[House Report 105-180]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    105-180
_______________________________________________________________________


 
 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

                                _______
                                

   July 14, 1997.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

_______________________________________________________________________


    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.

                                
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