Omnibus spending bill: roundup of key provisions

Here are the major provisions and agency spending totals included in the $500 billion 1999 omnibus spending package that Congress is scheduled to vote on Tuesday. The package includes eight spending bills, an emergency spending measure and several authorizing bills.

Year 2000 emergency spending. Includes $3.35 billion in emergency funding for agencies' efforts to meet the year 2000 computer challenge. The money is divided between Defense and civilian agencies; $1.1 billion for DoD and $2.25 billion for civilian agencies.

Federal building security. Includes $2.4 billion for antiterrorism efforts, including embassy security and repairs, the creation of a U.S. Capitol visitors center, and Capitol and Library of Congress security improvements.

Defense readiness. On top of the $250 billion 1999 Defense spending bill President Clinton signed this weekend, the omnibus bill includes $6.8 billion for military readiness. That amount includes $1.9 billion for Bosnia.

Agriculture Department. Includes $55.9 billion in appropriations for USDA programs. Also provides $5.9 billion in emergency spending for aid to farmers.

Commerce, Justice, State. The Commerce, Justice, State spending bill includes $27.6 billion: $18.2 billion for the Justice Department, $5 billion for the Commerce Department, and $4.4 billion for the State Department. The United States Information Agency is funded at $1.1 billion and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency at $41.5 million. The bill finally approves the State Department reorganization, merging the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency into the State Department by April 1, 1999 and the United States Information Agency into the State Department by October 1, 1999. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gets a budget boost of $37 million to help reduce the agency's backlog of complaints. The Census is funded only through March 31, 1999, by which time the administration and Congress hope to come to a resolution of the statistical sampling debate.

Interior. Provides $14.1 billion for the Interior Department. The bill extends a measure allowing parks to keep 100 percent of user fees. The National Endowment of the Arts survives another year with $98 million.

Labor, HHS, Education. This $292 billion measure includes $1.2 billion to hire more teachers. In addition, the National Institutes of Health gets an increas of $1.96 billion over 1998 and $819 million over the President's request, bringing 1999 funding to $15.6 billion.

Transportation. This $47.1 billion measure includes highway funding of $25.5 billion. It also provides $9.6 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration. The bill prohibits the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from writing regulations for a national identification card, and provides $1.4 billion less for administrative expenses than the President's request, proposing staff reductions at Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Coast Guard.

Treasury-Postal Service. The $13.4 billion Treasury-Postal bill includes $7.9 billion for the Internal Revenue Service. The bill also requires federal employees' health plans to cover prescription contraceptives, but prohibits plans from covering abortions. The bill blocks a congressional pay raise.