COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Mr. COLLEY. The next committee is Committee on Appropriations, page 28. For salaries and expenses, studies and examination of executive agencies and temporary personal services for the Committee on House Appropriations, including reimbursement to agencies for services performed, $2,856,000. This is $94,000 less than the fiscal year 1980 appropriations enacted to date. The Committee has advised our budget staff that the reduction is a result from an analysis of the actual fiscal year 1979 expenditures and subsequent adjustment to provide a more realistic estimate based on latest cost information. The fiscal year 1981 estimate assumes the workload and staffing levels will be essentially the same as the prior fiscal year. Funds for the Appropriations Committee's regular staff are included in the appropriations for Committee Employees. These funds are requested by the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. I ask that that page be placed in the record. This is their investigative funds. [The information follows:] COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (Studies and Investigations) For salaries and expenses, studies and examinations of Executive Agencies and temporary personal services for the Committee on House Appropriations, including reimbursement to agencies for services performed, $2,856,000. This is $94,000 less than the fiscal year 1980 appropriations enacted to date. The Committee has advised our budget staff that the reduction is a result from an analysis of the actual fiscal year 1979 expenditures and subsequent adjustment to provide a more realistic estimate based on latest cost information. The fiscal year 1981 estimate assumes the workload and staffing levels will be essentially the same as the prior fiscal year. Funds for the Appropriations Committee's regular staff are included in the appropriations for Committee employees. These funds are requested by the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. APPROPRIATIONS, ACTUAL EXPENDITURES, UNEXPENDED BALANCES Mr. COLLEY. Committee on the Budget, $245,000, a decrease of $32,000 below what was appropriated in 1980. This is the investigative and additional expense funds for the Committee on the Budget Studies. [The information follows:] COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET (STUDIES) For salaries, expenses, and studies of the Committee on the Budget, and temporary personal services for such committee, including reimbursement to agencies for services performed, $245,000. This is a decrease of $32,000 below the amount appropriated for 1980. Funds for the Budget Committee's regular staff are included in the appropriation for Committee employees. OFFICE OF THE LAW REVISION COUNSEL Mr. COLLEY. We come now to the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. For the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, $510,000. I would ask that the paragraph pertaining to the Law Revision Counsel be included in the record. [The information follows:] OFFICE OF THE LAW REVISION COUNSEL For the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, $510,000. The amount requested included $489,000 for personnel and $21,000 for nonpersonnel items. The increase of $45,000 over the fiscal year 1980 appropriation is $28,000 for the October 1979 increased pay costs, $16,000 for meritorious promotions and $1,000 for increased costs for current level of service. These funds were requested by the Law Revision Counsel, Mr. Edward F. Willett, Jr. Mr. Willett has submitted the following statement for the Subcommittee's consideration and is here to respond to any questions you may have. STATEMENT OF LAW REVISION COUNSEL Mr. COLLEY. Mr. Edward F. Willett, Jr., the Law Revision Counsel, is here and he has submitted a statement for the Subcommittee. Mr. BENJAMIN. We will accept your statement for the record and if you have anything to add to that, we will accept that at this time. Mr. WILLETT. I believe that is all I have at this time, Mr. Chair man. [The information follows:] STATEMENT OF EDWARD F. WILLETT, JR. LAW REVISION COUNSEL OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS FEBRUARY 5, 1980 MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE, IT IS A PLEASURE TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY. I AM REQUESTING $510,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 1981, AN INCREASE OF $45,000 FROM FY '80. THE INCREASE IS COMPRISED OF THE THIS REQUEST IS BASED ON A TOTAL OF FOURTEEN EMPLOYEES, AN INCREASE OF ONE CLERICAL POSITION OVER LAST YEAR. THIS POSITION IS NECESSARY DUE TO INCREASED WORKLOAD, AND THE COSTS THEREOF WILL BE ABSORBED. DURING THE LAST YEAR, EDITORIAL WORK WAS COMPLETED FOR *SUPPLEMENT II (1978) TO THE 1976 EDITION OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUPPLEMENT II, WHICH COMPRISES THREE VOLUMES AND APPROXIMATELY 5,600 PAGES, HAS NOW BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. As I HAVE INDICATED TO YOU IN THE PAST, THE PRINTING OF THE U.S. CODE IS BEING DONE ELECTRONICALLY AND COPIES OF THE MAGNETIC TAPES OF THE CODE HAVE BEEN REPROGRAMMED BY THE HOUSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR USE IN A PILOT U.S. CODE FULL-TEXT COMPUTER RESEARCH AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM. THIS PILOT SYSTEM IS NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL AND COMPUTER TERMINALS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE OFFICE OF THE LAW REVISION COUNSEL, THE OFFICES OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE LEGISLATIVE COUNSELS, AND THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. THE SYSTEM DATA FILE CONTAINS THE 1976 EDITION OF THE CODE AND SUPPLEMENT I (1977). SUPPLEMENT II (1978) WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE DATA FILE WITHIN SEVERAL WEEKS. LAST YEAR, AT MY REQUEST, STAFF OF H.I.S. AND G.P.0. CONDUCTED A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF FURTHER AUTOMATING THE PREPARATION AND PUBLICATION OF THE U.S. CODE, BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CONVERSION (AT THE BEGINNING OF 1979 THROUGH USE OF THE COMPUTER BASED BILL PROCESSING SYSTEM) TO ELECTRONIC PRINTING OF ALL NEW LAWS. I REPORTED TO YOU LAST YEAR THAT WE ENVISIONED A COMPUTERIZED TEXT-EDITING SYSTEM THAT WOULD PERMIT US, ON A DAILY BASIS, TO PICK UP DATA FROM NEW LAWS, MAKE EDITORIAL CHANGES NECESSARY FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE CODE, AND THEN TRANSFER THIS DATA FOR RETRIEVAL AND PHOTOCOMPOSITION PURPOSES. SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD OFFER TWO PRINCIPAL BENEFITS. FIRST, IT WOULD PROVIDE A DATA BASE FOR THE U.S. CODE RESEARCH AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE CURRENT AT ALL TIMES. SECOND, IT WOULD REDUCE |