	Most Recent Developments

On October 18, 1999, the Conference Committee approved a FY2000 CJS bill totaling $39 billion--$2.8 billion (or 7.7%)above the FY1999 appropriation and $1.3 billion below the President's request. Introduction and Overview

This report tracks legislative action by the first session of the 106th Congress on FY2000 appropriations fortheDepartments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and other related agencies (often referred to as CJSappropriations). Congress appropriated $36.2 billion for these agencies in FY1999 ( P.L. 4328 ). (6) The law approves total funding of $39.63 billion which is about $625 million above the level initially approved byCongress, $3.4 billion (or 9.5%) above FY1999 appropriation and $920 million below the President's request. Changing the focus and levels of appropriations for DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Determining the level of INS detention capacity necessary to comply with the statutory mandate that certain criminal aliens be detained until deported;
The payment of arrears to the United Nations. Other issues that received attention include the following. Determining the severity of INS budget overruns in FY1999 due to overhiring in FY1998 and other mandatory costs, e.g., rents and telecommunications. Meeting the statutory mandate that the Border Patrol be increased by 1,000 agents in FY2000. Department of Commerce: 
Progress made in the streamlining and downsizing of Department programs and operations. Increased funding for embassy security overseas. How much funding to appropriate for the Supreme Court's building improvement program. Adequacy of funding for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, given a rapidly growing workload of civil rights cases. A second CJS bill approved by Conference ( H.Rept.106-479 )included in H.R. 3194 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2000, was passed by the House onNovember 18, and the Senate on November 19, 1999. The number for the CJS bill is H.R. The President signed the bill into law on November 29, 1999 ( P.L.106-113 ; 113 Stat. 2 H.R, 3421 is included in Division B of H.R. 3194 , Section 1000(a), H.Rept. 1501). Majorissuesincluded: extending the 1994 Crime Act funding beyond FY2000 under the Violent Crime Reduction Fund,eliminatingmost funding for Title III crime prevention programs, funding for programs that would reduce violence in schoolsand thatwould address missing children under the Safe Schools Initiatives, the adequacy of Immigration and NaturalizationServicefunding and the possible need for reorganizing the federal immigration system; the downsizing of CommerceDepartmentprograms, funding and sampling needs for the decennial census, the use of federal funds to support industrialtechnology,and implementing the modernization of the National Weather Service; the funding controversy regarding U.S.contributionsto international organizations (particularly the payment of arrears to the United Nations) and U.S. peacekeepingoperations, the reorganization of foreign policy agencies and a $3 billion advance appropriations request from theAdministration forembassy security in FY2001-2005; the adequacy of funding to maintain essential services and security in the lowercourts;the merits of a pay increase for federal judges; how to contain the growing costs of the Judiciary's Defender Servicesaccount; and whether to increase funding to compensate court-appointed defense attorneys in federal criminal cases. For FY2000, H.R. ForFY2000,the bill passed by the House ( H.R. 106-283 ). Legal Services Corporation (LSC). Both the House and the Senate approvedtheConference Committee recommendation. 2670 was vetoed by the President on October 25, 1999. Current Funding Status

The President's FY2000 budget sent to Congress on February 1, 1999, requested about $40.5 billion for these agencies,about a $4.3 billion increase or about 12% above the FY1999 total. 2452 (Royce) 
A bill to dismantle the Department of Commerce. 105-277 ).
This report tracks action by the 106th Congress on FY2000 appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, andState, the Judiciary, and other related agencies (often referred to as CJS appropriations). P.L. 105-277 ( H.R. 4328 ) appropriated $36.2 billion for these agencies for FY1999. The President's FY2000 budget requested about $40.5billion for these agencies, about a $4.3 billion increase or 12% above the FY1999 total. On October 18, theConferenceCommittee approved a CJS bill for FY2000 ( H.R. 2670 , H.Rept. 106-283 ) totaling $39 billion--$2.8 billion(or 7.7%) above the FY1999 appropriation and $1.5 billion below the President's request. The bill passed CongressonOctober 20. However, the bill was vetoed by the President on October 25. A second CJS bill approved byConference( H.Rept. 106-479 ) and included in H.R. 3194 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2000, was passedby the House on November 18, 1999. The number for the CJS bill is H.R. 3421 which is in Division B of H.R. 3194 , Section 1000(a). The Senate passed the bill on November 19, 1999. The measure was signedintolaw by the President on November 29, 1999 ( P.L. 106-113 ; 113 Stat. 1501). The law approves total funding of$39.63billion which is about $625 million above the level initially approved by Congress, $3.4 billion (or 9.5%) aboveFY1999appropriation and $920 million below the President's request.
The major CJS appropriations issues or concerns that received attention in both the Senate and the House included thefollowing. Department of Justice: extending the 1994 Crime Act funding authorization beyondFY2000; eliminating mostfunding under the 1994 Crime Act for Title III crime prevention programs; increasing funding for drug-relatedeffortsamong the Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies; changing the focus and levels of appropriations for DOJ's OfficeofJuvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); funding for programs that would reduce violence in schools;determining the level of INS detention capacity necessary to comply with the statutory mandate that certain criminalaliensbe detained until deported; determining the severity of INS budget overruns in FY1999 due to over hiring in FY1998andother mandatory costs; meeting the statutory mandate that the Border Patrol be increased by 1,000 agents inFY2000;restructuring of INS either in the form of legislative proposals to dismantle the agency or as an internal restructuringof theagency by the Administration. Department of Commerce: the progress made in streamlining anddownsizing Departmentprograms; implementation of the forthcoming decennial census; federal financial support of industrial technologydevelopment programs; and implementing new White House environmental initiatives at the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration. Department of State: increasing funding for embassy security;reorganization of foreignpolicy agencies of State, USIA, and other foreign policy agencies; and the payment of arrears to the United Nations. TheJudiciary : level of funding required for court staff, defender services, security for the lower courts, courtadministration,and the Supreme Court's building improvements program; and the merits of increasing judges' salaries. OtherRelatedAgencies: adequacy of funding levels for the Legal Services Corporation, and the Equal EmploymentOpportunityCommission, given a rapidly growing workload of civil rights cases.
Key Policy Staff
Division abbreviations: A = American Law; G&F = Government and Finance; RSI = Resources; Science, and IndustryDivision, DSP = Domestic Social Policy Division; FTD = Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade.