Mr. WALKER. Sure. And if we put "subject to annual review" in, then it will simply strengthen what the Chairman said, and it will allow us to get the report language in which suggests that annual review means that we understand there are going to be modifications in the program as it goes.

Mr. ROEMER. I would agree to your change in the amendment with some report language that we would work with you and your staff on.

Mr. WALKER. We probably ought to ask counsel whether or not this is something that sounds like it is workable.

Mr. WILLIAM SMITH. The difficulty is, it is the plan that is subject to annual review rather than the expenditure, so we have been trying to see if there was a way to rephrase that. We have not quite come up with it yet.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, let's continue working on that, will you, and subject

Mr. WALKER. If it is agreeable then, and we can accept it, I am willing to work out some language.

Mr. ROEMER. Would the gentleman yield again?

Mr. WALKER. Sure.

Mr. ROEMER. If we cannot work out this problem, that you would be amenable to working with us for an amendment to technically correct this language, if we agree to your clarification in the amendment?

Mr. WALKER. Sure, sure, that is fine.
Mr. ROEMER. Okay.

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the amendment, as modified by the language "subject to annual review" will be accepted, and the staff and the Members concerned will continue to work on a technical amendment to perfect that language to the degree that it is necessary, which can be offered, of course, on the Floor with no difficulty whatsoever.

Mr. ROEMER. And I thank the Ranking Member and the Chair

man.

The CHAIRMAN. As long as we are all acting in good faith to cooperate, miracles can be wrought here.

The amendment, as modified, without objection will be adopted and that constitutes the final action on the en bloc amendments offered by Mr. Walker.

Does that eliminate to need for your amendment number two, Mr. Roemer?

Mr. ROEMER. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my amendment.

The CHAIRMAN. That amendment is withdrawn. We now recognize Mr. Grams for amendment number three.

Mr. GRAMS. Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk.

The CHAIRMAN. Clerk will make sure it is distributed. Is it in our package? It is in the package. The amendment is before you and you are recognized to speak on the amendment, Mr. Grams.

Mr. GRAMS. Just briefly, Mr. Chairman, I want to say this is a sunset amendment similar to the language adopted four times already by this committee to similar authorization bills, and as my

colleagues can see, the language is a limitation on appropriations through the length of authorization on the bill, which is 1995.

I would urge my colleagues again to support this amendment and to continue our efforts to maintain authorizing responsibility in this committee. And that is all I have to say, so thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my time.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Grams.

If the committee has adopted this language four times before, we certainly would not want to change now, would we?

The Chair is willing to accept the amendment. Is there any objection to the amendment? Hearing none, the amendment is considered adopted. And the Chair calls upon Mr. Traficant, who is not here, and then he calls on Mrs. Lloyd for an amendment.

Mrs. LLOYD. Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman.

Do members of the committee have a copy of my amendment?
The CHAIRMAN. The staff will distribute the amendment.

Mrs. LLOYD. Mr. Chairman, if I may, I would like to explain my amendment while it is being distributed.

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlelady is recognized.

Mrs. LLOYD. As this committee knows, by law, no field office can be closed until January of 1996, but at the same time, Mr. Chairman, we are having unofficial closings.

The weather service stations are being automated for weather information reporting and then they are consolidated into weather forecasting services. So we have, in effect, a closure of an office because this makes so many of our weather stations no more than automated answering services, which is not the intent of this legislation. So I do want to guarantee that the weather service stations continue to operate until the Secretary has certified that the new system is operational.

As the new offices are built, technology installed, and employees trained, the older technology will be turned off before the new technology is fully tested and commissioned. Further, in some instances, the National Weather Service has already transferred service responsibility for warning and forecasts to new offices without the Secretary's certification that there will be no degradation. of weather services to the area where the local office will be closed. The National Research Council has questioned the reliability of the Automated Service Operational Observing System, ASOOS, and the National Weather Service has acknowledged that ASOOS will require human observers to augment the system. Therefore, it will be important to continue to keep the field offices open to maintain human observers on the site.

In the interest of flying and public safety, the full requirements, as stated in section 7 of Public Law 102-567, should be met before any staff or service reduction takes place. My amendment will prevent the degradation of service due to premature transfer responsibility by maintaining the field offices through and until the new system can be guaranteed effective.

This is a strengthening amendment that will work. It is good for people, it is good for the system, and will ensure better service and safer skies, and I request approval of my amendment, Mr. Chair

man.

[The information follows:]

AMENDMENT TO H.R. 2811
Offered by Mrs. Lloyd

Page 10, after line 10, insert the following new section:

Sec. 204. Sense of Congress.

It is the sense of Congress that any transfers of National Weather Service employees

1

2

3

4

5

National Weather Service be carried out in a manner that will not result in the degradation of

from field offices necessitated by the National Implementation Plan for Modernization of the

The CHAIRMAN. I thank the gentlelady. Does anyone else wish to be heard on the amendment?

Mr. HALL. Mr. Chairman?

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Hall.

Mr. HALL. Mr. Chairman, I, of course, support the Sense of Congress Amendment offered by the gentlelady from Tennessee. It is consistent with the Weather Service modernization act and, as all of you know, requires the notification of any, quote, changes in operations, unquote, at Weather Service offices and which seeks to minimize employee displacement as a consequence of any modernization. It wouldn't make sense to do that.

Clearly, there should be, as the gentlelady pointed out in her Sense of Congress Amendment, quote, no degradation in services during the modernization transition period, and I think we will insist on that.

That is the purpose of the National Weather Service Modernization Act, and this amendment clarifies that and is consistent with that law, and I thank the gentlelady for her handling of this amendment.

The CHAIRMAN. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Chairman?

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Cramer.

Mr. CRAMER. I want to speak. I have been working with Mrs. Lloyd and I want to support you on this language. I think we have some similar concerns and I wanted to urge the Members to consider this favorably.

The CHAIRMAN. Any further discussion? If not, The Chair is prepared to put the question.

All those in favor of the amendment signify by saying aye. All those opposed; no. The ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to.

Are there further amendments to the bill? If not, the Chair recognizes Mr. Walker for a motion to report the bill.

Mr. WALKER. Mr. Chairman, I move to report the bill H.R. 2811, as amended; to instruct the staff to prepare the legislative report and make technical, conforming amendments; and the Chair take all steps to bring the bill to the Floor of the House.

The CHAIRMAN. Question is on Mr. Walker's motion. All those in favor signify by saying aye. —I am sorry, did you have a— Mr. SCOTT. Did we adopt Mr. Traficant's amendment?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

All those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed; no. The ayes have it and the bill is reported with the usual instruc

tions.

Mr. WALKER. I don't think we did do Traficant's amendment. That was the question.

The CHAIRMAN. I am sorry, Mr. Traficant is very good at bringing up his amendments on the Floor; not to worry.

Without objection, the Committee will stand adjourned, and we will see you all at the baseball game tonight.

[Whereupon, at 11:50 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]

Enclosed are responses to your follow-up questions to my June 10 hearing before the Subcommittee on Space. I appreciate your interest in and continued support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and look forward to working with your Committee to further the President's vision on the interrelationship of environmental protection and economic growth.

Please do not hesitate to call on me should you require additional information.

Enclosure

Sincerely,

Hame, Spr

D. James Baker

THE ADMINISTRATOR

AND LANK

NORA