Legislative Branch Appropriations, FY 2004 bill

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure)

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2004 - Title I: Legislative Branch Appropriations - Makes FY 2004 appropriations for the Senate for: (1) expense allowances; (2) representation allowances for the Majority and Minority Leaders; (3) salaries of specified officers, employees, and committees (including the Committee on Appropriations); (4) agency contributions for employee benefits; (5) inquiries and investigations; (6) the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control; (7) the Offices of the Secretary and of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate; (8) miscellaneous items; (9) the Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account; and (10) official mail costs.

(Sec. 1) Increases by $50,000 the allowances for administrative and clerical assistance in the offices of Senators.

(Sec. 2) Removes the current cap (a maximum of $100,000 each) on the annual expense allowance of Conferences of the Majority and the Minority.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes the Senate Commission on Art to accept gifts of money and acquire (by gift, purchase, or otherwise) any work of art, historical object, document, or material relating to historical matters, or exhibit, for placement or exhibition in the Senate Wing of the Capitol, the Senate Office Buildings, or in its rooms, spaces, or corridors. Allows the Commission to retain such items for accession to the U.S.Senate Collection or other use or to dispose of them by sale or other transactions.

Repeals Senate Resolution 95, 92d Congress, agreed to April 1, 1971, and enacted into law by Public Law 100-696 (providing additional authority to acquire works of art, historical objects, documents or exhibits for placement or exhibition in the Senate Wing of the Capitol, the Senate Office Buildings, or in its rooms, spaces, or corridors).

Establishes the Curatorial Advisory Board to provide advice and assistance to the Commission on the acquisition, care, and disposition of items for or within the U.S. Senate Collection, and on such other matters as the Commission determines.

Authorizes the Commission, or the chairman and vice chairman acting jointly on behalf of the Commission and after notifying it, to establish one or more additional advisory boards.

Establishes in the Treasury the Senate Preservation Fund to be available to the Commission for the payment of acquisition and transaction costs incurred for such acquisitions, for official activities of the advisory boards, and for any purposes for which funds from the contingent fund of the Senate may be used for conservation, restoration, replication, or replacement of items.

Requires the Library of Congress to provide financial management and disbursing services and support to the Commission as may be required and mutually agreed to by the Librarian of Congress and Executive Secretary of the Commission.

Amends Senate Resolution 382, 90th Congress as agreed to October 1, 1968, and enacted into law by Public Law 100-696 to make the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate the chairman and vice chairman of the Commission.

Requires the Secretary of the Senate to appoint (currently, the Commission to select) a Senate Curator approved by the Commission. Requires the Secretary to assign additional employees to assist the Commission, and to provide such other assistance as the Commission determines necessary.

Provides for the use of Senate contingent funds for the purchase of art and historical objects for the U.S. Senate Collection, for exhibits and public education relating to such Collection, and for administrative and transitional expenses of the Commission.

(Sec. 4) Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1979 and other Federal law to increase the maximum annual expense allowances of: (1) the Office of the Secretary of the Senate and the Office of Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate for orientation seminars from $10,000 each to $25,000 each; and (2) the Secretary of the Senate, Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, and Secretaries for the Majority and Minority from $3,000 each to $6,000.

(Sec. 6) Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1977 to increase from eight to nine the number of individual consultants the Majority and Minority Leaders may each appoint.

Makes FY 2004 appropriations for salaries and/or expenses of: (1) the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 2005, and the Joint Economic and Taxation Committees; (2) the Office of the Attending Physician; (3) the Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office; (4) the preparation of statements of appropriations; (5) the Capitol Police; (6) the Office of Compliance; (7) the Congressional Budget Office; (8) the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), including for the care and operation of Capitol buildings and grounds, the Senate office building, the Capitol Power Plant, the Library of Congress buildings and grounds, the Capitol Police buildings and grounds, the Botanic Garden; and (9) the Capitol Visitor Center.

(Sec. 1002) Amends Federal law to require the Capitol Police Board (currently, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms of the House) to select and regulate the pattern for a uniform for the Capitol police and watchmen and furnish each of them with the necessary belts and arms payable from Capitol Police appropriations upon certification of payment by the Chief of the Capitol Police.

(Sec. 1003) Authorizes, under specified conditions, certain counsels for the purposes of providing legal assistance and representation to the Board or the Capitol Police to enter an appearance in any proceeding before any U.S. court (except the U.S. Supreme Court) or of any State or political subdivision, without compliance with any requirement for admission to practice before such court.

(Sec. 1004) Extends Capitol Police jurisdiction to a specified area.

(Sec. 1005) Treats a hazardous materials response team member of the Capitol Police as a member of the Capitol Police for purposes of the Civil Service Retirement and Federal Employees' Retirement System laws. Applies this treatment to periods of such service performed on and after December 1, 2002.

Specifies a formula for the amount required to be paid into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund with respect to prior service by an individual who is first appointed as a hazardous materials response team member of the Capitol Police before the effective date of this Act and is employed in such position on that date (incumbent). Reduces the annuity of the incumbent if no part of or less than the required full amount is paid.

Requires the Capitol Police to deposit for the prior service of each incumbent an amount into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund equal to the difference between the Government contributions that were actually made for such prior service and the Government contributions that would have been made had this Act been in effect and interest computed on such amount.

(Sec. 1101) Makes funds appropriated to the AOC, under specified conditions, available: (1) for the leasing of space in areas within the District of Columbia and its environs beyond the boundaries of the U.S. Capitol Grounds to meet space requirements of the Senate, the House, the Capitol Police, and the AOC; and (2) to incur any necessary expense in connection with leasing of such space.

(Sec. 1102) Transfers certain unobligated funds for the purchase of an alternate computing facility.

Appropriates funds for: (1) the Library of Congress for salaries and expenses, the Copyright Office, Congressional Research Service, and Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; (2) the Government Printing Office (GPO) for congressional printing and binding (including transfer of funds); (3) GPO for the Office of Superintendent of Documents (including transfer of funds); (4) the General Accounting Office for salaries and expenses; (5) the Government Printing Office; and (6) a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund.

(Sec. 1202) Reduces (from the FY 2003 level) the obligational authority of the Library for FY 2004 for reimbursable and revolving fund activities funded from sources other than appropriations.

Authorizes the Librarian of Congress, under specified conditions, to temporarily transfer funds appropriated in this Act under the heading "Library of Congress Salaries and Expenses" to the revolving fund for the FEDLINK Program and the Federal Research Program established under the Library of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000.

(Sec. 1203) Amends Federal law to revise the authorization of the AOC to acquire specified real property and improvements in Culpeper County, Virginia, for use as a national audiovisual conservation center.

(Sec. 1204) Authorizes the Congressional Research Service to authorize a payment to up to 40 employees as it determines appropriate who voluntarily separate before March 31, 2004, whether by retirement or resignation.

(Sec. 1205) Transfers all Library of Congress Police employees to the U.S. Capitol Police upon approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate and the appropriate authorizing committees, or, if earlier, on February 20, 2005.

Makes FY 2004 appropriations to the Government Printing Office.

(Sec. 1301) Amends Federal law to increase the annual rate of pay for the: (1) Public Printer from level III to level II of the Executive Schedule; and (2) Deputy Public Printer from level IV to level III.

(Sec. 1302) Authorizes the Public Printer to: (1) transfer or donate surplus Government publications and condemned GPO machinery, material, equipment, and supplies to other Federal entities, any non-profit tax-exempt organization, or State or local governments; (2) accept, hold, administer, and utilize gifts and bequests of property, both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating GPO work; and (3) accept voluntary and uncompensated services, notwithstanding Federal limitations.

Prohibits individuals providing voluntary and uncompensated services from being considered Federal employees, except for Federal law purposes with respect to job-incurred disability and tort claims.

(Sec. 1401) Authorizes the Comptroller General, at any time during FY 2004 or any succeeding fiscal year, to accept payment from the Securities and Exchange Commission for performance of any audit of the Commission's financial statements.

Title II: General Provisions - Sets forth authorized or prohibited uses of funds appropriated by this Act identical or similar to corresponding provisions of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2003.

Title III: Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental - Makes emergency supplemental appropriations, under specified conditions, for FY 2003 for: (1) the Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Disaster Relief Fund; (2) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Human Space Flight; (3) the Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Wildland Fire Management; (4) the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Wildland Fire Management; and (5) the Corporation for National and Community Service, National and Community Service Programs Operating Expenses (relating to activities including the AmeriCorps program) and for educational awards.