[House Report 104-733]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 2d Session                                                     104-733
_______________________________________________________________________


 
 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 
           ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1997, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

                 July 31, 1996.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


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

                           CONFERENCE REPORT

                        [To accompany H.R. 3754]

      The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of 
the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill 
(H.R. 3754) ``making appropriations for the Legislative Branch 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1997, 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 9, 
20, 23, and 24.
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendments of the Senate numbered 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 
17, 18, and 19, and agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 3:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 3, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$2,750,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 4:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 4, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$69,356,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 5:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 5, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$33,437,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 7:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 7, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$2,782,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 8:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 8, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$24,532,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 15:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 15, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the sum proposed by said amendment, insert: 
$9,753,000; 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: 
$1,310,000; and the Senate agree to the same.
      Amendment Numbered 21:
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendment of the Senate numbered 21, and agree to the same with 
an amendment, as follows:
      In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, insert:
      Sec. 314. (A) Upon enactment into law of this Act, there 
shall be established a program for providing the widest 
possible exchange of information among legislative branch 
agencies with the long range goal of improving information 
technology planning and evaluation. The Committee on House 
Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Rules and Administration of the Senate are requested to 
determine the structure and operation of this program and to 
provide appropriate oversight. All of the appropriate offices 
and agencies of the legislative branch as defined below shall 
participate in this program for information exchange, and shall 
report annually on the extent and nature of their participation 
in their budget submissions to the Committee on Appropriations 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate.
          (B) As used in this section--
                    (1) the term ``offices and agencies of the 
                legislative branch'' means the office of the 
                Clerk of the House, the office of the Secretary 
                of the Senate, the office of the Architect of 
                the Capitol, the General Accounting Office, the 
                Government Printing Office, the Library of 
                Congress, the Congressional Research Service, 
                the Congressional Budget Office, the Chief 
                Administrative Officer of the House of 
                Representatives, and the Sergeant at Arms of 
                the Senate; and
                    (2) the term ``technology'' refers to any 
                form of computer hardware and software; 
                computer-based systems, services, and support 
                for the creation, processing, exchange, and 
                delivery of information; and telecommunications 
                systems, and the associated hardware and 
                software that provide for voice, data, or image 
                communication.
      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 of the first section number named in said 
amendment, insert: 315; 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 first section number named in said 
amendment, insert: 316 and at the end of the matter proposed by 
said amendment, insert the following:
      Sec. 317. For payment to Jo Ann Emerson, widow of Bill 
Emerson, late a Representative from the State of Missouri, 
$133,600.
      And the Senate agree to the same.

                                   Ron Packard,
                                   Charles H. Taylor,
                                   Dan Miller,
                                   Roger F. Wicker,
                                   Bob Livingston,
                                   Ray Thornton,
                                   Jose Serrano,
                                   Vic Fazio,
                                   David R. Obey,
                                 Managers on the Part of the House.

                                   Connie Mack,
                                   Robert F. Bennett,
                                   Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
                                   Mark O. Hatfield,
                                   Patty Murray,
                                   Barbara A. Mikulski,
                                   Robert C. Byrd,
                                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 on the two Houses on 
the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 3754) making 
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 1997, 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 $441,208,000 for the 
operations of the Senate, and contains several administrative 
provisions. Inasmuch as the amendment relates solely to the 
Senate and in accord with long practice under which each body 
determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other 
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.

                        House of Representatives

      The managers on the part of the House, with the 
concurrence of the managers on the part of the Senate, support 
the policy of disposing of excess House computer equipment for 
the use of elementary and secondary schools, comparable to the 
program established by the Senate. The House managers note 
that, under current statute, the Committee on House Oversight 
has the authority to make such dispositions.

                              JOINT ITEMS

            Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 1997

      Amendment No. 2: Deletes $950,000, and related 
provisions, appropriated for the Joint Committee on Inaugural 
Ceremonies of 1997 as proposed by the House and inserts 
$950,000, together with related provisions, appropriated for 
the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 1997 as proposed 
by the Senate. These funds are provided in accordance with 
Senate Concurrent Resolutions 47 and 48, 104th Congress, agreed 
to in the Senate on March 20, 1996.

                        Joint Economic Committee

      Amendment No. 3: Appropriates $2,750,000 for the Joint 
Economic Committee instead of $3,000,000 as proposed by the 
House and $750,000 as proposed by the Senate. The conferees 
agree that the long term need for this committee should be 
reviewed and expect the funding to be phased down to zero in 
the future.

                          Capitol Police Board

                             Capitol Police

                                salaries

      Amendment No. 4: Appropriates $69,356,000 for the 
salaries and related personnel expenses of the Capitol Police 
instead of $68,392,000 as proposed by the House and $70,132,000 
as proposed by the Senate. The conferees believe that the 
information and systems that support Capitol Police financial 
management processes are in need of improvement. To some 
extent, the transfer of payroll/personnel recordkeeping to the 
National Finance Center will lead to significant improvement in 
the reliability and accuracy of financial data, but other 
accounting and management information systems also require 
attention.
      Amendment No. 5: Provides $33,437,000 to the Sergeant at 
Arms of the House of Representatives, to be disbursed by the 
Chief Administrative Officer of the House, for the Capitol 
Police assigned to the House rolls instead of $32,927,000 as 
proposed by the House and $34,213,000 as proposed by the 
Senate.
      Amendment No. 6: Provides $35,919,000 to the Sergeant at 
Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, to be disbursed by the 
Secretary of the Senate, for the Capitol Police assigned to the 
Senate rolls as proposed by the Senate instead of $35,465,000 
as proposed by the House.

                            general expenses

      Amendment No. 7: Appropriates $2,782,000 for general 
expenses of the Capitol Police instead of $2,685,000 as 
proposed by the House and $2,880,000 as proposed by the Senate. 
The additional funds provided above the House bill are provided 
for vehicle replacement.

                      Congressional Budget Office

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 8: Appropriates $24,532,000 for salaries 
and expenses, Congressional Budget Office, instead of 
$24,288,000 as proposed by the House and $24,775,000 as 
proposed by the Senate.

                        Architect of the Capitol

                     capitol buildings and grounds

                           capitol buildings

      Amendment No. 9: Appropriates $23,255,000 for Capitol 
buildings, Architect of the Capitol as proposed by the House 
instead of $23,555,000 as proposed by the Senate.
      The conferees note that the Capitol Police, due to 
legislation enacted in the District of Columbia Appropriations 
Act for Fiscal Year 1996, will inherit the D.C. canine facility 
located at Blue Plains at a site adjacent to the Botanic Garden 
plant nursery. In the meantime, through a reprogramming of 
funds made available by the Committees on Appropriations, the 
Capitol Police canine operation was relocated, on July 24, 
1996, to a site adjacent to the buildings, training grounds, 
and kennels they will occupy when the D.C. canine operation 
vacates. This recent Capitol Police relocation was accomplished 
within a few months of learning of extremely hazardous 
conditions at the former location, and includes new kennels, 
training grounds, temporary office and classroom buildings, and 
other facilities necessary to continue this very important 
security program. The Committees on Appropriations have been 
advised that the space being developed for the D.C. canine 
operation will be completed by February 27, 1997. The conferees 
expect that the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police 
will make the necessary arrangements to move into those 
quarters immediately upon their availability. In the meantime, 
the conferees believe that the Architect of the Capitol should 
survey the need for renovations at the D.C. canine facility. If 
it is determined that renovations are necessary, the Committees 
on Appropriations will entertain a request to reprogram funds 
based upon the receipt of adequate engineering estimates, 
plans, and design documentation.

                         house office buildings

      The managers on the part of the House, with the 
concurrence of the managers on the part of the Senate, direct 
that all employees displaced by the custodial contract at the 
Ford House Office Building will be absorbed in available vacant 
positions and expect every effort to be made to place them in 
positions of equal or comparable pay.

                        senate office buildings

      Amendment No. 10: Appropriates $39,640,000, of which 
$3,200,000 shall remain available until expended, for the 
operations of the Senate office buildings. Inasmuch as the 
amendment relates solely to the Senate and in accord with long 
practice under which each body determines its own housekeeping 
requirements and the other 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.

                        TITLE II--OTHER AGENCIES

                          Library of Congress

                         salaries and expenses

      Amendment No. 11: Provides $216,007,000 for salaries and 
expenses, Library of Congress as proposed by the Senate instead 
of $215,007,000 as proposed by the House. The conferees agree 
with the Senate report language regarding the deputy Librarian 
of Congress.
      Amendment No. 12: Earmarks $928,800 for the operation of 
the American Folklife Center as proposed by the Senate.

                       administrative provisions

      Amendment No. 13: Deletes a provision proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate authorizing account-to-account 
transfers, subject to approval, of funds appropriated in the 
bill to the Library of Congress.
      Amendment No. 14: Provides a two-year authorization for 
the American Folklife Center as proposed by the Senate.

                        Architect of The Capitol

                     library buildings and grounds

                     structural and mechanical care

      Amendment No. 15: Appropriates $9,753,000 for structural 
and mechanical care, Library buildings and grounds, Architect 
of the Capitol instead of $9,003,000 as proposed by the House 
and $10,453,000 as proposed by the Senate. These funds include 
$750,000 above the House bill for an uninterruptible power 
supply. The conferees note that the additional amounts provided 
were not included in the budget request transmitted to the 
Congress.
      Amendment No. 16: Provides that $1,310,000 shall remain 
available until expended for structural and mechanical care, 
Library buildings and grounds instead of $560,000 as proposed 
by the House and $1,910,000 as proposed by the Senate.

                       General Accounting Office

                         salaries and expenses

      The conferees agree that funding included for the General 
Accounting Office contract audit services is $8,000,000.

                     TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

      Amendment No. 17: Deletes a provision proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate regarding dynamic 
macroeconomic scoring of certain spending and revenue 
legislation.
      Amendment No. 18: Authorizes law enforcement personnel of 
the Capitol Police to elect to receive compensatory time off in 
lieu of overtime compensation in excess of the maximum for 
their work period as proposed by the Senate.
      Amendment No. 19: Makes a date change in section 316 of 
Public Law 101-302 regarding Senate artwork as proposed by the 
Senate.
      Amendment No. 20: Deletes a provision proposed by the 
Senate that the Government Printing Office shall be considered 
an agency and the Public Printer shall be considered the head 
of the agency for purposes of sections 801(b)(2)(B) and 
801(b)(2)(C), respectively, of the National Energy Conservation 
Policy Act.
      Amendment No. 21: Changes a section number and amends a 
provision inserted by the Senate regarding technology planning, 
evaluation, development, and management in the legislative 
branch. The conference agreement requests the Senate Committee 
on Rules and the Committee on House Oversight to oversee a 
program for providing the widest possible exchange of 
information among legislative branch agencies with the long 
range goal of improving information technology planning and 
evaluation.
      The conferees note that the Committee on House Oversight 
and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration have begun 
a process to develop a common information system. The Clerk of 
the House and the Secretary of the Senate have been called upon 
to coordinate the project with the oversight of those 
Committees and to ultimately propose the standards for a 
legislative branch-wide information system to the Committees 
for approval.
      An open exchange of technology, projects, plans and 
developments is crucial to the success of a legislative branch-
wide information system. The conferees expect, therefore, that 
the following organizations will be relied upon to participate 
and assist in this effort: the Clerk of the House, the Chief 
Administrative Officer of the House, the office of the 
Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, 
the Library of Congress, the Government Printing Office, House 
Information Resources, the Senate Computer Center, the General 
Accounting Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and the 
office of the Architect of the Capitol.
      Section 209 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 
1996, directed the Library of Congress to develop a plan and 
supporting analyses for this system. In so doing, the Library 
identified the major programs under development in various 
parts of the legislative branch as well as a significant amount 
of duplication. The process begun by the oversight committees 
will enable the strengths of each program to be recognized and 
integrated into a system that will benefit Congress as a whole.
      Amendment No. 22: Retains a provision proposed by the 
Senate, amended to change a section number, that amends section 
3303 of Title 5, United States Code, together with technical 
and conforming amendments, regarding recommendations made by 
Senators and Representatives for applicants to the competitive 
service.
      Amendment No. 23: Deletes a provision proposed by the 
Senate regarding an electronic information system. The managers 
on the part of the House and Senate agree that the 
Congressional Research Service, upon the request of the Senate 
Committee on Rules and Administration, and in consultation with 
the Secretary of the Senate and the heads of the appropriate 
offices and agencies of the legislative branch, shall 
coordinate the development of an electronic congressional 
legislative information and document retrieval system to 
provide for the legislative information needs of the Senate 
through the exchange and retrieval of information and documents 
among legislative branch offices and agencies. The managers on 
the part of the House and the Senate also agree that the 
Library of Congress shall assist the Congressional Research 
Service in supporting the Senate in this effort, and shall 
provide technical staff and resources as may be necessary.
      Amendment No. 24: Deletes a provision inserted by the 
Senate regarding employment limitations under section 207(e) of 
title 18, United States Code.
      Amendment No. 25: Retains a provision proposed by the 
Senate, amended to change a section number, that amends Chapter 
1 of title 17, United States Code, to exempt from infringement 
of copyright the reproduction or distribution of certain 
publications in specialized formats exclusively for use by 
blind or other persons with disabilities. In addition, the 
conferees, at the request of the managers on the part of the 
House, have inserted a provision that provides the traditional 
death gratuity for the widow of Bill Emerson, late a 
Representative from the State of Missouri.

                   CONFERENCE TOTAL--WITH COMPARISONS

      The total new budget (obligational) authority for the 
fiscal year 1997 recommended by the Committee of Conference, 
with comparisons to the fiscal year 1996 amount, the 1997 
budget estimates, and the House and Senate bills for 1997 
follow:

New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 1996...  $2,187,356,000
Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, fiscal 
    year 1997...........................................   2,339,421,000
House bill, fiscal year 1997............................   1,681,311,000
Senate bill, fiscal year 1997...........................   2,165,081,000
Conference agreement, fiscal year 1997..................   2,165,097,600
Conference agreement compared with:.....................
        New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 
          1996..........................................     -22,258,400
        Budget estimates of new (obligational) 
          authority, fiscal year 1997...................    -174,323,400
        House bill, fiscal year 1997....................    +483,786,600
        Senate bill, fiscal year 1997...................         +16,600

                                   Ron Packard,
                                   Charles H. Taylor,
                                   Dan Miller,
                                   Roger F. Wicker,
                                   Bob Livingston,
                                   Ray Thornton,
                                   Jose Serrano,
                                   Vic Fazio,
                                   David R. Obey,
                                 Managers on the Part of the House.

                                   Connie Mack,
                                   Robert F. Bennett,
                                   Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
                                   Mark O. Hatfield,
                                   Patty Murray,
                                   Barbara A. Mikulski,
                                   Robert C. Byrd,
                                Managers of the Part of the Senate.