On Thursday, October 26, 2000, the House debated and passed, on a vote of 206-198, a $37.5 billion conference report for Fiscal Year 2001 Appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State and Related Agencies. The bill was attached to a measure providing FY 2001 funding for the District of Columbia (H.R. 4942). The bill is expected to be debated and passed by the Senate on Friday afternoon, and is under threat of a White House veto.

The following report is an examination of the elements of the conference report from a California perspective prepared by the California Institute. We apologize in advance for any errors or omissions in our discussion and would appreciate any feedback on how to make improving corrections. The ordering of items is not intended to imply any relative importance. The report is available on the California Institute website at or in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format at .

The conference report provides a total of $20.9 billion for the Department of Justice.

The bill provides $565 million for the SCAAP program for FY 2001, a reduction of $20 million below the FY 2000 level and this year’s House request, but the amount is a major increase over the $50 million which had been proposed in the Senate version of the bill. California wins the lion’s share of federal SCAAP expenditures.

The bill provides $4 million for 50 positions and 25 FTE, including 28 attorneys, to augment the investigation and prosecution of computer and intellectual property crimes, and requires a Senate-drafted report on copyright enforcement.

For the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the bill provides a total operation level of $4.8 Billion, a 13% increase over FY2000.

The bill includes $2.5 Billion for Enforcement and Border Affairs, including $52 million for 430 positions and 215 full time equivalent (FTE) positions for new border patrol agents (in separate language, the bill calls for an increase of $2 million to address the growing criminal immigration caseload along the Southwest Border) and $11 million for 100 positions and 50 FTE for 23 additional Quick Response Teams. For a computer system at INS in Los Angeles, the bill provides $6 million.

Report language notes that more than $1 billion (a 16% increase over FY 2000) is provided in the continuing effort to address the INS naturalization backlog, improve the integrity of the naturalization process and improve services, but the report repeats past criticizes for its failure to resolve the backlogs in application processing and casework. INS is directed t conduct a complete review, to be presented to the Appropriations Committee by December 15, 2000.

The bill instructs INS to conduct a complete review of staff and resources needed to improve benefits and services at all current INS offices as well as need for additional offices, particularly in rural areas. INS Directed to pay close attention to several offices including those in San Francisco and Ventura.

In report retains language proposed by the House expressing concern that past "commuter lane" language requiring that the San Clemente and Temecula checkpoints be fully operational on a 24-hour basis has not been fully implemented, and restricts funds until the situation changes.

The bill also provides the higher Senate level of $1.67 million for the Land Border Inspection fund, with receipts generated from five border crossings (including Otay Mesa).

The report provides the lower House level of $1.125 million from the H-1B Fee accounts.

From $3.5 billion in new federal prison construction funds, the conference report provides funds for two California projects:

Victorville, CA $5,882,000

Lompoc, CA expansion $907,000

Building and Facilities - Construction, modernization, maintenance and repair of prison and detention facilities housing federal prisoners

USP Lompoc, CA $118,111

FCI Victorville, CA $116,838

FCI Herlong/Sierra, CA $116,861

The bill provides $2.8 Billion for State Local Law Enforcement Assistance, which includes $523,000 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Program

Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Assistance Program - $569,050,000

Bryne Discretionary Grants - $69,050,000

Byrne Formula Grants - $500,000,000

Within the $69 million in discretionary grants, the bill suggests consideration for a range of proposals, including: $1 million for the Night Light program in San Bernardino, $1 million for a community court pilot project in Los Angeles, and $3 million for the Regional Mobile Gang Task Force Enforcement Team in Orange County.

Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS) - $1,032,235,000

$100,000 Inglewood Police Department for technology system

$2,000,000 Ventura County - Integrated Justice information system

$1,000,000 Riverside County Police Department for mobile data terminals

$1,500,000 Orange County - Seamless Integrated Communications technology system

$250,000 Cities of Arcadia and Sierra Madre - Improving crime technology for communication between cities

$230,000 City of Glendale - Police training equipment and technology

$1,190,000 City of Pasadena - Computerized geographic information system

$500,000 San Joaquin Sheriff office for technology enhancement

$350,000 Berkeley - Intercom and Surveillance Safety System

$750,000 Compton - Youth Center After-school Initiative

$2,000,000 - Criminal Record management system in San Diego

$2,000,000 L.A.’s Best Youth Program

$500,000 Culver City Juvenile Crime Division Initiative

In total funding for the Department of Commerce, the bill provides $5.24 billion, including $3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), $631 million for the National Weather Service, and $563 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

For trade related functions, the bill provides $48 million for the International Trade Commission, $337 million for the International Trade Administration, $66 million for the Bureau of Export Administration, and $64.7 million for trade development

At the Economic Development Administration, the bill provides funding for Economic Development Assistance Programs of $411,879,000, $31.4 million are provided for Defense Conversion, and $10.5 million for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

For the Patent and Trademark Office, the bill notes $1.038 billion in total funding (a 19% increase over FY 2000), with 75% of those funds to be derived from offsetting fee collections, and .the remainder to carry over from prior years.

For the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), the bill provides $145,700,000, including $84.8 million for continued funding for awards made in FY 1996 - FY 2000, and also provides $60,700,000 for new awards for FY 2001.

Within funding for NOAA, the bill provides that $250,000 shall be used to supplement base funding for a study on the impact of California sea lions and harbor seals on the West Coast.

Also at NOAA, the bill provides $820,000 for relief for West Coast groundfish fishermen, who are facing record losses due to reduction in catch. Pursuant to a request by California members of Congress, the Administration declared an emergency in February. Also included is $7,450,000 for the Pacific Salmon Treaty Program, and later includes $36,450,000 for the Pacific salmon recovery initiative. For Pacific Salmon Coastal Recovery, the bill provides $54 million for habitat restoration, stock enhancement and research, of which $9 million is allocated to California.

The NOAA accounts omit funding for construction at La Jolla Bluffs, which had been included in the earlier Senate version and the President’s budget.

The bill specifies that $1 million in NOAA’s Geodesy funds should be spent for the California Spatial Reference Center.

Within funds for protected species management, the bill provides $750 million for a continuation of a study of the impacts of California seal lions and harbor seals on the West Coast ecosystem.

The conference agreement funds the National Sea Grant Program at $62,250,000.

Within $420 million for NOAA "special purposes", the report provides $2 million for land acquisition in southern Orange County for conservation of coastal sage scrub and riparian habitats, and $3 million for a new national estuarine research reserve in San Francisco.

For the Department of State, the FY 2001 conference report provides total funding of $6.9 billion, a boost of $747 million fro FY 2000.

The conference report provides $27.9 million for International Boundary and Water Commission for the United States and Mexico. The amount provided includes funding for operation and maintenance of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the bill includes language from House report regarding this plant.