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the budget request. Such costs shall be covered from funding in this account for MARAD general administration. The conference agreement also includes funding under MARAD general administration under this account to conduct a needs assessment on infrastructure improvements at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, as described in the House report. The

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   MARITIME GUARANTEED LOAN (TITLE XI) PROGRAM ACCOUNT

   The conference agreement provides $6,000,000 in subsidy appropriations for the Maritime Guaranteed Loan Program instead of $5,400,000 as proposed in the House bill and $11,000,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. This amount will subsidize a program level of not more than $1,000,000,000 as proposed in both the House and Senate bills.

   The conference agreement also includes $3,809,000 for administrative expenses associated with the Maritime Guaranteed Loan Program instead of $3,725,000 as proposed in the House bill, and $3,893,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. The amount for administrative expenses may be transferred to and merged with amounts under the MARAD Operations and Training account.

   The conferees understand that MARAD expects to carry over approximately $63,600,000 in this account which may be used as additional subsidy budget authority in fiscal year 2000. The conferees direct MARAD to submit quarterly reports to the Committees on Title XI obligations, including information on total loan principal guaranteed by each separate fiscal year's subsidy appropriation.

   ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--MARITIME ADMINISTRATION

   The conference agreement includes provisions involving Government property controlled by MARAD, the accounting for certain funds received by MARAD, and a prohibition on obligations from the MARAD construction fund. The conference agreement includes these provisions with the modification as proposed in the House bill, instead of as proposed in the Senate bill.

   Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement provides $490,000 for the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, as proposed in the Senate bill, instead of $265,000 as proposed in the House bill. Within the amount provided, the conferees agree that $100,000 is provided as a one-time increase to support Commission efforts to attract private funding for a restoration project in Sarajevo, as described in the House report. The conference agreement includes, by reference, language in the Senate report regarding the completion of surveys in progress.

   Commission on Civil Rights

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $8,900,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Commission on Civil Rights as proposed in both the House and Senate bills.

   The conferees direct the Commission to expedite the completion of its report on the public hearing conducted on May 26, 1999, in New York on Police Practices and Civil Rights.

   The Conferees expect the Commission to keep the Committees informed on the status of management improvements, including developing the ability to plan and budget for projects and to track the progress and ongoing costs of such projects.

   Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $1,400,000 for the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce. The Commission was created by Public Law 105-277. The House and Senate bills did not contain funding for the Commission.

   Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $1,182,000 for the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe instead of $1,170,000 as proposed in the House bill and $1,250,000 as proposed in the Senate bill.

   Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $279,000,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as proposed in both the House and Senate bills.

   Within the total amount, the conference agreement includes $29,000,000 for payments to State and local Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPAs) for specific services to the Co mmission, as proposed in both the House and Senate bills. The conferees encourage the EEOC to utilize the experience the FEPAs have in mediation as the Commission implements its alternative dispute resolution programs. The Committees are willing to entertain proposals to reprogram additional funds to the FEPAs for this purpose.

   The conferees expect the EEOC to submit a spending plan to the Committees before December 31, 1999, describing the allocation of funding to various Commission activities, including private sector charge backlog reduction, ADR and mediation initiatives, litigation, and automation improvements. The conferees expect the EEOC to allocate funds as necessary to achieve private sector charge backlog reduction targets, as noted in the House report.

   Federal Communications Commission

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes a total $210,000,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) instead of $192,000,000 as proposed in the House bill and $232,805,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. Of the amounts provided, $185,754,000 is to be derived from offsetting fee collections, as proposed in both the House and Senate bills, resulting in a net direct appropriation of $24,246,000, instead of $6,246,000 included in the House bill, and $47,051,000 included in the Senate bill.

   The conference agreement does not include a provision, proposed in the Senate bill, giving the FCC the authority to independently operate the FCC headquarters building. The House bill did not contain a provision on this matter.

   The conferees did not retain Senate bill language regarding area code conservation. The conferees are aware that the Commission has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to assist the State public utility commissions in their efforts to conserve numbers in specific area codes. The Commission anticipates issuing an order by the end of the first quarter of 2000. The conferees expect the Commission to keep to this schedule and issue a final order on area code conservation measures no later than March 31, 2000.

   The FCC shall report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Commerce and Committee on Appropriations no later than November 1, 2000, on what, if any, changes can be made to the Uniform System of Accounts to minimize regulatory burdens on telephone companies without adversely affecting universal service, phone and cable rates, competition, and the ability of the FCC to implement and develop communications policy.

   Federal Maritime Commission

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $14,150,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Federal Maritime Commission, as proposed in both the House and Senate bills.

   Federal Trade Commission

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes a total operating level of $125,024,000 for the Federal Trade Commission, instead of $116,679,000 as proposed in the House bill, and $133,368,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. The conference agreement assumes that, of the amount provided, $104,024,000 will be derived from fees collected in fiscal year 2000 and $21,000,000 will be derived from estimated unobligated fee collections available from Fiscal Year 1999. These actions result in a final appropriated level of $0, as proposed in both the House and Senate bills.

   The conferees intend that any excess fee collections shall remain available for the Federal Trade Commission in future years. The conference agreement includes language, not included in either the House or Senate bills, specifying that fees may be retained and used notwithstanding a specific provision of law, rather than notwithstanding any provision of law.

   The conferees agree that increased resources in this account shall be used to help safeguard consumers and nurture the development of the electronic marketplace, consistent with language in the Senate report.

   The conferees support the Commission on its efforts to study the marketing practices of the entertainment industry. The intent of the study is to determine whether and to what extent the industry markets violent material rated for adults to children.

   The conferees understand that the FTC recently completed a report raising questions regarding the health effects of regular cigar smoking. The conferees are aware of concerns that cigar and pipe tobacco remain as the last major tobacco products without a uniform Federal health warning label. The conferees direct the FTC to report back to the Committees on Commission plans for implementing new requirements to address this issue.

   Legal Services Corporati on

    PAYMENT TO THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATI ON

 & nbsp; The conference agreement includes $300,000,000 for payment to the Legal Services Corporati on, as propo sed in the Senate bill, instead of $250,000,000, as proposed in the House bill.

   The conference agreement provides $289,000,000 for grants to basic field programs and independent audits, $8,900,000 for management and administration, and $2,100,000 for the Office of the Inspector General, as proposed by the Senate. The conferees note that $28,000,000 is provided for civil legal assistanc e under the Violence Against Women Act program funded under title I of this bill.

   The conferees expect that any unobligated balances remaining available at the end of the fiscal year may be reallocated among participating programs for technology enhancements and demonstration projects in succeeding fiscal years, subject to the reprogramming procedures in Section 605 of this Act.

   The conferees have concerns about the case service reporting and associated data reports submitted annually by the Corporation's grantees and the case statistical reports submitted by the Corporation to the Co ngress,

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   ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION--LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATI ON

 & nbsp; The Conference recommendation includes bill language to continue the terms and conditions included under this section in the fiscal year 1999 bill, as proposed in the House. The Senate bill contained similar language, but did not propose to continue provisions regarding public disclosure of certain information and treatment of assets and income for certain clients.

   Marine Mammal Commission

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $1,270,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Marine Mammal Commission, instead of $1,240,000 as proposed in the House bill and $1,300,000 as proposed in the Senate bill.

   Securities and Exchange Commission

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement includes $367,900,000 for the Securities and Exchange Commission, instead of $324,000,000 as proposed in the House bill and $370,800,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. The conference agreement includes bill language appropriating separate amounts from offsetting fee collections from fiscal years 1998 and 2000, as proposed in both the House and Senate bills. The conference agreement includes $194,000,000 in fees collected in fiscal year 1998, and $173,800,000 in fees to be collected in fiscal year 2000.

   The conference agreement provides for the Commission's adjustments to base and the requested program increases for additional staff and litigation support. Additional amounts are provided to improve enforcement and investor education related to Internet securities fraud as described in the Senate report.

   The conferees intend that any offsetting fee collections in fiscal year 2000 in excess of $173,800,000 will remain available for the Securities and Exchange Commission in future years through the regular appropriations process.

   The conferees agree that the Commission shall conduct a study on the effects on securities markets of electronic communications networks and extended trading hours, as provided in the Senate bill. This report shall be submitted to the Committees no later than March 1, 2000.

   Small Business Administration

   SALARIES AND EXPENSES

   The conference agreement provides an appropriation of $246,300,000 for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Salaries and Expenses account as proposed in the Senate bill, instead of $245,500,000 as proposed in the House bill.

   In addition to amounts made available under this heading, the conference agreement includes $129,000,000 for administrative expenses under the Business Loans Program account. This amount is transferred to and merged with amounts available under Salaries and Expenses. The conference agreement includes an additional $136,000,000 for administrative expenses under the Disaster Loans Program account, which may under certain conditions be transferred to and merged with amounts available under Salaries and Expenses. These conditions are described under the Disaster Loans Program account.

   The conference agreement provides a total of $107,695,000 for SBA's regular operating expenses under this account. This amount includes $2,000,000 for necessary expenses of the HUBZone program, and $8,000,000 for initiatives to continue the improvement of SBA's management and oversight of its loan portfolio. The SBA shall submit a plan, prior to the expenditure of resources for portfolio management, in accordance with section 605 of this Act.

   The conference agreement does not include new program initiatives requested by the SBA for fiscal year 2000. The conference agreement includes the following amounts for noncredit programs:

   $84,500,000

   3,600,000

   23,200,000

   3,500,000

   500,000

   9,000,000

   790,000

   600,000

   3,100,000

   3,100,000

   615,000

   615,000

   500,000

   500,000

   3,500,000

   500,000

   138,605,000

   Small Business Development Centers (SBDC).--Of the amounts provided for SBDCs, the conference agreement includes $2,000,000 to continue the SBDC Defense transition program, and $1,000,000 to continue the Environmental Compliance Project, as directed in the House report. In addition, the conference agreement includes language proposed in the Senate bill making funds for the SBDC program available for two years.

   Microloan Technical Assistance.--The conference agreement includes $23,200,000 for the Microloan Technical Assistance program. The conferees intend that, in addition, any unobligated fiscal year 1999 funds associated with this program will be applied to the fiscal year 2000 program.

   Advocacy Research.--The conference includes $1,100,000 for Advocacy Research. The conferees encourage the Office of Advocacy to pursue the study identified in the House report on the livestock and agriculture industries.

   The conference agreement adopts language included in the House report directing the SBA to fully LowDoc Processing Centers, and to continue activities assisting small businesses to adapt to a paperless procurement environment, as well as activities which assist small businesses in making the transition to meet both military and ISO 9000 quality systems requirements.

   OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

   The conference agreement provides $11,000,000 for the SBA Office of Inspector General, instead of $10,800,000 as proposed in the House bill and $13,250,000 recommended in the Senate bill.

   An additional $500,000 has been provided under the administrative expenses of the Disaster Loans Program to be made available to the Office of Inspector General for work associated with oversight of the Disaster Loans Program.

   The conferees agree that the OIG should allocate resources to the priority areas mentioned in the Senate report.

   BUSINESS LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

   The conference agreement includes $260,800,000 under the SBA Business Loans Program Account, instead of $222,792,000 as proposed in the House bill, and $297,368,000 as proposed in the Senate bill.

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