[House Report 104-740]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 2d Session                                                     104-740
_______________________________________________________________________


 
 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
                          AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

                                _______
                                

                 August 1, 1996.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


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

                           CONFERENCE REPORT

                        [To accompany H.R. 3845]

      The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of 
the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill 
(H.R. 3845) ``making appropriations for the government of the 
District of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole 
or in part against the revenues of said District 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 3, 4, 
5, 6, and 7.
      That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
amendments of the Senate numbered 9, 12, and 13, 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:
      In lieu of the matter stricken by said amendment, insert 
the following: That funds expended for the Office of the Mayor 
are not to exceed $2,109,000, of which $632,000 is from intra-
District funds: Provided further, That $327,000 of the funds 
for the Office of the Mayor shall be transferred to the 
Department of Administrative Services as reimbursement for 
occupancy costs, including costs for telephone, electricity and 
other services: Provided further,
    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:
      Delete the matter stricken by said amendment, and on page 
3, after line 4 of the House engrossed bill, H.R. 3845, insert 
the following:


        federal contribution for repair of drinking water system


      For a Federal contribution to the District of Columbia 
Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority 
for contracting with a private entity (or entities) to carry 
out a program to inspect, flush, and repair the drinking water 
distribution system of the District of Columbia, $1,000,000.

, and on page 4, line 13 of the House engrossed bill, H.R. 
3845, strike all after ``funds)'' down through and including 
``Columbia'' on page 5, line 11.
      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:
      Retain the matter proposed in said amendment, and on page 
31, line 5 of the House engrossed bill, H.R. 3845, strike ``, 
prior to October 1, 1996,''.
      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:
      Delete the matter proposed and restore the matter 
stricken amended as follows:
      In lieu of the first sum named in the matter restored 
insert: $74,000,000; 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:
      Delete the matter proposed and restore the matter 
stricken amended as follows:
      In lieu of subsection (a) in the matter restored insert:
      (a) The heads of all personnel of the following offices, 
together with all other District of Columbia accounting, 
budget, and financial management personnel (including personnel 
of independent agencies but not including personnel of the 
legislative and judicial branches of the District government), 
shall be appointed by, shall serve at the pleasure of, and 
shall act under the direction and control of the Chief 
Financial Officer:
            The Office of the Treasurer.
            The Controller of the District of Columbia.
            The Office of the Budget.
            The Office of Financial Information Services.
            The Department of Finance and Revenue.
The District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and 
Management Assistance Authority established pursuant to Public 
Law 104-8, approved April 17, 1995, may remove such individuals 
from office for cause, after consultation with the Mayor and 
the Chief Financial Officer.
      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 matter proposed by said amendment, insert 
the following:

SEC. 149. ENERGY AND WATER SAVINGS AT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FACILITIES.

      (a) Reduction in Facility Energy Costs and Water 
Consumption.--In general.--The Director of the District of 
Columbia Office of Energy shall, subject to the contract 
approval provisions of Public Law 104-8--
            (A) develop a comprehensive plan to identify and 
        accomplish energy conservation measures to achieve 
        maximum cost-effective energy and water savings;
            (B) enter into innovative financing and contractual 
        mechanisms including, but not limited to utility 
        demand-side management programs and energy savings 
        performance contracts and water conservation 
        performance contracts: Provided, That the terms of such 
        contracts do not exceed twenty-five years; and
            (C) permit and encourage each department or agency 
        and other instrumentality of the District of Columbia 
        to participate in programs conducted by any gas, 
        electric or water utility of the management of 
        electricity or gas demand or for energy or water 
        conservation.


  reduction in minimum number of members of the board of trustees of 
                          american university


      Sec. 150. The first section of the Act entitled ``an Act 
to incorporate the American University'', approved February 24, 
1893 (27 Stat. 476), is amended by striking ``forty'' and 
inserting ``twenty-five''.


        waiver of congressional review for certain council acts


      Sec. 151. Notwithstanding section 602(c)(1) of the 
District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental 
Reorganization Act, each of the following District of Columbia 
acts shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this 
act:
            (1) The District of Columbia Real Property Tax Lien 
        Assignment or Sale and Transfer Amendment Act of 1996 
        (D.C. Act 11-353).
            (2) The Telecommunications Competition Act of 1996 
        (D.C. Act 11-300).
            (3) The Mortgage Lenders and Brokers Act of 1996 
        (D.C. Act 11-309).
      And the Senate agree to the same.

                                   James T. Walsh,
                                   Henry Bonilla,
                                   Jack Kingston,
                                   R.P. Frelinghuysen,
                                   Mark W. Neumann,
                                   Mike Parker,
                                   Bob Livingston,
                                   Julian C. Dixon,
                                   Jose E. Serrano,
                                   Marcy Kaptur,
                                   David R. Obey,
                                 Managers on the Part of the House.

                                   James M. Jeffords,
                                   Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
                                   Mark O. Hatfield,
                                   Herb Kohl
                                           (Except amendments No. 6 and 
                                               No. 7),
                                   Daniel K. Inouye
                                           (Except amendments No. 6 and 
                                               No. 7),
                                Managers on the Part of the Senate.
       JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF 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. 3845) making 
appropriations for the government of the District of Columbia 
and other activities chargeable in whole or in part against the 
revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 1997, and for other purposes, submit the following joint 
statement to the House and the Senate in explanation of the 
effect of the actions agreed upon by the managers and 
recommended in the accompanying conference report.
      The conference agreement on the District of Columbia 
Appropriations Act, 1997, incorporates some of the provisions 
of both the House and Senate versions of the bill. The language 
and allocations set forth in House Report 104-689 and Senate 
Report 104-328 should be complied with unless specifically 
addressed in the accompanying bill and statement of the 
managers to the contrary.
      A summary chart appears after the explanation for 
amendment 5 showing the Federal appropriations by account and 
the allocation of District funds by agency or office under each 
appropriation title showing the fiscal year 1996 appropriation, 
the control board distribution for fiscal year 1996, and the 
fiscal year 1997 request, House and Senate recommendations and 
conference allowance.

            Deficit Spending and Long-Term Deficit Borrowing

      The conferees are concerned with the insidious aspects of 
long-term borrowing to fund deficit spending. The conferees 
note that the actual deficit for fiscal year 1995 was only 
$25,000,000 when the accounting adjustments of $29,000,000 are 
factored out.
      For fiscal year 1996, the deficit was estimated at 
$20,000,000 at the time the President signed the appropriations 
Act; however, in testimony provided by the Chief Financial 
Officer to the House Committee on Appropriations on May 15, 
1996, the deficit was projected at $116,000,000, a 580 percent 
increase. While the deficit was relatively small in fiscal year 
1995, it is projected to increase significantly in fiscal year 
1996.
      The District is proposing to borrow $500,000,000 long 
term to fund the accumulated deficit caused by overspending and 
future projected deficits. The cost of this proposal is 
$435,000,000 in interest costs that will have to be paid from 
current operating revenues in addition to the $500,000,000 in 
principal that will have to be repaid. Said another way, 
instead of the $435,000,000 being used to benefit District 
taxpayers in the form of teachers and counselors for education 
programs, police activities and fire services as well as 
programs to meet various social needs, those hundreds of 
millions of dollars will be used for interest payments to 
bondholders thus depriving the citizens of the District the use 
of scarce revenues for basic city services. The insidious 
nature of deficit borrowing is that it allows higher spending 
that satisfies immediate needs while at the same time 
entrapping current and future taxpayers into making interest 
payments on funds borrowed to pay for goods and services that 
were provided in the past. This $435,000,000 is in addition to 
the $150,000,000 in interest payments being made on the 
$336,000,000 in deficit borrowings made in fiscal year 1991.
      Long-term borrowings for capital projects, on the other 
hand, are entirely appropriate because the projects on which 
those funds are spent last for the period during which those 
borrowings are repaid so that the taxpayers at the time the 
payments are made are able to benefit from those projects. This 
is not the case with long-term borrowings for deficit spending. 
Every effort should be made by the Mayor, the Council and the 
control board to avoid deficit spending and thus alleviate the 
need to obligate future taxpayers to pay for the overspending 
of those who preceded them.
      The accumulated deficit at the end of fiscal year 1995 
totaled $378,000,000 which was computed by subtracting total 
assets from total liabilities in the General Fund and resulted 
in liabilities exceeding assets available to satisfy those 
liabilities. However, an analysis of the liabilities reveals 
that approximately $312,000,000 will either not require a use 
of cash or are long-term in nature. For example, $142,000,000 
is deferred revenue, which is a record of cash already received 
that will be recorded as revenue earned in fiscal year 1996. 
The cash is already in the General Fund's cash account. Another 
$170,000,000 is recorded as accrued liabilities which are 
estimates of payments that may be made sometime in the distant 
future, such as payments resulting from claims and judgments, 
disputes from grant claims, and possible Medicaid payments 
subject to audits of reimbursement claims. Thus, only about 
$66,000,000 of the remaining excess liabilities over assets of 
the accumulated deficit may need to be paid in fiscal year 
1996. Given this analysis it appears that a long-term borrowing 
of $500,000,000 should be carefully analyzed and avoided by 
pursuing other options. A very high priority should be given to 
living within the current revenues.
      An analysis of the District's cash account to determine 
the pattern of overspending since fiscal year 1991 when 
$336,000,000 was borrowed to fund the accumulated deficit 
reveals that the District over spent an average of $71,000,000 
per year. It should be noted that this amount reflects 
increases and decreases in both the accounts receivable and the 
accounts payable so that a deferral of the use of cash would 
not artificially inflate the balance in the cash account. This 
amount is approximately the amount of the projected fiscal year 
1997 deficit of $74,000,000 recommended in this conference 
agreement. The Mayor and the Control Board Chairman recently 
stated that there were several ways of reducing the projected 
fiscal year 1997 deficit. These recommendations as well as 
those made by the many financial advisers who have testified 
and published reports on the various ways the city can reduce 
the costs of operating the Nation's Capital should be pursued 
vigorously.
      Testimony at recent and past hearings as well as reports 
from financial advisors to the city and meetings with District 
and control board officials have documented the concerns and 
inherent problems in borrowing long-term to finance operating 
deficits. The officials cited several ways to reduce the 
projected deficit for fiscal year 1997; the advisors have 
testified that future requests by the District to fund an 
operating deficit should not be approved; and testimony 
indicates that a change in one item, Medicaid, among several 
other items, would eliminate the city's deficit and result in a 
surplus. Efforts should be pursued immediately on these items 
that will save District taxpayers and the Federal Government 
hundreds of millions of dollars instead of spending scarce 
local revenues on interest costs to bondholders.
      Long-term borrowing for deficit spending does not resolve 
the problems caused by overspending--rather it increases the 
accumulated deficit and postpones the tough decisions that have 
to be made. Deficit financing carries a very high cost that has 
serious negative consequences to the financial health and 
quality of life of the community.

                  Quality of District's Drinking Water

      The conferees are deeply concerned about recent 
violations of Federal drinking water quality standards and the 
continuing problems that beset the drinking water supply and 
distribution system for the District of Columbia. The Federal 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently completed a 
preliminary investigation of the water quality problems 
attributed to the District's water distribution system and 
concluded that there is an urgent and immediate need for the 
District to implement steps to assure the integrity of drinking 
water quality in the District. Among the most important of 
these recommended actions is that the District hire a private 
contractor or contractors to flush the drinking water 
distribution system completely, and to inspect and repair water 
valves.
      The conferees agree that there is a strong Federal 
interest in assuring that those who visit, live, and work in 
the Nation's Capital have safe water to drink. Accordingly, the 
conference agreement includes $1,000,000 in Federal funds for 
this purpose under amendment number 2. These funds are provided 
to the Financial Control Board to contract with a private 
entity or entities to conduct the inspection, flushing and 
repair work recommended by the EPA. The conferees direct the 
control board to consult with the Department of Public Works, 
the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority and the EPA in implementing 
this activity. Further, the conferees encourage the control 
board to move expeditiously to contract for the work in 
anticipation of the funds provided in the accompanying bill 
becoming available on October 1, 1996.

                 YCARE 2000 Private-Public Partnership

      The conferees fully support the YCARE 2000 program 
sponsored by the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. The program 
provides work-readiness, conflict resolution training, 
tutoring, socialization and other skills to at-risk District 
youth who are in the age range of 5 to 18 years old. The 
conferees believe that YCARE 2000 is an example of an efficient 
and well-managed private-public partnership which can provide 
social services to improve the lives of the city's young 
people. The conferees note that the Council of the District of 
Columbia has formally recognized the achievements of the YCARE 
2000 initiative in a July 11, 1995 resolution.
      In order to provide and facilitate private-public 
partnerships such as YCARE 2000 and in order to reach at-risk 
youth most efficiently, the conferees request that the Mayor, 
the City Council, and the Board of Education work with 
organizations like the YMCA to locate such programs on or near 
school property. In addition, the conferees request that the 
Mayor consult with representatives of private, not-for-profit 
community organizations with demonstrated experience and 
expertise in providing services to children and youth in the 
District and, to the extent financial constraints permit, make 
funds available to such groups for such services on the 
condition that the groups provide equal matching amounts.

                             FEDERAL FUNDS

        Federal Contribution for Repair of Drinking Water System

      The conference agreement, under amendment number 2, 
includes a Federal contribution of $1,000,000 to the District 
of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance 
Authority for contracting with private entities to inspect, 
flush, and repair the drinking water distribution system in the 
District. A discussion of the quality of the district's 
drinking water appears earlier in this statement.

                             DISTRICT FUNDS

                   Governmental Direction and Support

      Amendment No. 1: Limits the fiscal year 1997 budget for 
the Office of the Mayor to $2,109,000 of which $632,000 is from 
intra-District funds instead of $1,753,000 of which $632,000 is 
from intra-District funds as proposed by the House and 
$2,209,000 of which $632,000 is from intra-District funds as 
proposed by the Senate and provides that $327,000 of the 
$2,109,000 shall be transferred to the Department of 
Administrative Services as reimbursement for occupancy costs, 
including costs for telephone, electricity and other services.
      Amendment No. 2: Deletes a proviso proposed by the House 
and stricken by the Senate and further deletes a proviso before 
and a proviso that followed the proviso stricken by the Senate 
concerning the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency and 
inserts a new heading and paragraph appropriating $1,000,000 in 
Federal funds to the District of Columbia Financial 
Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority for 
contracting with private entities to carry out a program to 
inspect, flush, and repair the drinking water distribution 
system in the District.
      The conference action deletes language as requested in 
the consensus budget that eliminates the requirement for the 
District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency to repay the 
District's general fund $10,591,000 appropriated for fiscal 
years 1980 through 1992 to finance the Agency's operations. 
According to District officials, retaining the language 
requires the Agency to carry the debt on its books and creates 
a negative financial picture thereby making it difficult and 
more costly for the Agency to access capital markets. The debt 
was determined by the District's independent auditors to be 
``uncollectible'' and is fully reserved for in the District's 
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) (see page 34, 
fiscal year 1995 CAFR). An earlier communication from District 
officials requested that the language be retained. See 
amendment number 12 for language ``forgiving'' the Agency from 
the repayment requirement.
      The conference action also appropriates $1,000,000 for a 
Federal contribution to the District of Columbia Financial 
Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority for 
contracting with private entities to inspect, flush, and repair 
the city's water distribution system which has fallen into 
disrepair. A discussion of the quality of the District's 
drinking water appears earlier in this statement.

                       Public Safety and Justice

                     (including transfer of funds)

      Amendment No. 3: Deletes language proposed by the Senate 
that would have modified the appropriations title to indicate 
that this appropriation included a transfer of funds. The 
transfer of funds in amendment number 4 has not been agreed to 
by the conferees.
      Amendment No. 4: Deletes a proviso proposed by the Senate 
that would have transferred $651,000 from the Department of 
Public Works to the District of Columbia Court System for 
maintenance and repair of elevators/escalators, heating, 
ventilation, and air conditioning systems, fire alarms and 
security systems, materials and services for building 
maintenance and repair, and trash removal.
      The conferees are extremely concerned and disappointed 
that the Department of Public Works has failed to provide 
maintenance and repair services to the District of Columbia 
Courts in a professional manner, permitting necessary 
maintenance and repair contracts to lapse and causing greater 
expenses and disruptions as a result. While the conference 
agreement retains this responsibility in the Department of 
Public Works, the conferees expect this will not happen again.
      The conference action reflects a reallocation of building 
occupancy costs totaling $2,347,000 from the Superior Court's 
budget to the Court System's budget because the payments are 
made from that particular budget. This reallocation was 
requested by District officials.

                             Capital Outlay

                        (including rescissions)

      Amendment No. 5: Provides an increase of $46,923,000 for 
construction projects as proposed by the House instead of 
$75,923,000 as proposed by the Senate. The reduction of 
$29,000,000 below the amount proposed by the Senate reflects 
the deletion of duplicate capital outlay authority initially 
provided in the fiscal year 1996 appropriations act (Public Law 
104-234) for Facility Condition Assessment ($1,000,000) and 
Financial Control System or FMS ($28,000,000). The amount 
approved in fiscal year 1996 under ``Capital Outlay'' is 
available for two years for the initial obligation after which 
the authority remains available until exhausted. The House and 
Senate versions of the bill for fiscal year 1997 include an 
increase of $3,123,000 for the FMS which when added to the 
$28,000,000 in the fiscal year 1996 act will provide a total of 
$31,123,000 for FMS work.

         Summary Table of Conference Recommendations by Agency

      A summary table showing the Federal appropriations by 
account and the allocation of District funds by agency or 
office under each appropriation title for fiscal year 1996, the 
control board distribution for fiscal year 1996, and the fiscal 
year 1997 request, House and Senate recommendations and 
conference allowance follows:


                           General Provisions

      Amendment No. 6: Restores language in section 129 
proposed by the House and stricken by the Senate that prohibits 
the use of any funds in this Act for any abortion except to 
save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.
      Amendment No. 7: Restores language in section 130 
proposed by the House and stricken by the Senate that prohibits 
the use of any funds in this Act (1) for any system of 
registration of unmarried cohabiting couples or (2) to 
implement or enforce the District's Domestic Partners Act.
      Amendment No. 8: Inserts language in section 132 that 
adds the Financial Control Board to the entities in section 132 
that are to receive monthly reports from the Board of Education 
as proposed by the Senate and deletes language in section 126 
that would have prohibited the expenditure of funds by agencies 
for which a reorganization plan is required but has not been 
approved by the City Council prior to October 1, 1996. The 
language remaining in section 126 continues the prohibition on 
expenditures for such agencies until the City Council approves 
the required reorganization plans but removes the October 1, 
1996 deadline for City Council approval.
      Amendment No. 9: Adds the Financial Control Board to the 
entities in section 133 that are to receive monthly reports 
from the University of the District of Columbia as proposed by 
the Senate.

                    CEILING ON EXPENSES AND DEFICIT

      Amendment No. 10: Amends language proposed by the House 
and stricken by the Senate in section 141 (1) establishing a 
ceiling on fiscal year 1997 operating expenses from all funds 
of $5,108,913,000 of which $134,528,000 are from intra-District 
funds as proposed by the House and stricken by the Senate; (2) 
limiting the operating deficit from all funds for fiscal year 
1997 to $74,000,000 instead of $40,000,000 as proposed by the 
House and stricken by the Senate, and (3) requiring the Chief 
Financial Officer and the Financial Control Board to take such 
steps as are necessary to meet these requirements including the 
apportioning of appropriations and funds by the Chief Financial 
Officer during fiscal year 1997 as proposed by the House and 
stricken by the Senate.
      The conferees urge the Mayor, the City Council, and the 
control board to use every means possible to reduce the costs 
of operating the Nation's Capital and make every effort to 
avoid deficit spending.

                     CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER POWERS

      Amendment No. 11: Amends language in section 142 proposed 
by the House and the Senate to clarify that all financial 
personnel in the executive branch of the District government, 
including all independent agencies and excluding the 
legislative and judicial branches of the District Government, 
are under the exclusive control of the Chief Financial Officer 
instead of all financial personnel in the executive branch of 
the District government as proposed by the House and all 
financial personnel except those in the legislative and 
judicial branches as proposed by the Senate. The clarification 
is required to insure that the financial personnel of each 
independent agency in the District, without exception, are 
appointed by, serve at the pleasure of, and act under the 
direction and control of the Chief Financial Officer. The 
conferees do not expect any misinterpretation of the intent of 
this statute and direct the Chief Financial Officer to notify, 
in writing, the Committees on Appropriations as well as the 
respective authorizing committees of the House and the Senate 
of any person of any executive branch agency including any 
independent agency who fails to comply with the requirements of 
this section within five calendar days of the failure to 
comply.

                         HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

      Amendment No. 12: Inserts a new section 147 as proposed 
by the Senate that forgives the District of Columbia Housing 
Finance Agency from the requirement to repay the District's 
general fund for $10,591,000 appropriated during fiscal years 
1980-1992 for the operations of the Agency. See also amendment 
number 2 for a further discussion of this issue.

                             school reform

      Amendment No. 13: Inserts a new section 148 as proposed 
by the Senate that amends section 2561(b) of the District of 
Columbia School Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-134) to 
exclude Executive Order 11246 from being waived for 
construction or maintenance projects coordinated through the 
Federal General Services Administration for the District's 
public school facilities. Executive Order 11246 governs civil 
rights protections for Federal government construction 
contracts.

                        other general provisions

      Amendment No. 14: Inserts new general provisions numbered 
149, 150 and 151 instead of a new general provision numbered 
149 as proposed by the Senate. The additional general 
provisions were requested by the House authorizing committee 
and concurred in by the Senate authorizing committee. A brief 
explanation of each of these general provisions follows.
      Language agreed to by the conferees in section 149 
proposed by the Senate authorizes the District of Columbia 
Energy Office, subject to control board review, to negotiate 
energy performance contracts for periods up to 25 years with 
energy service companies who will provide investment capital to 
reduce energy consumption in District facilities. Through this 
method, the energy service companies will install energy 
efficient lighting, heating, and cooling systems using their 
investment capital with their payback coming in future years 
from a portion of the money saved when the energy bills are 
lowered. It is estimated that the District government could 
realize annual savings of $50,000,000 in its energy costs 
through this program.
      Language requested by the House authorizing committee and 
agreed to by the conferees in section 150 reduces the minimum 
size of the Board of Trustees of American University from 40 to 
25. According to the authorizing committee, this change was 
requested by the University.
      Language requested by the House authorizing committee and 
agreed to by the conferees in section 151 waives the 30-day 
congressional layover period for three specific pieces of 
legislation already approved by the District government. The 
Tax Lien Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-353) will expedite the 
District's ability to sell $50,000,000 in uncollected property 
taxes in return for $44,000,000 in cash. The authorizing 
committee stated that this transaction could not move ahead in 
a timely manner unless the review period is waived. Section 151 
also waives the 30-day congressional layover for the 
Telecommunications Competition Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-300) 
and the Mortgage Lenders and Brokers Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-
309) which together comprise the District's efforts to 
implement the Federal Telecommunications Act. The District's 
Telecommunications Act opens the District's market to 
telecommunications services providers. The Mortgage Lenders and 
Brokers Act regulates mortgage lenders in the District and also 
contains substantive amendments to the Telecommunications Act.

                   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:

Federal funds:
    New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 
      1996..............................................    $712,070,000
    Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, 
      fiscal year 1997..................................     769,842,000
    House bill, fiscal year 1997........................     717,772,000
    Senate bill, fiscal year 1997.......................     717,772,000
    Conference agreement, fiscal year 1997..............     718,772,000
Conference agreement compared with:
    New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 
      1996..............................................       6,702,000
    Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, 
      fiscal year 1997..................................    (51,070,000)
    House bill, fiscal year 1997........................       1,000,000
    Senate bill, fiscal year 1997.......................       1,000,000
District of Columbia Funds:
    New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 
      1996.............................................\1\ 4,930,700,000
    Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, 
      fiscal year 1997..................................   5,050,308,000
    House bill, fiscal year 1997........................   5,021,308,000
    Senate bill, fiscal year 1997.......................   5,050,308,000
    Conference agreement, fiscal year 1997..............   5,021,308,000
Conference agreement compared with:
    New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 
      1996..............................................      90,608,000
    Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, 
      fiscal year 1997..................................    (29,000,000)
    House bill, fiscal year 1997........................               0
    Senate bill, fiscal year 1997.......................    (29,000,000)

\1\ Excludes $165,339,000 in intra-District funds for comparability 
purposes with fiscal year 1997 which excludes intra-District funds.

                                   James T. Walsh,
                                   Henry Bonilla,
                                   Jack Kingston,
                                   R.P. Frelinghuysen,
                                   Mark W. Neumann,
                                   Mike Parker,
                                   Bob Livingston,
                                   Julian C. Dixon,
                                   Jose E. Serrano,
                                   Marcy Kaptur,
                                   David R. Obey,
                                 Managers on the Part of the House.

                                   James M. Jeffords,
                                   Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
                                   Mark O. Hatfield,
                                   Herb Kohl
                                           (Except amendments No. 6 and 
                                               No. 7),
                                   Daniel K. Inouye
                                           (Except amendments No. 6 and 
                                               No. 7),
                                Managers on the Part of the Senate.