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terim report to be completed by June 1, 1998, that evalu-
ates, in terms of the potential impact on the Space Station’s
assembly schedule, budget, and capabilities, the engineering
challenges posed by extravehicular activity (EVA) require-
ments, United States and non-United States space launch
requirements, the potential need to upgrade or replace
equipment and components after assembly complete, and
the requirement to decommission and disassemble the facil-
ity.
NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION
CENTRAL LIQUIDITY FACILITY
During fiscal year 1998, gross obligations of the
Central Liquidity Facility for the principal amount of new
direct loans to member credit unions, as authorized by the
National Credit Union Central Liquidity Facility Act (12
U.S.C. 1795), shall not exceed $600,000,000: Provided, That
administrative expenses of the Central Liquidity Facility
in fiscal year 1998 shall not exceed $203,000.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
For necessary expenses in carrying out the National
Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C.
1861–1875), and the Act to establish a National Medal of
Science (42 U.S.C. 1880–1881); services as authorized by
5 U.S.C. 3109; maintenance and operation of aircraft and
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purchase of flight services for research support; acquisition
of aircraft; $2,524,700,000, of which not to exceed
$228,530,000 shall remain available until expended for
Polar research and operations support, and for reimburse-
ment to other Federal agencies for operational and science
support and logistical and other related activities for the
United States Antarctic program; the balance to remain
available until September 30, 1999: Provided, That receipts
for scientific support services and materials furnished by
the National Research Centers and other National Science
Foundation supported research facilities may be credited to
this appropriation: Provided further, That to the extent that
the amount appropriated is less than the total amount au-
thorized to be appropriated for included program activities,
all amounts, including floors and ceilings, specified in the
authorizing Act for those program activities or their sub-
activities shall be reduced proportionally: Provided further,
That $40,000,000 of the funds available under this heading
shall be made available for a comprehensive research initia-
tive on plant genomes, including the corn genome: Provided
further, That $359,000,000 of the funds available under this
heading shall not be made available for initiatives in
Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence and Life and
Earth’s Environment until the agency submits appropriate
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milestones to be achieved by the initiatives in fiscal year
1998.
MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT
For necessary expenses of major construction projects
pursuant to the National Science Foundation Act of 1950,
as amended, $85,000,000, to remain available until ex-
pended.
EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES
For necessary expenses in carrying out science and en-
gineering education and human resources programs and ac-
tivities pursuant to the National Science Foundation Act
of 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1861–1875), including
services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109 and rental of con-
ference rooms in the District of Columbia, $625,500,000,
to remain available until September 30, 1999: Provided,
That to the extent that the amount of this appropriation
is less than the total amount authorized to be appropriated
for included program activities, all amounts, including
floors and ceilings, specified in the authorizing Act for those
program activities or their subactivities shall be reduced
proportionally.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For salaries and expenses necessary in carrying out
the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended
(42 U.S.C. 1861–1875); services authorized by 5 U.S.C.
3109; hire of passenger motor vehicles; not to exceed $9,000
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for official reception and representation expenses; uniforms
or allowances therefor, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901–
5902; rental of conference rooms in the District of Colum-
bia; reimbursement of the General Services Administration
for security guard services and headquarters relocation;
$136,950,000: Provided, That contracts may be entered into
under ‘‘Salaries and expenses’’ in fiscal year 1998 for
maintenance and operation of facilities, and for other serv-
ices, to be provided during the next fiscal year.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector Gen-
eral as authorized by the Inspector General Act of 1978,
as amended, $4,850,000, to remain available until Septem-
ber 30, 1999.
NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT CORPORATION
PAYMENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT
CORPORATION
For payment to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Cor-
poration for use in neighborhood reinvestment activities, as
authorized by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
Act (42 U.S.C. 8101–8107), $50,000,000.
SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For necessary expenses of the Selective Service System,
including expenses of attendance at meetings and of train-
ing for uniformed personnel assigned to the Selective Serv-
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ice System, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 4101–4118 for civil-
ian employees; and not to exceed $1,000 for official recep-
tion and representation expenses; $23,413,000: Provided,
That during the current fiscal year, the President may ex-
empt this appropriation from the provisions of 31 U.S.C.
1341, whenever he deems such action to be necessary in the
interest of national defense: Provided further, That none of
the funds appropriated by this Act may be expended for
or in connection with the induction of any person into the
Armed Forces of the United States.
TITLE IV—GENERAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 401. Where appropriations in titles I, II, and
III of this Act are expendable for travel expenses and no
specific limitation has been placed thereon, the expenditures
for such travel expenses may not exceed the amounts set
forth therefore in the budget estimates submitted for the ap-
propriations: Provided, That this provision does not apply
to accounts that do not contain an object classification for
travel: Provided further, That this section shall not apply
to travel performed by uncompensated officials of local
boards and appeal boards of the Selective Service System;
to travel performed directly in connection with care and
treatment of medical beneficiaries of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs; to travel performed in connection with major
disasters or emergencies declared or determined by the
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President under the provisions of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; to travel
performed by the Offices of Inspector General in connection
with audits and investigations; or to payments to inter-
agency motor pools where separately set forth in the budget
schedules: Provided further, That if appropriations in titles
I, II, and III exceed the amounts set forth in budget esti-
mates initially submitted for such appropriations, the ex-
penditures for travel may correspondingly exceed the
amounts therefore set forth in the estimates in the same pro-
portion.
SEC. 402. Appropriations and funds available for the
administrative expenses of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development and the Selective Service System shall
be available in the current fiscal year for purchase of uni-
forms, or allowances therefor, as authorized by 5 U.S.C.
5901–5902; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and services
as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109.
SEC. 403. Funds of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development subject to the Government Corporation
Control Act or section 402 of the Housing Act of 1950 shall
be available, without regard to the limitations on adminis-
trative expenses, for legal services on a contract or fee basis,
and for utilizing and making payment for services and fa-
cilities of Federal National Mortgage Association, Govern-
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ment National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation, Federal Financing Bank, Federal
Reserve banks or any member thereof, Federal Home Loan
banks, and any insured bank within the meaning of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, as amended
(12 U.S.C. 1811–1831).
SEC. 404. No part of any appropriation contained in
this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the
current fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.
SEC. 405. No funds appropriated by this Act may be
expended—
(1) pursuant to a certification of an officer or
employee of the United States unless—
(A) such certification is accompanied by, or
is part of, a voucher or abstract which describes
the payee or payees and the items or services for
which such expenditure is being made, or
(B) the expenditure of funds pursuant to
such certification, and without such a voucher or
abstract, is specifically authorized by law; and
(2) unless such expenditure is subject to audit by
the General Accounting Office or is specifically ex-
empt by law from such audit.
SEC. 406. None of the funds provided in this Act to
any department or agency may be expended for the trans-
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portation of any officer or employee of such department or
agency between his domicile and his place of employment,
with the exception of any officer or employee authorized
such transportation under 31 U.S.C. 1344 or 5 U.S.C.
7905.
SEC. 407. None of the funds provided in this Act may
be used for payment, through grants or contracts, to recipi-
ents that do not share in the cost of conducting research
resulting from proposals not specifically solicited by the
Government: Provided, That the extent of cost sharing by
the recipient shall reflect the mutuality of interest of the
grantee or contractor and the Government in the research.
SEC. 408. None of the funds in this Act may be used,
directly or through grants, to pay or to provide reimburse-
ment for payment of the salary of a consultant (whether
retained by the Federal Government or a grantee) at more
than the daily equivalent of the rate paid for level IV of
the Executive Schedule, unless specifically authorized by
law.
SEC. 409. None of the funds provided in this Act shall
be used to pay the expenses of, or otherwise compensate,
non-Federal parties intervening in regulatory or adjudica-
tory proceedings. Nothing herein affects the authority of the
Consumer Product Safety Commission pursuant to section
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7 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056 et
seq.).
SEC. 410. Except as otherwise provided under existing
law or under an existing Executive Order issued pursuant
to an existing law, the obligation or expenditure of any ap-
propriation under this Act for contracts for any consulting
service shall be limited to contracts which are (1) a matter
of public record and available for public inspection, and
(2) thereafter included in a publicly available list of all con-
tracts entered into within twenty-four months prior to the
date on which the list is made available to the public and
of all contracts on which performance has not been com-
pleted by such date. The list required by the preceding sen-
tence shall be updated quarterly and shall include a nar-
rative description of the work to be performed under each
such contract.
SEC. 411. Except as otherwise provided by law, no
part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall be
obligated or expended by any executive agency, as referred
to in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41
U.S.C. 401 et seq.), for a contract for services unless such
executive agency (1) has awarded and entered into such
contract in full compliance with such Act and the regula-
tions promulgated thereunder, and (2) requires any report
prepared pursuant to such contract, including plans, eval-
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uations, studies, analyses and manuals, and any report
prepared by the agency which is substantially derived from
or substantially includes any report prepared pursuant to
such contract, to contain information concerning (A) the
contract pursuant to which the report was prepared, and
(B) the contractor who prepared the report pursuant to such
contract.
SEC. 412. Except as otherwise provided in section 406,
none of the funds provided in this Act to any department
or agency shall be obligated or expended to provide a per-
sonal cook, chauffeur, or other personal servants to any offi-
cer or employee of such department or agency.
SEC. 413. None of the funds provided in this Act to
any department or agency shall be obligated or expended
to procure passenger automobiles as defined in 15 U.S.C.
2001 with an EPA estimated miles per gallon average of
less than 22 miles per gallon.
SEC. 414. None of the funds appropriated in title I
of this Act shall be used to enter into any new lease of real
property if the estimated annual rental is more than
$300,000 unless the Secretary submits, in writing, a report
to the Committees on Appropriations of the Congress and
a period of 30 days has expired following the date on which
the report is received by the Committees on Appropriations.
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SEC. 415. (a) It is the sense of the Congress that, to
the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products
purchased with funds made available in this Act should be
American-made.
(b) In providing financial assistance to, or entering
into any contract with, any entity using funds made avail-
able in this Act, the head of each Federal agency, to the
greatest extent practicable, shall provide to such entity a
notice describing the statement made in subsection (a) by
the Congress.
SEC. 416. None of the funds appropriated in this Act
may be used to implement any cap on reimbursements to
grantees for indirect costs, except as published in Office of
Management and Budget Circular A–21.
SEC. 417. Such sums as may be necessary for fiscal
year 1998 pay raises for programs funded by this Act shall
be absorbed within the levels appropriated in this Act.
SEC. 418. None of the funds made available in this
Act may be used for any program, project, or activity, when
it is made known to the Federal entity or official to which
the funds are made available that the program, project, or
activity is not in compliance with any Federal law relating
to risk assessment, the protection of private property rights,
or unfunded mandates.
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SEC. 419. Corporations and agencies of the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development which are subject
to the Government Corporation Control Act, as amended,
are hereby authorized to make such expenditures, within the
limits of funds and borrowing authority available to each
such corporation or agency and in accord with law, and
to make such contracts and commitments without regard
to fiscal year limitations as provided by section 104 of the
Act as may be necessary in carrying out the programs set
forth in the budget for 1998 for such corporation or agency
except as hereinafter provided: Provided, That collections
of these corporations and agencies may be used for new loan
or mortgage purchase commitments only to the extent ex-
pressly provided for in this Act (unless such loans are in
support of other forms of assistance provided for in this or
prior appropriations Acts), except that this proviso shall
not apply to the mortgage insurance or guaranty operations
of these corporations, or where loans or mortgage purchases
are necessary to protect the financial interest of the United
States Government.
SEC. 420. Notwithstanding section 320(g) of the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(g)), funds
made available pursuant to authorization under such sec-
tion for fiscal year 1998 and prior fiscal years may be used
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for implementing comprehensive conservation and manage-
ment plans.
SEC. 421. Such funds as may be necessary to carry
out the orderly termination of the Office of Consumer Af-
fairs shall be made available from funds appropriated to
the Department of Health and Human Services for fiscal
year 1998.
AMERICORPS STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
SEC. 422. Not withstanding any other provision of
law, the term ‘‘qualified student loan’’ with respect to na-
tional service education awards shall mean any loan made
directly to a student and certified through an institution
of higher education as necessary to assist the student in
paying the cost of attendance, in addition to other mean-
ings under section 148(b)(7) of the National and Commu-
nity Service Act.
SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING CATASTROPHIC
NATURAL DISASTERS
SEC. 423. (a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) catastrophic natural disasters are occurring
with great frequency, a trend that is likely to con-
tinue for several decades according to prominent sci-
entists;
(2) estimated damage to homes, buildings, and
other structures from catastrophic natural disasters
has totaled well over $100,000,000,000 during the last
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decade, not including the indirect costs of the disas-
ters such as lost productivity and economic decline;
(3) the lack of adequate planning for cata-
strophic natural disasters, coupled with inadequate
private insurance, has led to increasing reliance on
the Federal Government to provide disaster relief, in-
cluding the appropriation of $40,000,000,000 in sup-
plemental funding since 1989;
(4) in the foreseeable future, a strong likelihood
exists that the United States will experience a
megacatastrophe, the impact of which would cause
widespread economic disruption for homeowners and
businesses and enormous cost to the Federal Govern-
ment; and
(5) the Federal Government has failed to antici-
pate catastrophic natural disasters and take com-
prehensive action to reduce their impact.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Sen-
ate that Congress should consider legislation that embodies
the following principles:
(1) Persons who live in areas at risk of natural
disaster should assume a practical level of personal
responsibility for the risks through private insurance.
(2) The insurance industry, in partnership with
the Federal Government and other private sector enti-
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ties, should establish new mechanisms for the spread-
ing of the risk of catastrophes that minimize the in-
volvement and liability of the Federal Government.
(3) A partnership should be formed between the
private sector and government at all levels to encour-
age better disaster preparation and respond quickly to
the physical and financial impacts of catastrophic
natural disasters.
SEC. 424. It is the sense of the Senate that Congress
should appropriate for the Department of Veterans Affairs
for discretionary activities in each of fiscal years 1999
through 2002 an amount equal to the amount required by
the Department in such fiscal year for such activities.
SEC. 425. (a) Not later than 60 days after enactment
of this Act, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs shall
hold one or more hearings to consider legislation which
would add the following diseases at the end of section
1112(c)(2) of title 38, United States Code:
(1) Lung cancer.
(2) Bone cancer.
(3) Skin cancer.
(4) Colon cancer.
(5) Kidney cancer.
(6) Posterior subcapsular cataracts.
(7) Non-malignant thyroid nodular disease.
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(8) Ovarian cancer.
(9) Parathyroid adenoma.
(10) Tumors of the brain and central nervous
system.
(11) Rectal cancer.
(b) Not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act,
the Congressional Budget Office shall provide to the Senate
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee an estimate of the cost of the provision con-
tained in subsection (a).
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Departments of Veterans
Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Inde-
pendent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998’’.
Passed the House of Representatives, July 16, 1997.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.
Passed the Senate July 22, 1997.
Attest:
GARY SISCO,
Secretary.