Congress finishes work on several bills before recess
Congress adjourned without a flow control/interstate waste bill. NACo tried to attach it to the FY97 omnibus appropriations. Representative Thomas Bliley (R-Va.), chairman of the House Commerce Committee, opposed the move, and there was lack of agreement on the interstate waste bill between importing and exporting states. Congressional leadership did not want to risk adding the controversial rider.
Airport bill passes Congress
The House and the Senate on the final day of the 104th Congress, passed the federal aviation reauthorization bill. Included in this measure is a two- year extension of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides grants to counties and other local governments for infrastructure projects at airports. The AIP is authorized at $2.2 billion for FY97 and $2.3 billion for FY98. The extension of the airline ticket tax, which funds AIP and expires on Dec. 31, was not included in the bill.
Workforce development bill dies
Despite congressional efforts to transfer authority for job training programs from county elected officials to states, NACo was successful in communicating to Congress the adverse impact on couties of the Workforce Development and Careers Act (H.R. 1617).
The Senate abandoned efforts to pass the bill near the session's end. The measure would have transferred overall authority for job training to the states, eliminated a meaningful role for local elected officials, ended programs targeted to meet the specific needs of economically disadvantaged adults and youth and dislocated workers, and curtailed federal involvement in the nation's school-to-work program. Some Democratic senators used procedural delays because they were concerned that the bill would undermine the nation's training and employment system.
"Local flex" bill perishes
In a final move to win approval for his "local flex" bill (S. 88), Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-Ore.) made a number of concessions to satisfy Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). In so doing, he drew opposition from several key Republicans in the House who sponsored legislation that differs significantly from the revised Senate version.
The bill would have enabled counties to consolidate a number of federal grants in order to operate them more efficiently and effectively. In the revised Senate proposal, Hatfield accepted changes that include limiting the number of local flexibility grants and the number of states that can participate. House Republicans rejected the revised Senate language.
Immigration bill passes
After last-minute negotiations, congressional leaders and the Administration agreed to a deal on the immigration reform bill (H.R. 2202), and attached it to the omnibus spending bill. The provisions that would have made the welfare reform law's deeming requirements retroactive were dropped.
In addition, the transition period for legal immigrants who are currently receiving food stamps was extended until April 1, 1997. Recertifications will begin at that time.
The bill would provide greater reimbursement to state and local governments'
emergency medical care and ambulance services to undocumented immigrants,
but these provisions are subject to appropriations.