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SEC. 301. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION .

It is the sense of the Congress that funding for graduate medical education for children's hospitals is a high priority in this resolution.

SEC. 302. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO THE CLASSROOM.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--

(1) strengthening America's public schools while respecting State and local control is critically important to the future of our children and our Nation;

(2) education is a local responsibility, a State priority, and a national concern;

(3) a partnership with the Nation's governors, parents, teachers, and principals must take place in order to strengthen public schools and foster educational excellence;

(4) the consolidation of various Federal education programs will benefit our Nation's children, parents, and teachers by sending more dollars directly to the classroom; and

(5) our Nation's children deserve an educational system that will provide opportunities to excel.

(b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS- It is the sense of the Congress that--

(1) Congress should enact legislation that would consolidate 31 Federal K-12 education programs; and

(2) the Department of Education , the States, and local educational agencies should work together to ensure that not less than 95 percent of all funds appropriated for the purpose of carrying out elementary and secondary education programs administered by the Department of Education are spent for our children in their classrooms.

Subtitle B--Sense of the House Provisions

SEC. 311. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) while the budget may be in balance, it continues to be ridden with waste, fraud, and abuse;

(2) just last month, auditors documented more than $19,000,000,000 in improper payments each year by such agencies as the Agency of International Development, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Defense;

(3) the General Accounting Office recently reported that the financial management practices of some Federal agencies are so poor that it is unable to determine the full extent of improper Government payments; and

(4) the General Accounting Office now lists a record number of 25 Federal programs that are at `high risk' of waste, fraud, and abuse.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that the Committee on the Budget has created task forces to address this issue and that the President should take immediate steps to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse within the Federal Government and report on such actions to Congress and that any resulting savings should be dedicated to debt reduction and tax relief.

SEC. 312. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING EMERGENCY SPENDING.

It is the sense of the House that, as part of a comprehensive reform of the budget process, the Committees on the Budget should develop a definition of, and a process for, funding emergencies consistent with the applicable provisions of H.R. 853, the Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1999, that could be incorporated into the Rules of the House of Representatives and the Standing Rules of the Senate.

SEC. 313. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ESTIMATES OF THE IMPACT OF REGULATIONS ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) the Federal regulatory system sometimes adversely affects many Americans and businesses by imposing financial burdens with little corresponding public benefit;

(2) currently, Congress has no general mechanism for assessing the financial impact of regulatory activities on the private sector;

(3) Congress is ultimately responsible for making sure agencies act in accordance with congressional intent and, while the executive branch is responsible for promulgating regulations, Congress should curb ineffective regulations by using its oversight and regulatory powers; and

(4) a variety of reforms have been suggested to increase congressional oversight over regulatory activity, including directing the President to prepare an annual accounting statement containing several cost/benefit analyses, recommendations to reform inefficient regulatory programs, and an identification and analysis of duplications and inconsistencies among such programs.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that the House should reclaim its role as reformer and take the first step toward curbing inefficient regulatory activity by passing legislation authorizing the Congressional Budget Office to prepare regular estimates on the impact of proposed Federal regulations on the private sector.

SEC. 314. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON BIENNIAL BUDGETING.

It is the sense of the House that there is a wide range of views on the advisability of biennial budgeting and this issue should be considered only within the context of comprehensive budget process reform.

SEC. 315. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE AND PRESERVING HOME HEALTH SERVICES FOR ALL MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

(a) ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE-

(1) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(A) 44.4 million Americans are currently without health insurance, and that this number is expected to rise to nearly 60 million people in the next 10 years;

(B) the cost of health insurance continues to rise, a key factor in increasing the number of uninsured; and

(C) there is a consensus that working Americans and their families will suffer from reduced access to health insurance.

(2) SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE INSURANCE- It is the sense of the House that access to affordable health care coverage for all Americans is a priority of the 106th Congress.

(b) PRESERVING HOME HEALTH SERVICE FOR ALL MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES-

(1) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(A) the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 reformed Medicare home health care spending by instructing the Health Care Financing Administration to implement a prospective payment system and instituted an interim payment system to achieve savings;

(B) the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act, 1999, reformed the interim payment system to increase reimbursements to low-cost providers and delayed the automatic 15 percent payment reduction until after the first year of the implementation of the prospective payment system; and

(C) patients whose care is more extensive and expensive than the typical Medicare patient do not receive supplemental payments in the interim payment system but will receive special protection in the home health care prospective payment system.

(2) SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ACCESS TO HOME HEALTH CARE- It is the sense of the House that--

(A) Congress recognizes the importance of home health care for seniors and disabled citizens;

(B) Congress and the Administration should work together to maintain quality care for patients whose care is more extensive and expensive than the typical Medicare patient, including the most ill and infirmed Medicare beneficiaries, while home health care agencies operate in the interim payment system; and

(C) Congress and the Administration should work together to avoid the implementation of the 15 percent reduction in the prospective payment system and ensure timely implementation of that system.

SEC. 316. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING MEDICARE+CHOICE PROGRAMS/REIMBURSEMENT RATES.

It is the sense of the House that the Medicare+Choice regional disparity among reimbursement rates is unfair, and that full funding of the Medicare+Choice Program is a priority as Congress considers any Medicare reform legislation.

SEC. 317. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON DIRECTING THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE TO ACCEPT NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN FARM INCOME AVERAGING.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) farmers' and ranchers' incomes vary widely from year-to-year due to uncontrollable markets and unpredictable weather;

(2) in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Congress enacted 3-year farm income averaging to protect agricultural producers from excessive tax rates in profitable years;

(3) last year, the Internal Revenue Service proposed final regulations for averaging farm income, which failed to make clear that taxable income in a given year may be a negative number; and

(4) this Internal Revenue Service interpretation can result in farmers paying additional taxes during years in which they experience a loss in income.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that legislation should be considered during this session of the 106th Congress to direct the Internal Revenue Service to count any net loss of income in determining the proper rate of taxation.

SEC. 318. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) the year 2000 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the National Science Foundation;

(2) the National Science Foundation is the largest supporter of basic research in the Federal Government;

(3) the National Science Foundation is the second largest supporter of university-based research;

(4) research conducted by the grantees of the National Science Foundation has led to innovations that have dramatically improved the quality of life of all Americans;

(5) grants made by the National Science Foundation have been a crucial factor in the development of important technologies that Americans take for granted, such as lasers, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Doppler Radar, and the Internet;

(6) because basic research funded by the National Science Foundation is high-risk, cutting edge, fundamental, and may not produce tangible benefits for over a decade, the Federal Government is uniquely suited to support such research; and

(7) the National Science Foundation's focus on peer-reviewed merit based grants represents a model for research agencies across the Federal Government.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that the function 250 (Basic Science) levels assume an amount of funding which ensures that the National Science Foundation is a priority in the resolution; and that the National Science Foundation's critical role in funding basic research, which leads to the innovations that assure the Nation's economic future, and cultivate America's intellectual infrastructure, should be recognized.

SEC. 319. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES.

It is the sense of the House that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission should continue to carefully monitor the Medicare skilled nursing benefit to determine if payment rates are sufficient to provide quality care, and that if reform is recommended, Congress should pass legislation as quickly as possible to assure quality skilled nursing care.

SEC. 320. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION .

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) all children deserve a quality education , including children with disabilities;

(2) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides that the Federal, State, and local governments are to share in the expense of educating children with disabilities and commits the Federal Government to pay up to 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure for children with disabilities;

(3) the high cost of educating children with disabilities and the Federal Government's failure to fully meet its obligation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act stretches limited State and local education funds, creating difficulty in providing a quality education to all students, including children with disabilities;

(4) the current level of Federal funding to States and localities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is contrary to the goal of ensuring that children with disabilities receive a quality education ;

(5) the Federal Government has failed to appropriate 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure per child with a disability as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to assist States and localities to educate children with disabilities; and

(6) the levels in function 500 (Education ) for fiscal year 2001 assume sufficient discretionary budget authority to accommodate fiscal year 2001 appropriations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, at least $2,000,000,000 above such funding levels appropriated in fiscal year 2000.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that--

(1) function 500 (Education ) levels assume at least a $2,000,000,000 increase in fiscal year 2001 over the current fiscal year to reflect the commitment of Congress to appropriate 40 percent of the national per pupil expenditure for children with disabilities by a date certain;

(2) Congress and the President should increase fiscal year 2001 funding for programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by at least $2,000,000,000 above fiscal year 2000 appropriated levels;

(3) Congress and the President should give programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act the highest priority among Federal elementary and secondary education programs by meeting the commitment to fund the maximum State grant allocation for educating children with disabilities under such Act prior to authorizing or appropriating funds for any new education initiative;

(4) Congress and the President may consider, if new or increased funding is authorized or appropriated for any elementary and secondary education initiative that directs funds to local educational agencies, providing the flexibility in such authorization or appropriation necessary to allow local educational agencies the authority to use such funds for programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and

(5) if a local educational agency chooses to utilize the authority under section 613(a)(2)(C)(i) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to treat as local funds up to 20 percent of the amount of funds the agency receives under part B of such Act that exceeds the amount it received under that part for the previous fiscal year, then the agency should use those local funds to provide additional funding for any Federal, State, or local education program.

SEC. 321. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING HCFA DRAFT GUIDELINES.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) on February 15, 2000, the Health Care Financing Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services issued a draft Medicaid School-Based Administrative Claiming (MAC) Guide; and

(2) in its introduction, the stated purpose of the draft MAC Guide is to provide information for schools, State Medicaid agencies, HCFA staff, and other interested parties on the existing requirements for claiming Federal funds under the Medicaid Program for the costs of administrative activities, such as Medicaid outreach, that are performed in the school setting associated with school-based health services programs.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that--

(1) many school-based health programs provide a broad range of services that are covered by Medicaid, affording access to care for children who otherwise might well go without needed services;

(2) such programs also can play a powerful role in identifying and enrolling children who are eligible for Medicaid, as well as the State Children's Health Insurance programs;

(3) undue administrative burdens may be placed on school districts and States and deter timely application approval;

(4) the Health Care Financing Administration should substantially revise the current draft MAC Guide because it appears to promulgate new rules that place excessive administrative burdens on participating school districts;

(5) the goal of the revised guide should be to encourage the appropriate use of Medicaid school-based services without undue administrative burdens; and

(6) the best way to ensure the continued viability of Medicaid school-based services is to guarantee that the guidelines are fair and responsible.

SEC. 322. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ASSET-BUILDING FOR THE WORKING POOR.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) 33 percent of all American households and 60 percent of African American households have either no financial assets or negative financial assets;

(2) 46.9 percent of children in America live in households with no financial assets, including 40 percent of Caucasian children and 75 percent of African American children;

(3) incentives, including individual development accounts, are tools demonstrating success at empowering low-income workers;

(4) middle and upper income Americans currently benefit from tax incentives for building assets; and

(5) the Federal Government should utilize the Federal tax code to provide low-income Americans with incentives to work and build assets in order to permanently escape poverty.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that the provisions of this resolution assume that Congress should modify the Federal tax law to include Individual Development Account provisions in order to encourage low-income workers and their families to save for buying a first home, starting a business, obtaining an education , or taking other measures to prepare for the future.

SEC. 323. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THE NATION'S EMERGENCY FIRST-RESPONDERS.

(a) FINDINGS- The House finds that--

(1) over 1.2 million men and women work as fire and emergency services personnel in 32,000 fire and emergency medical services departments across the Nation;

(2) over 80 percent of those who serve do so as volunteers;

(3) the Nation's firefighters responded to more than 18 million calls in 1998, including over 1.7 million fires;

(4) an average of 100 firefighters per year lose their lives in the course of their duties; and

(5) the Federal Government has a role in protecting the health and safety of the Nation's fire fighting personnel.

(b) SENSE OF THE HOUSE- It is the sense of the House that--

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