Legislative Notice #27

July 16, 1997

Calendar No. 110

Reported from the Committee on Appropriations, July 15, 1997, with amendments, by a vote of 28-0. S. Rept. 105-47.

• It is anticipated the Senate will turn to the Legislative Branch appropriations bill after disposing of the Foreign Operations appropriation bill.
• S. 1019, an original Senate bill, appropriates $1.54 billion in new budget authority for the legislative branch, exclusive of House items (the full House has not yet passed its legislative branch spending bill) for FY 1998. This amount is $51.6 million above FY 1997, and $64.9 million below the President's budget request.
• Overall, the Senate recognizes the need to find savings within the legislative branch to contribute toward deficit reduction and the goal of a balanced budget by the year 2002. The bill provides for no increases in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions in the Legislative Branch. The entire bill, including the House provisions as passed by the House subcommittee, would result in an overall increase of 3.7 percent over FY 1997.
• The Senate version provides funding for approximately 80 percent of the Architect of the Capitol's request for capital projects, excluding the House items, in anticipation of substantial cost savings by ensuring that certain repairs and maintenance are not delayed.

Senate Items:

• This bill reduces the appropriation for official mail from $10 million in FY97 to $8 million in FY98. It also combines the official mail account with the franking allowance in the Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, providing additional flexibility for offices to meet their needs, while conforming with the Rules Committee's regulations with respect to official mail.
• The bill eliminates the disparity in staff salaries of Senate employees by providing funds for a 2-percent cost-of-living adjustment which was provided to all other Federal employees in 1996 but not to Senate employees. No salary increase is porvided to Senators.
• The bill grants authority to the Architect of the Capitol to provide severance pay to employees of the U.S. Senate Restaurants, in order to lessen the need for possible involuntary separations due to reduction in force or transfer of functions.

Government Printing Office:

• The bill commissions a management review of the Government Printing Office and requires the GPO to bill within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year for all work charged against the Congressional Printing and Binding Account.
• Authority is provided to GPO to use Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to reduce their energy costs. This authority is similar to that granted other executive branch agencies.

Library of Congress:

• The bill provides $5.5 million to begin the Integrated Library System which will provide for more effective use of resources as well as enhanced security for holdings.
• The bill provides the Library's total request of $2.5 million to purchase additional talking book machines for the Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to accommodate increased usage and an aging inventory.
• The bill provides authorization language to (1) continue the Cooperative Acquisitions Program Revolving Fund; and (2) allow the Librarian to invest gift funds in interest- bearing accounts.

Architect of the Capitol:

• The bill provides funding for approximately 80 percent of the Architect's request for capital projects, excluding the House items, to ensure that certain repairs and maintenance are not delayed, as such delays would result in substantial additional costs.

General Accounting Office:

• The GAO is provided $346.75 million, which conforms to the commitment to stabilize the GAO budget and staff level (3,500 employees) after a two-year reduction of 25 percent. This recommendation provides sufficient funds for mandatory cost increases, including the COLA.

Capitol Police:

• The bill makes the Capitol Police responsible for their own computer and telecommunications equipment by transferring this expense from the Sergeant at Arms expense account to the Capitol Police's expense account.

Employee Retirement:

• The bill does not increase agency matching for employee retirement benefits, as was provided by the 1998 budget resolution. The committee report notes that this increase was not anticipated by the agencies, but that should the provision become law, the Appropriations Committee "is prepared to reprogram funds within an agency to address any shortfall."

Congressional Operations, Title I

Senate Operations: Total appropriation is $460.6 million, an amount which is $19.4 million above FY 1997 and $27.2 million below the President's request, including:

• $77.3 million for salaries of officers and employees of the Senate. This is an increase of $2.6 million above FY 1997 and $2.3 million below the request.
• $228.6 million for the salaries of Senators' staffs as well as the office expense accounts, $3.1 million less than the request and $20.6 million above FY 1997 ($7.4 million of this increase is due to consolidation of the Official Mail Allowance Account into the Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account).
• $300,000 for official mail costs. This amount reflects the anticipated cost of mail for all other Senate entities (other than the personal offices; see above) that have funds disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate. This account amounted to $10 million in FY97. The Committee reduces that amount by $2 million, a 20-percent reduction, then transfers $7.4 million to the Senators' expense accounts (see above), transfers $300,000 to inquiries and investigations for committees, and leaves the balance of $300,000 under this account.
• $75.6 million for inquiries and investigations by all standing, special and select committees, $6 million above FY 1997 and $300,000 above the request (reflecting the official mail costs transferred to the committees, see bullet-point above).
• $64.4 million for expenses of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, which is a decrease of $1.5 million from the amount appropriated for FY 1997 and $13.8 million below the request.
• $1.5 million for expenses of the Secretary of the Senate, the same level as last year.
• Includes administrative provisions to provide for the Senate the 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment which in FY 1996 was provided Government-wide, for the judiciary, and the House of Representatives, but not for the Senate.

House Operations: Since this is a Senate originated bill, it excludes a total for House operations.

Architect of the Capitol: The bill provides $130.3 million (which is $22.2 million more than FY 1997) for the accounts contained in Title I, including salaries, Capitol buildings and grounds, Senate and House office buildings and the Capitol power plant. Additional funds are recommended in Title II for the Architect's activities relative to the structural and mechanical care of the Library's buildings and grounds, and the Botanic Garden. The Committee directs the Architect to develop, in consultation with the Appropriations Committee, a quarterly financial report.

Congressional Research Service: The Library of Congress's research arm receives $65.1 million for salaries and expenses, which is an increase of $2.5 million above FY 1997. [See separate funding for the Library of Congress under Title II, below.]

Government Printing Office: The bill provides $82.3 million for congressional printing and binding ($1.8 million below the request and $600,000 above the current year). The Committee believes that a management review of GPO would be beneficial and requests the GAO to conduct the management review using contract assistance.

Other Agencies, Title II

Total appropriation of $680 million, $3.1 million more than FY 1997 and $29.7 million less than requested, including:

• Botanic Garden: The bill appropriates $3.2 million, which is $33.2 million below last year because the emergency supplemental bill provided $33.5 million for the renovation of the Conservatory.
• Library of Congress: An amount of $222.0 million in salaries and expenses (this excludes the funds for the Congressional Research Service provided in Title I) is appropriated. This amount is $13.9 million above FY 1997, but $2.2 million below the request. The Committee provides $5.6 million to begin an off-the-shelf integrated library system (ILS) that will provide more effective use of the Library's resources. It is expected that this ILS will result in a long-term reduction in staff as well as stronger security over the Library's inventory. Also, $2.5 million is provided to purchase additional talking book machines for the Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
• Architect of the Capitol: The bill provides $14.7 million for the Architect of the Capitol for maintenance of the Library buildings and grounds (an increase of $4.9 million over last year's level and $1.1 million less than requested).
• General Accounting Office: $354.2 million for salaries and expenses of the General Accounting Office, a reduction of $14.7 million from the budget request and an increase of $15.7 million over last year. Additionally, $7.4 million is authorized in offsetting collections from rent receipts and reimbursements for conducting financial audits of Government corporations. GAO has successfully managed a funding reduction of 25 percent over the past two years. The Committee believes that further reductions at this time would seriously impair the agency's effectiveness and would not be achievable without significantly altering GAO's basic mission. Therefore, the Committee recommends a 4.6-percent increase to cover uncontrollable salary and benefit increases, permit GAO to stabilize its operations at its fiscal year 1997 authorized staffing level, and upgrade some of its technology in support of its audit and evaluation work.

General Provisions, Title III

Provisions include routine provisions carried annually in the bill (sec. 301-306) and three new ones proposed by the Committee:

• Section 301 bans the use of appropriated funds for service and maintenance of private vehicles, except under such regulations promulgated by the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Rules Committee.
• Section 302 limits the availability for obligation of appropriation to the fiscal year for which it is expressly provided in the bill accompanying this report.
• Section 304 bans the use of funds for contracts unless such contracts are matters of public record.
• Section 305 appropriates such sums as necessary for the payment of settlements and awards pursuant to Public Law 104-1, the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995.

• Section 306 extends for one year the availability of funds for the Senate art collection.

• Section 307 provides the Public Printer with the authority, similar to other executive branch agencies, to use Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to reduce their energy costs. GPO estimates that this provision has a potential annual savings of $502,000.
• Section 308 ensures that Members of Congress, their families, and staff may retain their legal status as residents and domiciles of the States which they present, notwithstanding their temporary residence in the District or its suburbs when the Congress is in session.
• Section 309 provides the Architect of the Capitol with the authority to provide severance pay to employees of the U.S. Senate restaurants in order to lessen the need for possible involuntary separations due to reduction in force or transfer of functions.

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CBO estimates the bill would result in outlays of $1.338 billion in FY 1998; $155 million in FY 1999; $23 million in FY 2000; $7 million in FY 2001; and $3 million in FY 2002 and future years.

At press time, there were no known amendments.