	FY2016 Consideration: Overview of Actions

The first section of this report provides an overview of the consideration of FY2016 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action, including
the initial submission of the request on February 2, 2015; hearings held by the House and Senate Legislative Branch Subcommittees; the House subcommittee markup on April 23, 2015; the House Appropriations Committee markup on April 30, 2015; adoption of 302(b) suballocations; consideration of a structured rule in the House Rules Committee on May 18, 2015 ( H.Res. 2250 in the House on May 19, 2015; the Senate Appropriations Committee reporting the bill, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, on June 11, 2015 ( S.Rept. 114-64 ); the enactment of continuing resolutions (CRs) including a CR funding the legislative branch from October 1 through December 11, 2015 ( P.L. 114-100 ); and the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, on December 18, 2015 ( P.L. 114-113 ). It contains a request for $4.528 billion in new budget authority for legislative branch activities. By law, the legislative branch request is submitted to the President and included in the budget without change. A budget amendment was transmitted by the President to Congress on April 14, 2015, also without change. At $3.341 billion (not including Senate items, which are determined by the Senate), the bill would have provided the same level of funding as in FY2015. Three amendments were adopted, all by voice vote, including
a manager's amendment which addressed report language related to committee room renovations, encouraging the Capitol Police to relax enforcement of sledding restriction on Capitol Hill, and communications and coordination between the Capitol Police and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and other first responders; an amendment offered to the report by Representative Wasserman Schultz directing the House Chief Administrative Officer to establish a House Technology Task Force, which is to identify opportunities to enhance coordination of information technology efforts; and an amendment offered by Representative Fortenberry increasing funding for the Open World Leadership Center by $4.7 million, offset by a reduction to the Capitol Power Plant. The bill was ordered reported by voice vote ( H.R. 2250 , H.Rept. 114-110 ). 2. The committee voted, 9-4, to report the rule ( H.Res. 271 , H.Rept. 114-120 ). 271 was agreed to in the House (242-179) the next day. 240 ) prohibiting any funds for delivering printed copies of the Congressional Pictorial Directory, which was agreed to (voice vote); and 3. an amendment offered by Representative Blackburn ( H.Amdt. 241 ) providing for a 1% across-the-board reduction—with exceptions for the Capitol Police, "Architect of the Capitol—Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security," and funding for the House Office of the Sergeant at Arms—which was not agreed to (172-250). The bill, as amended, was agreed to (357-67). 2250 . The amendment was not agreed to (14-16). 114-53 ). It provides $4.36 billion for legislative branch activities for FY2016, an increase of 1.5% from the FY2015 level ( P.L. Funding in Prior Years: Brief Overview

		FY2015

FY2015 funding was provided in Division H of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 ( P.L. 113-235 ), which was enacted on December 16, 2014. The $4.300 billion provided by the act represented an increase of $41.7 million (1.0%) from FY2014 and $164.9 million (-3.7%) less than the request. 113-76 ), providing $4.259 billion for the legislative branch for FY2014. The act funded legislative branch accounts at the FY2012 enacted level, with some exceptions (also known as "anomalies"), and not including across-the-board rescissions required by Section 3004 of P.L. The act did not alter the sequestration reductions implemented on March 1, which reduced most legislative branch accounts by 5.0%. This level was $236.9 million (-5.2%) below the FY2011 enacted level. This level represented a $125.1 million decrease from the $4.668 billion provided in the FY2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act ( P.L. 2. 2. Congressional Research Service—The FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act provides $106.9 million, which is equivalent to the FY2015 enacted level and the level contained in the FY2016 House-passed and Senate-reported bills. 1. 239 , was agreed to (224-199). The House-passed FY2012 bill ( H.R.
The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Compliance; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Library of Congress (LOC), including the Congressional Research Service (CRS); Government Publishing Office (GPO); Government Accountability Office (GAO); the Open World Leadership Center; and the John C. Stennis Center.
The legislative branch FY2016 budget request of $4.528 billion was submitted on February 2, 2015. By law, the President includes the legislative branch request in the annual budget without change. A budget amendment was transmitted by the President to Congress on April 14, 2015.
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees' Legislative Branch Subcommittees held hearings in February and March to consider the FY2016 legislative branch requests.
The House subcommittee held a markup of its bill on April 23, 2015. The full committee met on April 30, 2015, and agreed to (1) a manager's amendment; (2) an amendment establishing a House Technology Task Force; and (3) an amendment increasing the funding for Open World (offset from funding from the Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Power Plant). All were adopted by voice vote. One additional amendment was defeated (21-29) and two were withdrawn. The bill would have provided $3.341 billion (not including Senate items), equivalent to the FY2015 level. It was ordered reported by voice vote (H.R. 2250, H.Rept. 114-110).
The House Rules Committee met on May 18 to discuss a structured rule for H.R. 2250. The rule made in order three amendments. The committee voted, 9-4, to report the rule (H.Res. 271, H.Rept. 114-120). H.Res. 271 was agreed to in the House (242-179) the next day.
H.R. 2250 was considered in the House on May 19. The three amendments included (1) eliminating funding for Open World, which was agreed to (224-199); (2) prohibiting the use of any funds for delivering printed copies of the Congressional Pictorial Directory, which was agreed to (voice vote); and (3) providing for a 1% across-the-board reduction, with some exceptions, which was not agreed to (172-250). The bill, as amended, was agreed to (357-67).
The Senate Appropriations Committee reported the bill, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, on June 11, 2015 (S.Rept. 114-64).
No further action occurred prior to the start of the fiscal year, and the legislative branch was funded by continuing resolutions enacted on September 30 (P.L. 114-53), December 11 (P.L. 114-96), and December 16 (P.L. 114-100). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, was enacted on December 18, 2015, and provides $4.36 billion for legislative branch activities, an increase of 1.5% from the FY2015 level (P.L. 114-113).
Legislative branch funding peaked in FY2010, and the FY2016 enacted level remains below the FY2009 level of $4.501 billion. The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235, Division H, enacted December 16, 2014) provides $4.300 billion, an increase of $41.7 million (1.0%) from the FY2014 funding level of $4.259 billion. The FY2013 act funded legislative branch accounts at the FY2012 enacted level, with some exceptions (also known as "anomalies"), less across-the-board rescissions that applied to all appropriations in the act, and not including sequestration reductions implemented on March 1. The FY2012 level represented a decrease of $236.9 million (-5.2%) from the FY2011 level, which itself represented a $125.1 million decrease (-2.7%) from FY2010.
The smallest of the appropriations bills, the legislative branch comprises approximately 0.4% of total discretionary budget authority.