PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT--TRANSFER OF EXAMINING FUNCTION Question: Your statement indicates that the Civil Service Commission has delegated some of its examining functions to three USDA agencies. Will these additional agency responsibilities require staffing increases in the personnel areas of the agencies? If so, please provide the details for the record. If not, is there an anticipated reduction in the Civil Service Commission staff who no longer will be responsible for these examining functions? Answer: With no ceiling available, the Department has absorbed the examining functions so far delegated by the Civil Service Commission through the use of available staff. If anything approaching the examining functions which were carried out by the Department prior to centralization of examining by the CSC in 1965 takes place, we will be unable to absorb it without additional personnel. When the CSC took over examining functions from all Federal agencies in 1965 and established a CSC-run interagency board of examiners, the size of the CSC increased by more than half. I do not know what plans the administration of the CSC has for reducing staff with examining delegation but it would seem that a smaller staff would be indicated. SAFETY Question: A report documenting the need for an improved program capable of maintaining safety standards and reducing health hazards was presented to you approximately three months ago. A plan is currently being developed to implement the recommendations in that report. Please discuss the recommendations made as well as the estimated cost, both in FY 1979 and the outyears, for implementing the recommendations. Answer: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Safety and Health programs have been audited and evaluated recently by several organizations, Extensive Safety and Health deficiencies were found by each organization. A USDA Task Force was established to address these problems and offer recommendations for improvement in our Safety and Health efforts. The Recommendations included: (1) Organizing the Safety and Health program at a high enough level so that the function can have an effective means for providing safety and health input into the various overlapping staff responsibilities addressed in the Task Force report such as property/facilities management, facilities self-protection plans, training, budgetary process and objectives planning; (2) Clarifying the Assistant Secretary for Administration's (3) Providing proper staffing of safety and health profession- providing Departmentwide leadership, development, coordination, and implementation of policies, standards, techniques, and procedures; (4) Providing adequate resources in order to effectively carry out the requirements of Section 19 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Executive Order 11807 and 29 CFR 1960. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Safety and Health programs will not be able to be involved in the normal budgetary process until FY 1980. An assessment has been made as to the staffing and budget required to establishment effective safety and health programs as recommended by the Task Force report. It was determined that there should be headquarters staffing and field personnel responsible for providing technical assistance to Agencies. Cost estimates have not been developed. We are working with the Agencies to determine how we can obtain this objective within the present USDA budgetary and ceiling limits. It is estimated that the cost for the succeeding years will remain relatively stable, except for the normal cost increases in salaries and expenses. CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION SERVICE SYSTEM Question: Describe the Congressional Information Service System in more detail. Answer: The Congressional Information Service is a private concern that offers, on microfiche, the "working papers of Congress" on a subscription basis. Subscription consists of all Congressional hearings, reports, documents, committee prints, and slip laws (except for private bills). The subscription does not consist of floor debate on the bills. These two items are produced on microfiche by the National Agricultural Library for assembly with the Congressional Information Service subscription to form a legislative history. The legislative histories are maintained in the Legislative and Financial Reporting Division, Office of Budget, Planning and Evaluation. Question: DIGEST OF AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION Provide for the Committee's record the last three Digests of Agricultural Legislation that were prepared. (The most recent Digest will be printed in the record at this point:) DIGEST OF AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION ENACTED 94TH CONGRESS, 2ND SESSION Following, for the information of personnel of the Department, is a digest of legislation enacted during the 94th Congress, 2nd session, which relates to the activities of the Department or may be of general interest to it. Copies of the measures, for official use, may be obtained from the Division of Legislative and Financial Reporting of this Office, Room 113-E, Extension 74654. Additional copies of this Digest are similarly available upon request. In connection with the historical legislative-reference service provided by the National Agricultural Library in cooperation with this Office, legislative history compilations will be available, for official lending purposes, regarding the more important laws summarized in this Digest. These histories include the various prints of the bills, hearings, committee reports, debate, and laws together with summaries of the laws and indexes to the material. They may be borrowed by calling Extension 74654, or by visiting or sending to Room 117-E. (Mr. Robert Jones, a member of the Library staff, is in charge of this collection). PUBLIC LAW 94-206 (H.R. 8069) LABOR AND HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE APPROPRIATION ACT, 1976 (approved January 28, 1976). Makes approprations for the Departments of Labor, and HEW, and related agencies for FY 1976 and through September 30, 1976. PUBLIC LAW 94-207 (H.R. 11510) STARLING AND BLACKBIRD CONTROL (approved February 4, 1976). Authorizes the Secretary of Interior to treat with chemicals starling and blackbird roosts of a certain size in the States of Kentucky and Tennessee. PUBLIC LAW 94-210 (S. 2718) RAILROAD REVITALIZATION AND REGULATORY REFORM ACT OF 1976 (approved February 5, 1976). To improve the quality of rail services in the United States through regulatory reform, coordination of rail services and facilities, and rehabilitation and improvement financing. PUBLIC LAW 94-212 (H.R. 9861) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATION ACT, 1976 (approved February 9, 1976). Makes appropriations for the Department of Defense for FY 1976 and through September 30, 1976. PUBLIC LAW 94-214 (H.R. 8529) RICE PRODUCTION ACT OF 1975 (approved February 16, 1976). Suspends marketing quotas and penalties for the 1976 and 1977 crop years and removes restrictions on rice production by new producers; increases the minimum national rice acreage allotment to 1.8 million acres; establishes a target price of $8 per hundredweight and loan guarantees of $6 per hundredweight; authorizes appropriations of $1 million for FY 1976 for rice research programs. PUBLIC LAW 94-215 (H.R. 5608) WETLANDS LOAN EXTENSION (approved February 17, 1976). Extends until the close of 1983 the period in which appropriations are authorized to be appropriated for the acquisition of wetlands, and to increase the maximum amount of such authorization. PUBLIC LAW 94-216 (S.J. Res. 167) RAILROAD REVITALIZATION AND REGULATORY REFORM ACT OF 1976, AMENDMENTS (approved February 17, 1976). Makes three technical amendments to Public Law 94-210. PUBLIC LAW 94-226 (H.J. Res. 811) LEGISLATIVE BRANCH SUPPLEMENTAL PUBLIC LAW 94-228 (S. 151) RECLAMATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1975 (approved March 11, 1976). Authorizes four separate projects to be undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation: Polecat Bench, Wyoming; Dickinson Dam, North Dakota; McKay Dam and Reservoir, Oregon; and Pollock-Herreid unit, South Dakota. PUBLIC LAW 94-229 (H.R. 7824) AGRICULTURAL CENSUS (approved March 15, 1976). Advances the year for taking the census of agriculture to 1979 instead of 1980, then 1983 and every 5 years thereafter, and the year for taking the census of irrigation and drainage to 1979 instead of 1980, then 1988 and every tenth year thereafter. PUBLIC LAW 94-231 (S. 1617) PLANT PEST CONTROL (approved March 15, 1976). Authorizes the conduct of operations or measures necessary for the detection, eradication, suppression, control and prevention or retardation of plant pests not presently covered by the Act of September 21, 1944. The bill also provides authority to cooperate with all countries of the Western Hemisphere in efforts to detect, control, and eradicate plant pests. PUBLIC LAW 94-232 (H.R. 11893) PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT (approved March 15, 1976). Increases the temporary public debt limit for the period March 15, 1976 through June 30, 1976 by $227,000,000,000. PUBLIC LAW 94-239 (H.R. 6516) EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1976 (approved March 23, 1976). Outlaws discrimination in the granting of consumer credit based on age, race, color, religion, or national origin; establishes a Consumer Advisory Council to advise the Federal Reserve Board on all consumer credit matters. PUBLIC LAW 94-240 (H.R. 8835) CONSUMER LEASING ACT OF 1976 (approved March 23, 1976). Amends the Truth in Lending Act to protect consumers against inadequate and misleading leasing information, assure meaningful disclosure of lease terms, and limit ultimate liability in connection with leasing of personal property primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. PUBLIC LAW 94-241 (H.J. Res. 549) COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS (approved March 24, 1976). Approves the "Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America". PUBLIC LAW 94-247 (S. 1545) PEANUT ACREAGE ALLOTMENT TRANSFER (approved March 25, 1976). Authorizes the transfer of peanut allotments to farms in the same county or an adjoining county in the same or an adjoining state, provided the Secretary determines that because of a natural disaster, some peanut allotments could not be planted in time. PUBLIC LAW 94-252 (H.J. Res. 801) SUPPLEMENTAL RAILROAD APPROPRIATIONS (approved March 30, 1976). Makes supplemental railroad appropriations for FY 1976, the transition quarter, FY 1978, and FY 1979. PUBLIC LAW 94-254 (H.J. Res. 857) CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS (approved March 31, 1976). Makes further continuing appropriations for FY 1976 and the transition quarter. PUBLIC LAW 94-258 (H.R. 49) NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVES PRODUCTION ACT OF 1976 (approved April 5, 1976). Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish on certain public lands of the United States national petroleum reserves, the development of which needs to be regulated in a manner consistent with the total energy needs of the Nation. PUBLIC LAW 94-259 (H.R. 6346) RURAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORIZATIONS (approved April 5, 1976). Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Rural Development and Small Farm Research and Education Program for the transition quarter and the three fiscal years during the period October 1, 1976 through September 30, 1979. PUBLIC LAW 94-266 (H.J. Res. 890) EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS, FY 1976 (approved April 15, 1976). Makes emergency supplemental appropriations for certain agencies of the Executive Branch for FY 1976. PUBLIC LAW 94-268 (S. 2308) BRISTOL CLIFFS WILDERNESS AREA (approved PUBLIC LAW 94-273 (S. 2445) FISCAL YEAR ADJUSTMENT ACT (approved April 21, 1976). Provides permanent changes in laws necessary because of the OctoberSeptember fiscal year by inserting "September" in lieu of "June". PUBLIC LAW 94-274 (S. 2444) FISCAL YEAR TRANSITION ACT (approved April 21, 1976). Makes adjustments in various laws so that they conform to the October-September fiscal year. PUBLIC LAW 94-276 (S. 3056) GUATEMALA RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ACT OF 1976 (approved April 21, 1976). Authorizes funds to be appropriated to assist Guatemala in recovering from earthquake damage. PUBLIC LAW 94-279 (S. 1941) ANIMAL WELFARE ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1976 (approved April 22, 1976). Increases the protection afforded animals in transit and to assure humane treatment of certain animals. PUBLIC LAW 94-280 (H.R. 8235) FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY ACT OF 1976 (approved May 5, 1976). Authorizes appropriations for the construction of certain highways, including primary systems in rural areas, forest highways, forest development roads and trails, public lands development roads and trails and park roads and trails. PUBLIC LAW 94-282 (H.R. 10230) NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY, ORGANIZATION AND PRIORITIES ACT OF 1976 (approved May 11, 1976). Establishes a science and technology policy for the U.S., provides for scientific and technological advice and assistance to the President, provides a comprehensive survey of ways and means for improving the Federal effort in scientific research and information handling. PUBLIC LAW 94-285 (H.R. 11876) TO AMEND THE WATER RESOURCES PLANNING ACT (approved May 12, 1976). Authorizes appropriations and extends Section 306 of the Act to Guam. PUBLIC LAW 94-294 (H.R. 7656) BEEF RESEARCH AND INFORMATION ACT (approved May 28, 1976) Enables cattle producers to establish, finance, and carry out a coordinated program of research, producer and consumer information, and promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets for cattle, beef and beef products. PUBLIC LAW 94-303 (H.R. 13172) SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, Office of the Secretary - $41,000; and $10,000 for the period Office of the Inspector General $637,000 and $372,000 by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service $7,644,000 and Statistical Reporting Service $532,000 and $133,000 for the period July 1, 1976 through September 30, 1976. Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Limitation on Administrative and Operating Expenses $1,025,000 may be paid from premium income and $69,000 may be paid from premium income for the period July 1, 1976 through September 30, 1976. Soil Conservation Service Conservation Operations - $750,000, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Agricultural Conservation Programs $15,000,000 and $85,000,000 to remain available until expended to liquidate obligations incurred 23-7330-78-3 |