[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 22199-22204]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED

                                 ______
                                 

 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
             INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                  BYRD (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1744

  Mr. BOND (for Mr. Byrd, for himself, Mr. Bond, Mr. Domenici, Mr. 
Stevens, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Specter, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Wellstone, Mr. Smith of NH, Mr. Hollings, 
Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Biden, Mr. 
Leahy, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Hagel, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Sarbanes, 
Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Reid, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Robb, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Bryan, 
Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Roberts,  Mr. Ashcroft, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Coverdell, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Levin, 
Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Frist) proposed an amendment to the bill (H.R. 
2684) A bill making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans 
Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent 
agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2000, and for other purposes; as follows:

       On page 7, beginning on line 23, strike ``$18,406,000,000'' 
     and all that follows through ``Provided,'' and insert 
     ``$19,006,000,000, plus reimbursements: Provided That of the 
     funds made available under this heading, $600,000,000 is 
     designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant 
     to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
     Deficit Control Act of 1985 and shall be available only to 
     the extent that an official budget request that includes 
     designation of the entire amount of the request as an 
     emergency requirement (as defined in the Balanced Budget and 
     Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985) is transmitted by the 
     President to Congress: Provided further,''.
                                 ______
                                 

               TORRICELLI (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1745

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)

[[Page 22200]]


  Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself, Mr. Moynihan, and Mrs. Murray) submitted 
an amendment intended to be proposed by them to the bill, H.R. 2684, 
supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title IV, insert the following:

     SEC. 4__. STUDY.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency shall submit a study on airport noise to 
     Congress, the Secretary of Transportation, and the 
     Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
       (b) Areas of Study.--The study shall examine--
       (1) the selection of noise measurement methodologies used 
     by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration;
       (2) the threshold of noise at which health impacts are 
     felt; and
       (3) the effectiveness of noise abatement programs at 
     airports around the United States.
       (c) Recommendations.--The study shall include specific 
     recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation and the 
     Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
     concerning new measures that should be implemented to 
     mitigate the impact of aircraft noise on communities 
     surrounding airports.
                                 ______
                                 

                     TORRICELLI AMENDMENT NO. 1476

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. TORRICELLI submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title IV, insert the following:

     SEC. 4__. RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT AIRPORT POLLUTION.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the serious ground level ozone, noise, water pollution, 
     and solid waste disposal problems attendant to airport 
     operations require a thorough evaluation of all significant 
     sources of pollution;
       (2) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.)--
       (A) requires each State to reduce emissions contributing to 
     ground level ozone problems and maintain those reductions; 
     and
       (B) requires the Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency to study, in addition to other sources, the 
     effects of sporadic, extreme noise (such as jet noise near 
     airports) on public health and welfare;
       (3) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 
     et seq.) establishes a regulatory and enforcement program for 
     discharges of wastes into waters;
       (4) the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.) 
     establishes primary drinking water standards and a ground 
     water control program;
       (5) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) 
     regulates management and disposal of solid and hazardous 
     waste;
       (6) a study of air pollution problems in California--
       (A) has determined that airports are significant sources of 
     air pollution; and
       (B) has led to the creation of an airport bubble concept; 
     and
       (7) the airport bubble concept is an approach that--
       (A) treats an airport and the area within a specific radius 
     around the airport as a single source of pollution that emits 
     a range of pollutants, including air, noise, water, and solid 
     waste; and
       (B) seeks, by implementation of specific programs or 
     regulations, to reduce the pollution from each source within 
     the bubble and thereby reduce the overall pollution in that 
     area.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to require the 
     Administrator to conduct--
       (1) a feasibility study for applying airport bubbles to 
     airports as a method of assessing and reducing, where 
     appropriate, air, noise, water, and solid waste pollution in 
     and around the airports and improving overall environmental 
     quality; and
       (2) a study of air pollutant emission standards established 
     by the Environmental Protection Agency for airplane engines 
     to determine whether it is feasible and desirable to 
     strengthen the standards.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
       (2) Airport bubble.--The term ``airport bubble'' means an 
     area--
       (A) in and around an airport (or other facility using 
     aircraft) within which sources of pollution and levels of 
     pollution from those sources are to be identified and 
     reduced; and
       (B) containing a variety of types of air, noise, water, and 
     solid waste sources of pollution in which the aggregate of 
     each type of pollutant from the respective sources is 
     regulated as if the various sources were a single source.
       (d) Study of Using Airport Bubbles.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct a study to 
     determine the feasibility of regulating air, noise, water, 
     and solid waste pollution from all sources in and around 
     airports using airport bubbles.
       (2) Working group.--In conducting the study, the 
     Administrator shall establish and consult with a working 
     group comprised of--
       (A) the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
     Administration (or a designee);
       (B) the Secretary of Defense (or a designee);
       (C) the Secretary of Transportation (or a designee);
       (D) a representative of air quality districts;
       (E) a representative of environmental research groups;
       (F) a representative of State Audubon Societies;
       (G) a representative of the Sierra Club;
       (H) a representative of the Nature Conservancy;
       (I) a representative of port authorities of States;
       (J) an airport manager;
       (K) a representative of commanding officers of military air 
     bases and stations;
       (L) a representative of the bus lines that serve airports 
     who is familiar with the emissions testing and repair records 
     of those buses, the schedules of those lines, and any 
     problems with delays in service caused by traffic congestion;
       (M) a representative of the taxis and limousines that serve 
     airports who is familiar with the emissions testing and 
     repair records of the taxis and limousines and the volume of 
     business generated by the taxis and limousines;
       (N) a representative of local law enforcement agencies or 
     other entities responsible for traffic conditions in and 
     around airports;
       (O) a representative of the Air Transport Association;
       (P) a representative of the Airports Council International-
     North America;
       (Q) a representative of environmental specialists from 
     airport authorities; and
       (R) a representative from an aviation union representing 
     ground crews.
       (3) Required elements.--In conducting the study, the 
     Administrator shall--
       (A) collect, analyze, and consider information on the 
     variety of stationary and mobile sources of air, noise, 
     water, and solid waste pollution within airport bubbles 
     around airports in the United States, including--
       (i) aircraft, vehicles, and equipment that service aircraft 
     (including main and auxiliary engines); and
       (ii) buses, taxis, and limousines that serve airports;
       (B) study a statistically significant number of airports 
     serving commercial aviation in a manner designed to obtain a 
     representative sampling of such airports;
       (C) consider all relevant information that is available, 
     including State implementation plans under the Clean Air Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and airport master plans;
       (D) consider the air quality implications of airport and 
     ground and in-flight aircraft operations, such as routing and 
     delays;
       (E) assess the role of airports in interstate and 
     international travel and commerce and the environmental and 
     economic impact of regulating airports as significant sources 
     of air, noise, water, and solid waste pollution;
       (F) propose boundaries of the areas to be included within 
     airport bubbles;
       (G) propose a definition of air pollutant emissions for 
     airport bubbles that includes hydrocarbons, volatile organic 
     compounds, and other ozone precursors targeted for reduction 
     under Federal air pollution law;
       (H) develop an inventory of each source of air, noise, 
     water, and solid waste pollution to be regulated within 
     airport bubbles and the level of reduction for each source;
       (I) list and evaluate programs that might be implemented to 
     reduce air, noise, water, and solid waste pollution within 
     airport bubbles and the environmental and economic impact of 
     each of the programs, including any changes to Federal or 
     State law (including regulations) that would be required for 
     implementation of each of the programs;
       (J) evaluate the feasibility of regulating air, noise, 
     water, and solid waste pollutants in and around airports 
     using airport bubbles and make recommendations regarding 
     which programs should be included in an effective 
     implementation of airport bubble methodology; and
       (K) address the issues of air and noise pollution source 
     identification and regulation that are unique to military air 
     bases and stations.
       (4) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to 
     Congress a report describing the results and recommendations 
     of the study required by this subsection.
       (e) Study of Emission Standards for Airplane Engines.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct a study of 
     air pollutant emission standards established by the 
     Environmental Protection Agency for airplane engines to 
     determine whether it is feasible and desirable to strengthen 
     the standards.
       (2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to 
     Congress a report describing the results and recommendations 
     of the study required by this subsection.
       (f) Progress Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this Act,

[[Page 22201]]

     and annually thereafter until the reports under subsections 
     (d) and (e) are submitted, the Administrator shall submit to 
     Congress a report that details the progress being made by the 
     Administrator in carrying out subsections (d) and (e).
       (g) Funding.--The Administrator shall carry out this 
     section using existing funds available to the Administrator.
                                 ______
                                 

               WELLSTONE (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1747

  Mr. WELLSTONE (for himself, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Smith of New 
Hampshire) proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as 
follows:

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. The amount appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this title under the heading ``Veterans Health 
     Administration'' is hereby increased by $1,300,000,000.
                                 ______
                                 

                       CONRAD AMENDMENT NO. 1748

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. CONRAD submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a)(1) The amount appropriated by this title 
     under the heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the 
     subheading ``construction, major projects'' is hereby 
     increased by $12,000,000.
       (2) Of the amount appropriated by this title under the 
     heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the subheading 
     ``construction, major projects'', as increased by paragraph 
     (1), $12,000,000 shall be available for renovations and 
     environmental improvements at the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Medical Center in Fargo, North Dakota.
       (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the 
     aggregate of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act for the travel expenses of the 
     departments, agencies, commissions, corporations, and offices 
     covered by this Act is hereby reduced by $12,000,000.
                                 ______
                                 

                   CLELAND AMENDMENTS NOS. 1749-1754

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. CLELAND submitted six amendments intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

                           Amendment No. 1749

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a)(1) The amount appropriated by this title 
     under the heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the 
     subheading ``construction, major projects'' is hereby 
     increased by $12,400,000.
       (2) Of the amount appropriated by this title under the 
     heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the subheading 
     ``construction, major projects'', as increased by paragraph 
     (1), $12,400,000 shall be available for renovations and 
     environmental improvements at the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
       (b) The aggregate amount appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act, other than the amount appropriated 
     under the heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the 
     subheading ``construction, major projects'', is hereby 
     reduced by $12,400,000.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1750

       On page 31, line 17, strike ``$110,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$112,000,000''.
       On page 31, line 23, insert before the period the 
     following: ``, and including $2,000,000 for the expansion and 
     modernization of the Tubman African American Museum in Macon, 
     Georgia''.
       On page 76, line 8, strike ``$5,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$3,000,000''.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1751

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a)(1) The amount appropriated by this title 
     under the heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the 
     subheading ``national cemetery administration'' is hereby 
     increased by $1,500,000.
       (2) Of the amount appropriated by this title under the 
     heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the subheading 
     ``national cemetery administration'', as increased by 
     paragraph (1), $1,500,000 shall be available for the 
     construction of a national cemetery in the Atlanta, Georgia, 
     metropolitan area.
       (b) The amount appropriated by this title under the heading 
     ``Departmental Administration'' under the subheading ``office 
     of inspector general'' is hereby reduced by $1,500,000.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1752

       On page 31, line 17, strike ``$110,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$112,000,000''.
       On page 31, line 23, insert before the period the 
     following: ``, and including $2,000,000 for the National 
     Institute for Community Empowerment in Atlanta, Georgia''.
       On page 44, line 15, strike ``$95,910,000'' and insert 
     ``93,910,000''.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1753

       On page 83, line 12, strike ``$3,250,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended,'' and insert ``$3,259,200,000, to 
     remain available until expended, of which $9,200,000 shall be 
     derived from pro rata transfers of amounts made available 
     under each other heading under the heading ``Environmental 
     Protection Agency'' and shall be available to the Atlanta 
     region for modeling and monitoring of combined sewer 
     overflows as part of the comprehensive watershed restoration 
     strategy, and''.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1754

       On page 31, line 17, strike ``$110,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$112,770,000''.
       On page 31, line 23, insert before the period the 
     following: ``, and including $2,770,000 for the demolition 
     and environmental mitigation of the Swift Building in 
     Moultrie, Georgia''.
       On page 44, line 15, strike ``$95,910,000'' and insert 
     ``93,140,000''.
                                 ______
                                 

                 KERRY (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1755

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Brownback, Ms. Snowe, Mr. 
Lieberman, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Lautenberg) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by them to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as 
follows:

       On page 78, line 20, strike ``$1,885,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$1,897,000,000''.
       On page 78, line 21, before the colon, insert the 
     following: ``, and of which not less than $12,000,000 shall 
     be derived from pro rata transfers of amounts made available 
     under each other heading under the heading ``Environmental 
     Protection Agency'' and shall be available for the Montreal 
     Protocol Fund''.
                                 ______
                                 

                        KERRY AMENDMENT NO. 1756

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. KERRY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 28, line 2, strike ``$225,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$239,000,000''.
       On page 44, line 15, strike ``$95,910,000'' and insert 
     ``$81,910,000''.
                                 ______
                                 

                 SMITH (AND OTHERS) AMDNDMENT NO. 1757

  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire (for himself, Mr. Nickles, and Mr. Inhofe) 
proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 7, line 23, strike ``$19,006,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$19,215,500,000''.
       On page 8, line 10, insert after the colon the following: 
     ``Provided further, That of the funds made available under 
     this heading, $5,000,000 shall be available for the Homeless 
     Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program:''.
       On page 14, line 21, strike ``$90,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$100,000,000''.
       On page 73, line 22, strike ``$423,500,000'' and insert 
     ``$199,000,000''.
       On page 74, beginning on line 9, strike ``Provided 
     further,'' and all that follows through ``section 121(d)(2) 
     of such Act (42 U.S.C. 12581(d)(2)):''.
                                 ______
                                 

                  FEINSTEIN AMENDMENTS NOS. 1758-1759

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN submitted two amendments intended to be proposed by 
her to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

                           Amendment No. 1758

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.

       Not later than May 1, 2000, in administering the 
     underground storage tank program under subtitle I of the 
     Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.), the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
     develop a plan (including cost estimates)--
       (1) to identify underground storage tanks that are not in 
     compliance with subtitle I of the Solid Waste Disposal Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.) (including regulations);
       (2) to identify underground storage tanks in temporary 
     closure;
       (3) to determine the ownership of underground storage tanks 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2);
       (4) to determine the plans of owners and operators of 
     underground storage tanks described in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
     to bring the underground storage tanks into compliance or out 
     of temporary closure; and
       (5) in a case in which the owner of an underground storage 
     tank described in paragraph (1) or (2) cannot be identified--
       (A) to bring the underground storage tank into compliance; 
     or
       (B) to permanently close the underground storage tank.

[[Page 22202]]

     
                                  ____
                           Amendment No. 1759

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.

       Not later than May 1, 2000, in administering the 
     underground storage tank program under subtitle I of the 
     Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.), the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
     develop a plan (including cost estimates)--
       (1) to identify underground storage tanks that are not in 
     compliance with subtitle I of the Solid Waste Disposal Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.) (including regulations);
       (2) to identify underground storage tanks in temporary 
     closure;
       (3) to determine the ownership of underground storage tanks 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2);
       (4) to determine the plans of owners and operators of 
     underground storage tanks described in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
     to bring the underground storage tanks into compliance or out 
     of temporary closure; and
       (5) in a case in which the owner of an underground storage 
     tank described in paragraph (1) or (2) cannot be identified--
       (A) to bring the underground storage tank into compliance; 
     or
       (B) to permanently close the underground storage tank.
                                 ______
                                 

                        BOND AMENDMENT NO. 1760

  Mr. BOND proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as 
follows:

       On page 112, strike line 3 and all that follows through 
     line 4 on page 113.
                                 ______
                                 

                        KERRY AMENDMENT NO. 1761

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. KERRY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 18, line 3, strike ``$10,855,135,000'' and insert 
     ``$10,566,335,000''.
       On page 18, line 4, strike ``$6,655,135,000'' and insert 
     ``$6,366,335,000''.
       On page 18, line 19, insert before the colon the following: 
     ``: Provided further, That of the total amount provided under 
     this heading, $288,800,000 shall be made available for 
     incremental section 8 vouchers under section 558 of the 
     Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (Public 
     Law 105-276; 112 Stat. 2614): Provided further That the 
     Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may not expend any 
     amount made available under the Departments of Veterans 
     Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, for tenant-based 
     assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937 to 
     help eligible families make the transition from welfare to 
     work until March 1, 2000''.
                                 ______
                                 

                      BINGAMAN AMENDMENT NO. 1762

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. BINGAMAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 84, line 10, insert after ``(S. 1596)'' the 
     following: ``, of which $500,000 shall be available to the 
     City of Bayard, New Mexico, to construct a new wastewater 
     treatment facility for the City of Bayard, the Village of 
     Santa Clara, and the Fort Bayard State Hospital''.
                                 ______
                                 

                    KERREY AMENDMENTS NOS. 1763-1765

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. KERREY submitted three amendments intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

                           Amendment No. 1763

       On page 78, line 21, after ``studies.'' insert the 
     following, ``: Provided, That within funds available, 
     $120,000 shall be provided to the Fontenelle Forest 
     Association for the Missouri River Ecology Institute.''
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1764

       On page 31, line 23, after ``Act'', strike ``.'' and insert 
     in lieu thereof ``: Provided further, That within the funds 
     provided, $1,500,000 shall be available for the North 27th 
     Street Project in Lincoln, Nebraska''.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1765

       On page 31, line 23, after ``Act'', strike ``.'' and insert 
     in lieu thereof ``: Provided further, That within the funds 
     provided, $750,000 shall be made available for Project 
     Jericho in Omaha, Nebraska.''
                                 ______
                                 

                        SMITH AMENDMENT NO. 1766

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. SMITH of Oregon submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in the bill, insert:
       ``The comment period on the proposed rules related to 
     section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act published at 64 Federal 
     Register 46012 and 46058 (August 23, 1999) shall be extended 
     from October 22, 1999, for a period of no less than 90 
     additional calendar days.''
                                 ______
                                 

                       STEVENS AMENDMENT NO. 1767

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. STEVENS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 28, line 25 after the word ``Council,'' insert 
     ``$4,000,000 for the Special Olympics 2001 World Winter 
     Games''.
                                 ______
                                 

                   SPECTER AMENDMENTS NOS. 1768-1769

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. SPECTER submitted two amendments intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

                           Amendment No. 1768

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a) The amount appropriated by this title under 
     the heading ``Departmental Administration'' under the 
     subheading ``construction, major projects'' is hereby 
     increased by $14,500,000.
       (b) Of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available 
     for the Department of Veterans Affairs under the heading 
     ``Departmental Administration'' under the subheading 
     ``construction, major projects'', as increased by subsection 
     (a), $14,500,000 shall be available for construction of a 
     long term facility at the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1769

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a) Using amounts available under subsection (b), 
     the National Cemetery Administration shall provide for the 
     construction of a national cemetery in Southwestern 
     Pennsylvania in an amount not to exceed $12,000,000.
       (b) The amounts available to the National Cemetery 
     Administration for purposes of subsection (a) are the amounts 
     appropriated under the heading ``Departmental 
     Administration'' under the subheading ``construction, major 
     projects'' and allocated for the advance planning fund of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
                                 ______
                                 

                        GRAMM AMENDMENT NO. 1770

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. GRAMM submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 45, line 9, strike ``$16,000,000'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof, ``$19,493,000''.
                                 ______
                                 

                      HUTCHISON AMENDMENT NO. 1771

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mrs. HUTCHISON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her 
to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. PROMULGATION OF STORMWATER REGULATIONS.

       (a) Finding.--The Senate finds that the Administrator of 
     the Environmental Protection Agency has not sufficiently 
     addressed the concerns of local governments concerning the 
     Phase II stormwater regulations that are scheduled to be 
     promulgated on October 29, 1999.
       (b) Stormwater Regulations.--The Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency shall not promulgate the 
     regulations described in subsection (a) until the 
     Administrator submits to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works of the Senate a report containing--
       (1) an in-depth impact analysis on the effect the final 
     regulations will have on urban, suburban, and rural local 
     governments subject to the regulations, including an estimate 
     of--
       (A) the costs of complying with the 6 minimum control 
     measures described in the regulations; and
       (B) the costs resulting from the lowering of the 
     construction threshold from 5 acres to 1 acre;
       (2) an explanation of the rationale of the Administrator 
     for lowering the construction site threshold from 5 acres to 
     1 acre, including--
       (A) an explanation, in light of recent court decisions, of 
     why a 1-acre measure is any less arbitrarily determined than 
     a 5-acre measure; and
       (B) all qualitative information used in determining an acre 
     threshold for a construction site;
       (3) documentation demonstrating that stormwater runoff is 
     generally a problem in communities with populations of 50,000 
     to 100,000 (including an explanation of why the coverage of 
     the regulation is based on a census-determined population 
     instead of a water quality threshold);
       (4) information that supports the position of the 
     Administrator that the Phase II stormwater program should be 
     administered as part of the National Pollutant Discharge 
     Elimination System under section 402 of the

[[Page 22203]]

     Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342); and
       (5) a detailed explanation of the impact, if any, that the 
     Phase I program has had in improving water quality in the 
     United States (including a description of specific measures 
     that have been successful and those that have been 
     unsuccessful).
                                 ______
                                 

                       McCAIN AMENDMENT NO. 1772

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. BOND (for Mr. McCain) submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by him to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a) Development of Proposal.--(1) The Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs shall develop a proposal for a system 
     within the Department of Veterans Affairs for the collection 
     of payments from third party payers under the Medical Care 
     Cost Recovery Program of the Department which system shall, 
     to the maximum extent practicable, utilize procedures for the 
     collection of payments from third parties similar to the 
     procedures utilized in the private sector for the collection 
     of payments for health care costs from third parties.
       (2) In developing the proposal, the Secretary shall 
     consider a variety of procedures utilized in the private 
     sector for the collection of payments for health care costs 
     from third parties.
       (b) Use of Private Cost-Recovery Entities During 
     Development.--(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
     the Secretary shall, during the period referred to in 
     paragraph (3), provide for the collection of payments from 
     third party payers under the Medical Care Cost Recovery 
     Program solely through appropriate private entities with 
     which the Secretary contracts for that purpose.
       (2) The fee paid a private entity for the collection of 
     payments under a contract under this subsection shall be a 
     contingent fee based on the amount of payments collected by 
     the entity under the contract.
       (3) The period referred to in this paragraph is the period 
     beginning as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is six 
     months after the date on which the Secretary commences 
     collections under the Medical Care Cost Recovery Program 
     through a system within the Department under this section.
       (c) Safeguards.--The Secretary shall take appropriate 
     actions to ensure that any collection practices utilized 
     under this section do not impose unwarranted financial or 
     other burdens upon veterans who receive medical care from the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (d) Submittal of Proposal.--Not later than three years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
     shall submit to Congress a report on the proposal developed 
     under subsection (a). The report shall include--
       (1) a description of the system covered by the proposal; 
     and
       (2) an assessment by an appropriate entity independent of 
     the Department of the potential effectiveness of the 
     collection procedures under the system in comparison with the 
     effectiveness of the collection procedures of the private 
     entities utilized under subsection (b).
       (e) Implementation of Proposal.--The Secretary shall 
     implement the system covered by the proposal submitted under 
     subsection (d) commencing 90 days after the date on which the 
     Secretary submits to Congress the proposal on the system 
     under that subsection.
                                 ______
                                 

                        SNOWE AMENDMENT NO. 1773

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Ms. SNOWE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the 
     Senate that it should be the goal of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to serve all veterans equitably at health 
     care facilities in urban and rural areas.
       (b) Report Required.--(1) Not later than six months after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 
     report on the impact of the allocation of funds under the 
     Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) funding formula 
     on the rural subregions of the health care system 
     administered by the Veterans Health Administration.
       (2) The report shall include the following:
       (A) An assessment of impact of the allocation of funds 
     under the VERA formula on--
       (i) travel times to veterans health care in rural areas;
       (ii) waiting periods for appointments for veterans health 
     care in rural areas;
       (iii) the cost associated with additional community-based 
     outpatient clinics;
       (iv) transportation costs; and
       (v) the unique challenges that Department of Veterans 
     Affairs medical centers in rural, low-population subregions 
     face in attempting to increase efficiency without large 
     economies of scale.
       (B) The recommendations of the Secretary on means of 
     modifying the VERA formula, or implementing other reforms, in 
     order to improve the access of veterans to health care in 
     rural areas.
                                 ______
                                 

                    LEVIN AMENDMENTS NOS. 1774-1776

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. LEVIN submitted three amendments intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

                           Amendment No. 1774

       On page 77, line 21, after ``$642,483,000'', insert the 
     following: ``of which not less than $3,000,000 shall be 
     available to gather data and conduct studies relating to 
     agriculture, recreation, economic development, human health, 
     ecological impacts, and other land use issues for the 
     Kalamazoo River watershed revitalization project,''.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1775

       On page 77, line 21, strike ``$642,483,000'' and insert 
     ``$641,483,000''.
       On page 84, line 6, strike ``$100,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$101,000,000''.
       On page 84, line 10, before the semicolon, insert the 
     following: ``, of which $1,000,000 shall be available for the 
     renovation and replacement of the water system of the city of 
     Benton Harbor, Michigan''.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1776

       On page 31, line 17, strike ``$110,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$111,000,000''.
       On page 31, line 23, insert before the period the 
     following: ``, and including $1,000,000 for the Muskegon, 
     Michigan Housing Commission for use in developing duplex 
     units''.
                                 ______
                                 

                       INOUYE AMENDMENT NO. 1777

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for Mr. Inouye) proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 
2684, supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. __. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     amount made available under the Departments of Veterans 
     Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 1991 (Public Law 101-507) for a 
     special purpose grant under section 107 of the Housing and 
     Community Development Act of 1974 to the County of Hawaii for 
     the purpose of an environmental impact statement for the 
     development of a water resource system in Kohala, Hawaii, 
     that is unobligated on the date of enactment of this Act, may 
     be used to fund water system improvements, including 
     exploratory wells, well drillings, pipeline replacements, 
     water system planning and design, and booster pump and 
     reservoir development.
                                 ______
                                 

                  REED (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1778

  Mr. REED (for himself, Mrs. Collins, Mr. Torricelli, and Mr. Chafee) 
proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 42, line 12, strike ``$80,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$100,000,000''.
       At the appropriate place in title II, insert the following:
       Sec. __. (a) There is appropriated out of any money in the 
     Treasury that is not otherwise appropriated for fiscal year 
     2000 for expenses necessary to carry out section 1011 of the 
     Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, 
     $20,000,000.
       (b) Each amount appropriated or otherwise made available 
     for each program, project, or activity relating to salaries, 
     expenses, and program management under title I, II, or III of 
     this Act (other than this section) that is not required to be 
     appropriated or otherwise made available by a provision of 
     law is reduced by the uniform percentage necessary to reduce 
     the total amounts appropriated for such programs, projects, 
     or activities by $20,000,000.
                                 ______
                                 

                        BOND AMENDMENT NO. 1779

  Mr. BOND proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as 
follows:

       On page 111, beginning on line 4 strike out ``or be used'' 
     and all that follows through ``litigation activity'' on line 
     5.
                                 ______
                                 

                 SNOWE (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 1780

  Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Hagel) proposed and 
amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 17, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 108. (a) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the 
     Senate that it should be the goal of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to serve all veterans equitably at health 
     care facilities in urban and rural areas.
       (b) Report Required.--(1) Not later than six months after 
     the date of the enactment

[[Page 22204]]

     of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
     to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives a report on the impact of the 
     allocation of funds under the Veterans Equitable Resource 
     Allocation (VERA) funding formula on the rural subregions of 
     the health care system administered by the Veterans Health 
     Administration.
       (2) The report shall include the following:
       (A) An assessment of impact of the allocation of funds 
     under the VERA formula on--
       (i) travel times to veterans health care in rural areas;
       (ii) waiting periods for appointments for veterans health 
     care in rural areas;
       (iii) the cost associated with additional community-based 
     outpatient clinics;
       (iv) transportation costs; and
       (v) the unique challenges that Department of Veterans 
     Affairs medical centers in rural, low-population subregions 
     face in attempting to increase efficiency without large 
     economies of scale.
       (B) The recommendations of the Secretary, if any, on how 
     rural veterans' access to health care services might be 
     enhanced.
                                 ______
                                 

            DeWINE (AND VOINOVICH) AMENDMENTS NOS. 1781-1782

  Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. Voinovich) proposed two amendments to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

                           Amendment No. 1781

       On page 113, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following:
       Sec. 431. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available for the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration by this Act may be obligated or expended for 
     purposes of transferring any research aircraft from Glenn 
     Research Center, Ohio, to another field center of the 
     Administration.
                                  ____


                           Amendment No. 1782

       On page 113, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following:
       Sec. 431. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available for the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration by this Act may be obligated or expended for 
     purposes of establishing at a field center of the 
     Administration any research capability that would duplicate a 
     research capability that currently exists at another field 
     center of the Administration.
                                 ______
                                 

                        CRAIG AMENDMENT NO. 1783

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. CRAIG submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 113, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following:

     SEC. 4__. PESTICIDE TOLERANCE FEES.

       None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available 
     by this Act shall be used to promulgate a final regulation to 
     implement changes in the payment of pesticide tolerance 
     processing fees as proposed at 64 Fed. Reg. 30939, or any 
     similar proposals.
                                 ______
                                 

                      SESSIONS AMENDMENT NO. 1784

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. SESSIONS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       On page 77, line 21, after ``$642,483,000,'', insert the 
     following: ``of which not less than $175,000 shall be 
     available for a study conducted by the Geological Survey of 
     Alabama of the fracturing of coalbed methane reservoirs in 
     Alabama,''.
                                 ______
                                 

               FITZGERALD (AND DURBIN) AMENDMENT NO. 1785

  Mr. BOND (for Mr. Fitzgerald (for himself and Mr. Durbin)) proposed 
an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec.   . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
     none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in 
     this Act for the Medical Care appropriation of the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs may be obligated for the realignment of 
     the health care delivery system in VISN 12 until 60 days 
     after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs certifies that the 
     Department has (a) consulted with veterans organizations, 
     medical school affilittes, employee representatives, State 
     veterans and health associations, and other interested 
     parties with respect to the realignment plan to be 
     implemented, and (b) made available to the Congress and the 
     public information from the consultations regarding possible 
     impacts on the accessibility of veterans health care services 
     to affected veterans.
                                 ______
                                 

                        BOND AMENDMENT NO. 1786

  Mr. BOND proposed an amendment to the bill, H.R. 2684, supra; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC.   . GAO STUDY ON FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK CAPITAL.

       (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall conduct a study of--
       (1) possible revisions to the capital structure of the 
     Federal Home Loan Bank System, including the need for--
       (A) more permanent capital;
       (B) a statutory leverage ratio; and
       (C) a risk-based capital structure; and
       (2) what impact such revisions might have on the operations 
     of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, including the 
     obligation of the Federal Home Loan Bank System under section 
     21B(f)(2)(C) of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall submit a report to the Congress on the 
     results of the study conducted under subsection (a).''

                          ____________________