Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4354 - National Bureau of Standards 1987 Authorization Act

(House)
(Fuqua (D) Florida)

The Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 4354. As reported, H.R. 4354 is objectionable for the following reasons:

— It would authorize the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to conduct a demonstration project, to be designed jointly by NBS and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), establishing an alternate personnel and pay system for NBS employees. Current law (Title 5, Chapter 47 of the U.S. Code) provides sufficient authority and flexibility for NBS to employ scientists and engineers on competitive terms. Additionally, the Administration has developed a legislative proposal, the "Civil Service Simplification Act," to create a Government-wide alternative personnel system for application to all agencies, based on the successful China Lake personnel experiment.

— It would authorize appropriations and, in some cases, impose minimum required spending levels for programs which the 1987 Budget proposes either no or reduced appropriations, including the Center for Fire Research, the Center for Building Technology, Institute for Computer Science and Technology, steel technology, computer security, and the Technical Competence Fund. These programs are more appropriately funded by the private sector and state and local governments, if funding is desirable at all.

— It would prohibit the reprogramming of funds for construction of a cold neutron facility, thereby restricting needed management flexibility.

— It would reestablish at its 1986 level, in fiscal year 1988, the post-doctoral research fellowship program, which is proposed for reduction in the 1987 Budget.

The Administration does support H.R. 4354, as introduced on March 10, 1986. As introduced, H.R. 4354 would have authorized appropriations for fiscal year 1987 of: (1) $123,953,000 for NBS programs; (2) $1,510,000 for the Office of Productivity, Technology and Innovation; and (3) $443,000 for operation of the National Technical Information Service's patent licensing program.