S.1768 - 1998 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Recovery From Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping Efforts105th Congress (1997-1998)

Summary: S.1768 — 105th Congress (1997-1998)All Information (Except Text)

Shown Here:
Introduced in Senate (03/17/1998)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery

from Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping

Efforts, for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30,

1998, and for Other Purposes

Chapter 1: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural

Development, and Related Agencies

Chapter 2: Subcommittee on Defense

Chapter 3: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development

Chapter 4: Subcommittee on Interior and Related

Agencies

Chapter 5: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human

Services, and Education, and Related Agencies

Chapter 6: Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch

Chapter 7: Subcommittee on Military Construction

Chapter 8: Subcommittee on Transportation and Related

Agencies

Chapter 9: Subcommittee on Treasury and General

Government

Chapter 10: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent

Agencies

Chapter 11: Offsets and Rescissions

Title II: General Provisions--This Act

1998 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Recovery From Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping Efforts - Title I: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery from Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping Efforts, for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 1998, and for Other Purposes - Chapter 1: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies - Makes emergency supplemental appropriations for FY 1998 for the Department of Agriculture for: (1) departmental administration; (2) the Office of the General Counsel; (3) the Farm Service Agency for the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program Account; (4) the Emergency Conservation Program; (5) the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund for the implementation of a dairy and livestock disaster assistance program; and (6) the Natural Resources Conservation Service for watershed and flood prevention operations.

Requires certain funds for employment and training under the Food Stamp Program to remain available until expended.

Makes additional funds available for certain salaries and expenses of the Food and Drug Administration.

Chapter 2: Subcommittee on Defense - Makes additional funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military personnel, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force and reserve personnel, Navy; (2) operation and maintenance (O&M;), Army, Navy, Air Force, Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, and Army National Guard as well as defense-wide O&M; (3) the Overseas Contingency Operations Transfer Fund; (4) the Navy Working Capital Fund; (5) the Defense-wide Working Capital Fund; and (6) the Defense Health Program.

Makes additional funds available for overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid.

(Sec. 203) Urges the President to: (1) encourage other nations to contribute to preventing Iraq from using weapons of mass destruction; and (2) seek contributions to help defray the costs being incurred in this operation.

Provides for the establishment of a special account in the Treasury to receive such contributions.

Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to the Congress on the status of such effort and the results obtained in sharing the burden of common defense. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to report to the Congress on the establishment of the burden-sharing account.

Chapter 3: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development - Makes additional funds available to the Army Corps of Engineers for construction and O&M; related to emergency repairs due to flooding and other natural disasters.

Makes additional appropriations for the Department of Energy for atomic energy defense weapons activities and departmental administration to cover increases in the cost of Work for Others.

(Sec. 302) Amends the Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1996 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to extend the period for repayment by the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Nueces River Authority relating to the Nueces River reclamation project, Texas, until: (1) August 1, 2029, for repayment of the municipal and industrial water supply benefits of the project; and (2) August 1, 2044, for repayment of the fish, wildlife, and recreation benefits of the project.

Requires the Secretary to extend the period for repayment by the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority relating to the Canadian River reclamation project, Texas, until October 1, 2021.

(Sec. 303) Bars the Army Corps of Engineers, before final disposition of the civil action, Bonnichsen v. United States, from authorizing any action to stabilize, cover, or permanently alter land within 100 yards of where Kennewick Man remains were found unless the court determines such an action to be reasonable and necessary.

Chapter 4: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies - Makes additional funds available to the Department of the Interior for: (1) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service (NPS) for construction expenses related to repair of damage caused by floods and other natural disasters; (2) the U.S. Geological Survey for surveys, investigations, and research related to emergency expenses resulting from floods and other natural disasters; (3) the Minerals Management Service for royalty and offshore minerals management for increased demand and workload requirements stemming from leasing activity in the Gulf of Mexico; (4) the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, to be derived from a transfer of funds; and (5) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for operation of Indian programs and the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians for Federal trust programs to support litigation involving individual Indian trust fund accounts.

Makes additional funds available to the Forest Service for State and private forestry and the National Forest System for emergency expenses resulting from natural disaster damages.

Makes an additional amount available for the Indian Health Service for suicide prevention counseling.

(Sec. 404) Petroglyph National Monument Boundary Adjustment Act - Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the NPS, and the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to enter into negotiations for the management of storm water runoff and drainage within the Petroglyph National Monument.

Directs the city of Albuquerque to provide design specifications to the Secretary prior to the initiation of construction within a specified corridor.

Amends the Petroglyph National Monument Establishment Act of 1990 to remove a requirement that lands within the Monument boundary owned by the State of New Mexico or a political subdivision be acquired only by donation or exchange.

Bars any land owned by New Mexico or a political subdivision from being acquired by purchase before: (1) the land is identified by New Mexico or the political subdivision for disposal; or (2) two years have elapsed after the date on which the Secretary has made a final offer to acquire all remaining private land at fair market value.

Adjusts the boundary of the Monument to exclude the Paseo Del Norte corridor in the Piedras Marcadas Unit. Provides that the inclusion of such corridor within the Monument boundary before this Act's enactment shall have no effect on any future ownership, use, or management of the corridor.

(Sec. 405) Permits the Chief of the Forest Service to authorize and execute any projects, including timber sales, that were previously scheduled for initiation or completion in FY 1998 or 1999 or that may be scheduled hereafter, notwithstanding any moratorium on construction of roads in roadless areas within the National Forest System. Provides funding to States for any previously scheduled projects.

Directs the Chief, during such moratorium, to report to the Appropriations Committees on: (1) whether standards and guidelines in existing land and resource management plans compel or encourage entry into roadless areas within the National Forest System for purposes of constructing roads or undertaking any other ground-disturbing activities; (2) all roads within the System and the uses which they serve; and (3) the economic and social effects of the moratorium.

Chapter 5: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies - Makes additional funds available to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for disease control, research, and training and program management of the Health Care Financing Administration.

Chapter 6: Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch - Makes additional funds available to the Architect of the Capitol for Capitol buildings, salaries and expenses and Capitol grounds for the Capitol Square Perimeter Security Plan.

Chapter 7: Subcommittee on Military Construction - Makes additional funds available to DOD for military construction, Navy and Air Force and family housing, Navy and Marine Corps and Air Force.

Chapter 8: Subcommittee on Transportation and Related Agencies - Makes additional funds available to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) the Office of the Secretary for transportation planning, research, and development; (2) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for operations and facilities and equipment for expenses relating to the year 2000 computer hardware and software problems; (3) Federal aid highways for the emergency relief program; and (4) salaries and expenses for the National Transportation Safety Board for expenses resulting from the crash of TWA Flight 800.

Chapter 9: Subcommittee on Treasury and General Government - Makes additional funds available to the Department of the Treasury for year 2000 century date change conversion requirements and to the Financial Management Service for salaries and expenses related to such requirements.

Chapter 10: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies - Makes additional funds available to the Veterans Benefits Administration for compensation and pensions.

Chapter 11: Offsets and Rescissions - Rescinds specified amounts of funds for: (1) the Food Safety and Inspection Service; (2) the Farm Service Agency's Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program Account; (3) Rural Housing Service salaries and expenses; (4) the Bureau of Land Management; (5) Oregon and California grant lands; (6) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resource management and construction; (7) NPS construction; (8) the Bureau of Mines; (9) BIA construction; (10) DOT payments to air carriers and small community air service; (11) FAA grants-in-aid for airports; (12) Federal Railroad Administration Conrail labor protection; (13) Customs Service salaries and expenses; and (14) Internal Revenue Service information technology investments.

Authorizes a limited amount of funds to be obligated in FY 1998 for contracts with Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organizations pursuant to the Social Security Act.

Title II: General Provisions--This Act - Sets forth limitations on funds made available by this Act.

(Sec. 2004) Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report to the Congress on: (1) a revised structure consisting of a single entity to administer certain programs regarding universal service for schools and libraries and telecommunications services for rural health care providers; and (2) funding for such programs.

Directs the FCC to prioritize assistance for the schools and library program on the basis of need. Imposes a cap on the compensation of individuals employed by the administering entity.

Bars the FCC, before June 1, 1998, from: (1) adjusting the contribution factors for telecommunications carriers with respect to programs described by this section; or (2) collecting any contribution due for the third or fourth quarter of calendar year 1998.