191
The National Park Service shall, within existing
funds, conduct a Feasibility Study for a northern access
route into Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska,
to be completed within one year of the enactment of this
Act and submitted to the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations and to the Senate Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on
Resources. The Feasibility Study shall ensure that re-
source impacts from any plan to create such access route
are evaluated with accurate information and according to
a process that takes into consideration park values, visitor
needs, a full range of alternatives, the viewpoints of all
interested parties, including the tourism industry and the
State of Alaska, and potential needs for compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act. The Study shall
also address the time required for development of alter-
natives and identify all associated costs.
This Feasibility Study shall be conducted solely by
the National Park Service planning personnel permanently
assigned to National Park Service offices located in the
State of Alaska in consultation with the State of Alaska
Department of Transportation.
192
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH
For expenses necessary for the United States Geo-
logical Survey to perform surveys, investigations, and re-
search covering topography, geology, hydrology, and the
mineral and water resources of the United States, its Ter-
ritories and possessions, and other areas as authorized by
law (43 U.S.C. 31, 1332 and 1340); classify lands as to
their mineral and water resources; give engineering super-
vision to power permittees and Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission licensees; administer the minerals exploration
program (30 U.S.C. 641); and publish and disseminate
data relative to the foregoing activities; and to conduct
inquiries into the economic conditions affecting mining
and materials processing industries (30 U.S.C. 3, 21a, and
1603; 50 U.S.C. 98g(1)) and related purposes as author-
ized by law and to publish and disseminate data;
$729,995,000, of which $62,130,000 shall be available for
cooperation with States or municipalities for water re-
sources investigations, and of which $137,000,000 for re-
source research and the operations of Cooperative Re-
search Units shall remain available until September 30,
1997, and of which $16,000,000 shall remain available
until expended for conducting inquiries into the economic
conditions affecting mining and materials processing in-
193
dustries: Provided, That no part of this appropriation shall
be used to pay more than one-half the cost of any topo-
graphic mapping or water resources investigations carried
on in cooperation with any State or municipality: Provided
further, That funds available herein for resource research
may be used for the purchase of not to exceed 61 pas-
senger motor vehicles, of which 55 are for replacement
only: Provided further, That none of the funds available
under this head for resource research shall be used to con-
duct new surveys on private property, including new aerial
surveys for the designation of habitat under the Endan-
gered Species Act, except when it is made known to the
Federal official having authority to obligate or expend
such funds that the survey or research has been requested
and authorized in writing by the property owner or the
owner’s authorized representative: Provided further, That
none of the funds provided herein for resource research
may be used to administer a volunteer program when it
is made known to the Federal official having authority to
obligate or expend such funds that the volunteers are not
properly trained or that information gathered by the vol-
unteers is not carefully verified: Provided further, That no
later than April 1, 1996, the Director of the United States
Geological Survey shall issue agency guidelines for re-
source research that ensure that scientific and technical
194
peer review is utilized as fully as possible in selection of
projects for funding and ensure the validity and reliability
of research and data collection on Federal lands: Provided
further, That no funds available for resource research may
be used for any activity that was not authorized prior to
the establishment of the National Biological Survey: Pro-
vided further, That once every five years the National
Academy of Sciences shall review and report on the re-
source research activities of the Survey: Provided further,
That if specific authorizing legislation is enacted during
or before the start of fiscal year 1996, the resource re-
search component of the Survey should comply with the
provisions of that legislation: Provided further, That unob-
ligated and unexpended balances in the National Biologi-
cal Survey, Research, inventories and surveys account at
the end of fiscal year 1995, shall be merged with and made
a part of the United States Geological Survey, Surveys,
investigations, and research account and shall remain
available for obligation until September 30, 1996: Pro-
vided further, That the authority granted to the United
States Bureau of Mines to conduct mineral surveys and
to determine mineral values by section 603 of Public Law
94–579 is hereby transferred to, and vested in, the Direc-
tor of the United States Geological Survey.
195
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
The amount appropriated for the United States Geo-
logical Survey shall be available for purchase of not to ex-
ceed 22 passenger motor vehicles, for replacement only;
reimbursement to the General Services Administration for
security guard services; contracting for the furnishing of
topographic maps and for the making of geophysical or
other specialized surveys when it is administratively deter-
mined that such procedures are in the public interest; con-
struction and maintenance of necessary buildings and ap-
purtenant facilities; acquisition of lands for gauging sta-
tions and observation wells; expenses of the United States
National Committee on Geology; and payment of com-
pensation and expenses of persons on the rolls of the Unit-
ed States Geological Survey appointed, as authorized by
law, to represent the United States in the negotiation and
administration of interstate compacts: Provided, That ac-
tivities funded by appropriations herein made may be ac-
complished through the use of contracts, grants, or coop-
erative agreements as defined in 31 U.S.C. 6302, et seq.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
ROYALTY AND OFFSHORE MINERALS MANAGEMENT
For expenses necessary for minerals leasing and envi-
ronmental studies, regulation of industry operations, and
collection of royalties, as authorized by law; for enforcing
196
laws and regulations applicable to oil, gas, and other min-
erals leases, permits, licenses and operating contracts; and
for matching grants or cooperative agreements; including
the purchase of not to exceed eight passenger motor vehi-
cles for replacement only; $182,339,000, of which not less
than $70,105,000 shall be available for royalty manage-
ment activities; and an amount not to exceed $15,400,000
for the Technical Information Management System and
Related Activities of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
Lands Activity, to be credited to this appropriation and
to remain available until expended, from additions to re-
ceipts resulting from increases to rates in effect on August
5, 1993, from rate increases to fee collections for OCS
administrative activities performed by the Minerals Man-
agement Service over and above the rates in effect on Sep-
tember 30, 1993, and from additional fees for OCS admin-
istrative activities established after September 30, 1993:
Provided, That beginning in fiscal year 1996 and there-
after, fees for royalty rate relief applications shall be es-
tablished (and revised as needed) in Notices to Lessees,
and shall be credited to this account in the program areas
performing the function, and remain available until ex-
pended for the costs of administering the royalty rate re-
lief authorized by 43 U.S.C. 1337(a)(3): Provided further,
That $1,500,000 for computer acquisitions shall remain
197
available until September 30, 1997: Provided further, That
funds appropriated under this Act shall be available for
the payment of interest in accordance with 30 U.S.C.
1721 (b) and (d): Provided further, That not to exceed
$3,000 shall be available for reasonable expenses related
to promoting volunteer beach and marine cleanup activi-
ties: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, $15,000 under this head shall be avail-
able for refunds of overpayments in connection with cer-
tain Indian leases in which the Director of the Minerals
Management Service concurred with the claimed refund
due, to pay amounts owed to Indian allottees or Tribes,
or to correct prior unrecoverable erroneous payments: Pro-
vided further, That beginning in fiscal year 1996 and
thereafter, the Secretary shall take appropriate action to
collect unpaid and underpaid royalties and late payment
interest owed by Federal and Indian mineral lessees and
other royalty payors on amounts received in settlement or
other resolution of disputes under, and for partial or com-
plete termination of, sales agreements for minerals from
Federal and Indian leases.
OIL SPILL RESEARCH
For necessary expenses to carry out the purposes of
title I, section 1016, title IV, sections 4202 and 4303, title
VII, and title VIII, section 8201 of the Oil Pollution Act
of 1990, $6,440,000, which shall be derived from the Oil
198
Spill Liability Trust Fund, to remain available until ex-
pended.
BUREAU OF MINES
MINES AND MINERALS
For expenses necessary for, and incidental to, the clo-
sure of the United States Bureau of Mines, $64,000,000,
to remain available until expended, of which not to exceed
$5,000,000 may be used for the completion and/or trans-
fer of certain ongoing projects within the United States
Bureau of Mines, such projects to be identified by the Sec-
retary of the Interior within 90 days of enactment of this
Act: Provided, That there hereby are transferred to, and
vested in, the Secretary of Energy: (1) the functions per-
taining to the promotion of health and safety in mines and
the mineral industry through research vested by law in
the Secretary of the Interior or the United States Bureau
of Mines and performed in fiscal year 1995 by the United
States Bureau of Mines at its Pittsburgh Research Center
in Pennsylvania, and at its Spokane Research Center in
Washington; (2) the functions pertaining to the conduct
of inquiries, technological investigations and research con-
cerning the extraction, processing, use and disposal of
mineral substances vested by law in the Secretary of the
Interior or the United States Bureau of Mines and per-
formed in fiscal year 1995 by the United States Bureau
199
of Mines under the minerals and materials science pro-
grams at its Pittsburgh Research Center in Pennsylvania,
and at its Albany Research Center in Oregon; and (3) the
functions pertaining to mineral reclamation industries and
the development of methods for the disposal, control, pre-
vention, and reclamation of mineral waste products vested
by law in the Secretary of the Interior or the United
States Bureau of Mines and performed in fiscal year 1995
by the United States Bureau of Mines at its Pittsburgh
Research Center in Pennsylvania: Provided further, That,
if any of the same functions were performed in fiscal year
1995 at locations other than those listed above, such func-
tions shall not be transferred to the Secretary of Energy
from those other locations: Provided further, That the Di-
rector of the Office of Management and Budget, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary
of the Interior, is authorized to make such determinations
as may be necessary with regard to the transfer of func-
tions which relate to or are used by the Department of
the Interior, or component thereof affected by this trans-
fer of functions, and to make such dispositions of person-
nel, facilities, assets, liabilities, contracts, property,
records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, au-
thorizations, allocations, and other funds held, used, aris-
ing from, available to or to be made available in connection
200
with, the functions transferred herein as are deemed nec-
essary to accomplish the purposes of this transfer: Pro-
vided further, That all reductions in personnel com-
plements resulting from the provisions of this Act shall,
as to the functions transferred to the Secretary of Energy,
be done by the Secretary of the Interior as though these
transfers had not taken place but had been required of
the Department of the Interior by all other provisions of
this Act before the transfers of function became effective:
Provided further, That the transfers of function to the Sec-
retary of Energy shall become effective on the date speci-
fied by the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, but in no event later than 90 days after enact-
ment into law of this Act: Provided further, That the ref-
erence to ‘‘function’’ includes, but is not limited to, any
duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right,
privilege, and activity, or the plural thereof, as the case
may be.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
The Secretary is authorized to accept lands, build-
ings, equipment, other contributions, and fees from public
and private sources, and to prosecute projects using such
contributions and fees in cooperation with other Federal,
State or private agencies: Provided, That the Bureau of
Mines is authorized, during the current fiscal year, to sell
directly or through any Government agency, including cor-
201
porations, any metal or mineral products that may be
manufactured in pilot plants operated by the Bureau of
Mines, and the proceeds of such sales shall be covered into
the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts: Provided further,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Sec-
retary is authorized to convey, without reimbursement,
title and all interest of the United States in property and
facilities of the United States Bureau of Mines in Juneau,
Alaska, to the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska; in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to the University of Alabama; in
Rolla, Missouri, to the University of Missouri-Rolla; and
in other localities to such university or government entities
as the Secretary deems appropriate.
OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND
ENFORCEMENT
REGULATION AND TECHNOLOGY
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions
of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
1977, Public Law 95–87, as amended, including the pur-
chase of not to exceed 15 passenger motor vehicles for re-
placement only; $95,470,000, and notwithstanding 31
U.S.C. 3302, an additional amount shall be credited to
this account, to remain available until expended, from per-
formance bond forfeitures in fiscal year 1996: Provided,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Sec-
202
retary of the Interior, pursuant to regulations, may utilize
directly or through grants to States, moneys collected in
fiscal year 1996 pursuant to the assessment of civil pen-
alties under section 518 of the Surface Mining Control
and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1268), to reclaim
lands adversely affected by coal mining practices after Au-
gust 3, 1977, to remain available until expended: Provided
further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law,
appropriations for the Office of Surface Mining Reclama-
tion and Enforcement may provide for the travel and per
diem expenses of State and tribal personnel attending Of-
fice of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
sponsored training.
ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions
of title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
Act of 1977, Public Law 95–87, as amended, including
the purchase of not more than 22 passenger motor vehicles
for replacement only, $173,887,000, to be derived from
receipts of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and
to remain available until expended: Provided, That grants
to minimum program States will be $1,500,000 per State
in fiscal year 1996: Provided further, That of the funds
herein provided up to $18,000,000 may be used for the
emergency program authorized by section 410 of Public
Law 95–87, as amended, of which no more than 25 per
203
centum shall be used for emergency reclamation projects
in any one State and funds for Federally-administered
emergency reclamation projects under this proviso shall
not exceed $11,000,000: Provided further, That prior year
unobligated funds appropriated for the emergency rec-
lamation program shall not be subject to the 25 per cen-
tum limitation per State and may be used without fiscal
year limitation for emergency projects: Provided further,
That pursuant to Public Law 97–365, the Department of
the Interior is authorized to utilize up to 20 per centum
from the recovery of the delinquent debt owed to the Unit-
ed States Government to pay for contracts to collect these
debts: Provided further, That funds made available to
States under title IV of Public Law 95–87 may be used,
at their discretion, for any required non-Federal share of
the cost of projects funded by the Federal Government
for the purpose of environmental restoration related to
treatment or abatement of acid mine drainage from aban-
doned mines: Provided further, That such projects must
be consistent with the purposes and priorities of the Sur-
face Mining Control and Reclamation Act.
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
OPERATION OF INDIAN PROGRAMS
For operation of Indian programs by direct expendi-
ture, contracts, cooperative agreements, compacts, and
204
grants including expenses necessary to provide education
and welfare services for Indians, either directly or in co-
operation with States and other organizations, including
payment of care, tuition, assistance, and other expenses
of Indians in boarding homes, or institutions, or schools;
grants and other assistance to needy Indians; maintenance
of law and order; management, development, improve-
ment, and protection of resources and appurtenant facili-
ties under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
including payment of irrigation assessments and charges;
acquisition of water rights; advances for Indian industrial
and business enterprises; operation of Indian arts and
crafts shops and museums; development of Indian arts
and crafts, as authorized by law; for the general adminis-
tration of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including such
expenses in field offices; maintaining of Indian reservation
roads as defined in section 101 of title 23, United States
Code; and construction, repair, and improvement of Indian
housing, $1,384,434,000, of which not to exceed
$100,255,000 shall be for welfare assistance grants and
not to exceed $104,626,000 shall be for payments to tribes
and tribal organizations for contract support costs associ-
ated with ongoing contracts or grants or compacts entered
into with the Bureau of Indian Affairs prior to fiscal year
1996, as authorized by the Indian Self-Determination Act
205
of 1975, as amended, and up to $5,000,000 shall be for
the Indian Self-Determination Fund, which shall be avail-
able for the transitional cost of initial or expanded tribal
contracts, grants, compacts, or cooperative agreements
with the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the provisions
of the Indian Self-Determination Act; and of which not
to exceed $330,711,000 for school operations costs of Bu-
reau-funded schools and other education programs shall
become available for obligation on July 1, 1996, and shall
remain available for obligation until September 30, 1997;
and of which not to exceed $68,209,000 for higher edu-
cation scholarships, adult vocational training, and assist-
ance to public schools under the Act of April 16, 1934
(48 Stat. 596), as amended (25 U.S.C. 452 et seq.), shall
remain available for obligation until September 30, 1997;
and of which not to exceed $71,854,000 shall remain
available until expended for housing improvement, road
maintenance, attorney fees, litigation support, self-govern-
ance grants, the Indian Self-Determination Fund, and the
Navajo-Hopi Settlement Program: Provided, That tribes
and tribal contractors may use their tribal priority alloca-
tions for unmet indirect costs of ongoing contracts, grants
or compact agreements: Provided further, That funds
made available to tribes and tribal organizations through
contracts or grants obligated during fiscal year 1996, as
206
authorized by the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975
(88 Stat. 2203; 25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.), or grants author-
ized by the Indian Education Amendments of 1988 (25
U.S.C. 2001 and 2008A) shall remain available until ex-
pended by the contractor or grantee: Provided further,
That to provide funding uniformity within a Self-Govern-
ance Compact, any funds provided in this Act with avail-
ability for more than one year may be reprogrammed to
one year availability but shall remain available within the
Compact until expended: Provided further, That notwith-
standing any other provision of law, Indian tribal govern-
ments may, by appropriate changes in eligibility criteria
or by other means, change eligibility for general assistance
or change the amount of general assistance payments for
individuals within the service area of such tribe who are
otherwise deemed eligible for general assistance payments
so long as such changes are applied in a consistent manner
to individuals similarly situated: Provided further, That
any savings realized by such changes shall be available for
use in meeting other priorities of the tribes: Provided fur-
ther, That any net increase in costs to the Federal Govern-
ment which result solely from tribally increased payment
levels for general assistance shall be met exclusively from
funds available to the tribe from within its tribal priority
allocation: Provided further, That any forestry funds allo-
207
cated to a tribe which remain unobligated as of September
30, 1996, may be transferred during fiscal year 1997 to
an Indian forest land assistance account established for
the benefit of such tribe within the tribe’s trust fund ac-
count: Provided further, That any such unobligated bal-
ances not so transferred shall expire on September 30,
1997: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, no funds available to the Bureau of In-
dian Affairs, other than the amounts provided herein for
assistance to public schools under the Act of April 16,
1934 (48 Stat. 596), as amended (25 U.S.C. 452 et seq.),
shall be available to support the operation of any elemen-
tary or secondary school in the State of Alaska in fiscal
year 1996: Provided further, That funds made available
in this or any other Act for expenditure through Septem-
ber 30, 1997 for schools funded by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs shall be available only to the schools which are in
the Bureau of Indian Affairs school system as of Septem-
ber 1, 1995: Provided further, That no funds available to
the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall be used to support ex-
panded grades for any school beyond the grade structure
in place at each school in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
school system as of October 1, 1995: Provided further,
That notwithstanding the provisions of 25 U.S.C.
2011(h)(1) (B) and (C), upon the recommendation of a
208
local school board for a Bureau of Indian Affairs operated
school, the Secretary shall establish rates of basic com-
pensation or annual salary rates for the positions of teach-
ers and counselors (including dormitory and homeliving
counselors) at the school at a level not less than that for
comparable positions in public school districts in the same
geographic area, to become effective on July 1, 1997: Pro-
vided further, That of the funds available only through
September 30, 1995, not to exceed $8,000,000 in unobli-
gated and unexpended balances in the Operation of Indian
Programs account shall be merged with and made a part
of the fiscal year 1996 Operation of Indian Programs ap-
propriation, and shall remain available for obligation for
employee severance, relocation, and related expenses, until
March 31, 1996.
CONSTRUCTION
For construction, major repair, and improvement of
irrigation and power systems, buildings, utilities, and
other facilities, including architectural and engineering
services by contract; acquisition of lands and interests in
lands; 
and 
preparation 
of 
lands 
for 
farming,
$100,833,000, to remain available until expended: Pro-
vided, That such amounts as may be available for the con-
struction of the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project and for
other water resource development activities related to the
Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act may be