Conferees agreed to a FY2004 legislative branch appropriation of $3.548 billion contained in H.R. 2547 . The President signed the bill into law on September 30, 2003, P.L. 108-83 ,117 Stat. 1007. The act also contains $937.6 million for FY2003 emergency supplementalappropriations (for non-legislative branch programs). The annual legislative branch appropriations bill contains two titles. Appropriations forlegislative branch agencies are contained in Title I. Title II contains general administrativeprovisions, and from time to time appropriations for legislative branch entities. For example, in theFY2003 Act Title II contained funding for the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Trainingand Development and the Congressional Award Act. Congress changed the structure of the annual legislative branch appropriations bill effective in FY2003. Prior to enactment of the FY2003 bill, and effective in FY1978, the legislative branchappropriations bill was divided into two titles. Title I, Congressional Operations, contained budgetauthorities for activities directly serving Congress. Included in this title were the budgets of theHouse, the Senate, Joint Items (joint House and Senate activities), the Office of Compliance, theCongressional Budget Office (CBO), the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) (except the Library ofCongress (LOC) buildings and grounds), the Congressional Research Service (CRS) within theLibrary of Congress, and congressional printing and binding activities of the Government PrintingOffice (GPO). Title II, Related Agencies, contained budgets for activities not directly supporting Congress. Included in this title were budgets of the Botanic Garden, the Library of Congress (except theCongressional Research Service), the Library buildings and grounds maintained by the Architect ofthe Capitol, the Government Printing Office (except congressional printing and binding costs), andthe General Accounting Office (GAO). Periodically since FY1978, the bill contained additionaltitles for such purposes as capital improvements and special one-time functions. In addition to activities funded in the annual legislative branch appropriations bill, there are legislative budget authorities that include permanent budget authority for both federal funds and trustfunds, and non-legislative entities. Permanent federal funds are available as the result of previously enacted legislation and do not require annual action. (1) Permanent trust funds are monies held in accounts credited with collections from specific sources earmarked by law for a defined purpose. Trust funds do not appear in the annual legislativebill since they are not budget authority. They are included in the U.S. Budget either as budgetreceipts or offsetting collections. (2) The Budget also contains non-legislative entities within the legislative branch budget. They are funded in other appropriation bills, but are placed in the legislative section by the Office ofManagement and Budget for bookkeeping purposes. (3) Table 1. Legislative Branch Appropriations, FY1995 toFY2004 (budget authority in billions of current dollars) a a. These figures represent current dollars, exclude permanent budget authorities, and contain supplementals and rescissions. Permanent budget authorities are not included in the annuallegislative branch appropriations bill but, rather, are automatically funded annually. b. Includes budget authority contained in the FY1999 regular annual Legislative BranchAppropriations Act ( P.L. 105-275 ), the FY1999 emergency supplemental appropriation ( P.L.105-277 ), and the FY1999 supplemental appropriation ( P.L. 106-31 ). c. Includes budget authority contained in the FY2000 regular annual Legislative BranchAppropriations Act ( P.L. 106-57 ); a supplemental and a 0.38% rescission in P.L. 106-113 ; andsupplementals in P.L. 106-246 and P.L. 106-554 . d. This figure contains: (1) FY2001 regular annual appropriations contained in H.R. 5657 , legislative branch appropriations bill; (2) FY2001 supplemental appropriations of $118million and a 0.22% across-the-board rescission contained in H.R. 5666 ,miscellaneous appropriations bill; and (3) FY2001 supplemental appropriations of $79.5million contained in H.R. 2216 ( P.L. 107-20 ). H.R. 5657 and H.R. 5666 were incorporated by reference in P.L. 106-554 , FY2001 ConsolidatedAppropriations Act. The first FY2001legislative branch appropriations bill, H.R. 4516 , was vetoed Oct. 30, 2000. The second legislative branch appropriations bill, H.R. 5657 , was introduced Dec. 14 and incorporated in P.L 106-554. in P.L.106-554 . This figure does not reflect any terrorism supplementals funds released pursuant to P.L. 107-38 . e. This figure contains regular annual appropriations in P.L. 107-68 ; transfers from the legislativebranch emergency response fund pursuant to P.L. 107-117 ; and FY2002 supplementalappropriations in P.L. 107-206 . f. This figure contains regular annual appropriations in P.L. 108-7 , FY2003 Omnibus AppropriationsAct, and supplemental appropriations in P.L. 108-11 . g. This figure contains regular annual appropriations in P.L. 108-83 . Table 2. Status of Legislative Branch Appropriations, FY2004(H.R.2657) Submission of FY2004 Budget Request by the President. On February 3, 2003, President Bush issued the FY2004 U.S.Budget containing an estimate of $3.76 billion for operations of the legislative branch. Subsequently, the request was later revised to $3.78 billion due to modifications by legislativebranch agencies, which reflected an increase of 9.1% ($315.5 million) over the FY2003appropriation of $3.46 billion. A substantial part of the increase was to meet mandatoryexpenses required by law, including additional funding for salaries and related expenses andincreased costs of goods and services for internal operations of legislative branch agencies. Hearings on FY2004 Budget Requests. The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations held most of their hearings on FY2004legislative branch agency requests in March, April, and May 2003. An additional hearing isto be held on the Capitol Visitors' Center as announced by the chairman of the HouseSubcommittee on Legislative, Committee on Appropriations indicated on May 20, 2003. Themost recent hearings were held May 20 and 21, 2003, by the House Subcommittee onLegislative during which Members heard testimony and questioned the Capitol Police Boardand Architect of the Capitol. Report of FY2004 Bill By House Committee on Appropriations (H.R. 2657). As reported by the HouseAppropriations Committee on July 1, 2003, the House bill contained (4) an overall reduction of 1.2% from the FY2003 appropriation for legislative branch activities, except those of the Senate, to $2.70 billion from $2.73 billion; a reduction of 11.8% in the budget of the Capitol Police, to $211.8 million from $240.2 million; and a reduction of 24.8% in the budget of the Architect of the Capitol, excluding funds for Senate Office Buildings, to $294.9 million from $392.3million; The Committee marked up the bill and ordered it reported on June 26. Passage of FY2004 Bill by the House (H.R. 2657). On July 9, the House passed a scaled down bill, H.R. 2657 (394-26), containing an overall decrease of 1.2%, excluding funds forSenate operations, and freezing funding for the Capitol Police, by reducing the expensesaccount and increasing the salaries account by 8.8%. New funding was withheld pendingcompletion of a master plan for the police force. Funds for the Architect of the Capitol wereincreased slightly, with additional funds to be considered as Congress determined wereneeded for the Capitol Visitors' Center and other pending construction projects. The Housebill did not contain funds for the center. H.R. 2657 passed with an amendment prohibiting the use of funds in the bill for supplemental dental and vision health insurance benefits for House Members andemployees. This language was contained as an amendment to H.R. 2657 in thenature of a substitute to the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2657 ( H.Res. 311 ). The rule was agreed to by a vote of 411-13. Report of FY2004 Bill by Senate Committee on Appropriations (S. 1383). As reported in the Senate on July 10, S. 1383 contained an overall increase of 2.7%, for legislative branch operations, excluding funds for the House, to $2.51 billion from $2.44 billion; a slight decrease in the budget for the Capitol Police, to $240.0 million from $240.2 million, which included a reduction in general expenses account and an 18.6%increase in the salaries account; and a reduction of 9.6% in the budget of the Architect of the Capitol, excluding funds for House office buildings , $357.8 million from $396.2 million; the FY2004Architect's figure contains a one-time appropriation of $47.8 million for the Capitol Visitors'Center. Absent the $47.8 million appropriation, the Architect's budget would reflect adecrease of 21.7%, to $310.0 million from $396.2 million in FY2003.