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PUBLIC LAW 106-69 OF 1999
AS SIGNED ON OCTOBER 9, 1999
AS CODIFIED AT 113 UNITED STATES STATUTES 986
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Section 2721 of Title 18 of the United States Code was amended in 1999 following legislative approval of House of Representatives Bill No. 2084 [hereinafter referred to as “H.R. 2084”], which enacted the “Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000.” (See Exhibit A, #1) Representative Frank R. Wolf, chair of the House Subcommittee on Transportation Appropriations at this time, introduced this bill on June 9, 1999. (See Exhibit A, #3a)
This bill was reviewed by the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, which reviewed the bill with amendments. (See Exhibit A, #3b, et seq.) These amendments were proposed with each side’s version of a Department of Transportation Appropriations bill being substituted in lieu of the original language. (See Exhibit A, #8) Eventually, with both sides disagreeing, a conference committee was called. (Id., page 2-122) The purpose of a Conference Committee is to bring together legislators, called “conferees,” from the Senate and the House of Representatives in an attempt to reach a compromise on a bill’s language which is acceptable to both. The conferees finally came to an agreement and published its “Conference Report,” with both sides receding from their disagreements and agreeing to the final amendments. (See Exhibit A, #6)
Thereafter, after the final version of the bill was approved, H.R. 2084 was presented to President William J. Clinton, who signed it on October 9, 1999, enacting Public Law 106-69. (See Exhibit A, #1 and #7)
It may be helpful to keep in mind that the Reports predating the Conference Report were intended to be the “best evidence of Congressional intentions” where the original language in these earlier Reports was retained and included in the Conference Report and final bill version. (See Exhibit A, #6, page 47; see also Exhibit A, #5 and Exhibit B, #2)
The proposals in H.R. 2084 pertinent to “program, project, and activity” in this appropriations bill were described as follows in the Conference Report:
During fiscal year 2000, for the purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-177), as amended, with respect to funds provided for the
Department of Transportation and related agencies, the terms “program, project, and activity” shall mean any item for which a dollar amount is contained in an appropriations Act (including joint resolutions providing continuing appropriations) or accompanying reports of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, or accompanying conference reports and joint explanatory statements of the committee of conference. In addition, the reductions made pursuant to any sequestration order to funds appropriated for “Federal Aviation Administration, Facilities and equipment” and for “Coast Guard, Acquisition, construction, and improvements” shall be applied equally to each “budget item” that is listed under said accounts in the budget justifications submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations as modified by subsequent appropriations Acts and accompanying committee reports, conference reports, or joint explanatory statements of the committee of conference. The conferees recognize that adjustments to the above allocations may be required due to changing program requirements or priorities. The conferees expect any such adjustment, if required, to be accomplished only through the normal reprogramming process.
(See Exhibit A, #6, pages 47 and 48)