HR 2551 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012

Latest action · Sep 15, 2011 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 172.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJul 15, 2011
  2. Passed HouseJul 22, 2011
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012 - Title I: Legislative Branch - Makes appropriations to the Senate for FY2012 for: (1) expense allowances; (2) representation allowances for the Majority and Minority Leaders; (3) salaries of specified officers, employees, and committees (including the Committee on Appropriations); (4) agency contributions for employee benefits; (5) inquiries and investigations; (6) the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control; (7) the Offices of the Secretary and of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate; (8) miscellaneous items; (9) the Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account; and (10) official mail costs.

(Sec. 1) Authorizes the Secretary of the Senate, if in any fiscal year amounts in any Senate appropriations account for the legislative branch are available for more than one fiscal year, to establish procedures for the payment of expenses with respect to that account from any amounts available for that fiscal year.

Makes appropriations to the House of Representatives for FY2012 for: (1) salaries and/or expenses of the House leadership offices, committees (including the Committee on Appropriations), officers and employees; and (2) Members' representational allowances.

(Sec. 101) Requires deposit in the Treasury of any amounts of a Member's representational allowance remaining after all payments are made, to be used for federal deficit reduction, or, if there is no deficit, federal debt reduction.

(Sec. 102) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005 to transfer authority to assign responsibilities to the Republican Policy Committee, and direct the obligation and expenditure of its allowance for salaries and expenses, from the chair of the Republican Conference to the Speaker of the House (or, if the Speaker is not a member of the Republican Party, the Minority Leader of the House).

(Sec. 103) Grants authority to the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the House to allocate funds among specified offices.

(Sec. 104) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal the requirement for a 50%-50% allocation of funds between the Republican Conference and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee for training and program development activities.

Requires the Speaker and the Minority Leader to determine the terms and conditions under which such funds shall be paid for the activities of such organizations.

(Sec. 105) Amends the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2002 to abolish the House Office of Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations (OEPPO).

Transfers and assigns OEPPO functions and responsibilities to the Sergeant at Arms of the House.

Makes FY2012 appropriations for salaries and/or expenses of: (1) the Joint Economic Committee, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 2013, and the Joint Committee on Taxation; (2) the Office of the Attending Physician; (3) the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services; (4) the Capitol Police; (5) the Office of Compliance; (6) the Congressional Budget Office (CBO); and (7) the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), including for the care and operation of Capitol buildings and grounds, Senate Office Buildings, House office buildings, the Capitol power plant, the Library of Congress buildings and grounds, the Capitol Police buildings, grounds, and security, the Botanic Garden, and the Capitol Visitor Center.

(Sec. 1001) Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002 with respect to the Senate employees student loan repayment program to make employees of the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services eligible to participate in the program.

Prohibits such employees, however, from participating in both the federal student loan repayment program and the Senate student loan repayment program at the same time (dual participation).

Appropriates FY2012 funds to: (1) the Library of Congress for salaries and expenses, the Copyright Office, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), and Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; (2) the Government Printing Office (GPO) for congressional printing and binding; (3) GPO for the Office of Superintendent of Documents; (4) the GPO Revolving Fund; (5) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for salaries and expenses; (6) the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund; and (7) the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund.

(Sec. 1301) Establishes an upper limit of $169.725 million for the FY2012 obligational authority of the Library of Congress with regard to certain reimbursable and revolving fund activities.

Authorizes the Librarian of Congress 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.

(Sec. 1302) Authorizes the transfer of FY2012 Library of Congress appropriations between any "Library of Congress" headings, up to 10% per account, upon the approval of the congressional appropriations committees.

(Sec. 1303) Makes balances of expired Library of Congress appropriations available to the Library to make a mandatory deposit to the credit of the Employees' Compensation Fund.

(Sec. 1304) Authorizes the Librarian of Congress to dispose of surplus or obsolete Library personal property by inter-agency transfer, donation, sale, trade-in, or discarding. Requires receipts from such transactions to be credited to funds available for the Library's operations and available for the costs of acquiring similar property.

(Sec. 1305) Amends the Library of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 to modify the use of the revolving fund established for duplication and delivery services associated with the national audiovisual conservation center to include storage of audiovisual materials.

Adds traveling exhibitions and training to the authorized uses of the revolving fund established for the Library's gift shop, decimal classification, photo duplication, and related services.

Revises a disclaimer on the disbursement of gifts, etc., to the Library to state that nothing in such Act shall be construed as prohibiting or restricting the Librarian of Congress from accepting in the name of the United States gifts or bequests of personal property, nonpersonal services, voluntary and uncompensated personal services, or money (as well as, under current law, gifts or bequests of money) for immediate disbursement in the interest of the Library, its collections, or its service.

Prescribes reporting, disclosure, and notification requirements for the Librarian regarding such gifts or bequests.

Title II: General Provisions - Specifies authorized and prohibited uses of funds appropriated by this Act identical or similar to corresponding provisions of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2011.

(Sec. 207) Authorizes the AOC to maintain and improve the landscape features, excluding streets, in specified grassy areas of Washington, DC, SW.

(Sec. 209) Prohibits the use of funds made available to the AOC in this Act to eliminate or restrict guided tours of the U.S. Capitol led by congressional employees and interns.

Allows temporary suspension or restriction of such tours for security or related reasons to the same extent as guided tours of the U.S. Capitol led by the AOC.

(Sec. 210) Rescinds specified unobligated balances available from prior year appropriations for the AOC.

Recorded votes 8

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 629Passed252–159Jul 22, 2011
House 628Failed179–234Jul 22, 2011
House 627Failed176–235Jul 22, 2011
House 626Failed130–283Jul 22, 2011
House 625Agreed to218–194Jul 22, 2011

Cosponsors

Members who signed on, in the order they did.

No cosponsors are on file for this measure.

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseAppropriations Committee
Reported as an original measure Jul 15, 2011
SenateAppropriations Committee
Referred Jul 22, 2011Markup Sep 15, 2011Reported Sep 15, 2011

Actions 53

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Sep 15, 2011Committee on Appropriations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  2. Sep 15, 2011Committee on Appropriations. Reported by Senator Nelson NE, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-80.
  3. Sep 15, 2011Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 172.
  4. Jul 22, 2011Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5378-5381)
  5. Jul 22, 2011DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 359, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Holt amendment.

In the Congressional Record 6

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1426Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. D-GAJul 27, 2011
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1407Gary C. Peters D-MIJul 26, 2011
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1398, E1400Chris Van Hollen D-MD, Earl Blumenauer D-ORJul 25, 2011
House · ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1388, H5378–H5387Amendments H5379, H5380Recorded votes H5382, H5383, H5384, H5385, H5386, H5387Hayworth amendment (U.S. Botanic Garden funding)Holt amendment (Office of Technology Assessment funding through reductions in House Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund funding)makingMoran amendment (prohibit funding for polystyrene containers in House of Representatives food service facilities)Stutzman amendment (GPO funding)Watt amendment (Office of Congressional Ethics funding)Ander Crenshaw R-FL, Daniel E. Lungren R-CA, James P. Moran D-VA (amendment), Ken Calvert R-CA, Marcy Kaptur D-OH, Michael M. Honda D-CA, Peter Welch D-VT, Rush Holt D-NJ (amendment)Jul 22, 2011
HouseDebate and remarks H5312–H5316, H5348–H5372Text printed H5312, H5356–H5360Amendments H5360, H5362, H5363, H5364, H5365, H5367, H5368, H5369, H5370, H5371Recorded votes H5316Lists H5312Budgetary outline for H.R. 2551, legislative branch of the Government appropriationsTables H5350–H5353Ander Crenshaw R-FL, Barbara Lee D-CA, David E. Price D-NC, Erik Paulsen R-MN (amendment), Glenn Thompson R-PA (amendment), Harold Rogers R-KY, Jared Polis D-CO, Jason Altmire D-PA (amendment), Jeff Flake R-AZ (amendment), Kevin Brady R-TX, Marlin A. Stutzman R-IN (amendment), Melvin L. Watt D-NC (amendment), Michael E. Capuano D-MA, Michael M. Honda D-CA, Nan A. S. Hayworth R-NY (amendment), Norman D. Dicks D-WA, Paul A. Gosar R-AZ, Paul C. Broun R-GA (amendment), Pete Sessions R-TX, Richard L. Hanna R-NY (amendment), Robert A. Brady D-PA, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. D-GA (amendment), Steve King R-IA, Virginia Foxx R-NCJul 21, 2011
HouseAmendments H5240Glenn Thompson R-PA (amendment)Jul 19, 2011

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: The principal constitutional authority for this legislation is clause 7 of section 9 of article I of the Constitution of the United States (the appropriation power), which states: ``No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law . . . .'' In addition, clause 1 of section 8 of article I of the Constitution (the spending power) provides: ``The Congress shall have the Power . . . to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States . . . .'' Together, these specific constitutional provisions establish the congressional power of the purse, granting Congress the authority to appropriate funds, to determine their purpose, amount, and period of availability, and to set forth terms and conditions governing their use.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H5126.

Printed hearings 2

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 112-668HEARING ON HEALTH AND BENEFITS LEGISLATION162 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeJun 27, 2012
S. Hrg. 112-458LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012246 pagesAppropriations CommitteeMar 3, 2011–May 12, 2011

CRS reports 19

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 19

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Amendments 16

Amendments offered to this bill.

AmendmentDescriptionOffered byStatus
HAmdt 697An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 112-173 to transfer Member Transition Activities funds to increase the Capitol Police fund by $1,000,000 in order to establish a Security Fund for Member's District Office Security Upgrades.Michael M. Honda D-CAOn agreeing to the Honda amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
HAmdt 698An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 112-173 to reduce funding for the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) by 40% ($619,200) and transfer the funds to the Spending Reduction Account.Melvin L. Watt D-NCOn agreeing to the Watt amendment (A002) Failed by recorded vote: 102 - 302, 7 Present (Roll no. 622). (consideration: CR H5382-5383)
HAmdt 699An amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 112-173 to reduce funding for the Joint Economic Committee by $1,050,750 (25%) and transfers those dollars to the spending reduction account.Paul C. Broun R-GAOn agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A003) Failed by voice vote.
HAmdt 700An amendment numbered 4 printed in House Report 112-173 to reduce funding for the Office of Compliance to the FY 2008 level ($467,000 reduction) and transfers the savings to the spending reduction account.Paul C. Broun R-GAOn agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A004) Failed by voice vote.
HAmdt 701An amendment numbered 5 printed in House Report 112-173 to reduce funding for the Botanic Garden by $632,780 and apply the savings to the spending reduction account.Nan A. S. Hayworth R-NYOn agreeing to the Hayworth amendment (A005) Agreed to by recorded vote: 299 - 112 (Roll no. 623). (consideration: CR H5383)

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Titles 5

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012
Short Titles as Reported to House
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012
Short Titles as Reported to Senate
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012
Short Titles as Passed House
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Congress.

Text 4

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Sep 15, 2011Reported to Senate
  2. Jul 22, 2011Referred in Senate
  3. Jul 22, 2011Engrossed in House
  4. Jul 15, 2011Reported in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.