Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1989

(Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 100-1000)

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1989 - Title I: Congressional Operations - Congressional Operations Appropriations Act, 1989 - Subtitle A: Congressional Operations - Appropriates funds for FY 1989 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) expenses of the United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

Authorizes the Chairman of the Majority or Minority Conference Committee of the Senate to transfer funds from the appropriation account for salaries for the Conference of the Majority and Conference of the Minority to the account within the contingent fund of the Senate for expenses of the Conferences.

Authorizes the Conferences to use appropriated funds for the specialized training of professional staff.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to transfer funds from their appropriation accounts to their accounts for salaries with the approval of the Committee on Appropriations.

Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1977 to authorize the President pro tempore to employ not more than two individual consultants.

Authorizes the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to provide for the distribution of unused food from the Senate cafeterias to the needy of the District of Columbia through an appropriate private distribution organization.

Amends the Second Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1976 to increase the amount of official travel expenses which the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate may incur.

Increases the amount the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate may expend for individual consultants and department or agency personnel.

Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1973 to remove limitations on the payment of official expenses of the Senators after October 1, 1988.

Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1977 to authorize the Minority Leader of the Senate to appoint and fix the compensation of not more than four individual consultants, on a temporary or intermittent basis.

Authorizes the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to employ and fix the compensation of any employees necessary to operate the Senate Beauty Shop.

Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1977 to redesignate the Senate Barber Shops Revolving Fund as the Senate Barber and Beauty Shops Revolving Fund. Establishes retirement provisions for certain employees of the Senate Building Beauty Shop.

Requires the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeepr of the Senate to keep specified funds available until September 30, 1989.

Prohibits the use of funds under 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 issued by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1973 to allow payment to Senators for any excess costs of franked mail upon certification by the Sergeant at Arms and subject to regulations as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration.

Appropriates funds for FY 1989 for the operations of the House of Representatives for the following: (1) mileage of Members; (2) House leadership offices; (3) Members' clerk hire; (4) committee employees; (5) studies by the Committee on the Budget; (6) contingent expenses of the House, including salaries and expenses of standing, special, and select committees; (7) studies and investigations of the Committee on Appropriations; and (8) salaries and expenses of Members, officers, and employees.

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

Provides for transferring a specified amount as a joint item for the Capitol Police Board from the Clerk of the House to the Architect of the Capitol for disbursement by the Architect.

Increases the pay of certain employees of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and the House Republican Conference.

Makes appropriations for the following joint items: (1) contingent expenses of the Senate for the Joint Economic Committee, the Joint Committee on Printing, and the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 1989; (2) contingent expenses of the House for the Joint Committee on Taxation; (3) the Office of the Attending Physician; (4) the Capitol Police for salaries and general expenses; (5) official mail costs; (6) salaries and expenses of the Capitol Guide Service; (7) the preparation of required statements of appropriations; and (8) construction of platform and seating stands and for salaries and expenses of conducting the inaugural ceremonies of the President and Vice President, January 20, 1989.

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 (subject to reauthorization). Authorizes the Disbursing Officer of the Library of Congress to perform financial management services for the Biomedical Ethics Board.

Authorizes the Architect of the Capitol to develop a pilot program to determine the economic feasibility and efficiency of centralizing certain maintenance functions and reassigning, without an increase or decrease in pay, any person on the employment rolls of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol. Requires a report to appropriate authorities with recommendations for continuation or expansion of such program.

Authorizes the Architect, under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library, to accept donations to restore and display the Statue of Freedom model.

Requires the Architect to install an alarm system to alert individuals occupying the Longworth House Office Building, the Cannon House Office Building, the Russell Senate Office Building, the Dirksen Senate Office Building and the Capitol of a fire or other emergency. Requires the installation to be completed by October 1, 1989, and requires the Architect to report to the appropriate committees by such date concerning such installation.

Subtitle B: John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development - John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development Act - Establishes in the legislative branch the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, under the direction of a Board of Trustees, and located at or near Starkville, Mississippi (the location of Mississippi State University).

Sets forth the purposes and authorities of the Center with respect to: (1) promoting public service as a career choice; (2) providing training and development opportunities for State and local elected government officials, employees of State and local governments, and certain congressional employees; (3) implementing educational programs for secondary and post-secondary schools and colleges; (4) implementing media and telecommunications production capabilities; and (5) establishing library and research facilities.

Establishes the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund to enable the Center to carry out the purposes of this subtitle.

Provides for an Executive Director of the Center to be appointed by the Board of Trustees. Sets forth administrative provisions and requires the Center to report to the Congress annually on its activities. Authorizes appropriations for Center operations.

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

Makes funds available to the Government Printing Office for the repair, alteration, and improvement of rented premises.

Authorizes the Public Printer to dispose of specified land in Washington, D.C.

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.

Authorizes the Clerk of the House of Representatives to receive commissions for providing public telephone service in space occupied by the House of Representatives.

Requires for amounts for general expenses of the Capitol Police to be disbursed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Makes payments to the widows of the following deceased Representatives: (1) Dan Daniel (Virginia); (2) James J. Howard (New Jersey); (3) Charles Melvin Price (Illinois); and (4) John H. Duncan (Tennessee).

Provides for agencies of the legislative branch to use the telecommunications systems and services provided by the Architect of the Capitol, the House of Representatives, or the Senate under specified conditions.

Establishes one additional position of technical assistant to be appointed to the Office of the Attending Physician.

Makes available additional funds for the presidential transition.

Authorizes the construction of a National Garden in the area of the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory in the District of Columbia.

Provides for adjusting the pay of certain employees of the Architect.

Requires the procurement of printing for Government publications to be made through the Government Printing Office, unless otherwise specified by law or this Act.

Revises certain administrative provisions relating to the revolving fund for the operation and maintenance of the Government Printing Office.

Prohibits the use of funds by the Congressional Budget Office to add to, delete, or alter any information the Office has provided to the Congress, except to correct factual errors or to provide new or updated information.

Amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to authorize each standing committee of the House or Senate to employ consultants to advise the committee on the administration of its affairs.

Requires sums as necessary for FY 1989 pay raises for programs funded by this Act to be absorbed within the levels appropriated in this Act.