[House Report 105-180]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 105-180
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PROVIDING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2158, DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998
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July 14, 1997.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
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Mr. Linder, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H. Res. 184]
The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration
House Resolution 184, by a non-record vote, report the same to
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be
adopted.
brief summary of provisions of resolution
The resolution provides for the consideration of H.R. 2158,
the ``Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill for
Fiscal Year 1998'' under an open rule. The rule provides one
hour of general debate divided equally between the chairman and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.
The rule waives points of order against consideration of
the bill for failure to comply with clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI
(three day availability of the report), clause 7 of rule XXI
(availability of printed hearings on appropriations bills), or
section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
(prohibiting matters within the jurisdiction of the Budget
Committee in a measure not reported by it).
The rule waives points of order against provisions in the
bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI
(prohibiting unauthorized appropriations and legislative
provisions in an appropriations bill) and clause 6 of XXI
(prohibiting reappropriations in an appropriations bill),
except as specified in the resolution. The rule makes in order
those amendments printed in this report, which may be offered
only by the Member designated in this report and only at the
appropriate time in the reading of the bill, shall be
considered as read, shall not be subject to amendment, and
shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question
in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule waives
all points of order against the amendments printed in this
report.
Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the Record
prior to their consideration will be given priority in
recognition to offer their amendments if otherwise consistent
with House rules. The rule allows the Chair to postpone
recorded votes and reduce to five minutes the minimum time for
electronic voting on any postponed votes, provided voting time
on the first in any series of questions shall be not less than
fifteen minutes. Finally, the rule provides for one motion to
recommit, with or without instructions.
description of amendments made in order by the rule--va, hud
appropriations bill, 1998
1. Solomon--Ensures that VA medical care will receive up to
an additional $579 million in the event the third-party
receipts fall short. The amendment would offset the entire $14
million by reducing the outlays for EPA Science and Technology
which would still leave that funding $16 million above the
President's request.
2. Shuster--Relates to two provisions under FEMA's
Emergency Management Planning and Assistance Account. The first
provision appropriates $50,000,000 for pre-disaster mitigation
and the second appropriates $60,000,000 for a full-scale
windstorm simulation center. The amendment would condition
those appropriations by requiring specific authorization by a
date certain, which is April 1, 1998.
amendments made in order by the rule
1. The Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Solomon of New York or
a Designee.
Page 16, after line 12, insert the following new section:
Sec. 108. (a) This section is enacted contingent on the
enactment of legislation establishing the Medical Collections
Fund.
(b) If the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines that
the total amount to be recovered for fiscal year 1998 for
deposit to the Medical Collections Fund under the provisions of
the legislation establishing such Fund will be less than the
amount contained in the latest Congressional Budget Office
baseline estimate (computed under section 257 of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985) for the
amount of such recoveries for that fiscal year by at least
$25,000,000, the Secretary shall promptly certify to the
Secretary of the Treasury the amount of the shortfall (as
estimated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs) that is in
excess of $25,000,000. Upon receipt of such a certification,
the Secretary of the Treasury shall, not later than 30 days
after receiving the certification, deposit in the Medical
Collections Fund, from any unobligated amounts in the Treasury,
an amount equal to the amount certified by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
(c) If a deposit is made under subsection (b) and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs subsequently determines that the
actual amount recovered for fiscal year 1998 for deposit to the
Medical Collections Fund--
(1) is greater than the amount estimated by the
Secretary that was used for purposes of the
certification by the Secretary under subsection (b),
the Secretary shall pay into the General Fund of the
Treasury, from amounts available for medical care, an
amount equal to the difference between the amount
actually recovered and the amount so estimated (but not
in excess of the amount of the deposit under subsection
(b) pursuant to such certification); or
(2) is less than the amount estimated by the
Secretary that was used for purposes of the
certification by the Secretary under subsection (b),
the Secretary shall promptly certify to the Secretary
of the Treasury the amount of the shortfall.
(d) Upon receipt of a certification from the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs under subsection (c)(2), the Secretary of the
Treasury shall, not later than 30 days after receiving the
certification, deposit in the Medical Collections Fund, from
any unobligated amounts in the Treasury, an amount equal to the
amount certified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Page 48, line 2, insert ``(reduced by $27,000,000)'' after
``$656,223,000,''.
2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Shuster of
Pennsylvania, or a Designee
Page 57, line 7 strike after the colon all that follows
through the period on line 17, and insert the following:
Provided, That for the purposes of pre-disaster mitigation
$50,000,000 of the funds made available under this heading
shall be available until expended for pre-disaster mitigation
project grants for State and local government, and $60,000,000
of the funds made available under this heading shall be
available until expended for planning and construction costs of
a full-scale windstorm simulation center in conjunction with
the Partnership for Natural Disaster Reduction: Provided
further, That none of the funds made available under this
heading for such pre-disaster mitigation grants and windstorm
simulation center shall be available unless specifically
authorized: Provided further, That the limitation on the use of
funds set forth in the preceding proviso shall have no force
and effect after April 1, 1998.