H. Con. Res. 290—25
(A) 44.4 million Americans are currently without
health insurance, and that this number is expected to
rise to nearly 60 million people in the next 10 years;
(B) the cost of health insurance continues to rise, a
key factor in increasing the number of uninsured; and
(C) there is a consensus that working Americans and
their families will suffer from reduced access to health
insurance.
(2) SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH
CARE INSURANCE.—It is the sense of the House that access
to affordable health care coverage for all Americans is a priority
of the 106th Congress.
(b) PRESERVING HOME HEALTH SERVICE FOR ALL MEDICARE
BENEFICIARIES.—
(1) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
(A) the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 reformed Medicare
home health care spending by instructing the Health Care
Financing Administration to implement a prospective pay-
ment system and instituted an interim payment system
to achieve savings;
(B) the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced
Budget Refinement Act, 1999, reformed the interim pay-
ment system to increase reimbursements to low-cost pro-
viders and delayed the automatic 15 percent payment
reduction until after the first year of the implementation
of the prospective payment system; and
(C) patients whose care is more extensive and expen-
sive than the typical Medicare patient do not receive
supplemental payments in the interim payment system
but will receive special protection in the home health care
prospective payment system.
(2) SENSE
OF
THE
HOUSE
ON
ACCESS
TO
HOME
HEALTH
CARE.—It is the sense of the House that—
(A) Congress recognizes the importance of home health
care for seniors and disabled citizens;
(B) Congress and the Administration should work
together to maintain quality care for patients whose care
is more extensive and expensive than the typical Medicare
patient, including the most ill and infirmed Medicare bene-
ficiaries, while home health care agencies operate in the
interim payment system; and
(C) Congress and the Administration should work
together to avoid the implementation of the 15 percent
reduction in the prospective payment system and ensure
timely implementation of that system.
SEC. 316. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING MEDICARE+CHOICE
PROGRAMS/REIMBURSEMENT RATES.
It is the sense of the House that the Medicare+Choice regional
disparity among reimbursement rates is unfair, and that full
funding of the Medicare+Choice Program is a priority as Congress
considers any Medicare reform legislation.
SEC. 317. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON DIRECTING THE INTERNAL REV-
ENUE SERVICE TO ACCEPT NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN FARM
INCOME AVERAGING.
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
H. Con. Res. 290—26
(1) farmers’ and ranchers’ incomes vary widely from year-
to-year due to uncontrollable markets and unpredictable
weather;
(2) in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Congress enacted
3-year farm income averaging to protect agricultural producers
from excessive tax rates in profitable years;
(3) last year, the Internal Revenue Service proposed final
regulations for averaging farm income, which failed to make
clear that taxable income in a given year may be a negative
number; and
(4) this Internal Revenue Service interpretation can result
in farmers paying additional taxes during years in which they
experience a loss in income.
(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE.—It is the sense of the House that
legislation should be considered during this session of the 106th
Congress to direct the Internal Revenue Service to count any net
loss of income in determining the proper rate of taxation.
SEC. 318. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
(1) the year 2000 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the
National Science Foundation;
(2) the National Science Foundation is the largest supporter
of basic research in the Federal Government;
(3) the National Science Foundation is the second largest
supporter of university-based research;
(4) research conducted by the grantees of the National
Science Foundation has led to innovations that have dramati-
cally improved the quality of life of all Americans;
(5) grants made by the National Science Foundation have
been a crucial factor in the development of important tech-
nologies that Americans take for granted, such as lasers, Mag-
netic Resonance Imaging, Doppler Radar, and the Internet;
(6) because basic research funded by the National Science
Foundation is high-risk, cutting edge, fundamental, and may
not produce tangible benefits for over a decade, the Federal
Government is uniquely suited to support such research; and
(7) the National Science Foundation’s focus on peer-
reviewed merit based grants represents a model for research
agencies across the Federal Government.
(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE.—It is the sense of the House that
the function 250 (Basic Science) levels assume an amount of funding
which ensures that the National Science Foundation is a priority
in the resolution; and that the National Science Foundation’s critical
role in funding basic research, which leads to the innovations that
assure the Nation’s economic future, and cultivate America’s
intellectual infrastructure, should be recognized.
SEC. 319. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING SKILLED NURSING
FACILITIES.
It is the sense of the House that the Medicare Payment
Advisory Commission should continue to carefully monitor the Medi-
care skilled nursing benefit to determine if payment rates are
sufficient to provide quality care, and that if reform is rec-
ommended, Congress should pass legislation as quickly as possible
to assure quality skilled nursing care.
H. Con. Res. 290—27
SEC. 320. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION.
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
(1) all children deserve a quality education, including chil-
dren with disabilities;
(2) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides
that the Federal, State, and local governments are to share
in the expense of educating children with disabilities and com-
mits the Federal Government to pay up to 40 percent of the
national average per pupil expenditure for children with disabil-
ities;
(3) the high cost of educating children with disabilities
and the Federal Government’s failure to fully meet its obligation
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act stretches
limited State and local education funds, creating difficulty in
providing a quality education to all students, including children
with disabilities;
(4) the current level of Federal funding to States and
localities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
is contrary to the goal of ensuring that children with disabilities
receive a quality education;
(5) the Federal Government has failed to appropriate 40
percent of the national average per pupil expenditure per child
with a disability as required under the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act to assist States and localities to educate
children with disabilities; and
(6) the levels in function 500 (Education) for fiscal year
2001 assume sufficient discretionary budget authority to
accommodate fiscal year 2001 appropriations for the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, at least $2,000,000,000 above
such funding levels appropriated in fiscal year 2000.
(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE.—It is the sense of the House that—
(1) function 500 (Education) levels assume at least a
$2,000,000,000 increase in fiscal year 2001 over the current
fiscal year to reflect the commitment of Congress to appropriate
40 percent of the national per pupil expenditure for children
with disabilities by a date certain;
(2) Congress and the President should increase fiscal year
2001 funding for programs under the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act by at least $2,000,000,000 above fiscal
year 2000 appropriated levels;
(3) Congress and the President should give programs under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act the highest
priority among Federal elementary and secondary education
programs by meeting the commitment to fund the maximum
State grant allocation for educating children with disabilities
under such Act prior to authorizing or appropriating funds
for any new education initiative;
(4) Congress and the President may consider, if new or
increased funding is authorized or appropriated for any
elementary and secondary education initiative that directs
funds to local educational agencies, providing the flexibility
in such authorization or appropriation necessary to allow local
educational agencies the authority to use such funds for pro-
grams under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
and
(5) if a local educational agency chooses to utilize the
authority under section 613(a)(2)(C)(i) of the Individuals with
H. Con. Res. 290—28
Disabilities Education Act to treat as local funds up to 20
percent of the amount of funds the agency receives under
part B of such Act that exceeds the amount it received under
that part for the previous fiscal year, then the agency should
use those local funds to provide additional funding for any
Federal, State, or local education program.
SEC. 321. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING HCFA DRAFT GUIDE-
LINES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
(1) on February 15, 2000, the Health Care Financing
Administration within the Department of Health and Human
Services issued a draft Medicaid School-Based Administrative
Claiming (MAC) Guide; and
(2) in its introduction, the stated purpose of the draft
MAC Guide is to provide information for schools, State Medicaid
agencies, HCFA staff, and other interested parties on the
existing requirements for claiming Federal funds under the
Medicaid Program for the costs of administrative activities,
such as Medicaid outreach, that are performed in the school
setting associated with school-based health services programs.
(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE.—It is the sense of the House that—
(1) many school-based health programs provide a broad
range of services that are covered by Medicaid, affording access
to care for children who otherwise might well go without needed
services;
(2) such programs also can play a powerful role in identi-
fying and enrolling children who are eligible for Medicaid,
as well as the State Children’s Health Insurance programs;
(3) undue administrative burdens may be placed on school
districts and States and deter timely application approval;
(4) the Health Care Financing Administration should
substantially revise the current draft MAC Guide because it
appears to promulgate new rules that place excessive adminis-
trative burdens on participating school districts;
(5) the goal of the revised guide should be to encourage
the appropriate use of Medicaid school-based services without
undue administrative burdens; and
(6) the best way to ensure the continued viability of Med-
icaid school-based services is to guarantee that the guidelines
are fair and responsible.
SEC. 322. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ASSET-BUILDING FOR THE
WORKING POOR.
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
(1) 33 percent of all American households and 60 percent
of African American households have either no financial assets
or negative financial assets;
(2) 46.9 percent of children in America live in households
with no financial assets, including 40 percent of Caucasian
children and 75 percent of African American children;
(3) incentives, including individual development accounts,
are tools demonstrating success at empowering low-income
workers;
(4) middle and upper income Americans currently benefit
from tax incentives for building assets; and
H. Con. Res. 290—29
(5) the Federal Government should utilize the Federal tax
code to provide low-income Americans with incentives to work
and build assets in order to permanently escape poverty.
(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE.—It is the sense of the House that
the provisions of this resolution assume that Congress should
modify the Federal tax law to include Individual Development
Account provisions in order to encourage low-income workers and
their families to save for buying a first home, starting a business,
obtaining an education, or taking other measures to prepare for
the future.
SEC. 323. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING
THE NATION’S EMERGENCY FIRST-RESPONDERS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds that—
(1) over 1.2 million men and women work as fire and
emergency services personnel in 32,000 fire and emergency
medical services departments across the Nation;
(2) over 80 percent of those who serve do so as volunteers;
(3) the Nation’s firefighters responded to more than 18
million calls in 1998, including over 1.7 million fires;
(4) an average of 100 firefighters per year lose their lives
in the course of their duties; and
(5) the Federal Government has a role in protecting the
health and safety of the Nation’s fire fighting personnel.
(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE.—It is the sense of the House that—
(1) the Nation’s firefighters and emergency services crucial
role in preserving and protecting life and property should be
recognized, and such Federal assistance as low-interest loan
programs, community development block grant reforms, emer-
gency radio spectrum reallocations, and volunteer fire assist-
ance programs, should be considered; and
(2) additional resources should be set aside for such assist-
ance.
SEC. 324. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ADDITIONAL HEALTH-RELATED
TAX RELIEF.
It is the sense of the House that the reserve fund set forth
in section 213 assumes $446,000,000 in fiscal year 2001 and
$4,352,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2001 through 2005
for health-related tax provisions comparable to those contained
in H.R. 2990 (as passed by the House).
Subtitle C—Sense of the Senate Provisions
SEC. 331. SENSE OF THE SENATE SUPPORTING FUNDING LEVELS IN
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ACT.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that of the amounts provided for elementary and secondary
education within the Budget Function 500 of this resolution for
fiscal years 2001 through 2005, such funds shall be appropriated
in proportion to and in accordance with the levels authorized in
the Educational Opportunities Act, S. 2.
SEC. 332. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY
RESOURCES.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels contained in
this resolution assume that—
H. Con. Res. 290—30
(1) there are billions of dollars in wasted expenditures
in the Federal Government that should be eliminated; and
(2) higher projected budget surpluses arising from reduc-
tions in Government waste and stronger revenue inflows could
be used in the future for additional tax relief or debt reduction.
SEC. 333. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON REGARDING THE INADEQUACY
OF THE PAYMENTS FOR SKILLED NURSING CARE.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that—
(1) the Administration should identify areas where they
have the authority to make changes to improve quality,
including analyzing and fixing the labor component of the
skilled nursing facility market basket update factor; and
(2) while Congress deliberates funding structural Medicare
reform and the addition of a prescription drug benefit, it must
maintain the continued viability of the current skilled nursing
benefit. Therefore, the committees of jurisdiction should ensure
that Medicare beneficiaries requiring skilled nursing care have
access to that care and that those providers have the resources
to meet the expectation for high quality care.
SEC. 334. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON VETERANS’ MEDICAL CARE.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume an increase of $1,400,000,000 in veterans’ medical care
appropriations in fiscal year 2001.
SEC. 335. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON IMPACT AID.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that the Impact Aid Program strive to reach the goal
that all local educational agencies eligible for Impact Aid receive
at a minimum, 40 percent of their maximum payment under sec-
tions 8002 and 8003.
SEC. 336. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON TAX SIMPLIFICATION.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that the Joint Committee on Taxation shall develop a
report and alternative proposals on tax simplification by the end
of the year, and the Department of the Treasury is requested
to develop a report and alternative proposals on tax simplification
by the end of the year.
SEC. 337. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ANTITRUST ENFORCEMENT BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND FEDERAL TRADE
COMMISSION REGARDING AGRICULTURE MERGERS AND
ANTICOMPETITIVE ACTIVITY.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that—
(1) the Antitrust Division and the Bureau of Competition
will have adequate resources to enable them to meet their
statutory requirements, including those related to reviewing
increasingly numerous and complex mergers and investigating
and prosecuting anticompetitive business activity; and
(2) these departments will—
(A) dedicate considerable resources to matters and
transactions dealing with agri-business antitrust and com-
petition; and
H. Con. Res. 290—31
(B) ensure that all vertical and horizontal mergers
implicating agriculture and all complaints regarding pos-
sible anticompetitive business practices in the agriculture
industry will receive extraordinary scrutiny.
SEC. 338. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING FAIR MARKETS FOR
AMERICAN FARMERS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that—
(1) the United States should take steps to increase support
for American farmers in order to level the playing field for
United States agricultural producers and increase the leverage
of the United States in World Trade Organization negotiations
on agriculture as long as such support is not trade distorting,
and does not otherwise exceed or impair existing Uruguay
Round obligations; and
(2) such actions should improve United States farm income
and restore the prosperity of rural communities.
SEC. 339. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON WOMEN AND SOCIAL SECURITY
REFORM.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that—
(1) women face unique obstacles in ensuring retirement
security and survivor and disability stability;
(2) Social Security plays an essential role in guaranteeing
inflation-protected financial stability for women throughout
their old age;
(3) Congress and the Administration should act, as part
of Social Security reform, to ensure that widows and other
poor elderly women receive more adequate benefits that reduce
their poverty rates and that women, under whatever approach
is taken to reform Social Security, should receive no lesser
a share of overall federally funded retirement benefits than
they receive today; and
(4) the sacrifice that women make to care for their family
should be recognized during reform of Social Security and that
women should not be penalized by taking an average of 11.5
years out of their careers to care for their family.
SEC. 340. USE OF FALSE CLAIMS ACT IN COMBATTING MEDICARE
FRAUD.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that chapter 37 of title 31, United States Code (commonly
referred to as the False Claims Act) and the qui tam provisions
of that chapter are essential tools in combatting Medicare fraud
and should not be weakened in any way.
SEC. 341. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE NATIONAL GUARD.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in the resolution
assume that the Department of Defense will give priority to funding
the Active Guard/Reserves and Military Technicians at levels
authorized by Congress in the fiscal year 2000 Department of
Defense authorization bill.
H. Con. Res. 290—32
SEC. 342. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING MILITARY READINESS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals in
the budget resolution assume that Congress will protect the Depart-
ment of Defense’s readiness accounts, including spares and repair
parts, and operations and maintenance, and use the requested
levels as the minimum baseline for fiscal year 2001 authorization
and appropriations.
SEC. 343. SENSE OF THE SENATE SUPPORTING FUNDING OF DIGITAL
OPPORTUNITY INITIATIVES.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that the Committees on Appropriations and Finance should
support efforts that address the digital divide, including tax incen-
tives and funding to—
(1) broaden access to information technologies;
(2) provide workers and teachers with information tech-
nology training;
(3) promote innovative online content and software applica-
tions that will improve commerce, education, and quality of
life; and
(4) help provide information and communications tech-
nology to underserved communities.
SEC. 344. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON FUNDING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that funds to improve the justice system will be available
as follows:
(1) $665,000,000 for the expanded support of direct Federal
enforcement, adjudicative, and correctional-detention activities.
(2) $50,000,000 in additional funds to combat terrorism,
including cyber crime.
(3) $41,000,000 in additional funds for construction costs
for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Law Enforce-
ment Training Center.
(4) $200,000,000 in support of Customs and Immigration
and Nationalization Service port of entry officers for the
development and implementation of the ACE computer system
designed to meet critical trade and border security needs.
(5) Funding is available for the continuation of such pro-
grams as: the Byrne Grant Program, Violence Against Women,
Juvenile 
Accountability 
Block 
Grants, 
First 
Responder
Training, Local Law Enforcement Block Grants, Weed and
Seed, Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth in Sentencing,
State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, Drug Courts, Resi-
dential Substance Abuse Treatment, Crime Identification Tech-
nologies, Bulletproof Vests, Counterterrorism, Interagency Law
Enforcement Coordination.
SEC. 345. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING COMPREHENSIVE
PUBLIC EDUCATION REFORM.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that the Federal Government should support State and
local educational agencies engaged in comprehensive reform of their
public education system and that any public education reform
should include at least the following principles:
(1) Every child should begin school ready to learn.
(2) Training and development for principals and teachers
should be a priority.
H. Con. Res. 290—33
SEC. 346. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON PROVIDING ADEQUATE FUNDING
FOR UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that additional budgetary resources should be identified
for function 150 to enable successful United States international
leadership.
SEC. 347. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING THE HIV/AIDS CRISIS.
It is the sense of the Senate that—
(1) the functional totals underlying this resolution on the
budget assume that Congress has recognized the catastrophic
effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly in sub-Saharan
Africa, and seeks to maximize the effectiveness of the United
States’ efforts to combat the disease through any necessary
authorization or appropriations;
(2) Congress should strengthen ongoing programs which
address education and prevention, testing, the care of AIDS
orphans, and improving home and community-based care
options for those living with AIDS; and
(3) Congress should seek additional or new tools to combat
the epidemic, including initiatives to encourage vaccine develop-
ment and programs aimed at preventing mother-to-child trans-
mission of the disease.
SEC. 348. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING TRIBAL COLLEGES.
It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution
assume that—
(1) the Senate recognizes the funding difficulties faced by
tribal colleges and assumes that priority consideration will
be provided to them through funding for the Tribally Controlled
College and University Act, the 1994 Land Grant Institutions,
and title III of the Higher Education Act; and
(2) such priority consideration reflects Congress’ intent to
continue work toward current statutory Federal funding goals
for the tribal colleges.
SEC. 349. SENSE OF THE SENATE TO PROVIDE RELIEF FROM THE
MARRIAGE PENALTY.
It is the sense of the Senate that the level in this budget
resolution assume that Congress shall—
(1) pass marriage penalty tax relief legislation that begins
a phase down of this penalty in 2001;
(2) consider such legislation prior to April 15, 2000.
SEC. 350. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE CONTINUED USE OF FEDERAL
FUEL TAXES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITA-
TION OF OUR NATION’S HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, AND
TRANSIT SYSTEMS.
It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals in
this budget resolution do not assume the reduction of any Federal
gasoline taxes on either a temporary or permanent basis.
SEC. 351. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING THE PRICE OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN THE UNITED STATES.
It is the sense of the Senate that the budgetary levels in
this resolution assume that the cost disparity between identical
prescription drugs sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
should be reduced or eliminated.