Lakes Fishery Commission........................            47,060
    Lake Champlain Basin..............................           [9,000]
    Grass Carp........................................           [1,000]
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission...............             1,750
Pacific Salmon Commission.............................             5,935
    Mark-Selective Fishery Fund.......................           [1,750]
International Pacific Halibut Commission..............             4,532
Other Marine Conservation Organizations...............             3,441
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................            62,718
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement includes $47,060,000 for the Great Lakes 
     Fishery Commission, including for the purposes specified in 
     the House and Senate reports, of which $6,490,000 is for 
     risk-based additions for sea lamprey control and science and 
     research needs and $500,000 is for the Lake Memphremagog 
     fishery.

                             RELATED AGENCY

                 United States Agency for Global Media


                 INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING OPERATIONS

       The agreement provides $798,696,000 for International 
     Broadcasting Operations.
       Of the funds made available under this heading, up to 
     $40,708,000 may remain available until expended for satellite 
     transmissions and Internet freedom programs, of which not 
     less than $20,000,000 is for Internet freedom and 
     circumvention programs. Additional funds are included within 
     the total provided for Radio Free Asia (RFA) for the 
     personnel costs associated with certain Internet freedom 
     activities. The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) 
     Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is directed to include amounts 
     planned for Internet freedom in fiscal year 2020 as part of 
     the operating plan required by section 7061(a) of the Act, 
     including amounts planned for the newly established Open 
     Technology Fund grantee, and to describe the planned 
     activities in the Internet freedom spend plan required by 
     section 7050(c) of the Act.
       Countering Russian Disinformation.--The agreement includes 
     funds above the fiscal year 2019 program level for both Voice 
     of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) 
     to expand Current Time programming. The reports required 
     under this heading in the House and Senate reports concerning 
     Current Time may be consolidated and shall be submitted not 
     later than 90 days after enactment of the Act.
       East Asia and the Pacific.--The agreement supports the 
     Tibetan language services of the VOA and RFA.
       Latin America.--The agreement includes funds to expand the 
     programming and activities of the Latin America Division of 
     VOA.
       Uyghur Service.--The USAGM CEO is urged to allocate funds 
     from within amounts provided for RFA to increase the capacity 
     for translation and social media by the Uyghur service of 
     RFA.
       Operating Plans.--The USAGM CEO shall ensure that the 
     operating plan required by section 7061(a) of the Act, and 
     notifications submitted pursuant to section 7015 of the Act, 
     shall include a detailed description of funding and program 
     plans for each Federal entity and independent grantee. 
     Substantive funding and program modifications to such plan 
     shall be subject to the notification requirements of section 
     7015 of the Act.
       Funds under this heading are allocated according to the 
     following table:

                  INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING OPERATIONS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Entities/Grantees                    Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Entities
    International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) IBB                   65,291
     Operations.......................................
    Internet Freedom..................................          [20,000]
    Office of Cuba Broadcasting.......................            20,973
    Office of Technology, Services, and Innovation....           180,591
    Voice of America..................................           252,000
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal..........................................           518,855
Independent Grantee Organizations
    Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty...................           125,306
    Radio Free Asia...................................            44,223
    Middle East Broadcasting Networks.................           110,312
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal..........................................           279,841
                                                       -----------------
        Total.........................................           798,696
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   BROADCASTING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

       The agreement provides $11,700,000 for Broadcasting Capital 
     Improvements.

                            RELATED PROGRAMS

                          The Asia Foundation

       The agreement provides $19,000,000 for The Asia Foundation. 
     Such funds shall be apportioned and obligated to the 
     Foundation not later than 60 days after enactment of the Act.

                    United States Institute of Peace

       The agreement provides $45,000,000 for United States 
     Institute of Peace, including $750,000 for an Afghanistan 
     Peace Process Study Group, as described in the Senate report.

         Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue Trust Fund

       The agreement provides $245,000 from interest and earnings 
     from the Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue Trust 
     Fund.

                 Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Program

       The agreement provides $270,000 from interest and earnings 
     from the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Program Trust Fund.

                    Israeli Arab Scholarship Program

       The agreement provides $124,000 from interest and earnings 
     from the Israeli Arab Scholarship Endowment Fund.

                            East-West Center

       The agreement provides $16,700,000 for East-West Center. 
     Such funds shall be apportioned and obligated to the Center 
     not later than 60 days after enactment of the Act.

                    National Endowment for Democracy

       The agreement provides $300,000,000 for National Endowment 
     for Democracy, of which $195,840,000 shall be allocated in 
     the traditional and customary manner, including for the core 
     institutes, and $104,160,000 for democracy programs. Such 
     funds shall be apportioned and obligated to the National 
     Endowment for Democracy (NED) not later than 60 days after 
     enactment of the Act.

[[Page H11429]]

  


                           OTHER COMMISSIONS

      Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $675,000 for Commission for the 
     Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad.

      United States Commission on International Religious Freedom


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $4,500,000 for United States 
     Commission on International Religious Freedom, of which 
     $1,000,000 is subject to prior consultation with, and the 
     regular notification procedures of, the Committees on 
     Appropriations.

            Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $2,579,000 for Commission on 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe.

  Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $2,250,000 for Congressional-
     Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China, of 
     which $250,000 is to modernize and update the Commission's 
     Victims Lists, as described under this heading in the Senate 
     report.

      United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $3,500,000 for United States-China 
     Economic and Security Review Commission.

                                TITLE II

           UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

                  Funds Appropriated to the President


                           OPERATING EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $1,377,246,000 for Operating 
     Expenses, of which $206,587,000 may remain available until 
     September 30, 2021.
       Funds in the Act under this heading are allocated according 
     to the following table and subject to sections 7015 and 7061 
     of the Act:

                           OPERATING EXPENSES
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Program/Activity                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overseas Operations:
    Field Missions...................................            505,316
    Salaries and benefits, U.S. Direct Hire Personnel            289,166
                                                      ------------------
    Total, Overseas Operations.......................            794,482
Washington Support:
    Washington bureaus and offices...................            105,673
    Salaries and benefits, U.S. Direct Hire Personnel            377,895
                                                      ------------------
    Total, Washington Support........................            483,568
Central Support:
    Information Technology...........................            117,798
    Rent and General Support.........................            121,752
    Staff Training...................................             25,075
    Personnel Support................................             24,851
    Other Agency Costs...............................             22,230
                                                      ------------------
    Total, Central Support...........................            311,706
Total, Operating Expenses............................          1,589,756
    Of which, FY20 appropriations....................          1,377,246
    Of which, from carryover and other sources.......            212,510
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Account Structure.--Not later than 60 days after enactment 
     of the Act, the USAID Administrator shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on proposed changes to the 
     account structure provided under this heading in the Senate 
     bill and possible alternative structures with the goal of 
     increasing the transparency and accountability of funding 
     appropriated for USAID operations. Such consultation shall 
     include the timeline, cost, and changes to budget formulation 
     and execution processes required to implement this structure. 
     The Administrator is further directed to provide the 
     Committees on Appropriations quarterly obligation reports on 
     Operating Expenses by the cost categories contained in the 
     explanatory statement starting not later than 30 days after 
     enactment of the Act. The Administrator shall consult with 
     the Committees on Appropriations on the format of such 
     report.
       Changes in Management.--The USAID Administrator shall 
     consult with the Committees on Appropriations on any proposed 
     significant or substantive change to USAID guidance or 
     directives related to management services prior to issuing 
     such guidance or directives to USAID posts worldwide.
       Personnel Levels.--The agreement includes directives 
     specifying United States Direct Hire personnel levels and 
     related workforce reporting requirements under section 7064 
     of the Act and this explanatory statement.


                        CAPITAL INVESTMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $210,300,000 for Capital Investment 
     Fund.


                      OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

       The agreement provides $75,500,000 for Office of Inspector 
     General, of which $11,325,000 may remain available until 
     September 30, 2021.

                               TITLE III

                     BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE

                  Funds Appropriated to the President


                         GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

       The agreement provides $9,092,450,000 for Global Health 
     Programs. Funds under this heading are allocated according to 
     the following table and subject to 7019 of the Act:

                         GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Program/Activity                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maternal and Child Health.............................           851,000
    Polio.............................................          [61,000]
    Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus.....................           [2,000]
    The GAVI Alliance.................................         [290,000]
Nutrition (USAID).....................................           150,000
    Micronutrients....................................          [33,000]
    of which, Vitamin A...............................          [22,500]
    Iodine Deficiency Disorder........................           [2,500]
Vulnerable Children (USAID)...........................            25,000
    Blind Children....................................           [4,000]
HIV/AIDS (USAID)......................................           330,000
    Microbicides......................................          [45,000]
HIV/AIDS (Department of State)........................         5,930,000
    The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and         [1,560,000]
     Malaria..........................................
    UNAIDS............................................          [45,000]
Family Planning/Reproductive Health (USAID)...........           523,950
Other Infectious Diseases (USAID).....................         1,282,500
    Global Health Security............................         [100,000]
    Malaria...........................................         [770,000]
    Tuberculosis......................................         [310,000]
    of which, Global TB Drug Facility.................          [15,000]
    Neglected Tropical Diseases.......................         [102,500]
                                                       -----------------
        Total.........................................         9,092,450
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The Secretary of State shall not carry out the directive 
     under this heading in the House report regarding a 
     determination.
       GAVI.--The agreement includes $290,000,000 for a 
     contribution to The GAVI Alliance and expects the United 
     States to maintain this level of commitment for the next 
     replenishment cycle.
       Global Health Security.--The agreement includes 
     $100,000,000 for Global Health Security, including for 
     programs to strengthen public health capacity in countries 
     where there is a high risk of zoonotic disease. Funds should 
     also be made available to support the collection and analysis 
     of data on unknown viruses, and should be made available, on 
     a matching basis with other donors, to support a coordinating 
     mechanism for the sharing of data on unknown viruses with 
     zoonotic potential among countries, following consultation 
     with the Committees on Appropriations.
       Not later than 45 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     USAID Administrator shall submit a report to the Committees 
     on Appropriations on the proposed uses of Global Health 
     Security funds, which shall comply with the directives 
     described under this heading in the House and Senate reports.
       Global Fund.--The agreement includes $1,560,000,000 for a 
     contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, 
     and Malaria and affirms the United States share of 33 percent 
     as included in section 202(d) of the United States Leadership 
     Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003, as 
     amended.
       Global Health and Women's Economic Empowerment Programing 
     Coordination.--The USAID Administrator shall not carry out 
     the directives under the heading ``Global Health and Women's 
     Economic Empowerment Programing Coordination'' under this 
     heading in the Senate report. No funds are included in the 
     agreement for the pilot project described under such heading.


                         DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

       The agreement provides $3,400,000,000 for Development 
     Assistance. Funds for certain programs under this heading are 
     allocated according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:

                         DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Country/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Africa
 
Burkina Faso..........................................             6,000
Cameroon..............................................             4,000
Chad..................................................             3,000
Counter-Lord's Resistance Army Program................            10,000
Democratic Republic of Congo..........................            80,000
Djibouti..............................................             9,000
Liberia...............................................            60,550
Malawi higher education...............................            10,000
Mali..................................................            65,000
Niger.................................................            25,000
South Sudan...........................................            55,000
Sudan.................................................             5,000
The Gambia democracy programs.........................             2,000
Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)...............            10,000
                        East Asia and the Pacific
 
Laos..................................................            27,000
Philippines...........................................            70,000
People's Republic of China rule of law and environment             5,000
Regional Development Mission Asia.....................             5,000
Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).....             2,000
                         South and Central Asia
 
Bangladesh............................................           122,200
    Labor programs....................................           [3,000]
India.................................................            25,000
Maldives..............................................             2,200
Nepal.................................................            40,000
                           Western Hemisphere
 
Barbados and Eastern Caribbean........................             2,000
Haiti.................................................            51,000
    Reforestation.....................................           [8,500]
                             Global Programs
 
Bureau for Food Security..............................

[[Page H11430]]

 
    Community Development Fund........................          [80,000]
    Feed the Future Innovation Labs...................          [55,000]
    Global Crop Diversity Trust.......................           [5,500]
Combating child marriage..............................            15,000
Development Innovation Ventures.......................            23,000
Disability Programs...................................            10,000
Leahy War Victims Fund................................            13,500
Low Cost Eyeglasses Pilot Program.....................             3,500
Mobility Pilot Program................................             1,500
Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program...................             1,500
Trade Capacity Building...............................            20,000
USAID Advisor for Indigenous Peoples Issues...........             4,250
Victims of Torture....................................            12,000
Wheelchairs...........................................             5,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Advisor for Indigenous Peoples Issues.--The agreement 
     includes not less than $4,250,000 for the USAID Advisor for 
     Indigenous Peoples Issues, of which $3,500,000 is for 
     programs administered by the Advisor and an additional 
     $750,000 is for personnel costs and other program-funded 
     administrative expenses, including to enable the Advisor to 
     carry out the activities specified under this heading in the 
     Senate report.
       People's Republic of China.--The agreement provides not 
     less than $17,000,000, including $5,000,000 under this 
     heading and $12,000,000 under Economic Support Fund, for 
     democracy, rule of law, and environment programs for the 
     People's Republic of China (PRC), which may be used to 
     support partnerships with civil society and academic 
     institutions in the PRC, and to support activities in the 
     Indo-Pacific region to mitigate PRC activities and 
     investments that threaten democracy, the rule of law, and the 
     environment.
       Power Africa.--The agreement provides funding consistent 
     with prior year levels for the Power Africa initiative.
       Volunteers.--The agreement supports the use of skilled 
     volunteers as included in the Senate report, and in addition, 
     encourages USAID, Peace Corps, and the Department of State to 
     support programs in Africa that provide opportunities for 
     Africans to serve as community development volunteers in 
     their own countries and elsewhere on the continent.


                   INTERNATIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE

       The agreement provides $4,395,362,000 for International 
     Disaster Assistance, of which $1,733,980,000 is designated 
     for OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA. Such funds shall be 
     apportioned to USAID not later than 60 days after enactment 
     of the Act.


                         TRANSITION INITIATIVES

       The agreement provides $92,043,000 for Transition 
     Initiatives.


                          COMPLEX CRISES FUND

       The agreement provides $30,000,000 for Complex Crises Fund. 
     Such funds shall be apportioned to USAID not later than 60 
     days after enactment of the Act.


                         ECONOMIC SUPPORT FUND

       The agreement provides $3,045,000,000 for Economic Support 
     Fund. Funds for certain programs under this heading are 
     allocated according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:

                          ECONOMIC SUPPORT FUND
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Budget
                     Country/Program                         Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Africa
 
African Union...........................................           1,600
Niger...................................................           6,000
State Africa Regional...................................          31,000
West Africa anti-slavery programs.......................           2,000
                        East Asia and the Pacific
 
State East Asia and Pacific Regional....................          15,000
    Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor........         [4,000]
                      Middle East and North Africa
 
Lebanon scholarships....................................          12,000
Middle East Partnership Initiative scholarship program..          20,000
Middle East Regional Cooperation........................           5,000
Near East Regional Democracy............................          55,000
Relief and Recovery Fund................................
    Refugee Scholarships Program in Lebanon.............         [8,000]
West Bank and Gaza......................................          75,000
                         South and Central Asia
 
Afghanistan Civilian Assistance Program.................          10,000
India...................................................          24,000
Maldives................................................           2,000
Nepal...................................................          35,000
Pakistan Civilian Assistance Program....................          10,000
                           Western Hemisphere
 
Caribbean Energy Security Initiative....................           3,000
Cuba....................................................          20,000
Organization of American States.........................           5,000
                             Global Programs
 
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues...........          10,000
Atrocities Prevention (sec. 7034(c))....................           2,500
Family Planning/Reproductive Health (USAID).............          51,050
House Democracy Partnership.............................           1,900
Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues..............           5,000
Implementation of Public Law 99-415.....................           2,000
Information Communications Technology Training..........           1,000
State Bureau of Counterterrorism and CVE................          15,000
    Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund.....         [5,000]
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement provides funding for a feasibility study for 
     the establishment of a tribunal or other justice mechanism 
     regarding sexual violence at the level proposed in the Senate 
     report. The Secretary of State shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on the parameters of such study.
       The agreement does not provide $175,000,000 for a 
     Diplomatic Progress Fund, as proposed in the House report.
       The agreement provides $9,500,000 to support the first 
     through third organizational pillars of the Organization of 
     American States. Under this heading, $5,000,000 is for 
     programs to promote and protect human rights, of which not 
     less than $500,000 is for the Office of the Special 
     Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, and $4,500,000 is 
     provided under International Organizations and Programs for 
     programs to strengthen democracy.
       Such funds are subject to prior consultation with the 
     Committees on Appropriations.


                             DEMOCRACY FUND

       The agreement provides $273,700,000 for Democracy Fund, of 
     which $178,450,000 is for the Human Rights and Democracy 
     Fund, Department of State, and $95,250,000 is for the USAID 
     Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.
       The agreement provides funding for the directives included 
     in the table under this heading in the House report. The 
     Department of State and USAID shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on the uses of funds, consistent 
     with the direction in the House and Senate reports.
       In lieu of the directive in the House report on the annual 
     human rights report, the Secretary of State shall consult 
     with the Committees on Appropriations on such report.


            ASSISTANCE FOR EUROPE, EURASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

       The agreement provides $770,334,000 for Assistance for 
     Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia.

                          Department of State


                    MIGRATION AND REFUGEE ASSISTANCE

       The agreement provides $3,432,000,000 for Migration and 
     Refugee Assistance, of which $1,521,355,000 is designated for 
     OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA.

     United States Emergency Refugee And Migration Assistance Fund

       The agreement provides $100,000 for United States Emergency 
     Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund.

                          Independent Agencies


                              PEACE CORPS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides $410,500,000 for Peace Corps.


                    MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION

       The agreement provides $905,000,000 for Millennium 
     Challenge Corporation, including up to $105,000,000 for 
     administrative expenses.


                       INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION

       The agreement provides $37,500,000 for Inter-American 
     Foundation. Within the increase above the fiscal year 2019 
     level, not less than $10,000,000 is to support programs and 
     activities in Northern Triangle countries, and $5,000,000 is 
     to support activities elsewhere in the hemisphere.


              UNITED STATES AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

       The agreement provides $33,000,000 for United States 
     African Development Foundation.

                       Department of the Treasury


               INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

       The agreement provides $30,000,000 for International 
     Affairs Technical Assistance, of which not more than 
     $6,000,000 is for administrative expenses.


                           DEBT RESTRUCTURING

       The agreement provides $15,000,000 for Debt Restructuring 
     to support implementation of the Tropical Forest Conservation 
     Act, as reauthorized by the Tropical Forest Conservation 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-440).

                                TITLE IV

                   INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE

                          Department of State


          INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

       The agreement provides $1,391,000,000 for International 
     Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement. Funds for certain 
     programs under this heading are allocated according to the 
     following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

           INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Country/Program/Activity                 Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atrocities prevention (sec. 7034(c))..................             2,500
Argentina.............................................             2,500
Central America.......................................           170,000
    Central America Regional Security Initiative......         [170,000]
Combating wildlife trafficking........................            50,000
Critical flight safety program........................            18,000
    Health monitoring systems.........................          [12,500]
Cybercrime and intellectual property rights...........            10,000
Demand reduction......................................            15,000

[[Page H11431]]

 
Haiti prison assistance...............................            10,000
International Law Enforcement Academy.................            27,000
Pakistan border security..............................            15,000
Programs to end modern slavery........................            25,000
Security force professionalization (sec. 7035(a)(5))..             3,000
Tajikistan............................................             6,000
    Border security...................................           [3,000]
Trafficking in persons................................            45,000
    Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in                 [36,000]
     Persons..........................................
Western Hemisphere regional security cooperation......            12,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       International Organized Crime.--The agreement provides 
     $68,150,000 to combat international organized crime.
       Child Protection Compacts.--The agreement includes 
     $5,000,000 for child protection compacts, pursuant to the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended, which 
     may be made available following consultation with the 
     appropriate congressional committees.
       Haiti.--The agreement includes $10,000,000 under this 
     heading for prison assistance in Haiti. Funds shall be 
     prioritized for structural and other improvements to meet 
     basic sanitation, medical, nutritional, and safety needs at 
     the National Penitentiary. The Secretary of State shall 
     consult with the Committees on Appropriations on the planned 
     uses of funds.


    NONPROLIFERATION, ANTI-TERRORISM, DEMINING AND RELATED PROGRAMS

       The agreement provides $895,750,000 for Nonproliferation, 
     Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs. Funds for 
     certain programs under this heading are allocated according 
     to the following table and subject to section 7019 of the 
     Act:

     NONPROLIFERATION, ANTI-TERRORISM, DEMINING AND RELATED PROGRAMS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Program/Activity                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nonproliferation programs.............................           296,400
    Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund.............          [30,000]
    Export Control and Related Border Security........          [64,000]
    Global Threat Reduction...........................          [70,000]
    International Atomic Energy Agency................          [94,800]
Anti-terrorism programs...............................           321,800
    Anti-terrorism Assistance.........................         [182,000]
    Terrorist Interdiction Program....................          [42,800]
    Counterterrorism financing........................          [12,500]
    Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund................          [84,500]
Conventional weapons destruction......................           227,550
    Humanitarian demining.............................         [190,000]
    of which, Angola..................................           [7,000]
    of which, Cambodia................................           [7,000]
    of which, Iraq....................................          [40,000]
    of which, Kosovo..................................           [5,000]
    of which, Laos....................................          [37,500]
    of which, Sri Lanka...............................           [5,500]
    of which, Vietnam.................................          [17,500]
    of which, Zimbabwe................................           [2,500]
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       In addition to funds designated in the table for Iraq, 
     funds made available for the Relief and Recovery Fund should 
     be made available for humanitarian demining in Iraq.


                        PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

       The agreement provides $457,348,000 for Peacekeeping 
     Operations, of which $325,213,000 is designated for OCO/GWOT 
     pursuant to BBEDCA. Funds under this heading are allocated 
     according to the following table and subject to section 7019 
     of the Act:

                         PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Country/Program/Activity                 Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa................................................           281,348
    Central African Republic..........................           [8,000]
    Democratic Republic of the Congo..................           [3,000]
    Liberia...........................................           [1,000]
    Somalia...........................................         [208,108]
    South Sudan.......................................          [20,000]
    Africa Regional...................................          [41,240]
Near East.............................................            31,000
    Multinational Force and Observers.................          [31,000]
Political-Military Affairs............................           145,000
    Global Peace Operations Initiative Training                 [10,000]
     Infrastructure...................................
    Security Force Professionalization (Sec.                     [3,000]
     7035(a)(5))......................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Funds Appropriated to the President


             INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

       The agreement provides $112,925,000 for International 
     Military Education and Training.
       In lieu of the directive under this heading in the Senate 
     report, funds in the Act shall be made available for 
     assistance for foreign governments, consistent with 
     applicable provisions of law, for purposes of improving the 
     implementation of section 548(a) of the FAA.


                   FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING PROGRAM

       The agreement provides $6,156,924,000 for Foreign Military 
     Financing Program, of which $511,909,000 is designated for 
     OCO/GWOT pursuant to BBEDCA.
       Funds under this heading for certain countries are 
     allocated according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:

                   FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING PROGRAM
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Country                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belize................................................             1,000
Colombia..............................................            38,525
Costa Rica............................................             7,500
Egypt.................................................         1,300,000
El Salvador...........................................             1,900
Estonia...............................................             8,000
Georgia...............................................            35,000
Indonesia.............................................            14,000
Iraq..................................................           250,000
Israel................................................         3,300,000
Jordan................................................           425,000
Latvia................................................             8,000
Lithuania.............................................             8,000
Mexico................................................             5,000
Morocco...............................................            10,000
Panama................................................             2,000
Tunisia...............................................            85,000
Ukraine...............................................           115,000
Vietnam...............................................            12,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The reports and certifications required by section 36 of 
     the Foreign Military Sales Act (22 U.S.C. 2776) shall be 
     submitted concurrently to the Committees on Appropriations.

                                TITLE V

                        MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE

                  Funds Appropriated to the President


                INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS

       The agreement provides $390,500,000 for International 
     Organizations and Programs. Funds under this heading are 
     allocated according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:

                INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Organizations/Programs                  Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Chemicals and Toxins Programs...........             3,175
International Civil Aviation Organization.............             1,200
International Conservation Programs...................             7,000
International Development Law Organization............               400
International Maritime Organization...................               325
Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund...................            32,000
OAS Development Assistance Programs...................             4,500
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and                50
 Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia..................
UN Capital Development Fund...........................             1,100
UN Children's Fund....................................           139,000
    of which, Combating female genital mutilation                [5,000]
     programs.........................................
UN Democracy Fund.....................................             3,500
UN Development Program................................            81,550
UN Environmental Programs.............................            10,600
UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/ UN                   6,400
 Framework Convention on Climate Change...............
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.................            14,500
    of which, Honduras................................           [1,000]
    of which, Colombia................................           [1,000]
    of which, Guatemala...............................           [1,000]
UN Human Settlements Program..........................               700
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs             3,500
UN Office of the Special Coordinator on Improving the              1,500
 UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.........
UN Resident Coordinator System........................            23,000
UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for             1,750
 Sexual Violence in Conflict..........................
UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women...........             1,500
UN Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the                 1,150
 Field of Human Rights................................
UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture..............             8,000
UN Women..............................................            10,000
World Meteorological Organization.....................             1,000
World Trade Organization Technical Assistance.........               600
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       West Bank and Gaza.--The agreement does not include 
     assistance for the West Bank and Gaza under this heading, as 
     proposed in the House report.
       United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.--
     The agreement includes a contribution to the United Nations 
     Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change under this heading 
     instead of Economic Support and Development Fund, as proposed 
     in the President's budget request.

                  International Financial Institutions


                      GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY

       The agreement provides $139,575,000 for Global Environment 
     Facility, including $136,563,000 for the second installment 
     of the seventh replenishment of the Global Environment 
     Facility, which if annualized over four years would equal 
     $546,252,000.


     CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND 
                              DEVELOPMENT

       The agreement provides $206,500,000 for Contribution to the 
     International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the 
     first of six installments under the current general and 
     selective capital increases.


              LIMITATION ON CALLABLE CAPITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

       The agreement provides $1,421,275,728.70 for Limitation on 
     Callable Capital Subscriptions.


       CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

       The agreement provides $1,097,010,000 for Contribution to 
     the International Development Association.

[[Page H11432]]

  



               CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $47,395,000 for Contribution to the 
     Asian Development Fund.


              CONTRIBUTION TO THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FUND

       The agreement provides $171,300,000 for Contribution to the 
     African Development Fund.


  CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

       The agreement provides $30,000,000 for Contribution to the 
     International Fund for Agricultural Development, which if 
     annualized over three years would equal $90,000,000.

                                TITLE VI

                    EXPORT AND INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE

                Export-Import Bank of the United States


                           INSPECTOR GENERAL

       The agreement provides $5,700,000 for Inspector General for 
     the Export-Import Bank of the United States, of which 
     $855,000 may remain available until September 30, 2021.


                        ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

       The agreement provides $110,000,000 for Administrative 
     Expenses for the Export-Import Bank of the United States, of 
     which $16,500,000 may remain available until September 30, 
     2021.


                           RECEIPTS COLLECTED

       The agreement does not include the authority proposed in 
     the Senate bill for the Export-Import Bank to retain 
     collected receipts to fund the Bank's carryover account.

      United States International Development Finance Corporation


                           INSPECTOR GENERAL

       The agreement provides $2,000,000 for Inspector General for 
     United States International Development Finance Corporation.


                       CORPORATE CAPITAL ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $299,000,000 for Corporate Capital 
     Account, including $119,000,000 for administrative expenses 
     and project-specific transaction costs as described in 
     section 1434(k) of the BUILD Act of 2018 (division F of 
     Public Law 115-254); $150,000,000 for the activities 
     described in section 1421(c) of such Act; and $30,000,000 to 
     be paid to the United States International Development 
     Finance Corporation (DFC) Program Account.
       Equity Agreements.--The DFC CEO shall submit the reports 
     under this heading in the House report in the manner 
     described, except such reports shall be submitted not later 
     than 15 days prior to the initial obligation of funds for 
     each such agreement. Not later than October 31, 2020, the CEO 
     shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations a 
     consolidated report covering all equity agreements for which 
     the DFC has obligated funds during the previous fiscal year, 
     which shall include updates to the previously submitted 
     reports, as necessary. The CEO shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on the elements of such reports.
       Equity and Hybrid Investments.--Not later than 180 days 
     after enactment of the Act, the DFC CEO shall submit a report 
     to the appropriate congressional committees on the progress 
     and efficacy of leveraging equity investments and related 
     hybrid instruments, such as debt financing with redemption 
     rights, in relation to advancing the DFC's statement of 
     policy and purposes described in the BUILD Act of 2018.
       Fees Collection Report.--Not later than 90 days after 
     enactment of the Act and every 90 days thereafter until 
     September 30, 2020, the DFC CEO shall submit a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations on fees charged and collected 
     pursuant to the BUILD Act of 2018, following consultation 
     with the Committees on Appropriations.
       Transition Status.--Not later than 60 days after enactment 
     of the Act, the DFC CEO shall submit the report under this 
     heading in the House and Senate reports in the manner 
     described.


                            PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement provides $30,000,000 for Program Account 
     transferred from Corporate Capital Account.


                      TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

       The agreement provides $79,500,000 for Trade and 
     Development Agency, including not more than $19,000,000 for 
     administrative expenses.

                               TITLE VII

                           GENERAL PROVISIONS

       The following general provisions are contained in the Act. 
     Each is designated as unchanged, modified, or new as compared 
     to division F of Public Law 116-6:
     Section 7001. Allowances and Differentials (unchanged)
     Section 7002. Unobligated Balances Report (unchanged)
     Section 7003. Consulting Services (unchanged)
     Section 7004. Diplomatic Facilities (modified)
       The Secretary of State shall continue to provide the 
     quarterly reports on new embassy and consulate compound 
     projects as required by section 7004(h) of division F of 
     Public Law 116-6 and shall include in such reports the new 
     embassy compound in Jerusalem, Israel.
     Section 7005. Personnel Actions (unchanged)
     Section 7006. Prohibition on Publicity or Propaganda 
         (unchanged)
     Section 7007. Prohibition Against Direct Funding for Certain 
         Countries (unchanged)
     Section 7008. Coups d'Etat (unchanged)
     Section 7009. Transfer of Funds Authority (modified)
       New transfer authority associated with the DFC is included 
     in the provision, and certain authorities in titles VII and 
     VIII of division F of Public Law 116-6 are consolidated under 
     this heading.
     Section 7010. Prohibition and Limitation on Certain Expenses 
         (modified)
     Section 7011. Availability of Funds (unchanged)
     Section 7012. Limitation on Assistance to Countries in 
         Default (unchanged)
     Section 7013. Prohibition on Taxation of United States 
         Assistance (unchanged)
     Section 7014. Reservations of Funds (unchanged)
     Section 7015. Notification Requirements (modified)
       Departments and agencies funded by the Act shall comply 
     with the directive under this section in the House report 
     related to the use of notwithstanding authority.
       Consistent with section 7015(j)(1) of division F of Public 
     Law 116-6, the Secretary of State shall continue to inform 
     the appropriate congressional committees of each instance in 
     which funds appropriated by the Act or that are made 
     available for assistance for the countries and for the 
     programs and activities listed in such subsection are 
     diverted or destroyed.
       The Secretary of State shall consult with the Committees on 
     Appropriations at least seven days prior to informing a 
     government of, or publicly announcing a decision on, the 
     suspension of assistance to a country in the manner described 
     in section 7015(j)(2) of division F of Public Law 116-6.
       The agreement requires notification of changes in programs, 
     projects, and activities as specified in the Act, which shall 
     include any entities established pursuant to the Federal 
     Advisory Committee Act.
     Section 7016. Document Requests, Records Management, and 
         Related Cybersecurity Protections (modified)
     Section 7017. Use of Funds in Contravention of the Act 
         (unchanged)
     Section 7018. Prohibition on Funding for Abortions and 
         Involuntary Sterilization (unchanged)
     Section 7019. Allocations and Reports (modified)
     Section 7020. Multi-Year Pledges (modified)
     Section 7021. Prohibition on Assistance to Governments 
         Supporting International Terrorism (unchanged)
     Section 7022. Authorization Requirements (unchanged)
     Section 7023. Definition of Program, Project, and Activity 
         (unchanged)
     Section 7024. Authorities for the Peace Corps, Inter-American 
         Foundation and United States African Development 
         Foundation (unchanged)
     Section 7025. Commerce, Trade and Surplus Commodities 
         (unchanged)
     Section 7026. Separate Accounts (modified)
       The USAID Administrator shall include in the fiscal year 
     2021 CBJ the use of local currencies for the administrative 
     requirements of the United States government as authorized 
     under this section including the amount (and United States 
     dollar equivalent) to be used for such purpose in each 
     applicable country.
     Section 7027. Eligibility for Assistance (unchanged)
     Section 7028. Local Competition (modified)
     Section 7029. International Financial Institutions (modified)
     Section 7030. Insecure Communications Networks (new)
       The Secretary of State shall submit the strategy required 
     by section 7030(b) of the Senate bill in the manner 
     described. Funds made available by the Act for programs under 
     this section shall be subject to the regular notification 
     procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.
     Section 7031. Financial Management and Budget Transparency 
         (modified)
       Not later than 90 days after enactment of the Act and every 
     6 months thereafter until September 30, 2021, the USAID 
     Administrator shall submit to the Committees on 
     Appropriations a report that details all assistance provided 
     through government-to-government mechanisms by country, 
     funding source and amount, and type of procurement 
     instrument, including whether the assistance was provided on 
     a reimbursable basis.
       For the purposes of subsection (b), ``minimum requirements 
     of fiscal transparency'' shall mean the public disclosure of 
     a country's national budget, including income and 
     expenditures by ministry, and government contracts and 
     licenses for natural resource extraction including bidding 
     and concession allocation practices.
       The annual Fiscal Transparency Report shall identify the 
     significant progress made by each government to publicly 
     disclose national budget documentation, contracts, and 
     licenses, which are additional to information disclosed in 
     previous years, specific recommendations of short- and long-
     term steps such government should take to improve fiscal 
     transparency, and a detailed description of how funds 
     appropriated by the Act are being used to improve fiscal 
     transparency including benchmarks for measuring progress.
       The United States may support the assistance referenced in 
     subsection (d) if the recipient government has adopted laws, 
     regulations, or procedures that: (1) accurately account for 
     and publicly disclose payments to the government by companies 
     involved in the extraction and export of natural resources; 
     (2) include independent auditing of accounts receiving such 
     payments and the public disclosure of such audits; and (3) 
     require public disclosure of agreement and bidding documents, 
     as appropriate.
       Foreign Assistance Website Consolidation.--In lieu of the 
     requirement under this heading in

[[Page H11433]]

     the Senate report, the Secretary of State and USAID 
     Administrator shall report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations, not later than 60 days after enactment of the 
     Act, on the process and timeline required to consolidate 
     Foreign Aid Explorer (FAE) and ForeignAssistance.gov (FA.gov) 
     into one database, which should take effect not later than 
     October 1, 2021. The report shall include a description of: 
     (1) the datasets captured on FAE and FA.gov, including 
     proposed steps to reconcile duplicative or inconsistent data; 
     (2) the timeline, cost, and systems changes required to 
     maintain functionality for unique reporting requirements; (3) 
     post-merger roles and responsibilities of each agency to 
     maintain the accuracy of data in the consolidated database; 
     and (4) a cost-sharing agreement, as appropriate.
     Section 7032. Democracy Programs (modified)
       The agreement provides a total of not less than 
     $2,400,000,000 for democracy programs. Such funds are not 
     intended for attribution to other sector or program 
     directives included in the Act.
       Subsection (a)(2) designates not less than $102,040,000 for 
     DRL for certain countries and regional programs. Such funds 
     are allocated according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:

    BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF STATE
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund
    Burma.............................................             4,000
    Maldives..........................................               500
    Near East Regional Democracy......................            15,000
    North Korea.......................................             4,000
    People's Republic of China........................            12,000
    South Sudan.......................................             1,000
    Sri Lanka.........................................             2,000
    Sudan.............................................             1,000
    Syria.............................................            11,000
    Venezuela.........................................            10,000
    Yemen.............................................             3,000
    Human Rights Defenders Fund.......................            11,500
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia
    Europe and Eurasia Regional.......................            22,000
    of which, Internet Freedom........................           [4,500]
    Uzbekistan........................................             3,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       International Freedom of Expression.--Funds made available 
     pursuant to subsection (i)(2) to defend freedom of expression 
     and the independence of the media abroad shall include 
     assistance to counter the use of criminal defamation laws and 
     extralegal means to restrict access to public information and 
     persecute members of civil society, including journalists, 
     bloggers, and citizen journalists, and to strengthen the 
     resilience of such individuals at local and national levels.
       Modernization of Elections Assistance Report.--In lieu of 
     the directive to the NED President in the Senate report 
     regarding a report on the modernization of elections 
     assistance, the USAID Administrator shall submit such report, 
     in consultation with organizations with expertise in 
     electoral processes, in the manner described.
     Section 7033. International Religious Freedom (modified)
       The agreement includes not less than $10,000,000 under 
     Economic Support Fund for programs to protect and investigate 
     the persecution of religious minorities and not less than 
     $10,000,000 for international religious freedom programs 
     under Democracy Fund.
     Section 7034. Special Provisions (modified)
       The agreement extends the period of availability of a 
     portion of fiscal year 2019 funds appropriated for the 
     Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission until September 30, 
     2021.
       Cultural Preservation Project Determination.--The Secretary 
     of State and USAID Administrator shall comply with the 
     directive under this heading in this section in the House 
     report.
       Trafficking Case Update.--Not later than 30 days after 
     enactment of the Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a 
     report to the appropriate congressional committees detailing 
     steps taken by the Department of State during the previous 
     calendar year to encourage the Government of Malawi to make 
     full payment of the final judgment rendered in November 2016 
     in the human trafficking case Lipenga v. Kambalame, United 
     States District Court for the District of Maryland, Case No. 
     8:14-cv-03980.
     Section 7035. Law Enforcement and Security (modified)
       The Secretary of State shall submit the report on vetting 
     required by section 7049(d)(3) of division F of Public Law 
     116-6 in the manner described.
     Section 7036. Arab League Boycott of Israel (unchanged)
     Section 7037. Palestinian Statehood (unchanged)
     Section 7038. Prohibition on Assistance to the Palestinian 
         Broadcasting Corporation (unchanged)
     Section 7039. Assistance for the West Bank and Gaza 
         (unchanged)
     Section 7040. Limitation on Assistance for the Palestinian 
         Authority (unchanged)
     Section 7041. Middle East and North Africa (modified)
       Egypt.--Funds for Egypt are allocated according to the 
     following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                  EGYPT
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund.................................           125,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...             2,000
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             3,000
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             1,800
Foreign Military Financing Program....................         1,300,000
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................         1,431,800
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Not later than 90 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate 
     congressional committees describing the implementation of 
     Egyptian Law 149/2019 and its impact on Egyptian and foreign 
     NGOs.
       Not later than 45 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     USAID Administrator shall consult with the Committees on 
     Appropriations on the use of funds made available for 
     scholarships, including how such funds will be administered 
     by institutions of higher education in Egypt.
       Iraq.--The Secretary of State shall submit the plan 
     required by section 7031(c)(3) of the Senate bill in the 
     manner described. Funds for Iraq are allocated according to 
     the following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                  IRAQ
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund.................................           150,000
    Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund..............           [7,500]
    Scholarships......................................          [10,000]
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...             5,600
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related            45,000
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             1,000
Foreign Military Financing Program....................           250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       In carrying out the programs included in paragraph (1)(D) 
     of subsection (c), the Secretary of State shall work with the 
     Government of Iraq to ensure security forces reflect the 
     ethno-sectarian makeup of the areas in which they operate by 
     integrating local populations into such forces.
       Jordan.--In addition to the amounts designated in the Act 
     for Economic Support Fund and Foreign Military Financing 
     Program for assistance for Jordan, the agreement includes not 
     less than $13,600,000 under Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, 
     Demining and Related Programs and not less than $4,000,000 
     under International Military Education and Training for 
     assistance for Jordan. Subsection (d) also makes an 
     additional $125,000,000 available for assistance for Jordan 
     from prior fiscal year Economic Support Fund.
       Lebanon.-- The agreement provides assistance for Lebanon at 
     levels consistent with the prior fiscal year.
       Libya.--The agreement includes not less than $40,000,000 
     under the Relief and Recovery Fund for stabilization 
     assistance for Libya, including support for a United Nations-
     facilitated political process and border security.
       Morocco.--Additional funds provided for Morocco under 
     Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related 
     Programs shall be used to address security threats emanating 
     from Libya and the Sahel. Funds for Morocco are allocated 
     according to the following table and are subject to section 
     7019 of the Act:

                                 MOROCCO
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            10,000
Economic Support Fund.................................            10,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...             5,000
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             4,000
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             2,000
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            10,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Syria.--The agreement provides assistance to continue to 
     strengthen the capability of Syrian civil society 
     organizations to address the immediate and long-term needs of 
     the Syrian people in the manner described under this section 
     in the House report.
       Tunisia.--The agreement provides not less than $191,400,000 
     for assistance for Tunisia. Such funds are allocated 
     according to the following table and subject to section 7019 
     of the Act:

                                 TUNISIA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            40,000
Economic Support Fund.................................            45,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...            13,000
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             6,100
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             2,300

[[Page H11434]]

 
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            85,000
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................           191,400
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Subsection (j) makes an additional $50,000,000 available 
     for assistance for Tunisia from prior year Economic Support 
     Fund.
       West Bank and Gaza.--The agreement provides $75,000,000 
     under International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement for 
     security assistance programs for the West Bank and 
     $75,000,000 under Economic Support Fund for the humanitarian 
     and development needs of the Palestinian people in the West 
     Bank and Gaza. Such funds shall be made available if the Anti 
     Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018 is amended to allow for 
     their obligation.
       Not later than 60 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     Secretary of State shall update the report regarding 
     assistance for the West Bank and Gaza required under this 
     heading in the joint explanatory statement accompanying 
     division F of Public Law 116-6.
       Yemen.--The agreement provides $40,000,000 under title III 
     of the Act and prior Acts for stabilization assistance for 
     Yemen, including for a contribution for United Nations 
     stabilization and governance facilities, and to meet the 
     needs of vulnerable populations, including women and girls.
     Section 7042. Africa (modified)
       Democratic Republic of the Congo.--The agreement provides 
     $1,500,000 for a new initiative to increase transparency, 
     equality, and accountability in the Democratic Republic of 
     the Congo, as described under this section in the Senate 
     report. The USAID Administrator shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on the proposed uses of funds 
     for such initiative.
       Mali.--The agreement provides $8,000,000 for a new 
     partnership program to strengthen civil society in Mali. The 
     USAID Administrator shall consult with the Committees on 
     Appropriations on the proposed uses of funds for such 
     partnership.
       Sudan.--The agreement includes new exclusions for 
     agriculture and economic growth programs from the limitation 
     on assistance for the Government of Sudan in subsection 
     (i)(1), and a new requirement that any new program or 
     activity in Sudan shall be subject to prior consultation with 
     the appropriate congressional committees. The agreement 
     assumes assistance will be made available to support the 
     civilian-led transitional government in Sudan utilizing the 
     expanded exclusions in this subsection and applicable 
     notwithstanding authorities.
     Section 7043. East Asia and the Pacific (modified)
       Burma.--The agreement provides not less than $131,450,000 
     under title III of the Act for assistance for Burma, 
     including for the purposes described under this heading in 
     the House and Senate reports, and to further consolidate 
     democracy following anticipated elections in 2020. Funds are 
     allocated for assistance for Burma according to the following 
     table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                  BURMA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            30,000
    Higher education programs.........................          [10,000]
Economic Support Fund.................................            65,000
    Documentation of human rights violations..........           [3,750]
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...             3,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Cambodia.--The agreement provides not less than $82,505,000 
     under title III of the Act for assistance for Cambodia. Funds 
     are allocated for assistance for Cambodia according to the 
     following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                CAMBODIA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            58,000
    Access to health and social services for survivors           [5,000]
     of the Khmer Rouge...............................
    Environment programs..............................          [10,000]
    Democracy programs................................          [23,000]
    Youth empowerment and countering People's Republic           [5,000]
     of China influence...............................
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             7,000
 Programs.............................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Asia Reassurance Initiative 
     Act of 2018.--The agreement provides a total of not less than 
     $2,542,000,000 to support implementation of the Indo-Pacific 
     Strategy (IPS) and Public Law 115-409, of which not less than 
     $760,000,000 is made available under title I for diplomatic 
     operations, public diplomacy, and democracy programs and not 
     less than $1,482,000,000 under titles III and IV.
       Countering Chinese Influence Fund.--The agreement provides 
     not less than $300,000,000 for the Countering Chinese 
     Influence Fund. Funds are allocated according to the 
     following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                    COUNTERING CHINESE INFLUENCE FUND
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            75,000
Economic Support Fund.................................            80,000
    BRI transparency and accountability programs......          [25,000]
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...            70,000
    Countering transnational crime on the Mekong River          [20,000]
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related            25,000
                       Programs
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            50,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Not later than 90 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     Department of the Treasury shall provide a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations on United States efforts to 
     ensure that international financial institutions and other 
     multilateral entities are not supporting malign Chinese 
     efforts to finance natural resource extraction or 
     infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere 
     around the world, including through the Belt and Road 
     Initiative (BRI). Such report shall detail United States 
     initiatives, including through the multilateral development 
     banks, to effectively address predatory and opaque Chinese 
     development financing that may be used in support of 
     Beijing's larger geopolitical ambitions.
       Indonesia.--Funds are allocated for assistance for 
     Indonesia according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:

                                INDONESIA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            63,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...            10,625
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             6,000
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             2,650
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            14,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Laos.--The agreement provides not less than $34,280,000 
     under title III of the Act for assistance for Laos. The 
     agreement includes funds for the DFC to carry out a 
     feasibility study and program in Laos, as appropriate, in the 
     manner described under this heading in the Senate report.
       The agreement also includes $6,000,000 for maternal and 
     child health and nutrition programs for Laos under Global 
     Health Programs.
       People's Republic of China.--The agreement provides not 
     less than $1,500,000 for democracy programs in Hong Kong.
       Thailand.--The agreement includes funds for trilateral 
     programs with Thailand, which shall be subject to prior 
     consultation with the Committees on Appropriations. Funds are 
     allocated for assistance for Thailand according to the 
     following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                THAILAND
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................             2,000
Economic Support Fund.................................             5,000
    Democracy and reconciliation programs.............           [4,000]
    Trilateral programs...............................           [1,000]
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Timor-Leste.--Funds are allocated for assistance for Timor-
     Leste according to the following table and subject to section 
     7019 of the Act:

                               TIMOR-LESTE
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            16,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...               800
International Military Education and Training.........               500
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Vietnam.--The agreement provides not less than $159,634,000 
     for assistance for Vietnam. Funds are allocated for 
     assistance for Vietnam according to the following table and 
     subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                 VIETNAM
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            60,250
    Higher education assistance/Vietnam Education               [10,000]
     Foundation Act of 2000...........................
Economic Support Fund.................................            30,000
    Trilateral programs...............................           [1,000]
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related            17,500
 Programs.............................................
    Humanitarian demining.............................          [17,500]
International Military Education and Training.........             1,800
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            12,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Section 7044. South and Central Asia (modified)
       Afghanistan.--Not later than 90 days after enactment of the 
     Act, the USAID Administrator shall consult with the 
     Committees on

[[Page H11435]]

     Appropriations on the proposed uses of funds for the Afghan 
     Civilian Assistance Program and the Pakistan Civilian 
     Assistance Program to assist civilians who have been harmed 
     as a result of military operations, which shall be 
     implemented in the manner described in the Senate report.
       Not later than 45 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other 
     relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall submit a 
     report to the appropriate congressional committees describing 
     the steps taken to meet the requirements of subsection 
     (a)(2)(A), including the detailed description required under 
     this heading in the Senate report.
       Pakistan.--The agreement continues the terms and conditions 
     for assistance for Pakistan from the prior year, including 
     the requirement to withhold certain funds related to the 
     release of Dr. Shakil Afridi. The amount withheld reflects 
     the ongoing suspension of certain security assistance and 
     significant reductions in economic assistance made available 
     for Pakistan. The Secretary of State shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations on the levels of assistance for 
     Pakistan.
       Sri Lanka.--For purposes of implementing subsection (e)(1), 
     the term ``democracy program'' shall be as defined in section 
     7032(c) of the Act.
     Section 7045. Latin America and the Caribbean (modified)
       Central America.--Subsection (a)(1) provides not less than 
     $519,885,000 for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El 
     Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, 
     including through the Central America Regional Security 
     Initiative.
       Funds for assistance for Central America are allocated 
     according to the following table and subject to section 7019 
     of the Act:

                             CENTRAL AMERICA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance:
    El Salvador.......................................            70,000
National Commission for the Search of Persons                    [1,000]
 Disappeared in the Context of the Armed Conflict.....
    Guatemala.........................................            65,650
    Honduras..........................................            65,000
    Nicaragua.........................................            10,000
        Democracy and Rule of Law.....................          [10,000]
    USAID Central America Regional....................             5,000
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal, Development Assistance..................           215,650
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund:
    State Western Hemisphere Regional
    Central America Regional Security Initiative......           100,000
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal, Economic Support Fund...................           100,000
                                                       -----------------
Inter-American Foundation.............................            10,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement:
    State Western Hemisphere Regional
    Central America Regional Security Initiative......           170,000
    Offices of Attorneys General and other entities             [45,000]
     and activities to combat corruption and impunity.
    of which, Mission to Support the Fight Against               [3,500]
     Corruption and Impunity in Honduras..............
    Costa Rica........................................          [32,500]
    DNA Forensic Assistance (Sec. 7034(b)(2)).........           [8,000]
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal, International Narcotics Control and Law            170,000
     Enforcement......................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal--Central America Regional Security                  270,000
     Initiative (non-add).............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related
 Programs:
    Panama............................................               500
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal, Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism,                       500
     Demining and Related Program.....................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Military Education and Training:
    Costa Rica........................................               725
    Other Central America.............................             3,110
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal, International Military Education and                 3,835
     Training.........................................
Foreign Military Financing Program:
    Belize............................................             1,000
    Costa Rica........................................             7,500
    El Salvador.......................................             1,900
    Guatemala.........................................                 0
    Honduras..........................................                 0
    Panama............................................             2,000
    State Western Hemisphere Regional.................             7,500
                                                       -----------------
    Subtotal, Foreign Military Financing Program......            19,900
Other Regional Programs
    Combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (non-            [20,000]
     add from title III)..............................
                                                       -----------------
        Total.........................................           519,885
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement provides funds to establish a Central America 
     Partnership fund to increase coordination between the United 
     States and the Government of Mexico on development programs 
     in Central America.
       The agreement includes not less than $45,000,000 for 
     support of offices of Attorneys General and other entities 
     and activities to combat corruption and impunity in Central 
     America. The Secretary of State and USAID Administrator shall 
     make such funds available for the purposes described under 
     this section in the House and Senate reports.
       The agreement includes not less than $20,000,000 for 
     combating sexual and gender-based violence in El Salvador, 
     Guatemala, and Honduras. The Secretary of State and USAID 
     Administrator, as appropriate, shall comply with the strategy 
     development, reporting, and programmatic directives 
     concerning such activities included under this section in the 
     House and Senate reports.
       In making a certification pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(A) 
     of this section concerning the governments of El Salvador, 
     Guatemala, and Honduras, the Secretary of State shall 
     consider the following: (1) relating to clause (i), whether 
     such government is: cooperating with commissions against 
     corruption and impunity and with regional human rights 
     entities; increasing the capacity and independence of the 
     judiciary and the Office of the Attorney General; and 
     investigating and prosecuting in the civilian justice system 
     government personnel who are credibly alleged to be corrupt 
     or to have violated human rights; (2) relating to clause 
     (ii), whether such government is: implementing tax reforms 
     that increase government revenue and transparency in the tax 
     collection system; and resolving commercial disputes, 
     including but not limited to the confiscation of real 
     property and the timely payment of amounts owed to United 
     States entities; (3) relating to clause (iii), whether such 
     government is protecting the right of political opposition 
     parties and other members of civil society to operate without 
     interference; (4) relating to clause (iv), whether such 
     government is: creating a professional, accountable civilian 
     police force and ending the role of the military in internal 
     policing; and strengthening customs agencies; (5) relating to 
     clause (v), whether such government is supporting programs to 
     reduce poverty, expand education and vocational training for 
     at-risk youth, creating jobs, and promoting equitable 
     economic growth, particularly in areas contributing to large 
     numbers of migrants; and (6) relating to clause (vii), 
     whether such government is improving the capacity to detect 
     and prevent illegal migration, human smuggling and 
     trafficking, and trafficking of illicit drugs and other 
     contraband.
       Costa Rica.--The agreement provides $40,725,000 for 
     assistance for Costa Rica, as designated in the table under 
     this section for Central America.
       Guatemala and Honduras.--The agreement includes no funds 
     under Foreign Military Financing Program for assistance for 
     either Guatemala or Honduras, as proposed in the President's 
     budget request.
       Northern Triangle Spend Plans.--Not later than 60 days 
     after enactment of the Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     consultation with the USAID Administrator, shall submit 
     detailed spend plans for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras 
     with specific objectives and benchmarks for the use of 
     assistance made available by the Act.
       Prior Fiscal Year.--Subsection (a)(1)(B) directs that not 
     less than $527,600,000 of the funds appropriated under titles 
     III and IV of division F of Public Law 116-6 should be made 
     available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
     Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Such funds shall 
     be made available under the terms and conditions in this 
     section that apply to funds appropriated for fiscal year 2020 
     for assistance for Northern Triangle countries.
       Colombia.--Subsection (b)(1) provides not less than 
     $448,253,000 for assistance for Colombia. Funds are allocated 
     according to the following table and subject to section 7019 
     of the Act:

                                COLOMBIA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development Assistance................................            61,000
Economic Support Fund.................................           146,328
    Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.........          [20,000]
    Human rights......................................          [10,000]
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...           180,000
    Rule of Law and Human Rights......................          [36,000]
    of which, Justice Sector Institutional                      [19,000]
     Strengthening and Reform.........................
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related            21,000
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             1,400
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            38,525
    Biodiversity......................................          [11,500]
                                                       -----------------
        Total.........................................           448,253
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Pursuant to subsection (b)(1), funds appropriated under 
     titles III and IV of the Act that are made available for 
     assistance for Colombia shall be made available for programs 
     and activities that support efforts by the Government of 
     Colombia to: (1) assist communities impacted by significant 
     refugee and migrant populations; (2) implement the Colombian 
     peace agreement, including through assistance for expanding 
     the presence of civilian institutions in rural areas and for 
     vocational training and integration programs for former 
     combatants, in accordance with constitutional and legal 
     requirements in Colombia; (3) promote economic

[[Page H11436]]

     and social development, including by improving access to 
     areas impacted by conflict through demining programs; (4) 
     strengthen and expand governance, the rule of law, access to 
     justice, and respect for human rights throughout Colombia; 
     (5) conduct a unified campaign against narcotics trafficking, 
     organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations 
     pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1189), and other criminal or illegal armed 
     groups; and (6) enhance security and stability in Colombia 
     and the region.
       Haiti.--Subsection (c) directs that funds appropriated by 
     the Act under Economic Support Fund may not be made available 
     for assistance for the central Government of Haiti unless the 
     Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on 
     Appropriations that such Government is taking effective steps 
     to strengthen the rule of law, combat corruption, improve 
     governance and transparency, increase government revenues, 
     and resolve commercial disputes. The Act also prohibits the 
     provision of funds appropriated by the Act for assistance to 
     the armed forces of Haiti.
       Mexico.--The agreement includes $157,910,000 for assistance 
     for Mexico. Funds are allocated according to the following 
     table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                 MEXICO
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund.................................            50,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...           100,000
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             1,160
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             1,750
Foreign Military Financing Program....................             5,000
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................           157,910
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The Secretary of State shall follow the directive under 
     this section in the Senate report regarding Foreign Military 
     Financing Program assistance for Mexico. The Secretary of 
     State should not submit the report directed under this 
     section in the House report regarding Mexico.
       The Caribbean.--Subsection (d) provides not less than 
     $60,000,000 for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative 
     (CBSI). Funds are allocated according to the following table 
     and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                   CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund.................................            27,300
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...            25,200
Foreign Military Financing Program....................             7,500
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................            60,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       In addition to funds for CBSI, the Secretary of State and 
     USAID Administrator shall comply with the directive to expand 
     support for strengthening resilience to emergencies and 
     natural disasters and for other global health and development 
     assistance.
       Venezuela.--Subsection (e)(1) provides not less than 
     $30,000,000 under Economic Support Fund for democracy 
     programs for Venezuela.
       In addition, paragraph (2) directs that funds shall be made 
     available for assistance for communities in countries 
     impacted by refugees from Venezuela, including Colombia, 
     Peru, Ecuador, Curacao, and Trinidad and Tobago.
       Not later than 60 days after enactment of the Act, the 
     Secretary of State, in consultation with the USAID 
     Administrator, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a comprehensive strategy based on various 
     political transition scenarios in Venezuela. Such strategy 
     shall include a 3-year budget detailing anticipated levels of 
     United States assistance necessary to mitigate the crisis in 
     Venezuela or assist in a political transition, as relevant, 
     including the costs of addressing the needs of Venezuelan 
     refugees in neighboring countries.
     Section 7046. Europe and Eurasia (modified)
       Albania.--The agreement provides not less than the fiscal 
     year 2018 funding level for assistance for Albania, including 
     for programs to be implemented by USAID. Such assistance 
     should include programs targeting judicial reform, good 
     governance, counterterrorism, and defense cooperation. 
     Accession to the European Union by Albania is of strategic 
     importance to the United States, and the USAID transition in 
     Albania should be conditioned upon progress toward such 
     outcome.
       Georgia.--The agreement provides not less than $132,025,000 
     for assistance for Georgia. Funds are allocated according to 
     the following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                 GEORGIA
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia.......            83,025
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...             5,700
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related             1,100
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             2,200
Foreign Military Financing Program....................            35,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       In addition to the funds specified above, the agreement 
     includes not less than $5,000,000 under Foreign Military 
     Financing Program for assistance for Georgia under the 
     Countering Russian Influence Fund.
       Ukraine.--The agreement provides not less than $448,000,000 
     for assistance for Ukraine. Funds are allocated according to 
     the following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                                 UKRAINE
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia.......           250,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...            30,000
Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related            15,000
 Programs.............................................
International Military Education and Training.........             2,900
Foreign Military Financing Program....................           115,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement includes additional assistance under Global 
     Health Programs for Ukraine.
     Section 7047. Countering Russian Influence and Aggression 
         (modified)
       Countering Russian Influence Fund.--The agreement provides 
     not less than $290,000,000 for the Countering Russian 
     Influence Fund, which is in addition to amounts made 
     available for bilateral assistance for countries in Europe, 
     Eurasia and Central Asia. Funds are allocated according to 
     the following table and subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                    COUNTERING RUSSIAN INFLUENCE FUND
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Account                         Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia.......            85,000
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement...            62,500
International Military Education and Training.........             5,000
Foreign Military Financing Program....................           137,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Pursuant to subsection (e), not later than 90 days after 
     enactment of the Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation 
     with the USAID Administrator, shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees a comprehensive, multiyear strategy 
     for the promotion of democracy and rule of law in the Russian 
     Federation and other countries in Europe, Eurasia and Central 
     Asia, including Central Europe. The strategy shall include 
     cost estimates for fiscal years 2020-2023, objectives, and 
     oversight mechanisms for such programs on a country-by-
     country basis. The strategy shall describe the role of civil 
     society organizations in the promotion of democracy and rule 
     of law in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia, and detail 
     planned support for such organizations in the implementation 
     of such strategy.
     Section 7048. United Nations (modified)
       Transparency and Accountability.--The agreement includes a 
     withholding of funds, similar to prior years, for the United 
     Nations (including for the United Nations Department of 
     Peacekeeping Operations), any United Nations agency, and the 
     Organization of American States, until the Secretary of State 
     determines and reports that such entities are meeting certain 
     transparency and accountability standards.
     Section 7049. War Crimes Tribunals (modified)
     Section 7050. Global Internet Freedom (modified)
       The agreement provides not less than $65,500,000 for 
     programs to promote Internet freedom globally, of which 
     $20,000,000 is from funds appropriated under United States 
     Agency for Global Media, International Broadcasting 
     Operations. Funds for activities appropriated under title III 
     of the Act are allocated according to the following table and 
     subject to section 7019 of the Act:

                         GLOBAL INTERNET FREEDOM
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Support Fund.................................            22,025
    Near East Regional Democracy......................          [16,750]
Democracy Fund (Department of State)..................            14,000
Democracy Fund (USAID)................................             3,500
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia.......             5,975
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Section 7051. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading 
         Treatment or Punishment (unchanged)
     Section 7052. Aircraft Transfer, Coordination, and Use 
         (unchanged)
     Section 7053. Parking Fines and Real Property Taxes Owed by 
         Foreign Governments (unchanged)
     Section 7054. International Monetary Fund (unchanged)
     Section 7055. Extradition (unchanged)
     Section 7056. Impact on Jobs in the United States (modified)
     Section 7057. United Nations Population Fund (unchanged)
     Section 7058. Global Health Activities (modified)
       The USAID Administrator shall not carry out the directive 
     under the heading ``Implementers'' under section 7045 of the 
     Senate report.
       The agreement includes authority to reprogram $10,000,000 
     of Global Health Program

[[Page H11437]]

     funds to the Emergency Reserve Fund if necessary to replenish 
     amounts used during fiscal year 2020 to respond to emerging 
     health threats.
     Section 7059. Gender Equality (modified)
       Pursuant to subsection (c), gender programs should 
     incorporate coordinated efforts to combat a variety of forms 
     of gender-based violence, including child, early, and forced 
     marriage, rape, female genital cutting and mutilation, and 
     domestic violence, in conflict and non-conflict settings.
       The agreement provides up to $100,000,000 for the Women's 
     Global Development and Prosperity Fund and notes the 
     allocation of $200,000,000 to such Fund prior to the initial 
     justification of the Fund in the fiscal year 2020 budget 
     request.
     Section 7060. Sector Allocations (modified)
       Basic Education.--Of the funds made available by subsection 
     (a)(1)(B), $100,000,000 is included for the Global 
     Partnership for Education and $25,000,000 is included for 
     Education Cannot Wait. The USAID Administrator shall consult 
     with the Committees on Appropriations on such contributions 
     to ensure adequate monitoring, evaluation, effectiveness, and 
     sustainability of programs.
       If the USAID Administrator determines that unobligated 
     balances for basic education exceed the absorptive capacity 
     of the country they are designated for, funds can be 
     reprogrammed, following consultation with the Committees on 
     Appropriations, for other development programs.
       The agreement includes not less than the fiscal year 2018 
     level for USAID's Higher Education Solutions Network.
       Environment Programs.--Subsection (c) includes authority 
     for environment programs, subject to the regular notification 
     procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.
       The agreement includes not less than $43,000,000 for the 
     Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), 
     of which $24,900,000 is for USAID programs and $18,100,000 is 
     to be transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service (USFWS) pursuant to 632(b) of the FAA. CARPE funds 
     transferred to USFWS are intended for protected areas 
     management and wildlife protection in national parks.
       Funds under this heading directed for transfer to other 
     Federal agencies for environment programs should maximize the 
     unique capabilities and technical expertise of such agencies 
     through transfers pursuant to 632(b) of the FAA. Transfers 
     shall occur not later than 90 days after enactment of the Act 
     and may be made prior to the requirements of sections 7015 
     and 7061 of the Act having been met. Prior to the expenditure 
     of funds, and after consultation with USAID, receiving 
     agencies shall submit spend plans to the Committees on 
     Appropriations and USAID detailing the intended uses of such 
     funds.
       Funds for certain bilateral environment programs are 
     allocated according to the following table and subject to 
     section 7019 of the Act:
  


                          ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS
               [Budget authority in thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Account/Program                     Budget Authority
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andean Amazon.........................................            23,500
Brazilian Amazon......................................            15,000
    Amazon fires......................................           [5,000]
  Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment             43,000
    USAID.............................................          [24,900]
    United States Fish and Wildlife Service...........          [18,100]
Great Apes............................................            40,000
    USAID.............................................          [33,500]
    United States Fish and Wildlife Service...........           [6,500]
Guatemala/Belize......................................             5,500
    USAID.............................................           [3,750]
    Department of the Interior........................           [1,750]
Lacey Act.............................................             3,500
United States Fish and Wildlife Service...............             6,000
    Migratory bird conservation.......................           [1,500]
    Endangered sea turtles............................             [150]
United States Forest Service..........................             7,000
Ocean Plastic Pollution...............................             5,000
Toxic Chemicals.......................................             7,000
Waste Recycling.......................................             7,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Funding for USAID great apes programs includes not less 
     than $5,500,000 for the USAID/Indonesia orangutan 
     conservation program.
       National Parks and Protected Areas.--In lieu of the 
     requirement under this heading in the Senate report, funds 
     made available for national parks and protected areas should 
     only be made available if agreements for the obligation of 
     funds between implementing partners and the Department of 
     State and USAID include provisions requiring that: (1) 
     information detailing the proposed project and potential 
     impacts is shared with local communities and the free, prior, 
     and informed consent of affected indigenous communities is 
     obtained in accordance with international standards; (2) the 
     potential impacts of the proposed project on existing land or 
     resource claims by affected local communities or indigenous 
     peoples are considered and addressed in any management plan; 
     (3) any eco-guards, park rangers, and other law enforcement 
     personnel authorized to protect biodiversity will be properly 
     trained and monitored; and (4) effective grievance and 
     redress mechanisms for victims of human rights violations and 
     other misconduct exist.
       Funds made available for the management of national parks 
     and protected areas may be made available to support 
     implementation of the above requirements, and implementing 
     partners shall provide information on these requirements to 
     the Department of State and USAID on request. The Secretary 
     of State and USAID Administrator shall consult with the 
     Committees on Appropriations not later than 45 days after 
     enactment of the Act on the implementation of these 
     requirements.
       Climate.--The Secretary of State shall not carry out the 
     reporting directive under the heading ``Climate'' under 
     section 7060 of the House report.
       International Food Security.--In lieu of the Senate report 
     on international food security unobligated balances, the 
     agreement directs the USAID Administrator to submit a report 
     to the Committees on Appropriations not later than 30 days 
     after enactment of the Act and every 90 days thereafter until 
     September 30, 2020, detailing the amount of funds obligated 
     and the unobligated balances for food security-related 
     activities funded under International Disaster Assistance and 
     Development Assistance. The USAID Administrator shall consult 
     with the Committees on Appropriations prior to the submission 
     of such report.
     Section 7061. Budget Documents (modified)
       The Act requires all spend plans to be submitted not later 
     than 90 days after enactment of the Act. However, the 
     Secretary of State and USAID Administrator, as applicable, 
     may submit partial spend plans to the Committees on 
     Appropriations to meet such requirement following 
     consultation with the Committees on Appropriations. Such 
     spend plans shall clearly identify any amount remaining to be 
     submitted, any amount previously submitted, and any actual or 
     projected changes to the total required amount.
     Section 7062. Reorganization (modified)
     Section 7063. Department of State Management (modified)
       The agreement includes funding for not less than 12,870 
     permanent Civil Service staff and 13,031 permanent Foreign 
     Service Officers, consistent with the number of staff funded 
     in the Department's fiscal year 2019 operational plan under 
     Diplomatic Engagement and on-board staffing levels in fiscal 
     year 2016, restoring State Department personnel to pre-hiring 
     freeze levels.
     Section 7064. United States Agency for International 
         Development Management (modified)
       The agreement includes funding under Operating Expenses for 
     not less than 1,600 permanent Civil Service staff and 1,850 
     permanent Foreign Service Officers, consistent with staffing 
     levels funded in fiscal year 2016 and restoring USAID 
     personnel to pre-hiring freeze levels. Not later than 60 days 
     after enactment of the Act, the USAID Administrator shall 
     provide the Committees on Appropriations a strategic 
     workforce plan, including staffing allocations by region and 
     bureau, consistent with the increased staffing levels funded 
     in the agreement. In order to meet these new hiring targets, 
     the USAID Administrator is directed to use its strategic 
     workforce plan to guide and appropriately prioritize civil 
     service hiring and to suspend the further use of a 
     centralized hiring board to approve hiring actions on a 
     position-by-position basis.
     Section 7065. Stabilization and Development in Regions 
         Impacted by Extremism and Conflict (modified)
       Relief and Recovery Fund.--The agreement provides not less 
     than $200,000,000 for the Relief and Recovery Fund, of which 
     $85,000,000 is under Economic Support Fund, $25,000,000 is 
     under International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, 
     $25,000,000 is under Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, 
     Demining and Related Programs, $40,000,000 is under 
     Peacekeeping Operations, and $25,000,000 is under Foreign 
     Military Financing Program.
       The agreement includes funds to implement the Global 
     Fragility Act of 2019, including for the Global Fragility 
     Fund authorized by such Act, if such Act is enacted into law.
     Section 7066. Disability Programs (modified)
     Section 7067. Debt-for-Development (unchanged)
     Section 7068. Enterprise Funds (unchanged)
     Section 7069. Rescissions (modified)
       The agreement rescinds $578,744,000, of which $282,462,000 
     is designated for OCO/GWOT pursuant to the BBEDCA. Of the 
     total, $232,000,000 is from unobligated Economic Support Fund 
     balances, $242,462,000 is from embassy construction projects 
     for which there are no longer existing requirements, 
     $40,000,000 is from unobligated Complex Crises Fund balances, 
     and $64,282,000 is from unobligated Export-Import Bank tied-
     aid balances.
       The Act does not include the following general provisions 
     from division F of Public Law 116-6: Section 7037, Section 
     7050, Section 7051, Section 7063, and Section 7064.

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DIVISION H--TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

                        Congressional Directives

       Unless otherwise noted, the language and allocations set 
     forth in the House report (House Report 116-106) and the 
     Senate report (Senate Report 116-109) carry the same weight 
     as language included in this statement and should be complied 
     with unless specifically addressed to the contrary in this 
     division or statement. House report language and Senate 
     report language, neither of which is changed by this 
     statement, is a result of the 2020 appropriations agreement. 
     This statement, while repeating some report language for 
     emphasis, does not intend to negate the language referred to 
     above unless expressly provided herein. In cases where the 
     House or the Senate has directed the submission of a report, 
     such report is to be submitted to both the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations. The Department of 
     Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban 
     Development are directed to notify the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations seven days prior to the 
     announcement of a new program, initiative, or authority. Any 
     reprogramming requests must be submitted to the Committees on 
     Appropriations no later than June 30, 2020.


                             OTHER MATTERS

       Contracting.--Instead of requiring each Department and 
     agency to include information on advertising contracts in its 
     fiscal year 2021 budget justification, each Department and 
     agency shall furnish such information in a report to the 
     Committees no later than 30 days after the submission of the 
     fiscal year 2021 budget request.
       Targeted investments in impoverished areas.--If current 
     data collected by the Departments and agencies for a program 
     are unable to be readily aggregated by county or census 
     tract, then a statement on the limitations of the data for 
     that program shall satisfy such reporting requirement.
       MEGABYTE Act.--The agreement notes that both the 
     Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban 
     Development have received a passing grade on the most recent 
     Biannual Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform 
     Act Scorecard for software licensing.

                 TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

                        Office of the Secretary


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $115,490,000 for the salaries and 
     expenses of the Office of the Secretary.
       Travel and Tourism.--The agreement sustains support for the 
     national advisory committee on travel and tourism 
     infrastructure and directs the Secretary to provide the 
     strategic plan required in the Senate report within 90 days 
     of enactment of this Act.
       Intelligent Transportation Systems.--The agreement directs 
     the Secretary to submit a report to the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations as described in section 105 of 
     the Senate bill within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
       Bonuses.--The agreement directs the Secretary to submit a 
     report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations 
     on the Department of Transportation's existing policies and 
     Operating Administration's guidance on retention and senior 
     executive bonuses and an analysis of each Operating 
     Administration's compliance with such policies and guidance 
     in fiscal year 2019 within 90 days of enactment of this Act.


                        RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

       The bill provides $21,000,000 for research and technology, 
     of which $14,218,000 shall remain available until expended. 
     Of the total amount, the bill provides the following levels 
     for specific activities:
  


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tier I University Transportation Centers..............        $5,000,000
Emergency Planning Transportation Data Initiative.....         1,000,000
Transportation Resilience Metrics Study...............         1,000,000
Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence..         5,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Emergency Planning Transportation Data Initiative.--The 
     agreement provides $1,000,000 for an emergency planning 
     transportation data initiative to conduct research and 
     develop models of data integration of geo-located weather and 
     roadway information for emergency and other severe weather 
     conditions to improve public safety, emergency evacuation, 
     and response capabilities.
       Transportation Resilience Metrics Study.--The agreement 
     provides $1,000,000 for the Secretary to enter into an 
     agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, 
     Engineering, and Medicine, no later than 45 days after 
     enactment of this Act, to conduct a study on effective ways 
     to measure the resilience of transportation systems and 
     services to natural disasters and hazards. The study should: 
     (1) identify and examine approaches used by Federal agencies, 
     States, metropolitan planning organizations, local 
     governments, and other organizations, including approaches 
     described in academic literature, to develop metrics for 
     transportation resilience; (2) provide findings on approaches 
     to measuring resilience that have shown or promise success; 
     and (3) provide recommendations on addressing challenges with 
     measuring resilience. The Secretary is directed to submit to 
     the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a final 
     study developed by the National Academies of Sciences, 
     Engineering, and Medicine no later than one year after 
     enactment of this Act.
       Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence 
     (COE).--The agreement provides $5,000,000 to establish the 
     Highly Automated Systems Safety COE within the Department of 
     Transportation to review, assess, and validate the safety of 
     highly automated systems across all modes of transportation.


                  NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

       The bill provides $1,000,000,000 for national 
     infrastructure investments, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2022. The agreement does not include the 
     requirement in the House report to refocus fiscal year 2020 
     awards on multimodal projects, but does continue to make 
     these projects eligible for awards. Instead, the Secretary is 
     directed to invest in a variety of transportation modes, 
     which includes a broad range of transportation projects such 
     as highway, bridge, or road projects; transit projects; 
     passenger and freight rail projects; port infrastructure 
     improvements; intermodal projects; bicycle and pedestrian 
     projects; and multimodal infrastructure projects.


     NATIONAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AND INNOVATIVE FINANCE BUREAU

       The bill provides $5,000,000 for the national surface 
     transportation and innovative finance bureau, to remain 
     available until expended.


                      FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CAPITAL

       The bill provides $2,000,000 for the financial management 
     capital program, to remain available until September 30, 
     2021.


                       CYBER SECURITY INITIATIVES

       The bill provides $15,000,000 for departmental cyber 
     security initiatives, to remain available until September 30, 
     2021.


                         OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS

       The bill provides $9,470,000 for the office of civil 
     rights.


           TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT

       The bill provides $10,879,000 for planning, research, and 
     development activities, to remain available until expended, 
     of which $1,000,000 is for the Interagency Infrastructure 
     Permitting Improvement Center.
       Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology 
     (NETT) Council.--The Department is directed, through the NETT 
     Council, to conduct the study required in the House and 
     Senate reports on new and emerging cross-modal transportation 
     technologies, including hyperloop technology, and provide a 
     report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations 
     within one year of enactment of this Act on such findings and 
     recommendations. The agreement provides $2,000,000 to 
     complete this study, conduct research on the safety and 
     regulatory needs of such technologies, and provide technical 
     assistance to local and State governments.


                          WORKING CAPITAL FUND

       The bill limits expenditures for working capital fund 
     activities to $319,793,000. The limitation allows the 
     Department to complete the migration of commodity information 
     technology (IT) to the working capital fund, and, if needed, 
     the migration of personnel associated with commodity IT. Any 
     additional scope of work is not approved.


       SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION AND OUTREACH

       The bill provides $4,646,000 for small and disadvantaged 
     business utilization and outreach, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2021.


                        PAYMENTS TO AIR CARRIERS

                    (AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides $162,000,000 for payments to air 
     carriers, to remain available until expended.


  ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

       Section 101 prohibits funds available to the Department of 
     Transportation from being obligated for the Office of the 
     Secretary of Transportation to approve assessments or 
     reimbursable agreements pertaining to funds appropriated to 
     the modal administrations, except for activities underway on 
     the date of enactment of this Act, unless such assessments or 
     agreements have completed the normal reprogramming process 
     for Congressional notification.
       Section 102 requires the Secretary of Transportation to 
     post on the internet a schedule of all Council on Credit and 
     Finance meetings, agendas, and meeting minutes.
       Section 103 allows the Department of Transportation Working 
     Capital Fund to provide payments in advance to vendors for 
     the Federal transit pass fringe benefit program, and to 
     provide full or partial payments to, and to accept 
     reimbursements from, Federal agencies for transit benefit 
     distribution services.
       Section 104 requires the Secretary of Transportation to 
     announce the selection of all projects to receive awards for 
     all competitive grants provided in P.L. 116-6 under the 
     headings ``Federal Railroad Administration--Federal-State 
     Partnership for State of Good Repair'', ``Federal Railroad 
     Administration--Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety 
     Improvements'', ``Federal Railroad Administration--
     Restoration and Enhancement'', ``Federal Railroad 
     Administration--Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment 
     Program'', and ``Maritime Administration--Port Infrastructure 
     Development Program'' no later than May 1, 2020.
       Section 105 requires the Secretary of Transportation to 
     establish a Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of 
     Excellence within the Department of Transportation.

[[Page H11455]]

       Section 106 prohibits the use of funds made available by 
     this Act to terminate the Intelligent Transportation System 
     Program Advisory Committee established under section 5305(h) 
     of SAFETEA-LU.

                    Federal Aviation Administration


                               OPERATIONS

                    (AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)

       The agreement provides $10,630,000,000 for the operations 
     of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to remain 
     available until September 30, 2021. Of the total amount 
     provided, $10,519,000,000 is to be derived from the airport 
     and airway trust fund. Funds are distributed in the bill by 
     budget activity.
       The following table compares the bill to the levels 
     proposed in the budget request by activity:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Budget Request          Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aviation Safety...................     $1,327,779,000     $1,404,096,000
Air Traffic Organization..........      7,777,357,000      7,970,734,000
Commercial Space Transportation...         25,598,000         26,040,000
Finance and Management............        784,832,000        800,646,000
NextGen and Operations Planning...         60,145,000         61,538,000
Security and Hazardous Materials          117,694,000        118,642,000
 Safety...........................
Staff Offices.....................        246,595,000        248,304,000
                                   -------------------------------------
    Total.........................     10,340,000,000     10,630,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Reviews and Recommendations.--The FAA's organization, 
     processes, and policies are undergoing a thorough review as 
     the result of two recent fatal aviation accidents. The 
     National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Joint 
     Authorities Technical Review Panel (JATR), and the Indonesian 
     National Transportation Safety Committee have each issued 
     recommendations. Additional recommendations are anticipated 
     from the Office of Inspector General (OIG); DOT's Special 
     Committee to Review FAA's Aircraft Certification Process; the 
     Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee; the 
     House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; the 
     Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; 
     the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority; and a 
     multidisciplinary expert review panel on Organization 
     Designation Authorization (ODA) programs, processes, and 
     procedures; among others. The agreement directs the FAA to 
     respond to each recommendation and to report to the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations on the impact of these 
     recommendations on its resource and funding needs. The 
     agreement further directs the FAA to resolve an open 
     recommendation from a 2015 OIG report regarding evaluation 
     criteria and tools used to target safety oversight. The FAA 
     is strongly reminded that changes to its organizational 
     structure are subject to the requirements of section 405 of 
     this Act.
       Aviation Safety Staffing and Training.--The agreement 
     includes $6,800,000 throughout aviation safety (AVS) for the 
     salaries and expenses of additional staff with expertise in 
     human factors, systems safety engineering, software 
     engineering, manufacturing and industrial engineering, data 
     analytics and science, and international aviation safety 
     standards. The FAA is also directed to strategically use its 
     existing personnel authorities to recruit and retain staff in 
     these occupations, including student loan repayment and 
     tuition repayment programs, direct hire authority, 
     recruitment and relocation incentives, and the use of 
     programs such as the minority serving institutions internship 
     and pathways programs. The agreement also includes $6,200,000 
     to cover the cost of technical training and credentialing 
     related to flight operations, aircraft certification, 
     engineering, human factors, and other technical specialties 
     that would support the aviation safety mission. The FAA shall 
     brief the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no 
     later than 90 days after enactment on its use of these 
     authorities in order to meet staffing and technical skills 
     targets and potential uses for competitive compensation and 
     recalibration of qualification standards.
       Improving Aviation Safety.--The agreement includes up to 
     $3,000,000 for the FAA, in consultation with the Department 
     of State and USAID, to help organizations around the world 
     understand U.S. safety standards, provide technical training 
     for civil aviation authorities and foreign air carriers, and 
     assist civil aviation authorities safely integrate U.S.-
     manufactured aircraft into their regulatory framework. An 
     additional $1,000,000 may be used, in consultation with the 
     Department of State and USAID, to create opportunities for 
     the FAA to engage with leaders around the world through 
     outreach and training programs for aviation stakeholders, 
     consistent with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 
     requirement to promote U.S. aerospace safety standards.
       Centralized Safety Guidance Database.--The FAA is directed 
     to report on its progress in implementing the centralized 
     safety guidance database by May 1, 2020, including a specific 
     timetable for full implementation.
       Unfinished Rulemakings.--The agreement directs the FAA to 
     report on unfinished rulemakings related to the safety of 
     foreign repair stations and flight attendant rest 
     requirements 30 days after enactment of this Act.
       Workforce Diversity.--Of the amount provided for staff 
     offices, the agreement includes up to $5,000,000, but not 
     less than $3,500,000, for the minority serving institutions 
     (MSI) internship program for the cost of the stipend, travel, 
     orientations, workshops, field trips, mentoring, coaching, 
     program administration, and program evaluation. The agreement 
     further requires the FAA to incorporate the MSI internship 
     program into the FAA-United States Air Force aviation 
     workforce initiative announced on May 31, 2019.
       Pilot Medical Certification.--The agreement does not 
     require the FAA to report on the data related to special 
     issuance medical certificates for insulin dependency as 
     required by the Senate report, but does direct the FAA to 
     submit the report required by the House report.
       Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program 
     (IPP).--The agreement requires the FAA to provide the report 
     on UAS IPP, as required by the Senate report, no later than 
     March 2, 2020.
       Veteran's pilot training grants program.--The agreement 
     directs the FAA to use up to $5,000,000 for competitive 
     grants to facilitate the future supply of adequate pilots as 
     required in the Senate report, and in awarding such grants 
     the FAA is encouraged to prioritize flight schools that are 
     either accredited by the Department of Education or hold a 
     restricted airline transport pilot letter of authorization.
       Opioid Antagonists.--As part of the ongoing efforts to 
     review regulations regarding the emergency medical equipment 
     carried by passenger airlines, the FAA should take timely 
     action to issue additional guidance to air carriers to ensure 
     the inclusion of opioid antagonists in emergency medical 
     kits.
       FAA Reauthorization.--The agreement directs the FAA to 
     submit a report to the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations on March 2, 2020, and on September 8, 2020, on 
     the status of implementation of the provisions in P.L. 115-
     254, including a list of all mandates and associated 
     deadlines, the primary office responsible for executing each 
     mandate, and actions taken to date on implementing each 
     mandate.


                        FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

                    (AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)

       The agreement provides $3,045,000,000 for facilities and 
     equipment. Of the total amount available, $515,000,000 is 
     available until September 30, 2021; $2,409,473,000 is 
     available until September 30, 2022; and $120,527,000 is 
     available until expended.
       The following table provides details by program:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Budget Request       Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 1--Engineering,
 Development, Test and Evaluation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Advanced Technology                    40,900,000         40,900,000
     Development and Prototyping..
    William J. Hughes Technical            20,000,000         20,000,000
     Center Laboratory Sustainment
    William J. Hughes Technical            15,000,000         15,000,000
     Center Infrastructure
     Sustainment..................
    NextGen--Separation Management         33,500,000         20,500,000
     Portfolio....................
    NextGen--Traffic Flow                  27,500,000         19,800,000
     Management Portfolio.........
    NextGen--On Demand NAS                 10,500,000          8,500,000
     Portfolio....................
    NextGen--NAS Infrastructure            17,000,000         11,500,000
     Portfolio....................
    NextGen--NextGen Support               13,000,000         11,000,000
     Portfolio....................
    NextGen--Unmanned Aircraft             68,400,000         51,900,000
     Systems (UAS)................
    NextGen--Enterprise, Concept           32,000,000       19,000,00000
     Development, Human Factors,
     and Demonstrations Portfolio.
                                   -------------------------------------
    Total Activity 1..............        277,800,000        218,100,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 2--Procurement and
 Modernization of Air Traffic
 Control Facilities and Equipment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. En Route Programs
    En Route Automation                   105,950,000        105,950,000
     Modernization (ERAM)--System
     Enhancements and Tech Refresh
    En Route Communications                 2,650,000          2,650,000
     Gateway (ECG)................
    Next Generation Weather Radar           3,000,000          3,000,000
     (NEXRAD).....................

[[Page H11456]]

 
    Air Route Traffic Control              96,900,000         96,900,000
     Center (ARTCC) & Combined
     Control Facility (CCF)
     Building Improvements........
    Air/Ground Communications               7,850,000          7,850,000
     Infrastructure...............
    Air Traffic Control En Route            5,300,000          5,300,000
     Radar Facilities Improvements
    Oceanic Automation System.....         15,900,000         15,900,000
    Next Generation Very High              50,000,000         70,000,000
     Frequency Air/Ground
     Communications (NEXCOM)......
    System-Wide Information               100,950,000         81,825,000
     Management (SWIM)............
    ADS-B NAS Wide Implementation.        174,400,000        159,400,000
    Windshear Detection Service...          1,000,000          1,000,000
    Air Traffic Management                 77,100,000         50,000,000
     Implementation Portfolio.....
    Time Based Flow Management             30,700,000         20,000,000
     Portfolio (TBFM).............
    NextGen Weather Processors--           31,300,000         24,300,000
     Work Package 1 (WP1).........
    Airborne Collision Avoidance            6,900,000          6,900,000
     System X (ACASX).............
    Data Communications in Support        136,248,013        136,248,000
     of NextGen...................
    Non-Continental United States           1,000,000          1,000,000
     (Non-CONUS) Automation.......
    Reduced Oceanic Separation....         32,300,000         32,300,000
    En Route Service Improvements.          2,000,000          2,000,000
    Commercial Space Integration..         33,000,000         23,000,000
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal En Route Programs        914,448,013        845,523,000
b. Terminal Programs
    Terminal Doppler Weather Radar          2,200,000          2,200,000
     (TDWR)--Provide..............
    Standard Terminal Automation           41,300,000         41,300,000
     Replacement System (STARS)
     (TAMR Phase 1)...............
    Terminal Automation Program...          6,500,000          6,500,000
    Terminal Air Traffic Control           24,326,987         24,327,000
     Facilities--Replace..........
    ATCT/Terminal Radar Approach           96,200,000         96,200,000
     Control (TRACON) Facilities--
     Improve......................
    NAS Facilities OSHA and                40,400,000         40,400,000
     Environmental Standards
     Compliance...................
    Integrated Display System              24,000,000         24,000,000
     (IDS)........................
    Remote Monitoring and Logging          14,400,000         14,400,000
     System (RMLS)................
    Terminal Flight Data Manager          135,450,000        135,450,000
     (TFDM).......................
    Performance Based Navigation            5,000,000          5,000,000
     and Metroplex Portfolio......
    Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)         58,400,000         28,400,000
     Implementation...............
    Airport Ground Surveillance            19,000,000         19,000,000
     Portfolio....................
    Terminal and En Route                  68,500,000         62,500,000
     Surveillance Portfolio.......
    Terminal and Enroute Voice             49,750,000         40,750,000
     Switch and Recorder Portfolio
    NextGen Implementation of FOXs         35,000,000         10,000,000
     and FIM Cloud................
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal Terminal Programs        620,426,987        550,427,000
c. Flight Service Programs
    Aviation Surface Observation            4,000,000          4,000,000
     System (ASOS)................
    Future Flight Services Program         19,200,000         18,000,000
     (FFSP).......................
    Alaska Flight Service Facility          2,650,000          2,650,000
     Modernization (AFSFM)........
    Weather Camera Program........                  -          1,800,000
    Juneau Airport Wind System              1,000,000          1,000,000
     (JAWS)--Technology Refresh...
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal Flight Service            26,850,000         27,450,000
         Programs.................
d. Landing and Navigational Aids
 Programs
    VHF Omnidirectional Radio              18,000,000         20,000,000
     Range (VOR) Minimum Operating
     Network (MON)................
    Instrument Landing System                       -         10,000,000
     (ILS)........................
    Wide Area Augmentation System          90,000,000         80,000,000
     (WAAS) for GPS...............
    Instrument Flight Procedures            1,100,000          1,100,000
     Automation (IFPA)............
    Runway Safety Areas--                   1,400,000          1,400,000
     Navigational Mitigation......
    Landing and Lighting Portfolio         48,245,000         36,000,000
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal Landing and              158,745,000        148,500,000
         Navigational Aids
         Programs.................
e. Other ATC Facilities Programs
    Fuel Storage Tank Replacement          26,400,000         26,400,000
     and Management...............
    Unstaffed Infrastructure               36,800,000         36,800,000
     Sustainment..................
    Aircraft Related Equipment             10,900,000         10,900,000
     Program (ARE)................
    Airport Cable Loop Systems--           10,000,000          8,000,000
     Sustained Support............
    Alaskan Satellite                       4,300,000          4,300,000
     Telecommunications
     Infrastructure (ASTI)........
    Facilities Decommissioning....          9,000,000          9,000,000
    Electrical Power Systems--            150,000,000        130,000,000
     Sustain/Support..............
    Energy Management and                   6,400,000          6,400,000
     Compliance (EMC).............
    Child Care Center Sustainment.          1,500,000          1,500,000
    FAA Telecommunications                 48,500,000         38,500,000
     Infrastructure (FTI).........
    Data Visualization, Analysis            7,100,000          7,100,000
     and Reporting System (DVARS).
    Time Division Multiplexing             20,000,000         20,000,000
     (TDM)-to-Internet Protocol
     (IP) Migration...............
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal Other ATC                330,900,000        298,900,000
         Facilities Programs......
                                   -------------------------------------
        Total Activity 2..........      2,051,370,000      1,870,800,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 3--Procurement and
 Modernization of Non-Air Traffic
 Control Facilities and Equipment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. Support Programs
    Hazardous Materials Management         20,000,000         20,000,000
    Aviation Safety Analysis               19,700,000         19,700,000
     System (ASAS)................
    National Air Space Recovery            12,000,000         12,000,000
     Communications (RCOM)........
    Facility Security Risk                 15,100,000         15,100,000
     Management...................
    Information Security..........         33,300,000         23,300,000
    System Approach for Safety             23,100,000         23,100,000
     Oversight (SASO).............
    Aviation Safety Knowledge               5,300,000          5,300,000
     Management Environment
     (ASKME)......................
    Aerospace Medical Equipment            13,800,000         13,800,000
     Needs (AMEN).................
    NextGen--System Safety                 19,500,000         24,500,000
     Management Portfolio.........
    National Test Equipment                 3,000,000          3,000,000
     Program (NTEP)...............
    Mobile Assets Management                1,800,000          1,800,000
     Program......................

[[Page H11457]]

 
    Aerospace Medicine Safety              13,800,000         13,800,000
     Information Systems (AMSIS)..
    Logistics Support Systems and           4,000,000          9,000,000
     Facilities (LSSF)............
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal Support Programs.        184,400,000        184,400,000
b. Training, Equipment and
 Facilities
    Aeronautical Center                    18,000,000         18,000,000
     Infrastructure Modernization.
    Distance Learning.............          1,000,000          1,000,000
                                   -------------------------------------
        Subtotal Training,                 19,000,000         19,000,000
         Equipment and Facilities.
                                   -------------------------------------
        Total Activity 3..........        203,400,000        203,400,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 4--Facilities and
 Equipment Mission Support
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. System Support and Support
 Services
    System Engineering and                 38,000,000         38,000,000
     Development Support..........
    Program Support Leases........         48,000,000         48,000,000
    Logistics Support Services             11,800,000         11,800,000
     (LSS)........................
    Mike Monroney Aeronautical             20,600,000         20,600,000
     Center Leases................
    Transition Engineering Support         21,000,000         21,000,000
    Technical Support Services             28,000,000         28,000,000
     Contract (TSSC)..............
    Resource Tracking Program               8,000,000          8,000,000
     (RTP)........................
    Center for Advanced Aviation           57,000,000         57,000,000
     System Development (CAASD)...
    Aeronautical Information                5,300,000          5,300,000
     Management Program...........
                                   -------------------------------------
        Total Activity 4..........        237,700,000        237,700,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 5--Personnel
 Compensation, Benefits, and
 Travel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Personnel and Related Expenses        524,730,000        515,000,000
                                   -------------------------------------
        Total All Activities......      3,295,000,000      3,045,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Reduced Oceanic Separation.--The agreement includes 
     $32,300,000 for continued implementation of Automatic 
     Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) reduced oceanic 
     separation and for the implementation of space-based 
     Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) for use in 
     oceanic operations.
       Remote Tower Pilot Program.--The agreement includes 
     $7,000,000 for the implementation of the remote tower pilot 
     program as authorized in section 161 of the P.L. 115-254.
       Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), VHF Omnidirectional 
     Radio Range (VOR), TACAN (DVT) Sustainment.--The agreement 
     directs the FAA to provide the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations an update detailing their plan to achieve 
     distance measuring equipment, VOR, tactical air navigation 
     (DVT) modernization, no later than 180 days after enactment 
     of this Act. The agency is expected to highlight potential 
     obstacles and innovative approaches that may be required to 
     achieve this goal, such as using a service based approach in 
     which vendors provide equipment and installation services and 
     FAA employees perform flight checks, maintenance, and 
     certification of the systems. The FAA should continue its 
     efforts to establish this program and conduct an acquisition 
     as soon as possible.
       FAA Enterprise Network Services (FENS).--The agreement does 
     not require the FAA to provide the briefing on FENS 
     referenced in Senate report.
       Instrument Landing Systems (ILS).--The agreement includes 
     $10,000,000 for the procurement and installation of ILS 
     services.
       NextGen--System Safety Management Portfolio.--The agreement 
     includes $5,000,000 above the request to enhance the ASIAS 
     program to enable near real-time data, thereby allowing the 
     FAA to appropriately adjust safety decisions in a dynamic and 
     rapidly changing industry.


 RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, AND DEVELOPMENT (AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)

       The agreement provides $192,665,000 for the FAA's research, 
     engineering, and development activities, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2022.
       The table below provides the following levels for specific 
     programs:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Program                 Budget Request       Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fire Research & Safety............          7,562,000          7,200,000
Propulsion & Fuel Systems.........          3,708,000          2,100,000
Advanced Materials/Structural               1,799,000         14,720,000
 Safety...........................
Aircraft Icing/Digital System               7,450,000          9,000,000
 Safety...........................
Continued Airworthiness...........         10,006,000         10,269,000
Aircraft Catastrophic Failure                       -          1,565,000
 Prevention Research..............
Flightdeck/Maintenance/System               5,973,000          7,300,000
 Integration Human Factors........
Safety System Management/Terminal           4,309,000          4,500,000
 Area Safety......................
Air Traffic Control/Technical               5,474,000          5,800,000
 Operations Human Factors.........
Aeromedical Research..............          9,575,000          7,919,000
Weather Program...................          6,391,000         12,911,000
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research          7,546,000         24,035,000
Alternative Fuels for General                       -          1,900,000
 Aviation.........................
Commercial Space Transportation             5,971,000          2,500,000
 Safety...........................
NextGen Wake Turbulence...........          3,697,000          5,000,000
NextGen Air Ground Integration              1,717,000          5,300,000
 Human Factors....................
NextGen Weather Technology in the           1,963,000          3,144,000
 Cockpit..........................
NextGen Flight Deck Data Exchange           1,005,000          1,005,000
 Requirements.....................
Information Technology/Cyber                2,675,000          2,675,000
 Security Program.................
                                   -------------------------------------
    Sub-Total Safety..............         86,821,000        128,843,000
Environment & Energy..............         15,103,000         18,013,000
NextGen Environmental Research             12,500,000         29,174,000
 Aircraft Technologies and Fuels..
Airliner Cabin Environment                          -          1,000,000
 Research.........................
                                   -------------------------------------
    Sub-Total Reduce Environmental         27,603,000         48,187,000
     Impacts......................
System Planning and Resource                2,717,000         12,135,000
 Management.......................
William J. Hughes Technical Center          2,859,000          3,500,000
 Laboratory Facility..............
                                   -------------------------------------
    Sub-Total Mission Support.....          5,576,000         15,635,000
                                   -------------------------------------
        Total.....................        120,000,000        192,665,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Continued Airworthiness.--The agreement includes 
     $10,269,000 for continued airworthiness, of which $2,000,000 
     is for the FAA to work with public and private partners who 
     provide leading-edge research, development, and testing of 
     composite materials and structures.
       Environmental sustainability.--The FAA is provided a total 
     of $47,187,000 for research related to environmental 
     sustainability that supports the CLEEN program, as well as 
     the center of excellence for alternative jet fuels and 
     environment. Within the total provided, the FAA is directed 
     to use $15,000,000 for the center of excellence.
       Aviation workforce development programs.--Of the amount 
     provided for system planning and resource management, the 
     agreement includes $10,000,000 for the aviation workforce 
     development programs for aircraft pilot workforce and for 
     aviation maintenance workforce, as authorized by section 625 
     of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.
       Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS).--The FAA is 
     directed to report on

[[Page H11458]]

     its progress in implementing the direction in the Senate 
     report on the HIMS no later than March 2, 2020.
       Automation.--The FAA should investigate ways in which 
     training and mitigations can be developed to address the 
     safety risk associated with pilot automation dependency.


                       GRANTS-IN-AID FOR AIRPORTS

                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                    (AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement provides an obligation limitation of 
     $3,350,000,000 and a liquidating cash appropriation of 
     $3,000,000,000, to remain available until expended. Within 
     the obligation limitation, the agreement provides not more 
     than $116,500,000 for administrative expenses, no less than 
     $15,000,000 for the airport cooperative research program, not 
     less than $39,224,000 for airport technology research, and 
     $10,000,000 for the small community air service development 
     program.
       Boarding Bridges.--The agreement directs the FAA to consult 
     with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. 
     Attorney General to develop, to the extent practicable, a 
     list of entities that: (1) are a foreign state-owned 
     enterprise that is identified by the USTR in the report 
     required by subsection (a)(1) of section 182 of the Trade Act 
     of 1974 and subject to monitoring by the USTR under section 
     306 of the Trade Act of 1974; and (2) have been determined by 
     a Federal court, after exhausting all appeals, to have 
     misappropriated intellectual property or trade secrets from 
     an entity organized under the laws of the United States or 
     any jurisdiction within the United States. The FAA shall make 
     such list available to the public and work with the USTR, to 
     the extent practicable, to utilize the system for award 
     management database to exclude such entities from being 
     eligible for Federal non-procurement awards. The FAA is 
     expected to notify the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations of any significant challenges the agency faces 
     in completing these actions.


                       GRANTS-IN-AID FOR AIRPORTS

       The agreement provides $400,000,000 in new budget authority 
     for additional discretionary grants for airport construction 
     projects.
       Prioritization.--Section 47115(j)(3)(B) of title 49, United 
     States Code, requires that not less than 50 percent of the 
     funds made available under this heading shall be for grants 
     at nonhub, small hub, reliever, and nonprimary airports. The 
     agreement directs the FAA to restrict this set-aside to 50 
     percent, and use the remaining funds for grants at medium hub 
     and large hub airports. In addition, the agreement directs 
     the FAA to provide priority consideration for grant 
     applications that complete previously awarded discretionary 
     grant projects, and to provide priority consideration based 
     on project justification and completeness of pre-grant 
     actions.


       ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

       Section 110 allows no more than 600 technical staff-years 
     at the center for advanced aviation systems development.
       Section 111 prohibits funds for adopting guidelines or 
     regulations requiring airport sponsors to provide FAA without 
     costbuilding construction or space.
       Section 112 allows reimbursement for fees collected and 
     credited under 49 U.S.C. 45303.
       Section 113 allows reimbursement of funds for providing 
     technical assistance to foreign aviation authorities to be 
     credited to the operations account.
       Section 114 prohibits funds for Sunday premium pay unless 
     work was actually performed on a Sunday.
       Section 115 prohibits funds from being used to buy store 
     gift cards with Government issued credit cards.
       Section 116 prohibits funds from being obligated or 
     expended for retention bonuses for FAA employees without 
     prior written approval of the DOT Assistant Secretary for 
     Administration.
       Section 117 requires the Secretary to block the display of 
     an owner or operator s aircraft registration number in the 
     aircraft situational display to industry program upon the 
     request of an owner or operator.
       Section 118 prohibits funds for salaries and expenses of 
     more than nine political and Presidential appointees in the 
     FAA.
       Section 119 prohibits funds to increase fees under 49 
     U.S.C. 44721 until the FAA provides a report to the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations that justifies all fees 
     related to aeronautical navigation products and explains how 
     such fees are consistent with Executive Order No. 13642.
       Section 119A requires the FAA to notify the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations at least 90 days before 
     closing a regional operations center or reducing the services 
     provided.
       Section 119B prohibits funds from being used to change 
     weight restrictions or prior permission rules at Teterboro 
     Airport in New Jersey.
       Section 119C prohibits funds from being used to withhold 
     from consideration and approval certain application for 
     participation in the contract tower program, or for certain 
     reevaluations of cost-share program participation.
       Section 119D prohibits funds from being used to open, 
     close, redesignate, or reorganize a regional office, the 
     aeronautical center, or the technical center subject to the 
     normal reprogramming requirements outlined under section 405 
     of this Act.

                     Federal Highway Administration


                 LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill limits obligations for the administrative expenses 
     of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to $453,549,689. 
     In addition, the bill provides $3,248,000 for the 
     administrative expenses of the Appalachian Regional 
     Commission.


                          FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill limits obligations for the federal-aid highways 
     program to $46,365,092,000 in fiscal year 2020.
       Cost of Contracting.--In place of the directive included in 
     the House report, the agreement directs the GAO to report on 
     how State departments of transportation complete engineering 
     and design work for projects using Federal funds including, 
     but not limited to, a holistic comparison of the decisions to 
     use private contractors versus State employees.
       Advanced Digital Construction Management.--The Secretary of 
     Transportation is directed to provide $10,000,000 from within 
     the Technology and Innovation Deployment Program for Advanced 
     Digital Construction Management Systems, consistent with 
     direction and supportive language in the House and Senate 
     reports.
       Resiliency.--The agreement directs the Department to 
     provide a report to the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations on best practices and designs for resilient 
     infrastructure that also is resistant to accelerated 
     degradation after flooding and/or salt water intrusion.


                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides a liquidating cash appropriation of 
     $47,104,092,000, which is available until expended, to pay 
     the outstanding obligations of the various highway programs 
     at the levels provided in this Act and prior appropriations 
     acts.


                    HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS

       The bill provides $2,166,140,392 from the general fund. Of 
     the total amount, the bill provides $1,150,000,000 for a 
     bridge replacement and rehabilitation program, $781,140,392 
     for surface transportation block grants and infrastructure to 
     support alternative fuel corridors, $100,000,000 for the 
     Appalachian Development Highway System, $3,500,000 for the 
     Puerto Rico highway program, $1,500,000 for the territorial 
     highway program, $70,000,000 for the nationally significant 
     federal lands and tribal projects program, $50,000,000 for 
     competitive grants to improve safety at highway-railway 
     crossings, $5,000,000 for a program to assist local 
     governments in developing improved infrastructure priorities 
     and financing strategies for projects that are already 
     eligible for TIFIA, and $5,000,000 for a pilot program to 
     improve the use of technology on the national road network.
       Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects 
     (NSFLTP).--In place of the direction included in the House 
     report, for the NSFLTP, the agreement directs FHWA to 
     prioritize roadways that in the prior fiscal year have been 
     closed or had speed restrictions due to unsafe travel 
     conditions as a result of the roadways infrastructure 
     condition and maintenance.


       ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

       Section 120 distributes the federal-aid highways program 
     obligation limitation.
       Section 121 allows funds received by the Bureau of 
     Transportation Statistics from the sale of data products to 
     be credited to the federal-aid highways account.
       Section 122 provides requirements for any waiver of Buy 
     America Act requirements.
       Section 123 prohibits funds from being used to provide 
     credit assistance under sections 603 and 604 of title 23, 
     United States Code, unless the Secretary of Transportation 
     notifies the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, 
     the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the 
     Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and 
     the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure at 
     least three days prior to credit application approval.
       Section 124 requires 60-day notification to the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations for any INFRA grants 
     awarded under 23 U.S.C. 117, provided that such notification 
     shall be made no later than 180 days from the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       Section 125 allows State DOTs to repurpose certain highway 
     project funding within 25 miles of its original designation.
       Section 126 removes a prohibition on two-way tolling on the 
     Verrazzano-Narrows bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island, 
     New York.
       Section 127 removes the annual cap from Emergency Relief 
     for Puerto Rico and the United States Territories.
       Section 128 requires FHWA to make determinations on Buy 
     America Waivers for those waivers submitted before April 17, 
     2018.
       Section 129 repeals a prohibition on removing a bridge 
     connecting Fall River and Somerset, Massachusetts.
       Section 129A clarifies that FHWA should apply a penalty for 
     States with a State Asset Management Plan only to funds 
     provided in 2019 and after.

[[Page H11459]]

  


              Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration


              MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMS

                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill includes a liquidation of contract authorization 
     and a limitation on obligations of $288,000,000 for the 
     operations and programs of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
     Administration (FMCSA). Of this limitation, $9,073,000 is for 
     the research and technology program and $35,334,000 is for 
     information management, to remain available for obligation 
     until September 30, 2022.
       Compliance, Safety, Accountability Data.--The 
     recommendation directs FMCSA, in an expedited manner, to 
     address recommendations submitted by the National Academies 
     of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the manner 
     specified by the Office of Inspector General on September 25, 
     2019. FMCSA must comply with these recommendations before 
     making such data available to the general public, consistent 
     with the provisions of the FAST Act.


                      MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY GRANTS

                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides a liquidating cash appropriation of 
     $391,135,561 and a limitation on obligations of $391,135,561 
     for motor carrier safety grants.


 ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

       Section 130 requires FMCSA to send notice of 49 CFR section 
     385.308 violations by certified mail, registered mail, or 
     some other manner of delivery which records receipt of the 
     notice by the persons responsible for the violations.
       Section 131 prohibits funds from being used to enforce the 
     electronic logging device rule with respect to carriers 
     transporting livestock or insects.
       Section 132 requires FMCSA to update inspection regulations 
     for rear underride guards as specified in GAO-19-264.

             National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


                        OPERATIONS AND RESEARCH

       The agreement provides $194,000,000 from the general fund 
     for operations and research. Of this amount, $40,000,000 
     shall remain available until September 30, 2021.
       The agreement provides not less than $28,000,000 for 
     rulemaking programs, of which not less than $12,000,000 is 
     for the new car assessment program, up to $37,000,000 for 
     enforcement programs, $48,000,000 for research and analysis 
     programs, and $81,000,000 for administrative expenses.
       Autonomous Vehicles.--Of the funds provided for research 
     and analysis programs, not less than $17,865,000 shall be 
     available for vehicle electronics and emerging technologies, 
     which includes research of automated vehicle technologies. In 
     addition, using funds provided in fiscal year 2018, the 
     recommendation directs NHSTA, in coordination with other 
     modes within the Department, to develop a research plan that 
     ensures autonomous vehicles are safe for occupants, other 
     drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and to report to the House 
     and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of 
     enactment of this Act on the status of that plan. The 
     agreement also directs NHTSA to develop and publish common 
     terminology for the identification of vehicles equipped with 
     advanced driver assistance systems and ``highly automated'' 
     vehicle systems. Common terminology is not required to be 
     promulgated by a rulemaking. Further, the agreement affirms 
     directives from the Senate report regarding accessibility of 
     vehicles incorporating automated driving systems and 
     associated work with the Access Board.
       Children in Autonomous Vehicles.--Of the amounts provided 
     under this heading for research and analysis, not less than 
     $500,000 shall be for a study on child-specific safety 
     considerations in autonomous vehicles consistent with the 
     provisions in Section 144 of the House bill.
       Automatic Emergency Brakes.--The agreement directs NHTSA to 
     complete, by December 31, 2021, the current field operational 
     testing of automatic emergency braking technology on heavy 
     trucks and commercial motor vehicles that was initiated in 
     2018.
       New Car Assessment Program.--The agreement directs NHTSA to 
     report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriation, 
     within 90 days of enactment of this Act, on its plan and 
     timeline to complete the rulemaking required under section 
     24321 of the FAST Act.


                        OPERATIONS AND RESEARCH

                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides a liquidating cash appropriation and an 
     obligation limitation of $155,300,000, to remain available 
     until expended, which reflects the authorized level of 
     contract authority.
       Protection of First Responders.--The agreement includes not 
     less than $5,000,000 for grants, pilot program activities, 
     and innovative solutions to evaluate driver behavior to 
     technologies that protect law enforcement, first responders, 
     roadside crews, and others while on the job. The agreement 
     directs the DOT to study and report to the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations regarding the safety and deaths 
     of first responders and other road workers consistent with 
     the direction in the Senate report. In addition, the study 
     should include the development of accurate reporting analysis 
     of crashes that involve police pursuits consistent with the 
     direction in the House report.
       Impaired Driving Prevention.--The agreement applauds the 
     efforts by private companies, auto manufacturers, and NHTSA 
     to develop and install equipment that prevents or decreases 
     the likelihood of drunk and/or impaired driving and directs 
     NHTSA to convene independent stakeholders in order to 
     facilitate the sharing of information and the implementation 
     and integration of impaired driving technology across the 
     automotive industry. NHTSA shall develop technology neutral 
     standards for impaired driving detection and consider how to 
     accelerate installation of such technology in vehicles. The 
     agreement reinforces direction that NHTSA and the Automotive 
     Coalition for Traffic Safety submit reports to the Committees 
     on Appropriations describing the Driver Alcohol Detection 
     System for Safety (DADSS) progress since 2017 and, within 180 
     days of enactment of this Act, describing NHTSA's plans to 
     accomplish the direction contained herein. The agreement 
     provides no less than $4,700,000 for DADSS in 2020, as 
     authorized.
       Support for NHTSA Activities.--The recommendation supports 
     recent efforts by NHTSA to provide funding to support police 
     training programs for identifying drug-impaired drivers and 
     to conduct a high-visibility media campaign to combat child 
     hyperthermia. The recommendation expects NHTSA to continue 
     funding these efforts at a level commensurate with those 
     executed in 2019.


                     HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANTS

                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides a liquidating cash appropriation and an 
     obligation limitation of $623,017,000 for highway traffic 
     safety grants, to remain available until expended.


      ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY 
                             ADMINISTRATION

       Section 140 provides funding for travel and related 
     expenses for State management reviews and highway safety core 
     competency development training.
       Section 141 exempts obligation authority made available in 
     previous public laws from the obligation limitations set for 
     the current year.
       Section 142 provides $17,000,000 in additional highway 
     safety funding through the general fund, of which $10,000,000 
     is to support a high visibility enforcement paid-media 
     campaign in the area of highway-rail grade crossing safety, 
     and $7,000,000 is for grants, pilot program activities, and 
     other innovative solutions to reduce impaired-driving 
     fatalities.
       Section 143 prohibits funds from being used to enforce 
     certain State Maintenance of Effort requirements under 23 
     U.S.C. 405.

                    Federal Railroad Administration


                         SAFETY AND OPERATIONS

       The bill provides $224,198,000 for safety and operations of 
     the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), of which 
     $20,000,000 shall remain available until expended.
       The agreement provides the following levels for specific 
     activities within this account:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Safe transportation of energy products....  $2,000,000
Automated track inspection program and      16,500,000
 data analysis.
Railroad safety information system and      up to $4,800,000
 front end interface.
Positive train control support program....  up to $13,000,000
Confidential close call reporting system..  up to $3,000,000
Trespasser prevention strategy              650,000
 implementation.
Highway-rail grade crossing safety........  1,000,000
National bridge system inventory update     up to $600,000
 and model modification.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Competitive Grants and Staffing.--The agreement does not 
     provide $1,500,000 for additional staff for the Office of 
     Railroad Policy and Development and does not require FRA to 
     submit the associated report.
       Blocked Railroad Crossings.--FRA is directed to (1) 
     establish a website and corresponding database to collect 
     information on and track blocked railroad crossings and (2) 
     work with State and local agencies, law enforcement, 
     railroads, and others to examine the problem, identify 
     trends, and develop recommendations to reduce the number, 
     frequency, and long duration of blocked railroad crossings. 
     FRA is directed to brief the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations on its progress on these actions within 180 
     days of enactment of this Act.
  



                   RAILROAD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

       The bill provides $40,600,000 for railroad research and 
     development, to remain available until expended. The 
     agreement provides $2,000,000 for the safe transportation of 
     energy products, including tank car research in partnership 
     with other Federal agencies, and $2,500,000 to improve safety 
     practices and training for Class II and Class III freight 
     railroads, including continued efforts to improve the safe 
     transportation of crude oil, other hazardous materials, 
     freight, and passenger rail. The agreement does not require 
     FRA to provide the feasibility report included in the House 
     report on ``Short-line safety.''

[[Page H11460]]

  



       RAILROAD REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT FINANCING PROGRAM

       The bill authorizes the Secretary to issue direct loans and 
     loan guarantees pursuant to sections 501 through 504 of P.L. 
     94-210.


           FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIP FOR STATE OF GOOD REPAIR

       The bill provides $200,000,000 for grants authorized by 
     section 24911 of title 49, United States Code, to remain 
     available until expended. The Secretary is directed to issue 
     a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for funds provided 
     under this heading, consistent with the requirements in the 
     FAST Act, no later than 180 days after enactment of this Act. 
     The Secretary shall review all applications received in 
     response to the NOFO and make awards no later than one year 
     after enactment of this Act.


        CONSOLIDATED RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

       The bill provides $325,000,000 for grants authorized by 
     section 22907 of title 49, United States Code, to remain 
     available until expended. Of this amount, $45,000,000 is for 
     projects eligible under section 22907(c)(2) of title 49, 
     United States Code, that require the acquisition of rights-
     of-way, track, or track structure to support the development 
     of new intercity passenger rail service routes. The Secretary 
     is directed to issue a NOFO for funds provided under this 
     heading no later than 120 days after enactment of this Act, 
     require application submissions 60 days after the publication 
     of such NOFO, and make awards no later than 300 days after 
     enactment of this Act.


           MAGNETIC LEVITATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

       The bill provides $2,000,000 for the deployment of magnetic 
     levitation transportation projects, to remain available until 
     expended.


                      RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT

       The bill provides $2,000,000 for restoration and 
     enhancement grants authorized by section 24408 of title 49, 
     United States Code, to remain available until expended.


          THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION (AMTRAK)

       The agreement provides a total of $2,000,000,000 for 
     Amtrak.
       Amtrak Station Agents.--The agreement directs Amtrak to 
     provide a station agent in each Amtrak station that had a 
     ticket agent position eliminated in fiscal year 2018. Amtrak 
     is directed to improve communication and collaboration with 
     local partners and take into consideration the unique needs 
     of each community, including impacts to local jobs, when 
     making decisions related to the staffing of Amtrak stations.
       Amtrak Police Department.--The agreement amends the Senate 
     report directive requiring the Amtrak Police Department to 
     submit for approval a comprehensive workforce analysis and 
     instead directs Amtrak to submit a comprehensive workforce 
     analysis for the Amtrak Police Department to the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations, within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act, and to notify the Committees no less 
     than 60 days in advance of any restructuring of the Amtrak 
     Police Department workforce.
       Amfleet Replacement.--The bill provides $100,000,000 to 
     support the acquisition of new single-level passenger 
     equipment in proportion to the use of this equipment for 
     Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, State-supported, and long-
     distance services. FRA is directed to allow State acquisition 
     costs and on-going capital charges related to Amtrak's new 
     fleet to be an eligible activity in any future NOFOs for the 
     consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvements and 
     federal-state partnership for state of good repair grant 
     programs by utilizing flexibilities provided in 2 CFR 
     200.308(d)(1) and by working with the authorizing committees 
     to develop a long-term solution for future shared fleet 
     replacement costs.
       Food and Beverage.--Amtrak is directed to provide a report 
     to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, no 
     later than 120 days after enactment of this Act, describing 
     the changes initiated or implemented to food and beverage 
     services on board Amtrak trains that resulted in actual 
     fiscal year 2019 savings and comparing those savings with 
     Amtrak projections.


     NORTHEAST CORRIDOR GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER 
                              CORPORATION

       The bill provides $700,000,000 for the Secretary to make 
     grants for activities associated with the Northeast Corridor 
     (NEC), defined as the main line between Boston, 
     Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia, and the 
     facilities and services used to operate and maintain the NEC 
     line.


 NATIONAL NETWORK GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION

       The bill provides $1,300,000,000 for the Secretary to make 
     grants for activities associated with the National Network. 
     National Network grants provide operating and capital funding 
     for Amtrak's long-distance and State-supported routes, long-
     distance routes that operate on the NEC, and other non-NEC 
     activities.
  



       ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

       Section 150 limits overtime to $35,000 per Amtrak employee 
     and allows Amtrak's president to waive this restriction for 
     specific employees for safety or operational efficiency 
     reasons. Amtrak's president is required to submit a report to 
     the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 60 
     days of enactment of this Act summarizing all overtime 
     payments incurred by Amtrak for calendar year 2019 and the 
     three prior calendar years. This summary shall include the 
     total number of employees receiving waivers and the total 
     overtime payments paid to employees receiving waivers for 
     each month of calendar year 2019 and the three prior calendar 
     years.
       Section 151 prohibits the use of funds provided to Amtrak 
     to reduce the total number of Amtrak Police Department 
     uniformed officers patrolling on board passenger trains or at 
     stations, facilities or rights-of-way below the staffing 
     level on May 1, 2019.
       Section 152 expresses the sense of Congress that long-
     distance passenger rail routes and services should be 
     sustained to ensure connectivity throughout the National 
     Network.
       Section 153 prohibits the use of funds made available by 
     this Act by Amtrak in contravention of the Worker Adjustment 
     and Retraining Notification Act.

                     Federal Transit Administration


                        ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

       The bill provides $117,000,000 for the administrative 
     expenses of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), of 
     which $15,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 
     2021 and up to $1,000,000 shall be available for 
     administrative expenses related to transit asset management.
       Operating Plan.--Consistent with the bill-wide directives 
     for operating plans and reprogramming guidelines, the 
     agreement requires the FTA to provide an operating plan to 
     the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 60 
     days of enactment of this Act and to follow the reprogramming 
     requirements contained in section 405 of this Act.


                         TRANSIT FORMULA GRANTS

                (LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)

                      (LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)

                          (HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)

       The bill limits obligations from the mass transit account 
     for transit formula grants to $10,150,348,462 as authorized 
     by the FAST Act and provides $10,800,000,000 for the 
     liquidation of contract authority.
       Transportation Services for Seniors and Individuals with 
     Disabilities.--Consistent with the FAST Act, the 
     recommendation provides $285,575,000 for transportation 
     services for seniors and individuals with disabilities.


                     TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS

       The bill provides an additional $510,000,000 in transit 
     infrastructure grants to remain available until expended. Of 
     the funds provided, $338,000,000 is available for grants for 
     buses and bus facilities authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5339, of 
     which $168,000,000 is provided for formula grants and 
     $170,000,000 is provided for competitive grants; $75,000,000 
     is available for low or no emission grants; $40,000,000 is 
     available for formula grants for rural areas authorized under 
     49 U.S.C. 5311; $40,000,000 is available for high density 
     State apportionments authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5340(d); 
     $3,000,000 is available for bus testing facilities authorized 
     under 49 U.S.C. 5312(h); $5,500,000 is available for an 
     innovative mobility demonstration pilot program; and 
     $8,500,000 is available for areas of persistent poverty. The 
     bill provides funding from the general fund, and the funding 
     is not subject to any limitation on obligations.
       Level of Grant Awards.--The agreement directs the 
     Department of Transportation to make discretionary grant 
     awards that are adequate for applicants to initiate and 
     complete projects. To that end, the agreement directs that 
     awards for competitive buses and bus facilities grants should 
     be adequate to enable transit agencies to purchase a bus or 
     substantially complete a project. For low and no emission 
     buses, these grants should be no less than $750,000, except 
     at the express request of the project sponsor.


                   TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING

       The bill provides $5,000,000 for research activities under 
     49 U.S.C. 5314. In addition to the directly appropriated 
     funds, another $9,000,000 is provided through the obligation 
     limitation under the heading ``Transit Formula Grants''. Of 
     the amounts provided, not less than $2,500,000 shall be for a 
     cooperative agreement for frontline workforce development and 
     a standards-based training initiative with a national non-
     profit organization. Prior to obligating funds for the 
     frontline workforce development training initiative, the 
     Administrator shall review and approve a spend plan developed 
     by the grantee.
       Mobility for People with Disabilities and Older Adults.--
     The agreement expects that of the total $14,000,000 provided 
     for technical assistance and training under 49 U.S.C. 5314, 
     the Department will continue to fund agreements that support 
     mobility for people with disabilities and older adults at a 
     level commensurate with the amounts dedicated to such 
     agreements in 2019.


                        CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS

       The bill provides $1,978,000,000 for fixed-guideway 
     projects, to remain available until September 30, 2023, and 
     directs the Secretary to administer the Capital Investment 
     Grants (CIG) program and move projects through the program to 
     construction in accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 
     5309 and section 3005(b) of the FAST Act. Of the funds 
     provided, $1,458,000,000 is available for new starts 
     projects, $300,000,000 is available for core capacity 
     projects, $100,000,000 is available for small starts 
     projects, $100,000,000 is

[[Page H11461]]

     available for the expedited project delivery pilot program, 
     and $20,000,000 is available for oversight activities. The 
     Secretary is directed to allocate $1,681,300,000 of the 
     amount provided for the Capital Investment Grants program by 
     December 31, 2021. The bill also includes language to clarify 
     that projects sponsors may be concurrently eligible for both 
     the new starts and expedited project delivery programs.
       Carryover Balances.--Balances from prior year 
     appropriations total $553,538,121 for small starts projects 
     and $648,700,000 for projects authorized under the core 
     capacity program. Based on information from the FTA, the 
     agreement expects that the carryover plus the appropriations 
     provided herein will fund all small starts projects expected 
     to receive a funding-agreement during fiscal year 2020.
       Risk-assessments.--For those projects that completed risk 
     assessments between June 2018 and December 2019 that resulted 
     in increased costs for project sponsors, the agreement 
     directs that the FTA provide technical assistance, as 
     appropriate, to those projects to assist project sponsors to 
     comply with the revised risk standard.
       Federal Share of Project Costs.--The agreement does not 
     include direction contained in the House report regarding the 
     Federal share of project costs and remains consistent with 
     the FAST Act on the percent of project costs that can compose 
     the Federal share.


           GRANTS TO THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT 
                               AUTHORITY

       The bill provides $150,000,000 to carry out section 601 of 
     division B of Public Law 110- 432, to remain available until 
     expended.
       Cybersecurity.--The agreement replaces requirements in the 
     House report for the procurement of Industrial Control 
     Systems with direction that WMATA work with the Secretary of 
     Transportation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
     Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security to 
     ensure that the agency is complying with best practices for 
     the procurement of Industrial Control Systems.


        ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION

       Section 160 exempts previously made transit obligations 
     from limitations on obligations.
       Section 161 allows funds provided in this Act that remain 
     unobligated by September 30, 2023 for fixed guideway capital 
     investment projects to be available for projects to use the 
     funds for the purposes for which they were originally 
     provided.
       Section 162 allows for the transfer of appropriations made 
     prior to October 1, 2019, from older accounts to be merged 
     into new accounts with similar current activities.
       Section 163 prohibits the use of funds to adjust 
     apportionments pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 9503(e)(4).
       Section 164 permits recipients of low or no emission bus 
     grants to continue to partner with non-profits and companies 
     as part of their grant applications.
       Section 165 prohibits the use of funds to impede or hinder 
     project advancement or approval for any project seeking a 
     Federal contribution from the Capital Investment Grants 
     program of greater than 40 percent of project costs.
       Section 166 prohibits the use of funds to implement or 
     further new CIG policies such as those detailed in the June 
     29, 2018 FTA ``Dear Colleague'' letter.

             Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation


                        OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

                     (HARBOR MAINTENANCE TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides $38,000,000 for the operations, 
     maintenance, and capital asset renewal program activities of 
     the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC). Of 
     that amount, not less than $16,000,000 is provided for 
     capital asset renewal activities. The agreement provides 
     $2,000,000 for trade and economic development activities at 
     the SLSDC, to be carried out in conjunction with system 
     stakeholders.

                        Maritime Administration


                        MARITIME SECURITY PROGRAM

       The bill provides the authorized level of $300,000,000 for 
     the maritime security program, to be available until 
     expended.


                         OPERATIONS AND TRAINING

                      (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides $152,589,000 for the Maritime 
     Administration's (MARAD) operations and training account. 
     Funding is provided in the amounts shown in the following 
     table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
USMMA Operations.....................................        $80,216,000
USMMA Facilities Maintenance and Repair, Equipment...          5,225,000
MARAD Headquarters...................................         54,373,000
Marine Enviro. & Tech. Assistance....................          3,000,000
Short Sea Transportation Program (Marine Highways)...          9,775,000
                                                      ------------------
    Total............................................       $152,589,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement does not include the House directive on 
     ``Capital planning at the United States Merchant Marine 
     Academy (USMMA).'' Instead, the agreement directs MARAD to 
     conduct the Master Installation Plan specified in the Senate 
     report and to comply with any planning requirements included 
     in the National Defense Authorization Act.
       Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at USMMA.--The 
     agreement requires the Secretary to provide the annual report 
     required by section 3507 of Public Law 110-417 to the House 
     and Senate Committees on Appropriations no later than 120 
     days after enactment of this Act. The agreement also directs 
     the Secretary to seek concurrent criminal jurisdiction over 
     the USMMA campus, consistent with the requirement in section 
     3506 of Public Law 115-232.


                    STATE MARITIME ACADEMY OPERATIONS

       The bill provides $342,280,000 for state maritime academy 
     operations. Funding is provided in the amounts shown in the 
     following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Schoolship Maintenance and Repair.....................       $30,080,000
    Training Vessel Sharing...........................       [8,080,000]
NSMV Program..........................................       300,000,000
Student Incentive Program.............................         2,400,000
Fuel Assistance Payments..............................         3,800,000
Direct Payments for SMAs..............................         6,000,000
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................      $342,280,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      ASSISTANCE TO SMALL SHIPYARDS

       The bill provides $20,000,000 for the small shipyard grant 
     program, to remain available until expended.


                              SHIP DISPOSAL

       The bill provides $5,000,000 for the ship disposal program, 
     to remain available until expended.


           MARITIME GUARANTEED LOAN (TITLE XI) PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                      (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill provides a total of $3,000,000 for administrative 
     expenses of the Title XI program and directs these funds to 
     be transferred to MARAD's operations and training account.


                 PORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

       The bill provides $225,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended, for the port infrastructure development program. 
     The agreement does not include a directive included in the 
     House report on eligibility; instead, eligibility 
     requirements are enumerated in bill text.


            ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--MARITIME ADMINISTRATION

       Section 170 authorizes MARAD to furnish utilities and 
     services and to make necessary repairs in connection with any 
     lease, contract, or occupancy involving government property 
     under control of MARAD and allows payments received to be 
     credited to the Treasury and to remain available until 
     expended.


          PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

                           OPERATIONAL EXPENSES

       The bill provides $24,215,000 for the necessary operational 
     expenses of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
     Administration (PHMSA), of which $1,500,000 shall remain 
     available until September 30, 2022. The agreement provides 
     $1,500,000 for the pipeline safety information grants to 
     communities program and up to $715,000 for regulatory staff 
     and contractor support to assist PHMSA in executing 
     regulatory actions and expediting compliance with overdue 
     Congressional mandates. The agreement does not direct PHMSA 
     to issue final rules on the Safety of Hazardous Liquid 
     Pipelines and the Safety of Gas Transmission and Gathering 
     Pipelines within 180 days of enactment of this Act.


                        HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY

       The bill provides $61,000,000 for PHMSA's hazardous 
     materials safety functions, of which $11,000,000 shall remain 
     available until September 30, 2022. The agreement provides 
     $1,000,000 for the community safety grant program. Funds made 
     available until September 30, 2022, are for long-term 
     research and development contracts, grants, and, in more 
     limited scope, contract safety programs.
       Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by Rail.--The agreement 
     provides $1,000,000 for PHMSA to enter into an agreement with 
     the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
     Medicine, within 45 days of enactment of this Act, and to 
     complete a study through the Transportation Research Board, 
     no later than 18 months after enactment of this Act, on the 
     transportation of LNG in rail tank cars. The study should 
     inform rulemaking.


                             PIPELINE SAFETY

                          (PIPELINE SAFETY FUND)

                     (OIL SPILL LIABILITY TRUST FUND)

       The bill provides $168,000,000 for PHMSA's pipeline safety 
     program, to remain available until September 30, 2022. Of 
     that amount, $23,000,000 is derived from the oil spill 
     liability trust fund, $137,000,000 is derived from the 
     pipeline safety fund, and $8,000,000 is derived from fees 
     collected under 49 U.S.C. 60302 and deposited in the 
     underground natural gas storage facility safety account.
       The agreement provides the following levels for specific 
     activities within this account:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research and development................................     $15,000,000
State pipeline safety grants............................      56,000,000
One-Call State grants...................................       1,058,000
State damage prevention grants..........................       1,500,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       LNG Facilities.--The agreement amends the House report 
     directive on rulemaking related to Part 193 regulations to 
     instead direct PHMSA to provide a minimum of 45 days for 
     public comment.

[[Page H11462]]

  



                      EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GRANTS

                      (EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FUND)

       The bill provides an obligation limitation of $28,318,000 
     for emergency preparedness grants, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2022.

                      Office of Inspector General


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $94,600,000 for the salaries and expenses 
     of the Office of Inspector General.

            General Provisions--Department Of Transportation

       Section 180 provides authorization for the DOT to maintain 
     and operate aircraft, hire passenger motor vehicles and 
     aircraft, purchase liability insurance, buy uniforms, or 
     allowances therefor.
       Section 181 limits appropriations for services authorized 
     by 5 U.S.C. 3109 up to the rate permitted for an Executive 
     Level IV.
  

       Section 182 prohibits recipients of funds in this Act from 
     disseminating personal information obtained by State DMVs in 
     connection to motor vehicle records with an exception.
       Section 183 prohibits funds in this Act for salaries and 
     expenses of more than 125 political and Presidential 
     appointees in the Department of Transportation.
       Section 184 stipulates that revenue collected by FHWA and 
     FRA from States, counties, municipalities, other public 
     authorities, and private sources for training may be credited 
     to specific accounts within the agencies with an exception 
     for State rail safety inspectors participating in training.
       Section 185 prohibits DOT from using funds to make a loan, 
     loan guarantee, line of credit, or discretionary grant unless 
     DOT gives a 3-day advance notice to the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations. The provision requires 
     concurrent notice of any ``quick release'' of funds from 
     FHWA's emergency relief program, and prohibits notifications 
     from involving funds not available for obligation. The 
     provision also requires DOT to provide a comprehensive list 
     of all loans, loan guarantees, lines of credit, cooperative 
     agreements, or discretionary grants that will be announced 
     with a 3-day advance notice to the House and Senate 
     Committees on Appropriations.
       Section 186 allows funds received from rebates, refunds, 
     and similar sources to be credited to appropriations of DOT.
       Section 187 allows amounts from improper payments to a 
     third party contractor that are lawfully recovered by DOT to 
     be made available until expended to cover expenses incurred 
     in the recovery of such payments.
       Section 188 requires that reprogramming actions have to be 
     approved or denied by the House and Senate Committees on 
     Appropriations, and reprogramming notifications shall be 
     transmitted solely to the Appropriations Committees.
       Section 189 allows funds appropriated to modal 
     administrations to be obligated for the Office of the 
     Secretary for costs related to assessments only when such 
     funds provide a direct benefit to the modal administrations.
       Section 190 authorizes the Secretary to carry out a program 
     that establishes uniform standards for developing and 
     supporting agency transit pass and transit benefits, 
     including distribution of transit benefits.
       Section 191 allows the use of funds to assist a contract 
     utilizing geographic, economic, or other hiring preference 
     not otherwise authorized by law, only if certain requirements 
     are met related to availability of local labor, displacement 
     of existing employees, and delays in transportation plans.
       Section 192 extends the authorization for certain direct 
     loans or loan guarantees under the Railroad Rehabilitation 
     and Improvement Financing program until September 30, 2020.
       Section 193 directs the Secretary of Transportation to work 
     with the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that best 
     practices for Industrial Control Systems procurement are up 
     to date and that systems procured with funds provided under 
     this title were procured using such practices.

         TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

                     Management and Administration


                           EXECUTIVE OFFICES

       The agreement provides $14,217,000 for the salaries and 
     expenses for executive offices, available until September 30, 
     2021, and directs the Secretary to provide a spend plan to 
     the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations that 
     outlines how budgetary resources will be allocated among the 
     Offices of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Adjudicatory 
     Services, Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, 
     Public Affairs, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, 
     and the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.


                     ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT OFFICES

       The agreement provides $563,378,000 for the salaries and 
     expenses for administrative support offices, available until 
     September 30, 2021. Funds are provided as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Chief Financial Officer.................       $73,562,000
Office of the General Counsel.........................       103,916,000
Office of Administration..............................       206,849,000
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer.............        39,827,000
Office of Field Policy and Management.................        57,861,000
Office of the Chief Procurement Officer...............        19,445,000
Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity...         4,242,000
Office of the Chief Information Officer...............        57,676,000
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................      $563,378,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       With regards to the hiring and separations report, the 
     agreement does not require data on unfilled FTEs. The 
     agreement does not establish an Office of Credit; and while 
     it permits the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) 
     to absorb aspects of the Office of Business Transformation, 
     it does not approve the reorganization of the Appropriations 
     Liaison Division or a broader reshaping of OCFO. The 
     agreement directs the Department to prioritize the hiring of 
     5 additional FTEs for the Office of Disaster and Emergency 
     Management and to report to the Committees on implementation 
     of this directive within 15 days of enactment of this Act. 
     The agreement reminds the Department that providing timely 
     and accurate information and technical assistance to the 
     House and Senate Committees on Appropriations is an essential 
     requirement of our Constitutional democracy and is necessary 
     to conduct oversight of Federal resources and execution of 
     Congressional direction.


                            PROGRAM OFFICES

       The agreement provides $847,000,000 for the salaries and 
     expenses for program offices, available until September 30, 
     2021. Funds are provided as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of Public and Indian Housing...................      $227,000,000
Office of Community Planning and Development..........       124,000,000
Office of Housing.....................................       384,000,000
Office of Policy Development and Research.............        28,000,000
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity..........        75,000,000
Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes.......         9,000,000
                                                       -----------------
    Total.............................................      $847,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The agreement directs the Department to prioritize hiring 
     and backfilling 20 additional FTEs for the Office of Public 
     Housing and Voucher Programs and 5 additional FTEs for the 
     Office of Native American Programs, both within the Office of 
     Public and Indian Housing (PIH), and 10 additional FTEs for 
     the Office of Grant Programs within the Office of Community 
     Planning and Development to support the community development 
     block grant disaster recovery grant program, and to report to 
     the Committees on implementation of this directive within 15 
     days of enactment of this Act. The agreement further directs 
     PIH to prioritize the hiring of FTEs for conducting or 
     overseeing public housing inspections and assessments.
       The agreement rejects the President's budget proposal to 
     transfer Real Estate Assessment Center financial and physical 
     assessment services, including personnel, to the Working 
     Capital Fund, and maintains these resources within the 
     Offices of Public and Indian Housing, Community Planning and 
     Development, and Housing.
       The agreement directs the Department to issue guidelines to 
     jurisdictions on how to assess the potential inclusion of 
     manufactured homes in a community's comprehensive housing and 
     affordability strategy and community development plans 
     required under part 91 of title 24, Code of Federal 
     Regulations; instead of similar direction included in the 
     Senate report.
  

       The agreement directs the Department to use a portion of 
     the increases for the Offices of Public and Indian Housing, 
     Community Planning and Development, and Housing to fulfill 
     its responsibilities under the Violence Against Women Act to 
     provide housing protections for victims of domestic violence, 
     dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.


                          WORKING CAPITAL FUND

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The agreement directs that, of the authorized services 
     within the Working Capital Fund (referred to in this 
     paragraph as the ``Fund''), no new activities or expansions 
     of existing shared service agreements may be undertaken until 
     the Department has hired at least one cost accountant for the 
     Fund. The agreement also rejects the proposal to transfer 
     Real Estate Assessment Center financial and physical 
     assessment services, including budget formulation, 
     inspections or any other activity not expressly permitted, to 
     the Fund.

                       Public and Indian Housing


                     TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE

       The bill provides $23,874,050,000 for all tenant-based 
     Section 8 activities under the tenant-based rental assistance 
     account, to remain available until expended.
       The bill provides $21,502,000,000 for the renewal of 
     tenant-based vouchers. This amount includes funding to renew 
     veterans affairs supportive housing (VASH) vouchers funded in 
     prior years and the bill also includes an additional 
     $40,000,000 for incremental VASH vouchers.
       The bill provides $1,000,000 for the Tribal HUD-VASH 
     demonstration, which in combination with unused prior year 
     funding, will be sufficient to fully renew new and existing 
     grants in fiscal year 2020 as well as accommodate program 
     expansion as appropriate.
       In addition to the $75,000,000 that the bill provides for 
     tenant protection vouchers (TPVs), the account has nearly 
     $110,000,000 in carryover funds which makes a total of 
     approximately $185,000,000 available for TPVs.
       With regards to the House report on the purchasing power of 
     vouchers, the agreement

[[Page H11463]]

     directs that the Department develop recommendations regarding 
     funding levels necessary to ensure that public housing 
     agencies (PHAs), including moving to work (MTW) agencies, are 
     able to continue serving a similar number of households and 
     to include these recommendations in the report required by 
     the House directive no later than 60 days after enactment of 
     this Act.


                        HOUSING CERTIFICATE FUND

                        (INCLUDING RESCISSIONS)

       The agreement includes language allowing unobligated 
     balances in the housing certificate fund to be used for the 
     renewal of or amendments to section 8 project-based contracts 
     and for performance-based contract administrators.


                      PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

       The bill provides $2,869,893,812 for the public housing 
     capital fund, to remain available until September 30, 2023. 
     The bill provides up to $14,000,000 for public housing 
     financial and physical assessment activities; up to 
     $1,000,000 for administrative and judicial receiverships; not 
     to exceed $64,650,000 for emergency capital needs, of which 
     $34,650,000 shall be for public housing agencies under 
     receivership or under the control of a federal monitor which 
     shall be awarded based on need and shall not be subject to a 
     cap on individual grant award amounts and, of which not less 
     than $10,000,000 is for safety and security measures; and 
     $45,000,000 for competitive grants to public housing agencies 
     to evaluate and reduce lead-based paint hazards and other 
     hazards, such as carbon monoxide and mold, in public housing, 
     of which $25,000,000 is specifically for lead hazards. The 
     agreement provides that all PHAs, including those that are 
     troubled, substandard, or are under the direction of HUD, a 
     monitor, or a court-appointed receiver are eligible for 
     funding for competitive grants for both lead-based paint 
     hazards and other hazards, such as carbon monoxide and mold.


                     PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND

       The bill provides $4,549,000,000 for the public housing 
     operating fund, to remain available until September 30, 2021. 
     Of this amount, $25,000,000 is available for a need-based 
     allocation to PHAs that experience financial insolvency.
       The agreement does not include the House directives on 
     ``Enterprise Income Verification'' (EIV). Instead, the 
     Department is directed to study how to utilize current 
     employment and income information available through payroll 
     data providers in upfront income verification tools within 
     its EIV system. The study should include cost estimates and 
     legal and regulatory changes required to include the data. 
     The Department is directed to provide a briefing to the 
     Committees on the results of this study within 180 days of 
     enactment of this Act.


                    CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE

       The bill provides $175,000,000 for the choice neighborhoods 
     initiative, to remain available until September 30, 2022. Of 
     this amount, not less than $87,500,000 shall be made 
     available to PHAs and no more than $5,000,000 is available 
     for planning grants. The bill requires the Department to 
     issue the notice of funding availability within 90 days of 
     enactment of this Act.


                       SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAMS

       The bill provides $130,000,000 for self-sufficiency 
     programs, to remain available until September 30, 2023. Of 
     the amount provided, $80,000,000 is for the family self-
     sufficiency program (FSS), $35,000,000 is for the resident 
     opportunity and self-sufficiency program, and $15,000,000 is 
     for the jobs plus initiative. The agreement directs the 
     Department to include data on FSS participation, escrow 
     accumulation and graduate rates in its annual budget 
     submission to Congress; but does not require that the data be 
     broken out by racial or ethnic categories.


                        NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAMS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       The bill restructures the major programs administered by 
     HUD's Office of Native American Programs into a single 
     account, native american programs. The bill provides a total 
     of $825,000,000 for these programs, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2024, unless otherwise specified.
       The bill provides the following levels for specific 
     activities within this account:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Native American Housing Block Grants--Formula...........    $646,000,000
Title VI Loan Program...................................       2,000,000
Native American Housing Block Grants--Competitive.......     100,000,000
Indian Community Development Block Grants...............      70,000,000
Training and Technical Assistance.......................       7,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

           INDIAN HOUSING LOAN GUARANTEE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The bill provides $1,100,000 for the cost of guaranteed 
     loans, to remain available until expended. The bill provides 
     an additional $500,000, to remain available until expended, 
     for administrative contract expenses to carry out the loan 
     guarantee program. The Secretary may subsidize a total loan 
     level of up to $1,000,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended.
  



                  NATIVE HAWAIIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANT

       The bill provides $2,000,000 for the native hawaiian 
     housing block grant program, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2024.

                   Community Planning and Development


              HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS

       The bill provides $410,000,000 for housing opportunities 
     for persons with AIDS program, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2021, except that amounts allocated pursuant to 
     854(c)(5) shall remain available until September 30, 2022.


                       COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND

       The bill provides $3,425,000,000 for the community 
     development fund, to remain available until September 30, 
     2022. Of the total, the bill provides $3,400,000,000 in 
     formula funding and $25,000,000 for activities authorized 
     under section 8071 of the SUPPORT for Patients and 
     Communities Act.


         COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LOAN GUARANTEES PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The bill provides the authority to collect fees from 
     borrowers adequate to result in a subsidy cost of zero. The 
     bill also provides an aggregate limitation on commitments of 
     no more than $300,000,000 for loan guarantees under section 
     108.


                  HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM

       The bill provides $1,350,000,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2023, for the HOME investment partnerships 
     program. The agreement urges the Department and grantees to 
     fully utilize funds designated for community housing 
     development organizations in a timely manner.


        SELF-HELP AND ASSISTED HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

       The bill provides a total of $55,000,000 to remain 
     available until September 30, 2022. Within this amount, 
     $10,000,000 is available for the self-help homeownership 
     opportunity program; $36,000,000 for the second, third, and 
     fourth capacity building activities authorized under section 
     4(a) of the HUD Demonstration Act of 1993, of which not less 
     than $5,000,000 shall be for rural capacity building 
     activities; $5,000,000 for capacity building activities by 
     national organizations with expertise in rural development; 
     and $4,000,000 for a program to rehabilitate and modify homes 
     of disabled or low-income veterans as authorized under 
     section 1079 of Public Law 113-291.


                       HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS

       The bill provides $2,777,000,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2022, for homeless assistance grants. Funding 
     is provided in the amounts shown in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuum of care and rural housing         not less than $2,350,000,000
 stability assistance.
Emergency solutions grants................  not less than $290,000,000
Projects to assist survivors of domestic    up to $50,000,000
 violence, dating violence, sexual assault
 or stalking.
National homeless data analysis project...  up to $7,000,000
Comprehensive approach to serving homeless  up to $80,000,000
 youth.
    Technical assistance..................  [up to $10,000,000]
                                           -----------------------------
        Total.............................  $2,777,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            Housing Programs


                    PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE

       The bill provides $12,570,000,000 for project-based rental 
     assistance activities, to remain available until expended, 
     including $12,170,000,000 to be available on October 1, 2019 
     and an advance appropriation of $400,000,000 to be available 
     on October 1, 2020. Of the total, not more than $345,000,000 
     is for performance-based contract administrators.


                        HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY

       The agreement provides $793,000,000 for the Section 202 
     program, to remain available until September 30, 2023, of 
     which up to $100,000,000 shall be for service coordinators 
     and the continuation of existing congregate service grants, 
     and $10,000,000 shall be for the aging in place home 
     modification grant program. It also includes $90,000,000 for 
     new capital advance and project rental assistance contracts.


                 HOUSING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

       The agreement provides $202,000,000 for the Section 811 
     program, to remain available until September 30, 2023. This 
     includes $40,000,000 for new capital advance and project 
     rental assistance awards.
  



                     HOUSING COUNSELING ASSISTANCE

       The bill provides $53,000,000 for housing counseling 
     assistance, to remain available until September 30, 2021. 
     This includes up to $4,500,000 for administrative contract 
     services and up to $3,000,000 for the certification of 
     housing counselors. The agreement directs HUD to produce a 
     report detailing its work to improve eviction prevention 
     efforts and augment the services of housing counselors within 
     120 days of enactment of this Act.


                       RENTAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE

       The agreement provides $3,000,000 for the rental housing 
     assistance program and allows the Department to use funds, 
     including unobligated balances and recaptured amounts, for 
     one-year contract extensions.


            PAYMENT TO MANUFACTURED HOUSING FEES TRUST FUND

       The agreement provides $13,000,000 for the manufactured 
     housing standards programs, of which $13,000,000 is to be 
     derived from fees collected and deposited in the manufactured 
     housing fees trust fund.

                     Federal Housing Administration


               MUTUAL MORTGAGE INSURANCE PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement sets a limit of $400,000,000,000 on 
     commitments to guarantee

[[Page H11464]]

     single-family loans and $130,000,000 for administrative 
     contract expenses, which shall be available until September 
     30, 2021.


                GENERAL AND SPECIAL RISK PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement sets a $30,000,000,000 limit on multifamily 
     and specialized loan guarantees and provides that such 
     commitment authority shall be available until September 30, 
     2021.

                Government National Mortgage Association


GUARANTEES OF MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM ACCOUNT

       The agreement sets a limit of up to $550,000,000,000 for 
     new commitments and provides $30,500,000 for salaries and 
     expenses for the government national mortgage association, 
     which shall be available until September 30, 2021.

                    Policy Development and Research


                        RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

       The bill provides $98,000,000 for research and technology 
     activities and technical assistance, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2021. The agreement includes $54,375,000 
     for core research and technology including: market surveys, 
     research support and dissemination, data acquisition, housing 
     finance studies, research partnerships, housing technology, 
     up to $500,000 for innovation activities, up to $500,000 for 
     expanding the use of United States Postal Service data, and 
     up to $3,375,000 for cooperative agreements and research 
     partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and 
     Universities.
       The agreement includes not less than $29,875,000 under this 
     heading for technical assistance, of which $2,375,000 shall 
     be for targeted technical assistance to PHAs under the 
     direction of a federal monitor, and of which $2,500,000 shall 
     be available on a competitive basis to non-profit or private 
     sector organizations to provide technical assistance to 
     distressed cities or regions, including those that have been 
     impacted by a natural disaster.
       The agreement includes up to $13,750,000 for critical 
     research, demonstrations, and evaluations, including:
        $1,500,000 for an assessment of public housing 
     capital needs;
        $2,500,000 for housing discrimination study 2020, 
     including studying discrimination faced by Limited English 
     Proficiency (LEP) individuals;
        $500,000 for a collaboration with the Centers for 
     Medicare and Medicaid Services on how Medicare and Medicaid 
     funds can be used to support programs that use affordable 
     senior housing as a platform for coordinating health, 
     wellness, and supportive services and programs to help older 
     adults remain healthy, age in their community, and reduce 
     their use of costly health care services;
        $500,000 for a study of alternative methods for 
     calculating Fair Market Rents in rental markets with rapidly 
     rising rents;
        $750,000 for a study on the Impact of RAD on 
     children in assisted households; and
        New funding for: the MTW expansion study; family 
     options study; long term tracking of the family self-
     sufficiency program; the study on housing search assistance 
     for people with disabilities; and a study on competitive 
     evaluation grants to assess the impact of the community 
     development block grant program and HOME eligible activities.
       The agreement directs HUD to include recommendations on 
     research related to evictions prevention or expanding access 
     to rental opportunities as part of its fiscal year 2021 
     budget request.

                   Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity


                        FAIR HOUSING ACTIVITIES

       The bill provides $70,300,000 for fair housing activities, 
     to remain available until September 30, 2021. This includes 
     $44,950,000 for the fair housing initiatives program (FHIP), 
     $23,500,000 for the fair housing assistance program, 
     $1,500,000 for the National Fair Housing Training Academy, 
     and $350,000 for translated materials. Of the funds available 
     for FHIP, not less than $7,850,000 is for education and 
     outreach programs, and not less than $750,000 is for fair 
     housing organization initiatives. The agreement requires that 
     grants be awarded within 180 days of enactment of this Act, 
     and directs that any outstanding fiscal year 2019 FHIP grants 
     be awarded no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act.

            Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes


                         LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION

       The bill provides $290,000,000 for lead hazard control and 
     healthy homes programs, to remain available until September 
     30, 2022. Of the amount provided, $50,000,000 is available 
     for the healthy homes initiative; not less than $95,000,000 
     is available for lead-based paint hazard reduction in 
     jurisdictions with the highest lead-based paint abatement 
     needs; and $64,000,000 shall be for projects to demonstrate 
     the effectiveness of intensive, multi-year interventions in 
     reducing lead-based paint hazards.
       Of the funds provided for the healthy homes initiative, 
     $5,000,000 shall be used to establish pilot projects in up to 
     five communities served by both healthy homes and the 
     Department of Energy weatherization assistance program (WAP). 
     The Department is directed to give priority consideration to 
     applicants with experience in partnering with WAP. The 
     agreement also directs HUD to collect information on the 
     benefits of coordinating with the Department of Energy, 
     evaluate if improved health outcomes are achieved, and 
     provide information on the replicability and sustainability 
     of these models to the Committees on Appropriations on an 
     annual basis.
       The agreement does not direct the Secretary to establish a 
     pilot program or take action on public water systems. The 
     Committee encourages HUD to cooperate with the Environmental 
     Protection Agency on efforts to ensure that all HUD-assisted 
     and low-income housing residents have access to housing that 
     is free of lead and other contaminants.
       The agreement directs HUD to emphasize fall prevention and 
     management strategies, along with its other efforts and 
     mission to improve home safety and reduce incidences of 
     asthma, mold, pests and radon through the healthy homes 
     initiative.

                      Information Technology Fund

       The agreement provides $280,000,000 for the information 
     technology fund, of which $260,000,000 is available until 
     September 30, 2021, and $20,000,000 is available until 
     September 30, 2022.

                      Office of Inspector General

       The bill provides $138,200,000 for the salaries and 
     expenses of the Office of Inspector General. Within this 
     amount, $10,000,000 is available until September 30, 2021, to 
     procure an independent external auditor(s) for the fiscal 
     year 2020 and subsequent financial statements, including the 
     financial statements of FHA and GNMA.

    General Provisions--Department of Housing and Urban Development


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

                        (INCLUDING RESCISSIONS)

       Section 201 splits overpayments evenly between Treasury and 
     State HFAs.
  

       Section 202 prohibits funds from being used to investigate 
     or prosecute lawful activities under the Fair Housing Act.
       Section 203 requires any grant or cooperative agreement to 
     be made on a competitive basis, unless otherwise provided, in 
     accordance with Section 102 of the Department of Housing and 
     Urban Development Reform Act of 1989.
       Section 204 relates to the availability of funds for 
     services and facilities for GSEs and others subject to the 
     Government Corporation Control Act and the Housing Act of 
     1950.
       Section 205 prohibits the use of funds in excess of the 
     budget estimates, unless provided otherwise.
       Section 206 relates to the expenditure of funds for 
     corporations and agencies subject to the Government 
     Corporation Control Act.
       Section 207 requires the Secretary to provide quarterly 
     reports on uncommitted, unobligated, recaptured, and excess 
     funds in each departmental program and activity.
       Section 208 exempts GNMA from certain requirements of the 
     Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990.
       Section 209 authorizes HUD to transfer debt and use 
     agreements from an obsolete project to a viable project, 
     provided that no additional costs are incurred and other 
     conditions are met.
       Section 210 sets forth requirements for Section 8 voucher 
     assistance eligibility, and includes consideration for 
     persons with disabilities.
       Section 211 distributes Native American Housing Block 
     Grants to the same Native Alaskan recipients as in fiscal 
     year 2005.
       Section 212 instructs HUD on managing and disposing of any 
     multifamily property that is owned or held by HUD.
       Section 213 allows PHAs that own and operate 400 or fewer 
     units of public housing to be exempt from asset management 
     requirements.
       Section 214 restricts the Secretary from imposing any 
     requirements or guidelines relating to asset management that 
     restrict or limit the use of capital funds for central office 
     costs, up to the limits established in law.
       Section 215 requires that no employee of the Department 
     shall be designated as an allotment holder unless the CFO 
     determines that such employee has received certain training.
       Section 216 requires the Secretary to publish all notices 
     of funding availability that are competitively awarded on the 
     internet for fiscal year 2020.
       Section 217 requires attorney fees for programmatic 
     litigation to be paid from the individual program office and 
     Office of General Counsel salaries and expenses 
     appropriations, and requires the Department to submit a spend 
     plan to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
       Section 218 allows the Secretary to transfer up to 10 
     percent of funds or $5,000,000, whichever is less, 
     appropriated under the headings ``Administrative Support 
     Offices'' or ``Program Offices'' to any other office funded 
     under such headings.
       Section 219 requires HUD to take certain actions against 
     owners receiving rental subsidies that do not maintain safe 
     properties.
       Section 220 places a salary and bonus limit on public 
     housing agency officials and employees.
       Section 221 requires the Secretary to notify the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations at least 3 full business 
     days before grant awards are announced.
       Section 222 prohibits funds to be used to require or 
     enforce the Physical Needs Assessment (PNA).
       Section 223 prohibits funds for HUD financing of mortgages 
     for properties that have been subject to eminent domain.
       Section 224 prohibits the use of funds to terminate the 
     status of a unit of general

[[Page H11465]]

     local government as a metropolitan city with respect to 
     grants under section 106 of the Housing and Community 
     Development Act of 1974.
       Section 225 allows funding for research, evaluation, and 
     statistical purposes that is unexpended at the time of 
     completion of the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement 
     to be reobligated for additional research.
       Section 226 prohibits funds for financial awards for 
     employees subject to administrative discipline.
       Section 227 authorizes the Secretary on a limited basis to 
     use funds available under the ``Homeless Assistance Grants'' 
     heading to participate in the multiagency performance 
     partnership pilots program for fiscal year 2020.
       Section 228 allows program income as an eligible match for 
     2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 continuum of care 
     funds.
       Section 229 permits HUD to provide one year transition 
     grants under the continuum of care program.
       Section 230 prohibits the use of funds to direct a grantee 
     to undertake specific changes to existing zoning laws as part 
     of carrying out the final rule entitled, ``Affirmatively 
     Furthering Fair Housing'' or the notice entitled, 
     ``Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Assessment Tool''.
       Section 231 specifies authorized uses of and conditions for 
     recaptured funds under the ``Homeless Assistance Grants'' 
     heading.
       Section 232 maintains current promise zone designations and 
     agreements.
       Section 233 prohibits funds from being used to establish 
     review criteria, including rating factors or preference 
     points, for competitive grants programs for envision center 
     participation or coordination.
       Section 234 requires the Department to make data for 
     broadband and resiliency requirements to be incorporated into 
     Consolidated Plans available to grantees, and for grantees to 
     incorporate broadband and resiliency components into their 
     Consolidated Plans.
  

       Section 235 prohibits funds from being used to make changes 
     to the Annual Contributions Contract that was in effect on 
     December 31, 2017.
       Section 236 prohibits funds from being used to make funding 
     decisions for FSS based on performance metrics.
       Section 237 rescinds unobligated balances from various 
     accounts.
       Section 238 addresses the establishment of reserves for 
     public housing agencies designated as Moving to Work 
     agencies.
       Section 239 prohibits funds from being used to make certain 
     eligibility limitations as part of a notice of funding 
     availability for competitive grant awards under the Public 
     Housing Capital Fund.

                      TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES

                              Access Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $9,200,000 for salaries and expenses, 
     including $800,000 for activities authorized under section 
     432 of P.L. 115-254.

                      Federal Maritime Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $28,000,000 for the salaries and expenses 
     of the Federal Maritime Commission, of which not more than 
     $2,000 shall be available for official reception and 
     representation expenses. Of the funds provided, up to 
     $487,159 is available for the Office of Inspector General.

  National Railroad Passenger Corporation Office of Inspector General


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $24,274,000 for the salaries and expenses 
     of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Office of 
     Inspector General.

                  National Transportation Safety Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $110,400,000 for the salaries and 
     expenses of the National Transportation Safety Board.

                 Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation


          PAYMENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT CORPORATION

       The bill provides $158,500,000 for the Neighborhood 
     Reinvestment Corporation, of which $5,000,000 shall be for a 
     multi-family rental housing program. Within the total, the 
     bill provides $1,000,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2023, for the promotion and development of shared equity 
     housing models.

                      Surface Transportation Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       The bill provides $37,100,000 for salaries and expenses. 
     The bill permits the collection of up to $1,250,000 in user 
     fees to be credited to that appropriation and provides that 
     the general fund appropriation be reduced on a dollar-for-
     dollar basis by the actual amount collected in user fees to 
     result in a final appropriation from the general fund 
     estimated at no more than $35,850,000.

           United States Interagency Council on Homelessness


                           OPERATING EXPENSES

       The bill provides $3,800,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2021, for operating expenses of the United 
     States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
  


                 TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT

       Section 401 prohibits the use of funds for the planning or 
     execution of any program to pay the expenses of, or otherwise 
     compensate, non-Federal parties intervening in regulatory or 
     adjudicatory proceedings.
       Section 402 prohibits the obligation of funds beyond the 
     current fiscal year and the transfer of funds to other 
     appropriations, unless expressly provided.
       Section 403 limits consulting service expenditures through 
     procurement contracts to those contracts contained in the 
     public record, except where otherwise provided under existing 
     law.
       Section 404 prohibits funds from being used for certain 
     types of employee training.
       Section 405 specifies requirements for the reprogramming of 
     funds and requires agencies to submit a report in order to 
     establish the baseline for the application of reprogramming 
     and transfer authorities.
       Section 406 provides that not to exceed 50 percent of 
     unobligated balances for salaries and expenses may remain 
     available until September 30, 2021, for each account for the 
     purposes authorized, subject to the approval of the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations.
       Section 407 prohibits the use of funds for any project that 
     seeks to use the power of eminent domain, unless eminent 
     domain is employed only for a public use.
       Section 408 prohibits funds from being transferred to any 
     department, agency, or instrumentality of the U.S. 
     Government, except where transfer authority is provided in 
     this or any other appropriations Act.
       Section 409 prohibits funds from being used to permanently 
     replace an employee intent on returning to his or her past 
     occupation following completion of military service.
       Section 410 prohibits funds from being used by an entity 
     unless the expenditure is in compliance with the Buy American 
     Act.
       Section 411 prohibits funds from being made available to 
     any person or entity that has been convicted of violating the 
     Buy American Act.
       Section 412 prohibits funds from being used for first-class 
     airline accommodations in contravention of sections 301 
     0910.122 and 301 0910.123 of title 41 CFR.
       Section 413 prohibits funds from being used for the 
     approval of a new foreign air carrier permit or exemption 
     application if that approval would contravene United States 
     law or Article 17 bis of the U.S.-E.U.-Iceland-Norway Air 
     Transport Agreement.
       Section 414 restricts the number of employees that agencies 
     may send to international conferences unless such attendance 
     is important to the national interest.
       Section 415 caps the amount of fees the Surface 
     Transportation Board can charge or collect for rate or 
     practice complaints filed at the amount authorized for 
     district court civil suit filing fees.
       Section 416 prohibits the use of funds to purchase or lease 
     new light-duty vehicles for any executive fleet or fleet 
     inventory, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum-
     Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.
       Section 417 prohibits funds from being used to maintain or 
     establish computer networks unless such networks block the 
     viewing, downloading, or exchange of pornography.
  

       Section 418 prohibits funds from being used to deny an 
     Inspector General timely access to any records, documents, or 
     other materials available to the department or agency over 
     which that Inspector General has responsibilities, or to 
     prevent or impede that Inspector General's access to such 
     records, documents, or other materials.
       Section 419 prohibits funds to be used to pay award or 
     incentive fees for contractors whose performance is below 
     satisfactory, behind schedule, over budget, or failed to meet 
     requirements of the contract, with exceptions.
       Section 420 provides that any reference to ``this Act'' 
     contained in this division shall only apply to provisions in 
     this division.
       Section 421 prohibits funds from being used in 
     contravention of 49 U.S.C. 5309(d)(2).
       Section 422 prohibits funds from being used to issue rules 
     or guidance in contravention of section 1210 of P.L. 115-254 
     or section 312 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
     Emergency Assistance Act.
       Section 423 prohibits funds from being used in 
     contravention of section 2635.702 of title 5 CFR.
       Section 424 rescinds certain general fund highway 
     unobligated balances.
       Section 425 exempts the Wendell H. Ford (Western Kentucky) 
     Parkway from certain weight limits in 23 U.S.C. 127 and would 
     designate the Parkway as a High-Priority Corridor.

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