Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1998

(On January 6, 1998, the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia approved an agreement between the National Treasury Employees Union and the Justice Department to invalidate the President's cancellation of, and thus reinstate, section 642 of H.R. 2378. Sec. 642, the Federal Employees' Retirement System Open Enrollment Act of 1997, authorizes individuals employed by the Federal Government as of January 1, 1998, who are subject to the Civil Serviced Retirement System (CSRS), to elect to become subject to the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) during 1998.)

(The President exercised line item veto authority to cancel Sec. 642 on October 16, 1997. The following revised digest of H.R. 2378 reflects the Act as signed into law, minus the line-item-vetoed provision. For more information on the specific items vetoed, see the text of the conference report for H.R. 2378, H.Rept. 105-284, and Presidential Cancellation Number 97-56.)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Department of the Treasury

Title II: Postal Service

Title III: Executive Office of the President and Funds

Appropriated to the President

Title IV: Independent Agencies

Title V: General Provision--This Act

Title VI: General Provisions--Departments, Agencies,

Corporations

Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1998 - Makes appropriations for FY 1998 for the Treasury Department, the U.S. Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and certain independent agencies.

Title I: Department of the Treasury - Treasury Department Appropriations Act, 1998 - Makes appropriations for the Department of the Treasury for: (1) departmental offices; (2) the Office of Professional Responsibility; (3) automation enhancement; (4) the Office of Inspector General; (5) repair and restoration of the Treasury building and annex; (6) the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; (7) violent crime reduction programs; (8) the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, including amounts for maintenance and facility improvements; (9) interagency law enforcement with respect to organized crime drug trafficking; (10) the Financial Management Service; (11) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, including an amount for construction of specified laboratory facilities; (12) the U.S. Customs Service, including amounts for operations and maintenance of marine vessels and aircraft, services at small airports, and collection of the Harbor Maintenance Fee; (13) the Bureau of the Public Debt; (14) the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including amounts for tax law enforcement, earned income tax credit compliance and error reduction initiatives, information systems, and information technology investments; and (15) the Secret Service, including an amount for construction and improvement of facilities.

Rescinds a specified amount of funds appropriated in other Acts for tax law enforcement.

Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds.

(Sec. 116) Provides that the compensation and other emoluments attached to the Secretary of the Treasury shall be those that would apply if Public Law 103-2 (which sets such compensation and emoluments at those in effect on January 1, 1989) had never been enacted. Makes such adjustment effective on the later of: (1) the day after the date on which the individual holding such office on January 1, 1997, ceases to hold such office; or (2) this Act's enactment date.

(Sec. 117) Sets forth certain deadlines for the advance submission of testimony of Treasury Department employees scheduled to testify before the Appropriations Committees or subcommittees.

(Sec. 118) Amends the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to revise provisions regarding compensation for the Secret Service Uniformed Division. Establishes a rate schedule for such compensation and sets forth administrative provisions regarding conversion to the new schedule. Revises provisions regarding premium pay for the Division and sets new limits on premium pay and compensatory time for Division members whose basic pay exceeds a specified amount.

Makes any existing special salary rates, rates of pay, or pay adjustments under specified Federal laws inapplicable to the Division on the effective date of this section.

(Sec. 121) Revises provisions regarding the rates of basic pay for members of the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing police forces. Requires such rates to be fixed without regard to Federal civil service laws and establishes minimum and maximum pay rates.

(Sec. 123) Requires the Secretary to establish the port of Kodiak, Alaska, as a port of entry to be served by Customs Service personnel. Authorizes appropriations.

Title II: Postal Service - Postal Service Appropriations Act, 1998 - Makes appropriations for payments to the Postal Service Fund for revenue foregone on free and reduced rate mail.

Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds.

Title III: Executive Office of the President and Funds Appropriated to the President - Executive Office Appropriations Act, 1998 - Makes appropriations for: (1) compensation of the President and the White House office; (2) operating, maintenance, and reimbursable expenses of the Executive Residence at the White House; (3) White House repair and restoration; (4) special assistance to the President and the official residence of the Vice President; (5) the Council of Economic Advisers; (6) the Office of Policy Development; (7) the National Security Council; (8) the Office of Administration; (9) the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); (10) the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and (11) Federal drug control programs, including amounts for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program and for a national anti-drug campaign for youth.

Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds.

Title IV: Independent Agencies - Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 - Makes appropriations for the: (1) Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled; (2) Federal Election Commission; (3) Federal Labor Relations Authority; and (4) General Services Administration (GSA), including amounts for the Federal Buildings Fund, Government-wide policy and operations, Office of Inspector General, and allowances and office staff for former Presidents.

Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds.

(Sec. 409) Removes time limitations on certain allowances and mailing privileges extended to former Presidents.

(Sec. 410) Appropriates funds to GSA as necessary to repay debts to the Treasury incurred pursuant to the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation Act of 1972.

Makes appropriations for: (1) the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; (2) expenses to carry out the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992; (3) the Merit Systems Protection Board; (4) the National Archives and Records Administration, including amounts for repairs and restoration of archives and presidential libraries; (5) the National Historical Publications and Records Commission; (6) the Office of Government Ethics; (7) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), including an amount for the Office of Inspector General; (8) Government contributions for health and life insurance benefits for annuitants; (9) the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund; (10) the Office of Special Counsel; and (11) the U.S. Tax Court.

Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds.

Title V: General Provisions - This Act - Sets forth authorized and prohibited uses of funds made available under this Act.

(Sec. 507) Sets forth Buy American provisions.

(Sec. 510) Requires, except as otherwise provided, that no more than 50 percent of unobligated balances remaining at the end of FY 1998 from appropriations for salaries and expenses remain available through FY 1999. Requires a request to the Appropriations Committees before expenditure of the funds.

(Sec. 511) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act by the Executive Office of the President to request an official background investigation report on any individual from the Federal Bureau of Investigation unless such individual has given prior written consent during the same presidential administration or such request is due to extraordinary national security circumstances.

(Sec. 512) Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to limit the term of a Federal Election Commission member to a single term of six years (thus, prohibiting reappointment).

(Sec. 513) Prohibits funds appropriated by this Act from being available to pay for an abortion or for the administrative expenses of any Federal employee health plan which provides benefits for abortions. Makes such prohibition inapplicable if the mother's life would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or in cases of rape or incest.

(Sec. 516) Amends Federal civil service provisions to authorize a Member of Congress who has served in an executive branch position for which the rate of basic pay was reduced for the duration of the Member's service to deposit to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund an amount equal to the difference between the amount deducted during such service and the amount that would have been deducted, plus interest, if the rate of pay which would have otherwise been in effect was in effect. Makes conforming amendments to annuity provisions to reflect such adjustment. Applies such amendments retroactively.

(Sec. 517) Extends: (1) the authority for entering into Government physician service agreements (physician comparability allowances) through FY 2000; and (2) the period of service covered by such agreements through FY 2002.

(Sec. 518) Amends Federal retirement provisions to make certain provisions that provide for termination of a survivor annuity upon remarriage of a surviving or former spouse before age 55 inapplicable in cases where the spouse was married for at least 30 years to the individual on whose service the annuity is based. Applies such amendments to marriages occurring on or after January 1, 1995.

Title VI: General Provisions - Departments, Agencies, Corporations - Sets forth authorized and prohibited uses of funds appropriated for Federal departments, agencies, and corporations.

(Sec. 625) Requires the OMB Director to report to the Congress: (1) estimates of costs and benefits of Federal regulatory programs; (2) impacts of Federal rules on the private sector and all levels of government; and (3) recommendations for reform or elimination of inefficient regulatory programs.

(Sec. 633) Directs the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) initiate discussions with Mexican and Canadian officials to achieve parity in the duty-free personal allowance structure of the United States, Mexico, and Canada; and (2) submit recommendations to the Congress for appropriate legislation and action if parity is not achieved within 180 days of this Act's enactment date.

(Sec. 634) Bars the use of funds made available for the Customs Service in this Act to allow the importation of any good produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor.

(Sec. 637) Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require certain designations, statements, and reports by the Republican and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committees to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

(Sec. 638) Amends Federal law to require Federal employees to be separated from service and barred from reemployment in the Federal service if: (1) convicted of a violation or attempted violation of Federal criminal code provisions relating to bribery of public officials; and (2) such violation related to conduct concerning the import, export, or distribution of controlled substances prohibited under the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act.

(Sec. 639) Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to submit to specified congressional committees a plan to improve coordination, and eliminate duplication, among the counterdrug intelligence centers and activities of the Federal Government.