95TH CONGRESS 2d Session SENATE { REPORT No. 95-801 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DISASTER MAY 10 (legislative day, APRIL 24), 1978.-Ordered to be printed Mr. MAGNUSON, from the Committee on Appropriations, REPORT [To accompany H.J. Res. 873] The Committee on Appropriations, to which was referred the resolution (H.J. Res. 873), making an urgent supplemental appropriation for the disaster loan program of the Small Business Administration for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978, reports the same to the Senate with amendments and with the recommendation that the joint resolution be passed and submits the following explanation of its recommendation. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DISASTER LOAN FUND The Committee recommends a total of $758,000,000 to enable the Small Business Administration to continue to provide financial assistance to disaster victims who have suffered damages from storms, floods, droughts, and other physical disasters. These funds were requested by the President on April 18, 1978 (House Document 95-321). It is recommended that the $750,000,000 included in the resolution for disaster loans remain available without fiscal year limitation. This amount is for additional capital for the "Disaster Loan Fund," the revolving fund from which disaster loans are made. A total of $1,515,000,000 has already been appropriated to this fund for the current fiscal year-$115,000,000 in the regular appropriation bill for fiscal year 1978 and $1,400,000,000 in the 1978 supplemental bill. In addition, it is estimated that a net of $255,000,000 will be available from other sources, primarily loan repayments. The Small Business Administration now estimates nearly 100,000 physical disaster loan approvals during fiscal year 1978, with an estimated value of $2,310,000,000. Considering the funds already available and the $210,000,000 designated for non-physical disaster loans, the additional $750,000,000 is necessary to meet the projected demand. The current interest rates that apply to these disaster loans, as provided in Public Law 95-89, are as follows: 3 percent for first $250,000; Economic Injury: 3 percent for first $25,000; 65% percent thereafter. Of the total amount recommended in the resolution, $8,000,000 is to be transferred to the "Salaries and expenses" appropriation. These funds, which are used primarily for employing temporary personnel, are required for the processing and administering of disaster loans. SENATE PAYMENTS TO WIDOWS AND HEIRS OF DECEASED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS The Committee recommends an amendment providing, in accordance with longstanding custom, a gratuity equivalent to one year's salary to the widows of the late Senators John L. McClellan, Lee Metcalf, and Hubert H. Humphrey. This practice of paying_death gratuities has been customary in the Senate for approximately 120 years and is identical to the practice followed in the House of Representatives. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ASSISTANCE The Committee recommends a supplemental appropriation of $63.000,000 for Employment and Training Assistance for increased minimum wage costs of the Summer Youth Employment Program. No supplemental request was submitted by the Department of Labor for these purposes and the House has not considered such action. The fiscal year 1978 appropriation for Employment and Training Assistance included $693,000,000 for the Summer Youth Employment Program to support 1,165,000 slots at an assumed minimum wage of $2.30 per hour. Effective January 1, 1978, however, this wage was increased to $2.65 per hour, thereby decreasing the number of slots which could be supported by the fiscal year 1978 appropriation to 1,020,000. An additional $100,000,000 is necessary to restore the pro gram to the level originally mandated, of which $37,000,000 is available through carryover of unspent fiscal year 1977 funds. The balance-$63,000,000-is therefore allowed by the Committee as a further commitment to reducing our Nation's youth unemployment rate which continues to linger far above acceptable levels. BUDGETARY IMPACT OF H.J. RES. 8731 1 Prepared by the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to sec. 308a, Public Law 93-344. 95TH CONGRESS 2d Session SENATE { No. 95-802 REPORT FEDERAL OIL SHALE COMMERCIALIZATION TEST ACT MAY 10 (legislative day, APRIL 24), 1978.-Ordered to be printed Mr. HASKELL, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, submitted the following REPORT together with MINORITY VIEWS [To accompany S. 419] The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was referred the bill (S. 419) to test the commercial, environmental and social viability of various oil shale technologies, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. The amendment is as follows: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the following: That this Act may be cited as the "Federal Oil Shale Commercialization Test Act". FINDINGS AND PURPOSES SEC. 2. (a) The Congress finds and declares that (1) the Nation continues to face a severe energy supply problem; (2) oil shale is a major national resource with the potential of alleviating a significant portion of this supply problem; (3) efforts to demonstrate the commercial viability of oil shale have not been effective; and (4) a program which will ascertain the commercial potential of oil shale and the consequences of its development is needed. (b) It is the purpose of this Act to (1) establish a Federal program to determine the commercial viability of three oil shale retorting technologies; (2) determine whether oil shale can contribute to the Nation's energy supply mix in the near future; (3) evaluate the social and environmental consequences of oil shale commercialization; (4) establish criteria by which to measure the commercial viability and the social and environmental consequences of oil shale development; (5) assure that the technologies developed through this program will be generally available; and (1) |