available in fiscal year 1976 is $415,909,000, an increase of $68,709,000 over the total amount to be obligated in 1975. The allowance reflects increases of $68,514,000 in Federal civilian employees benefits and $195,000 in longshoremen's and harbor workers' compensation benefits. The payments in this appropriation are prescribed by law.

The Committee recommends for the interim period (July 1, 1976– September 30, 1976) $70,000,000 the same as the House allowance and the budget request.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Committee recommends $118,221,000, an increase of $10,000,000 over the House allowance, $2,196,000 over the budget estimate, and $16,215,000 over the 1975 appropriation.

The original budget estimate was revised to reflect the impact of the withdrawal of New York, New Jersey and Illinois from the State Grants program and a corresponding reprogramming of funds in 1975 from the State Grants sub-activity to the Federal Inspections sub-activity. Consistent with this, the Committee approves the addition of 350 field compliance personnel, an increase of 50 over the House allowance and the full amount of the Department's request, to provide for federal safety and health coverage in the drop-out States. The Committee believes, however, that the requested funds for these positions in fiscal year 1976, along with those for the positions granted in the regular 1975 appropriation, reflected an unrealistic hiring schedule. The Committee thus concurs with the House in reducing the annualization costs for the new positions by $4,770,000. Since the submission of the Department's original reprogramming request, the Committee has been notified of the withdrawal of Wisconsin, effective June 30, 1975, from the State Grants program. To support federal enforcement activities in Wisconsin, the Committee approves the transfer of $1,700,000 from the State Grants sub-activity to the Federal Inspections sub-activity to finance 37 compliance officers and 16 support positions. The Committee concurs with the House in denying a requested $2,700,000 for a community college training program since the Committee has had no opportunity to determine the merits of such a request. The Committee further concurs with the House in approving increases of $1,500,000 for economic impact studies and $400,000 to allow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to conduct a national survey of occupational injuries in Ohio and Illinois which withdrew from the Statistical State Grant program.

The Committee recommends an addition of $10,000,000 and 833 federal compliance officer positions above the House allowance to increase enforcement activities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The funds for these positions assumes a 50 percent lapse

rate due to the time that it will take to fill the positions. The number of federal compliance officers for fiscal year 1976 will increase to 2,265. This increase will provide for an addition of approximately 10,000 inspections, or from 120,000 to 130,000.

Consistent with the policy of the entire bill, the House reduced, by $334,000 or 10 percent, the request for funds to reimburse the General Services Administration for office space. The Committee concurs with this action. The Committee concurs with the House in allowing $5,000,000 for reimbursement to the States for furnishing consultation services to employees.

The Committee recommends for the interim period (July 1, 1976September 30, 1976) $29,500,000, an increase of $500,000 over the budget request and $2,500,000 over the House allowance.

The Committee recommends $64,846,000, the same as the House allowance, an increase of $3,163,000 over the budget request and $10,424,000 over the 1975 appropriation.

The Committee concurs with the House in allowing 110 of the 164 new positions requested and approving $2,929,000 for new positions and other costs related to the Bureau's statistical programs.

Consistent with the action taken throughout the bill, the Committee concurs with the House in reducing the requested funds for reimbursement to the General Services Administration for space by $237,000 or 10 percent.

The Committee concurs with the House in approving several small program decreases totaling $1,032,000.

The Committee further concurs with the House in adding $5,000,000 over the budget to enable the Bureau to expand the Current Population Survey, the principal unemployment index published by the Bureau.

The Committee recommends that Bureau of Labor Statistics initiate development of a quarterly Consumer Price Index measure of price change over time-not between areas-for the urban area of Fairbanks, Alaska, and directs that $150,000 be used for this purpose.

The Committee recommends for the interim period (July 1, 1976September 30, 1976) $16,210,000, an increase of $960,000 over the budget request and the same as the House allowance.

The Committee recommends $32,297,000, the same as the House allowance, a decrease of $945,000 from the budget estimate, and an in

crease of $1,958,000 over the 1975 appropriation. The bill includes the authority to transfer $881,000, the amount requested and an increase of $61,000 over 1975, from the Unemployment Trust Fund.

The Committee concurs with the House in reducing $500,000 in requested annualization costs for two reasons. First, the Congress in 1975 approved only 60 of the requested 80 positions related to the Department's increased responsibilities under the Trade Act of 1974. Second, the Committee believes that the trade positions will not be filled as early as projected in the budget estimate.

The Committee concurs with the House in reducing, by $162,000, the amount requested for the 13 positions for the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity as the Committee feels that the budget estimate reflected an unrealistic recruitment schedule.

The Committee concurs with the House in directing that all future budget requests reflect in this account all attorneys who are assigned to, or performing work for, the Office of the Solicitor.

The Committee directs that by January 1, 1976 no positions authorized under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, including the 25 supergrades, be filled by persons who spend less than 80 percent of their time on implementation of the Act.

The Committee recommends for the interim period (July 1, 1976September 30, 1976) $7,781,000, together with $221,000, be transferred from the Unemployment Trust Fund, the same as the House allowance and the budget request.

The Committee recommends $70,000, the same as the House allowance, a reduction of $130,000 from the budget estimate and the 1975 appropriation. The Committee believes that this amount, together with the fiscal year 1975 carryover balance of $130,000, will support the two regional conferences for American labor attaches, economic officers, and labor reporting officers stationed in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

No funds were requested for the interim period, July 1, 1976-September 30, 1976.

TITLE II

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE GENERAL STATEMENT

The Committee has prepared this report to accompany the Departments of Labor and Health, Education and Welfare and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill. Work on this particular bill was begun many months ago, when the President's budget was first transmitted to the Congress. In reality, however, the work of the programs and activities contained in this bill began years ago. The success of these programs is largely due to the efforts of many individuals working to develop, implement, and improve services to the people of this country.

The current economic situation is all too often addressed in terms of dollars and cents. Because of this, the Committee believes, many have lost sight of the true impact on our citizens of programs contained in this bill. Discussion of economic potential is incomplete if it ignores the potential that can and must be fulfilled by raising this Nation's standards of well-being. Maximum level of production is just a phrase unless thought of in terms of people. To speak of economic recovery merely in terms of fiscal policy is to continue to treat the symptom and not the cause. That is, thousands of individuals and their families suffer everyday at the hands of disease and debilitating handicaps and only by alleviating the hardships on these individuals can we ever hope to realize the full potential and promise of our society.

In many instances, the Committee views the President's budget request as unacceptably low. Gaps exist throughout the various programs and activities funded by this bill. The Committee considers it inexcusable to have these programs operate in low gear or reverse in a time of economic crisis. Our young and elderly are considered to be the hardest hit by the current economic situation. Yet, programs which provide critically needed services to both groups are proposed at unrealistically low funding levels. The problems which threaten the well-being of our people-such as cancer, heart disease, alcoholism, and drug abuse-are not insoluble. To overcome these maladies requires a combined, uninterrupted effort on everyone's part. The Committee views the bill as a significant contribution to that effort.

PERSONNEL

The Committee has specifically earmarked 881 positions in the bill for various health programs. The Committee notes that the positions provided represent increases over those authorized in fiscal year 1975. (However, the absence of a specific earmark should not be considered