[Senate Report 104-3]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE

 1st Session                                                      104-3
_______________________________________________________________________


 
   AUTHORIZING FUNDS TO THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND 
  FORESTRY DURING THE PERIOD MARCH 1, 1995, THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, 1997

                                _______


 January 13 (legislative day, January 10), 1995.--Ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


Mr. Lugar, from the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany S. Res. 53]

    The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 
reports an original resolution to authorize expenditures during 
the period March 1, 1995, through February 28, 1997, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon and recommends 
that the resolution be agreed to.

                            PURPOSE AND NEED

    This resolution is required to make funds available to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for staffing 
and normal committee operations.

                      DESCRIPTION OF AUTHORIZATION

    The resolution reported favorably by the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry by roll call vote of 17 
aye votes and 0 no votes on January 12, 1995, includes budget 
proposals for 2 fiscal years from March 1, 1995, through 
February 28, 1996, and from March 1, 1996, through February 28, 
1997.
    The committee's proposed budgets are in accordance with the 
guidelines set forth by the Senate Committee on Rules and 
Administration. The 1995 and 1996 budget proposals consist of 
the following items:

                             staff salaries

    The 1995 proposed salary base adheres to the guidelines 
given by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration in 
their December 7, 1994 and January 3, 1995 letters. It includes 
a 15 percent reduction in the 1994 recurring salary base and a 
2 percent increase for the twelve months from March 1995 
through February 1996. An experienced staff is necessary to 
undertake the heavy Committee agenda. By far the greatest task 
facing the Committee in 1995 is management of hearings, debate, 
and passage of the 1995 farm bill. The 1995 agenda will also 
include authorization of commodity, conservation, farm credit, 
food safety, marketing, international trade, agricultural 
research, rural development, forestry, and food and nutrition 
programs including the nutrition provisions of welfare reform. 
The Committee will hold confirmation hearings for the new 
Secretary of Agriculture and for at least four sub-cabinet 
appointments at the United States Department of Agriculture.
    For 1995, seven non-designated staff positions comprise 
$190,633 of the proposed salary budget. This staff includes the 
Chief Clerk, Administrative Clerk, Hearing Clerk, Clerk, Staff 
Assistant, Calendar Clerk and part-time Clerk. The remaining 
proposed salary fund is divided between 19 majority and 11 
minority staff positions. Of this amount $921,397 is allotted 
to the majority and $476,585 is allotted to the minority.
    The 1996 salary baseline also follows the guidelines issued 
by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. The 1996 
funding levels for the Non-designated, Majority and Minority 
staff are $195,208, $943,511, and $488,023 respectively.

                       cost-of-living adjustment

    The 1995 budget request adheres to the Rules Committee 
guidelines to include a 2.4 percent C.O.L.A. based on the 
proposed 1995 salary baseline for January and February 1996.
    As instructed by the Rules Committee, the Committee's 1996 
C.O.L.A. request is based on 2.4 percent of the proposed 1996 
salary baseline for the months of January and February 1997.

                              consultants

    Senate rules require a line item specifically for 
consultants and, although it is uncertain that any will be 
required, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry 
has requested authorization for this funding not to exceed 
$4,000. However, these funds will be made available from 
another category of expenditures should the need arise.

                     training of professional staff

    The Senate rules also require specific funding for training 
of professional staff. The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition 
and Forestry has requested authorization for this funding, not 
to exceed $4,000, and it will be made available should there be 
any training required.

                        ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

    The overall total of Administrative expenses has been 
reduced by 15 percent. This amount was then redistributed to 
more aptly reflect the anticipated costs in several categories.

                           DETAILED EMPLOYEE

    Since reimbursable details from other governmental agencies 
are not anticipated, these funds have been distributed to other 
administrative categories.

                                 TRAVEL

    The budget requests for 1995 and 1996 recurring travel 
expenses have been further reduced in order to meet other more 
crucial administrative costs.

                                HEARINGS

    The 1995 and 1996 hearings budget requests, while lower 
than 1994 levels, remain nearly at the 1994 levels due to the 
importance and number of hearings that will be required to 
legislate the 1995 Farm Bill, the largest piece of legislation 
considered by the Committee.

                          STATIONERY/SUPPLIES

    This category of expenses has been decreased from the 1994 
budget authorization level.

                 COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

    Due to the demands of an increased hearing schedule, the 
costs for communications, equipment and services will most 
likely remain consistent with last year's level.

 PUBLICATIONS, SUBSCRIPTIONS TO BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, CLIPPING 
                     AND OTHER INFORMATION SERVICES

    The proposed budgets include funds for subscribing to 
outside computerized information services in addition to 
subscriptions to law books, professional publications, 
newsletters and newspapers.

   MAILING, DELIVERY OR TRANSMITTING OF MATTERS RELATING TO OFFICIAL 
                                BUSINESS

    This category consists of mailing expenses such as 
overnight delivery of letters, and postage for foreign mail.

         SPECIALIZED, UNIQUE, OR NONSTANDARD COMPUTER SOFTWARE

    The 1995 and 1996 proposals reserve funds for computer 
software programs not provided by the Senate Computer Center.

                     NONSTANDARD ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT

    The budget level for 1995 and 1996 is 15 percent less than 
the 1994 authorization.

                            SENATE SERVICES

    This category is for such expenses as rental of video 
equipment from the Senate recording studio, photographic 
services of the Senate photography studio, and excess copier 
charges. The 15 percent cut in funding level is applied to this 
category for the 1995 and 1996 authorization.

                                 OTHER

    Due to the reported high levels of lead content in the 
drinking water of the Senate office buildings, the 1995 and 
1996 funds for this category have been maintained in order to 
supply safe drinking water for the staff of the Committee.