97th Congress > House > Vote 630
Description: TO AGREE TO THE CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 6955, A BILL PROVIDING FOR RECONCILIATION PURSUANT TO THE S. CON. RES. 92, THE FIRST CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 1983. (MOTION PASSED)
Bill summary: (Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 97-759)
Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1982 -
Title I: Agriculture, Forestry, and Related Programs
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Subtitle A: Dairy Price Support Program
- Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended by the Agriculture and Food Act, to set the price of milk for domestic needs at: (1) $13.10 per hundredweight for FY 1983 and 1984; and (2) at the percentage of parity for FY 1985 which $13.10 represented as of October 1, 1983.
Grants the Secretary of Agriculture
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authority to provide for a deduction of 50 cents per hundredweight for the period beginning October 1, 1982, and ending September 30, 1985, from the proceeds of all milk marketed by producers, to be remitted to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to offset a portion of the cost of the price support program.
Grants the Secretary authority to provide for an additional deduction of 50 cents during such period to be remitted to the CCC subject to specified conditions.
Declares that such authority for deductions shall not apply for any fiscal year for which the projected net price support purchases would be less than specified amounts.
Subtitle B - Donation of Dairy Products
- Authorizes domestic and foreign CCC commodity donations. States that foreign donations shall be coordinated through, and in addition to, Public Law 480 programs.
Subtitle C - Adjustment Program for the 1983 Crops of Wheat, Feed Grains, Upland Cotton and Rice
- Permits the Secretary, effective with respect to the 1982 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice, to make advance deficiency payments available to producers who participate in an acreage limitation program, if the Secretary determines that deficiency payments likely will be made under this Act.
Sets 1983 wheat price support levels at not less than $3.65 per bushel. Provides for a combined acreage limitation or set-aside and diversion program for such crop, with the acreage base for each farm reduced by 20 percent. Requires producers to comply with such combined program in order to receive price supports.
Bases 1983 wheat, feed grain, upland cotton, and rice acreage bases upon the respective 1982 bases adjusted to reflect established crop rotation practices and other factors as the Secretary determines.
Directs the Secretary to set the producer loan level for the 1983 crop of corn at not less than $2.65 per bushel.
Requires the Secretary to make retirement and conservation payments to participating wheat, feed grains, and rice producers. Sets the respective rates for such payments at $3.00 per bushel for wheat, $1.50 per bushel for corn, and $3.00 per hundredweight for rice.
Requires: (1) the Secretary to advance at least 50 percent of any land diversion payments to a participating producer as soon as possible; and (2) a noncomplying producer to repay the advance with interest.
Subtitle D - Agricultural Export Promotion
- Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, effective for FY 1983 through 1985, to use certain funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation for export activities.
Subtitle E: Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1982
- Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1982 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to: (1) treat siblings living together who are not elderly, blind, or disabled as one household; and (2) treat a person 60 years or older living with others but unable to purchase and prepare meals because of medical disability as a separate household if the income of the other person does not exceed 165 percent of the nonfarm poverty guideline.
Requires the rounding down of dollar amounts for the thrifty food plan in computing deductions of household income and in calculating the value of allotments.
Includes disabled veterans and their survivors as eligible for benefits under the food stamp program.
Excludes from household income cost-of-living increases attributable to specified provisions of the Social Security Act, the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, and pensions for veterans of a period of war.
Changes the date for adjusting deductions in computing household income from July 1, 1983, to October 1, 1983.
Revises excess shelter expense deduction provisions to permit State agencies to use a standard utility allowance which does not fluctuate seasonally. Excludes from such use households not incurring or sharing such expenses.
Prohibits any waiver of the requirement that migrant household income be calculated prospectively.
Requires accessible pension funds and savings or retirement accounts to be counted in determining whether the financial resources limitation has been exceeded.
Establishes categorical eligibility for recipients of Aid to Families With Dependent Children under the Social Security program.
Permits the Secretary to waive certain periodic reporting requirements in order to allow States to establish periodic reporting rules similar to those for the aid to families with dependent children program.
Authorizes a State to require job search information at the time of an individual's application for food stamps.
Increases the ineligibility period for voluntarily quitting a job from 60 to 90 days.
Declares that a Federal, State, or local government employee who engaged in a strike against his or her employer and is dismissed from his job because of his strike participation shall be considered to have voluntarily quit such job without good cause.
Eliminates the exemption from work registration for parents or caretakers of children when the parent or caretaker is part of a household in which there is another ablebodied parent or caretaker subject to food stamp work requirements.
Provides that a college student eligible to participate in the food stamp program may not be disqualified when he or she is the parent of a dependent child above the age of five and under the age of 12 for whom adequate child care is not available.
Authorizes the Secretary to require State agencies to use an alternative coupon issuance system if such system improves the integrity of the food stamp program. Prohibits the issuance of an initial month allotment under $10.
Authorizes household information disclosure to Federal or federally-assisted programs.
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to limit the operation of house-to-house trade routes to those that are reasonably necessary to provide adequate access to households if the Secretary finds that the operation of house-to-house trade routes damages the integrity of the food stamp program.
Prohibits the Secretary from requiring that the States submit, for prior approval, State agency instructions, interpretations of policy, methods of administration, forms, or other materials, unless the State determines that they alter or amend its plan of operation for the food stamp program.
Eliminates the requirement that State agencies comply with Federal standards with regard to points and hours of certification and issuance.
Permits the Secretary to restrict the number of households which may be represented by an individual.
Requires expedited service to destitute migrant households or households with no income.
Authorizes a State agency to promptly reduce or terminate benefits for any household which provides written information that clearly requires a reduction or termination.
Requires State agencies to establish a system to verify periodically that individuals are not receiving food stamps in more than one jurisdiction in the State.
Permits each State to choose: (1) whether AFDC and general assistance households must have their food stamp applications included in their AFDC or general assistance applications; and (2) whether food stamp applicants must be certified eligible based on information in their AFDC or general assistance case file.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to require State food stamp agencies to conduct at least annual verification or other measures to ensure that individuals who have been "cashed out" of the food stamp program are not also receiving food stamps.
Sets forth formulae for reducing a State agency's federally-funded share of administrative costs based upon the State's payment error rate.
Increases from $5,000 to $10,000 the civil money penalties and sets periods of disqualification for retail or wholesale food stores that violate such Act.
Permits the Secretary to require a retail food store or wholesale food concern to furnish a bond to cover the value of the coupons which such store may in the future accept and redeem.
Permits a State to use other means of collection for fraud and nonfraud overissuances besides cash repayment and benefit offset.
Allows the household of a disqualified person 30 days to choose a reduced allotment or a cash repayment to reimburse the Government for an overissuance of coupons.
Requires the Secretary to study the impact of benefit reductions and make a final report to the appropriate congressional committees by March 1, 1985.
Authorizes the Secretary to conduct four pilot projects in each administrative region of the Food and Nutrution Service of the Department of Agriculture to determine the effects of making nonexempt individuals ineligible to participate in the food stamp program if they do not, with certain exceptions, work at least 20 hours per week or participate in a workfare program.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1983 through 1985.
Allows the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to provide food assistance in the form of cash for FY 1982 and 1983. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the impact of such assistance and submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees within six months.
Requires the Secretary to promulgate guidelines for food stamp workfare programs that would enable a local government to operate such a program in a manner consistent with similar workfare programs it operates.
Eliminates current exemptions from the workfare requirements for food stamp participants who are involved at least 20 hours a week in a work incentive program. Permits a State to exempt such participants from the workfare requirements.
Revises the maximum number of hours that any agency operating a workfare program could require of a participating member.
Provides for Federal reimbursement for workfare administrative expenses.
States the sense of Congress regarding the distribution of surplus commodities to hungry people of the United States.
Makes certain provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 and the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 effective on the date of enactment of this Act.
Title II: Banking
- Amends the National Housing Act to permit maximum FHA mortgage amounts to be increased by the amount of the mortgage insurance premium paid at the time the mortgage is insured. Provides for refunds of a portion of such paid-up premium if the principal obligation is paid before the number of years on which the premium was based.
Permits the implementation of such program only if the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development determines that the program is actuarially sound.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1983 for the salaries and expenses of the mints and assay offices.
Title III: Civil Service Programs and Government Operations
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Subtitle A
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Civil Service Programs
- Provides that cost-of-living increases under any Government retirement system in annuity or retired or retainer pay of any retirees under age 62 during FY 1983, 1984, and 1985, shall be equal to one-half of the assumed increase in the price index for that year. Provides that such retirees shall receive an additional increase if the cost-of-living adjustment which actually occurs exceeds the projected adjustment.
Provides for a reduction in the civil service pay of military retirees who are employed in civil service positions.
Provides that, for purposes of disability evaluations, earning capacity shall be deemed to be restored if the disabled annuitant's income for any calendar year (currently, in each of two succeeding years) equals 80 percent or more of the current pay rate of his or her last position.
Entitles the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, upon request, to receive information on social security, workers' compensation, military retired pay, and veterans benefits in order to ensure the accuracy of information used in administering the disability retirement program.
Entitles an individual who is separated from employment as a National Guard technician by reason of being disabled under military standards, but who is not considered disabled under civilian standards, to receive a civil service disability retirement annuity until the individual: (1) is no longer disabled; (2) is appointed to, or elects not to accept, a civil service position at a level equivalent to the level of his or her former position and within reasonable commuting distance; or (3) accepts any other civil service position. Directs any agency actively recruiting to fill a vacant position to consider such qualified disabled annuitants.
Revises the method of computing interest on amounts deposited or redeposited into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund after December 31, 1984, for annuity credit.
Requires the monthly installments of civil service annuities to be rounded to the next lowest dollar (currently, fixed at the nearest dollar) at commencement and after each cost of living adjustment.
Changes the commencement date for annuities for employees or Members of Congress other than those who are involuntarily separated from the service (except by removal for misconduct or delinquency) or who retire on disability to the first day of the month after (currently, the day after): (1) separation from the service; or (2) pay ceases and age and service requirements are met.
Provides civil service retirement credit for military service to an individual becoming an employee or Member after October 1, 1982, only if a deposit is made into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund with respect to such service. Allows any employee or Member to make such a deposit for military service. Includes such military service for which such deposits are made as creditable service for purposes of determining the amount of a civil service annuity even after the annuitant becomes eligible for old age, survivors, and disability (OASDI) insurance benefits.
Allows any person entitled to an annuity on or before enactment of this Act to elect to be exempted from provisions excluding such person's military service as creditable service if the person is eligible for OASDI benefits. Provides for the recomputation of such person's annuity.
Precludes eligibility for early retirement for an employee who is: (1) voluntarily separated from the service during an agency reorganization unless a significant percentage of employees will be separated or subject to a pay reduction; or (2) involuntarily separated from the service if the employee rejects a reasonable offer of another civil service position.
Prohibits a civil service annuity from being increased by a cost of living adjustment to an amount exceeding the greater of: (1) the maximum pay for a GS-15; or (2) the employee's final pay (or average pay, if higher) increased by the cumulative average increases in pay since the employee retired.
Increases the rates of pay under Federal statutory pay systems by four percent for FY 1983 if: (1) before September 1, 1982, the President transmits to Congress an alternative plan providing for an increase of less than four percent; and (2) Congress disapproves such plan.
Requires any Federal hourly rate of pay, for FY 1984 and 1985, to be derived by dividing the annual rate of basic pay by 2,087.
Subtitle B
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Limitation on Travel and Transportation Expenses
- Makes Federal employees working in Alaska or Hawaii ineligible for round-trip transportation expenses between their posts of duty and their homes in the continental United States. Allows an agency head to grant up to two round-trip travel benefits within five years if necessary to recruit a person for a tour at a duty post in Alaska or Hawaii.
Entitles employees whose posts of duty are in Alaska or Hawaii upon enactment of this Act to such expenses for their next trip.
Subtitle C
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Cost-of-Living Adjustments Uniformed Services
- Places limitations on the amounts of the annual adjustment for the uniformed services, Coast Guard, and Foreign Service in satisfaction of the reconciliation requirements of the first concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 1983.
Title IV: Veterans' Benefits
- Postpones commencement of payments of an award of compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, or pension until the first day of the month following the date of the award.
Makes the effective date of a reduction of VA compensation or pension by reason of a reduction in the number of the recipient's dependents the last day of the month (currently the last day of the year) in which the number of dependents decreased.
Sets forth a formula for rounding down the amount of payments under the Veterans' and Survivors' Pension Improvement Act of 1978.
Decreases the rates of: (1) disability compensation; (2) additional compensation for dependents; (3) the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans; (4) dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses; (5) dependency and indemnity compensation for children; and (6) supplemental dependency and indemnity compensation for children.
Requires veterans to pay a loan user fee on guaranteed home loans.
Title V: Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Reduces the size of the Federal Communications Commission from seven to five members.
Abolishes, effective January 1, 1983, each office within the Interstate Commerce Commission which was vacant on July 1, 1982.
Reduces the size of the Interstate Commerce Commission from 11 to seven members with no more than four members from the same political party. Reduces the size further, as of January 1, 1986, to five members, no more than three of whom may belong to the same political party.
Reduces the terms of office of members of the Commission from seven years to five years.
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Bill titles: A bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to the first concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 1983 (S. Con. Res. 92, Ninety-seventh Congress).; Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1982
Original source documents: Digest of the Congressional Record vol. 114, p. 6364;
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
