Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1988

(Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #293 (79-19))

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1988 - Title I: Congressional Operations - Congressional Operations Appropriation Act, 1988 - Appropriates funds for FY 1988 for the operations of the Senate for the following: (1) mileage of the Vice President and Senators; (2) expense allowances for Senate leadership offices; (3) salaries and expenses for officers and employees; (4) miscellaneous items; and (5) the expenses of the United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1968, to revise the formula for determining the aggregate gross compensation payable to employees in a Senator's office.

Fixes the compensation of the Chaplain of the Senate at the annual rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule. Authorizes the Chaplain to appoint and fix the pay of a secretary.

Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1985 to require the Sergeant at Arms to provide an automobile for: (1) the attending physician; (2) the former President pro tempore (as authorized by Senate Resolution 90, 100th Congress); and (3) as specifically authorized by law.

Makes permanent the authority of the Administrator of General Services to accept periodic reimbursement from the Senate or the House of Representatives for the cost of equipment purchased for the Senate or the House with funds from the General Supply Fund (established under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949).

Provides for the designation of a chairman of the Commission on Central American Negotiations. Terminates such Commission on September 30, 1988.

Extends the termination date of the United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control from September 30, 1987, to September 30, 1988.

Provides that amounts made available to the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the Senate for FY 1987 shall remain available until September 30, 1988.

Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1979 to increase the expense allowance for Senate orientation seminars.

Authorizes the Conference of the Majority and the Conference of the Minority to utilize amounts as deemed appropriate for specialized training of professional staff. Authorizes the Conferences to transfer amounts to the contingent fund of the Senate for the payment of Conference expenses.

Appropriates funds for FY 1988 for the operations of the House of Representatives for the following: (1) a payment to the widow of Stewart B. McKinney, late a Representative from Connecticut; (2) mileage of Members; (3) House leadership offices; (4) Members' clerk hire; (5) committees employees; (6) studies by the Committee on the Budget; (7) contingent expenses of the House, including salaries and expenses of standing, special, and select committees; (8) studies and investigations of the Committee on Appropriations; and (9) salaries and expenses of officers and employees.

Allows the transfer of amounts among specified House accounts upon the approval of the Committee on Appropriations.

Makes appropriations for the following joint items: (1) contingent expenses of the Senate for the Joint Economic Committee and the Joint Committee on Printing; (2) contingent expenses of the House for the Joint Committee on Taxation; (3) the Office of the Attending Physician; (4) the Capitol Police for general expenses; (5) official mail costs; (6) salaries and expenses of the Capitol Guide Service; and (7) preparation of required statements of appropriations.

Appropriates funds for the following congressional offices: (1) the Office of Technology Assessment for salaries and expenses; (2) the Congressional Budget Office for salaries and expenses; (3) the Architect of the Capitol for salaries, travel, contingent expenses, the Capitol buildings and grounds, House and Senate Office buildings, and the Capitol power plant; (4) the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress for salaries and expenses; (5) the Government Printing Office for congressional printing and binding; and (6) the Biomedical Ethics Board and the Biomedical Ethics Advisory Committee.

Title II: Other Agencies - Appropriates funds for the following congressional agencies: (1) the Botanic Garden for salaries and expenses; (2) the Library of Congress for salaries and expenses including the Copyright Office, Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and furniture and furnishings; (3) the Architect of the Capitol for Library buildings; (4) the Copyright Royalty Tribunal for salaries and expenses; (5) the Government Printing Office for the Office of Superintendent of Documents and the Government Printing Office revolving fund; and (6) the General Accounting Office for salaries and expenses.

Makes funds available to the Library of Congress for expenses of attendance at certain meetings, of which a specified amount is set aside for the Congressional Research Service. Prohibits the Library from using appropriated funds to administer a flexible or compressed work schedule for certain managers or supervisors.

Limits to 65 the number of employees which the Library may employ with appropriated funds to cover general and administrative overhead costs generated by performing reimbursable work for other agencies.

Prohibits the Library from using appropriated funds to provide long-term special study facilities for profit or nonprofit business enterprises until guidelines for such use are approved by the Joint Committee on the Library.

Transfers the responsibility for the care and maintenance of Library grounds from the Architect of the Capitol to the Librarian of Congress.

Title III: General Provisions - Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for general maintenance and care of private vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided under House regulations relating to parking facilities.

Prohibits the obligation of such funds beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided.

Makes permanent law the rates of compensation and certain official expenses provided under this Act.

Limits the expenditure of such appropriations for procurement contracts to those contracts that are a matter of public record and available for public inspection.

Directs the Architect of the Capitol to develop an overall telecommunications plan for the other agencies of the legislative branch that will be compatible with current plans of the House and Senate.

Amends the Federal Salary Act of 1967 to require the recommendations of the President on executive, legislative, and judicial salaries to be approved by joint resolution before such recommendations become effective. Makes such recommendations effective the first pay period after the date of enactment of the joint resolution. (Currently, such recommendations become effective, unless the Congress disapproves them by joint resolution, not later than the last day of the 30-day period after the date on which the Congress received such recommendations.)

Requires entities of the executive branch to procure the services of the Government Printing Office for printing, binding, reproduction, or composition of work related to the production of government materials, except for work costing $1,000 or less if it is not of a continuing or repetitive nature. Prohibits such entities from procuring any printing, binding, reproduction or composition equipment. Denies the use of funds to operate such printing facilities in excess of 105 percent of the volume of such work performed in FY 1987.