became the focus of the Government Operations Committee's attention during the conference process. Results of the committee's efforts as shown in the conference agreement and subsequent enactment include provisions that:

(1) assure that personal property related to the real property may be withheld from preferred transfer to a redevelopment authority for local reuse when other Federal agencies have known program requirements for such property;

(2) require that property transferred at less than fair market value must be transferred to a specific local redevelopment authority recognized by the Secretary of Defense as the one responsible for producing the redevelopment plan;

(3) require the Secretary to determine the estimated fair market value of property to be transferred;

(4) require the Secretary to provide an explanation of why, when the transfer is not for estimated fair market value, the property cannot be transferred under the concurrent procedure that is based on the Federal Property Act;

(5) require the Secretary to prescribe by regulation guidelines for determining the consideration required of the redevelopment authority for transfer of the property;

(6) require that, in the circumstance of a rural area whose community suffers a substantial adverse economic impact (as determined by the Secretary) from a closure, a no-cost transfer of property to the local redevelopment authority must be based on specific Secretarial regulations regarding determination of the community's eligibility for such special-status determination; and

(7) with respect to availability of base closure real property for homeless assistance purposes under section 501 of the Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11411 et seq.), assure a one-time, all-inclusive reporting_of available property to the Secretary of Housing and Human Development for publication, so that homeless representatives would have a single 60-day period for filing an expression of interest to file an application, which would be followed by a 1year period during which the local community would have opportunity to identify properties suitable for redevelopment and

reuse.

In addition to the above statutory items, the committee's efforts resulted in a recommendation in the Statement of Managers (H. Rept. 103-357, p. 806) that, when evaluating the economic impact of closure and the redevelopment plan, the Secretary should consult with the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration, which has certain related functions under sections 4103 and 4302 of the Defense Conversion, Reinvestment, and Transition Assistance Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-484, 10 U.S.C. 2391 note). The President signed H.R. 2401 on November 30, 1993, and it became Public Law 103-160.

m. National and Community Service Act; H.R. 2010.-The House of Representatives passed H.Ř. 2010 on July 28, 1993, by a vote of 275-152. The Senate passed a different version of the bill on August 3, 1993, by a vote of 58-41. On August 4, members of the Committee on Government Operations were appointed as conferees

on the portions of the bill dealing with the Inspector General. The House of Representatives approved the conference report on August 6 by a vote of 275-152, and the Senate approved the conference report on September 8 by a vote of 57-40. The President signed the bill on September 21, 1993, and it became Public Law 103-82.

n. Local Flexibility Act of 1993; H.R. 2856.-Over 350 separate Federal programs provide grants and other financial assistance to the Nation's local governments. While each of these Federal programs may make sense when judged on its own merits, at the local level the combined requirements of myriad Federal programs cause confusion, waste, and inefficiency. On August 4, 1993, Chairman Conyers and Ranking Minority Member Clinger introduced H.R. 2856, which was referred solely to the Committee on Government Operations.

H.R. 2856 creates a Federal Interagency Review Council that will be authorized for 5 years to grant to local governments and not-forprofit organizations temporary waivers from Federal regulations (other than antidiscrimination requirements) of grant programs in six areas education, employment training, health, housing, nutrition, or other social services-if the Council approves a plan designed by a local government to improve services for its low income residents.

The Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations held a hearing on the bill on October 13, 1993.

On July 19, 1994, members of the Committee on Government Operations were appointed as conferees on title XI of the Senate amendment to the National Competitiveness Act, H.R. 820, because title XI is similar to the Local Flexibility Act. No further action was taken.

o. North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act; H.R. 3450.-Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (“Title III") authorizes the President to waive any procurement law or regulation that would result in discriminatory requirements with respect to those Federal Government purchases from foreign suppliers that are covered by the 1979 Government Procurement Code of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Mexico is not a party to that Code. Title III was amended in 1985 and 1988 to implement the government procurement provisions of the United States-Israel Free Trade Agreement and the United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement.

In chapter 10 of the North American Free Trade Agreement ["NAFTA"], which was signed in 1992, the Governments of the United States, Mexico, and Canada each agreed to treat suppliers of goods and services of the other two countries no less favorably than it treats its own suppliers when making government purchases.

The rules governing consideration of the legislation implementing the NAFTA precluded any amendment to the legislation once it was introduced. Accordingly, prior to the introduction of the NAFTA implementing legislation, the Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security held an oversight hearing on July 27, 1993, on "The Impact of NAFTA on the Public Sector," and on October 7-11, 1993, the committee conducted a factfinding mission in Mexico-including a meeting with Mexican President Carlos Salinas de

Gortari-to assess the impact of the NAFTA on both Mexico and the United States. During the fall of 1993 Chairman Conyers also consulted with the administration on the statutory language necessary to amend title III in order to implement chapter 10 of the NAFTA.

On November 3, 1993, President Clinton transmitted the NAFTA implementing legislation to Congress. H.R. 3450 was introduced on November 4, 1993, and was referred jointly to the Committee on Government Operations.

Section 381 of H.R. 3450 extends to Mexican suppliers the President's authority in title III to waive some Federal procurement laws. Section 381 further provides that the President's waiver authority does not apply to any Federal procurement law that grants a preference either to small businesses or to small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals or women, historically black colleges and universities, and colleges and universities having a student body with a substantial enrollment of Hispanic Americans or Native Americans.

The Committee on Government Operations was discharged from further consideration of the bill on November 15, and the House of Representatives approved the bill on November 17 by a vote of 234-200. The Senate approved the bill on November 20 by a vote of 61-38. The President signed the bill on December 8, 1993, and it became Public Law 103-182.

p. To Provide for the Conveyance of Certain Land in the District of Columbia to the Columbia Hospital for Women to Provide a Site for the Construction of a Facility to House the National Women's Health Resource Center; H.R. 490.-H.R. 490 was jointly referred to the Committees on Government Operations, Public Works and Transportation, and the District of Columbia. Similar legislation was before the Government Operations Committee during the 100th, 101st, and 102d Congresses.

The legislation provides for a center which is a unique public health institution focusing on women's and infant's health needs through programs for education, research, clinical investigations, special clinical referrals, and models for health care. During the 101st Congress, the Committee's Government Activities and Transportation Subcommittee, then under Chairwoman Cardiss Collins, held extensive hearings and worked out the elements of consideration to the Government used in the bill as enacted in the 103d Congress. This consideration includes the hospital's payment to the Government of $12.8 million for the land (controlled by GSA's Public Buildings Service) and its operation, in medically underserved communities of the District of Columbia, of three satellite health centers for women and teenagers. After the bill was reported by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation (H. Rept. 103–23, part I.), the Government Operations Committee joined in requesting the measure be considered under suspension of the rules. The measure was passed March 9. Subsequently passed by the Senate, the bill was approved August 11, 1993, as Public Law 103–67.

q. The Thrift Depositors Protection Act of 1993; S. 714.-The Senate passed S. 714 on May 13, 1993, by a vote of 61-35. The House of Representatives passed a different version of the bill on September 14, 1993, by a voice vote. Members of the Committee on Gov

ernment Operations were appointed on September 14 as conferees on the portions of the bill dealing with the Inspector General. The Senate approved the conference report on September 20 by a vote of 54-45, and the House of Representatives approved the conference report on November 23, 1993, by a vote of 235-191. The President signed the bill on December 17, 1993, and it became Public Law 103-204.

r. Minor Boundary Adjustments and Miscellaneous Park Amendments Act of 1993; H.R. 1305.—Part of H.R. 1305, as reported by the Committee on Natural Resources, deals with the authority of the Secretary of the Interior relating to the management of museum objects and museum collections. These provisions have the effect of amending the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, which is within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Government Operations. Following consultations between the two committees, the Committee on Government Operations agreed to not request a sequential referral of the bill when it was reported on July 15, 1993; during consideration of the bill by the House of Representatives, the Committee on Natural Resources offered an amendment to the bill that addressed the concerns of the Committee on Government Operations. The bill, as amended, was approved by the House of Representatives by voice vote, under suspension of the rules, on July 19, 1993. On May 3, 1994, the Senate passed the bill, by voice vote, with an amendment, and on August 16, 1994, the House of Representatives, by voice vote, passed the bill with an amendment. No further action was taken.

s. Health Security Act, H.R. 3600.-On November 20, 1993, President Clinton's Health Security Act was introduced. Both subtitle B of title V and section 5401 were referred jointly to the Committee on Government Operations.

Subtitle B covers the establishment of a health information system, privacy of medical records, and measures to improve administrative simplification of the health care system. The Subcommittee on Information, Justice, Transportation, and Agriculture held legislative hearings on the Fair Health Information Practices Act of 1994, H.R. 4077, on April 20, 1994, May 4, 1994, and May 5, 1994. On July 27, 1994, the subcommittee approved by voice vote an amendment in the nature of a substitute to subtitle B.

Section 5401 establishes an all-payer health care fraud and abuse program coordinated by the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General. On March 17, 1994, the Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security and the Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations held a joint legislative hearing on section 5401. On July 27, 1994, the Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations approved by voice vote an amendment in the nature of a substitute to section 5401.

On July 27, 1994, the Committee on Government Operations approved by voice vote the amendment to subtitle B as reported by the Subcommittee on Information, Justice, Transportation, and Agriculture and two additional amendments to subtitle B. The committee also approved by voice vote the amendment to section 5401 as reported by the Subcommittee on Human Resources and Inter

governmental Relations. The committee filed its report on August 12, 1994. H. Rept. 103-601, part 5.

t. The Iraq Claims Act of 1993; H.R. 3221.-On November 19, 1993, the Committee on Foreign Affairs filed with the House its report on H.R. 3221, the Iraq Claims Act of 1993, incorporating an amendment in the nature of a substitute that exempted certain Federal records from the Freedom of Information Act. Following a request by the Foreign Affairs Committee to forego a sequential referral, the Committee on Government Operations agreed to work to resolve its concerns prior to floor action during the second session of Congress. The House of Representatives passed the bill on April 28, 1994, by a vote of 398–5. No further action was taken.

u. National Narcotics Leadership Act Amendments of 1993; H.R. 1926.-H.R. 1926 reauthorizes the Office of National Drug Control Policy for fiscal year 1994, and makes substantive changes to the authorities and responsibilities of the office. Specifically, the legislation authorizes ONDCP to require agencies to include specific initiatives consistent with the National Drug Control Strategy in their budget proposals to OMB; requires thorough evaluation of all domestic and international counter-narcotics programs; and makes the Director a member of the National Security Council.

H.R. 1926 was introduced by Chairman Čonyers on April 29, 1993, and referred to the Committee on Government Operations. The Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security held hearings on this bill on October 5, 1993, and on October 14, 1993, and considered the results of five GAO audits on various management problems in different components of the war on drugs. Subsequently, an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1926 was marked up in subcommittee on November 18, 1993, where it passed by unanimous consent on voice vote. H.R. 1926, as amended, was reported out on voice vote by unanimous consent on November 19, 1993, by the Committee on Government Operations.

H.R. 1926 was passed by the House under suspension of the rules on November 21, 1993. (Cong. Rec. H10536, November 21, 1993). The Senate included its version of reauthorization of ONDCP in the crime bill, S. 1067, on November 19, 1993, and subsequently as H.R. 3355 on November 24, 1993.

v. Government Management Reform Act of 1994; S. 2170.-On June 9, 1994, Senator John Glenn, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced S. 2170, the Government Management Reform Act of 1994. S. 2170 contained certain amended provisions of H.R. 3400, including titles XV, XVI, and XVII.

First, this legislation strengthens the ability of Federal agencies to expand conversion to electronic delivery of payments to Federal employees and retirees. Each recipient of Federal wage, salary, or retirement payments, who begins to receive payments on or after January 1, 1995, will be required to receive payments by direct deposit. This provision does allow agency heads to waive the requirements through a written request by recipients.

Second, an authorization of six pilot franchise funds to help lower costs and share common administrative services, is provided by this legislation. The Vice President's National Performance Review, embodied in H.R. 3400, created a Franchise Fund Pilot Program to increase funds available to executive branch agencies for