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GOVERNMENT
Environmental issues keep Congress busy Congress is moving at a snail's pace this year in setting fiscal 1986 funding levels for federal research agencies. Work has been completed on only one authorization (budget ceiling) bill, that of the National Bureau of Standards. And not one appropriation (actual money) bill has been reported out of committee in the House—even though the deadline for doing so was June 15.
The holdup is the House-Senate conference on the first budget resolution, which sets spending targets that the appropriations bills are supposed to meet. Conferees have been unable to decide what should be done about the defense budget or social security cost-of-living adjustments. However, both the House and Senate versions of the resolution call for freezing spending for other federal agencies, including those that support research, at the fiscal 1985 level. That's quite likely to happen.
With the budget process essentially stalemated, a number of environmental issues have come to the fore. Both the House and Senate have passed bills that require the Environmental Protection Agency to set standards for a number of drinking water contaminants by specified deadlines. The Senate has passed a bill amending the Clean Water Act that sets a strategy for cleaning up toxic "hot spots," a five-year term for discharge permits, and a program for controlling nonpoint source pollution.
Later this month the Senate is expected to take up a $7.5 billion Superfund reauthorization bill. Floor action on the bill may be quite time consuming as a number of Senators are readying amendments to the bill. Those deal with topics ranging from establishing emergency response districts around the country to deal with chemical emergencies, to making sure that farmers who have lawfully applied pesticides can't be forced to take cleanup actions if contamination occurs, to banning the use of lead pipes and solder in drinking water supply systems.
On the House side of Capitol Hill, the Science & Technology Committee is considering legislation that would establish an innovative technologies R&D program on cleaning up hazardous waste sites funded out of Superfund. An Interior & Insular Affairs subcommittee has approved legislation extending the present deadline for setting up regional disposal sites for low-level radioactive waste to Dec. 31, 1992, and ensuring continued access to the three sites that presently accept such waste. And a Judiciary subcommittee is working on a bill that would ensure that U.S. patent laws apply to activities in outer space aboard U.S. vehicles.
Janice Long, Washington
18 July 15, 1985 C&EN
Legislation
Authorization. (H.R. 1872, S. 1160) Set DOD's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $39 billion
(H.R. 1210, S. 801, 903) Set NSF's fiscal 1986 budget ceiling at about $1.5 billion
(H.R. 1798, 2041) Set DOE's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at about $2.8 billion
(H.R. 1714) Sets NASA's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $2.8 billion
(H.R. 1617) Sets NBS's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at $124.4 million
(H.R. 2319, S. 1144) Set EPA's fiscal 1986 R&D budget ceiling at about $325 million
Environment. (H.R. 2817, S. 51) Expand Superfund through combination of increased feedstock taxes, new fees on waste disposal, corporate earnings; provide for victim compensation
(H.R. 8, S. 1128) Extend cleanup deadlines for industry discharges into waterways, cleanup of toxic hot spots
(H.R. 1650, S. 124) Set deadlines for issuance of drinking water contaminant standards, require monitoring of supplies for other contaminants
(H.R. 2482, S. 1303) Make it easier to remove from the market pesticides whose registrations contain health and safety data gaps
(H.R. 967, 1030, 2576, S. 52) Require reductions in sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide emissions to curb acid rain and/or regulation of hazardous air pollutants
Health. (S. 484) Extends Congress' ban on FDA's proscription on saccharin until 5/1/87
Nuclear. (H.R. 862, 1046, 1083, 1267, S. 44, 356, 442, 655) Extend deadline for establishing regional facilities for disposal of low-level radioactive waste, approve agreements reached on such facilities
Research. (H.R. 2408, S. 1809) Direct NIH to fund the full 6000 new and competitive research grants in 1986-88
Taxes. (H.R. 777, 800, S. 409, 411) Simplify tax laws by eliminating most credits, deductions, exclusions, broaden tax base, reduce rates
Trade. (S. 883) Limit President's authority to control exports for foreign policy purposes, prohibit restrictions on scholarly exchanges of scientific information
House Senate House committee floor Senate committee floor Conference Outlook
Armed Services. Reported, amended 5/13/85 (H. Rept. 99-81)
Passed amended 6/27/85
Armed Services. Reported 4/29/85 (S. Rept. 99-41)
Passed amended 6/5/85
Enactment certain
Science & Technology. Reported, amended 4/16/85 (H. Rept. 99-44)
Science & Technology. Reported, amended 4/22/85 (H. Rept. 99-54). Interior & Insular Affairs. Reported, amended 5/15/85 (H. Rept. 99-118)
Science & Technology. Reported, amended 3/28/85 (H. Rept. 99-32)
Science & Technology. Reported, amended 4/16/85 (H. Rept. 99-43)
Science & Technology. Reported 5/15/85 (H. Rept. 99-99)
Energy & Commerce. Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation & Tourism approved, amended 6/25/85. Public Works & Transportation. Subcommittee on Water Resources concluded hearings 5/1/85. Ways & Means. Held hearings 5/9/85
Public Works & Transportation. Reported, amended 7/2/85 (H. Rept. 99-189)
Energy & Commerce. Reported, amended 6/11/85 (H. Rept. 99-168)
Agriculture. Subcommittee on Department Operations. Research & Foreign Agriculture concluded hearings 5/21/85
Energy & Commerce. Subcommittees on Health & the Environment resumed hearings 6/11/85. Subcommittee on Fossil & Synthetic Fuels held acid rain hearing 3/28/85
Interior & Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on Energy & the Environment approved, amended 6/27/85. Energy & Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy Conservation & Power held hearings 6/12/85
Energy & Commerce. Reported, amended 6/4/85 (H. Rept. 99-158)
Ways & Means. Continuing hearings. Banking, Finance & Urban Affairs. Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization continuing hearings
Foreign Affairs. Ordered reported, amended 4/4/85
Passed Commerce, Science & amended Transportation. Reported 4/15/85 4/17/85 (S. Rept. 99-27). Labor & Human
Resources concluded hearings 4/30/85
Enactment possible
Passed amended 4/3/85
Passed amended 4/18/85
Energy & Natural Resources. Subcommittee on R&D concluded oversight hearings 5/14/85
Commerce, Science & Transportation. Reported, amended 6/24/85
Commerce, Science & Transportation. Reported, amended 4/16/85 (S. Rept. 99-31)
Environment & Public Works. Reported 5/15/85 (S. Rept. 99-58)
Environment & Public Works. Reported, amended 3/18/85 (S.
Passed 6/27/85
Passed amended 4/23/85
Report filed
Report filed 6/27/85 (H. Rept. 99-187)
Enactment possible
Enactment likely
Enactment certain
Enactment likely
Enactment likely
Passed 6/17/85
Passed 5/14/85
Passed 6/17/85
Passed amended 4/16/85
Rept. 99-11). Finance. Reported, amended 6/23/85 (S. Rept. 99-73). Judiciary. Concluded hearings 6/10/85
Environment & Public Works. Reported 5/14/85 (S. Rept. 99-50)
Environment & Public Works. Reported, amended 5/15/85 (S. Rept. 99-56)
Agriculture. Nutrition & Forestry. Hearings not yet scheduled
Environment & Public Works
Passed amended 6/13/85
Passed 5/16/85
Labor & Human Resources. Reported 4/22/85 (S. Rept. 99-36)
Judiciary. Held hearing 3/8/85
Passed 5/7/85
Enactment likely
Enactment likely
Enactment possible
Enactment likely
Signed 5/17/85 P.L. 99-41
Enactment likely
Labor & Human Resources. Reported 7/8/85
Finance. Continuing hearings
Introduced, passed 4/3/85
Report filed 6/25/85 (H. Rept. 98-180)
Enactment possible
Enactment possible
Enactment certain
July 15, 1985 C&EN 19