Bill 110-HR-2771 — Government Operations / General
Subject: Congress

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2008 - Makes appropriations to the House of Representatives for FY2008 for: (1) salaries and/or expenses of the House leadership offices, committees (including the Committee on Appropriations), officers and employees, and the Child Care Center; (2) Members' representational allowances; and (3) the preparation of statements of appropriations. (Sec. 101) Requires deposit in the Treasury of any amounts of a Member's representational allowance for FY2008 remaining after all payments are made, to be used for federal deficit reduction, or, if there is no deficit, for federal debt reduction. (Sec. 102) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005 to authorize the Chief Administrative Officer of the House (CAO) to contract on a competitive basis with a public or private entity (currently, private entity only) for the management, operation, and maintenance of the House exercise facility. (Sec. 103) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996 to require the fees collected by the CAO for internal delivery in House nonpostage mail from outside sources to be deposited in the Treasury for credit to the CAO account (currently, deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts). (Sec. 104) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005 to modify use of the House Services Revolving Fund to include purposes relating to energy and water conservation and environmental activities carried out in buildings, facilities, and grounds under the CAO's jurisdiction and approved by the House Committee on Appropriations. (Sec. 105) Amends House Resolution 1238, 91st Congress, agreed to December 22, 1970 (as enacted into permanent law by chapter VIII of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1971) to adjust the additional Secretary's salary of a former Speaker of the House from a maximum of step one of level six of the House Employee Schedule to a maximum of step seven of level 11. Makes appropriations for salaries and/or expenses of: (1) the Joint Economic and Taxation Committees; (2) the Office of the Attending Physician; (3) the Office of Compliance; (4) the Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office; (5) the Capitol Police; (6) the Congressional Budget Office; and (7) the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), including for the care and operation of Capitol buildings and grounds, House office buildings, the Capitol power plant, the Library of Congress buildings and grounds, the Capitol Police buildings and grounds, the Botanic Garden, and the Capitol Visitor Center. (Sec. 1002) Amends the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2002 to increase from $40,000 to $60,000 the maximum payment for a Capitol Police employee under the Educational Assistance Program. (Sec. 1003) Authorizes the U.S. Capitol Police to make advanced payments for obligations when it has been determined that making such payments is in the best interest of the government. (Sec. 1101) Grants authority to the Executive Director of the Office of Compliance (OC) to make lump-sum payments to reward exceptional performance by an employee or a group of employees. (Sec. 1102) Authorizes the OC Executive Director, by regulation, to provide for training of the Office of Compliance employees. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide the Executive Director with such advice and assistance as the Director may request in order to carry out such purposes. (Sec. 1103) Amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to require: (1) the OC Executive Director to notify the head of an office to which the payment of a complaint-related award or settlement is attributable that the payment has been made, including its amount; and (2) such office head, within 180 days of receiving such notice, to make reimbursement for the payment out of the office operating expense account. (Sec. 1201) Permits the Joint Committee to authorize the AOC to enter into an agreement on its behalf to place a statue of Rosa Parks in National Statuary Hall in the Capitol. (Sec. 1202) Establishes in the Office of the AOC the Office of the Inspector General. (Sec. 1203) Treats the Office of the AOC as a federal agency for purposes of: (1) flexible and compressed work schedules; and (2) pay and allowances for travel and transportation. (Sec. 1204) Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to redefine "federal agency" to include the AOC with respect to the demonstration of solar heating and cooling in federal buildings. (Sec. 1205) Authorizes the AOC to grant easements to persons for rights-of-way for specified purposes over, in, and upon the U.S. Capitol grounds or the grounds of any other facility under AOC jurisdiction and control. Establishes in the Treasury a special account in which the AOC shall deposit all funds paid as consideration for the granting of easements, and all other related proceeds, for use for property and facilities maintenance and operations. (Sec. 1206) Authorizes the AOC to use the two-phase selection procedures authorized in the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 for entering into a contract for the design and construction of a public building, facility, or work (a design-build contract) in the same manner and under the same terms and conditions as the head of an executive agency under such Act. (Sec. 1207) Authorizes the AOC, during FY2008 and each succeeding fiscal year, to make payments in advance for obligations of AOC's Office for subscription services if the AOC determines it to be more prompt, efficient, or economical to do so. (Sec. 1208) Authorizes the AOC to use funds made available to the Office during a fiscal year to acquire insurance against the loss of or damage to any exhibit or work of art which is loaned or leased to the AOC, the Capitol Visitor Center, or the Botanic Garden. (Sec. 1209) Treats expenses for Capitol Visitor Center maintenance as U.S. Capitol maintenance expenses, subject to the same financial management and reporting requirements applicable to the AOC for the Capitol. (Sec. 1210) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2004 to modify conditions under which the AOC may lease space within areas of the District of Columbia and its environs. Requires the approval of: (1) the Senate Committee on Appropriations for the Senate; (2) the House Committee on Appropriations for the House; and (3) both Committees for space to be leased for the U.S. Capitol Police and the AOC. (Sec. 1211) Designates the great hall of the Capitol Visitor Center as the Emancipation Hall. Appropriates funds to: (1) the Library of Congress for salaries and expenses, the Copyright Office, Congressional Research Service (CRS), 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 Government Accountability Office (GAO) for salaries and expenses; (5) a payment to the Government Printing Office Revolving Fund; (6) a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund; and (7) a payment to the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund. (Sec. 1301) Authorizes the expenditure of up to $5,000 for the incentive awards program of the Library of Congress. (Sec. 1302) Establishes an upper limit of $122.529 million for the FY2008 obligational authority of the Library of Congress with regard to certain reimbursable and revolving fund activities. Authorizes the Librarian of Congress, under specified conditions, to transfer temporarily up to $1.9 million of funds appropriated in this Act for 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. 1303) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1998 to subject the Cooperative Acquisitions Program Revolving Fund to audit by the Comptroller General at his or her discretion. (Currently, the Librarian of Congress prepares and submits to Congress an audited financial statement conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards for financial audits issued by the Comptroller General.) (Sec. 1304) Authorizes the transfer of FY2008 Library of Congress appropriations between any of the headings for which the amounts are appropriated, upon the approval of the congressional appropriations committees. (Sec. 1401) Eliminates annuities for Comptrollers General, effective for any individual appointed Comptroller General after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 1501) Transfers on October 1, 2008, to the Department of State the Open World Leadership Center established by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001, and all of its functions, personnel, assets, and obligations. Requires the Center to be maintained as a distinct entity within the Department of State, remaining subject, however, to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001. Title II: General Provisions - (Sec. 201) Specifies authorized and prohibited uses of funds appropriated by this Act identical or similar to corresponding provisions of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2007. (Sec. 209) Prohibits use of funds made available in this Act to purchase light bulbs unless they have the "ENERGY STAR" or "Federal Energy Management Program" designation.