Legislative Branch Appropriations for 1999

A top funding priority in FY 1999 is a collection of coordinated projects that respond to the year 2000 compliance challenge facing the House. Frankly, the funding and resources required to properly address the year 2000 challenge are a considerable limiting factor on projects the organization might pursue. Among the key technology projects the CAO will be undertaking prior to the year 2000 are:

⚫New human resources/payroll system

•New inventory/fixed assets management system

•Revision of the Legislative Information Management System (LIMS)

⚫A central Year 2000 Project Manager to coordinate House activities

•An information campaign to make Members Offices and Committees

aware of year 2000 compliance needs.

This budget includes a request of $2.5 million for the new human resources/payroll system. Presently, the House has in place a contractor, through the General Service Administration FEDSIM program, to conduct both a requirements study and business process re-engineering study. The results of these studies will be complete shortly.

In November, 1995, the Committee on House Oversight adopted a resolution which called for House Information Resources to plan for the orderly elimination of its mainframe computer. This budget request assumes this mainframe migration will occur but the specific detail of that migration will be guided by the joint Inspector General/House Information Resources study directed by this Subcommittee. This study will be concluded shortly. In addition, the new Associate Administrator of House Information Resources, Tim Campen, is conducting a strategic assessment in order to propose an update to HIR operations.

With regard to the other major House technical system, our financial system, Federal Financial System or FFS, funds are in this budget to continue the daily operations and to make required modifications to the FFS. However, the time is now at hand when the House should begin an assessment process to determine the long-term solution for its financial system needs.

More than 6% of this budget request is for the postal operations contract. This contract is currently being re-competed and we have planned for an increase in the monthly fee to accommodate service changes such as the relocation of the x-ray facility presently located in the Ford building to the off-site "P" Street receiving location as recommended by the Sergeant at Arms.

The FY '99 personnel budget request excludes amounts for merits or reclassification of positions. This does not mean there is a moratorium on these items, simply that these will be granted from budget savings as necessary. In addition, there is a moderate FTE reduction of nearly 3% of current approved levels.

I realize that this is simply a brief overview of operations and the pending FY '99 funding request. To better articulate the daily activities, responsibilities and proposals before the Offices of the Chief Administrative Officer, I have attached a brief outline of offices and operations. I appreciate the time given by the Subcommittee today and stand ready to answer any questions you may have.