[House Report 113-464]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 113-464
======================================================================
DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2015
_______
May 27, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Latham, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY AND ADDITIONAL VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 4745]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making
appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and
Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2015.
INDEX TO BILL AND REPORT
_______________________________________________________________________
Page number
Bill Report
Title I--Department of Transportation...................... 2
5
Title II--Department of Housing and Urban Development...... 70
67
Title III--Related Agencies................................ 139
99
Title IV--General Provisions............................... 147
105
PROGRAM, PROJECT, AND ACTIVITY
During fiscal year 2015, for the purposes of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law
99-177), as amended, with respect to appropriations contained
in the accompanying bill, the terms ``program, project, and
activity'' (PPA) shall mean any item for which a dollar amount
is contained in appropriations acts (including joint
resolutions providing continuing appropriations) and
accompanying reports of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations, or accompanying conference reports and joint
explanatory statements of the committee of conference. This
definition shall apply to all programs for which new budget
(obligational) authority is provided, as well as to
discretionary grants and discretionary grant allocations made
through either bill or report language. In addition, the
percentage reductions made pursuant to a sequestration order to
funds appropriated for facilities and equipment, Federal
Aviation Administration, shall be applied equally to each
budget item that is listed under said account in the budget
justifications submitted to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations as modified by subsequent appropriations acts
and accompanying committee reports, conference reports, or
joint explanatory statements of the committee of conference.
The Committee expects that the operating plans will speak
to each number listed in the reports, and warns that efforts to
operate programs at levels contrary to the levels recommended
and directed in these reports would not be advised.
OPERATING PLANS AND REPROGRAMMING GUIDELINES
The Committee includes a provision (Sec. 405) establishing
the authority by which funding available to the agencies funded
by this act may be reprogrammed for other purposes. The
provision specifically requires the advance approval of the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations of any proposal
to reprogram funds that:
--creates a new program;
--eliminates a program, project, or activity (PPA);
--increases funds or personnel for any PPA for which funds
have been denied or restricted by the Congress;
--redirects funds that were directed in such reports for a
specific activity to a different purpose;
--augments an existing PPA in excess of $5,000,000 or 10
percent, whichever is less;
--reduces an existing PPA by $5,000,000 or 10 percent,
whichever is less; or
--creates, reorganizes, or restructures offices different
from the congressional budget justifications or the
table at the end of the Committee report, whichever is
more detailed.
The Committee retains the requirement that each agency
submit an operating plan to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations not later than 60 days after enactment of this
Act to establish the baseline for application of reprogramming
and transfer authorities provided in this Act. Specifically,
each agency must provide a table for each appropriation with
columns displaying the budget request; adjustments made by
Congress; adjustments for rescissions, if appropriate; and the
fiscal year enacted level. The table shall delineate the
appropriation both by object class and by PPA. The report also
must identify items of special Congressional interest. In
certain instances, the Committee may direct the agency to
submit a revised operating plan for approval or may direct
changes to the operating plan if the plan is not consistent
with the directives of the conference report and statement of
the managers.
The Committee expects the agencies and bureaus to submit
reprogramming requests in a timely manner and to provide a
thorough explanation of the proposed reallocations, including a
detailed justification of increases and reductions and the
specific impact of proposed changes on the budget request for
the following fiscal year. Any reprogramming request shall
include any out-year budgetary impacts and a separate
accounting of program or mission impacts on estimated carryover
funds. Reprogramming procedures shall apply to funds provided
in this bill, unobligated balances from previous appropriations
Acts that are available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal
year 2015, and non-appropriated resources such as fee
collections that are used to meet program requirements in
fiscal year 2015.
The Committee expects each agency to manage its programs
and activities within the amounts appropriated by Congress. The
Committee reminds agencies that reprogramming requests should
be submitted only in the case of an unforeseeable emergency or
a situation that could not have been anticipated when
formulating the budget request for the current fiscal year.
Except in emergency situations, reprogramming requests should
be submitted no later than June 28, 2015. Further, the
Committee notes that when a Department or agency submits a
reprogramming or transfer request to the Committees on
Appropriations and does not receive identical responses from
the House and Senate, it is the responsibility of the
Department to reconcile the House and Senate differences before
proceeding and, if reconciliation is not possible, to consider
the request to reprogram funds unapproved.
The Committee would also like to clarify that this section
applies to Working Capital Funds and that no funds may be
obligated from working capital fund accounts to augment
programs, projects or activities for which appropriations have
been specifically rejected by the Congress, or to increase
funds or personnel for any PPA above the amounts appropriated
by this Act.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS
Budget justifications are the primary tool used by the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations to evaluate the
resource requirements and fiscal needs of agencies. The
Committee is aware that the format and presentation of budget
materials is largely left to the agency within presentation
objectives set forth by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). In fact, OMB Circular A-11, part 1 specifically
instructs agencies to consult with your congressional
committees beforehand. The Committee expects that all agencies
funded under this Act will heed this directive.
The Committee expects all of the budget justifications to
provide the data needed to make appropriate and meaningful
funding decisions.The Committee has made some specific
suggestions for the 2016 submission, and while the layout has
improved, it seems the content has shrunk, especially in many
salaries and expenses accounts. Every dollar, full-time
equivalent/full-time position, and activity should be
represented and accounted for. Grant and technical assistance
accounts need more detail on how the funds were spent, and are
proposed to be spent.
The Committee continues the direction that justifications
submitted with the fiscal year 2016 budget request by agencies
funded under this Act contain the customary level of detailed
data and explanatory statements to support the appropriations
requests at the level of detail contained in the funding table
included at the end of this report. Among other items, agencies
shall provide a detailed discussion of proposed new
initiatives, proposed changes in the agency's financial plan
from prior year enactment, detailed data on all programs, and
comprehensive information on any office or agency
restructurings. At a minimum, each agency must also provide
adequate justification for funding and staffing changes for
each individual office and materials that compare programs,
projects, and activities that are proposed for fiscal year 2016
to the fiscal year 2015 enacted levels.
The Committee is aware that the analytical materials
required for review by the Committee are unique to each agency
in this Act. Therefore, the Committee expects that each agency
will coordinate with the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations in advance on its planned presentation for its
budget justification materials in support of the fiscal year
2016 budget request.
SURFACE AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION
In order to be aware of how funds are allocated and spent,
the Committee directs the Department of Transportation to
report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate within 45 days of enactment of
any surface extension or reauthorization on how the Department
will enact the provisions of such extension or reauthorization,
the allocations by state, and the effects on the accounts in
the Highway Trust Fund. The Committee notes that the Department
of Transportation failed to provide this report following
enactment of MAP-21 and expects better follow through on the
next surface bill.
TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $107,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 109,916,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 103,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -4,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -6,916,000
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The bill provides $103,000,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the offices comprising the Office of the Secretary
of Transportation (OST). The Committee's recommendation is
$4,000,000 below the 2014 enacted level and $6,916,000 below
the request. The Committee's recommendation includes individual
funding for each of these offices as has been done in prior
years. The following table (dollars in thousands) compares the
fiscal year 2014 enacted level to the fiscal year 2015 budget
request and the Committee's recommendation by office. The
Committee assumes no increases in the number of full-time
equivalents (FTE) in fiscal year 2015 and strongly urges the
Department to manage hiring and attrition in 2014 to meet these
levels for 2015. Reductions are also encouraged in the areas of
travel and contracts.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year--
--------------------------------------------------
2015
2014 enacted 2015 request recommendation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Secretary...................................... $2,652 $2,696 $2,600
Deputy Secretary............................................. 1,000 1,011 980
Executive Secretariat........................................ 1,714 1,746 1,700
Policy....................................................... 10,271 10,417 9,500
Small Business............................................... 1,386 1,414 1,400
Intelligence and Security.................................... 10,778 11,055 10,600
Chief Information Officer.................................... 15,695 16,106 15,500
General Counsel.............................................. 19,900 20,312 19,000
Government Affairs........................................... 2,530 2,567 2,500
Budget....................................................... 12,676 13,111 12,500
Administration............................................... 26,378 27,420 24,720
Public Affairs............................................... 2,020 2,061 2,000
--------------------------------------------------
Total Salaries and Expenses............................ 107,000 109,916 103,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immediate Office of the Secretary.--The immediate Office of
the Secretary has primary responsibility to provide overall
planning, direction, and control of departmental affairs.
Immediate Office of the Deputy Secretary.--The Office of
the Deputy Secretary has primary responsibility to assist the
Secretary in the overall planning, direction, and control of
departmental affairs. The Deputy Secretary serves as the chief
operating officer of the Department of Transportation.
Executive Secretariat.--The Executive Secretariat assists
the Secretary and Deputy Secretary in carrying out their
responsibilities by controlling and coordinating internal and
external documents.
Office of the Under Secretary of Transportation for
Policy.--The Office of the Under Secretary of Transportation
for Policy serves as the Department's chief policy officer, and
is responsible for the coordination and development of
departmental policy and legislative initiatives; international
standards development and harmonization; aviation and other
transportation-related trade negotiations; the performance of
policy and economic analysis; and the execution of the
Essential Air Service program.
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.--
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is
responsible for promoting small and disadvantaged business
participation in the Department's procurement and grants
programs.
Office of the Chief Information Officer.--The Office of the
Chief Information Officer serves as the principal advisor to
the Secretary on information resources and information systems
management.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Governmental
Affairs.--The Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Governmental Affairs is responsible for coordinating all
Congressional, intergovernmental, and consumer activities of
the Department.
In addition, the bill continues a provision (Sec. 185) that
requires the Department to notify the Committees on
Appropriations no fewer than three business days before any
discretionary grant award, letter of intent, loan, loan
guarantee, line of credit commitment or full funding grant
agreement is announced by the Department or its modal
administrations from: (1) the Federal Highway Administration;
(2) the airport improvement program of the Federal Aviation
Administration; (3) the Federal Railroad Administration; (4)
any program of the Federal Transit Administration other than
the formula grants; (5) the Maritime Administration; and (6)
any grant funded with the National Infrastructure Investments
account. Such notification shall include the date on which the
official announcement of the grant is to be made and no such
announcement shall involve funds that are not available for
obligation.
Office of the General Counsel.--The Office of the General
Counsel provides legal services to the Office of the Secretary
and coordinates and reviews the legal work of the chief
counsels' offices of the operating administrations.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Budget and
Programs.--The Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs is
responsible for developing, reviewing, and presenting budget
resource requirements for the Department to the Secretary,
Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration.--The
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration serves as
the principal advisor to the Secretary on department-wide
administrative matters and the responsibilities include
leadership in acquisition reform and human capital.
Office of Public Affairs.--The Office of Public Affairs is
responsible for the Department's press releases, articles,
briefing materials, publications, and audio-visual materials.
Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response.--
The Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response is
responsible for intelligence, security policy, preparedness,
training and exercises, national security, and operations.
Congressional budget justifications.--The Department is
directed to include in the budget justification funding levels
for the prior year, current year, and budget year for all
programs, activities, initiatives, and program elements. Each
budget submitted by the Department must also include a detailed
justification for the incremental funding increases and
additional FTEs being requested above the enacted level, by
program, activity, or program element.
OST must include a discussion in its justification of
changes from the current year to the request, plus a crosswalk
of all accounts, existing and proposed, from one year to the
next. To ensure that each adjustment is identified, the
Committee directs OST in future congressional justifications to
include detailed information in tabular format, which
identifies specific changes in funding from the current year to
the budget year for each office, including each office within
OST, and every mode and office within the Department.
Operating plan.--The Committee directs the Department to
submit an operating plan for fiscal year 2015 signed by the
Secretary for review by the Committees on Appropriations within
60 days of the bill's enactment. The operating plan should
include funding levels for the various offices, programs, and
initiatives detailed down to the object class or program
element covered in the budget justification and supporting
documents, documents referenced in the House and Senate
reports, and the statement of the managers (i.e. not simply the
activities called out in bill language). Should the Department
create, alter, discontinue, or otherwise change any program as
described in the Department's budget justification, those
changes must be a part of the Department's operating plan.
Finally, the Department shall submit with the operating
plan a summary of the DOT reporting requirements contained in
the Act, the House and Senate reports, and the statement of the
managers. The Committee requests a number of reports to gather
information and conduct oversight. The summary should include
Inspector General and Government Accountability Office reports
as well.
General provisions.--The Committee continues to direct DOT
to justify each general provision proposed either in its
relevant modal congressional justification or in the OST
congressional justification. If the budget proposes to drop or
delete a general provision, the Department is directed to
explain the change as well.
Bill language.--The bill continues language that permits up
to $2,500,000 of fees to be credited to the Office of the
Secretary for salaries and expenses.
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $14,765,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 14,625,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 12,625,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,140,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -2,000,000
The Office of the Assistant Secretary or Research and
Technology coordinates, facilitates, and reviews the
Department's research and development programs and activities;
coordinating and developing positioning, navigation and timing
(PNT) technology; maintaining PNT policy, coordination and
spectrum management; managing the Nationwide Differential
Global Positioning System; and overseeing and providing
direction to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the
Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office, the
University Transportation Centers program, the Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center and the Transportation Safety
Institute.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation provides $12,625,000 for
research and technology activities, $2,000,000 below the budget
request and $2,140,000 below fiscal year 2014. The
recommendation does not include new bill language providing the
Office of Research and Technology with the authority to receive
funding from modal administrations to support Global
Positioning System activities as requested in the budget
proposal. The budget documents did not include a sufficient
justification for the new authority.
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $600,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 1,250,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 100,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -500,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -1,150,000,000
The National Infrastructure Investment program was created
in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to provide
grants to state and local governments to improve the Nation's
transportation infrastructure. The infrastructure investment
program awards funds on a competitive basis to grantees
selected because of the significant impact they will have on
the Nation, a metropolitan area, or region.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $100,000,000 for National
Infrastructure Investment grants, $500,000,000 below the 2014
level and $1,150,000,000 below the request. Funds are
discretionary from the General Fund of the Treasury and
available until September 30, 2017.
The Committee provides funds specifically for highway and
bridge projects, freight rail projects and port infrastructure
investments--the most critical areas to preserving, expanding,
and improving our Nation's transportation infrastructure. The
bill retains language directing an equitable distribution of
funds and stipulates that not less than 20 percent of the funds
shall be for projects in rural areas. Further, not more than 20
percent of the funds may be awarded to projects in a single
state. Up to 10 percent of the funds may be used for the
subsidy and administrative costs of projects eligible for
Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
assistance. Bill language is included to limit grants to a
minimum of $2,000,000 and a maximum of $15,000,000 in urban
areas, and a minimum of $1,000,000 in rural areas. The Federal
share for projects funded under this header is limited to 50
percent of the project cost in urban areas, and 80 percent in
rural areas. The Secretary is directed to give priority to
projects that require a Federal contribution to complete
overall financing. All projects must comply with subchapter IV
of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CAPITAL
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $7,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 5,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 5,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The Financial Management Capital program continues funding
for a multi-year project to upgrade DOT's financial systems and
processes. The project will implement Treasury Department and
Office of Management and Budget requirements. Deployment of the
new system is anticipated in 2015.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends the budget request of $5,000,000,
a reduction of $2,000,000 from the prior year for the financial
management capital program.
CYBER SECURITY INITIATIVE
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $4,455,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 5,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 5,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +545,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The Cyber Security Initiative is a new effort to close
performance gaps in the Department's cybersecurity. The
initiative includes support for essential program enhancements,
infrastructure improvements and contractual resources to
enhance the security of the Department's computer network and
reduce the risk of security breaches.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation includes the budget request of
$5,000,000 to support the Secretary's cyber security
initiative, which is $545,000 above the fiscal year 2014
enacted level.
OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $9,551,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 9,600,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 9,600,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +49,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The Office of Civil Rights is responsible for advising the
Secretary on civil rights and equal opportunity issues, and
ensuring the full implementation of the civil rights laws and
departmental civil rights policies in all official actions and
programs. This office is responsible for enforcing laws and
regulations that prohibit discrimination in federally operated
and federally assisted transportation programs and enabling
access to transportation providers. The Office of Civil Rights
also handles all civil rights cases affecting Department of
Transportation employees.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends the budget request of $9,600,000
for the Office of Civil Rights, an increase of $49,000 over the
prior year.
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $7,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 8,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 6,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -1,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -2,000,000
This appropriation finances research activities and studies
related to the planning, analysis, and information development
used in the formulation of national transportation policies and
plans. It also finances the staff necessary to conduct these
efforts. The overall program is carried out primarily through
contracts with other federal agencies, educational
institutions, nonprofit research organizations, and private
firms.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $6,000,000 for
transportation planning, research, and development, which is
$1,000,000 below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and
$2,000,000 below the level proposed in the fiscal year 2015
budget.
WORKING CAPITAL FUND
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $178,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... - - -
Recommended in the bill............................... 181,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +3,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +181,000,000
The working capital fund was created to provide common
administrative services to the operating administrations and
outside entities that contract for the fund's services. The
working capital fund operates on a fee-for-service basis and
receives no direct appropriations; it is fully self-sustaining
and must achieve full cost recovery.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $181,000,000 on
the Working Capital Fund (WCF), a $3,000,000 increase over
2014. The Administration did not propose a WCF legislative
limitation, however, if all of the WCF expenditures proposed in
the budget are added up, WCF costs are anticipated to increase
$9,000,000 over fiscal year 2014. The Committee continues to
stipulate that the limitation is only for services provided to
the Department of Transportation, not other entities. Further,
the Committee directs that, as much as possible, services shall
be provided on a competitive basis.
The Committee continues the direction to update the WCF
``transparency paper'' in the fiscal year 2016 budget
justification. The Committee directs the Department to include
in the budget justification an additional table detailing how
much each mode is proposed to use through the WCF.
MINORITY BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER PROGRAM
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limitation on
Appropriation guaranteed
loans
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....... $925,000 ($18,367,000)
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...... 1,013,000 (18,367,000)
Recommended in the bill............... 1,013,000 (18,367,000)
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014... 88,000 - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.. - - - - - -
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through the Short Term Lending Program, the minority
business resource center assists disadvantaged, minority, and
women-owned businesses with obtaining short-term working
capital for DOT and DOT-funded transportation-related
contracts. The program enables qualified businesses to obtain
loans at two percentage points above the prime interest rate
with DOT guaranteeing up to 75 percent of the loan.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total of $1,013,000 for the
resource center, the same as the budget request and $88,000
more than the 2014 amounts. Of the funds provided, $417,000 is
to cover the subsidy costs of guaranteed loans and $596,000 is
for administrative expenses to carry out the guaranteed loan
program. The Committee recommends a limitation on guaranteed
loans of $18,367,000, the same as the budget request and the
limitation in fiscal year 2014.
MINORITY BUSINESS OUTREACH
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $3,088,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 3,099,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 3,099,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +11,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The minority business outreach program provides contractual
support to small and disadvantaged businesses by providing
information dissemination and technical and financial
assistance to empower those businesses to compete for
contracting opportunities with DOT and DOT-funded contracts or
grants for transportation-related projects.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends the budget request of $3,099,000
for the minority business outreach program, which is $11,000
more than the 2014 level.
PAYMENTS TO AIR CARRIERS
(AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $149,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 155,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 149,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -6,000,000
The Essential Air Service program (EAS) was created by the
Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 as a ten-year measure to
continue air service to communities that had received air
service prior to deregulation. The program currently provides
subsidies to air carriers serving small communities that meet
certain criteria.
The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of
1996 authorized the collection of ``overflight fees''.
Overflight fees are a type of user fee collected by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) from aircraft that neither take
off from, nor land in, the United States. The FAA Modernization
and Reform Act of 2012 increased the authorized level of
overflight fee collection, and increased the amount that the
Department can apply to the EAS program. The budget request
estimates that fee will provide $100,000,000 for the EAS
program in fiscal year 2015.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
For fiscal year 2015, the Committee includes $149,000,000
in discretionary funding for the EAS program, which is equal to
the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $6,000,000 below the
budget request.
The following table shows the discretionary, mandatory, and
total program levels for the EAS program:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation Mandatory Total Program
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 Appropriation........................................... $149,000,000 $100,000,000 $249,000,000
FY 2015 Request................................................. 155,000,000 100,000,000 255,000,000
Committee Recommendation........................................ 149,000,000 100,000,000 249,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee directs the Department to utilize all the
overflight fees collected for this program to alleviate the
discretionary funding requirement for the program.
The Committee includes bill language which prohibits a new
contract with a community located less than 40 miles from a
small hub airport before the community has negotiated a cost-
share.
The Committee also includes bill language which prohibits
funds for communities with a per passenger subsidy which
exceeds $500 per passenger, unless the community negotiates a
cost share.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
Section 101. The Committee continues the provision
prohibiting the Office of the Secretary of Transportation from
approving assessments or reimbursable agreements pertaining to
funds appropriated to the operating administrations in this
Act, unless such assessments or agreements have completed the
normal reprogramming process for Congressional notification.
Section 102. The Committee continues the provision allowing
the Secretary or his designee to work with States and State
legislators to consider proposals related to the reduction of
motorcycle fatalities.
Section 103. The Committee continues the provision allowing
the Department to use the Working Capital Fund to provide
transit benefits to Federal employees.
Section 104. The Committee continues the provision
regarding administrative requirements of DOT's Credit Council.
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible
for the safety and development of civil aviation and for the
evolution of a national system of airports. The Federal
Government's regulatory role in civil aviation began with the
creation of an Aeronautics Branch within the Department of
Commerce pursuant to the Air Commerce Act of 1926. This Act
instructed the Secretary of Commerce to foster air commerce;
designate and establish airways; establish, operate, and
maintain aids to navigation; arrange for research and
development to improve such aids; issue airworthiness
certificates for aircraft and major aircraft components; and
investigate civil aviation accidents. In the Civil Aeronautics
Act of 1938, these activities were subsumed into a new,
independent agency named the Civil Aeronautics Authority.
After further administrative reorganizations, Congress
streamlined regulatory oversight in 1957 with the creation of
two separate agencies, the Federal Aviation Agency and the
Civil Aeronautics Board. When the Department of Transportation
began its operations on April 1, 1967, the Federal Aviation
Agency was renamed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
and became one of several modal administrations within the
department. The Civil Aeronautics Board was later phased out
with enactment of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, and
ceased to exist at the end of 1984. FAA's mission expanded in
1995 with the transfer of the Office of Commercial Space
Transportation from the Office of the Secretary and contracted
in December 2001 with the transfer of civil aviation security
activities to the new Transportation Security Administration.
The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 authorized FAA
programs through 2015 with several new mandates to improve the
National Airspace System (NAS), including provisions regarding
the NextGen program for Air Traffic Control and provisions
regarding the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in civilian
airspace.
OPERATIONS
(AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $9,651,422,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 9,750,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 9,750,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +98,578,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
This appropriation provides funds for the operation,
maintenance, communications, and logistical support of the air
traffic control and air navigation systems. It also covers
administrative and managerial costs for the FAA's regulatory,
international, medical, engineering and development programs as
well as policy oversight and overall management functions.
The operations appropriation includes the following major
activities: (1) operation on a 24-hour daily basis of a
national air traffic system; (2) establishment and maintenance
of a national system of aids to navigation; (3) establishment
and surveillance of civil air regulations to ensure safety in
aviation; (4) development of standards, rules and regulations
governing the physical fitness of airmen as well as the
administration of an aviation medical research program; (5)
administration of the acquisition, and research and development
programs; (6) headquarters, administration and other staff
offices; and (7) development, printing, and distribution of
aeronautical charts used by the flying public.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $9,750,000,000 for FAA operations,
which is $98,578,000 above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level
and the same as the budget request.
The following table shows a comparison of the fiscal year
2014 enacted level, the budget request, and the Committee
recommendation by budget activity:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
FY 2014 enacted FY 2015 request recommendation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Traffic Organization............................... $7,311,790,000 $7,396,654,000 $7,396,654,000
Aviation Safety........................................ 1,204,777,000 1,215,458,000 1,218,458,000
Commercial Space Transportation........................ 16,011,000 16,605,000 16,000,000
Finance and Management................................. 762,462,000 765,047,000 762,652,000
NextGen and Operations Planning........................ 59,782,000 60,089,000 60,089,000
Staff Offices.......................................... 296,600,000 296,147,000 296,147,000
--------------------------------------------------------
Total.............................................. 9,651,422,000 9,750,000,000 9,750,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justification of general provisions.--The Committee
continues its direction to provide a justification for each
general provision proposed in the FAA budget and therefore
expects the fiscal year 2016 budget to include adequate
information on each proposed general provision.
TRUST FUND SHARE OF FAA BUDGET
The bill derives $8,595,000,000 of the total operations
appropriation from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. The
balance of the appropriation, $1,155,000,000, will be drawn
from the General Fund of the Treasury.
AIR TRAFFIC ORGANIZATION
The bill provides $7,396,654,000 for the air traffic
organization, which is $84,864,000 above the 2014 enacted level
and the same as the budget request.
Air traffic controller staffing.--The Federal Aviation
Administration is planning to hire more than 1,700 new
controllers in fiscal year 2015 to offset controller attrition
and future retirements. This level of hiring is greater than
any year since fiscal year 2009. The Committee has provided the
full budget request for the Air Traffic Organization to support
the hiring and training of these new controllers.The FAA
received an overwhelming response to its most recent job announcement
for new controllers. However, the Committee is concerned that the
initial screening of those applications yielded a much smaller pool of
candidates than is normally expected. The Committee understands FAA
intends to solicit additional applications before the end of fiscal
year 2014 if the agency determines it will not meet its stated hiring
goals. The Committee directs the FAA to provide an update on its fiscal
year 2014 controller hiring progress to the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations by November 5, 2014. This update should include
hiring totals, academy completion totals, and an analysis of hiring and
screening procedures.
Last year, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported
that the FAA has not been able to achieve many of its training
goals under the current Air Traffic Control Optimum Training
Solution (ATCOTS) Program, its contract for controller
training. Specifically, the FAA has not met its goals to reduce
controller training times, and the program has not been able to
produce needed training innovations. The Committee directs the
FAA to provide a training plan by March 31, 2015 for meeting
its hiring goals in fiscal year 2015 hires and, where
appropriate, adjusting the ATCOTS contract to reduce training
times and control costs.
In 2010, the OIG reviewed FAA's process for screening and
assigning new controllers and found that it did not
sufficiently evaluate the candidates' aptitudes before placing
them at air traffic control facilities. The Committee directs
that the OIG conduct a follow-up review of its 2010 study of
screening, placing, and training newly hired air traffic
controllers.
Contract tower program.--The Committee recommendation
includes $140,000,000 for the contract tower program, including
$9,500,000 to continue the contract tower cost-sharing program.
The Committee continues to support the program as a safe, cost-
efficient mechanism for providing air traffic services to
pilots and local communities.
AVIATION SAFETY
The Committee provides $1,218,458,000 for aviation safety,
which is $13,681,000 above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level
and $3,000,000 above the budget request.
The Committee continues its direction requiring the
Secretary to provide annual reports regarding the use of the
funds provided, including, but not limited to, the total full-
time equivalent staff years in the offices of aircraft
certification and flight standards, total employees, vacancies,
and positions under active recruitment.
Inspector staffing.--The FAA has committed to developing
and implementing a new approach to safety that prioritizes
oversight based on risk, and seeking to identify emerging
trends and hazards before they result in accidents. The
Committee believes this is an important effort to improve on
the Nation's aviation safety record. However, the Committee is
concerned that the FAA does not have reliable information on
how many inspectors it needs or where they are needed most. A
June 2013 report by the OIG found that although the FAA
introduced a new staffing model in 2009, the Agency has not
relied on the model's results to drive budget requests, in part
because the model's data are incomplete, inaccurate, and
outdated. The Committee understands that in response to the
OIG's concerns, the Agency obtained another independent review
in September 2013, which confirmed once again that the model
was not yet reliable. The Committee directs the FAA to provide
a plan by July 1, 2015 with milestones for correcting problems
with the model and a timeframe for when a reliable model will
be in place.
Air operator certification.--The Committee is concerned
that delays in FAA certification of air operators can hinder
the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry. Each year,
hundreds of commercial air carriers, aircraft repair stations,
pilot schools, and other entities apply to the FAA for
certificates authorizing them to operate in the National
Airspace System (NAS). Lengthy delays in certification
approvals present real barriers to companies seeking to operate
in the National Airspace System, limiting the economic growth
of the aviation industry. As of October 2013, there were more
than 1,000 entities awaiting certification across the United
States, with 138 applicants delayed for more than 3 years.
FAA Modernization and Reform Act section 312.--The
Committee remains interested in the FAA's progress on section
312 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which
requires the FAA to identify ways to make its certification
processes more efficient and its rulings more consistent among
field offices. The Committee expects FAA to focus on areas that
contribute to the greatest improvement in aviation safety while
advancing new and emerging technologies and products into the
marketplace in a timely manner. To determine its progress in
implementing this provision, the Committee directs FAA to
submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a
report on the FAA's actions to meet its section 312
implementation plan no later than April 1, 2015. The report
should include: (1) measures the FAA is taking to implement
section 312 and the extent to which they reflect progress in
relying more fully on delegated authorities and developing a
systems safety approach; (2) how the FAA will use data to
improve the delegation process; and (3) the extent to which FAA
plans to modify personnel expectations and training course
content to communicate changes to the field.
Aircraft certification workforce staffing.--The continued
development and training of the inspector, engineer, and
specialist workforce is key to certification streamlining and
the full use of delegated authority. The Committee directs the
FAA to include in its annual Workforce Staffing Report a
section devoted to the actions undertaken and planned by the
FAA to further enhance aircraft certification workforce skills
and training. This section of the Workforce Staffing Report
should include a program and funding summary indicating the
resources needed, by fiscal year, to fully implement an
enhanced aircraft certification workforce and training program.
International coordination on FAA certification
activities.--The Committee expects the FAA to use such funds as
may be necessary to coordinate with and educate other
international aviation authorities about the FAA's
certification process. This effort is consistent with the FAA's
strategic plan and is critical to streamline and enhance the
validation and acceptance of the FAA certifications globally.
Small Airplane Revitalization Act.--Funding should be
utilized, as requested by the FAA, to support regulatory action
consistent with the Small Airplane Revitalization Act (P.L.
113-53).
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).--The FAA Modernization and
Reform Act of 2012 directed the FAA to integrate UAS into the
National Airspace System by 2015. However, it is uncertain when
the FAA can integrate UAS into the Nation's airspace and what
will be required to achieve the goal. The lack of an overall
framework for the new systems may be inhibiting progress on UAS
integration. The Committee is concerned that the FAA may not be
well positioned to manage effectively the introduction of UAS
in the United States, particularly in light of a recent ruling
by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) administrative
judge regarding the use of a small UAS for commercial purposes.
Given these challenges, the Committee has provided an
additional $3,000,000 in the Aviation Safety Activity to
expedite the integration of UAS into commercial airspace.
UAS budgeting.--The Committee understands that UAS have
very different operating characteristics, communications and
flight planning system requirements than traditional air
traffic operations. However, the resource requirements for
integrating UAS into airspace and the corresponding impacts on
the FAA's capital and operating budgets remains unclear. The
Committee directs the FAA to develop an integrated budget for
UAS in the fiscal year 2016 budget request that clearly
identifies research and development needs and the requirements
for air traffic control systems and operations.
Global tracking of airline flights.--In the aftermath of
the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370, the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced its
intention to convene a special meeting on May 12-13, 2014 of
state and industry representatives on the global tracking of
airline flights. The Committee supports this effort and expects
FAA to work collaboratively with its ICAO partners to identify
and implement international standards that will help avoid the
circumstances that have surrounded the disappearance of MH 370.
In this regard, the Committee understands that ICAO recently
established new guidance on underwater locator beacons which
will become effective in 2018. In addition, ICAO's flight
recorder panel intends to review additional means for
expediting the location of accident sites, including the use of
deployable flight data recorders and the triggered transmission
of flight data. This report follows a Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) study that concluded that additional
technology solutions in the recovery of flight data are both
viable and preferred. The Committee underscores the importance
of identifying universally adopted measures that will provide
improved tracking of flights. The Committee directs FAA to
provide an update to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations on the agency's efforts to support ICAO's work
in this area, including ICAO's evaluation of the costs and
benefits of installing automatic deployable flight data
recorders and other relevant technologies under consideration.
One engine inoperative policy.--On April 28, 2014, the FAA
published a notice of proposed policy regarding the impact of
one engine inoperative procedures in obstruction evaluation
aeronautical studies. The Committee directs FAA to carefully
consider all comments that are submitted on this proposed
policy and to work with relevant stakeholders to preserve
safety and efficiency while balancing the important needs of
communities, airports and airport users. The Committee urges
FAA to consider whether a cost benefit analysis should be
required in the final policy on obstruction evaluation
aeronautical studies.
COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION
The Committee recommends $16,000,000 for the Office of
Commercial Space Transportation, which is $11,000 below the
fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $605,000 below the budget
request.
The Committee recognizes the importance of commercial space
transportation to the Nation and is committed to fostering a
viable, healthy, and competitive industry. U.S. commercial
space activity has increased and operations have become more
complex presenting vexing challenges for the FAA. When the
Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 was enacted,
only certain types of vehicles were available for private
sector use primarily to lift satellites and other types of
cargo into space. The use of reusable launch vehicles--vehicles
designed to return to Earth from space--was in its infancy.
This includes suborbital reusable vehicles (SRV) capable of
carrying people and cargo. Since then, SRVs that carry cargo
are now operational and those capable of carrying humans are
planned for operations in the next few years. In fiscal year
2013, the FAA reported that launches licensed and permitted by
the Agency grew six-fold, and FAA expects demand will continue
to rise.Given the challenges of emerging space transportation
activities, the Committee directs the FAA to focus its
commercial space activities on operational requirements and to
meet the modest funding reduction in this account through
savings from non-safety related activities.
The Committee supports utilizing heavy-lift launch
capability, including the Space Launch System, to execute
commercial missions to low earth orbit and beyond low earth
orbit destinations. Therefore, the FAA Office of Commercial
Space Transportation is urged to leverage its existing launch
licensing authority to encourage private sector investment in
systems by ensuring that commercial activities can be conducted
on a non-interference basis.
FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The Committee recommends $762,652,000 for finance and
management activities, which is $190,000 above the fiscal year
2014 enacted level and $2,395,000 below the budget request.
FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI).--The FAA
Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) is the
telecommunications network that provides voice, data, and video
communication for national airspace (NAS) operations and
mission support functions. The executive branch has issued an
order allowing commercial telecommunication carriers to conduct
trials to transition air traffic control voice communication
services from circuit switched voice services to internet
protocol (IP) transition trials, while ensuring that NAS
operations are not disrupted. The Committee commends the FAA
for its efforts to complete an investment analysis of a
transition to IP services, and directs the FAA to report to the
committee on the status of this investment analysis no later
than March 31, 2015.
Workforce diversity report.--The Committee directs FAA to
continue to provide workforce diversity reports to the House
and Senate Committees on Appropriations as required in previous
committee reports. The Committee understands that FAA has
implemented a new process for hiring additional controllers and
is interested in whether this new process yields a more diverse
workforce that is well-equipped to succeed as an air traffic
controller.
NEXTGEN AND OPERATIONS PLANNING
The Committee recommends $60,089,000 for NextGen and
Operations Planning, which is $307,000 above the fiscal year
2014 enacted level and the same as the budget request.
BILL LANGUAGE
Second Career Training Program.--The bill retains language
prohibiting the use of funds for the second career training
program. This prohibition has been in annual appropriations
Acts for many years and is included in the President's budget
request.
Aviation user fees.--The bill includes a limitation carried
for several years prohibiting funds from being used to finalize
or implement any new unauthorized user fees.
Aeronautical charting and cartography.--The bill maintains
the provision prohibiting funds in this Act from being used to
conduct aeronautical charting and cartography (AC&C) activities
through the working capital fund (WCF).
Credits.--This bill includes language allowing funds
received from specified public, private, and foreign sources
for expenses incurred to be credited to the appropriation.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
(AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $2,600,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 2,603,700,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 2,600,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -3,700,000
The Facilities and Equipment (F&E) account is the principal
means for modernizing and improving air traffic control and
airway facilities. The appropriation also finances major
capital investments required by other agency programs,
experimental research and development facilities, and other
improvements to enhance the safety and capacity of the airspace
system.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of
$2,600,000,000, for the FAA's facilities and equipment program,
the same as the level provided in fiscal year 2014 and a
decrease of $3,700,000 below the budget request. The bill
provides that, of the total amount recommended, $2,137,000,000
is available for obligation until September 30, 2017 and
$463,000,000 (the amount for personnel and related expenses) is
available until September 30, 2015. These obligation
availabilities are consistent with past appropriations Acts.
The following table provides funding levels for facilities
and equipment activities and budget line items.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2015 Budget FY 2015 House
Program Request Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 1--Engineering, Development,
Test and Evaluation
Advanced Technology Development $29,900,000 $29,900,000
and Prototyping..................
NAS Improvement of System Support 1,000,000 1,000,000
Laboratory.......................
William J. Hughes Technical Center 12,049,000 12,049,000
Facilities.......................
William J. Hughes Technical Center 12,200,000 12,200,000
Infrastructure Sustainment.......
Separation Management Portfolio... 13,000,000 13,000,000
Improved Surface/TFDM Portfolio... 38,808,000 38,808,000
On Demand NAS Portfolio........... 6,000,000 6,000,000
Environment Portfolio............. 2,500,000 2,500,000
Improved Multiple Runway 3,500,000 5,500,000
Operations Portfolio.............
NAS Infrastructure Portfolio...... 13,480,000 14,480,000
NextGen Support Portfolio......... 13,000,000 13,000,000
Performance Based Navigation & 25,500,000 27,500,000
Metroplex Portfolio..............
Total Activity 1.............. 170,937,000 172,937,000
Activity 2--Air Traffic Control
Facilities and Equipment
a. En Route Programs
En Route Automation Modernization 10,500,000 10,500,000
(ERAM)...........................
En Route Automation Modernization 45,200,000 45,200,000
(ERAM)--System Enhancements and
Tech Refresh.....................
En Route Communications Gateway 6,600,000 6,600,000
(ECG)............................
Next Generation Weather Radar 7,100,000 7,100,000
(NEXRAD)--Provide................
ARTCC Building Improvements/Plant 63,700,000 63,700,000
Improvements.....................
Air Traffic Management (ATM)...... 5,729,000 5,729,000
Air/Ground Communications 3,900,000 3,900,000
Infrastructure...................
Air Traffic Control En Route Radar 5,100,000 5,100,000
Facilities Improvements..........
Voice Switching and Control System 13,800,000 13,800,000
(VSCS)...........................
Oceanic Automation System......... 3,508,000 3,508,000
Next Generation Very High 40,000,000 40,000,000
Frequency Air/Ground Comm
(NEXCOM).........................
System-Wide Information Management 60,261,000 60,261,000
ADS-B NAS Wide Implementation..... 247,200,000 252,200,000
Windshear Detection Service....... 4,300,000 4,300,000
Collaborative Air Traffic 13,491,000 13,491,000
Management Technologies WP2 & WP3
Time Based Flow Management 21,000,000 21,000,000
Portfolio........................
NextGen Weather Processors........ 23,320,000 23,320,000
Airborne Collision Avoidance 12,000,000 12,000,000
System X (ACASX).................
Data Communications in Support of 147,340,000 150,340,000
NG Air Transportation System.....
Subtotal En Route Programs.... 734,049,000 742,049,000
b. Terminal Programs
Airport Surface Detection 5,436,000 5,436,000
Equipment--Model X (ASDE-X)......
Terminal Doppler Weather Radar 1,900,000 1,900,000
(TDWR)--Provide..................
Standard Terminal Automation 50,700,000 50,700,000
Replacement System (STARS) (TAMR
Phase 1).........................
Terminal Automation Modernization/ 136,150,000 156,150,000
Replacement Program (TAMR Phase
3)...............................
Terminal Automation Program....... 1,600,000 1,600,000
Terminal Air Traffic Control 29,800,000 29,800,000
Facilities--Replace..............
ATCT/Terminal Radar Approach 45,040,000 45,040,000
Control (TRACON) Facilities--
Improve..........................
Terminal Voice Switch Replacement 2,000,000 2,000,000
(TVSR)...........................
NAS Facilities OSHA and 43,501,000 43,501,000
Environmental Standards
Compliance.......................
Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR-9) 13,600,000 13,600,000
Terminal Digital Radar (ASR-11) 21,100,000 21,100,000
Technology Refresh and Mobile
Airport Surveillance Radar (MASR)
Runway Status Lights.............. 41,710,000 41,710,000
National Airspace System Voice 20,550,000 20,550,000
System (NVS).....................
Integrated Display System (IDS)... 16,917,000 16,917,000
Remote Monitoring and Logging 3,930,000 3,930,000
System (RMLS)....................
Mode S Service Life Extension 8,100,000 8,100,000
Program (SLEP)...................
Surveillance Interface 4,000,000 4,000,000
Modernization....................
Voice Recorder Replacement Program 1,000,000 1,000,000
(VRRP)...........................
Precision Runway Monitor (PRM).... 1,000,000 1,000,000
Integrated Terminal Weather System 4,400,000 4,400,000
(ITWS)...........................
Subtotal Terminal Programs.... 452,434,000 472,434,000
c. Flight Service Programs
Aviation Surface Observation 8,000,000 8,000,000
System (ASOS)....................
Future Flight Service Program..... 1,000,000 1,000,000
Alaska Flight Service Facility 2,800,000 2,800,000
Modernization (AFSFM)............
Weather Camera Program............ 200,000 200,000
Subtotal Flight Service 12,000,000 12,000,000
Programs.....................
d. Landing and Navigational Aids
Program
VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range 8,300,000 8,300,000
(VOR) with Distance Measuring
Equipment (DME)..................
Instrument Landing System (ILS)-- 7,000,000 7,000,000
Establish........................
Wide Area Augmentation System 103,600,000 103,600,000
(WAAS) for GPS...................
Runway Visual Range (RVR) and 6,000,000 6,000,000
Enhanced Low Visibility
Operations (ELVO)................
Approach Lighting System 3,000,000 3,000,000
Improvement Program (ALSIP)......
Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) 3,000,000 3,000,000
Visual NAVAIDS--Establish/Expand.. 2,000,000 2,000,000
Instrument Flight Procedures 2,400,000 2,400,000
Automation (IFPA)................
Navigation and Landing Aids-- 3,000,000 3,000,000
Service Life Extension Program
(SLEP)...........................
VASI Replacement--Replace with 5,000,000 5,000,000
Precision Approach Path Indicator
GPS Civil Requirements............ 27,000,000 0
Runway Safety Areas--Navigational 35,000,000 35,000,000
Mitigation.......................
Subtotal Landing and 205,300,000 178,300,000
Navigational Aids Programs...
e. Other ATC Facilities Programs
Fuel Storage Tank Replacement and 15,500,000 15,500,000
Management.......................
Unstaffed Infrastructure 32,300,000 32,300,000
Sustainment......................
Aircraft Related Equipment Program 9,000,000 9,000,000
Airport Cable Loop Systems-- 5,000,000 5,000,000
Sustained Support................
Alaskan Satellite 11,400,000 11,400,000
Telecommunications Infrastructure
(ASTI)...........................
Facilities Decommissioning........ 5,700,000 5,700,000
Electrical Power Systems--Sustain/ 102,000,000 92,300,000
Support..........................
Energy Management and Compliance 1,000,000 1,000,000
(EMC)............................
Subtotal Other ATC Facilities 181,900,000 175,200,000
Programs.....................
Total Activity 2.......... 1,585,683,000 1,579,983,000
Activity 3--Non-Air Traffic Control
Facilities and Equipment
a. Support Equipment
Hazardous Materials Management.... 22,000,000 22,000,000
Aviation Safety Analysis System 11,900,000 11,900,000
(ASAS)...........................
Logistics Support Systems and 8,000,000 8,000,000
Facilities (LSSF)................
National Air Space (NAS) Recovery 12,000,000 12,000,000
Communications (RCOM)............
Facility Security Risk Management. 14,300,000 14,300,000
Information Security.............. 12,000,000 12,000,000
System Approach for Safety 22,500,000 22,500,000
Oversight (SASO).................
Aviation Safety Knowledge 10,200,000 10,200,000
Management Environment (ASKME)...
System Safety Management Portfolio 18,700,000 18,700,000
National Test Equipment Program... 2,000,000 2,000,000
Mobile Assets Management Program.. 4,000,000 4,000,000
Aerospace Medicine Safety 3,000,000 3,000,000
Information Systems (AMSIS)......
Tower Simulation System (TSS) 3,000,000 3,000,000
Technology Refresh...............
Subtotal Support Equipment.... 143,600,000 143,600,000
b. Training, Equipment and Facilities
Aeronautical Center Infrastructure 13,180,000 13,180,000
Modernization....................
Distance Learning................. 1,500,000 1,500,000
Undistributed Amount (FY13
Sequester).......................
Subtotal Training, Equipment 14,680,000 14,680,000
and Facilities...............
Total Activity 3.......... 158,280,000 158,280,000
Activity 4--Facilities and Equipment
Mission Support
a. System Support and Services
System Engineering and Development 34,504,000 34,504,000
Support..........................
Program Support Leases............ 43,200,000 43,200,000
Logistics Support Services (LSS).. 11,500,000 11,500,000
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center 18,350,000 18,350,000
Leases...........................
Transition Engineering Support.... 16,596,000 16,596,000
Technical Support Services 23,000,000 23,000,000
Contract (TSSC)..................
Resource Tracking Program (RTP)... 4,000,000 4,000,000
Center for Advanced Aviation 60,000,000 60,000,000
System Development (CAASD).......
Aeronautical Information 12,650,000 12,650,000
Management Program...............
Cross Agency NextGen Management... 2,000,000 2,000,000
Total Activity 4.......... 225,800,000 225,800,000
Activity 5--Personnel and 463,000,000 463,000,000
Related Expenses.........
SUB-TOTAL ALL ACTIVITIES.. 2,603,700,000 2,600,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NextGen priorities.--The FAA is approaching the 10-year
mark for planning, developing, and implementing the Next
Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). As noted by
stakeholders, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and
the OIG, the effort has often not met with expectations.
Problems with advancing NextGen have been linked to unrealistic
plans, evolving requirements, and an agency culture that is
resistant to new ways of doing business. The Committee is
pleased that the FAA is responding to the recent investment
priorities recommended by the NextGen Advisory Committee last
September. This is a much needed and long overdue step.
Investment priorities include performance-based navigation
(PBN), improving airport surface operations, and making better
use of parallel and closely spaced runways at the Nation's most
active airports. The Committee expects that the FAA will
develop a plan that outlines specifically how it is addressing
investment priorities with details on timelines, milestones and
resource requirements.
NextGen transformational programs.--The FAA continues to
invest in several NextGen transformational programs that are
expected to fundamentally change the way air traffic is managed
in the United States. FAA should clearly articulate the
benefits of each program and associated capabilities with
respect to reduction in flight delays, improvements in airport
arrival rates, productivity enhancements, and reduced Agency
operating costs. In the current budget environment, the
Committee will require a better understanding of what
investments will deliver in the near-, middle-, and long-term.
NextGen--improved multiple runway operations.--The
Committee provides $5,500,000 for FAA's program to improve
multiple runway operations. The Committee recommendation
includes $2,000,000 to enhance procedures to allow operations
on closely spaced parallel runways; $1,500,000 to help mitigate
wake turbulence for arrival operations; and, $2,000,000 to
support Category III development and certification efforts
needed for FAA's ground-based augmentation system.
Multi-function Phased Array Radar (MPAR).--The Committee
recognizes the importance of the MPAR program in the
development and implementation of the next generation weather
and aircraft radars, and has provided $14,800,000 within the
NAS Infrastructure Portfolio activity, a $1,000,000 increase
above the budget request, to advance MPAR program efforts. MPAR
is expected to extend tornado warning lead times from 14
minutes to 20 minutes, reduce false alarm rates, and improve
detection and warning of high-impact severe weather. The
Committee wishes to ensure that the FAA continues to prioritize
the MPAR research and development effort and directs the FAA to
provide a report no later than 180 days after enactment of this
Act regarding timeframes for determining the operational
feasibility of MPAR, including annual costs and schedule
milestones. FAA should consult with its government and academic
research partners in developing this report.
Performance-Based Navigation (PBN)--The Committee provides
$27,500,000 for Performance-Based Navigation, which is
$2,000,000 above the budget request, to advance PBN activities.
The Committee recognizes that PBN is an essential stepping
stone to NextGen and building stakeholder confidence as well as
a top investment priority for the NextGen Advisory Committee.
However, progress on the implementation of new routes and the
realization of benefits has been limited. The OIG has testified
that at the large airports where the FAA has implemented
advanced PBN procedures with curved approaches to runways, only
about 3 percent of eligible airline flights actually used them.
To increase PBN use, the FAA needs to address several barriers,
including adjustments to the controller handbook, new automated
controller tools, and controller training. The Committee
expects the FAA keep it informed on how and when these barriers
will be addressed to realize the benefits of new routes.
Further, the Committee continues to support the third-party
procedure development program to utilize qualified third
parties to design, deploy, and maintain public use of Required
Navigation Procedures (RNP) at airports across the country.
En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM).--The FAA
originally planned to deploy ERAM at 20 of its en route
facilities by the end of 2010, but experienced significant
delays and cost increases which delayed deployment by more than
4 years. The FAA has made significant recent progress
implementing ERAM, and controllers are now using the system at
18 of 20 sites. The FAA now expects that ERAM will be fully
operational at all 20 sites in 2015. While ERAM deployment is
nearly complete, it is uncertain when the legacy systems can be
decommissioned and when all site-specific issues will be
addressed. The Committee will continue to monitor the
deployment of ERAM and expects to be kept informed of how
future software enhancements will support new air traffic
control capabilities.
Automatic dependent surveillance--broadcast (ADS-B)
implementation.--The Committee provides $252,500,000 for the
continued implementation of ADS-B, which is $5,000,000 above
the budget request. The ADS-B program is one of the critical
NextGen technologies needed to transition air traffic control
from a ground-based to a satellite-based navigation system. FAA
has made notable progress in deploying more than 600 ground
stations and completing the development and testing of key
surveillance capabilities. The Committee remains concerned that
significant work is needed to ensure that required aircraft are
adequately equipped with the avionics necessary to fully
utilize ADS-B capabilities. In addition, the Committee believes
there are opportunities for air traffic control efficiency
improvements in oceanic areas, particularly in light of the
recent Malaysian flight disappearance. The possibility of
providing continuous real time tracking of flight operations in
areas not covered by radar surveillance is of importance to the
Committee and in the interest of improving the overall safety
of the system. Within the amount provided, the Committee
recommendation includes $5,000,000 to evaluate and advance the
use of space based ADS-B for air traffic control separation
services. The recommendation will also support the collection
and validation of surveillance data and help assess the impact
on FAA's oceanic automation system. Since FAA manages nearly 20
percent of the oceanic airspace, the Committee believes it is
prudent to explore opportunities to bring the benefits of
satellite-based navigation to all areas managed by FAA air
traffic controllers. Within the first quarter of fiscal year
2015, the Committee directs the FAA to brief the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations on the agency's progress on
and barriers to implementing the ADS-B technology for all air
traffic controlled by the FAA.
Data communications.--The Committee has provided
$150,340,000 for Data Communications (Data Comm), an increase
of $3,000,000 above the budget request. This additional funding
will support the expansion of new en route trials to additional
locations and increase incentives for users to adopt to Data
Comm equipage in trial locations.
Terminal Automation Modernization/Replacement Program
(TAMR).--The Committee provides $156,150,000 for the Terminal
Automation Modernization Replacement (TAMR) Program, an
increase of $20,000,000 above the budget request. Additional
funding will accelerate the deployment of TAMR at the medium-
sized Common Automated Radar Tracking System IIE locations,
which will advance the availability of Automated Dependent
Surveillance--Broadcast (ADS-B) or satellite-based navigation
capability, and increase the adoption of ADS-B equipage to
aviation users in those areas across the national airspace. The
Committee also wishes to ensure that the new capabilities
enabled by the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System
(STARS) provide measurable improvements to the legacy it
replaces. The Committee directs the OIG to provide an update on
progress with implementing STARS at the 11 large sites and how
the effort will support NextGen capabilities.
VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range (VOR) with Distance
Measuring Equipment (DME).--The Committee is aware of FAA's
efforts to evaluate the feasibility of extending the service
life of the nation's aging VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range with
Distance Measuring Equipment systems by moving to a service
based procurement. The Committee is supportive of this approach
and directs the FAA to provide a report to the Committee on
progress made on this program no later than March 31, 2015.
BILL LANGUAGE
Capital investment plan.--The bill continues to require the
submission of a five-year capital investment plan.
RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, AND DEVELOPMENT
(AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $158,792,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 156,750,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 156,750,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,042,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
This appropriation provides funding for long-term research,
engineering and development programs to improve the air traffic
control system and to raise the level of aviation safety, as
authorized by the Airport and Airway Improvement Act and the
Federal Aviation Act. The appropriation also finances the
research, engineering and development needed to establish or
modify federal air regulations.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $156,750,000, a decrease of
$2,042,000 below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and the
same as the budget request.
The Committee recommendation includes the following funding
levels for Research, Engineering, and Development programs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2015 Budget FY 2015 House
Program Request Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A11--Safety........................... $94,484,000 $90,984,000
Fire Research and Safety.............. 6,929,000 6,929,000
Propulsion and Fuel Systems........... 2,413,000 2,413,000
Advanced Materials/Structural Safety.. 2,909,000 2,909,000
Aircraft Icing/Digital System Safety.. 5,889,000 5,889,000
Continued Airworthiness............... 9,619,000 9,619,000
Aircraft Catastrophic Failure 1,567,000 1,567,000
Prevention Research..................
Flightdeck/Maintenance/System 9,897,000 6,000,000
Integration Human Factors............
System Safety Management.............. 7,970,000 7,970,000
Air Traffic Control/Technical 5,898,000 5,898,000
Operations Human Factors.............
Aeromedical Research.................. 8,919,000 8,919,000
Weather Program....................... 17,800,000 15,897,000
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research.... 8,974,000 10,974,000
NextGen--Alternative Fuels for General 5,700,000 6,000,000
Aviation.............................
A12--Economic Competitiveness......... 22,286,000 22,286,000
NextGen--Wake Turbulence.............. 8,541,000 8,541,000
NextGen--Air Ground Integration Human 9,697,000 9,697,000
Factors..............................
NextGen--Weather Technology in the 4,048,000 4,048,000
Cockpit..............................
A13--Environmental Sustainability..... 34,435,000 37,935,000
Environment and Energy................ 14,921,000 14,921,000
NextGen--Environmental Research-- 19,514,000 23,014,000
Aircraft Technologies, Fuels, and
Metrics..............................
A14--Mission Support.................. 5,545,000 5,545,000
System Planning and Resource 2,135,000 2,135,000
Management...........................
William J. Hughes Technical Center 3,410,000
Laboratory Facility..................
------------------------3,410,000
Total............................. 156,750,000 156,750,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) research.--The FAA has
established six UAS test sites, which are expected to provide
valuable information for developing the regulatory framework
for UAS integration. However, the FAA will need to develop a
comprehensive plan to identify research priorities, including
how data from test site operations will be gathered, analyzed,
and used. The Committee recognizes these challenges and
provides $10,974,000 for UAS research, which is $2,000,000
above the budget request. These additional funds are provided
to help meet the FAA's UAS research goals of system safety and
data gathering, aircraft certification, command and control
link challenges, control station layout and certification,
sense and avoid, and environmental impacts.
Unmanned aerial systems data sharing.--Issues with defining
the safety data the FAA needs from the Department of Defense
(DoD) remain a barrier in its efforts to develop safety
standards. The Committee directs the FAA to develop a plan to
resolve these data-sharing issues with the DoD and to identify
what data is needed, why it is needed, and how it will be used.
NextGen--Alternative fuels for general aviation.--The
Committee provides $6,000,000 for alternative fuels research
for general aviation, which is $300,000 above the budget
request. During the complex transition of the general aviation
piston fleet to an unleaded fuel, an increase in funding above
last year is merited to move from research to a phase focused
on coordinating and facilitating the fleet-wide evaluation,
certification and deployment of an unleaded fuel and to help
overcome any market issues that prevent it from moving forward.
The Committee recognizes this is a multi-year effort and looks
forward to updates on the continued progress on this initiative
as it effectively balances environmental improvement with
aviation safety, technical challenges, and economic impact.
NextGen environmental research--aircraft technologies,
fuels and metrics.--The Committee provides $23,014,000 for the
FAA's NextGen environmental research aircraft technologies,
fuels and metrics program, which is $3,500,000 above the budget
request. Over the last few years, the Committee has provided
additional resources for the FAA's environmental research
program in an effort to expedite the development of viable
alternative fuels that can be used in aircraft. Recognizing
that fuel costs continue to consume the largest portion of
airline operating budgets and in an effort to reduce the
aviation sector's emissions footprint, the Committee provides
additional resources to continue the research, development and
testing of alternative fuels. Now that the United States Air
Force Research Laboratory is no longer able to support
alternative fuels testing, it is expected that the FAA will use
some of these resources to produce fit for purpose chemical-
analytical, fuel-property and material compatibility testing
for many of the new chemical processes that produce alternative
jet fuel. In addition, the Committee provides resources to
continue the FAA's Continuous, Lower Energy Emission, and Noise
Program.
GRANTS-IN-AID FOR AIRPORTS
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquidation of
contract Limitation on
authorization obligations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014... $3,200,000,000 $3,350,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.. 3,200,000,000 2,900,000,000
Recommended in the bill........... 3,200,000,000 3,350,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year - - - - - -
2014.........................
Budget request, fiscal year - - - +450,000,000
2015.........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bill includes a liquidating cash appropriation of
$3,200,000,000 for grants-in-aid for airports, authorized by
the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, as amended.
This funding provides for liquidation of obligations incurred
pursuant to contract authority and annual limitations on
obligations for grants-in-aid for airport planning and
development, noise compatibility and planning, the military
airport program, reliever airports, airport program
administration, and other authorized activities.
LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS
The bill includes a limitation on obligations of
$3,350,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, which is the same as the
fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $450,000,000 above the
budget request.
ADMINISTRATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Airport administrative expenses.--Within the overall
obligation limitation, the bill includes $107,100,000 for the
administration of the airports program by the FAA. This funding
level is equal to the budget request and $500,000 above the
fiscal year 2014 enacted level.
Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP).--The
recommendation includes $15,000,000 which is the same level as
the budget request and the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. The
ACRP was established through Section 712 of the Vision 100--
Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (P.L. 108-176) to
identify shared problem areas facing airports that can be
solved through applied research but are not adequately
addressed by existing Federal research programs.
Airport technology research.--The recommendation includes a
minimum of $29,750,000 for the FAA's airport technology
research program which is equal to the budget request and
$250,000 above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. The funds
provided for this program are utilized to conduct research in
the areas of airport pavement; airport marking and lighting;
airport rescue and firefighting; airport planning and design;
wildlife hazard mitigation; and visual guidance.
Small Community Air Service Development Program.--The
recommendation includes $3,000,000 for the Small Community Air
Service Development Program and directs the FAA to transfer
funds to the Office of the Secretary salaries and expenses
appropriation for this activity.
Runway safety areas (RSAs).--The FAA has been engaged in a
multi-year effort to improve RSAs at certificated airports
across the country in order to meet the 2015 statutory
deadline. To date, not including moving FAA owned NAVAIDS, FAA
has completed RSA improvements at roughly 93 percent of
certificated airports. Strategies to improve runway safety
include land acquisition, the use of declared distances,
removing or making frangible objects that must be in the RSA,
and the installation of engineered materials arresting systems
(EMAS). However, the Committee remains concerned about FAA's
progress to relocate and modify navigational aids that present
hazards at the end of runways. The Committee expects the air
traffic organization to work collaboratively with the airports
organization to ensure that every effort is made to complete
the RSA mandate in a timely manner. The Committee directs FAA
to brief the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations by
March 16, 2015 on the status of completed RSAs and cost and
timeline for removing navigational aids that pose a hazard to
unfinished RSAs.
Airport revenue diversion.--Federal law requires that
airport revenue be used only for the capital and operating
costs of an airport. As such, the FAA is responsible for
effective oversight of airport revenue at those airports that
receive grants under the Airport Improvement Program. Because
airport revenue diversion continues to be a problem at the
nation's airports, the Committee directed the Inspector General
to undertake an audit of revenue diversion activities. The
Report found inadequacies in FAA's oversight of airport
revenues. Given the limited funding available for airport
improvement projects, it is important that the FAA enhance its
oversight of airport revenues, particularly at airports with a
history of revenue diversion violations. The Committee directs
FAA to strengthen its oversight of airport revenue uses to
ensure that the use of airport revenue is only for airport
capital and operating costs. Further, the Committee directs the
FAA to follow up on any Inspector General revenue diversion
audits or reports carried out in the past 18 months, and
provide the House and Senate Appropriations Committee with the
results of such follow-up activity not later than March 1,
2015.
BILL LANGUAGE
Runway incursion prevention systems and devices.--
Consistent with prior year appropriations Acts, the bill allows
funds under this limitation to be used for airports to procure
and install runway incursion prevention systems and devices.
CANCELLATION
The Committee recommendation cancels $260,000,000 of amount
authorized under sections 48103 and 48112 of Title 49, U.S.C.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Section 110. The Committee retains a provision limiting the
number of technical workyears at the Center for Advanced
Aviation Systems Development to 600 in fiscal year 2015.
Section 111. The Committee retains a provision prohibiting
FAA from requiring airport sponsors to provide the agency
`without cost' building construction, maintenance, utilities
and expenses, or space in sponsor-owned buildings, except in
the case of certain specified exceptions.
Section 112. The Committee continues a provision allowing
reimbursement for fees collected and credited under 49 U.S.C.
45303.
Section 113. The Committee retains a provision allowing
reimbursement of funds for providing technical assistance to
foreign aviation authorities to be credited to the operations
account.
Section 114. The Committee retains a provision prohibiting
the FAA from paying Sunday premium pay except in those cases
where the individual actually worked on a Sunday.
Section 115. The Committee retains a provision prohibiting
FAA from using funds to purchase store gift cards or gift
certificates through a government-issued credit card.
Section 116. The Committee includes a provision that
requires approval from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Administration of the Department of Transportation for
retention bonuses for any FAA employee.
Section 117. The Committee includes a provision that
requires the Secretary to block the display of an owner or
operator's aircraft registration number in the Aircraft
Situational Display to Industry program, upon the request of an
owner or operator.
Section 118. The Committee includes a provision that limits
the number of FAA political appointees to 9.
Section 119. The Committee includes a provision that
prohibits funds for any increase in fees for navigational
products until the FAA has reported a justification for such
fees to the Committees on Appropriations.
Section 119A. The Committee retains a provision prohibiting
funds to change weight restrictions or prior permission rules
at Teterboro Airport, Teterboro, New Jersey.
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides
financial assistance to the states to construct and improve
roads and highways. It also provides technical assistance to
other agencies and organizations involved in road building
activities. Title 23 of the United States Code and other
supporting statutes provide authority for the activities of the
FHWA. Funding is provided by contract authority, while program
levels are established by annual limitations on obligations, as
set forth in appropriations Acts.
AUTHORIZATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015
FHWA's current activities are authorized under MAP-21,
which expires on September 30, 2014. The administration as well
as the House and Senate authorizing committeesare currently
working on surface transportation authorization legislation.
However, at this time, it remains unclear what authorization
law (or laws) will be effective during fiscal year 2015.
Therefore, the Committee must recommend appropriations for
programs without authorization and the Committee's
recommendations for FHWA are contingent upon reauthorization.
The Committee therefore provides only minimal bill language
that sets the overall FHWA obligation limitation for fiscal
year 2015, contingent upon authorization. It is the Committee's
intention that appropriations made by this bill will be wholly
contingent on a reauthorization of the highway program and will
be distributed only in accordance with the new authorization
law.
LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $416,100,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 439,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 426,100,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +10,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -12,900,000
The limitation on administrative expenses caps the amount,
from within the limitation on obligations, that FHWA may spend
on salaries and expenses necessary to conduct and administer
the federal-aid highway program, highway-related research, and
most other federal highway programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $426,100,000,
which is $10,000,000 above fiscal year 2014, and $12,900,000
below the budget request. The amount reflects a modest increase
adequate to continue work already underway to modernize and
maintain information technology systems and also to keep pace
with inflation within baseline program operations. In addition,
$3,248,000 is transferred to the Appalachian Regional
Commission.
FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2014 Fiscal year 2015 Recommended in
Program enacted request the bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal-aid highways (obligation limitation)........... $40,256,000 $47,323,248 $40,256,000
Exempt contract authority.............................. 739,000 739,000 739,000
--------------------------------------------------------
Total program level................................ 40,995,000 48,062,248 40,995,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The federal-aid highways program is designed to aid in the
development, operations and management of an intermodal
transportation system that is economically efficient and
environmentally sound, to provide the foundation for the nation
to compete in the global economy, and to move people and goods
safely.
Federal-aid highways and bridges are managed through a
federal-state partnership. States and localities maintain
ownership of and responsibility for the maintenance, repair and
new construction of roads. State highway departments have the
authority to initiate federal-aid projects, subject to FHWA
approval of the plans, specifications, and cost estimates. The
Federal government provides financial support, on a
reimbursable basis, for construction and repair through
matching grants.
Programs included within the federal-aid highways program
are financed from the Highway Trust Fund. The federal-aid
highways program is funded by contract authority, and
liquidating cash appropriations are subsequently provided to
fund outlays resulting from obligations incurred under contract
authority. The Committee sets, through the annual
appropriations process, an overall limitation on the total
contract authority that can be obligated under the program in a
given year.
Because the structure of the federal-aid highways program
for fiscal year 2015 is unknown at this time due to lack of
authorizing legislation, the Committee includes no detailed
summaries of particular programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total program level of
$40,995,000,000 for the activities of the FHWA in fiscal year
2015, contingent upon reauthorization. This amount is the same
as fiscal year 2014 and $7,067,248,000 below the budget
request. Included within the recommended amount is an
obligation limitation of $40,256,000,000 and $739,000,000 in
contract authority that is exempt from the obligation
limitation.
Loan fees.--The Committee continues bill language allowing
the Secretary to charge and collect fees from the applicant for
a direct loan, guaranteed loan, or line of credit to cover the
cost of the services of expert firms performed on behalf of the
Department. These fees are not subject to the obligation
limitation or the limitation on administrative expenses set for
the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
program under section 608 of title 23, United States Code.
Innovative financing.--The committee notes the significant
role of Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation
Act (TIFIA) credit assistance in expanding the capacity of the
federal-aid highways program to deliver projects. The Committee
encourages the FHWA to fully obligate amounts available for
credit assistance, contingent upon authorization, and complete
new credit agreements with eligible project sponsors in a
timely manner. To ensure an equitable geographic distribution
of these resources, the Committee recommends a provision
prohibiting any single state from receiving more than 33
percent of the loan subsidy provided for TIFIA under this Act.
Safety performance measures and reporting requirements.--On
March 11, 2014, FHWA published an NPRM to establish safety
performance measures for the Highway Safety Improvement Program
(HSIP) as required by section 1203 of MAP-21. The NPRM proposes
to establish one measure for each of the following areas as
mandated by MAP-21: number of fatalities; fatality rate; number
of serious injuries; and serious injury rate. In addition,
while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) already uses performance measures for pedestrian
fatalities in administering NHTSA's highway traffic safety
grant program, the Committee understands that NHTSA intends to
establish performance measures for bicycle fatalities when it
administers its fiscal year 2015 traffic safety grants.
Recognizing the increase in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities,
the Secretary of Transportation should establish separate non-
motorized safety performance measures for the purpose of
carrying out HSIP requirements. The FHWA should define these
performance measures specifically to evaluate the number of
fatalities and serious injuries for pedestrian and bicycle
crashes. The statutory deadline for completing the rulemaking
has come and gone. The Committee directs FHWA to publish its
final rule on safety performance measures no later than 60 days
after the enactment of this Act.
This issue demonstrates the importance of coordination
across modal administrations, and their state and local
counterparts, on safety planning, reporting, and performance
measurement especially in light of the intersection between
emerging vehicle-to-vehicle communications technologies and
intelligent transportation systems infrastructure. The
Committee directs FHWA and NHTSA, and other modes as
recommended by DOT's safety council, to report to the Committee
within 60 days of enactment on a plan to improve coordination
on cross-cutting performance measurements and reporting
requirements, identify opportunities to streamline and
consolidate grantee reporting and performance tracking
activities, and delineate steps the agencies and the grantees
can take to improve coordination at the federal, state and
local level on safety planning mandates, reporting requirements
and performance measurements.
Innovative project implementation and funding.--The
Department is encouraged to use funds authorized to carry out
section 503(b) of title 23, United States Code, to carry out
the activities listed in paragraph (3)(C)(v) of such section
and to support regional pilot programs that would promote
accelerated construction of transportation infrastructure
including public private partnership programs that seek to
connect public entities with private capital. When funding such
activities, the Secretary shall give stronger consideration to
existing multi-state or multi-jurisdictional programs or other
similar proposals that demonstrate geographic and regional
collaboration. The Committee encourages the Secretary to
coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of Energy, and the Army Corp of Engineers in
identifying local, state and regional infrastructure and
infrastructure planning deficiencies.
Technology and innovation deployment program.--The
Committee supports the technology and innovation deployment
program's efforts to improve safety, efficiency, reliability,
and performance of our nation's transportation infrastructure.
The Committee understands that through this program States can
apply for accelerated innovation deployment demonstration
grants and state transportation innovation council incentives
to demonstrate and deploy advanced composite material and
carbon fiber composite materials in bridge replacement and
rehabilitation. The Committee notes the growing need to
accelerate the adoption of proven, high-payoff, and innovative
practices, technologies, and materials that lead to faster
construction such as the use of fiber reinforced composite
materials and carbon fiber composite materials in bridge
replacement and rehabilitation, and encourages the
administration to continue to support these innovative
technologies.
Geosynthetics.--The Committee encourages the Federal
Highway Administration to actively review and incorporate
geosynthetics for highway and civil infrastructure
applications, due to their cost savings, longevity, and
environmental benefits. The Committee also encourages the
Department of Transportation to thoroughly review the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) study entitled,
Information on Materials and Practices for Improving Highway
Pavement Performance that investigated the benefits of
incorporating innovative materials into pavements.
Chehalis Basin flood mitigation plan.--The Committee
understands the State of Washington is developing a
comprehensive flood mitigation plan for the Chehalis Basin. The
Department is directed to assist the Governor's Chehalis work
group in their efforts to develop a basin-wide flood mitigation
plan that protects Interstate 5 from catastrophic flooding and
achieves the work group's objectives.
Tamiami Trail project.--The Committee has strongly
supported Everglades restoration for twenty years and was
pleased to see the Governor of Florida pledge $90,000,000 to
support the completion of the Tamiami Trail 2.6 mile bridge
segment. The Committee also notes that the National Parks
Service has pledged in their fiscal year 2015 budget, a
matching investment of $30,000,000 per year for three years,
from their non-appropriated Federal Lands Transportation
Program starting in fiscal year 2015 to cover 50 percent of the
cost of contract payments. The Committee commends DOT for its
efforts to support federal and state coordination on important
projects like the Tamiami Trail.
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $40,995,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 48,062,248,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 40,995,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -7,067,248,000
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a liquidating cash appropriation
of $40,995,000,000, which is the same as fiscal year 2014 and
$7,067,248,000 below the budget request. This is the amount
required to pay the outstanding obligations of the highway
program at levels provided in this Act or any other Act.
FIXING AND ACCELERATING SURFACE TRANSPORTATION
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... $500,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -500,000,000
The FY 2015 budget proposes the Fixing and Accelerating
Surface Transportation (FAST) program. This new, unauthorized
program, jointly managed by the Federal Highway Administration
and Federal Transit Administration, would competitively award
grants and financial incentives for transportation policy
innovations and reforms.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee does not provide funding for this proposal.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Section 120. The Committee continues a provision that
distributes obligation authority among federal-aid highways
programs. The provision has been updated to be consistent with
changes to the underlying authorizing statute made by MAP-21
and is contingent upon reauthorization.
Section 121. The Committee continues a provision that
credits funds received by the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics to the federal-aid highways account.
Section 122. The Committee continues a provision that
provides requirements for any waiver of the Buy America Act.
Section 123. The Committee continues a provision
prohibiting tolling in Texas, with exceptions.
Section 124. The Committee continues a provision that
requires congressional notification before the Department
approves credit assistance under the TIFIA program.
Section 125. The Committee adds a provision that aligns
certain federal and state truck weight requirements.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was
established within the Department of Transportation (DOT) by
Congress through the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of
1999. FMCSA's mission is to promote safe commercial motor
vehicle operations and reduce truck and bus crashes. FMCSA
works with federal, state, and local entities, the motor
carrier industry, highway safety organizations, and the public
to further its mission.
FMCSA resources are used to prevent and mitigate commercial
vehicle accidents through regulation, enforcement, stakeholder
training, technological innovation, and improved information
systems. FMCSA also is responsible for enforcing Federal motor
carrier safety and hazardous materials regulations for all
commercial vehicles entering the United States along its
southern and northern borders.
AUTHORIZATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015
FMCSA's current activities are authorized under MAP-21,
which expires on September 30, 2014. The administration as well
as the House and Senate authorizing committees are currently
working on surface transportation authorization legislation.
However, at this time, it remains unclear what authorization
law (or laws) will be effective during fiscal year 2015.
Therefore, the Committee must recommend appropriations for
programs without authorization and the Committee's
recommendations for FMCSA are contingent upon reauthorization.
For purposes of determining authorized programs and funding
levels for fiscal year 2015, the Committee assumes an extension
of MAP-21 through fiscal year 2015. However, it is the
Committee's intention that appropriations made by this bill
will be wholly contingent on reauthorization and will be
distributed only in accordance with the new authorization law.
MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMS
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquidation of contract Limitation on
authorization obligations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year $272,000,000 ($272,000,000)
2014\1\....................
Budget request, fiscal year 315,770,000 (315,770,000)
2015.......................
Recommended in the bill..... 259,000,000 (259,000,000)
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal -13,000,000 (-13,000,000)
year 2014..................
Budget request, fiscal -56,770,000 (-56,770,000)
year 2015..................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Amounts include $13,000,000 provided for border facilities under the
heading ``National Motor Carrier Safety'' in fiscal year 2014.
This limitation controls FMCSA spending on salaries,
operating expenses, and research. It provides resources to
support motor carrier safety program activities and to maintain
the agency's administrative infrastructure. This funding
supports nationwide motor carrier safety and consumer
enforcement efforts, including the compliance, safety, and
accountability program, regulation and enforcement of freight
transport, and federal safety enforcement at the U.S. borders.
These resources also fund regulatory development and
implementation, information management, research and
technology, grants to state and local partners, safety
education and outreach, and the safety and consumer telephone
hotline.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $259,000,000 in liquidating cash
for motor carrier safety operations and programs. The Committee
also recommends limiting obligations from the highway trust
fund to $259,000,000 for motor carrier safety operations and
programs in fiscal year 2015. These levels, which are
contingent upon reauthorization, are $13,000,000 below fiscal
year 2014 and $56,770,000 below the budget request.
Within the amounts provided for operations and programs,
the Committee recommends $1,000,000 for commercial motor
vehicle operator's grants, which provide commercial motor
vehicle operators with critical safety training. This amount,
which is contingent upon reauthorization, is the same as fiscal
year 2014 and the budget request. These funds are not moved
into the Motor Carrier Safety Grants account as requested.
The Committee continues bill language specifying funding
amounts for the research and technology program and for
information management, and making those amounts available
until September 30, 2017.
Hazardous materials safety permits.--FMCSA does not
currently have a reasonable means of evaluating Hazardous
Materials Safety Permit (HMSP) holders with inspection
disqualifications which leaves operators no recourse beyond
``aging out'' of their disqualification. Because of the special
nature of these carriers and because many are small businesses,
a few violations combined with a low number of inspections can
force a safe operator out of business with no opportunity for a
second level of review. Further, because of the timing and
methodology of the HMSP renewal cycle, this ``out-of-business''
event can sometimes come with little to no warning. To prevent
federal bureaucracy from unnecessarily hurting small
businesses, bill language is included which prohibits FMCSA
from denying an application to renew a HMSP permit application
based solely on a carrier's Out-of-Service (OOS) rate unless:
(1) the carrier has been given a reasonable opportunity to
provide evidence of corrective actions taken or a corrective
action plan underway; and (2) the Secretary finds that those
actions or plan would be insufficient to address specific and
apparent safety concerns raised by the carrier's inspection
citations.
Compliance, safety, accountability program.--The Committee
directs FMCSA to carry out recommendations for its Compliance,
Safety, Accountability program (CSA) as outlined in the
Government Accountability Office's February 2014 report. FMCSA
shall revise Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology to
better account for data limitations that undermine meaningful
comparisons of safety performance information across carriers.
FMCSA is directed to conduct a formal analysis that
specifically identifies what are the limitations in data used
to calculate SMS scores as well as limitations in resulting SMS
scores and report that analysis to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of enactment. Such
analysis shall also identify, for each purpose for which SMS
scores are used, what data sufficiency standard is necessary to
ensure SMS is reliable enough to serve that purpose. FMCSA is
also directed to demonstrate that any use of data, including
SMS, to determine a carrier's fitness to operate has adequately
accounted for data limitations.
Hours of Service.--In July of 2013 several changes to the
truck driver hours of service regulations went into effect
including revisions to the ``restart'' provision. Under the new
regulations, the 34 consecutive hours of off-duty time required
to reset a driver's on-duty time tracking was modified in two
important ways. First, the off-duty period was changed to
require two consecutive 1am-to-5am overnight periods. Second,
the restart option was restricted to one use every 168 hours
(once per week). Per MAP-21, FMCSA conducted a field study of
the impact of the new requirements on driver fatigue and
released those findings on January 30, 2014. The study provided
no insight into the impact of one of the two critical changes
to the restart provision, the 168-hour rule. Further, in its
review of the 1am-to-5am requirement, FMCSA failed to consider
important consequences of such a rule including whether or not
truckers are driving more during the day in order to
accommodate mandated off-duty time at night, and, if so, what
are the consequences for safety and traffic of putting more
commercial trucks on the road during peak travel times. FMCSA
also failed to evaluate the work habits of drivers since July
2013 to assess whether drivers have been more frequently
combining night shifts with day shifts in a single week, and,
if so, what impact this irregular scheduling has on driver
fatigue. The Committee directs FMCSA to provide a report to the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 90 days of
enactment that catalogues the scientific evidence which
supports the safety benefits of the 168-hour rule. The report
should also include an assessment of effects on safety and
traffic of the consequences outlined above and any other
unintended consequences of the new restart provision that were
not addressed by the FMCSA field study.
MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY GRANTS
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquidation of
contract Limitation on
authorization obligations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014. $313,000,000 ($313,000,000)
Budget request, fiscal year 2015 352,753,000 (352,753,000)
Recommended in the bill......... 313,000,000 (313,000,000)
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year - - - - - -
2014...........................
Budget request, fiscal year -39,753,000 (-39,753,000)
2015...........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FMCSA's motor carrier safety grants are used to support
compliance reviews in the states, identify and apprehend
traffic violators, conduct roadside inspections, and conduct
safety audits of new entrant carriers. Additionally, grants are
provided to states for safety enforcement at the U.S. borders,
improvement of state commercial driver's license oversight
activities, and improvements in linking states' motor vehicle
registration systems and carrier safety data.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $313,000,000 in liquidating cash
for this program, as well as a $313,000,000 limitation on
obligations, in fiscal year 2015. These levels, which are
contingent upon reauthorization, are the same as fiscal year
2014 and $39,753,000 below the budget request.
The Committee recommends the following obligation
limitations for grants funded under this account:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motor carrier safety assistance program.............. ($218,000,000)
Commercial driver's license improvements program..... (30,000,000)
Border enforcement grants............................ (32,000,000)
Performance and registration information system (5,000,000)
management program..................................
Commercial vehicle information systems and networks (25,000,000)
deployment program..................................
Safety data improvement program...................... (3,000,000)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New entrant audits.--Of the funds made available for the
motor carrier safety assistance program, the Committee
recommends $32,000,000 for audits of new entrant motor
carriers, which is the same as fiscal year 2014.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 130. The Committee continues language subjecting the
funds appropriated in this Act to the terms and conditions
included in prior appropriations Acts regarding Mexico-
domiciled motor carriers.
Sec. 131. The Committee adds language requiring FMCSA to
send notices of 49 C.F.R. section 385.308 violations in such a
way that receipt of the notice is confirmed.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
was established in March of 1970 to administer motor vehicle
and highway safety programs. It was the successor agency to the
National Highway Safety Bureau, which was housed in the Federal
Highway Administration.
NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and
reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through
education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity.
To accomplish these goals, NHTSA establishes and enforces
safety performance standards for motor vehicles and motor
vehicle equipment, investigates safety defects in motor
vehicles, and conducts research on driver behavior and traffic
safety.
NHTSA provides grants and technical assistance to state and
local governments to enable them to conduct effective local
highway safety programs. Together with state and local
partners, NHTSA works to reduce the threat of drunk, impaired,
and distracted drivers, and to promote policies and devices
with demonstrated safety benefits including helmets, child
safety seats, airbags, and graduated licenses.
NHTSA establishes and ensures compliance with fuel economy
standards, investigates odometer fraud, establishes and
enforces vehicle anti-theft regulations, and provides consumer
information on a variety of motor vehicle safety topics.
AUTHORIZATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015
NHTSA's current programs have been authorized under a
series of laws, and the most recent authorization, MAP-21,
expires on September 30, 2014. The administration as well as
the House and Senate authorizing committees are currently
working on surface transportation authorization legislation.
However, at this time, it remains unclear what authorization
law (or laws) will be effective during fiscal year 2015.
Therefore, the Committee must recommend appropriations for
programs without authorization and the Committee's
recommendations for NHTSA are contingent upon reauthorization.
In the absence of a 2015 authorization for surface
transportation programs, including highway safety programs, the
Committee assumes a continuation of the current program
structure. However, it is the Committee's intention that
appropriations made by this bill will be wholly contingent on
reauthorization and will be distributed only in accordance with
the new authorization law.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $824,000,000, which is $5,000,000
more than fiscal year 2014 and $27,000,000 below the budget
request.
The following table summarizes the Committee's
recommendations:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
2014 enacted 2015 request recommendation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operations and research (general fund and highway trust fund) $257,500,000 $274,000,000 $262,500,000
Highway traffic safety grants (highway trust fund)........... 561,500,000 577,000,000 561,500,000
--------------------------------------------------
Total.................................................... 819,000,000 851,000,000 824,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee recommends funding levels that provide NHTSA
with sufficient resources to continue its critical work
improving the safety of passenger travel on the nation's
highway system.
OPERATIONS AND RESEARCH
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(General (Highway trust
fund)\1\ fund) Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014.............................. $134,000,000 $123,500,000 $257,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015............................. 152,000,000 122,000,000 274,000,000
Recommended in the bill...................................... 134,000,000 128,500,000 262,500,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014.......................... - - - +5,000,000 +5,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015......................... -18,000,000 +6,500,000 -11,500,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\For comparison purposes, the table does not reflect the budget proposal to fund all of NHTSA's Operations and
Research activities with mandatory budget authority.
The operations and research appropriations support
research, demonstrations, technical assistance, and national
leadership for highway safety programs. Many of these programs
are conducted in partnership with state and local governments,
the private sector, universities, research units, and various
safety associations and organizations. These programs address
alcohol and drug countermeasures, vehicle occupant protection,
traffic law enforcement, emergency medical and trauma care
systems, traffic records and licensing, traffic safety
evaluations, motorcycle safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety,
pupil transportation, distracted and drowsy driving, young and
older driver safety programs, and development of improved
accident investigation procedures.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $262,500,000, which is $5,000,000
more than fiscal year 2014 and $11,500,000 below the budget
request. Of this total, $134,000,000 is from the General Fund
for operations and vehicle safety research, and $128,500,000 is
from the highway trust fund for operations and behavioral
highway safety research. The Committee rejects the
administration's request to fund vehicle safety activities out
of the Highway Trust Fund, rather than the General Fund.
Emerging technology research.--As vehicle safety features
continue to advance, it is imperative that NHTSA has a clear
understanding of the various new technologies including those
related to autonomous driving and vehicle-to-vehicle
communication. Understanding how these advances are evolving
and converging will ensure that consumers, regulators, and
safety advocates are best able to navigate and implement these
technologies going forward. To forward this understanding, the
Committee recommendation funds the requested increases for
vehicle electronics and emerging technology research and for
advanced testing of emergent technologies at the Vehicle
Research and Test Center in East Liberty, Ohio.
Heavy duty vehicle research.--In an effort to further
increase the safety of heavy trucks and buses, the Committee
encourages NHTSA to fund research that will provide needed
insight for fleets and owner-operators on how available safety
technologies may better enhance their ability to operate
safely.
National roadside survey.--NHTSA recently sponsored the
fifth National Roadside Survey (NRS) conducted since the
original survey in 1973. This national field survey of
nighttime weekend drivers seeks to estimate the prevalence of
alcohol and drugs in drivers on our Nation's roadways. The
survey involves stopping drivers at approximately 300 randomly
selected locations across the continental United States. While
participation in the survey is random, voluntary, and
compensated, civil libertarians have raised concerns about the
presence of uniformed officers at the survey sites as the
driving public may confuse survey sites with mandatory law
enforcement checkpoints. In addition, passive collection of
personal information, including blood alcohol content, has
raised privacy concerns. The Committee directs NHTSA to provide
a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
within 90 days of enactment that details the survey methodology
of the most recent NRS including what characteristics
distinguish NRS sites from mandatory law enforcement
checkpoints and what steps are taken to make clear that either
pulling over or participating in the survey are both completely
voluntary. The report should also describe what steps are taken
to protect the privacy of both participants and drivers that
come upon NRS sites. The Committee also directs the Government
Accountability Office to review and report on the overall value
of the NRS to researchers and other public safety stakeholders,
the differences between an NRS site and a typical law
enforcement checkpoint, and the effectiveness of the NRS survey
methodology at protecting the privacy of the driving public.
Tire fuel efficiency consumer information program.--NHTSA
has not yet published the final rule for the Tire Fuel
Efficiency Consumer Information Program (TFECIP) despite having
published a proposed rule in 2009, obtaining comments from a
full range of stakeholders, and publishing a proposed final
rule in 2010. This rulemaking is pursuant to statutory
requirements contained in the Energy Independence and Security
Act (EISA) of 2007. The proposed rule could help inform
decisions about the purchase of replacement tires that could
save consumers hundreds of dollars annually. Nearly seven years
after Congress acted, NHTSA has not been able to complete this
rule. The Committee directs NHTSA to provide a schedule for
completion of the TFECIP rule within 60 days of enactment.
Materials research.--The Committee is encouraged by the
development of, and important findings related to, those
materials which have played important roles in the improvement
of fuel efficiency and the enhancement of automobile
performance. The Committee commends NHTSA for its study of
light vehicles, and encourages the agency to continue its work
to advance the state of the art of predictive engineering for
plastics and polymer-based composites in the automotive field.
HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANTS
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION)
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquidation of
contract Limitation on
authorization obligation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014. $561,500,000 ($561,500,000)
Budget request, fiscal year 2015 577,000,000 (577,000,000)
Recommended in the bill......... 561,500,000 (561,500,000)
Bill compared with:.............
Appropriation, fiscal year - - - - - -
2014...........................
Budget request, fiscal year -15,500,000 (-15,500,000)
2015...........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The highway traffic safety grant programs authorized under
MAP-21 include: Highway Safety Programs, National Priority
Safety Programs, and the High Visibility Enforcement Program.
These grant programs provide resources to states for
highway safety programs that are data-driven and that meet
states' most pressing highway safety problems. They are a
critical asset in reducing highway traffic fatalities and
injuries.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $561,500,000 in liquidating cash
from the Highway Trust Fund to pay outstanding obligations of
the highway safety grant programs at the levels provided in
this Act and prior appropriations Acts. The Committee also
recommends limiting the obligations from the Highway Trust Fund
in fiscal year 2015 for the highway traffic safety grants
programs to $561,500,000. These levels are the same as fiscal
year 2014 and $15,500,000 below the budget request. The
Committee's recommendations are contingent upon
reauthorization.
The Committee recommends the following funding allocations
for grant programs:
Highway safety programs.............................. ($235,000,000)
Occupant protection.................................. (43,520,000)
State traffic safety information system improvements. (39,440,000)
Impaired driving countermeasures..................... (145,520,000)
Distracted driver incentive.......................... (23,120,000)
Motorcyclist safety.................................. (4,080,000)
State graduated driver licensing laws................ (13,600,000)
In-vehicle alcohol detection device research......... (2,720,000)
High visibility enforcement program.................. (29,000,000)
Administrative expenses.............................. (25,500,000)
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION
Section 140. The Committee continues a provision that,
contingent upon reauthorization, provides limited funding for
travel and related expenses associated with state management
reviews and highway safety core competency development
training.
Section 141. The Committee continues a provision that
exempts from the current fiscal year's obligation limitation
any obligation authority that was made available in previous
public laws.
Section 142. The Committee continues a provision that
prohibits funding for the National Highway Safety Advisory
Committee.
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was established
by the Department of Transportation Act, on October 15, 1966.
The FRA plans, develops, and administers programs and
regulations to promote the safe operation of freight and
passenger rail transportation in the United States. The U.S.
railroad system consists of over 550 railroads with over
187,000 freight employees, 171,000 miles of track, and 1.35
million freight cars. In addition, the FRA continues to oversee
grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
with the goal of assisting Amtrak with improvements to its
passenger service and physical infrastructure.
SAFETY AND OPERATIONS
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $184,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 185,250,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 185,250,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +750,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The safety and operations account provides funding for
FRA's safety program activities related to passenger and
freight railroads. Funding also supports salaries and expenses
and other operating costs related to FRA staff and programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $185,250,000 for safety and
operations, which is $750,000 above the fiscal year 2014
enacted level and equal to the budget request. Of the amount
provided under this heading, $12,400,000 is available until
expended.
Congestion at international rail crossings.--The Committee
understands that there are a number of international rail
crossings where the switching of train operators has caused
unnecessary delays and blocked city crossings causing long
periods of traffic congestion and delaying freight shipments.
The Committee directs GAO to conduct an assessment of best
practices that can be used to reduce rail border crossing times
and especially the blockage of street crossings on the U.S.
side. This review should examine the impact of reduced staff
changing times, pre-clearance for train operators, and possible
changing in train operator location. The Committee directs GAO
to provide its findings to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations no later than 180 days after enactment.
Positive train control.--Section 104 of the Rail Safety
Improvement Act required the implementation of positive train
control systems on railroads by December 31, 2015. The
Committee directs FRA to provide a progress report to the House
and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of
enactment on the status of railroad compliance with positive
train control requirements included in section 20157 of title
49, United States Code.
RAILROAD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $35,250,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 35,100,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 35,250,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +150,000
The railroad research and development program provides
science and technology support for FRA's policy and regulatory
efforts. The program's objectives are to reduce the frequency
and severity of railroad accidents through scientific
advancement, and to support technological innovations in
conventional and high speed railroads.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $35,250,000
for railroad research and development, which is $150,000 above
the budget request and the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted
level. The Committee's recommendation includes the following
allocation for FRA's Railroad Research and Development account:
Railroad System Issues.................................... $3,871,000
Human Factors............................................. 3,692,000
Track Program............................................. 11,279,000
Rolling Stock Program..................................... 8,322,000
Train Control and Communication........................... 8,086,000
In addition, the Committee provides an increase to Human
Factors and allows funds to be used to improve safety practices
and safety training for Class II and Class III freight
railroads. The Committee understands that FRA will expend
$500,000 for this effort in fiscal year 2014.
Transportation of energy products.--The Committee
underscores the importance of utilizing a multi-modal approach
to the safety oversight of the transportation of energy
products. The Committee expects FRA to work collaboratively
with PHMSA to ensure that oversight is comprehensive but not
duplicative. The Committee directs FRA to adhere to appropriate
direction detailed this Committee report within the Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration account.
RAILROAD REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT FINANCING PROGRAM
The Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing
(RRIF) program was established by Public Law 109-178 to provide
direct loans and loan guarantees to state and local
governments, government-sponsored entities, and railroads.
Credit assistance under the program may be used for
rehabilitating or developing rail equipment and facilities. No
federal appropriation is required to implement the program,
because a non-federal partner may contribute the subsidy amount
required by the Credit Reform Act of 1990 in the form of a
credit risk premium.
The Committee maintains bill language specifying that no
new direct loans or loan guarantee commitments may be made
using federal funds for the payment of any credit premium
amount during fiscal year 2015. Further, to ensure regional
diversity, the Committee directs that no state shall receive
more than $5,600,000,000 in direct loans or loan guarantee
commitments made during fiscal year 2015. This is 20 percent of
the $28,000,000,000 available in the program, excluding the
$7,000,000,000 set aside for short line railroad projects.
RAIL SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... \1\$2,325,000,00
0
Recommended in the bill............................... - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -2,325,000,000
\1\The Administration's budget requested $2,325,000,000 in mandatory
spending from the Highway Trust Fund for a new rail service
improvement program.
The FRA budget documents include a new rail service
improvement program. The program is a new, unauthorized
program.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends no funding for the rail service
improvement program in fiscal year 2015. The recommendation is
the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, and
$2,325,000,000 below the budget request.
CURRENT PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE PROGRAM
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014..................... $- - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................... \1\2,450,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................. - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................. - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015................ -2,450,000,000
\1\The Administration requested $2,450,000,000 in mandatory spending
from the Highway Trust Fund for a new rail service improvement
program, which includes both capital and operating grants.
In fiscal year 2015, the FRA budget documents include a new
Current Passenger Rail Service Program that replaces the
National Passenger Railroad program.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends no funding for the current
passenger rail service program in fiscal year 2015, instead,
the Committee provides funds for this purpose under the heading
Grants to the National Passenger Railroad Program. The
recommendation is the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted
level, and $2,450,000,000 below the budget request.
Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
Amtrak operates trains over 20,000 miles of track owned by
freight railroad carriers, and over about 654 miles of its own
track, most of which is on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) from
Washington, D.C., to Boston, Massachusetts. Amtrak operates
both electrified trains, which can achieve speeds of up to 150
mph on the highest quality track on the NEC, and diesel
locomotives, which currently can achieve speeds between 74-110
miles per hour.
Congressional budget justification.--The Committee
appreciates the level of detail in the fiscal year 2015 budget
justifications and directs Amtrak to continue to submit
justifications requesting funds by lines of business with a
similar level of detail in all future budget years.
Operating Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... \1\$340,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... - - -
Recommended in the bill............................... \2\340,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +340,000,000
\1\The appropriation allows transfers of up to $40,000,000 from capital
grants to the extent that Amtrak operating losses exceed $340,000,000.
\2\FRA's budget request for Amtrak assumed a new structure for the
Corporation. It requested $2,450,000,000 for the Current Passenger
Rail account, which includes both operating and capital funds for
Amtrak, by line of business. According to FRA, the amount it requested
for operating grants equates to $383,000,000.
\3\The appropriation allows transfers of up to $20,000,000 from capital
grants to the extent that Amtrak operating losses exceed $340,000,000.
Amtrak runs a deficit each year and requires a federal
subsidy to cover both operating losses and capital investments.
Prior to this year, however, it was impossible to discern from
Amtrak's or FRA's budget requests or other publically available
data, federal funding required to operate Amtrak's network by
line of business. In fact, FRA's requests for operating funds
did not break-out requirements by business line and
consistently exceeded operating losses by one-third. This year,
Amtrak presented its budget in a clearer structure, by four
lines of business. Amtrak's budget request details revenues and
expenses by each line of business. It is now transparent to
Congress and American taxpayers where Amtrak is using its
federal appropriations.
The Committee looks forward to receiving additional break-
outs by each Amtrak route and by type of revenue and expenses
by route (such as food and beverage) in the near future.
Further, the Committee encourages the authorizing committee to
adopt the lines of business structure when it reauthorizes
Amtrak.
Although the Northeast Corridor is profitable, the
federally mandated services such as long-distance and state-
supported routes sustain large losses that cannot be overcome
by Amtrak's profitable services. The table below reflects the
profitability, or lack thereof, of Amtrak's lines of
businesses. In order to sustain operations on all lines, Amtrak
subsidizes its long distance service with profits from its
Northeast Corridor operations and also relies on federal
subsidies.
AMTRAK'S OPERATING PROFIT/(LOSS) BY LINE OF BUSINESS
FY 2011-FY 2015
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015
Line of Business FY 2011 FY 2012 (Forecast)\1\ (Forecast) (Forecast)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Corridor................................................. $255,000,000 $283,000,000 $289,600,000 $286,300,000 $290,000,000
State Corridors.................................................... (148,000,000) (156,000,000) (161,400,000) (88,600,000) (83,000,000)
Long Distance Routes............................................... (554,000,000) (558,000,000) (587,000,000) (614,700,000) (618,000,000)
National Assets.................................................... 1,000,000 69,000,000 100,400,000 77,000,000 79,000,000
Total Profit/Loss.................................................. (446,000,000) (362,000,000) (358,400,000) (340,000,000) (333,000,000)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\The fiscal year 2013 figures include Hurricane Sandy impacts, which resulted in operating losses of $50,000,000.
Source: Amtrak.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $340,000,000 for operating grants
for Amtrak, which is equal to the fiscal year 2014 enacted
level. The Committee includes a provision allowing Amtrak to
transfer up to $20,000,000 in capital funds to the extent that
the corporation's operating losses exceed $340,000,000.
Food, beverage and first class services.--Amtrak
consistently incurs a loss on its food and beverage and first
class service. As the table below demonstrates, Amtrak's net
loss totaled $387,700,000 from fiscal years 2010 through fiscal
year 2014 (forecast). In fiscal year 2014, Amtrak estimates
that expenses will exceed revenue by $75,800,000, reflecting a
cost recovery of only 65 percent. The losses do not reflect
amounts that Amtrak transfers from sleeper-class and Acela
first-class tickets to the food and beverage account, reducing
the appearance of food and beverage losses. The Amtrak OIG
reported that these transfers increased by $22,100,000 from
fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2012.
AMTRAK'S FOOD AND BEVERAGE LOSSES AND COST RECOVERY
FY 2009-FY 2014
[In millions of dollars]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2010- FY
FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue................................................. $109,300,000 $121,500,000 $132,900,000 $134,400,000 138,600,000 $636,700,000
Expenses................................................ 191,700,000 206,000,000 204,900,000 207,400,000 214,400,000 1,024,400,000
Total Loss.............................................. (82,400,000) (84,600,000) (72,000,000) (73,000,000) (75,800,000) (387,700,000)
Cost
Recovery.............................................. 57% 59% 65% 65% 65% 61%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Food and beverage losses reflect an offset from sleeper and Acela first-class service transfers, reducing the appearance of losses.
Although total revenue has increased, labor costs dwarf
these increases. Food and beverage labor costs have increased
mainly due to wage increases. Under Amtrak's last negotiated
labor agreement in 2010, the average fully loaded compensation
for the nearly 1,200 food and beverage employees was $106,600
in fiscal year 2012. These employees were guaranteed a 3
percent wage increase in two compounded installments per year
until 2014. The current labor contract expires this summer, but
will automatically extend until a new contract is signed.
As the chart below shows, long distance routes accounted
for a total of 90 percent of food and beverage service losses.
The main cost driver is on board staffing (labor costs),
representing 55 percent of the total direct costs.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE LOSSES BY ROUTE TYPE
FY 2014 (Forecast)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue Expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------
Routes Food and Total direct Profit/loss
beverage On-board labor Commissary costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Corridor.............. $38,000,000 $25,100,000 $20,900,000 $46,000,000 (7,900,000)
State-supported................. 37,700,000 18,900,000 18,200,000 37,100,000 600,000
Long-Distance................... 62,900,000 74,000,000 57,300,000 131,300,000 (68,400,000)
Total........................... 138,600,000 118,000,000 96,400,000 214,400,000 (75,800,000)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently, Amtrak implemented some efficiency improvements.
The Corporation signed a new warehouse management contract with
greater volume discounts and cost control incentives, reduced
some on-board report times, and established a loss prevention
unit. The Amtrak OIG, in its report dated October 31, 2013,
stated that these actions resulted in limited efficiency gains
because they were applied to the existing food and beverage
business model. Further, efficiencies were balanced with
increased labor costs.
The Committee is concerned that the taxpayer continues to
foot the bill for Amtrak's long-standing unprofitable food,
beverage and first class service. On October 3, 2013, Amtrak
announced that it would include a food and beverage performance
metric in its 5 year financial plan to eliminate losses in five
years.
The Committee directs Amtrak to take actions identified in
the October 31, 2013 OIG report, including the following:
Staffing Efficiencies.--Base the food and beverage staffing
guidance on actual dining car usage rates, rather than the
number of and types of cars; require route managers to adjust
staffing with ridership, demand, and seasonal changes; reduce
staff reporting times; eliminate the practice of double-
counting food stocks by directing the food supply contractor to
load trains directly.
Financial performance.--Develop food and beverage cost and
revenue data by train, car and departure date; ensure that the
onboard point of sale system can generate relevant business
management data.
Service.--Charge Amtrak employees traveling free for the
cost of food and beverage services they consume; use available
revenue information to monitor onboard staff performance and
identify opportunities to increase revenues.
Inventory Management.--Base the level of food and beverage
service on ridership and customer demand patterns for
individual routes; reduce spoilage rates and reduce
backordering by clarifying backordering policy.
Amtrak overtime.--The Committee commends Amtrak for making
progress in reducing overtime expenses. Overtime expenses
decreased from $209,091,000 in calendar year 2010 to
$185,559,000 in calendar year 2013, a reduction of 11 percent.
In addition, Amtrak contained the number of employees that
exceed $35,000 in overtime payments to 1,022 in calendar year
2013. These employees were paid a total of $49,082,000,
representing 26 percent of the total overtime paid to all
employees.
AMTRAK OVERTIME
CY 2010-CY 2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CY 2010 CY 2011 CY 2012 CY 2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Overtime Wages, all employees. $209,091,000 $200,781,000 $162,461,000 $185,559,000
Number of Employees with Overtime 1,288 1,123 703 1,022
Exceeding $35,000 per year.........
Total Overtime Wages, employees Not Available 54,818,000 32,681,000 49,082,000
exceeding $35,000 per year.........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To ensure the Corporation continues to make progress
managing its personnel and focusing on overtime reduction, the
Committee includes bill language consistent with prior years,
directing Amtrak's president to approve all overtime that
exceeds $35,000 for employees that exceed $35,000 per year, and
provide that information to the Committee. In addition, it
requires Amtrak to provide documentation associated with the
overtime and requires Amtrak's president to certify
documentation is accurate and correct.
Reduced price fares.--The bill continues a provision that
prohibits funding on routes where Amtrak is offering 50 percent
or more off the normal, peak fare.
CAPITAL AND DEBT SERVICE GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER
CORPORATION
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $1,050,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015\1\................... - - -
Recommended in the bill............................... 850,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -200,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
\1\FRA's budget request for Amtrak assumed a new structure for the
Corporation. It requested $2,450,000,000 for the Current Passenger
Rail account, which includes both operating and capital funds for
Amtrak. According to FRA, the amount it requested for capital equates
to $1,288,000,000. Amtrak requested Y.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $850,000,000 for capital grants,
debt service, and compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act. The Committee's recommendation is
$200,000,000 below the level enacted in fiscal year 2014.
Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory
Commission.--The Committee recommends up to $5,000,000, equal
to the amount provided in fiscal year 2014. The Committee
directs the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations
Advisory Commission to submit its fiscal year 2016 budget
request to the Appropriations Committees in similar format and
substance as those submitted by other executive agencies of the
federal government.
The Committee includes bill language allowing the Secretary
to retain up to one-half of one percent for FRA to implement
Amtrak operating and capital grants as authorized by section
103 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act
(PRIIA). FRA requires such funds to oversee all federal grants
to Amtrak, to ensure prudent use of federal funds and to foster
transparency.
Capital planning.--Amtrak OIG's report dated September 27,
2013 identified significant weaknesses in Amtrak's capital
planning processes. The OIG found that Amtrak has not
consistently used sound business practices in developing
proposals for capital projects, nor did it identify how a
project would relate to the financial and non-financial goals
of the organization. The Committee understands that Amtrak will
issue a corporate-wide policy providing guidance on developing
sound project proposals. This is significant since there is a
correlation between the use of sound business practices in
developing proposals and the outcome of the project. The
Committee requires Amtrak to conduct a business case analysis
on rolling stock, track and signaling equipment, and major
capital acquisitions. Further, the Committee directs Amtrak to
take steps to increase transparency regarding capital projects
in its budget submissions including providing a list of major
projects it proposes to fund in priority order.
Business case analysis on CAF cars.--On August 3, 2010,
Amtrak executed a contract with CAF USA for 130 baggage,
sleeping, and dining cars for $298,132,648 that will be
deployed on Amtrak's long distance routes. Despite the fact
that Amtrak will require federal appropriations to pay for this
procurement, amounts for these cars were not visible in
Amtrak's prior budget request documents. Amtrak representatives
admitted that the Corporation did not perform a business case
or cost benefit analysis before deciding to execute this
contract, nor did it determine if funds would be better used
elsewhere. This purchase, which now totals $349,800,000, was
justified based solely on the age of the fleet.
The Committee directed Amtrak to submit a business case
analysis that explored the impact of continuing, terminating,
or reducing the scope of the contract. Amtrak's analysis
concluded that proceeding with the CAF USA order will generate
a positive contribution of approximately $2,500,000 annually,
depending on order quantities.
Business case analysis on locomotive purchase.--A September
27, 2013 Amtrak OIG report noted that Amtrak's mechanical
department proposed a procurement of 20 new electric
locomotives with 2 option orders for 20 additional units each
to replace some existing locomotives. Amtrak approved the
purchase of 70 locomotives without assessing whether 70
locomotives were needed. Without an adequate needs assessment,
Amtrak did not have assurance that purchasing the additional
locomotives was a better alternative to achieving its goal than
using funds for other capital investments. The Committee
directs Amtrak to submit to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations within 60 days of enactment of this Act the
following: (1) a determination of how many locomotives it
needs, and (2) if it needs fewer than 70 locomotives, perform a
business case analysis on continuing the contract or reducing
the contract's scope.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION
Section 150. The Committee retains a provision which allows
FRA to receive and use cash or spare parts to repair and
replace damaged automated track inspection cars and equipment
in connection with the automated track inspection program.
Section 151. The Committee continues a provision which
authorizes the Secretary to allow issuers of any preferred
stock to redeem or repurchase such stock sold to the
Department.
Section 152. The Committee continues and amends a provision
that limits overtime to $35,000 per employee, allows Amtrak's
president to waive this restriction for specific employees for
safety or operational efficiency reasons, requires quarterly
reporting to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
on the number of employees receiving waivers granted and
amounts paid to those employees, and provide documentation,
certified by the president, of the specific activities of each
employee during the paid overtime that exceeded $35,000 and how
the work resulted in increased safety or efficiency. It also
requires Amtrak to submit a report by March 1, 2015 summarizing
for calendar year 2014, and each of the two prior years: (1)
all overtime payments incurred by the corporation, (2) the
number of employees that received waivers by department, and
(3) the amounts paid to the employees that received waivers by
department.
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) was established as
a component of the Department of Transportation on July 1,
1968, when most of the functions and programs under the Federal
Transit Act (78 Stat. 302; 49 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) were
transferred from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. Known as the Urban Mass Transportation
Administration until enactment of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the Federal Transit
Administration administers federal financial assistance
programs for planning, developing, and improving comprehensive
mass transportation systems in both urban and non-urban areas.
The most recent authorization for the programs under the
Federal Transit Administration is contained in the Moving Ahead
for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) (P.L. 112-141).
Annual Appropriations Acts included annual limitations on
obligations for the transit formula grants programs, and direct
appropriations of budget authority from the General Fund of the
Treasury for the FTA's administrative expenses, research
programs, and capital investment grants. The transit programs
authorized under MAP-21 expire on September 30, 2014.
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $105,933,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 114,400,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 103,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,933,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -11,400,000
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total of $103,000,000 for FTA's
administrative expenses, a decrease of $11,400,000 below the
budget request and $2,933,000 below the 2014 enacted level. Of
the funds provided, up to $3,000,000 is for authorized safety
activities and not less than $1,000,000 is for asset management
activities. The Committee's recommendation provides these funds
from the General Fund, as usual, and rejects the proposal to
fund basic salaries and expenses from a trust fund.
Operating plans.--The Committee reiterates its direction
from previous years which requires the FTA's operating plan to
include a specific allocation of administrative expenses
resources. The operating plan should include a delineation of
full time equivalent employees, for the following offices:
Office of the Administrator; Office of Administration; Office
of Chief Counsel; Office of Communications and Congressional
Affairs; Office of Program Management; Office of Budget and
Policy; Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation;
Office of Civil Rights; Office of Planning and Environment; and
Regional Offices plus the new safety office. Further, the
operating plan must include any new programs or changes to the
budget request, including new grant programs. In addition, the
Committee directs the FTA to notify the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations at least thirty days in advance of
any change that results in an increase or decrease of more than
five percent from the initial operating plan submitted to the
Committees for fiscal year 2015.
Budget justifications and annual new starts report.--The
Committee also continues the direction to FTA to submit future
budget justifications in a format consistent with the
instruction provided in House Report 109-153. FTA is free to
submit a budget in alternate formats, but must also include the
information required by the Committee. The Committee has again
included bill language requiring FTA to submit the annual New
Starts report with the initial submission of the budget request
due in February, 2015.
Transit security.--The Committee continues bill language
prohibiting FTA from creating a permanent office of transit
security. The Committee's position remains that the Department
of Homeland Security is the lead agency on transportation
security and has overall responsibility among all modes of
transportation, including rail and transit lines.
Full funding grant agreements (FFGAs).--TEA-21 required
that the FTA notify the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations as well as the House Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Banking sixty
days before executing a full funding grant agreement. In its
notification to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations, the Committee directs the FTA to include the
following: (1) a copy of the proposed full funding grant
agreement; (2) the total and annual federal appropriations
required for that project; (3) yearly and total federal
appropriations that can be reasonably planned or anticipated
for future FFGAs for each fiscal year through 2017; (4) a
detailed analysis of annual commitments for current and
anticipated FFGAs against the program authorization; (5) an
evaluation of whether the alternatives analysis made by the
applicant fully assessed all viable alternatives; (6) a
financial analysis of the project's cost and sponsor's ability
to finance the project, which shall be conducted by an
independent examiner and which shall include an assessment of
the capital cost estimate and the finance plan; (7) the source
and security of all public- and private-sector financial
instruments; (8) the project's operating plan, which enumerates
the project's future revenue and ridership forecasts; and (9) a
listing of all planned contingencies and possible risks
associated with the project.
The Committee continues the direction to FTA to inform the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in writing thirty
days before approving schedule, scope, or budget changes to any
full funding grant agreement. Correspondence relating to
changes shall include any budget revisions or program changes
that materially alter the project as originally stipulated in
the full funding grant agreement, including any proposed change
in rail car procurements.
In addition, the Committee directs FTA to continue
reporting monthly to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations on the status of each project with a full
funding grant agreement or that is within two years of a full
funding grant agreement. Considering the scale of the proposed
projects, the changes to the program in MAP-21, and the massive
growth in this account, the Committee finds monthly oversight
reports particularly useful.
TRANSIT FORMULA GRANTS
(LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACT AUTHORITY)
(LIMITATION ON OBLIGATIONS)
(HIGHWAY TRUST FUND)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquidation of contract Limitation on
authorization obligations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014............................... $9,500,000,000 $8,595,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.............................. 13,800,000,000 13,800,000,000
Recommended in the bill....................................... 9,500,000,000 8,595,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014........................... - - - - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.......................... -4,300,000,000 -5,205,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAP-21 provided contract authority for the transit formula
grant programs from the mass transit account of the highway
trust fund. These programs include: urbanized area formula,
state safety oversight program, state of good repair grants,
formula grants for rural areas, growing states and high density
states, mobility for seniors and persons with disabilities, bus
and bus facility formula grants, the bus testing facility,
planning programs, transit oriented development, National
Transit Institute, and the National Transit Database. The
Appropriations Act sets an annual obligation limitation for
such authority. This account is the only FTA account funded
from the Highway Trust Fund.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an obligation limitation of
$8,595,000,000 for the formula programs and activities which is
the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. The Committee's
recommendation also includes $9,500,000,000 in liquidating
funds. Funds are consistent with the final year of MAP-21 and
contingent on authorization.
Transit formula allocations.--The Committee continues to
have significant concerns over the number of localities that
are negatively impacted by changes to the transit formula
grants program funds distribution methodology as contained in
MAP-21. Under the current formula, the funds for bus
replacement, purchase, and rehabilitation are severely reduced
from previous years. Some transit experts estimate the program-
wide loss could be as much as $1,000,000,000 when compared to
prior surface authorization Acts. This reduction is
disproportionately impacting transit agencies in medium and
smaller-sized cities, and in those regions and states with
older bus fleets. The Committee strongly urges the Department
to work with the authorizing committees of jurisdiction when
crafting the next surface bill to either reinstate the bus and
bus facilities program, or create a program similar to the rail
state of good repair program to help these impacted communities
with their bus replacement needs.
The Committee is still awaiting the report requested in H.
Report 113-136 regarding the transit formula allocation to
medium and small cities. The Committee directs FTA to submit
the report by October 1, 2014.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... $25,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -25,000,000
MAP-21 authorized a new program to provide funds to transit
agencies after disaster events to restore service. Both capital
and operating costs are eligible.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation does not include funds for
this new account. The Committee will make funding
determinations for emergency funds on a case-by-case basis.
TRANSIT RESEARCH
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $43,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... - - -
Recommended in the bill............................... 15,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -28,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +15,000,000
MAP-21 authorizes FTA to provide funds to the National
Academy of Sciences to conduct investigative research on
subjects related to public transportation.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $15,000,000 for transit research,
$28,000,000 below last year. The 2015 budget proposed
$60,000,000 in one research account instead of the two account
structure provided last year and in this bill.
The Committee requires FTA to report by May 15, 2015, on
all FTA-sponsored research projects from fiscal year 2014 and
2015 at the National Academy of Sciences.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $5,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... - - -
Recommended in the bill............................... 3,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +3,000,000
MAP-21 authorizes FTA to provide technical assistance to
the public transportation industry and to develop standards for
transit service provision, with an emphasis on improving access
for all individuals and transportation equity.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $3,000,000 for technical
assistance and training, $2,000,000 below the 2014 level. The
2015 budget proposed $60,000,000 in one research account
instead of the two account structure provided last year and in
this year's bill.
The Committee recognizes the continuing need for a strong
technical assistance, education, and research program on the
mobility needs of people with disabilities and older adults.
The Committee strongly supports ongoing partnerships with
organizations that have experience and a successful track
record in providing technical assistance for these special
needs populations.
Public transportation options for seniors.--The Committee
encourages FTA to continue exploring improvements for the
transportation options for seniors, including public
transportation options where available, but also including
software programs that leverage unused private transportation
capacity to promote transportation for seniors in small and
rural communities. Through increased attention to these
multiple options for private senior transport, the FTA can
improve highway safety and the quality of life for seniors
nationwide.
CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $1,942,938,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 2,500,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 1,691,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -251,938,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -809,000,000
Grants for capital investment to rail or other fixed
guideway transit systems are awarded to public bodies and
agencies (transit authorities and other state and local public
bodies and agencies thereof) including states, municipalities,
other political subdivisions of states; public agencies and
instrumentalities of one or more states; and certain public
corporations, boards and commissions under state law.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $1,691,000,000 for capital
investment grants which is $251,938,000 below the fiscal year
2014 enacted level and $809,000,000 below the budget request.
The fiscal year 2015 recommendation provides $1,510,000,000
for all current and on-going full funding grant agreements
(FFGA) as requested in the budget, plus another $25,000,000 for
a project (or projects) that will be signed under a FFGA by
September 30, 2014. No funds are provided for new FFGAs that
are not under a signed grant agreement at the start of fiscal
year 2015. In addition, $173,000,000 is provided for five new
small start projects proposed in the budget.
Further, the Committee recommends $30,000,000 for the core
capacity program authorized in MAP-21, provides a total
$18,000,000 (about 1 percent) for oversight activities related
to the investments of this account, and rescinds $65,000,000 in
unobligated prior year funds.
The Committee continues the direction that FTA only further
projects to a full funding grant agreement if the project
requires a less than 50 percent new starts share and rates
medium high or high in the categories related to finance and
reducing congestion.
WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $150,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 150,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 150,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
Section 601 of Division B of the Passenger Rail Investment
and Improvement Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-432) authorized
$1.5 billion over a ten-year period for preventive maintenance
and capital grants for the Washington Metropolitan Area
Transportation Authority (WMATA). The law requires that the
federal funds be matched dollar-for-dollar by Virginia,
Maryland and the District of Columbia in equal proportions. The
compact required under the law has been established and
Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia have all
committed to providing $50 million each in local matching
funds.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation includes $150,000,000 for
preventive maintenance and capital grants for WMATA, which
equal to the budget request and last year's enacted level. The
Committee directs WMATA to continue addressing the safety
issues within the agency, specifically, those identified by the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Further, the
Committee directs WMATA to continue with its capital
improvement plans and not defer capital and safety investments
in order to offset operating costs.
WMATA oversight.--The Federal Transit Administration
recently released a draft audit report on the financial
management oversight (FMO) of WMATA. The draft report
identified some material weaknesses and significant
deficiencies in a number of WMATA's financial and internal
management controls. WMATA responded to the audit report with a
detailed series of corrective actions to address the findings
of the FMO review. Once the report has been finalized by the
Federal Transit Administration, the Committee directs GAO to
conduct a review of WMATA's progress implementing its
corrective action plan and to identify additional corrective
actions that WMATA may take to address the FMO findings. In
addition, the Committee directs GAO to review WMATA's progress
to address safety weaknesses identified by the National
Transportation Safety Board. The Committee directs GAO to
submit a report on its findings to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations no later than 180 days after
enactment.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION
Section 160. The Committee continues the provision that
exempts previously made transit obligations from limitations on
obligations.
Section 161. The Committee continues the provision that
allows funds appropriated for capital investment grants and bus
and bus facilities not obligated by September 30, 2015, plus
other recoveries to be available for other projects under 49
U.S.C. 5309.
Section 162. The Committee continues the provision that
allows for the transfer of prior year appropriations from older
accounts to be merged into new accounts with similar, current
activities.
Section 163. The Committee continues the provision that
permits the Secretary to consider significant private
contributions when calculating the non-federal share of new
starts projects.
Section 164. The Committee continues the provision that
prohibits a full funding grant agreement for a project with a
new starts share greater than 50 percent.
Section 165. The Committee includes a provision regarding a
certain fixed guideway project in Houston, Texas.
Section 166. The Committee includes a provision which
allows unobligated and unexpended section 5339 funds from
fiscal years 2010 through 2012 to be used for new starts
activities.
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
(HARBOR MAINTENANCE TRUST FUND)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $31,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 31,500,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 32,500,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +1,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +1,000,000
The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System, located
between Montreal and Lake Erie, is a binational, 15-lock system
jointly operated by the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development
Corporation (SLSDC) and its Canadian counterpart, the Canadian
St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. The SLSDC was
established by the St. Lawrence Seaway Act of 1954 and is a
wholly owned government corporation and an operating
administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The SLSDC is charged with operating and maintaining the U.S.
portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This responsibility
includes the two U.S. locks in Massena, New York, vessel
traffic control in portions of the St. Lawrence River and Lake
Ontario, and trade development functions to enhance the
utilization of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 authorized the
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund as a source of appropriations for
SLSDC operations and maintenance. Additionally, the SLSDC
generates non-federal revenues which can then be used for
operations and maintenance.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total appropriation of
$32,500,000 to fund the operations, maintenance, and capital
asset renewal needs of the SLSDC. This funding level is
$1,500,000 higher than the fiscal year 2014 appropriation and
$1,000,000 above the President's budget request. The Committee
continues the requirement that the SLSDC provides semiannual
reports consistent with the requirements stated in the
Explanatory Statement of the Department of Transportation
Appropriations Act of 2009.
Economic and trade development.--The Committee includes an
additional $1,000,000 to support the economic and trade
development mission of the SLSDC.
Maritime Administration
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is responsible for
programs that strengthen the U.S. maritime industry in support
of the Nation's security and economic needs, as authorized by
the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. MARAD's mission is to promote
the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced
United States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's
domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its
waterborne foreign commerce, and capable of serving as a naval
and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency.
MARAD, working with the Department of Defense (DoD), helps
provide a seamless, time-phased transition from peacetime to
wartime operations, while balancing the defense and commercial
elements of the maritime transportation system. MARAD also
manages the maritime security program, the voluntary intermodal
sealift agreement program and the ready reserve force, which
assures DoD access to commercial and strategic sealift and
associated intermodal capability. Further, MARAD's education
and training programs through the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
and six state maritime academies help create skilled U.S.
merchant marine officers.
MARITIME SECURITY PROGRAM
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $186,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 211,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 166,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -20,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -45,000,000
The purpose of the Maritime Security Program (MSP) is to
maintain and preserve a U.S. flag merchant fleet to serve the
national security needs of the United States. The MSP provides
direct payments to U.S. flagship operators engaged in U.S.-
foreign trade. Participating operators are required to keep the
vessels in active commercial service and are required to
provide intermodal sealift support to the Department of Defense
in times of war or national emergency.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $166,000,000 for this account,
$20,000,000 below the fiscal year 2014 funding level and
$45,000,000 below the request. The Committee's recommendation
is equal to the allocation provided for the Defense 050
function activities in this bill. Funds are available until
expended.
This recommendation provides funding directly to MARAD and
assumes that MARAD will continue to administer the program with
support and consultation from the Department of Defense. Should
MARAD determine a smaller roster of ships is called for in
2015, the Committee directs the Secretary to give priority to
ships owned by U.S.-based companies that meet the Department of
Defense requirements. The budget documents represent the
program exceeds DOD capacity requirements and program goals.
The Committee does not provide $25,000,000 requested for
new payments to shippers as the Congress has not adopted
changes to the food aid program.
OPERATIONS AND TRAINING
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $148,003,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 148,400,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 132,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -16,003,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -16,400,000
The operations and training account provides funding for
headquarters and field offices to administer and direct MARAD
operations and programs. The account also provides funding for
the operation of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and financial
assistance to the six state maritime academies.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $132,000,000 for MARAD operations
and training expenses, $16,003,000 less than the fiscal year
2014 funding level and $16,400,000 below the fiscal year 2015
budget request.
MARAD operations.--Of the funds provided, $49,000,000 is
for headquarters and regional office operations, and maritime
program expenses. The Committee notes improvement in the budget
documents, and hopefully the improvement will continue. The
Committee continues the reporting requirement that MARAD submit
information on the number of vacancies at MARAD headquarters
and regional offices, and the duties associated with each
vacancy concurrent with the fiscal year 2016 budget submission.
United States Merchant Marine Academy.--The U.S. Merchant
Marine Academy (the Academy or USMMA) provides educational
programs for men and women to become shipboard officers and
leaders in the maritime industry. The Committee continues to
include language requiring all funding for the Academy go
directly to the Secretary, and that 50 percent of the funding
will not be available until MARAD submits a plan detailing how
the funding will be spent. The Committee's funding
recommendation includes a total of $65,700,000 in fiscal year
2015 for the USMMA, of which up to $64,200,000 is for Academy
operations and not less than $1,500,000 is for capital
improvements. The committee's recommendation does not include
$13,000,000 requested for Bowditch Hall renovation. The
Committee recommends this reduction without prejudice.
The Committee urges MARAD to support the USMMA Board of
Visitors, including the annual visit required in section 51312
of title 46, United States Code.
State maritime academies.--The Committee recommends
$17,300,000 for the state maritime academies. Of the funds
provided, $3,600,000 is for direct payments, $2,400,000 is for
student payments, and $11,300,000 is for schoolship maintenance
and repair.
Schoolships.--Looking at the schoolship inventory, it
appears many, if not most of the training ships at the various
maritime academies are nearing the end of their useful life.
Schoolships are vital to a quality maritime education. The
Committee directs MARAD to report to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations 180 days after enactment of this
Act on the opportunities and efficiencies of a common
schoolship design for all maritime academies under MARAD, and
the costs associated with design and construction. The
Committee encourages MARAD to include funds in the 2016 budget
request for design costs.
Ready reserve force transfer.--Should the Subcommittee on
Defense of the Committee on Appropriations provide for a
transfer of their Ready Reserve Force funds to MARAD, MARAD is
approved to administer the funds as requested.
SHIP DISPOSAL
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $4,800,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 4,800,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 4,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -800,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -800,000
MARAD serves as the federal government's disposal agent for
government-owned merchant vessels weighing 1,500 gross tons or
more. The ship disposal program provides resources to dispose
of obsolete merchant-type vessels in the National Defense
Reserve Fleet (NDRF). The Maritime Administration was required
by Public Law 106-398 to dispose of its obsolete inventory by
the end of 2006. These vessels pose a significant environmental
threat due to the presence of hazardous substances such as
asbestos and solid and liquid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
As reported in the fiscal year 2015 budget documents, MARAD
currently has custody of approximately 25 obsolete vessels that
are not yet under contract for disposal. By the end of 2014,
MARAD anticipates an inventory of 20 obsolete ships located at:
the James River Reserve Fleet site in Virginia (9 ships), and
the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet (SBRF) site in California (5
ships), and the Beaumont Reserve Fleet site in Texas (2 ships--
3 less than the prior year), plus 4 decommissioned Navy Vessels
located in Hawaii and Pennsylvania. MARAD anticipates removing
another 8 ships from the SBRF during fiscal year 2014, with
only 5 vessels remaining for disposal beyond 2015.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $4,000,000 for this account,
$800,000 below the fiscal year 2014 funding level and the
budget request. Funds are available until expended. The fiscal
year 2015 proposed funding level reflects the Committee's
confidence that MARAD can continue moving a significant number
of ships out of the NDRF by sales rather than by contract.
Considering MARAD has routinely exceeded its own performance
goals for ship disposal, this funding level should be
sufficient to still meet the long term goals of the program.
MARITIME GUARANTEED LOAN (TITLE XI PROGRAM)
(INCLUDING TRANSFER AND RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $3,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 3,100,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 3,100,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -400,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The Maritime Guaranteed Loan Program, as provided for by
Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, provides for
guaranteed loans for purchasers of ships from the U.S.
shipbuilding industry and for modernization of U.S. shipyards.
Funds for administrative expenses for the Title XI program are
appropriated to this account, and then paid to operations and
training to be obligated and expended.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends the budget request of $3,100,000
for the Maritime Guaranteed Loan (Title XI) Program, which is
$400,000 below the amount provided in fiscal year 2014.
Further, the Committee recommends rescinding $29,000,000 in
unobligated funds provided in fiscal year 2014.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
Section 170. The Committee continues a provision that
allows the Maritime Administration to furnish utilities and
services and make repairs to any lease, contract, or occupancy
involving government property under the control of MARAD and
rental payments shall be paid into the Treasury as
miscellaneous receipts.
Section 171. The Committee continues a provision regarding
MARAD ship disposal.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA) administers nationwide safety programs designed to
protect the public and the environment from risks inherent to
the commercial transportation of hazardous materials by
pipeline, air, rail, vessel, and highway. Many of these
materials are essential to the national economy. The agency's
highest priority is safety, and it uses safety management
principles and security assessments to promote the safe
transport of hazardous materials and the security of the
nation's pipelines.
OPERATIONAL EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $21,654,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 22,225,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 21,654,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -571,000
This appropriation finances the operational support costs
for PHMSA, including agency-wide functions of administration,
management, policy development, legal counsel, budget,
financial management, civil rights, human resources,
acquisition services, information technology, and governmental
and public affairs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $21,654,000 for PHMSA operational
expenses. This is the same as fiscal year 2014, and $571,000
below the budget request. The Committee includes bill language
directing PHMSA to transfer $1,500,000 to the pipeline safety
program to fund the pipeline information grants to communities.
Transportation of energy products.--The transportation of
domestically produced energy products, including ethanol and
crude oil, has grown dramatically in the last few years. The
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) estimates that the volume
of crude oil transported by rail increased from 65,600 carloads
in 2011 to more than 255,000 carloads in 2012, an increase of
nearly 300 percent. The Committee is greatly concerned about
recent train accidents that have resulted in releases of crude
oil and ethanol, forced evacuations, millions of dollars in
damage, and, in the case of the Lac Megantic, Quebec incident,
massive fires and the loss of 47 lives. With the expected
increases in domestic production of crude oil and other energy-
related products, a multi-faceted and comprehensive approach is
necessary to ensure the safe and efficient transport of these
products. Specifically, DOT should consider the following
activities: improving the design of tank cars, developing
emergency response plans; promoting first responder training,
and establishing adequate oversight of railroad, pipeline, and
shipper operations.
The Committee is concerned that PHMSA only requires
comprehensive response plans for oil shipments larger than
42,000 gallons per tanker. Most tankers used to transport crude
oil typically hold close to 34,000 gallons but are transported
in unit train configurations that dramatically exceed the
42,000 gallon threshold. The Committee directs PHSMA to review
the spill response planning thresholds contained in 49 C.F.R.
Part 130 and to update those thresholds as necessary to ensure
carriers have the ability to respond to worst-case discharges
resulting from accidents involving both unit trains and blocks
of tank cars transporting oil and petroleum products. In
addition, the Committee directs PHMSA to update the Hazardous
Materials Emergency Preparedness curriculum guidelines to
include training protocols unique to crude oil and ethanol
incident response.
The Committee expects DOT to take a systemic approach in
its oversight to reduce the risks associated with the transport
of crude oil and other energy-related materials. The Committee
recommendation includes increases for PHMSA's hazardous
materials program to support research and development
activities on emerging oil and gas transportation safetyissues
and to increase training and outreach activities to
improveincident response. The recommendation also includes
increases for pipeline safety to support additional inspection,
oversight and enforcement activities, and to increase training
and outreach on accident investigation and response.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $45,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 52,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 52,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +7,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The hazardous materials safety program advances the safe
and secure transport of hazardous materials (hazmat) in
commerce by air, truck, railroad and vessel. PHMSA evaluates
hazmat safety risks, develops and enforces regulations for
transporting hazmat, educates shippers and carriers,
investigates hazmat incidents and failures, conducts research,
and provides grants to improve emergency response to
transportation incidents involving hazmat.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $52,000,000, the same as the
request and $7,000,000 above the fiscal year 2014 enacted
level, to fund the agency's existing hazardous materials safety
program and to provide increases requested for research,
training, and outreach related to emerging oil and gas
transportation safety. The Committee recommends $7,000,000 of
the total to remain available for three years for long-term
research and development contracts.
Special permits and approvals fee proposal.--The Committee
does not include the request for new special permits and
approvals fees. Additional fees within this account should be
considered in the context of authorizing legislation
originating in the committees of jurisdiction.
Tank car design.--The Committee urges PHMSA to work
expeditiously to finalize a rule improving safety standards for
rail cars carrying crude no later than September 30, 2014. The
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified a
number of vulnerabilities in DOT-111 tank cars and has
recommended immediate action to improve puncture resistance,
thermal resistance, and overall integrity. Due to several
derailments involving crude oil and ethanol, the Committee is
concerned about the timeline for the rulemaking on the DOT-111
tank car fleet and directs PHMSA to report to the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations on a timeline for
publication of a final rule within 30 days of enactment.
PIPELINE SAFETY
(PIPELINE SAFETY FUND)
(OIL SPILL LIABILITY TRUST FUND)
(PIPELINE SAFETY DESIGN REVIEW FUND)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Oil spill
(Pipeline liability trust (Design review Total
safety fund) fund) fund)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014............. $98,514,000 $18,573,000 $2,000,000 $119,087,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015............ 136,500,000 19,500,000 2,000,000 158,000,000
Recommended in the bill..................... 110,000,000 19,500,000 2,000,000 131,500,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014......... +11,486,000 +927,000 - - - +12,413,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015........ -26,500,000 - - - - - - -26,500,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA oversees the safety, security, and environmental
protection of pipelines through analysis of data, damage
prevention, education and training, development and enforcement
of regulations and policies, research and development, grants
for state pipeline safety programs, and emergency planning and
response to accidents. The pipeline safety program is
responsible for a national regulatory program to protect the
public against the risks to life and property in the
transportation of natural gas, petroleum, and other hazardous
materials by pipeline.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $131,500,000 to continue pipeline
safety operations, research and development, and state grants-
in-aid, which is $12,413,000 above fiscal year 2014 and
$26,500,000 below the budget request. Of the total, $19,500,000
is from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, $110,000,000 is
from the Pipeline Safety Fund, and $2,000,000 is from the
Pipeline Safety Design Review Fund.
The Committee recommends $1,058,000 of the funds provided
to be used for the one-call state grant program. The Committee
recommends $54,436,000 of the funds provided to remain
available until September 30, 2017.
The Committee recommendation provides increases adequate to
support the additional resources requested for the emergency
and preparedness information for communities program, the
onshore facilities response plan initiatives, and FTE increases
for safety training, standards and rulemaking activities,
accident investigations, human resources, and inspection and
enforcement. Funding increases requested for state grants,
grants management, and an expansion of IT modernization
activities are not provided. PHMSA shall deliver a report to
the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 120
days of enactment that details staffing and hiring plans for
fiscal year 2015 as well as actual turnover and hiring in
fiscal year 2014.
Pipeline Safety Design Review Fund.--The Committee allows
$2,000,000 in budgetary resources to be derived from fees
collected by the Pipeline Safety Design Review Fund as
authorized. If no qualifying projects are, initiated in fiscal
year 2015, then no fees will be collected and these funds will
not be expended.
Pipeline emergencies training.--Given the aging U.S.
pipeline infrastructure and its vulnerability to emergency
events, the Committee reiterates the need to ensure that
individuals charged with responding to pipeline and pipeline-
related emergencies are properly trained. The Committee directs
PHMSA to leverage some portion of the increases provided for
fiscal year 2015 to take a more proactive role in promoting
pipeline emergency response training and outreach to state and
local first responders. The Committee further directs PHMSA to
report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
within 90 days of enactment with an assessment of pipeline
emergency training and preparedness including identification of
where improvements can be made.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GRANTS
(EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FUND)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Emergency (Emergency
preparedness preparedness
fund) grants program)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....... ($188,000) ($28,318,000)
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...... (188,000) (28,318,000)
Recommended in the bill............... (188,000) (28,318,000)
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014... - - - - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.. - - - - - -
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act
of 1990 (Public Law 101-615) requires PHMSA to: (1) develop and
implement a reimbursable emergency preparedness grant program;
(2) monitor public sector emergency response training and
planning and provide technical assistance to states, political
subdivisions and Indian tribes; and (3) develop and update
periodically a mandatory training curriculum for emergency
responders.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $28,318,000 for the emergency
preparedness grants program, which is the same as fiscal year
2014 and the budget request. These amounts reflect the maximum
authorized funding levels.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The Inspector General's office was established in 1978 to
provide an objective and independent organization that would be
more effective in: (1) preventing and detecting fraud, waste,
and abuse in departmental programs and operations; and (2)
providing a means of keeping the Secretary of Transportation
and the Congress fully and currently informed of problems and
deficiencies in the administration of such programs and
operations. According to the authorizing legislation, the
Inspector General (IG) is to report dually to the Secretary of
Transportation and to the Congress.
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $85,605,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 86,223,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 86,223,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +618,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2014.................. - - -
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation provides $86,223,000 for the
Office of Inspector General, which is $618,000 above the fiscal
year 2014 enacted level and the same as the budget request. The
Committee continues to highly value the work of the IG in
oversight of departmental programs and activities.
Unfair business practices.--The bill maintains language
first enacted in fiscal year 2000 which authorizes the OIG to
investigate allegations of fraud and unfair or deceptive
practices and unfair methods of competition by air carriers and
ticket agents.
Audit reports.--The Committee requests the IG to continue
forwarding copies of all audit reports to the Committee
immediately after they are issued, and to continue to make the
Committee aware immediately of any review that recommends
cancellation or modifications to any major acquisition project
or grant, or which recommends significant budgetary savings.
The OIG is also directed to withhold from public distribution
for a period of 15 days any final audit or investigative report
which was requested by the House or Senate Committees on
Appropriations.
Oversight of the Metropolitan Washington Airports
Authority.--The Committee has continuing concerns about the
lack of oversight of the Metropolitan Washington Airport
Authority (MWAA). A recent investigation by the DOT Inspector
General (IG) found a number of cases of questionable sole
source contracting practices, a lack of ethical disclosure
requirements for board members, and an overall lack of
accountability and transparency. In order to improve the
oversight of MWAA, the Committee recommendation includes a new
provision that provides the DOT IG with oversight
responsibilities for MWAA, and requires that MWAA reimburse the
DOT IG for this new responsibility.
Surface Transportation Board
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $31,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 31,500,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 31,250,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +250,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -250,000
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) was created in the
Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995 and is
the successor agency to the Interstate Commerce Commission. The
STB is an economic regulatory and adjudicatory body charged by
Congress with resolving railroad rate and service disputes and
reviewing proposed railroad mergers. The STB is decisionally
independent, although it is administratively affiliated with
the Department of Transportation. The Passenger Rail Investment
and Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. 110-432, (PRIIA), included
new responsibilities for the STB.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $31,250,000
for fiscal year 2015, which is $250,000 more than the fiscal
year 2014 enacted level and 250,000 less than the request. The
STB is estimated to collect $1,250,000 in fees which will
offset the appropriation for a total program cost of
$30,000,000.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Section 180. The Committee continues the provision allowing
the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use funds for
aircraft; motor vehicles; liability insurance; uniforms; or
allowances, as authorized by law.
Section 181. The Committee continues the provision limiting
appropriations for services authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109 to the
rate for an Executive Level IV.
Section 182. The Committee continues the provision
prohibiting funds in this act for salaries and expenses of more
than 110 political and Presidential appointees in the DOT and
prohibits political and Presidential personnel from being
assigned on temporary detail outside the DOT.
Section 183. The Committee continues the provision
prohibiting recipients of funds made available in this Act from
releasing personal information, including Social Security
number, medical or disability information, and photographs from
a driver's license or motor vehicle record, without express
consent of the person to whom such information pertains; and
prohibits the withholding of funds provided in this Act for any
grantee if a state is in noncompliance with this provision.
Section 184. The Committee continues the provision allowing
funds received by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal
Transit Administration, and the Federal Railroad Administration
from states, counties, municipalities, other public
authorities, and private sources to be used for expenses
incurred for training may be credited to each agency's
respective accounts.
Section 185. The Committee continues the provision
prohibiting funds from being used to make a loan, loan
guarantee, line of credit, or grant unless the Secretary of
Transportation notifies the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations not less than three full business days before
any discretionary grant award, letter of intent, or full
funding grant agreement is announced by the Department or its
modal administrations, and directs the Secretary to give
concurrent notification for any ``quick release'' of funds from
the Federal Highway Administration's emergency relief program.
Section 186. The Committee continues a provision allowing
funds received from rebates, refunds, and similar sources to be
credited to appropriations of the DOT.
Section 187. The Committee continues a provision allowing
amounts from improper payments to a third party contractor that
are lawfully recovered by the DOT to be available to cover
expenses incurred in the recovery of such payments.
Section 188. The Committee mandates that reprogramming
actions are to be approved or denied solely by the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations.
Section 189. The Committee caps the amount of fees the
Surface Transportation Board can charge and collect for rate
complaints filed at the amount authorized for court civil suit
filing fees.
Section 190. The Committee includes a provision allowing
funds to the modal administrations to be obligated to the
Office of the Secretary for the costs related to assessments or
reimbursable agreements only when such amounts are for the
costs of goods and services that are purchased to provide a
direct benefit to the applicable modal administration or
administration.
Section 191. The Committee includes a provision regarding
agency transit benefits.
Section 192. The Committee includes a provision prohibiting
funds for the Surface Transportation Board to take action on a
high speed rail project in California unless the Board has
jurisdiction over the entire project and considers the project
in its entirety.
Section 193. The Committee includes a provision which
limits Federal credit awarded to any individual state.
Section 194. The Committee includes a provision that limits
funding from being used to deny a hazardous material safety
program permit.
Section 195. The Committee includes a new provision which
allows $710,477 in unexpended funds from fiscal year 2005 to
increase the safety oversight of rail routes that carry energy
products and provides $10,000,000 to make grade crossing
improvements on rail routes that carry energy products.
TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Management and Administration
Management and Administration accounts provide operating
support to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's
(HUD) Executive Offices, Administrative Support Offices, and
Program Office Salaries and Expenses. Funding under these
accounts supports the salaries and expenses of nearly all HUD
employees as well as certain non-personnel expenses critical to
carrying out HUD's mission. The Committee supports the
Department's efforts to transform the way it does business and
encourages the Department to continue efforts to streamline
operations while making targeted technology and human capital
investments.
Budgetary resource levels.--HUD must have systems in place
to track fundamental budgetary resource data including budget
authority and FTE levels. A lack of essential information at
HUD has in the past led to Anti-Deficiency Act violations in
which HUD hired more people than it had resources to pay. While
the Committee recognizes deficiencies caused by antiquated
enterprise systems and acknowledges HUD's efforts to address
these deficiencies, proper management of agency resources is a
fundamental responsibility and antiquated systems are no excuse
for violations of Federal law. The Committee directs HUD to
continue working toward improving its ability to manage and
track budgetary resource data. The Committee also directs HUD
to clearly identify in its budget justifications the movement
or transfer of budgetary resources from one account, program,
project, or activity to another account, program, project, or
activity so that year-over-year comparisons are possible. Any
programs, projects, or activities that are newly requested
shall also be clearly identified as program increases and any
other increases should be clearly identified as adjustments to
baseline spending.
Reorganizations.--The Committee includes language to make
clear that any office, program, or activity reorganizations
require advance approval from the Committee prior to the
Department taking steps to implement reorganizations including
any negotiations with affected employees or their
representatives. Unless otherwise identified in the bill or
report, any reorganization proposed by the budget and clearly
presented in the budget justifications is approved.
Additionally, the Committee requires notice on a monthly basis
of all ongoing litigation, including any negotiations or
discussions, planned or ongoing, regarding a consent decree
between the Department and any other entity, including the
estimated costs of such decrees.
New initiatives.--The Committee reiterates that the
Department must limit the reprogramming of funds between the
programs, projects, and activities within each account and that
no changes may be made to any program, project, or activity
without prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations.
Unless otherwise identified in the bill or report, the most
detailed allocation of budgetary resources presented in the
budget justifications is approved. Any deviation from such
approved allocation is subject to reprogramming requirements.
All carryover funds, including recaptures and de-obligations,
are also subject to reprogramming requirements.
Executive Offices
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $14,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 15,234,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 14,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -1,234,000
The Executive Offices account funds the salaries and
expenses of the Immediate Office of the Secretary, the
Immediate Office of the Deputy Secretary, the Office of
Adjudicatory Services, the Office of Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations, the Office of Public Affairs, the
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, and the
Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
The Immediate Office of the Secretary provides program and
policy guidance, and operations management and oversight in
administering all programs, functions and authorities of the
Department.
The Immediate Office of the Deputy Secretary provides
operations management and helps the Department achieve its
strategic goals by providing management support to program
offices under the direction of the Office of the Secretary.
The Office of Adjudicatory Services conducts hearings and
makes determinations regarding formal complaints or adverse
actions initiated by HUD based upon alleged violations of
federal statutes and implementing regulations.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations is responsible for coordinating
Congressional and intergovernmental relations activities
involving program offices to ensure the effective and accurate
presentation of the Department's views.
The Office of Public Affairs educates the American people
about the Department's mission through media outreach and other
communication tools such as press releases, press conferences,
the Internet, media interviews, social networking and community
outreach.
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
provides small business program design and outreach to the
business community and serves as the central referral point for
small business regulatory compliance information.
The Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
conducts outreach, recommends changes to HUD policies and
programs that present barriers to grassroots organizations, and
initiates special projects, such as grant writing training.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $14,000,000 which is $500,000
below fiscal year 2014 enacted and $1,234,000 below the budget
request.
The bill provides that no more than $25,000 provided under
the immediate Office of the Secretary shall be available for
the official reception and representation expenses as the
Secretary may determine. The Department is directed to find
efficiencies adequate to reduce travel and contracting expenses
within this account by at least 10 percent.
Administrative Support Offices
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $506,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 530,783,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 500,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -6,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -30,783,000
The Administrative Support Offices account funds the
salaries and expenses of the Office of Administration, the
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, the Office of the
General Counsel, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the
Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, the Office of
Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity, the Office of Field
Policy and Management, the Office of Strategic Planning and
Management, and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
The Office of Administration provides general operational
support services to all offices and divisions throughout HUD.
These services include HUD's non-information technology
infrastructure in the following areas: nationwide management
and operation of buildings, Freedom of Information Act
processing, records management, Privacy Act administration,
protective and physical security for HUD's Secretary and Deputy
Secretary, and disaster and emergency response coordination.
The Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer provides
human resource services to all offices and divisions throughout
HUD. These services include HUD's non-information technology
infrastructure in the following areas: strategic human capital
management, enterprise level training and learning, recruitment
and staffing, workforce planning, retention, engagement,
succession planning and Departmental performance management.
The Office of Field Policy and Management serves as the
principal advisor providing oversight and communicating
Secretarial priorities and policies to field office staff and
HUD clients. The Regional and Field Office Directors act as the
operational managers in each of the field offices and manage
and coordinate cross-program delivery in the field.
The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer's mission is to
provide high-quality acquisition support services to all HUD
program offices by purchasing necessary operational and
mission-related goods and services; provide advice, guidance
and technical assistance to all departmental offices on matters
concerning procurement; assist program offices in defining and
specifying their procurement needs; develop and maintain all
procurement guidance including regulations, policies, and
procedures; and assist in the development of sound acquisition
strategies.
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) provides
leadership in instituting financial integrity, fiscal
responsibility and accountability. The OCFO is responsible for
all aspects of financial management, accounting and budgetary
matters; ensuring the Department establishes and meets
financial management goals and objectives; ensuring the
Department is in compliance with financial management
legislation and directives; analyzing budgetary implications of
policy and legislative proposals; and providing technical
oversight with respect to all budget activities throughout the
Department.
The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is led
by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) who reports to the
Office of the Secretary/Deputy Secretary. HUD's CIO advises
senior managers on the strategic use of information technology
to support core business processes and to achieve mission
critical goals. OCIO is responsible for providing modern
information technology that is secure, accessible and cost
effective while ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory
requirements.
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is the legal
adviser to the Secretary and other principal staff of the
Department. It is the responsibility of OGC to provide legal
opinions, advice and services with respect to all programs and
activities, and to provide counsel and assistance in the
development of the Department's programs and policies.
The mission of the Office of Departmental Equal Employment
Opportunity is to ensure the enforcement of Federal laws
relating to the elimination of all forms of discrimination in
the Department's employment practices. The mission is carried
out through the functions of three divisions: the affirmative
employment division, the alternative dispute resolution
division, and the equal employment opportunity division.
The Office of Strategic Planning and Management drives
organizational, programmatic, and operational change across the
Department to maximize efficiency and performance. The office
will facilitate HUD's strategic planning process by identifying
the Department's strategic priorities and transformational
change initiatives, create and manage work plans for targeted
transformation projects, and develop key program performance
measures and targets for monitoring.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $500,000,000 for this account,
which is $6,000,000 below fiscal year 2014 enacted and
$30,783,000 below the budget request.
The Committee recommendation reflects reduced funding for
non-personnel expenses and the expectation that HUD will find
ways to lower contracting and travel expenses by at least 10
percent in 2015. The Committee recommendation provides no
funding for non-personnel expenses requested for the
``Broadcasting'' function and expects the Department to fund
media and video contract expenses through offsetting
efficiencies in funds requested elsewhere for travel, training,
and public affairs. The recommendation also reflects the
transfer of resources previously requested under the
Information Technology Fund.
Funding shall be distributed as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Total Funding
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of Administration................................ $194,000,000
Office of the Chief Financial Officer................... 45,000,000
Office of the General Counsel........................... 93,000,000
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer............... 52,000,000
Office of Field Policy and Management................... 49,000,000
Office of the Chief Procurement Officer................. 16,000,000
Office of the Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity. 2,500,000
Office Strategic Planning and Management................ 3,500,000
Office of the Chief Information Officer................. 45,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program Office Salaries and Expenses
PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $205,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 213,664,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 200,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -5,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -13,664,000
The Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) oversees the
administration of HUD's Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher,
and Native American Programs. PIH is responsible for
administering and managing programs authorized and funded by
Congress under the basic provisions of the U.S. Housing Act of
1937.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $200,000,000 for this account,
which is $5,000,000 below the level enacted in fiscal year
2014, and $13,664,000 below the fiscal year 2015 budget
request.
COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $102,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 110,535,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 100,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -10,535,000
The Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD)
assists communities in their efforts to provide affordable
housing and expanded economic opportunities for low and
moderate-income persons. The primary means toward this end is
the development of partnerships among all levels of government
and the private sector. This Office is responsible for the
effective administration of Community Development Block Grants
(CDBG), the Home Investment Partnership (HOME), Homeless
Assistance Grants and other HUD community development programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $100,000,000 for this account,
which is $2,000,000 below the level enacted in fiscal year
2014, and $10,535,000 below the budget request.
Regulatory compliance oversight and voluntary compliance
agreements.--The Committee expects the Department to follow
requirements as specified in the Code of Federal Regulation
with respect to the implementation and enforcement of voluntary
compliance agreements including agreements related to
compliance with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development
Act of 1968. Further, CPD is directed to be the lead office
responsible for regulatory compliance determinations related to
funds that it administers including the community development
block grant program. HUD shall not establish requirements or
require compliance agreements in a manner that is inconsistent
with federal regulations.
HOUSING
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $381,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 386,677,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 370,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -11,500,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -16,677,000
The Office of Housing implements programmatic, regulatory,
financial, and operational responsibilities under the
leadership of six deputy assistant secretaries and the field
staff for activities related to Federal Housing Administration
(FHA) multifamily and single family homeownership programs, and
assisted rental housing programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $370,000,000 for this account,
which is $11,500,000 below the level enacted in fiscal year
2014, and $16,677,000 below the budget request.
POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $22,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 23,248,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 20,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -2,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -3,248,000
The Office of Policy Development and Research directs the
Department's annual research agenda to support the research and
evaluation of housing and other departmental initiatives to
improve HUD's effectiveness and operational efficiencies.
Research proposals are determined through consultation with
senior staff from each HUD program office, the Office of
Management and Budget, and Congress. The office also addresses
inquiries regarding key housing and economic information.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $20,000,000 for this account,
which is $2,000,000 below the level enacted in fiscal year 2014
and $3,248,000 below the budget request. The Department is
directed to provide any data requested by the Committees on
Appropriations within seven days of the request. Failure to
respond promptly to Congressional inquiry undermines the
Committee's ability to oversee and support funding for these
activities.
FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $68,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 77,629,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 68,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -1,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -9,629,000
The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is
responsible for developing policies and guidance, and for
providing technical support for enforcement of the Fair Housing
Act and the civil rights statutes. FHEO serves as the central
point for the formulation, clearance and dissemination of
policies, intra-departmental clearances, and public information
related to fair housing issues. FHEO receives, investigates,
conciliates and recommends the issuance of charges of
discrimination and determinations of non-compliance for
complaints filed under Title VIII and other civil rights
authorities. Additionally, FHEO conducts civil rights
compliance reviews and compliance reviews under Section 3.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $68,000,000 for this account,
which is $1,000,000 below the level enacted in fiscal year 2014
and $9,629,000 below the budget request.
OFFICE OF LEAD HAZARD CONTROL AND HEALTHY HOMES
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $7,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 7,879,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 7,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -879,000
The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
(OHHLHC) is directly responsible for the administration of the
Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction program authorized by Title X
of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992. The
office also addresses multiple housing-related hazards
affecting the health of residents, particularly children. The
office develops lead-based paint regulations, guidelines, and
policies applicable to HUD programs, and enforces the Lead
Disclosure Rule issued under Title X.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $7,000,000 for this account, which
is the same as fiscal year 2014 and $879,000 below the budget
request.
Public and Indian Housing
TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $19,177,218,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 20,045,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 19,356,529,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... +179,311,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -688,471,000
In fiscal year 2005, the Housing Certificate Fund was
separated into two new accounts: Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
and Project-Based Rental Assistance. This account administers
the tenant-based Section 8 rental assistance program otherwise
known as the Housing Choice Voucher program.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $19,356,529,000 for tenant-based
rental assistance, which is $179,311,000 above the fiscal year
2014 enacted level and $688,471,000 below the budget request.
Consistent with the budget request, the Committee continues the
advance of $4,000,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this
heading for Section 8 programs to October 1, 2015.
Voucher renewals.--The Committee provides $17,693,079,000
for the renewal of tenant-based vouchers. This level is
$327,552,000 above the enacted level and $313,471,000 below the
budget request. The Committee directs the Department to monitor
and report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
each quarter on the trends in Section 8 subsidies and to report
on the required program alterations due to changes in rent or
changes in tenant income.
Tenant protection.--The Committee provides $130,000,000 for
tenant protection vouchers, which is the same as the fiscal
year 2014 enacted level and $20,000,000 below the budget
request.
Administrative fees.--The Committee provides $1,350,000,000
for allocations to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to conduct
activities associated with placing and maintaining individuals
under Section 8 assistance. This amount is $150,000,000 below
the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $355,000,000 below the
budget request.The Committee directs HUD to evaluate the effect
of voucher portability on administrative costs to PHAs experiencing a
large number of vouchers that are ported in from other jurisdictions.
The Secretary is directed to report to the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations and the authorizing committees of jurisdiction on the
findings, and possible remedies to address any inequities in the
administrative fee formula, 180 days after enactment of this Act.
Mainstream voucher renewals.--The Committee provides
$108,450,000 to renew expiring Section 811 tenant-based
subsidies. This level is $1,759,000 above the fiscal year and
equal to the budget request. The Committee directs HUD to issue
guidance to the housing agencies administering these vouchers
to continue to serve people with disabilities upon turnover.
Veterans affairs supportive housing.--The Committee
provides $75,000,000 for incremental voucher assistance through
the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. This
funding level is equal to the budget request and the same as
the level provided in fiscal year 2012. This program is
administered in conjunction with the Department of Veterans
Affairs. These vouchers shall remain available for homeless
veterans upon turnover. This funding will add 10,000 new
vouchers for this program, and will support the Department of
Veterans Affairs' (VA) goal of ending homelessness among
veterans within five years. The Committee directs HUD to report
on VASH utilization rates, challenges encountered in the
program, and increases in veteran self-sufficiency by March 1,
2015.
The Committee continues in bill language the direction to
the Department to communicate to each PHA, within 60 days of
enactment, the fixed amount that will be made available to each
PHA for fiscal year 2015. The amount provided in this account
is the only source of federal funds that may be used to renew
tenant-based vouchers. The amounts appropriated here may not be
augmented from any other source.
Section 8 reforms.--The budget request includes a number of
authorizing provisions to reform the Housing Choice Voucher
(HCV) program, including provisions that result in cost-saving
measures that provide administrative relief to PHAs. HUD has
also committed to submitting a more comprehensive Section 8
reform proposal to Congress in the spring of 2014. The
Committee is fully supportive of any reforms that relieve
administrative burdens and enable housing authorities to serve
more families and lead to greater self-sufficiency. The
Committee strongly urges the authorizing committee to address
reforms of the HCV program expeditiously, as a failure to
reform this program could result in significant reductions to
the number of leased vouchers and deep cuts to other HUD
programs, especially considering the current fiscal
environment. The Committee urges the administration to continue
to work with the authorizing committees on a reform bill, with
the goal of enactment prior to the beginning of fiscal year
2015 so that the amounts provided in this bill more efficiently
and effectively serve individuals and families in need of
housing assistance. The Committee also strongly encourages HUD
to pursue regulatory and administrative reforms that do not
require new authorizations, but that relieve the administrative
burdens on PHAs.
PHA consortia.--The Committee encourages the Department to
reduce administrative burdens for public housing agencies. The
Committee notes language in Division L the Fiscal Year 2014
Omnibus Appropriations Act, adding a consortium of PHAs to the
definition of a PHA. The Committee urges the Department to
complete the necessary changes to its internal systems and
relevant regulations to allow consortia to fully consolidate
their reporting requirements.
Enhanced vouchers.--The Committee is concerned about
reported accounts of local Housing Authorities issuing vouchers
in excess of levels stipulated in Department regulations. HUD
regulations provide that the local housing authority has the
authority to issue vouchers up to 110 percent of the published
Fair Market Rent with the HUD filed office having the authority
to approve up to 120 percent. The Committee has received
reports of the issuance of vouchers far in excess of those
amounts. Such vouchers divert scarce resources to fewer
recipients and generate benefits for only a selected few.
Issuance of such vouchers depletes limited funds that could
otherwise be used to fill the shortfall in voucher recipients
or make improvements to rental properties themselves. The
Committee directs the Secretary to review such instances and
work with local housing authorities to limit voucher value
issuance to the levels stipulated in Department regulations.
Public Housing Assessment System.--The Committee urges HUD
to study potential changes to the Public Housing Assessment
System for PHAs that operate 550 or fewer public housing units
and Housing Choice Vouchers combined by taking into
consideration physical inspections and an annual financial
assessment based on current assets and liabilities.
Physical needs assessment prohibition.--The Committee has
included bill language prohibiting funds for HUD's physical
needs assessment (PNA) requirement for PHAs. Implementation of
PNA requirements on PHAs unnecessarily increases administrative
burdens on PHAs and appears to have no operational benefit for
local housing programs.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE DEMONSTRATION
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... $10,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -10,000,000
The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) was authorized in
fiscal year 2012 to preserve public housing by enabling Public
Housing Authorities to use a portion of their operating and
capital funds to leverage private sector funding to
recapitalize their housing stock and maintain their units of
affordable housing primarily through the conversion to long-
term Section 8 rental assistance contracts. The budget request
includes a request of $10,000,000 for a targeted expansion of
the program to public housing properties that cannot convert
their housing under this program at their existing funding
levels.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee does not provide funding for this program,
and does not include the proposal in the budget request to
eliminate the unit cap from the currently authorized level of
60,000 units. The Committee has concerns about the impact new
RAD conversions would have on the Project Based Rental
Assistance account. Further, the Committee would expect the
authorizing committees to undertake a full review of this
program before taking measures to expand the program.
HOUSING CERTIFICATE FUND
(INCLUDING RESCISSIONS)
The Housing Certificate Fund, until fiscal year 2005,
provided funding for both the project-based and tenant-based
components of the Section 8 program. Project-Based Rental
Assistance and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance are now
separately funded accounts. The Housing Certificate Fund
retains balances from previous years' appropriations.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Language is included to allow unobligated balances from
specific accounts to be used to renew or amend project-based
rental assistance contracts.
PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $1,875,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 1,925,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 1,775,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -100,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -150,000,000
The Public Housing Capital Fund provides funding for public
housing capital programs, including public housing development
and modernization. Examples of capital modernization projects
include replacing roofs and windows, improving common spaces,
upgrading electrical and plumbing systems, and renovating the
interior of an apartment.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $1,775,000,000 for the Public
Housing Capital Fund, which is $100,000,000 below the fiscal
year 2014 enacted level and $150,000,000 below the budget
request.
Within the amounts provided the Committee directs that:
--No more than $8,000,000 is directed to support the ongoing
public housing financial and physical assessment
activities;
--Up to $5,000,000 is for administrative and judicial
receiverships;
--Up to $20,000,000 is made available for emergency capital
needs, excluding Presidentially-declared disasters. The
Committee continues to include language to ensure that
funds are used only for repairs needed due to an
unforeseen and unanticipated emergency event or natural
disaster that occurs during fiscal year 2015;
--$45,000,000 is for the Resident Opportunity and Self-
Sufficiency (ROSS) program; and
--$15,000,000 is provided for the Jobs-Plus program to
improve employment opportunities and earnings of public
housing residents.
PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $4,400,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 4,600,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 4,400,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -200,000,000
The Public Housing Operating Fund subsidizes the costs
associated with operating and maintaining public housing. This
subsidy supplements funding received by public housing
authorities (PHA) from tenant rent contributions and other
income. In accordance with section 9 of the United States
Housing Act of 1937, as amended, funds are allocated by formula
to public housing authorities for the following purposes:
utility costs; anti-crime and anti-drug activities, including
the costs of providing adequate security; routine maintenance
cost; administrative costs; and general operating expenses.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $4,400,000,000 for the federal
share of PHA operating expenses. This amount is the same as the
fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $200,000,000 below the
budget request. The Committee does not include language in the
budget request that would allow PHAs to entirely merge their
capital and operating funds and use those funds for either
purpose. While the Committee supports the idea of giving high
performing PHAs regulatory relief so they can operate more
efficiently, HUD has provided limited information on how it
would identify and budget for capital and operating needs in
the future if this authority to merge funds were approved.
CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $90,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 120,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 25,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -65,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -95,000,000
This appropriation funds grants to communities to
rehabilitate and replace blighted housing and support the
revitalization of neighborhoods with concentrated poverty.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $25,000,000 for the Choice
Neighborhoods Initiative Program, which is $65,000,000 below
the 2014 enacted level and $95,000,000 below the budget
request.
The Committee has included language which prohibits funds
to any grantee that has previously received a Choice
Neighborhoods Implementation grant.
FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $75,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 75,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 75,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The budget request proposes to create a consolidated
program to help HUD-assisted residents achieve economic
independence, rather than continue separate programs for
Housing Choice Voucher and public housing families.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee agrees with this proposal and provides
$75,000,000 to support the Family Self-Sufficiency program.
This is the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and
equal to the budget request. The Committee expects the
Department to prioritize assistance to individuals and families
that results in job stability, increased tenant incomes, and
greater rent contributions. The Committee also expects the
Department to report to the Committees on Appropriations the
best practices of the program that result in increased rent
contributions of program participants, and practices that
result in residence achieving full self-sufficiency in meeting
their housing needs, no later than March 31, 2015.
NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANTS
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $650,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 650,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 650,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... - - -
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The Native American Housing Block Grants program,
authorized by the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4111 et seq.), provides
funds to American Indian tribes and their Tribally Designated
Housing Entities (TDHEs) to address affordable housing needs
within their communities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $650,000,000 for Native American
Housing Block Grants, which is the same as the fiscal year 2014
enacted level and the same as the budget request.
--$2,000,000 is for Title VI loan guarantees up to
$16,530,000.
--$3,000,000 is for organizations representing Native
American housing interests to provide training and
technical assistance to Indian housing authorities and
Tribal Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs). Of this
amount, no less than $2,000,000 is for a national
organization as authorized under NAHASDA.
Timely Expenditure of Funds.--The Committee continues
language requiring fiscal year 2015 funds to be spent within 10
years.
Bill language is included to withhold funding from any
grantee that receives an allocation larger than $5,000,000 and
that has an unexpended balance greater than three times its
formula allocation.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANT
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $10,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 13,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -10,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -13,000,000
The Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program provides
grants to the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
for housing and housing-related assistance to develop, maintain
and operate affordable housing for eligible low-income native
Hawaiian families.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee does not recommend funding for this program,
which is $10,000,000 below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level
and $13,000,000 below the budget request.
INDIAN HOUSING LOAN GUARANTEE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT
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Credit subsidy:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014.................... $6,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015................... 8,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................ 8,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014.................... +2,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015................... - - -
Limitation on guaranteed loans:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014.................... 1,818,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015................... 1,200,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................ 1,200,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014.................... -618,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015................... - - -
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Section 184 of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1992 establishes a loan guarantee program for Native American
individuals and housing authorities to build new housing or
purchase existing housing on trust land. This program provides
access to private financing that otherwise might be unavailable
because of the unique legal status of Indian trust land.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $8,000,000 in new credit subsidy
for the Section 184 loan guarantee program, which is $2,000,000
above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and the same as the
budget request. This will guarantee a loan volume of
$1,200,000,000, which is $618,000,000 below the fiscal year
2014 enacted level and the same as the budget request.
Community Planning and Development
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $6,588,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 6,578,400,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 6,205,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -383,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -373,400,000
The Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) is
responsible for administering the Community Development Block
Grant program (CDBG), the Home Investment Partnership (HOME),
Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), Homeless
Assistance Grants (HAG), and other HUD community development
programs. Most of these programs pass Federal funds through to
state and local governments and other entities to address
housing and development needs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $6,205,000,000 for this office,
which is $383,000,000 below fiscal year 2014 and $373,400,000
below the budget request. The Committee acknowledges that at
reduced funding levels communities will need to be innovative
in finding ways to do more with less by leveraging State, local
and private sector partnership. To help facilitate this
innovation, the Committee fully funds the request for Section 4
capacity building grants and also supports the request to
increase the borrowing authority under the Section 108 loan
guarantee program.
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $330,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 332,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 305,900,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -24,100,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. -26,100,000
The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
program provides states and localities with resources to
address the housing needs of low-income persons living with
HIV/AIDS. Funding is distributed by formula to qualifying
states and metropolitan areas based on the cumulative
incidences of AIDS reported to the Centers for Disease Control.
Government recipients are required to have a HUD-approved
Comprehensive Plan or Comprehensive Housing Affordability
Strategy.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total of $305,900,000 for the
HOPWA program, which is the $24,100,000 below fiscal year 2014
and $26,100,000 below the budget request.
The Committee recommendation includes formula grants and
funding for the renewal of certain expiring contracts that were
previously funded under HOPWA competitive grants. The Committee
encourages ongoing efforts at the Department for stronger
coordination between HOPWA and the Department's other homeless
prevention and support programs.
Formula funding methodology.--The current HOPWA formula,
which is based on cumulative AIDS cases and area incidence, no
longer reflects the nature of an epidemic that has been
transformed by both advances in HIV health care and
surveillance, and by the increasingly disproportionate impact
of the virus on communities of poverty and color. The Committee
encourages the Department to work with the authorizing
committees on any additional statutory authority needed to
modernize the HOPWA formula.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $3,100,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... 2,870,000,000
Recommended in the bill............................... 3,060,000,000
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -40,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. +190,000,000
The Community Development Fund, authorized by the Housing
and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.),
provides funding, primarily through Community Development Block
Grants, to state and local governments and other eligible
entities to carry out community and economic development
activities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total of $3,060,000,000 for the
Community Development Fund account, which is the $40,000,000
below fiscal year 2014 and $190,000,000 above the budget
request.
Of the amounts made available:
--$3,000,000,000 is for the Community Development Block
Grants (CDBG) formula program for entitlement
communities and states. This is $30,000,000 below
fiscal year 2014 and $200,000,000 above the budget
request;
--$60,000,000 is for the Native American Housing and Economic
Development Block Grant (also known as Indian CDBG),
which is $10,000,000 below fiscal year 2014 and
$10,000,000 below the budget request; and
--$7,000,000, of the amount provided for the regular CDBG
formula program, is for insular areas, per 42 U.S.C.
5306(a)(2), which is the same as fiscal year 2014 and
the budget request.
The recommendation continues language requiring the
Department to notify grantees of their formula allocation
within 60 days of enactment of this Act.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LOAN GUARANTEES PROGRAM ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING RESCISSION)
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014....................... $3,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015...................... - - -
Recommended in the bill............................... - - -
Bill compared with:
Appropriation, fiscal year 2014................... -3,000,000
Budget request, fiscal year 2015.................. - - -
The Section 108 Loan Guarantee program is a source of
variable and fixed-rate financing for communities undertaking
projects eligible under the Community Development and Block
Grant (CDBG) program. Such activities may include economic
development, housing rehabilitation, public facilities, and
large-scale physical development projects. By pledging their
current and future CDBG allocations to cover the loan amount as
security, communities are able to finance large-scale projects
with a federally guaranteed loan. HUD may require additional
security for a loan, as determined on a case-by-case basis.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation continues the Section 108 Loan
Guarantee program as a borrower-paid subsidy program and
therefore recommends providing no budget authority, which is
$3,000,000 below fiscal year 2014 and the same funding level as
the budget request. The Committee also accepts the request for
a limit on guaranteed loan volume of $500,000,000 which is
$350,000,000 above fiscal year 2014 and the same as the budget
request.
With the conversion to a borrower-paid subsidy program
structure, the Committee recommends the rescission of all
unobligated balances of subsidy budget authority remaining at
the end of fiscal year 2014.
Hazard mitigation.--The Committee directs HUD to coordinate
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify
eligible activities covered by the section 108 loan guarantee
program that also qualify as eligible activities under FEMA's
hazard mitigation programs intended to protect communities from
the impact of future disasters. The Committee also directs HUD,
in coordination with FEMA, to report to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations within 60 days of enactment, on
(1) an assessment of the benefits of making all FEMA hazard
mitigation activities eligible under section 108, (2) a
timeline for HUD to make communities aware of the current
eligibility of these activities under section 108, and (3) a
catalogue of mitigation activities that would require
legislation in order to become eligible.