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H. Rept. 116-64 - LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2020116th Congress (2019-2020)

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Report Type:	House Report
Accompanies:	H.R.2779
Committees:	House Appropriations Committee

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116th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 116-64

======================================================================

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2020

_______

May 16, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______

Mr. Ryan, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following

R E P O R T

together with

MINORITY VIEWS

[To accompany H.R. 2779]

The Committee on Appropriations submits the following
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.

INDEX TO BILL AND REPORT

Page Number

Bill Report
Highlights of Bill.........................................
2
Title I--Legislative Branch Appropriations................. 2
6
House of Representatives........................... 2
6
Joint Items:
Joint Economic Committee................... 13
14
Joint Committee on Taxation................ 13
14
Office of the Attending Physician.......... 14
14
Office of Congressional Accessibility
Services............................... 15
15
Capitol Police..................................... 15
15
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights........... 16
16
Congressional Budget Office........................ 17
17
Office of Technology Assessment.................... 17
17
Architect of the Capitol (except Senate Office
Buildings)..................................... 17
18
Library of Congress................................ 22
26
Government Publishing Office....................... 28
33
Government Accountability Office................... 32
34
Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund............ 34
34
John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training
and Development................................ 34
35
Title II--General Provisions............................... 34
35
Bill-wide Reporting Requirements...........................
35
Minority Views.............................................
59

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL

The bill recommended by the Committee provides modest
funding increases to support the staffing and other resources
needed to help Congress do its job well, maintain and build
analytical capacity to support lawmaking and oversight, and
address high-priority needs in areas such as information
technology and security.
The legislation appropriates a total of $3,972,000,000 in
fiscal year 2020, which is $164,229,000 (4.3 percent) more than
the comparable amount for fiscal year 2019. These
appropriations support the operations of the House of
Representatives, the care and preservation of the historic
buildings in which Congress works, and agencies that provide
research and analysis to assist the legislative process. They
also support other institutions such as the Library of
Congress, one of the leading repositories of knowledge and
culture in the world, as well as the Government Accountability
Office and the Government Publishing Office.
In keeping with longstanding practice under which each
chamber of Congress determines its own housekeeping
requirements and the other concurs without intervention, the
bill does not include funds for the Senate or for Senate office
buildings. Similarly, the Senate will consider a Legislative
Branch appropriations bill that addresses Senate but not House
funding.
House of Representatives Overview: The budget of the House
of Representatives is significantly smaller than it was at the
beginning of this decade, largely because of a series of budget
cuts enacted during fiscal years 2011 through 2013. The total
House appropriation for fiscal year 2019 is about 10 percent
below the fiscal year 2010 level in unadjusted dollars, and
about 23 percent below 2010 after adjustment for inflation. The
Committee has heard concerns from Members of Congress and
outside observers that existing funding levels are hampering
the ability of the House to do its jobs of developing
legislation to meet national needs, providing oversight of
government operations, and assisting constituents in their
dealings with government. The bill's funding levels represent a
modest step towards addressing these issues.
A second factor this year is that there are ongoing actual
and potential shortfalls in three accounts that together make
up three-quarters of the House of Representatives budget:
Members Representational Allowances (MRA), committee salaries
and expenses, and ``Government Contributions'' (which covers
payroll taxes and benefit costs for all House employees). For
these accounts, current appropriations aren't sufficient to
support currently authorized spending levels. The Committee
needs to bring appropriations into line with currently
authorized spending before it can provide funds to increase
that authorized spending. Addressing this problem takes about
40 percent of the overall increase for the House in this bill.
Members Representational Allowance (MRA): The Committee
recommends $615,000,000 for the MRA in fiscal year 2020,
$41,370,000 more than in the prior year. Almost half of the
increase is needed just to bring the appropriation more in line
with currently authorized spending, but the Committee's level
should be sufficient to support a roughly 4.0 percent increase
in the allowance (about $55,000 per Member office) in 2020.
Allowance for Paid Interns: The 2019 Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act established an allowance for paid interns in
Members' offices. This was done in recognition of the
importance of internships in gaining work experience and
opening doors to future employment, and that many well-
qualified candidates are simply not in a financial position to
work as interns without pay--especially in a high-cost area
like Washington, D.C. The new intern allowance has been well
received, and this bill takes modest steps towards expanding
it, raising the allowance for each Member office from $20,000
to $25,000 and initiating an allowance for Leadership offices.
Committee Expenses: The Committee recommends $159,628,000
for the expenses of House committees, a $8,611,856 increase
above the prior year. This amount will support the funding
allocated to committees for 2020 by the biennial funding
resolution adopted by the House in March (H. Res. 245), which
is 3.5 percent above the level allocated in 2018.
House Officers and Support Agencies: The Committee-
recommended bill provides $245,736,000--$25,391,000 more than
in fiscal year 2019--for the salaries and expenses of House
officers and employees, including the offices of the Clerk of
the House, Sergeant at Arms, Chief Administrative Officer
(CAO), Parliamentarian, and Legislative Counsel, among others.
Most of the increases are targeted to information technology
(IT) and security needs, including modernization of the House
Legislative Information Management System, upgrades at House
Information Resources including further movement toward cloud
computing and strengthening cybersecurity, and replacement of
the badly outdated emergency announcement system in the Capitol
and House office buildings. In this report, the Committee
directs the CAO to provide quarterly status reports on IT
upgrade efforts, including project milestones and spending
targets.
The recommended bill also provides initial funding for two
new offices established by the House at the beginning of this
Congress: $1,000,000 for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
and $750,000 for the Office of the Whistleblower Ombudsman.
House Studies: The Committee has received requests and
suggestions from Members of the House and other interested
parties for various proposals which warrant further study and
consideration, including development of House-wide policy and
funding for paid family and medical leave for employees, a
possible increase in the lifetime cap on student loan repayment
amounts for House employees, and a possible tuition assistance
program. The Committee is requesting the appropriate House
offices to study and report on these and other issues,
including processing times for security clearances for House
employees and progress on developing unique identifiers for use
in the lobbying disclosure process.
Office of Technology Assessment (OTA): As requested by a
number of Members of Congress, the Committee bill includes
$6,000,000 in initial funding to re-establish the Office of
Technology Assessment (OTA). This Legislative Branch agency was
created in 1972 and operated until funding was discontinued in
1995.
To do its job in this modern era, Congress needs to
understand and address the issues and risks resulting from a
wide range of rapid technological developments such as
cryptocurrencies, autonomous vehicles, gene editing, artificial
intelligence, and the ever-expanding use of social media
platforms, to give just a few examples. A re-opened OTA will
play an important role in providing accurate, professional, and
unbiased information about technological developments and
policy options for addressing the issues those developments
raise. In that role, OTA will complement the work of the
Government Accountability Office in the area of science and
technology.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO): The Committee's bill
includes $52,666,000 for the Congressional Budget Office,
$1,929,000 more than in fiscal year 2019. This funding level
will allow CBO to continue and modestly increase its efforts to
improve modeling and analytical capability in key areas and to
make its work as transparent and accessible as possible.
Library of Congress: For the Library of Congress, including
the Copyright Office, Congressional Research Service, and
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, the Committee recommends a total of $720,290,000
in fiscal year 2020, an increase of $24,178,000 over the prior
year. This funding level will allow continued progress on
urgent information technology needs and on modernization of
systems for copyright registration and recordation and support
ongoing Library initiatives such as the Veterans' History
Project.
The Committee recommendation includes $5,000,000 for a
second installment of funding for the Library's Enhancing the
Visitor Experience initiative, subject to the Committee's
review of the specific plans, cost estimates, and schedules for
the initiative which the Library is expected to provide this
summer. It also includes not less than $5,500,000 for
modernizing the website that handles distribution of audio and
braille reading materials at the National Library Service for
the Blind and for purchase of braille e-readers.
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights: The bill includes
$6,333,000 for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights,
the same level as in fiscal year 2019. The Office did not
request any increase for fiscal year 2020, stating that
substantial increases received in fiscal years 2018 and 2019
have led to a funding level sufficient to initially support the
increased responsibilities it received under the legislation
enacted last year.
Government Accountability Office (GAO): The Committee
recommends $615,604,000 for the GAO. This level should allow
the GAO to sustain increases in staffing to handle its large
workload and begin to address its information technology and
building renovation needs.
Capitol Police: The Committee recommends $463,341,000 for
the Capitol Police, $7,033,000 more than in fiscal year 2019.
This increase will help cover the cost of operations at the
national party conventions next year as well as meeting current
operational needs.
Architect of the Capitol: The Committee recommends
$624,668,000 for the Architect of the Capitol, $15,515,000 less
than in fiscal year 2019. (These totals do not include
appropriations for Senate Office Buildings, which as is
customary are left to the sole consideration of the Senate.)
Among other things, the reduction reflects support for fewer
new renovation projects than in fiscal year 2019, due to
overall budget constraints, but the bill nevertheless supports
twelve such projects.
Employment of DACA Recipients: The bill recommended by the
Committee includes language permitting all the Legislative
Branch agencies it funds to employ ``Dreamers''--that is,
residents of the United States brought to this country as
children without proper immigration status--who hold employment
authorization under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(``DACA'') program. Despite that employment authorization, use
of appropriated funds to hire DACA enrollees is not currently
permitted because of a government-wide provision carried
annually in the Financial Services and General Government
Appropriations Act. That provision prohibits use of funds to
employ people who are not U.S. citizens and do not hold one of
several listed types of immigration status--a list that doesn't
currently include DACA work authorization.
Pending any government-wide resolution of this issue, the
Committee recommends welcoming these members of our national
community to seek employment in the Legislative Branch.

Legislative Branch-Wide Matters

Reprogramming Guidelines: The Committee expects all
agencies to notify the Committees on Appropriations of the
House and the Senate of any significant departures from budget
plans presented to the Committees in any agency's budget
justifications. In particular, agencies funded through this
bill are required to notify the Committees prior to each
reprogramming of funds in excess of the lesser of 10 percent or
$750,000 between programs, projects or activities, or in excess
of $750,000 between object classifications (except for shifts
within the pay categories, object class 11, 12, and 13 or as
further specified in each agency's respective section). This
includes cumulative reprogrammings that together total at least
$750,000 from or to a particular program, activity, or object
classification as well as reprogramming FTEs or funds to create
new organizational entities within the agency or to restructure
entities which already exist. The Committees desire to be
notified of reprogramming actions which involve less than the
above-mentioned amounts if such actions would have the effect
of changing an agency's funding requirements in future years or
if programs or projects specifically cited in the Committee's
reports are affected.
Staffing Data in Budget Documents: The Committee continues
to direct the legislative branch agencies to include in their
budget justifications data on FTE levels that would actually be
supported by the associated request or enacted funding levels.
The Committee also continues to direct the Legislative Branch
Financial Managers Council to coordinate on a plan for aligning
FTE levels with the Legislative branch agencies for consistency
in reporting.
Zero Base Budgeting: The Committee continues to direct all
agencies of the Legislative Branch to develop budget requests
from a zero base. The Committee believes that this valuable
budgeting process has given agencies the opportunity to take a
fresh look at all areas of their operations and make funding
reductions and alignments within the current budget base. The
Committee believes that there are continued opportunities to
realize meaningful savings by carefully reviewing each agency's
budget requirements from a zero base.
Committee Requests, Furloughs and Performance Based Merit
Increases: The Committee directs that adherence to the language
carried in House Reports 112-148, 112-511 and 113-417
pertaining to Committee Requests and Furloughs to be continued
unless otherwise so directed. Performance Based Merit Increases
are not to exceed the maximum allowable for agencies with a
certified SES performance appraisal system.
Data Centers: The Committee understands that Legislative
Branch Agencies use information technology (IT) infrastructure
to support critical functions to carry out their statutory
missions, including functions essential to carrying out the
constitutional responsibilities of the Legislative Branch.
IT infrastructure may be located in data centers covering
several geographic regions or using several types of cloud
services. Regardless of how such infrastructure is provisioned,
an agency's IT infrastructure must satisfy the following
requirements: must meet `concurrently maintainable'
requirements of data centers certified from the Uptime
Institute or equivalent certifying authority; must maintain
continuous operation against an `all hazards' risk evaluation;
and must incorporate technical communications capabilities to
ensure that all necessary IT resources required to support the
mission of the Legislative Branch can interoperate effectively
with the House, Senate, and other agencies under `all hazards'
conditions.
Contracting Opportunities for Minority-Owned Businesses:
The Committee urges all agencies across the Legislative branch
to explore opportunities to provide minority-owned businesses
increased access to vendor contracts.
Advertising Contracts: The Committee directs each
department and agency to include the following information in
its fiscal year 2021 budget justification: Expenditures for
fiscal year 2019 for (1) all contracts for advertising
services; and (2) contracts for the advertising services of (I)
socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns
(as defined in section 8(a)(4) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 637(a)(4)); and (II) women- and minority-owned
businesses.
Performance Measures and Customer Service: The Committee
believes that development of organizational priority goals and
outcomes, such as performance outcome measures, output
measures, and efficiency measures, is important for all
agencies funded under this bill. The Committee also notes the
importance of implementing proper customer service standards
for agencies that provide direct services to the public.
Development of these service standards should include
identifying and surveying target customers and tracking
internal performance against those standards.

TITLE I--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $1,232,663,035
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 1,355,669,363
Committee recommendation.............................. 1,345,725,000
Change from enacted level......................... +113,061,965
Change from request............................... -9,944,363

The Committee recommends $1,350,725,000 for the salaries
and expenses of the House of Representatives. In addition, sec.
115 rescinds $5,000,000.

House Leadership Offices

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $25,378,875
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 27,916,055
Committee recommendation.............................. 28,428,000
Change from enacted level......................... +3,049,125
Change from request............................... +511,945

The Committee recommends $28,428,000 for salaries and
expenses of staff in House leadership offices.
The allocation by office follows:

Office of the Speaker................................. $7,964,000
Office of the Majority Floor Leader................... 2,955,000
Office of the Majority Whip........................... 2,456,000
Democratic Caucus..................................... 2,061,000
Office of the Minority Floor Leader................... 8,682,000
Office of the Minority Whip........................... 1,904,000
Republican Conference................................. 2,406,000

Members' Representational Allowances

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $573,630,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 613,000,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 615,000,000
Change from enacted level......................... +41,370,000
Change from request............................... +2,000,000

The Committee recommends $615,000,000 for the Members
Representational Allowance (MRA). This level of funding will
more closely align the appropriation with currently authorized
spending and under current estimates is likely to be sufficient
to support a 4.0 percent increase in the authorized MRA in
2020.
Analysis of Members' Representational Allowances: The
Committee believes that the formula used to calculate the MRA
is due for a review and re-examination. For example, one issue
that merits study is whether the MRA adequately supports the
cost of district office rent in districts where there is no
Federal office space available for rent and districts with
above-average market rents. The Committee understands that the
CAO is conducting an analysis of the MRA formula and looks
forward to the results of that analysis.

Allowance for Compensation of Interns in Member Offices

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $8,800,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 8,820,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 11,025,000
Change from enacted level......................... +2,225,000
Change from request............................... +2,205,000

The Committee recommends $11,025,000 for the compensation
of interns who serve in the offices of Members of the House of
Representatives. This recommendation also increases the intern
allowance cap from $20,000 to $25,000 per Member office.

Allowance for Compensation of Interns in House Leadership Offices

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $0
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 0
Committee recommendation.............................. 365,000
Change from enacted level......................... +365,000
Change from request............................... +365,000

The Committee recommends $365,000 for the compensation of
interns who serve in the offices of House Leadership. This
recommendation includes $200,000 for the compensation of
interns who serve in House leadership offices of the majority,
to be allocated among such offices by the Speaker of the House,
and $165,000 for the compensation of interns who serve in House
leadership offices of the minority, to be allocated among such
offices by the Minority Floor Leader.

Committee Employees

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $151,016,144
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 164,567,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 159,628,000
Change from enacted level......................... +8,611,856
Change from request............................... -4,939,000

The Committee recommends $159,628,000 in total for
Committee Employees, including $132,509,000 for standing and
select committees, which should be sufficient to cover the
amounts allocated to committees (other than the Committee on
Appropriations) in House Resolution 245. The total also
includes $24,269,000 for the Committee on Appropriations and
$2,850,000 for committee room renovations.
This account includes funding for salaries and expenses of
Committees including equipment, telecommunications, printing,
contract services, and supplies. Funding is available until
December 31, 2020.

Salaries, Officers and Employees

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $220,345,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 249,728,292
Committee recommendation.............................. 245,736,000
Change from enacted level......................... +25,391,000
Change from request............................... -3,992,292

The Committee recommends $245,736,000 for the salaries and
expenses of House officers and employees of the various
activities funded through this consolidated item.
Following is a summary of the funding allocation provided
to each component of the account:

Office of the Clerk................................... $32,228,000

The Committee recommends $32,228,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Clerk. This represents an
increase of $3,923,000 over the fiscal year 2019 enacted total
and a decrease of $598,000 from the fiscal year 2020 request.
Most of this increase ($3,120,000) is to support the
modernization and redevelopment of the House Legislative
Information Management System (LIMS). LIMS is a critical House
application which supports House legislative operations and the
flow of legislative information. The committee supports the
Clerk's efforts in developing a system that will meet the needs
of the House and provide a more flexible, extensible, robust
and secure application.
Lobbyist Disclosure Unique Identifier: The Committee
requests a report from the Clerk of the House, within 60 days
of enactment of this Act, regarding progress on generating a
Congress-wide unique identifier for lobbyists and disclosing
that identifier to the public as structured data as part of the
lobbying disclosure downloads.
Immediate Roll Call Vote Availability: The Committee
requests a report from the Clerk of the House, within 60 days
of enactment of this Act, on the feasibility of making roll
call votes available immediately to the general public on its
website.
Voting Display Board: The Committee requests a report from
the Clerk of the House, within 60 days of enactment of this
Act, regarding the feasibility of installing additional voting
display boards in the House Chamber or on smaller touch screens
at certain exits to assist members in tracking their votes
during a vote series.
Automating Co-Sponsorship of Bills: The Committee is aware
of ideas for automating the process of inviting and recording
co-sponsorship of bills, through an electronic system that
would provide lists of bills available for co-sponsorship and
provide a secure and verifiable means for Members to request
that their names be added to a bill. The Clerk is encouraged to
work to develop such a system, if feasible.
Facilitating Public Access to Legislative Information: The
Committee encourages the Clerk of the House to explore ways to
make the publication of legislative branch information as data
more readily available to the public, which includes providing
assistance to the public with finding and obtaining legislative
data; supporting the annual Legislative Data and Transparency
Conference; supporting the Bulk Data Task Force; and other
duties as the House Clerk deems appropriate that promotes
public or congressional access to legislative information as
data.

Office of the Sergeant At Arms........................ $22,071,000

The Committee recommends $22,071,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms. This represents
an increase of $3,298,000 over the fiscal year 2019 enacted
total and a decrease of $1,649,292 from the fiscal year 2020
request. Most of the increase results from provision of
$2,995,000 for upgrades to the emergency announcement system of
the Capitol complex. The Committee supports the shared effort
with Senate Sergeant at Arms, Architect of the Capitol, and
Capitol Police to replace the aging wireless emergency
annunciator system with the Joint Audible Warning System which
will be used to provide emergency notification during emergency
events to every office, hearing room, meeting room and work
area of the House.
Security Clearance Report: The Committee requests an
unclassified report from the Sergeant at Arms on March 1 of
each of the next two years on the average and median length of
time from open to close of all security clearance requests, to
help determine whether Legislative Branch security clearances
are being finalized and adjudicated consistent with executive
branch timelines. This unclassified report may contain a
classified annex which includes the average and median length
of time from open to close of all security clearance requests
broken down by level of security clearances (confidential,
secret, top secret, and TS/SCI) so as to better provide context
of timelines to Members and cleared staff.

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer............ $164,308,000

The Committee recommends $164,308,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer
(CAO). This represents an increase of $16,250,000 over the
fiscal year 2019 enacted total and a decrease of $2,295,000
from the fiscal year 2020 request. This recommendation makes
available funding for the following programs:
House Information Resources: The Committee recognizes the
need to bring congressional information technology up to date
and to provide the best services to staff and constituents. To
this end, the Committee has provided the resources, requested
for this purpose. In particular, the Committee recommendation
provides $93,743,000 for the Office of House Information
Resources (HIR), an increase of $11,081,000 over the fiscal
year 2019 enacted level including $24,505,000 for the Office of
Cybersecurity and $8,123,000 for Cloud Computing Initiatives
such as Enterprise Licenses and email cloud migration and the
House Cloud platform. Funding these activities is aimed at
strengthening the House's business continuity and cybersecurity
postures. With this major investment for the House, the
Committee directs the CAO to provide quarterly status updates
including project milestones and spending targets. Lastly, the
Committee is intrigued by the CAO's request to improve
technology innovation across the House and has included
$450,000 within the HIR recommended funding level to support
these efforts. To utilize these funds, the CAO is directed to
establish a detailed plan for review by this Committee.
Electronic Consent: The Committee is aware of the ongoing
pilot to support Member offices with their casework business
processes via a casework privacy release app. The Committee
supports the CAO's efforts to investigate these technologies
that will provide electronic document management,
accessibility, and the creation of constituent forms which can
be viewed, edited and electronically signed. This type of
technology is widely used by businesses and will improve Member
office efficiency, workflow and provide cost savings.
Implementation of this technology will help Member offices
implement new constituent electronic consent authorities
granted under the House-passed H.R. 1079: Creating Advanced
Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituent Act of 2019 or
the ``Case Act''.
Cloud Technologies: The CAO is encouraged to investigate
and pilot various cloud service options that will provide House
offices with greater accessibility to their files, enhanced
collaboration tools, and more storage. The Committee supports
standardizing cloud services to strengthen the House's security
posture and provide Member offices additional support and cost
savings.
Digital Workspace Technologies: The Committee recognizes
that the use of digital workspace technologies in Member
offices can increase user productivity, enhance cybersecurity,
and allow workforce flexibility for both Congressional staff
and Members of Congress. The Committee encourages the
exploration of multi-factor authentication solutions to
strengthen the cybersecurity posture of all legislative
offices, including strategies and programs that reduce the
total life cycle costs of traditional legacy workspace
infrastructure.
Studies of Member and Committee Office Salaries: The
Committee looks forward to receiving the study requested in
last year's report regarding salaries and benefits of personal
office and committee staff in the House, including comparisons
with executive branch and private sector counterparts and
assessment of whether men and women and people from different
racial and ethnic groups receive similar pay for similar work.
This study is due in September 2019.
These issues of pay comparability and disparities will be
of continuing interest, particularly as the new Office of
Diversity and Inclusion begins its work. The Committee
therefore requests that the CAO, working with the Office of
Diversity and Inclusion, explore ways of providing data on
salaries and benefits in the House on an annual basis including
through approaches such as possible use of payroll data and/or
information collected during the employee on-boarding process
or recurring surveys of samples of employees or offices. The
CAO should report its conclusions and recommendations on that
subject to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
House Administration.
House Student Loan Repayment Program: The Committee
requests a report from the CAO discussing the costs and impacts
associated with increasing the House Student Loan Repayment
Program (SLRP) maximum lifetime benefit from $60,000 to
$80,000.
House-Wide Training Program: Workplace rights and diversity
training are important tools in creating and maintaining a
respectful, inclusive workplace. The Committee is encouraged by
the House-wide training program that addresses these important
issues. Therefore, the Committee has provided the requested
amount of $5,450,000, which is an increase of $4,450,000 over
the fiscal year 2019 enacted level because most training costs
in 2019 were funded by carryover from fiscal year 2018.
Employee Advocacy: Workplace harassment and discrimination
are an abuse of power and perpetrators must be held accountable
to promote a safe and dignified environment. While there is
more work to be done, Congress took positive action by
overhauling its reporting and dispute resolution process,
requiring regular and anonymous climate surveys and anti-
harassment training, and mandating annual reporting to
Congress. Another positive step was establishing the Office of
Employee Advocacy. To continue support of this office, the
Committee recommends $1,413,000 for the Office to cover
additional full-time employees, staff travel to district
offices to litigate cases if necessary, and contractor support
for court reporters to transcribe hearings and depositions.
Wellness Program: The Committee continues to support the
comprehensive wellness program created to support and empower
House staff with resources to navigate the fast pace of working
on Capitol Hill while maintaining a healthy life. Providing
employees with the proper tools leads to higher productivity,
increased employee engagement, and a stronger workforce. These
types of programs help in retaining talented staff. Tech
companies that have embedded wellness programs within their
charters are able to compete and think more creatively as well
as manage their high stress environments. The Committee
commends the efforts of the House Wellness Program and
recommends $280,000 in this bill to continue growing the
program.
Congressional Staff Family and Medical Leave Policies: The
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 provides for 12 weeks of
unpaid job-protected leave during a 12-month period. There is
interest among Members of Congress to investigate the
feasibility of implementing a standard House-wide paid family
leave policy. The Committee directs the CAO to report within
180 days of enactment of this legislation, or by January 15,
2020, whichever is sooner, on the feasibility and costs of
establishing and maintaining a House-wide, paid family and
medical leave policy and program. Options evaluated should
include up to 12 weeks of paid leave for eligible Congressional
employees with one year of tenure for the birth and care of a
newborn child of an employee; for placement with the employee
of a child for adoption or foster care; to care for an
immediate family member with a serious health condition; or to
take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because
of a serious health condition.
Asset Tracking: The Committee directs the CAO to engage
with stakeholders and allocate resources to address the multi-
year significant deficiency identified in the House's Financial
Statement Audit reports related to controls over property and
equipment. The Committee encourages the CAO to explore next-
generation technology, including intelligent organization, to
address asset tracking and inventory management needs.
Congressional Staff Tuition Assistance Program: The
Committee directs the CAO to submit a report within 180 days of
enactment of this Act of possible staff tuition assistance
programs that could be implemented, as well as the resources
needed to implement such a program.
Study on Accessibility Services: The Committee recognizes
challenges to accessing disability services and accommodations,
particularly as it pertains to Members' offices. No later than
6 months after enactment of this Act, the CAO shall produce and
submit to the Committee a report with recommendations that
reviews disability services in the House of Representatives to
evaluate (1) the ease of access to disability information and
services, and (2) the effectiveness of coordination between
offered disability services and accommodations. This report
should also provide recommendations on increasing the
coordination and efficiency of services to help Members
offices.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion..................... $1,000,000

The Committee is encouraged by the establishment of the
Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The Committee supports the
efforts to staff the Office and the implementation of the House
Diversity Plan in the 116th Congress.

Office of the Whistleblower Ombudsman................. $750,000

Congress plays a critical role in both learning from, and
protecting, whistleblowers. Additionally, its constitutionally
mandated oversight work very often relies on vital disclosures
from Federal workers and employees within the private sector.
The House of Representatives took an important step this year
in helping whistleblowers by including a new House Office of
the Whistleblower Ombudsman in the Rules Package for the 116th
Congress. The Committee supports the establishment of the House
Office of the Whistleblower Ombudsman and recommends $750,000
for that purpose in this bill.

Office of the Inspector General....................... $5,019,000
Office of General Counsel............................. 1,518,000
Office of the Parliamentarian......................... 2,088,000
Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the House....... 3,419,000
Office of the Legislative Counsel of the House........ 11,937,000
Office of Interparliamentary Affairs.................. 814,000
Other authorized employees............................ 584,000

Allowances and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $253,493,016
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 291,638,016
Committee recommendation.............................. 290,543,000
Change from enacted level......................... +37,049,984
Change from request............................... -1,095,016

The Committee recommends a total of $290,543,000 for
allowances and expenses.
The following table summarizes the funding allocation
provided to each major component of the account:

Supplies, materials, administrative costs and Federal $526,000
tort claims..........................................
Official mail (committees, administrative, and 190,000
leadership offices)..................................
Government Contributions.............................. 262,000,000
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery............. 17,668,000
Transition Activities................................. 4,489,000
Wounded Warrior Program............................... 3,000,000

Wounded Warrior Program: The Wounded Warrior program is one
of the House's most popular initiatives. The program currently
provides 110 two-year fellowship positions for wounded veterans
in Congressional offices. The Committee believes that with
effective management of the program, funding exists to expand
the program by an additional 10 fellowship positions.
Furthermore, the Committee directs the CAO to propose
guidelines that would expedite the selections and hiring
process for new fellows.

Office of Congressional Ethics........................ 1,670,000
Miscellaneous items................................... 1,000,000

Administrative Provisions

Section 110 provides for unspent amounts remaining in the
Members' Representational Allowances account to be used for
deficit or debt reduction.
Section 111 places a limitation on the amount available to
lease vehicles.
Section 112 amends the allowance for compensation of
interns in member offices.
Section 113 provides an allowance for compensation of
interns in Leadership offices.
Section 114 limits the sharing of House information by
Federal entities.
Section 115 rescinds amounts in the Stationery and Page
Dorm revolving funds.
Section 116 provides for using available balances of
expired funds for death gratuity payments and workers
compensation and unemployment compensation payments.
Section 117 provides for reduction in the amount of tuition
charged for children of House Child Care Center employees.

JOINT ITEMS

Joint Economic Committee

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $4,203,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 4,203,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 4,203,000
Change from enacted level......................... 0
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $4,203,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Joint Economic Committee.
The Joint Economic Committee was created by the Employment
Act of 1946. The primary tasks of the Committee are to review
economic conditions and to recommend improvements in economic
policy. The Committee performs research and economic analysis
and monitors and analyzes current economic, financial, and
employment conditions.

Joint Committee on Taxation

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $11,169,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 11,563,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 11,563,000
Change from enacted level......................... +394,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $11,563,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT).
The Joint Committee on Taxation operates under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 and its predecessors dating to the Revenue
Act of 1926. It has responsibility to (1) investigate the
operation and effects of internal revenue taxes and the
administration of such taxes; (2) investigate measures and
methods for the simplification of such taxes; (3) make reports
to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate
Committee on Finance (or to the House of Representatives and
the Senate) on the results of such investigations and studies
and to make recommendations; and (4) review any proposed refund
or credit of income or estate and gift taxes or certain other
taxes set forth in Code section 6405 in excess of $2,000,000
($5,000,000 in the case of a C corporation). In addition to
these functions that are specified in the Internal Revenue
Code, the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the Joint
Committee to provide revenue estimates for all tax legislation
considered by either the House or the Senate.

Office of the Attending Physician

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $3,798,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 3,868,260
Committee recommendation.............................. 3,868,260
Change from enacted level......................... +70,260
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $3,868,260 for the Office of the
Attending Physician.

Office of Congressional Accessibility Services

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019 ...................... $1,486,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 1,509,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 1,509,000
Change from enacted level......................... +23,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $1,509,000 for the operation of
the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services.
The Office of Congressional Accessibility Services provides
and coordinates a variety of accessibility services for
individuals with disabilities including Members of Congress,
staff and visitors in the United States Capitol Complex.

CAPITOL POLICE

Salaries

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $374,804,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 378,062,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 378,062,000
Change from enacted level......................... +3,258,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $378,062,000 for the personnel
salaries, benefits, and overtime requirements, to include the
cost of overtime necessary for providing training.
The increase of $3,258,000 includes $72,000 for one
additional civilian position in the Office of the Inspector
General and $3,186,000 for overtime for covering the 2020
National Conventions.
Horse Mounted Units: The Committee commends the efforts by
the United States Capitol Police and local law enforcement
partners to enhance patrol coverage on the Capitol grounds with
the deployment of Horse Mounted Units.
Wellness Programs for Law Enforcement: The Committee
appreciates the efforts undertaken by the United States Capitol
Police to develop and implement a holistic wellness and
resiliency program for its workforce, to include its
partnership with the House Wellness Center. The Committee
recognizes the importance that mindfulness plays in having a
first responder workforce that is holistically balanced and
resilient. Therefore, the Committee directs the United States
Capitol Police to continue this effort and to closely
collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security's Federal
Law Enforcement Training Center to expand this initiative
through a pilot program, so it may be reviewed and considered
for full implementation across all aspects of Federal law
enforcement.
Diversity Training: Capitol Police officers interact with
thousands of domestic and international visitors every day.
Visitors have varying cultural and social needs, including but
not limited to individuals with limited English proficiency,
diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and disabilities. The
Committee recognizes the U.S. Capitol Police for including
diversity training as a part of the current Capitol Police
training sessions and encourages the Capitol police to continue
strengthening its curriculum to ensure service is provided to
all visitors in a culturally competent manner.
Use of Grounds: The Committee understands the need to
maintain safety and order on the Capitol grounds and commends
the Capitol Police for their efforts. Given the family-style
neighborhood that the Capitol shares with the surrounding
community the Committee continues to instruct the Capitol
Police to forebear enforcement of 2 U.S.C. 1963 (``An act to
protect the public property, turf, and grass of the Capitol
Grounds from injury'') and the Traffic Regulations for the
United States Capitol Grounds when encountering snow sledders
on the grounds.

General Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $81,504,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 85,279,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 85,279,000
Change from enacted level......................... +3,775,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $85,279,000 for general expenses
to support the responsibilities for law enforcement, Capitol
complex physical and technological security, dignitary
protection, intelligence analysis, event management, hazardous
material/devices, information technology, and other specialized
responses, as well as logistical and administrative support.

Administrative Provision

Section 118 amends 2 USC 1936(c), by increasing the
employee educational assistance program reimbursement limit
from $40,000 to $60,000 for student loan repayments.

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL WORKPLACE RIGHTS

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $6,333,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 6,333,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 6,333,000
Change from enacted level......................... 0
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $6,333,000 for salaries and
expenses of the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights as
requested. Of the total, $1,000,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2021.
The Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) established an
independent Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR),
formerly the Office of Compliance, to apply the rights and
protections of 13 Federal labor and employment statutes to
employees within the Legislative Branch. The office provides
administrative dispute resolution services, safety and health
compliance inspections, reviews of public access for disabled
Capitol visitors, labor-management relations services, and
education and outreach for Members and staff. In 2018, the
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act expanded
the Office's duties and responsibilities, as well as the number
of legislative branch offices covered by the CAA.
The Committee is aware that the OCWR is in the process of
developing regulations to implement its new responsibilities,
and the budgetary requirements are not yet certain. The current
request is based on estimates and takes advantage of the pre-
payment of some anticipated needs from fiscal year 2019
funding.
Given the increased paper flow anticipated with OCWR's new
responsibilities, the Committee encourages the agency to
accelerate its plans to scan documents pertaining to its cases
rather than seek increased storage space.

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $50,737,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 53,556,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 52,666,000
Change from enacted level......................... +1,929,000
Change from request............................... -890,000

The Committee recommends $52,666,000 for salaries and
expenses of the Congressional Budget Office.
This office is responsible for producing independent
analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the
Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency produces
dozens of reports, including its outlook on the budget and
economy, and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed
legislation.
Responsiveness: The Committee continues to expect the
Congressional Budget Office to ensure a high level of
responsiveness to committees, leadership and Members, to the
greatest extent practicable under the priorities for CBO set by
law, especially when working on current pending legislation. As
an agency that prides itself as being nonpartisan, CBO should
be providing the same information to all stakeholders at the
appropriate time when addressing legislation that has been made
public.

OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... - - -
Committee recommendation.............................. $6,000,000
Change from enacted level......................... +6,000,000
Change from request............................... +6,000,000

The Committee recommends $6,000,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2021, for a reinstituted Office of
Technology Assessment (OTA). This funding will permit the
start-up of the Office and initial hiring of staff as well as
the appointment of a governing Technology Assessment Board.
Since the de-funding of OTA in 1995, there have been
several unsuccessful attempts to restore the office. During
that time, it has become increasingly clear that Congress does
not have adequate resources available for the in-depth, high
level analysis of fast-breaking technology developments and
their public policy implications that was formerly provided by
OTA. While the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has
increased its technology assessment activities attempting to
fill that gap, the structure and culture of GAO somewhat
constrain its ability to replicate OTA. The Office's governance
by a bipartisan board and its ability to tap outside expert
resources and rely on a Technology Assessment Advisory Council
provide the capacity to offer policy recommendation options to
Congress, which are not available from other Congressional
sources.

ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

(EXCLUDING SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS)

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $640,183,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 744,270,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 624,668,000
Change from enacted level......................... -15,515,000
Change from request............................... -119,602,000

The Committee recommends $624,668,000 for the activities of
the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). Excluded are Senate items
which are traditionally left for consideration by that body.
Within the recommended level, the Committee continues its
prioritization of projects that: (1) promote the safety and
health of workers, occupants, and visitors; (2) decrease the
deferred maintenance backlog; and (3) invest to achieve future
energy savings. The Committee was able to support about half of
the program increases, and pay raise and inflation adjustments
proposed in the operating budgets of the AOC accounts.
The AOC is responsible for the maintenance, operation,
development, and preservation of the United States Capitol
Complex. This includes mechanical and structural maintenance of
the Capitol, Congressional office buildings, the Library of
Congress buildings, the U.S. Botanic Garden, the Capitol Power
Plant, and other facilities, as well as the upkeep and
improvement of the grounds surrounding the Capitol complex.
The following table summarizes the allocation of funds by
appropriation account:

Capital Construction and Operations................... $124,704,000
Capitol Building...................................... 45,912,000
Capitol Grounds....................................... 19,336,000
House Office Buildings................................ 153,273,000
Capitol Power Plant................................... 111,557,000
Library Buildings and Grounds......................... 86,833,000
Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security........ 52,840,000
Botanic Garden........................................ 15,822,000
Capitol Visitor Center................................ 23,391,000

The bill provides the request of $32,000,000 for minor
construction throughout these accounts.

Capital Construction and Operations

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $103,962,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 128,915,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 124,704,000
Change from enacted level......................... +20,742,000
Change from request............................... -4,211,000

The Committee recommends $124,704,000 for campus-wide
architectural and engineering design; project, property and
construction management; financial management; procurement;
personnel services; equipment; communications; and other
central support activities of the AOC. Within the total, the
Committee provides $1,093,000 for the AOC Inspector General
office.

Workplace Rights Policies: The Committee is concerned about
recent reports of sexual harassment and unprofessionalism
within multiple departments of the Architect of the Capitol. A
culture of professionalism and creating a safe work environment
is a top priority of this subcommittee. The subcommittee is
encouraged by the steps the Acting Architect of the Capitol is
taking to eradicate the toxic behavior from the agency. The
Committee also supports the Acting Architect's effort to modify
the AOC organizational structure so that the AOC Office of
Diversity, Inclusion and Dispute Resolution reports directly to
the Architect to provide additional oversight, stronger
management and better accountability, as recommended by the AOC
Inspector General.
E-recyling: The Committee recognizes the importance of
electronic waste recycling (e-recycling) within the legislative
branch. Proper e-recycling of products such as televisions,
computers and cellphones conserves natural resources, ensures
appropriate handling of toxic materials, provides a more
sustainable source of precious metals, and protects human
health and the environment. The Committee is pleased that the
AOC is actively recycling electronic equipment, with 30 tons
from the House office buildings having been recycled in 2018.
The Committee is also encouraged to learn that the House office
buildings have identified an opportunity to generate revenue
from its e-waste, similar to the scrap metal program, and is in
the process of contracting for that service.
Greening the Capitol: The Committee encourages the AOC, as
part of its energy reduction and sustainability efforts, to
continue increasing its use of smart power strips and EPA-
approved water-conserving toilets throughout the Capitol
complex.
Additional Needs Fund: The Committee provides $10,000,000
in the Capital Construction and Operations account, made
available until September 30, 2024, to be used for high
priority needs of the Architect of the Capitol, which may
include operating expenses needs such as additional project
managers and information technology upgrades, as well as
construction needs. The language permits transfer of this
funding to other AOC accounts. Prior to obligation of this
funding, the AOC is required to submit a spending plan to the
Appropriations Committees for approval.

Capitol Building

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $43,992,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 68,878,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 45,912,000
Change from enacted level......................... +1,920,000
Change from request............................... -22,966,000

The Committee recommends $45,912,000 for the operation,
maintenance, and care of the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Visitor
Center (CVC). Of the total, $18,599,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2024.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Item Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Expenses................................... $27,313,000
Projects:
FY20 Presidential Inaugural Stands/Support 7,000,000
Facilities......................................
Electrical Power Distrib. System Replacement 5,500,000
Phase I.........................................
Minor Construction............................... 5,500,000
Conservation of Fine and Architectural Art....... 599,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Display of Indian Nation and Pueblo Flags in the Capitol
Complex: The Committee notes that the flags of the States and
Territories are displayed within the Capitol complex and
encourages the Architect to consider displaying the flags of
American Indian Nations and Pueblos in the complex. The AOC is
requested to provide a report to the Committee within 120 days
of enactment of this Act describing its assessment of possible
locations.
Depictions of Native Americans: There are depictions of
Native Americans throughout the Capitol complex that do not
portray Native Americans as equals or Indian nations as
independent sovereigns. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the
way these works are described during Capitol tours is not
always respectful. The Committee is aware that the Architect is
reformatting tours to address the issues with the artwork and
reframing the timeline exhibit in the Capitol, and urges the
AOC to work with Native American historians and professionals
at the National Museum of the American Indian to ensure that
the Capitol complex more accurately and respectfully represents
the history of Native Americans.
Native American History in the Capitol: Similar to the
information displayed in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) about
the role of slave laborers in the building of the Capitol, the
Committee requests the AOC to consider displaying somewhere
within the Capitol complex information correcting the sometimes
incomplete or incorrect depictions of Native Americans
portrayed in historical artwork in the complex. The AOC is also
encouraged to acknowledge in its exhibitions on American
history and tradition the elements that have originated from
Native American cultures.
Accessibility: The Committee believes it is important for
all individuals, including those with disabilities, who are
visiting the U.S. Capitol complex to receive the same
information and experiences as those who do not have
disabilities. Signage, brochures and many exhibit descriptions
are available in braille and/or large print. There are several
touchable models available, such as an audio descriptive tour
of the Exhibition Hall in the CVC. The Committee supports the
efforts of the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services
to develop a touchable model/map of the CVC and the Capitol
complex. The Committee also supports the development of a
descriptive audio tour for the future redesigned Exhibition
Hall. Further, the Committee supports efforts to enhance
independent navigation and access to visual information for
those who are blind or have low vision and is aware that
enhanced access technologies are emerging, including remote
video connectivity to trained visual interpreters that can
support such access. The Committee understands that the
Smithsonian is using such a technology to allow visitors to use
their smartphone cameras or special glasses to get free on-
demand verbal descriptions of individual items as well as
entire exhibits. The Committee encourages the AOC to explore
this technology. The Committee recommends that the Architect,
working with the Office of Congressional Accessibility
Services, research and evaluate access technologies for those
who are blind or have low vision which enable access to visual
information and enhance independent navigation. The Committee
requests a report on the Architect's findings no later than 180
days after enactment of this Act.
Recognition of Increasing Numbers of Women in Congress: The
116th Congress celebrates the highest number of female Members
of Congress ever to serve in the body. In honor of this
historic progress, the Committee requests the Architect,
working in conjunction with the House curator, to consider
increasing the number of women's images within public spaces
inside the Capitol and on its grounds. The images should
reflect not only the increasing numbers of women serving in
Congress, they should reflect the positive contributions women
Members have made.
The Committee is pleased that the CVC will offer a variety
of programming through August, 2020 that highlights the passage
and ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right
to vote, as well as the Women in Congress exhibit located in
the House connecting corridor. The Committee requests a
briefing within 90 days of enactment of this Act to describe
what the AOC plans to do to begin increasing female
representation within public spaces inside the Capitol and its
grounds.

Capitol Grounds

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $16,761,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 22,824,000
Committee Recommendation.............................. 19,336,000
Change from enacted level......................... +2,575,000
Change from request............................... -3,488,000

The Committee recommends $19,336,000 for the care of the
grounds surrounding the Capitol. Of the total, $7,600,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2024.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Item recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Expenses................................... $11,736,000
Projects:
Campus Wide Utility Survey....................... 4,600,000
Minor Construction............................... 3,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bike Lanes: The Committee supports the Louisiana Avenue
protected bike lane project and encourages the District of
Columbia Department of Transportation, the Architect of the
Capitol, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms to pursue completion
of this project in a timely manner to safely connect residents,
commuters, and tourists to the U.S. Capitol, Union Station, and
the National Mall.
Capitol Grounds Improvements: The Committee is pleased that
the AOC is responding to 2019 report language urging the
improvement of the grounds surrounding the Metro station with
landscape plantings and a project study that will be ready for
funding in 2021. The Committee encourages the AOC to continue
its efforts in identifying areas on the Capitol grounds that
may be suitable for additional gardens, green space, and
pedestrian and bicycling thoroughfares.

House Office Buildings

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $187,098,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 154,701,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 153,273,000
Change from enacted level......................... -33,825,000
Change from request............................... -1,428,000

The Committee recommends $153,273,000 for the operation,
maintenance, and care of the Rayburn, Cannon, Longworth, Ford,
O'Neill House Office Buildings, and the House underground
garages. Of the amount made available, $8,000,000 will be
derived from the House Office Building Fund for operations and
maintenance of the O'Neill House Office Building. Of the total
provided, $30,300,000 shall remain available until September
30, 2024. The bill includes $62,000,000 for future phases of
the Cannon House Office Building renovation project, which
shall remain available until expended, to continue the
established funding strategy. The bill does not include funding
for the House Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund. The
Trust Fund currently has a large balance and its utility for
large construction projects has not been resolved.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Item recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Expenses................................... $60,973,000
Projects:
Electrical Distrib. Switchgear Upgrade Phase 1, 17,200,000
LHOB................................................
Minor Construction............................... 7,000,000
CAO Project Support.............................. 6,100,000
Cannon Building Restoration...................... 62,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Financing Sources for Repairs to House Office Buildings:
The costs of the Capitol Visitors Center construction and the
Cannon Building renovation have spotlighted the problems
Congress faces each time it is confronted with financing the
renovation costs of its aging buildings. Looming on the horizon
are billions of dollars in cost to repair and modernize the
Longworth and Rayburn House office buildings.
The House Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund was
intended to build a corpus of funding that could be targeted to
large construction projects, but it has faced the same budget
pressures as the rest of the bill and has not achieved the
necessary balances. The Committee understands that the AOC has
commissioned a study of financing alternatives from the
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) to support its
future plans for the House office buildings. The Committee
requests that the NAPA study be provided to the Committee upon
its completion. The study may be a springboard for
consideration of alternative ways to finance large construction
projects that could spread costs across years in a manageable
way.
Cannon Building Accessibility: The Committee believes that
access to Members of Congress is critical for all Americans,
including individuals with disabilities. The Committee commends
the Architect for the accessibility-related upgrades to the
Cannon House Office Building as part of its ongoing renewal.
Items such as the increase in the number of elevators and
accessible restrooms ensure that all individuals can more
easily and comfortably visit Members of Congress. The Committee
recognizes that in any large construction project there will be
some items that need to be adjusted based on lessons learned.
The Committee directs the Architect to request the expert
assistance of its Universal Accessibility Coordinator as well
as the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services to ensure
that plans in subsequent project phases for items such as
button heights for power-assisted doors and signage fully
accommodate the needs of the disabled.
Cannon Building Costs: The Committee recognizes the
critical need to complete the Cannon Building renewal which
will replace outdated building systems, conserve historic
aspects of the building, and optimize the functionality of
Member suites, among other improvements. However, the Committee
is concerned that the Architect may not be able to complete the
full scope of the multi-year project, which is about 40 percent
complete, within its $752,700,000 budget. The Committee is
aware that prospective and unresolved contractor claims on
completed project phases and greater-than-expected preliminary
estimates for future phases are creating cost pressures on the
project. Given the scale of the project and its potential
impact on other important funding priorities, it is imperative
that the Architect provide to the Committee on a quarterly
basis the most updated and comprehensive information on project
costs. Therefore, no later than 60 days after enactment of this
Act, the Architect is directed to begin providing quarterly
reports to the Committee which include the actual costs
incurred and expected costs to complete the project, accounting
for risks and uncertainties. In addition, the report should
list all scope increases or reductions already completed or
anticipated to be made to control project costs.
Displays Outside Congressional Offices: The Committee is
pleased that the Architect has recognized that the current
Hallway Policy does not address the display of a single frame
or plaque affixed to the wall adjacent to the main door of a
Member or committee office and is now permitting such display.
The Committee understands that a more general review of the
Hallway Policy is underway and expects that displays of such
frames or plaques will continue to be permitted.

Capitol Power Plant

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $114,050,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 142,225,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 102,557,000
Offsetting collections............................ 9,000,000
Total available................................... 111,557,000
Change from enacted level......................... -11,493,000
Change from request............................... -39,668,000

The Committee recommends $102,557,000 in direct
appropriations for the operations of the Capitol Power Plant
which is the centralized provider of utility services for the
Capitol campus. Of the total, $18,900,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2024. In addition, $9,000,000 in
offsetting collections is available from reimbursements for
steam and chilled water.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Item recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Expenses.................................... $83,657,000
Projects:
R Tunnel Improvements, Constitution............... 10,100,000
Cannon B Tunnel Repair, CPP....................... 3,600,000
Switchgear A and Final Chiller Replacement, WRP... 1,200,000
Minor Construction................................ 4,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Library Buildings and Grounds

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $68,525,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 121,346,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 86,833,000
Change from enacted level......................... +18,308,000
Change from request............................... -34,513,000

The Committee recommends $86,833,000 for the care and
maintenance of the Thomas Jefferson Building; James Madison
Memorial Building; John Adams Building; Packard Campus; Ft.
Meade Collection Storage Facility; National Library Services
Facility; and the St. Cecilia Special Services Facilities
Center. Of the total, $57,500,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2024.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Item recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Expenses.................................... $29,333,000
Project:
Emergency Generator Replacement, Madison Bldg..... 48,800,000
ESPC Management Program........................... 5,200,000
Minor Construction................................ 3,500,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds, and Security

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $57,714,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 54,966,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 52,840,000
Change from enacted level......................... -4,874,000
Change from request............................... -2,126,000

The Committee recommends $52,840,000 for the maintenance,
care and operation of buildings, grounds and security
enhancements of the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and AOC
security operations. Of the total, $26,500,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2024.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Item recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating Expenses................................... $26,340,000
Projects:
Barrier and Security Kiosk Repairs, Phase IV..... 8,300,000
Roof Replacement, Alternate Computer Facility.... 7,300,000
Perimeter Security Fence Modification............ 4,900,000
Visitor Vestibules, U.S. Capitol................. 1,000,000
Minor Construction............................... 5,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Improved Coordination of Legislative Branch Data Centers:
Recent system failures at the Alternate Computing Facility
(ACF), which is managed by the AOC, have brought into glaring
focus the inadequacies of the current governance of data
centers throughout the legislative branch. All legislative
agencies use the ACF either as their primary or secondary data
facility, but each independently determines the length of time
it intends to stay in the facility and manages its data center
space and procedures without any standardized requirements.
There is a critical need for central oversight of the
management of the ACF, particularly as various legislative
branch agencies consider different locations for their data
centers, type of facility (whether leased or built), and type
of computing (center- versus cloud-based). The Committee urges
the AOC to work with the legislative branch chief information
officers to form a governance board that will have authority
over common elements among agencies' management of their data
centers. This board should also engage the legislative branch
agencies to achieve some commonality in their decisions to move
portions of their data center operations to the cloud or leased
facilities.
K-9 Checkpoints: The Committee is aware of collaborative
efforts between the Sergeant at Arms and the AOC to ensure the
health and safety of USCP officers and K-9 teams. While some
progress has been made to protect K-9 teams from adverse
weather conditions, the Committee encourages the AOC to
increase regular maintenance of the offsite K-9 inspection
checkpoints to reduce heat on the dogs' paws and reduce oil and
debris. Further, the Committee encourages the AOC, in
coordination with the Capitol Police Board, to evaluate the
current conditions and cost of constructing a physical shelter
at offsite K-9 inspection checkpoints. The Committee requests
the AOC to report these findings to the Committee no later than
90 days after enactment of this Act.

Botanic Garden

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $14,759,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 16,094,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 15,822,000
Change from enacted level......................... +1,063,000
Change from request............................... -272,000

The Committee recommends $15,822,000 for the improvement,
operation, care, and maintenance of the United States Botanic
Garden (USBG) Conservatory; the National Garden; the
Administration Building; the Bartholdi Park and Fountain;
heritage and other plant collections; and the USBG Production
Facility at D.C. Village. Of the total, $4,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2024.

Within Operating Expenses, the Committee has provided the
$150,000 increase requested for the USBG exhibits program
celebrating its 200th anniversary year. The bill also includes
the requested $200,000 increase for the partnerships program
for urban agriculture.
Agricultural Training and Education: The Committee
encourages the Botanic Garden to expand its urban agriculture
training and education initiative and build on its successful
work from previous years. The bill includes the $200,000
increase requested in the budget for this activity. The USBG
seeks to build partnerships with other botanic gardens and
agricultural and educational institutions, to provide training
and educational resources, and to strengthen urban agriculture
in areas of job training, entrepreneurship, food security,
nutrition, education, and community development. This Committee
supports the USBG efforts to serve as a training resource for
local and national audiences on topics related to productive
and sustainable urban agriculture, food handling and
preparation, and nutrition.
People's Garden: The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) started the first People's Garden at its
headquarters in 2009 and has since helped to initiate 1,896
additional gardens at Federal agencies and nearby communities
across the country. The Committee encourages the Architect to
partner with USDA to start a People's Garden on the U.S.
Capitol grounds.

Capitol Visitor Center

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $23,322,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 24,321,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 23,391,000
Change from enacted level......................... +69,000
Change from request............................... -930,000

The Committee recommends $23,391,000 for the operations of
the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The CVC was established to
provide a secure public environment to welcome and manage a
large number of visitors and to protect the Capitol, its
occupants, and guests in an atmosphere of open access.
Diversity Among Tour Guides: To ensure that the Capitol
complex more accurately and respectfully represents the history
of Native Americans, the Committee encourages the hiring of
Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians as tour
guides.
Non-English Tours: The Committee commends the AOC for
making tours of the U.S. Capitol available in languages other
than English. Hundreds of thousands of international visitors
visit the Capitol each year to experience firsthand the
``symbol of our democracy''. Currently, translated brochures
are available in twelve languages--Arabic, Chinese, French,
German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish, and Vietnamese. Listening devices for tours are
available in six languages--French, German, Japanese, Mandarin,
Korean and Spanish. The Committee encourages the AOC to review
enhancement of audio translations options as part of the CVC
Exhibition Hall redesign and to make listening devices
available in additional languages, beginning with those for
which brochures have already been translated.

Administrative Provision

Section 119 prohibits payment of bonuses to contractors
behind schedule or over budget during fiscal year 2020 and all
subsequent fiscal years.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Established by Congress in 1800, the Library of Congress is
one of the largest libraries in the world, with a collection of
more than 168,000,000 print, audio, and video items in 470
languages. Among its major programs are acquisitions,
preservation, administration of U.S. copyright laws by the
Copyright Office, research and analysis of policy issues for
the Congress by the Congressional Research Service, and
administration of a national program to provide reading
material to the blind and physically handicapped. The Library
maintains a significant number of collections and provides a
range of services to libraries in the United States and abroad.
Appropriations Shifts to Reflect Centralized Funding for
Information Technology: During fiscal year 2018, in an effort
to reduce duplication, increase efficiency, and better utilize
specialized expertise, the Library of Congress began providing
more Information Technology (IT) services centrally though its
Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) rather than in
the Library's various component organizations. In fiscal years
2018 and 2019, Library components which have separate
appropriations accounts reimbursed the main Library of Congress
Salaries and Expenses account through intra-agency agreements
for the IT services being provided to them centrally by the
OCIO under this initiative.
For fiscal year 2020, however, the Library has requested
that funding for centralized IT services be appropriated
directly to the main Salaries and Expenses account for use by
the OCIO instead of to the component organizations receiving
the services, in order to reflect where services are actually
being performed and avoid the need for repeated reimbursement
transactions. The Committee has agreed to this request.
As a result, the Committee bill reflects a shift in
appropriations totaling $13,556,000 to the Library of Congress
Salaries and Expenses account, with $2,708,000 of that shift
coming from the Copyright Office, $8,767,000 coming from the
Congressional Research Service, and $2,081,000 coming from the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped. While these shifts cause the affected accounts to
increase or decrease, they merely reflect changes in the
approach to financing IT services rather than any programmatic
change. Leaving aside the IT funding shifts, the Committee's
recommendation for each of the main Library of Congress
accounts represents an increase above fiscal year 2019.
Visitor Experience Initiative: The Librarian of Congress
has outlined a major multi-year initiative, envisioned as a
public-private partnership and termed ``Enhancing the Visitor
Experience''. This initiative is intended to improve the
experience of visitors to the Library's Thomas Jefferson
Building, better display many of the treasures in the Library's
collections, more effectively communicate the Library's mission
and the range of its services and holdings, and provide
displays and activities targeted to children and youth visiting
the Library. The total multi-year cost was estimated at
$60,000,000, with two-thirds of that envisioned as coming from
appropriations and the other one-third from private donations.
The Appropriations Committees considered this idea to have
promise, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for 2018
appropriated an initial $10,000,000. Of that amount, $2,000,000
was made available for developing specific plans, cost
estimates, and schedules for the initiative, and the remaining
$8,000,000 was withheld from obligation pending review and
approval of the resulting planning documents by the chairs and
ranking minority members of the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees' Subcommittees on the Legislative Branch. The plans
are expected to be ready during the summer of 2019 and the
Committee looks forward to receiving and reviewing them.
This bill provides an additional $5,000,000 for the
Enhancing the Visitor Experience initiative, similarly withheld
from obligation pending receipt, review, and approval of the
plans, estimates and schedules. Once that review and approval
has occurred, the Committee will be better positioned to
consider appropriate funding levels during conference
discussions with the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Public Access to Legislative Information: The Library of
Congress has become one of the pre-eminent sources of public
information about federal legislation and congressional
processes, particularly through its role in hosting the
``Congress.gov'' website but also through other digital
activities. The Committee commends the Library for its
achievements in this area.
The Committee also understands that users of the Library's
legislative information services have suggestions regarding
ways in which those services could be improved or expanded, and
the Committee would like to encourage creation of a more
structured process for receiving and considering such
suggestions. Such a process should also recognize some of the
limits on the Library's ability to implement improvements and
expansions of these services, however. For example, much of the
information presented on the Congress.gov website is not
generated or controlled by the Library but rather comes from
other sources--particularly various offices of the House of
Representatives and the Senate and the Government Publishing
Office--and expanding or changing the content of Congress.gov
will often require those sources to do something new or
different. Further, some improvements and expansions would
require commitment of substantial time and resources by offices
both within and outside the Library that already have a heavy
IT workload.
To facilitate public input into the Library's legislative
information services and how they could be improved, the
Committee urges the Library to convene a public meeting at
least once a year during the next two years to discuss these
issues. The Library should invite a broad range of potentially
interested parties to participate, such as journalists,
academics, advocacy and public interest organizations, research
institutions, libraries, and publishers of legislative
information. The Library should also invite and encourage
participation from representatives of Legislative Branch
stakeholders such as the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of
the Senate, and the Government Publishing Office.
Following the meeting, the Library should prepare a report,
to be submitted to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees and also to relevant authorizing committees and
officers of the House and Senate. The report should summarize
the comments and suggestions made, indicate which could be
implemented by the Library itself and which would require
action by other entities, roughly estimate the cost and effort
needed (where possible), and provide the Library's evaluation
and recommendations for further action.
Primary Computing Facility: In fiscal year 2017 the Library
of Congress requested, and this Committee approved, a multi-
year investment to migrate the Library's primary computing
facility to certified Tier III facilities. By appropriating
this funding, Congress underscored the urgent need to move the
Library's current data center to a safe and secure offsite
certified Tier III data center.
As the Library's Office of the Chief Information Officer
has confirmed that it is on schedule to complete the Data
Center Transformation Program by the end of fiscal year 2020,
the Committee directs the Librarian of Congress to provide a
written report outlining a month-by-month timeline of when the
data center migration will be completed, including a detailed
overview of how the Library intends to meet its 2020 deadline
to migrate to an offsite certified Tier III data center. The
report is to be delivered within 30 days of enactment of this
bill to all stakeholders.
Law Library: The Committee commends the Law Library for
continuing to provide support to the time-sensitive and complex
needs of the Congress, the Supreme Court, executive branch
agencies, courts, practicing attorneys, state bars, state and
local governments, American businesses, scholars, journalists,
and those with legal research needs. The Committee urges the
Law Library to continue its digitization strategy as party of
the Library's overall digitization strategy to increase online
access to major parts of its collection, such as the U.S.
Serial Sets and Supreme Court Records and Briefs.
Preservation: The Library's extremely diverse collections
require a range of preservation strategies, including
assessment, treatment, reformatting, environmental storage and
protective housing. The Committee considers mass
deacidification to be an important part of a balanced
preservation strategy and directs the Library to continue
funding for mass deacidification at not less than the fiscal
year 2019 level.
Veterans History Project: The Committee recommends an
appropriation of $3,587,000 for the Veterans History Project,
recognizing the critical importance of the project as a way to
collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of
American war veterans for the benefit of future generations. As
the Veterans History Project relies on volunteers to collect
and submit veteran's stories, the Committee encourages the
Library of Congress to do further outreach with schools, Girl
and Boy Scout programs, and Veterans Service Organizations and
nonprofit and community stakeholders serving veterans from
historically underrepresented groups to enhance the project.
World War II Archives: The Committee recognizes the
important work the Library of Congress is doing to archive
stories, documents, and other materials from U.S. military
veterans through its Veterans History Project. The Committee
requests that the Library further strengthen its partnerships
with military families, local veterans service organizations,
memorials, and museums across the country to collect additional
stories, documents and materials from WWII-era veterans and
disseminate them for use by the National Park Service, National
Capital Memorial Advisory Commission, and American Battle
Monuments Commission.
Outreach to Minority Serving Institutions: The Committee
encourages the Library of Congress to increase cooperative
partnerships, fellowship opportunities, and curriculum program
associations with community colleges, Historically Black
Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian
American and native American Pacific Islander-serving
institutions, American Indian Tribally controlled colleges and
universities, Alaska native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions, and other minority serving-institutions. The
Committee requests a report from the Library detailing its
efforts in this area not later than 90 days after enactment of
this bill.
National Film & Sound Preservation: The Committee
recognizes the important work of the National Film Preservation
Program and the National Sound Recording Preservation Program,
including the federally chartered National Film and National
Recording Preservation Foundations. Consistent with the
authorizing statute, the Foundations utilize both public and
private matching funds to provide grants to a wide array of
educational and non-profit organizations that help preserve
historical and cultural artifacts that would otherwise
disappear or be destroyed over time. Given that these programs
were reauthorized under the Library of Congress Sound Recording
and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2016
(Public Law 114-217), the Committee expects that the Library
will provide support to these programs.

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $474,052,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 522,570,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 501,303,000
Offsetting collections............................ 6,000,000
Total available................................... 507,303,000
Change from enacted level......................... +27,251,000
Change from request............................... -21,267,000

The Committee recommends $501,303,000, plus authority to
spend $6,000,000 in receipts, for salaries and expenses.
Note Regarding IT Centralization: The appropriation for
this account reflects the shifts associated with the
centralization of IT funding described at the beginning of the
Library of Congress heading in this report. A total of
$13,556,000 is being moved to this account in fiscal year 2020,
reflecting the cost of IT activities that had been funded in
other Library accounts in previous years that are now being
funded centrally in this account. Disregarding that shift, net
appropriations recommended in the bill for this account are
$13,695,000 higher than in fiscal year 2019.

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $43,589,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 43,289,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 42,153,000
Offsetting collections............................ 49,703,000
Total available................................... 91,856,000
Change from enacted level......................... -1,436,000
Change from request............................... -1,136,000

The Committee recommends $42,153,000 plus authority to
spend $49,703,000 in receipts for salaries and expenses of the
Copyright Office.
Note Regarding IT Centralization: The decrease shown in
this account in fiscal year 2020 results from the
centralization of IT funding described at the beginning of the
Library of Congress section of this report. A total of
$2,708,000 is being moved from the Copyright Office account to
the main Library of Congress Salaries and Expenses account, to
cover IT costs previously funded in this account but now being
funded centrally. Disregarding that shift, net appropriations
included in the bill for the Copyright Office are $1,272,000
higher than in fiscal year 2019.
Copyright Modernization: Few government bodies are more
important to the growth of creativity and commercial artistic
activity in our nation than the Copyright Office. The Committee
continues to support the Copyright Office's efforts to
modernize its IT infrastructure in order to effectively serve
users and copyright owners in the 21st century.
Alternative Funding Options: The Committee encourages the
Copyright Office to explore, and consider using, alternative
funding options, such as public-private partnerships and
transaction-based contract models to meet the Copyright
Office's current and future IT modernization and transformation
requirements, including the Enterprise Copyright System (ECS).
Such models can be cost-efficient and lead to an effective and
ongoing modernization of mission critical, citizen-facing, fee-
based systems.
Copyright Expertise: The Committee understands the
Copyright Office has offered its expertise on copyright matters
to the Executive Branch, including participation in
international discussions, and expects the Office to continue
that important role. Consistent with historical practice, the
Committee expects the Library to continue to defer to the
copyright expertise of the Register of Copyrights.

Congressional Research Service

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $125,688,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 121,572,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 119,889,000
Change from enacted level......................... -5,779,000
Change from request............................... -1,683,000

The Committee recommends $119,889,000 for salaries and
expenses of the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS works
for Members and Committees of Congress to support their
legislative, oversight, and representational functions by
providing nonpartisan and confidential research and policy
analysis.
Note Regarding IT Centralization: The decrease shown in
this account in fiscal year 2020 results from the
centralization of IT funding described at the beginning of the
Library of Congress section of this report. A total of
$8,767,000 is being moved from the Congressional Research
Service account to the main Library of Congress Salaries and
Expenses account, to cover IT costs previously funded in this
account but now being funded centrally. Disregarding that
shift, net appropriations included in the bill for the
Congressional Research Service are $2,988,000 higher than in
fiscal year 2019.
Expertise on American Indian Affairs: The Committee is
concerned that the Congressional Research Service currently
does not employ a dedicated specialist on American Indian
Affairs. Tribal affairs expertise is vital for enabling Members
to understand, evaluate, and make informed policy decisions
regarding the complex issues Native communities face and the
unique trust relationship between the federal government and
Indian tribes. The Committee recommends that CRS appoints a
specialist and senior specialist in American Indian Affairs to
provide Congress with easily accessible, non-partisan
information and research.
Unfilled Analyst Positions: In an effort to identify where
additional resources are required, the Committee directs the
Congressional Research Service to report to Congress within 90
days after enactment of this bill regarding how many FTE
positions for legislative topic area analysts available to
assist Members and staff have not been filled subsequent to
retirements or other vacancies during each of the last five
years.
Congressional Staff Education: The Congressional Research
Service provides valuable education seminars for congressional
staff on the legislative process. The Committee encourages CRS
to continue to incorporate analyses of federal law and related
judicial developments, legislation and the regulatory process,
and international law into their curriculum.

Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $52,783,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 59,646,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 56,945,000
Change from enacted level......................... +4,162,000
Change from request............................... -2,701,000

The Committee recommends $56,945,000 for salaries and
expenses of the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped (NLS).
The NLS is a free braille and talking book library service
for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness,
or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or
holding the printed page. Through a national network of
regional and sub-regional libraries, NLS circulates books and
magazines in braille and audio formats, delivered by postage-
free mail or instantly downloadable.
Note Regarding IT Centralization: The recommended level for
this account in fiscal year 2020 reflects the centralization of
IT funding described at the beginning of the Library of
Congress section of this report. A total of $2,081,000 is being
moved from the Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
account to the main Library of Congress Salaries and Expenses
account, to cover IT costs previously funded in this account
but now being funded centrally. Disregarding the shift,
appropriations included in the bill for Books for the Blind are
$6,243,000 higher than in fiscal year 2019.
BARD Modernization and Acquisition of Braille E-Readers: Of
the amount appropriated for this account, the Committee intends
that not less than $5,500,000 be used for the NLS for its
initiatives to modernize and upgrade the BARD (Braille and
Audio Reading by Download) website used to distribute audio and
electronic braille materials and to purchase braille e-Readers
for use by its patrons.

Administrative Provision

Section 120 limits to $231,975,000 the amount that may be
obligated during fiscal year 2020 from various reimbursements
and revolving funds available to the Library of Congress.

GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

The Government Publishing Office (GPO) publishes and
disseminates Federal government publications to Congress,
Federal agencies, Federal depository libraries, and the
American public.

Congressional Publishing

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $79,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 79,000,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 79,000,000
Change from enacted level......................... 0
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $79,000,000 for Congressional
Publishing. This account funds the costs of publishing
congressional information products in both digital and print
formats.

Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents

Salaries and Expenses

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $32,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 31,296,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 31,296,000
Change from enacted level......................... -704,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $31,296,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Public Information Programs of the
Superintendent of Documents.
This appropriation primarily supports the cataloguing and
indexing of Federal Government publication (the results of
which are now available online) and for operating the Federal
Depository Library system and providing Federal documents to
the network of 1,133 depository libraries nationwide.

Business Operations Revolving Fund

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $6,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 6,704,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 6,704,000
Change from enacted level......................... +704,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $6,704,000 for the Business
Operations Revolving Fund, which finances GPO's publishing
operations.
This business-like fund is used to pay GPO's costs in
performing or procuring from private-sector sources
congressional and agency publishing, information product
procurement, and publications dissemination activities. The
fund is reimbursed from payments from customer agencies, sales
to the public, appropriations to the fund, and transfers from
GPO's two annual appropriations.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $589,750,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 647,637,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 615,604,000
Offsetting Collections............................ 24,800,000
Total available................................... 640,404,000
Change from enacted level......................... +25,854,000
Change from request............................... -32,033,000

The Committee recommends $615,604,000 in direct
appropriations for the Government Accountability Office (GAO),
plus $24,800,000 in offsetting collections derived from
reimbursements for conducting financial audits of government
corporations and rental of space in the GAO building. Funds
provided will support the full-year costs of staff hired during
fiscal year 2019, including those associated with the Science,
Technology Assessment, and Analytics team, and partially
address information technology and infrastructure requests.
Within the total, the Committee provides $2,375,000 for the GAO
Office of Inspector General.
GAO was established by the Budget and Accounting Act of
1921. GAO works for Congress by responding to requests for
studies of Federal government programs and expenditures, and
may also initiate its own work.
Duplicative Government Programs: Since passage of Public
Law 111-139, GAO has been mandated to produce a report to
Congress identifying duplicative programs throughout the
Federal government. In a yearly report GAO identifies Federal
programs, agencies, offices and initiatives that have
duplicative goals or activities. Since 2011, GAO has presented
805 actions in more than 300 areas for Congress or executive
branch agencies to reduce, eliminate, or better manage
fragmentation, overlap or duplication. As of October, 2018,
Congress and the executive branch have addressed or partially
addressed 604 of those actions resulting in roughly $178
billion in financial benefits. The Committee continues to
direct GAO to issue these reports and urges Congress and the
executive branch to address duplicative programs.

OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER TRUST FUND

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $5,600,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 5,800,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 5,800,000
Change from enacted level......................... +200,000
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $5,800,000 for salaries and
expenses of the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund.
Expansion of Program to Other Countries: The Committee
supports the work of the Open World program as the only foreign
exchange program in the Legislative Branch. Since 1999, the
program has promoted dialogue and mutual understanding with
Russia and former Soviet countries considered to be
strategically important to the United States in the post-Soviet
era. In view of the current multi-polar world that presents
both challenges and opportunities, the Committee strongly
encourages the program to expand beyond Russia and post-Soviet
countries to include other countries of strategic necessity to
the United States. The goal is to support the Congress in
fostering relationships with select foreign states as an
adjunct to United States diplomatic relations, and to gain
greater understanding between our nations.
Poland: The Committee is concerned that the murder of
Gdansk mayor Pawel Adamowicz may foster political polarization
and urges Open World to extend a hand of friendship to the
Polish people and strengthen U.S.-Poland relations through the
establishment of a Pawel Adamowicz Democratic Exchange to
empower Polish civil society and upcoming democratic leaders.
Hungary: The Committee is also concerned about
opportunities for increased Russian influence in the region,
including challenges with corruption and weakening civil
society in Hungary. The Committee urges Open World to establish
exchanges with Hungarian civil society and local leaders to
shore up democratic institutions and extend American goodwill
in the face of significant democratic challenges. The Committee
recognizes that such a course of action would be in line with
the Administration's strategy to compete for influence in
Central and Eastern Europe in the face of increased Russian and
Chinese influence.

JOHN C. STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Appropriation, fiscal year 2019....................... $430,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2020...................... 430,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 430,000
Change from enacted level......................... 0
Change from request............................... 0

The Committee recommends $430,000 for salaries and expenses
as requested. The Center provides Congressional staff training
and development opportunities to promote and strengthen public
service leadership in America.

TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

Includes new language permitting funding in this Act to be
used to employ individuals with an employment authorization
document under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) Program.
Also continues a number of provisions from prior years,
including language regarding maintenance and care of private
vehicles, fiscal year limitation, rates of compensation and
designation, consulting services, the Legislative Branch
Financial Managers Council, a limitation on transfers, guided
tours of the Capitol, limitations on telecommunications
equipment procurement, prohibition on certain operational
expenses, and plastic waste reduction.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT REQUIREMENTS

The following items are included in accordance with various
requirements of the Rules of the House of Representatives:

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following is a statement of
general performance goals and objectives for which this measure
authorizes funding:
The Committee on Appropriations considers program
performance, including a program's success in developing and
attaining outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing
funding recommendations.

Rescissions

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following details the rescissions
in the accompanying bill:
$1,000,000 from the revolving fund established under House
Resolution 94, 98th Congress
$4,000,000 from the revolving fund relating to
``Stationery'' under the heading ``House of Representatives,
Contingent Expenses of the House'' in the first section of the
Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1948

Transfer of Funds

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following lists the transfers of
funds included in the accompanying bill:
Section 116(a)(2) authorizes transfer of available balances
of expired appropriations for the House of Representatives to
``House of Representatives--Allowances and Expenses'' for
payments to the Employees Compensation Fund and for
reimbursement for unemployment compensation payments for former
employees of the House.
A proviso in the appropriation for ``Architect of the
Capitol--Capital Construction and Operations'' permits the
transfer of $10,000,000 of funding available for five years to
other Architect of the Capitol accounts.
A proviso in the appropriation for ``Architect of the
Capitol--House Office Buildings'' directs transfer of
$8,000,000 into that account from the House Office Buildings
Fund.
Within the Government Publishing Office, provisos in the
appropriations for ``Congressional Publishing'' and ``Public
Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents,
Salaries and Expenses'' authorize transfer of unobligated or
unexpended balances of expired discretionary funds appropriated
under those headings for fiscal year 2020 to the ``Government
Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund'' account.

Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending Items

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no
Congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9 of rule XXI.

Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):

SECTION 120 OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019

allowance for compensation of interns in member offices

Sec. 120. (a) Establishment of Allowance.--There is
established for the house of representatives an allowance which
shall be available for the compensation of interns who serve in
the offices of members of the house of representatives
(b) Cap on Amount Available Per Office.--An office of a
Member of the House of Representatives may not use more than
$20,000 of the allowance under this section during any calendar
year.
(c) Benefit Exclusion.--Section 104(b) of the House of
Representatives Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act
(2 U.S.C. 5321(b)) shall apply with respect to an intern who is
compensated under the allowance under this section in the same
manner as such section applies with respect to an intern who is
compensated under the Members' Representational Allowance.
(d) No Effect on Payment of Interns Under Members'
Representational Allowance.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to affect the use of the Members' Representational
Allowance for the compensation of interns, as provided under
section 104 of the House of Representatives Administrative
Reform Technical Corrections Act (2 U.S.C. 5321).
(e) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``intern'' has the meaning given such
term in section 104(c)(2) of the House of
Representatives Administrative Reform Technical
Corrections Act (2 U.S.C. 5321(c)(2)); and
(2) the term ``Member of the House of
Representatives'' means a Representative in, or a
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to
be appropriated to carry out this section $8,800,000 for fiscal
year 2019[.], and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2020 and each succeeding fiscal year.
----------

SECTON 312 OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1992

Sec. 312. (a)(1) The Chief Administrative Officer of the
House of Representatives shall maintain and operate a child
care center (to be known as the ``House of Representatives
Child Care Center'') to furnish pre-school child care and
(subject to the approval of regulations by the Committee on
House Administration) child care for school age children other
than during the course of the ordinary school day--
(A) for children of individuals whose pay is
disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the
House of Representatives and children of support
personnel of the House of Representatives;
(B) if places are available after admission of all
children who are eligible under subparagraph (A), for
children of individuals whose pay is disbursed by the
Secretary of the Senate and children of employees of
agencies of the legislative branch; and
(C) if places are available after admission of all
children who are eligible under subparagraph (A) or
(B), for children of employees of other offices,
departments, and agencies of the Federal Government.
(2) Children shall be admitted to the center on a
nondiscriminatory basis and without regard to any office or
position held by their parents.
(b)(1)(A) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
appoint 15 individuals (of whom 7 shall be upon recommendation
of the minority leader of the House of Representatives), to
serve without pay, as members of an advisory board for the
center. The board shall--
(i) provide advice to the Chief Administrative
Officer on matters of policy relating to the
administration and operation of the center (including
the selection of the director of the center);
(ii) be chosen from among Members of the House of
Representatives, spouses of Members, parents of
children enrolled in the center, and other individuals
with expertise in child care or interest in the center;
and
(iii) serve during the Congress in which they are
appointed, except that a member of the board may
continue to serve after the expiration of a term until
a successor is appointed.
(B) The director of the center shall serve as an additional
member of the board, ex officio and without the right to vote.
(2) A vacancy on the board shall be filled in the manner in
which the original appointment is made.
(3) The chairman of the board shall be elected by the members
of the board.
(c) In carrying out subsection (a), the Chief Administrative
Officer is authorized--
(1) to collect fees for child care services;
(2) to accept such gifts of money and property as may
be approved by the Chairman and the ranking minority
party member of the Committee on House Oversight of the
House of Representatives, acting jointly; and
(3) to employ a director and other employees for the
center.
(d)(1) There is established an account which, subject to
appropriation, and except as provided in paragraphs (2) and
(3), shall be the exclusive source for all salaries and
expenses for activities carried out under this section. The
Chief Administrative Officer shall deposit in the account any
amounts received under subsection (c).
(2) With respect to employees of the center, the House of
Representatives shall make Government contributions and
payments for health insurance, retirement, employment taxes,
and similar benefits and programs (including the subsidies
provided on behalf of employees of the center as a result of
reductions in the amount of tuition otherwise charged with
respect to the children of such employees under paragraph (4))
in the same manner as such contributions and payments are made
for other employees of the House of Representatives.
(3) The House of Representatives shall make payments from
amounts provided in appropriations acts for salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer for
the following activities carried out under this section:
(A) The payment of the salary of the director of the
center.
(B) The reimbursement of individuals employed by the
center for the cost of training classes and conferences
in connection with the provision of child care
services, together with the cost of travel (including
transportation and subsistence) incurred in connection
with such classes and conferences.
(4) In the case of a child of an employee of the center who
is furnished care at the center, the Chief Administrative
Officer shall reduce the amount of tuition otherwise charged
with respect to such child during a month by the greater of--
(A) 50 percent; or
(B) such percentage as may be necessary to ensure
that the total amount of tuition paid by the employee
with respect to all children of the employee who are
furnished care at the center during the month does not
exceed $1,000.
(e) As used in this section--
(1) the term ``Member of the House of
Representatives'' means a Representative in, or a
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;
(2) the term ``agency of the legislative branch''
means the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the
Botanic Garden, the General Accounting Office, the
Government Printing Office, the Library of Congress,
the Office of Technology Assessment, the Congressional
Budget Office, and the Copyright Royalty Tribunal; and
(3) the term ``support personnel'' means, with
respect to the House of Representatives, any employee
of a credit union or of the Architect of the Capitol,
whose principal duties are to support the functions of
the House of Representatives.
(f) House Resolution 21, Ninety-ninth Congress, agreed to
December 11, 1985, enacted into permanent law by section 103 of
the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1987 (as
incorporated by reference in section 101(j) of Public Law 99-
500 and Public Law 99-591) (40 U.S.C. 184b-184f) is repealed.
----------

SECTION 908 OF THE EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL ACT, 2002

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES

Sec. 908. (a) Establishment.--In order to recruit or retain
qualified personnel, the Chief of the Capitol Police may
establish an educational assistance program for employees of
the Capitol Police under which the Capitol Police may agree--
(1) to repay (by direct payments on behalf of the
participating employee) all or any portion of a student
loan previously taken out by the employee;
(2) to make direct payments to an educational
institution on behalf of a participating employee or to
reimburse a participating employee for all or any
portion of any tuition or related educational expenses
paid by the employee.
(b) Special Rules For Student Loan Repayments.--
(1) Application of regulations under executive branch
program.--In carrying out subsection (a)(1), the Chief
of the Capitol Police may, by regulation, make
applicable such provisions of section 5379 of title 5,
United States Code, as the Chief determines necessary
to provide for such program.
(2) Restrictions on prior reimbursements.--The
Capitol Police may not reimburse any individual under
subsection (a)(1) for any repayments made by the
individual prior to entering into an agreement with the
Capitol Police to participate in the program under this
section.
(3) Use of recovered amounts.--Any amount repaid by,
or recovered from, an individual under subsection
(a)(1) and its implementing regulations shall be
credited to the appropriation account available for
salaries or general expenses of the Capitol Police at
the time of repayment or recovery. Such credited amount
may be used for any authorized purpose of the account
and shall remain available until expended.
(c) Limit on Amount of Payments.--The total amount paid by
the Capitol Police with respect to any individual under the
program under this section may not exceed [$40,000] $60,000
(d) No Review of Determinations.--Any determination made
under the program under this section shall not be reviewable or
appealable in any manner.
(e) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to
fiscal year 2003 and each succeeding fiscal year.

Changes in the Application of Existing Law

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following statements are
submitted describing the effect of provisions in the
accompanying bill that directly or indirectly change the
application of existing law:
1. The bill provides that certain appropriation items
remain available for more than one year, where programs or
projects are continuing in nature under the provisions of
authorizing legislation but for which that legislation does not
specifically authorize such extended availability.
2. The bill includes a number of provisions which place
limitations on or change or extend existing limitations,
appropriations, or authorizations, and which under some
circumstances might be construed as changing the application of
existing law.
3. The bill continues the practice of providing official
reception and representation allowances for officers and
offices of the Legislative Branch.
4. The bill authorizes disbursal of funds for various
agencies.
5. The bill authorizes transfer authority between accounts
for certain agencies in the bill.
6. The bill includes language allowing the use of funds for
studies and examinations of executive agencies and temporary
personnel services. Funds can also be available for
reimbursement to agencies for services performed.
7. The bill includes language providing funds for the
Family Room, the Superintendent of Garages, Office of Emergency
Management, and preparing the Digest of Rules.
8. The bill includes language providing funds for House
motor vehicles, interparliamentary receptions, and gratuities.
9. The bill requires unspent funds remaining in Members'
Representational Allowances to be used for deficit or debt
reduction.
10. The bill includes language that places a limitation on
the amount that a Member can spend on a leased vehicle per
month.
11. The bill includes language establishing intern
allowances for Member and leadership offices.
12. The bill includes language requiring that any Federal
agencies that are assisting the House with cybersecurity risks
ensure the constitutional integrity of the separate branches of
government.
13. The bill includes language permitting expired
appropriations to be used to pay employee death gratuities and
unemployment insurance.
14. The bill includes language reducing the amount of
tuition charged for children of employees of the House child
care center.
15. The bill authorizes allowances for employees of the
Office of the Attending Physician and provides reimbursement to
the Department of the Navy.
16. The bill authorizes expenses of the Capitol Police for
motor vehicles, communications and other equipment, uniforms,
weapons, supplies, materials, training, medical services,
forensic services, stenographic services, personal and
professional services, the employee assistance program, the
awards program, postage, communication services, travel
advances, and relocation expenses.
17. The bill provides that the cost of Capitol Police basic
training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center be paid
by the Department of Homeland Security.
18. The bill includes language that increases the employee
educational assistance program reimbursement limit.
19. The bill allows the Architect of the Capitol to
purchase or exchange, maintain, and operate one passenger motor
vehicle.
20. The bill includes authorization allowing reimbursements
for chilled water and steam provided to the Government
Publishing Office, the Washington City Post Office, the Supreme
Court, the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, Union
Station Complex, and the Folger Shakespeare Library to be
credited to the AOC Capitol Power Plant appropriation and made
available for obligation.
21. The bill allows the Architect of the Capitol to expend
funds to maintain, care for, and operate the National Garden.
22. The bill prohibits paying bonuses for contractors who
are behind schedule or over budget and making that provision
permanent.
23. The bill provides the authority to expend funds
collected under the authority of 2 U.S.C. 150 and to the
balance to remain available until expended.
24. The bill establishes that the amount available for
obligation by the Library of Congress is reduced by offsetting
collections.
25. The bill provides funds for the digital collections and
educational curricula program, and the American Folklife
Center.
26. The bill allows the Library of Congress to hire or
purchase one passenger motor vehicle.
27. The bill allows funds from offsetting collections to be
used for the Library's Copyright Office.
28. The bill includes language authorizing the expenditure
of receipts, with the exception of salaries and benefits, for
the administration of the Copyright Royalty Judges program.
29. The bill contains language which provides that no funds
in the Congressional Research Service can be used to publish or
prepare material to be issued by the Library of Congress unless
approved by the appropriate committee, with an exception.
30. The bill provides funds to provide newspapers to the
blind and physically handicapped.
31. The bill contains language under the Library of
Congress placing a limitation on obligations for Reimbursable
and Revolving Fund activities.
32. The bill contains language restricting the use of funds
appropriated to the Government Publishing Office for the
permanent edition of the Congressional Record for individual
Representatives and Senators, Resident Commissioners or
Delegates, and language providing that appropriations
recommended shall be available for the payment of obligations
incurred under appropriations for similar purposes for
preceding fiscal years, limiting the printing of certain
documents to a time certain, and authorizing the transfer of
unobligated balances.
33. The bill includes language authorizing the Public
Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents to pay
for printing certain publications in prior years for the
depository library program. There is language authorizing the
transfer of unexpended balances.
34. There is language authorizing the operation of the
Government Publishing Office revolving fund, and which
authorizes travel expenses for advisory councils, the purchase
of not more than 12 passenger motor vehicles and that the
revolving fund may be used to provide information in any
format.
35. The bill includes language relating to the Government
Accountability Office, authorizing the direct procurement of
expert and consultant services under 5 U.S.C. 3109 at certain
rates; authorizing the hire of one passenger motor vehicle, as
required by 31 U.S.C. 1343; authorizing the Government
Accountability Office to make advance payments in foreign
countries in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3324; and providing
certain benefits, including rental of living quarters in
foreign countries. Appropriations are authorized for
administrative expenses of any other member department or
agency to finance an appropriate share of the costs of the
National Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional
Intergovernmental Audit Forum.
36. The bill includes language prohibiting the use of funds
in the Act for the maintenance or care of private vehicles
except for emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided
under regulations relating to parking facilities for the House
issued by the Committee on House Administration and for the
Senate by the Committee on Rules and Administration.
37. The bill provides no part of the funds appropriated in
this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond fiscal
year 2020 unless expressly so provided in this Act.
38. The bill provides that whenever any office or position
not specifically established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929
is appropriated for herein, or whenever the rate of
compensation or designation of any position appropriated for
herein is different from that specifically established for such
position by such Act, the rate of compensation and the
designation of the position, either appropriated for or
provided herein, shall be the permanent law with respect
thereto: Provided that the provisions herein for the various
items of official expenses of Members, officers, and committees
of the Senate and House, and clerk hire for Senators and
Members shall be the permanent law with respect thereto.
39. The bill requires that certain information regarding
consulting services shall be a matter of public record.
40. The bill authorizes Legislative Branch entities to
share the costs of the Legislative Branch Financial Managers
Council.
41. The bill limits the transfer of funds in this Act.
42. The bill prohibits funds in this Act being used to
eliminate or restrict staff-led guided tours.
43. The bill prohibits funds from being used to acquire
telecommunications equipment from a particular class of
vendors.
44. The bill prohibits funds from being used to maintain or
establish a computer network unless the network blocks
pornography.
45. The bill includes language requiring agencies funded in
the Act to eliminate or reduce plastic waste.
46. The bill includes language permitting funds to be used
to employ individuals with an employment authorization document
under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Program.

Appropriations Not Authorized by Law

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following lists the
appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not
authorized by law for the period concerned:
1. An appropriation of $11,025,000 for the Allowance for
Compensation of Interns in Member Offices in the House of
Representatives; this allowance was first authorized and
appropriated for in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act,
2019, with both authorization and appropriation equal to
$8,800.000.
2. An appropriation of $365,000 for the Allowance for
Compensation of Interns in House Leadership Offices; this
allowance has not previously received an authorization or
appropriation.

BUDGETARY IMPACT OF THE FY 2020 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS BILL
PREPARED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PURSUANT
TO SEC. 308(A), PUBLIC LAW 93-344, AS AMENDED

[IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS]

COMPARISON WITH BUDGET RESOLUTION

Section 308(a)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act
requires the report accompanying a bill providing new budget
authority to contain a statement comparing the levels in the
bill to the suballocations submitted under section 302(b) of
the Act for the most recently agreed to concurrent resolution
on the budget for the applicable fiscal year.

[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
302(b) Allocation This Bill
---------------------------------------------------
Budget Budget
Authority Outlays Authority Outlays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of amounts in the bill with Committee allocations
to its subcommittees: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
General Purpose Discretionary........................... 5,010 5,037 3,972\1\ 4,162
Mandatory............................................... 150 149 150\1\ 149
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

FIVE-YEAR OUTLAY PROJECTIONS

In compliance with section 308(a)(1)(B) of the
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
(Public Law 93-344), as amended, the following table contains
five-year projections associated with the budget authority
provided in the accompanying bill.

[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outlays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Projection of outlays associated with the recommendation:
2020.................................................... ........... ........... \1\ 3,449
2021.................................................... ........... ........... ........... 447
2022.................................................... ........... ........... ........... 105
2023.................................................... ........... ........... ........... 47
2024 and future years................................... ........... ........... ........... 27
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

In accordance with section 308(a)(1)(C) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended, the Congressional
Budget Office has provided the following estimates of new
budget authority and outlays provided by the accompanying bill
for financial assistance to State and local governments.

[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget
Authority Outlays
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial assistance to State and local 0\1\ 0
governments for 2020.........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

Program Duplication

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following states that: No
provision of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of
the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another
Federal program, a program that was included in any report from
the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance.

Committee Hearings

For the purpose of secton 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 116th
Congress--
The following hearings were used to develop or consider the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2020:
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights fiscal year 2020
budget request on February 7, 2019. The Subcommittee received
testimony from Susan Tsui Grundmann, Executive Director. The
Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the Open
World Leadership Center fiscal year 2020 budget request on
February 7, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from Jane
Sargus, Executive Director.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Architect of the Capitol fiscal year 2020 budget request on
February 26, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from
Christine A. Merdon, Acting Architect of the Capitol.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Congressional Budget Office fiscal year 2020 budget request on
February 26, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from
Christine A. Merdon, Acting Architect of the Capitol.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Congressional Budget Office fiscal year 2020 budget request on
February 26, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from Dr.
Keith Hall, Director.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Government Accountability Office fiscal year 2020 budget
request on February 27, 2019. The Subcommittee received
testimony from Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the
United States.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Government Publishing Office fiscal year 2020 budget request on
February 27, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from
Herbert H. Jackson, Acting Deputy Director.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Library of Congress fiscal year 2020 budget request on March 7,
2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from Dr. Carla
Hayden, Librarian of Congress; Dr. Mary B. Mazanec, Director,
Congressional Research Services; and Ms. Karyn Temple, Acting
U.S. Register of Copyrights, U.S. Copyright Office.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
House of Representatives fiscal year 2020 budget request on
March 12, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from the
Honorable Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk of the House; the Honorable
Paul D. Irving, Sergeant at Arms; the Honorable Philip G. Kiko,
Chief Administrative Officer; E. Wade Ballou, Legislative
Counsel; Douglas N. Letter, General Counsel; Michael T.
Ptasienski, Inspector General; and Ralph Seep, Law Revision
Counsel.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on the
U.S. Capitol Police fiscal year 2020 budget request on March
12, 2019. The Subcommittee received testimony from Matthew
Verderosa, Chief of Police.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on
fiscal year 2020 agency budget requests on April 2, 2019 with
Members of Congress. The Subcommittee received testimony from
Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Sean Casten, and Rep. Anna G. Eshoo.
Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Rep. Susan A. Davis submitted
written testimony for the record.
The Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a hearing on
fiscal year 2020 agency budget requests on April 2, 2019 with
public witnesses. The Subcommittee received testimony from Femi
Cadmus, President, American Association of Law Libraries; Zach
Graves, Head of Policy, Lincoln Network; Daniel Schuman, Demand
Progress and Demand Progress Action; Samantha Feinstein, Senior
Legal and International Analyst, Government Accountability
Project; Rebecca Jones, Policy Counsel, Project on Government
Oversight; Joseph Alessi, Program Director, Congressional App
Challenge; Kel McClanahan, Executive Director, National
Security Counselors, National Security Law; Mandy Smithberger,
Director, Center for Defense Information at the Project on
Government Oversight; and Gabe Cazares, Manager of Government
Relations, National Federation of the Blind.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

MINORITY VIEWS

The Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year
2020 provides $3,972,000,000, which is $164,228,000 or 4.3
percent above the Fiscal Year 2019 enacted level.
Appropriations Committee Republicans opposed the bill when it
was considered by the Full Committee.
Not only are Committee Republicans concerned about the
funding provided in this bill, we object to the unrealistic
topline discretionary funding level the Majority has proposed,
which does not have bipartisan, bicameral consensus. Lack of an
agreement could potentially lead to a Presidential veto, a
government shutdown, and devastating sequestration cuts,
including to the operations of the Legislative Branch.
During Full Committee consideration, Committee Republicans
supported an amendment to drive down the spending level in the
bill. This would have been a small step to show the American
people that Congress is leading by example to reduce Federal
spending, and it is unfortunate that our colleagues did not
support this amendment.
We are also disappointed that the Majority party decided to
include a controversial immigration policy rider in a bill that
historically has been supported in a bipartisan manner. We
intend to work with our colleagues to remove provisions that
could prevent the bill from being signed into law.
We must come together with our colleagues in the Senate and
the Administration to find common ground on funding levels and
policy matters. It is our responsibility as elected
representatives to ensure that appropriations bills are
enacted.
Finally, we would like to thank the Chairman of the
Subcommittee for his cooperation throughout the development of
the bill. The Subcommittee held eleven public hearings, one of
which was held with members of the public, to provide them the
opportunity to advocate for specific outcomes in the bill. We
appreciate that the Chairman conducted this open and
transparent process and was responsive to the Minority party's
concerns.

Kay Granger.
Jaime Herrera Beutler.

[all]

All Congresses 93-117 (1973-2022)
117 (2021-2022)
116 (2019-2020)
115 (2017-2018)
114 (2015-2016)
113 (2013-2014)
112 (2011-2012)
111 (2009-2010)
110 (2007-2008)
109 (2005-2006)
108 (2003-2004)
107 (2001-2002)
106 (1999-2000)
105 (1997-1998)
104 (1995-1996)
103 (1993-1994)
102 (1991-1992)
101 (1989-1990)
100 (1987-1988)
99 (1985-1986)
98 (1983-1984)
97 (1981-1982)
96 (1979-1980)
95 (1977-1978)
94 (1975-1976)
93 (1973-1974)

Any Version of Legislation
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