[House Report 104-212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    104-212
_______________________________________________________________________


 
 APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING 
               SEPTEMBER 30, 1996, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______


                 July 28, 1995.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


 Mr. Packard, from the committee of conference, submitted the following

                           CONFERENCE REPORT

                        [To accompany H.R. 1854]
      The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of 
the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill 
(H.R. 1854) ``making appropriations for the Legislative Branch 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for other 
purposes,'' having met, after full and free conference, have 
agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses 
as follows:
      That the Senate recede from its amendments numbered 4, 5, 
6, 7, 15, 28, 29, 31, 37, 39, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, 52, 53, and 
54.
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendments of the Senate numbered 3, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 
24, 26, 30, 33, 36, 38, 45, 46, and 47, and agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 1:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 1, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      Retain the matter proposed, amended as follows:
      Delete the sentence beginning ``$31,889,000.'' on line 15 
and ending on line 18 of page 3 of the engrossed amendments of 
the Senate to the bill H.R. 1854; and the Senate agree to the 
same.
      Amendment numbered 2:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 2, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter stricken and the matter inserted by 
said amendment, insert: For salaries and expenses of the Joint 
Committee on Printing, $750,000, to be disbursed by the 
Secretary of the Senate; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 8:
      Restore the matter stricken by said amendment, amended to 
read as follows:
                        administrative provision


      Sec. 112. Section 310 of the Legislative Branch 
Appropriations Act, 1990, (2 U.S.C. 130e) is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``Clerk'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``Sergeant at Arms''; and
            (2) by striking out ``Librarian of Congress'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``Architect of the Capitol''.
      And the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 9:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 9, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, insert:
                          Office of Compliance

      For salaries and expenses of the Office of Compliance, as 
authorized by section 305 of Public Law 104-1, the 
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1385), 
$2,500,000, of which $500,000 shall be transferred from the 
amount provided for salaries and expenses of the Office of 
Compliance under the headings ``HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES'', 
``Salaries and Expenses'', and ``Salaries, Officers, and 
Employees''.
      And the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 10:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 10, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, insert:
                    Office of Technology Assessment


                         salaries and expenses


      For salaries and expenses necessary to carry out the 
orderly closure of the Office of Technology Assessment, 
$3,615,000, of which $150,000 shall remain available until 
September 30, 1997. Upon enactment of this Act, $2,500,000 of 
the funds appropriated under this heading in Public Law 103-283 
shall remain available until September 30, 1996: Provided, That 
none of the funds made available in this Act shall be available 
for salaries or expenses of any employee of the Office of 
Technology Assessment in excess of 17 employees except for 
severance pay purposes.


                       administrative provisions


      Sec. 113. Upon enactment of this Act all employees of the 
Office of Technology Assessment for 183 days preceding 
termination of employment who are terminated as a result of the 
elimination of the Office and who are not otherwise gainfully 
employed may continue to be paid by the Office of Technology 
Assessment at their respective salaries for a period not to 
exceed 60 calendar days following the employee's date of 
termination or until the employee becomes otherwise gainfully 
employed whichever is earlier. Any day for which a former 
employee receives a payment under this section shall be counted 
as federal service for purposes of determining entitlement to 
benefits, including retirement, annual and sick leave earnings, 
and health and life insurance. A statement in writing to the 
Director of the Office of Technology Assessment or his designee 
by any such employee that he was not gainfully employed during 
such period or the portion thereof for which payment is claimed 
shall be accepted as prima facie evidence that he was not so 
employed.
      Sec. 114. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Federal 
Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, 
or any other provision of law, upon the abolition of the Office 
of Technology Assessment, all records and property of the 
Office, (including the Unix system, all computer hardware and 
software, all library collections and research materials, and 
all photocopying equipment) shall be under the administrative 
control of the Architect of the Capitol. Not later than 
December 31, 1995, the Architect shall submit a proposal on how 
to transfer such records and property to appropriate support 
agencies of the Legislative Branch which request such transfer, 
and shall carry out such transfer subject to the approval of 
the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate.
      And the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 11:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 11, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the number proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$24,288,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 12:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 12, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the number proposed by said amendment, insert: 
232; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 14:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 14, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the number proposed by said amendment, insert: 
115; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 16:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 16, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$22,882,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 18:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 18, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, insert: 
Provided, That hereafter expenses, based on full cost recovery, 
for flying American flags and providing certification services 
therefor shall be advanced or reimbursed upon request of the 
Architect of the Capitol, and amounts so received shall be 
deposited into the Treasury; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 22:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 22, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$83,770,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 25:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 25, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter stricken and inserted by said 
amendment, insert: $211,664,000; and the Senate agree to the 
same.
      Amendment numbered 27:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 27, and agree to the same 
amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$6,812,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 32:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 32, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, insert:
      Sec. 209.(a) The purpose of this section is to reduce the 
cost of information support for the Congress by eliminating 
duplication among systems which provide electronic access by 
Congress to legislative information.
      (b) As used in this section, the term ``legislative 
information'' means information, prepared within the 
legislative branch, consisting of the text of publicly 
available bills, amendments, committee hearings, and committee 
reports, the text of the Congressional Record, data relating to 
bill status, data relating to legislative activity, and other 
similar public information that is directly related to the 
legislative process.
      (c) Pursuant to the plan approved under subsection (d) 
and consistent with the provisions of any other law, the 
Library of Congress or the entity designated by that plan shall 
develop and maintain, in coordination with other appropriate 
entities of the legislative branch, a single legislative 
information retrieval system to serve the entire Congress.
      (d) The Library shall develop a plan for creation of this 
system, taking into consideration the findings and 
recommendations of the study directed by House Report No. 103-
517 to identify and eliminate redundancies in congressional 
information systems. This plan must be approved by the 
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, the 
Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives. The Library shall provide these 
committees with regular status reports on the development of 
the plan.
      (e) In formulating its plan, the Library shall examine 
issues regarding efficient ways to make this information 
available to the public. This analysis shall be submitted to 
the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives as well as the Committee on Rules and 
Administration of the Senate, and the Committee on House 
Oversight of the House of Representatives for their 
consideration and possible action.
      And the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 34:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 34, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      Restore the matter stricken by said amendment, amended to 
read as follows:
                        administrative provision


      Sec. 210. The fiscal year 1997 budget submission of the 
Public Printer to the Congress for the Government Printing 
Office shall include appropriations requests and 
recommendations to the Congress that--
            (1) are consistent with the strategic plan included 
        in the technological study performed by the Public 
        Printer pursuant to Senate Report 104-114;
            (2) assure substantial progress toward maximum use 
        of electronic information dissemination technologies by 
        all departments, agencies, and other entities of the 
        Government with respect to the Depository Library 
        Program and information dissemination generally; and
            (3) are formulated so as to require that any 
        department, agency, or other entity of the Government 
        that does not make such progress shall bear from its 
        own resources the cost of its information dissemination 
        by other than electronic means.
      And the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 35:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 35, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter stricken and inserted by said 
amendment, insert: 3,800 workyears by the end of fiscal year 
1996; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 40:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 40, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the first section number proposed in said 
amendment, insert: 212; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 41:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 41, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the first section number proposed in said 
amendment, insert: 213; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 48:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 48, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the section number proposed by said amendment, 
insert: 310; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 49:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 49, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the first section number proposed in said 
amendment, insert: 311; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment numbered 55:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 55, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, insert:
      Sec. 312. Such sums as may be necessary are appropriated 
to the account described in subsection (a) of section 415 of 
Public Law 104-1 to pay awards and settlements as authorized 
under such subsection.
      Sec. 313. (a) The Sergeant at Arms of the House of 
Representatives shall have the same law enforcement authority, 
including the authority to carry firearms, as a member of the 
Capitol Police. The law enforcement authority under the 
preceding sentence shall be subject to the requirement that the 
Sergeant at Arms have the qualifications specified in 
subsection (b).
      (b) The qualifications referred to in subsection (a) are 
the following:
            (1) A minimum of five years of experience as a law 
        enforcement officer before beginning service as the 
        Sergeant at Arms.
            (2) Current certification in the use of firearms by 
        the appropriate Federal law enforcement entity or an 
        equivalent non-Federal entity.
            (3) Any other firearms qualification required for 
        members of the Capitol Police.
      (c) The Committee on House Oversight of the House of 
Representatives shall have authority to prescribe regulations 
to carry out this section.
      Sec. 314. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
effective September 1, 1995, the Committee on House Oversight 
of the House of Representatives shall have authority--
            (1) to combine the House of Representatives Clerk 
        Hire Allowance, Official Expenses Allowance, and 
        Official Mail Allowance into a single allowance, to be 
        known as the ``Members' Representational Allowance''; 
        and
            (2) to prescribe regulations relating to 
        allocations, expenditures, and other matters with 
        respect to the Members' Representational Allowance.
      And the Senate agree to the same.

                                   Ron Packard,
                                   Bill Young,
                                   Charles H. Taylor,
                                   Dan Miller,
                                   Roger F. Wicker,
                                   Bob Livingston,
                                   Vic Fazio,
                                   Ray Thornton,
                                   Julian C. Dixon,
                                   David R. Obey,
                                 Managers on the Part of the House.

                                   Connie Mack,
                                   R.F. Bennett,
                                   Mark O. Hatfield,
                                   Patty Murray,
                                   Barbara A. Mikulski,
                                Managers on the Part of the Senate.
       JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE

      The managers on the part of the House and the Senate at 
the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on 
the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 1854) making 
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes, submit the 
following joint statement to the House and Senate in 
explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the 
managers and recommended in the accompanying conference report.

                   TITLE I--CONGRESSIONAL OPERATIONS

                                 Senate

      Amendment No. 1: Appropriates $426,919,000 for the 
operations of the Senate, rescinds $63,544,724.12 of previously 
appropriated Senate funds, and contains several administrative 
provisions. At the request of the managers on the part of the 
Senate, the conferees agreed to amend the Senate amendment. 
Inasmuch as the amendment relates solely to the Senate and in 
accord with long practice under which each body concurs without 
intervention, the managers on the part of the House, at the 
request of the managers on the part of the Senate, have receded 
to the Senate amendment, as amended.

                              Joint Items

                      joint committee on printing

      Amendment No. 2: Appropriates $750,000 for the Joint 
Committee on Printing instead of $750,000 equally divided 
between the House and Senate authorizing committees as proposed 
by the House and $1,164,000 as proposed by the Senate.

                      joint committee on taxation

      Amendment No. 3: Appropriates $5,116,000 as proposed by 
the Senate instead of $6,019,000 as proposed by the House.

                          Capitol Police Board

                             capitol police

                                salaries

      Amendment No. 4: Appropriates $70,132,000 for the 
salaries and related personnel expenses of the Capitol Police 
as proposed by the House instead of $69,825,000 as proposed by 
the Senate.
      Amendment No. 5: Provides $34,213,000 to the Sergeant at 
Arms of the House of Representatives, to be disbursed by the 
Clerk of the House, as proposed by the House instead of 
$33,906,000 as proposed by the Senate.

                            general expenses

      Amendment No. 6: Appropriates $2,560,000 for general 
expenses of the Capitol Police as proposed by the House instead 
of $2,190,000 as proposed by the Senate.
           Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office

      Amendment No. 7: Appropriates $1,991,000 for the combined 
activities of the Capitol Guide Service and the Special 
Services Office as proposed by the House instead of $1,628,000 
for the Capitol Guide Service and $363,000 for the Special 
Services Office as proposed by the Senate. The conferees direct 
that future year budget requests of the combined operation 
maintain a distinction between these separate services. The 
conferees also acknowledge the importance of the services 
provided to Members, staff, and public visitors by the Special 
Services Office and the dedication of the small, but highly 
proficient and motivated staff. This will continue the 
independent status of the Office.
      Amendment No. 8: Restores language proposed by the House 
and stricken by the Senate amended to reconstitute the 
membership of the Special Services Board with the same 
membership as the Capitol Guide Board.

                          office of compliance

      Amendment No. 9: Appropriates $2,500,000, of which 
$500,000 shall be transferred from funds in the Act 
appropriated for an Office of Compliance within the House of 
Representatives, for the Office of Compliance, a joint House-
Senate activity authorized by the Congressional Accountability 
Act, instead of $2,500,000 as proposed by the Senate. The funds 
remaining in the House bill may be redirected for salaries and 
expenses of the Office of Fair Employment Practices.

                    Office of Technology Assessment

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 10: Appropriates $3,615,000, a 
reappropriation of $2,500,000, and 60 days of severance pay for 
the close-out costs of the Office of Technology Assessment as 
proposed by the Senate. The conferees agreed to a clarifying 
amendment to the severance pay provision inserted by the 
Senate. This section provides a severance package for employees 
whose federal service is terminated as a result of the 
elimination of the OTA. Although the employee's service with 
the federal government will have been terminated, the period 
for which an employee receives payment under this section will 
be considered as creditable service for all purposes, including 
determining retirement benefits, accrual of annual and sick 
leave, entitlement to health benefits, etc. The conferees also 
have amended the Senate provision regarding records and 
property disposal to provide that such items shall be under the 
administrative control of the Architect of the Capitol. Not 
later than December 31, 1995, the Architect of the Capitol 
shall propose a transfer of these items. Such transfer shall be 
made to legislative branch support agencies, subject to the 
approval of House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
                       Congressional Budget Office

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 11: Appropriates $24,288,000 for salaries 
and expenses of the Congressional Budget Office instead of 
$23,188,000 as proposed by the House and $25,788,000 as 
proposed by the Senate. The conferees direct that the CBO 
comply with the requirements of the unfunded mandates workload 
out of the funds provided. If necessary, program analysis 
priorities should be adjusted to accommodate this directive.
      Amendment No. 12: Limits full-time equivalent positions 
to 232 instead of 219 as proposed by the House and 244 as 
proposed by the Senate.
      Amendment No. 13: Deletes $1,100,000 appropriated in the 
House bill for the unfunded mandates workload as proposed by 
the Senate. Funds are provided for this workload in amendment 
11.
      Amendment No. 14: Changes a section number.

                        Architect of the Capitol

                 office of the architect of the capitol

                                salaries

      Amendment No. 15: Appropriates $8,569,000 for the 
salaries of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol as 
proposed by the House instead of $8,876,000 as proposed by the 
Senate.

                     Capitol Buildings and Grounds

                           capitol buildings

      Amendment No. 16: Appropriates $22,882,000 for Capitol 
buildings instead of $22,832,000 as proposed by the House and 
$23,132,000 as proposed by the Senate. These funds include the 
items in the Senate bill less $250,000 for security related 
functions which are not provided.
      Amendment No. 17: Makes $2,950,000 available until 
expended for Capitol buildings as proposed by the Senate 
instead of $3,000,000 as proposed by the House.
      Amendment No. 18: Provides that expenses, based on full 
cost recovery, of the flag office shall be advanced or 
reimbursed and amounts so received shall be deposited into the 
Treasury instead of crediting these amounts to this 
appropriation as proposed by the Senate. The conferees direct 
that the Architect of the Capitol propose a reprogramming that 
will provide the funds necessary to operate the flag office. 
The conferees also direct that the Architect make a proposal in 
the fiscal year 1997 budget request that would transfer these 
activities in whole or in part to a private entity, while 
retaining the practice of a Congressional officer who will 
`certify' the special status of the flag.

                        senate office buildings

      Amendment No. 19: Appropriates $41,757,000 for Senate 
office buildings, of which $4,850,000 shall remain available 
until expended, as proposed by the Senate. Inasmuch as the 
amendment relates solely to the Senate and in accord with long 
practice under which each body concurs without intervention, 
the managers on the part of the House, at the request of the 
managers on the part of the Senate, have receded to the Senate 
amendment.

                          capitol power plant

      Amendment No. 20: Appropriates $31,518,000 for the 
Capitol Power Plant as proposed by the Senate instead of 
$32,578,000 as proposed by the House.

                          Library of Congress

                     congressional research service

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 21: Appropriates $60,084,000 for salaries 
and expenses of the Congressional Research Service as proposed 
by the Senate instead of $75,083,000 as proposed by the House.
                       Government Printing Office

                   congressional printing and binding

      Amendment No. 22: Appropriates $83,770,000 for 
Congressional printing and binding instead of $88,281,000 as 
proposed by the House and $85,500,000 as proposed by the 
Senate. The conferees have agreed to a partial restoration 
above the House allowance of $1,706,000 in funds for the 
printing of documents for Congressional use, $1,415,000 for GPO 
detailees, and $1,050,000 for paper copies of the serial set, 
as well as the base cut of $2,882,000 made in the Senate 
allowance. The conferees have deleted $5,800,000 provided by 
the House to reimburse the Superintendent of Documents for 
Congressional documents printed for distribution to depository 
libraries. Instead, these funds have been provided in the 
Superintendent of Documents appropriation, conforming with 
current practice. The conferees direct the Public Printer, in 
consultation with the Joint Committee on Printing, to 
administer these funds and find further opportunities to reduce 
unnecessary Congressional printing.
      Amendment No. 23: Deletes language proposed by the House 
and stricken by the Senate that would have included Senators in 
the funding limitation on paper copies of the permanent edition 
of the Congressional Record.

                        TITLE II--OTHER AGENCIES

                             Botanic Garden

                        conservatory renovation

      Amendment No. 24: Deletes $7,000,000 provided without 
fiscal year limitation together with a limitation of cost 
provided by the House and stricken by the Senate for the 
renovation of the Botanic Garden Conservatory.

                          Library of Congress

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 25: Appropriates $211,664,000 for salaries 
and expenses, Library of Congress, instead of $193,911,000 as 
proposed by the House and $213,164,000 as proposed by the 
Senate. The conferees have restored $17,753,000 above the House 
allowance, including funding for the American Folklife Center. 
These funds include $3,000,000 for the National Digital Library 
project.

                       administrative provisions

      Amendment No. 26: Provides an obligational authority 
ceiling for reimbursable and revolving fund activities at the 
Library of Congress of $99,412,000 as proposed by the Senate 
instead of $86,912,000 as proposed by the House.
      Amendment No. 27: Provides $6,812,000 for non-expenditure 
transfer activities in support of parliamentary development 
instead of $5,667,000 as proposed by the House and $7,295,000 
as proposed by the Senate. The additional funds are provided 
for activities in support of parliamentary development in 
Albania and Slovakia.
      Amendment No. 28: Deletes language inserted by the Senate 
limiting funding for parliamentary development to activities 
funded by the Agency for International Development.
      Amendment No. 29: Deletes language inserted by the Senate 
which adds Egypt to the country list included in the program in 
support of parliamentary development.
      Amendment No. 30: Deletes a provision inserted by the 
House and stricken by the Senate that amends section 206 of the 
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1994, that limits 
obligations for gift and trust funds in excess of $100,000 to 
the amounts provided in annual or supplemental appropriations 
Acts beginning with fiscal year 1997. The conferees believe 
that Congress must retain oversight over gift and trust fund 
obligations and their impact on Library of Congress programs. 
These funds are becoming significant supplements to core 
programs of the Library of Congress and are being used to fund, 
along with appropriated funds, projects such as the National 
Digital Library.
      To ensure Congressional oversight of gift and trust fund 
activities, the Committee directs the Library to include a new 
informational section in their budget submission documents 
which represents a combined justification for those 
appropriation-funded projects which are augmented by major gift 
and trust fund activities. These justifications should be 
similar to those of the Cataloging Distribution Service and the 
Copyright Office which are funded by appropriation and revenue 
receipts and should include an estimate of resources and full-
time-equivalents necessary to accomplish the project. 
Furthermore, the Library is directed to notify the 
Appropriations Committees of any major new gift and trust fund 
activities not included in the annual budget justification or 
major changes to existing gift and trust fund programs. A major 
gift or trust fund activity is defined as any single account of 
$100,000 or more. A threshold of $100,000 for any single 
activity will exempt certain funds established for special 
purposes such as the purchase of a rare manuscript, sponsorship 
of an exhibit, or other instances where the traditional gift 
and trust fund accountability is suitable. The conferees 
believe that full disclosure of project plans, resource 
commitments, and long term cost implications, regardless of 
funding source, will mitigate the need for a legislative 
limitation in appropriations acts. If this method proves 
unwieldy or otherwise insufficient, an appropriations 
limitation will still be available to the Congress. In any 
case, the intent is not to redirect the use of donated funds to 
other purposes, but to ensure that core Library of Congress 
project activities are consistent with public policy and that 
the Congress retains the means to carry out its responsibility 
to oversee the activities of this most important program.
      Amendment No. 31: Deletes a Senate provision authorizing 
the Library to offer retirement incentives to employees 
throughout fiscal year 1996.
      Amendment No. 32: Changes a section number and authorizes 
the Library of Congress to develop a plan, subject to approval, 
for the creation of a single legislative information retrieval 
system to serve the entire Congress, to examine issues 
regarding efficient ways to make this information available to 
the public, and to develop such a system, subject to play 
approval. The conference agreement amends the Senate provision 
to condition the development of the system based on appropriate 
approvals, and to include the Committees on Appropriations in 
the plan approval procedure. The conferees wish to point out 
that there are commercial sources of comparable systems and 
data bases, as well as several data bases and data creation, 
processing, and distribution systems extant in the legislative 
branch that should be evaluated in the issue analysis and plan 
development phases.

                       Government Printing Office

                 office of superintendent of documents

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 33: Appropriates $30,307,000 for salaries 
and expenses, Superintendent of Documents, as proposed by the 
Senate instead of $16,312,000 as proposed by the House.
      Amendment No. 34: Deletes a House provision stricken by 
the Senate which would have amended section 1903 of Title 44, 
and inserts a provision directing the Public Printer to include 
in the fiscal year 1997 budget submission a proposal for the 
depository library program that will result in conversion of 
this program to electronic format. The Public Printer is 
directed to propose a means to create cost incentives for 
publishing agencies, including the Congress, to migrate from 
print-on paper products to electronic format. The conferees 
direct that the Public Printer and Superintendent of Documents 
consult with the Joint Committee on Printing, House and Senate 
document publishing managers, and appropriate executive branch 
officials in the development of the fiscal year 1997 budget 
program. The conferees also do not intend that the study 
directed in the Senate report or the plan regarding electronic 
format should interfere with the activities of the authorizing 
committees to consider legislation amending title 44, U.S. 
Code, or any legislative initiative which will improve the 
Federal printing program.

               government printing office revolving fund

      Amendment No. 35: Limits the full-time equivalent 
employment at the Government Printing Office to 3,800 by the 
end of the fiscal year instead of 3,550 as proposed by the 
House and 3,900 by the end of the fiscal year as proposed by 
the Senate.

                       General Accounting Office

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 36: Appropriates $374,406,000 for salaries 
and expenses, General Accounting Office as proposed by the 
Senate instead of $392,864,000 as proposed by the House. The 
conferees direct that the General Accounting Office downsizing 
plan made necessary by the level of funding provided 
incorporate privatization of administrative activities to the 
maximum extent and utilize the services of private accounting 
firms, and other private sector experts in carrying out audit, 
financial analysis, and program evaluation activities. The 
conferees direct that the fiscal year 1997 budget proposal 
contain a separate section which documents this policy, 
together with comparisons to current practices.
      Amendment No. 37: Deletes a provision inserted by the 
Senate providing an advance appropriation for fiscal year 1997 
of $338,425,400, and $6,100,000 of reimbursements received. The 
conferees agree that the intent is to achieve a 25% reduction 
over the two year period of fiscal years 1996 and 1997.

                       administrative provisions

      Amendment No. 38: Changes a heading as proposed by the 
Senate.
      Amendment No. 39: Restores a provision proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate which transfers claims and 
judgments activities to the executive branch effective June 30, 
1996.
      Amendment No. 40: Changes a section number and amends 
section 732 of Title 31, giving authority to the Comptroller 
General to establish reduction in force regulations for GAO as 
proposed by the Senate.
      Amendment No. 41: Changes a section number and amends 
section 753 of Title 31, removing from the GAO Personnel 
Appeals Board their authority to stay a reduction in force as 
proposed by the Senate.
      Amendment No. 42: Deletes a provision inserted by the 
Senate giving the General Accounting Office authority to offer 
incentives to employees who retire or resign on or before 
September 30, 1995. The authority is contained in H.R. 1944, 
the fiscal year 1995 emergency supplemental and rescissions 
Act.

                     TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

      Amendment No. 43: Restores a provision proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate which transfers personnel and 
unexpended balances for security equipment design and 
installation from the Architect of the Capitol to the Capitol 
Police.
      Amendment No. 44: restores a section number.
      Amendment No. 45: Adds a subsection inserted by the 
Senate regarding the Administrative Conference of the United 
States. The conference agreement complies with the intent of 
the Congressional Accountability Act to study the application 
of certain laws to the General Accounting Office, Library of 
Congress, and the Government Printing Office. In the event the 
Administrative Conference is not funded, the conference 
agreement provides that the study will be undertaken by the 
Office of Compliance.
      Amendment No. 46: Deletes a provision proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate that would have authorized the 
Provost Marshall at Ft. Meade to police the 100 acre parcel 
assigned to the Legislative Branch.
      Amendment No. 47: Deletes a provision proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate that would have transferred 
the Botanic Garden to the Secretary of Agriculture.
      Amendment No. 48: Changes a section number.
      Amendment No. 49: Changes a section number and inserts a 
Senate provision amending Public Law 101-302 regarding Senate 
artwork.
      Amendment No. 50: Deletes a sense of the Senate provision 
relating to members of the Senate press galleries.
      Amendment No. 51: Deletes a Senate legislative provision 
regarding the selection of Federal Government contractors.
      Amendment No. 52: Deletes a sense of the Senate provision 
regarding the Senate legislative schedule.
      Amendment No. 53: Deletes a provision stating findings 
and sense of the Senate provision regarding the war in Bosnia.
      Amendment No. 54: Deletes a Senate legislative provision 
repealing section 3303 and amending section 2302(b)(2) of Title 
5, regarding prohibitions against political recommendations 
relating to Federal employment.
      Amendment No. 55: Deletes a legislative provision 
inserted by the Senate regarding reductions in facility energy 
costs and inserts three provisions: 1. to specify the law 
enforcement authority of the House Sergeant at Arms; 2. to 
clarify the existing authority of the Committee on House 
Oversight to consolidate or combine representational allowances 
of Members of the House of Representatives and to prescribe 
regulations with regard to allocation and expenditure of such 
allowances; and 3. to establish an account to pay awards and 
settlements as authorized under section 415 of the 
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. The conferees direct 
that the Architect of the Capitol, the Librarian of Congress, 
the Public Printer, and the Comptroller General include in 
their fiscal year 1997 budget submissions proposals to achieve 
reductions in facility energy costs. The conferees are aware 
that the Architect of the Capitol has an extensive energy 
retrofit program in effect, which has been fully coordinated 
with the Congress and the Committees on Appropriations. Those 
savings may be included within the required proposal.
                   Conference Total--With Comparisons

      The total new budget (obligational) authority for the 
fiscal year 1996 recommended by the Committee of Conference, 
with comparisons to the fiscal year 1995 amount, the 1996 
budget estimates, and the House and Senate bills for 1996 
follow:

New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 1995...  $2,390,554,700
Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, fiscal 
    year 1996...........................................   2,617,614,000
House bill, fiscal year 1996............................   1,725,698,000
Senate bill, fiscal year 1996...........................   2,190,370,000
Conference agreement, fiscal year 1996..................   2,184,856,000
Conference agreement compared with:
    New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 
      1995..............................................    -205,698,700
    Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, 
      fiscal year 1996..................................    -432,758,000
    House bill, fiscal year 1996........................    +459,158,000
    Senate bill, fiscal year 1996.......................      -5,514,000

                                   Ron Packard,
                                   Bill Young,
                                   Charles H. Taylor,
                                   Dan Miller,
                                   Roger F. Wicker,
                                   Bob Livingston,
                                   Vic Fazio,
                                   Ray Thornton,
                                   Julian C. Dixon,
                                   David R. Obey,
                                 Managers on the Part of the House.

                                   Connie Mack,
                                   R.F. Bennett,
                                   Mark O. Hatfield,
                                   Patty Murray,
                                   Barbara A. Mikulski,
                                Managers on the Part of the Senate.