Senate RPC Legislative Notice:


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No. 70	July 24, 2000

S. 2900 -- Treasury and General Government Appropriation Bill, FY 2001

Calendar No. 694
Reported as an original bill from the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 20, 2000, with amendments, by a unanimous vote. (No written report as of press time.)

NOTEWORTHY

S. 2900 provides $29.4 billion in new budget authority for the Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and various independent agencies for FY 2001. This amount is $1.4 billion above the FY2000 enacted amount, and $2.3 billion below the budget request. [See attached chart provided by the Appropriations Committee. Note that no written report has yet been filed.]

The bill generally continues spending at the current rate for most programs, but boosts funding for some anti-crime programs. Federal law enforcement continues to be a high priority.

As it did last year, the bill prohibits any funds from being used to implement actions called for solely under the Kyoto protocol, prior to its ratification; and it directs the Administration to provide a detailed plan for implementing key elements of the President's climate change technology initiative in its FY 2001 budget submission.

The bill designates the new dormitory building being constructed at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia as the "Paul Coverdell Dormitory."

The Committee-reported bill does not block the cost-of-living pay increase for Members of Congress. And it is silent on the issue of abortion coverage in federal employees' healthcare plans.

The House passed its Treasury funding bill, H.R. 4871, on July 20 by a vote of 216-202.

HIGHLIGHTS

Title I, Department of the Treasury

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF): The Committee appropriates $724.9 million for salaries and expenses, up from $564.7 million in FY00. The Committee provides $12.6 million to expand the youth crime gun interdiction initiative to 6 additional cities (bringing the total number of cities to 43) and to increase staffing in existing cities. Also, $41.3 million is provided for integrated violence reduction strategy expansion, $11.7 million for expanded ballistics-imaging technology to state and local law enforcement (NIBIN), and $9.99 million for comprehensive gun tracing.

Customs Service: The Committee provides $1.8 billion for salaries and expenses of the U.S. Customs Service ($106.5 million above last year), which includes funding for the 5,000 FTEs which were proposed to be funded through a passenger processing fee. The Committee provides $123 million for the Automated Commercial System, but does not provide any additional funds or enact the user fee for the Automated Commercial Environment. Also, funds are included for the customs integrity awareness program, combating child pornography, enforcement of child labor laws, and continued funding for the annualized costs for the Southwest border initiative ($13.7 million).

An additional $128.2 million is appropriated for operation, maintenance, and procurement of the Customs Air and Marine Interdiction Program to combat the illegal entry of narcotics and other goods into the United States.

Bureau of the Public Debt: An appropriation of $182.9 million is provided to administer the public debt.

Internal Revenue Service: The Committee appropriates a total of $8.5 billion for the Internal Revenue Service ($318.6 million above last year). Included in this total is $3.5 billion for processing, tax assistance, and management ($226.7 million over last year); $3.4 billion for tax law enforcement ($41.2 million over last year); and $1.5 billion for information systems ($49.7 million over last year). The Committee does not provide a direct appropriation for information technology investments (the budget requested $71.8 million for this account); however, it is estimated that up to $125 million will be made available for this purpose through reappropriated funds (language included in the supplemental appropriations bill).

IRS legislative provisions include the following:
-require the agency to safeguard the confidentiality of taxpayer information; and
-direct the agency to make funds available for improved facilities and increased manpower to provide effective 1-800 telephone assistance for taxpayers.

U.S. Secret Service: The Committee appropriates $778.3 million for salaries and expenses, an increase of $101.0 million over last year. This includes $20.7 million for workforce retention and workload balancing (one-half of the amount requested) and $11.5 million for residence security for both the incoming and outgoing President. It also includes $3.2 million in support of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Title II, U.S. Postal Service

Payments to the Postal Service Fund: The payment to the Postal Service Fund is $67.1 million to be made available on October 1, 2001, of which $66.5 million is for providing free mail to the blind and overseas voters. The total is $26 million below last year because the Committee was unable to fund the revenue foregone provision due to budget limitations.

Title III, Executive Office of the President

Total Funding for Title III: A total of $594.8 million is provided for the 17 accounts funded under this title ($51.3 million below last year and $107.5 million less than requested).

Office of National Drug Control Policy: The Committee includes $24.3 million for salaries and expenses of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and $29.1 million for the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center. The Committee continues funding the technology transfer program to state and local law enforcement at last year's level of $13.3 million.

Special Forfeiture Fund: An amount of $144.3 million is provided. This fund was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, to be administered by the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Under this fund, $3.3 million is provided for anti-doping efforts of the U.S. Olympic Committee. The Committee provides $98.7 million in additional funds for a national media campaign under the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund. An amount of $40 million is provided for matching grants to drug-free communities, and $1 million for the National Drug Court Institute.
Federal Drug Control Programs: The Committee provides $196 million for High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA's), and it directs that funding shall be provided for the existing HIDTA's at not less than the FY00 level. Further, the Committee instructs the Director to obligate the funds within 120 days of enactment of this act.

Title IV, Independent Agencies

General Services Administration: The Committee recommends new obligational authority of $671.2 million for repairs and alterations and appropriates $123.4 million for policy and operations. Also, the Committee recommends a limitation of $2.94 billion for rental space and a limitation of $1.62 billion for building operations.

Office of Personnel Management: The Committee provides $94.1 million for salaries and expenses, which is $3.9 million over last year.

Funding for other independent agencies:

-$214.2 million for the National Archives and Records Administration;
-$39.8 million for the Federal Election Commission ($1.8 million above last year);
-$25.1 million for the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

Key Provisions

Section 512: Adds a new provision to allow postal patrons to contribute to funding for domestic violence programs through the purchase of specially issued postage stamps.

Section 514: Requires the OMB Director to submit to Congress a comprehensive review of whether the goals of the Paperwork Reduction Act are being achieved.

Section 515: Prohibits funds to be used for the implementation of a preference for the federal government's acquisition of a firearm or ammunition.

Section 633: Prohibits funds to be used to enter into or renew a contract which includes a provision providing prescription drug coverage, except where the contract also includes a provision for contraceptive coverage. This prohibition does not apply, however, to specified religious plans or to any plan whose carrier objects to contraceptive coverage on the basis of religious beliefs.

Section 640: Adds new language (subchapter VII to Chapter 73 of title 5, U.S. Code) dealing with the mandatory removal from employment of law enforcement officers convicted of felonies.

Section 641: Amends the Civil Service Retirement System to change the increased employee contribution sunset date from "after December 31, 2002" to after "December 31, 2000." In 1997, the employee contribution was increased from 7 to 7.5 percent, with that increase scheduled to sunset "after December 31, 2002." Section 641 would sunset the increase "after December 31, 2000." This section also affects other federal retirement systems.

In addition, the bill contains a number of general provisions that have been carried in the bill in prior years.

ADMINISTRATION POSITION

At press time, no Statement of Administration Policy on the bill as reported to the Senate was available.

POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS

Strike bill language in Section 515 that prohibits the federal government from giving a preference (Smith & Wesson) when purchasing arms for federal law enforcement officers.
Amendments regarding issues of abortion coverage and prescription contraceptive coverage in federal employees' healthcare plans.
Roberts/Baucus. To prohibit funding to enforce current restrictions on the export of food and medicine to Cuba. (The House voted 301-116 to adopt a similar amendment offered by Rep. Moran.)
Dodd/Roberts. To block funding for restrictions on travel to Cuba. (The House passed a similar amendment by Rep. Sanford by a vote of 232-186.)
Durbin. Re. health warning labels on cigarette packages.

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