[COMMITTEE PRINT] COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DOC. - Y4.P84/10: AC8/966 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE DURING THE EIGHTY-NINTH CONGRESS « ** 0 £C *• NOVEMBER 1966 loyrigfliviMj VPAfifiU 8S0MUJI /: /'4MAH0-AMA8FU TA Printed for the use of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service 71-231 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1966 KL ,.- i... s ( \yy . •/ t : •i'rf m 7r... X J . ■ : : . ,r C- I r , t j t . r 7 I J ;r .■-■t 1 ■ ) I. : f j r COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE TOM MURRAY, Tennessee, Chairman JAMES H. MORRISON, Louisiana, Vice Chairman ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania H. R. GROSS, Iowa GLENN CUNNINGHAM, Nebraska EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, Illinois ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, Kansas ALBERT W. JOHNSON, Pennsylvania JOHN H. BUCHANAN, Jr., Alabama JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina * i' « . f , i i ; / THADDEUS J. DULSKI, New York DAVID N. HENDERSON, North Carolina ARNOLD OLSEN, Montana MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona DOMINICK V. DANIELS, New Jersey LINDLEY BECKWORTH, Texas ■ ROBERT N. C. NIX, Pennsylvania JOE R. POOL, Texas WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii PAUL J. KREBS, New Jersey RAYMOND F. CLEVENGER, Michigan JAMES M. HANLEY, New York JOHN V. TUNNEY, California CHARLES H. WILSON, California i JEROME R. WALDIE, California 2 Charles E. Johnson, Staff Director B. Benton Bray, Associate Staff Director John H. Martiny, Counsel William A. Irvine, Assistant Staff Director Theodore J. Kazy, Senior Staff Assistant 1 Mr. Charles H. Wilson of California appointed Oct. 21, 1965. 2 Mr. Jerome R. Waldie of California appointed July 18, 1966. notes Mr. Harley O. Staggers’ resignation accepted Oct. 14,1965. H. Res. 916, approved July 18, 1966, increased membership of committee to 26 during remainder of 89th Congress. I II UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN > 1 . * .k . Standing Subcommittees of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, 89th Congress, Appointed February 25, 1965 • ' ' . ' - OSH IMA1 ’ „ . I ‘ ' ' Subcommittee on Postal Rates JAMES H. MORRISON, Louisiana, Chairman THADDEUS J. DULSKI, New York ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, Kansas ARNOLD OLSEN, Montana GLENN CUNNINGHAM, Nebraska MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona ALBERT W. JOHNSON, Pennsylvania DOMINICK V. DANIELS, New Jersey JOE R. POOL, Texas Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania . Subcommittee on Postal Operations . ;. u ,. . .. .. t \ . / * ; . y l >' : * ’ * : 1 . ' THADDEUS J. DULSKI, New York, Chairman JAMES H. MORRISON, Louisiana GLENN CUNNINGHAM,'Nebraska DAVID N. HENDERSON, North Carolina H. R. GROSS, Iowa DOMINICK V. DANIELS, New Jersey ALBERT W. JOHNSON, Pennsylvania ROBERT N. C. NIX, Pennsylvania WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania Subcommittee on Manpower DAVID N. HENDERSON, North Carolina, Chairman LINDLEY BECKWORTH, Texas H. R. GROSS, Iowa RAYMOND F. CLEVENGER, Michigan EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, Illinois JAMES M. HANLEY, New York JOHN H. BUCHANAN, Jr., Alabama JOHN V. TUNNE Y, California CHARLES H. WILSON, California 3 Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT j. CORBETT, Pennsylvania Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization ARNOLD OLSEN, Montana, Chairman JAMES H. MORRISON, Louisiana EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, Illinois DOMINICK V. DANIELS, New Jersey GLENN CUNNINGHAM, Nebraska PAUL J. KREBS, New Jersey JAMES T. BRO YHILL, North Carolina JAMES M. HANLEY, New York JOHN V. TUNNE Y, California . ' Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania 3 Became member of subcommittee Oct. 29,1965, in place of Mr. Nix who resigned Oct. 29, 1965. Ill Subcommittee on Compensation MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona, Chairman JAMES H. MORRISON, Louisiana JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina ARNOLD OLSEN, Montana EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, Illinois JOE R. POOL, Texas ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, Kansas SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii PAUL J. KREBS, New Jersey Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania Subcommittee on Retirement, Insurance, and Health Benefits DOMINICK V. DANIELS, New Jersey, Chairman LINDLEY BECKWORTH, Texas GLENN CUNNINGHAM, Nebraska WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania H. R. GROSS, Iowa SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii JOHN H. BUCHANAN, Jr., Alabama RAYMOND F. CLEVENGER, Michigan JAMES M. HANLEY, New York Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania Subcommittee on Civil Service LINDLEY BECKWORTH, Texas, Chairman THADDEUS J. DULSKI, New York ALBERT W. JOHNSON, Pennsylvania ROBERT N. C. NIX, Pennsylvania ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, Kansas WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii RAYMOND F. CLEVENGER, Michigan Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania Subcommittee on Census and Statistics - • • ■' *- »- - • • r " 1 ' - ROBERT N. C. NIX, Pennsylvania, Chairman * ARNOLD OLSEN, Montana JOHN H. BUCHANAN, Jr., Alabama MORRIS K. UD ALL, Arizona H. R. GROSS, Iowa JOE R. POOL, Texas EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, Illinois PAUL J. KREBS, New Jersey JOHN V. TUNNEY, California Ex Officio Voting Members TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania . J 4 Mr. Nix was made chairman to replace Mr. Staggers, Oct. 21,1965. IV CONTENTS Page Committee reorganization_ Part I.—Major Committee Activities_ Federal personnel policy_ Postal affairs_ Armed Forces postal service_ Parcel post_ Motor carrier transportation of mail_ Postal facilities, research and development_ European area postal service_ Pacific area postal service_ Part II.—Legislation Approved by the Committee_ Public laws_ House-passed bills pending in the Senate_ Union Calendar_ Legislation not approved by the President_ Disapproved by the House_ Committee reports pending_ Part III.—Standing Subcommittees_ Subcommittee on Postal Rates_ Subcommittee on Postal Operations_ Subcommittee on Manpower_ Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization_ Subcommittee on Compensation_ Subcommittee on Retirement, Insurance, and Health Benefits Subcommittee on Civil Service_ Subcommittee on Census and Statistics_ Part IV.—Committee Publications_ Appendix.—Rules of the Committee_ t _ v O0i0lCrcCr«£<.||*>00C0C0C0C0C003t0t0l—‘I—‘ H-*^l^t0OOiC000C50000h-‘l-‘OC005^l-*C0*: o o ■ ._ . _m • ’ - _ ■_’ ot«] .1 . . • - 0 a > - _ - . - _ _ _ __ _ _ . . *: £ __'v:>ivv^ . .7 ,y o r T « ft;:.- _ ■ _ __ __.J£t*viq >v ;!i h wui)* i r■ • s> V T - .... (V !-•* /«.? • i , < i ... '■lilif 1 :uO oiij 1 i>«r/c \qi\t. noij - .IT i"7 c f ■■-•■■■ nr ; ’ • ■ _ • .•' • ■ p* < _ _mg. I *? ' "■ i ; l . i f - :: ’ *», -. - — —* - -• — ■ ■ 0<- TT iff? 1 'MOiKUsS grf:bf!«i^-*vTII Itfi'I tell I»: ' V rf> Uw-;J ■ -. . . ...... _ qitel' f " : ■ 11 1 _ . .... >i r i : b ’ _rjp: fl r : DHf; .‘.*0-: -'ir«aj • f«. ' G r ! '' __ ... , -..7'- r t ■ • : . ... J< b r - J !•: ’ ..... . . _ . . _. II • ■ •• >* 'If ■ •. / r 'jt• T . ‘■■3 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COM- MITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE, 89TH CONGRESS COMMITTEE REORGANIZATION The committee at its regular monthly meeting, on February 25, 1965, adopted a reorganization plan comprising major changes of policy and procedure in order to facilitate the prompt and efficient transaction of committee business. The substance of the reorgani¬ zation, and its operational effects, are spelled out in a new and com¬ prehensive set of committee rules which are printed in the appendix of this summary. The committee rules, among other matters, establish eight standing subcommittees, each having both legislative and investigative au¬ thority and responsibility in specific areas of committee jurisdiction. These subcommittee authorities and responsibilities in the aggregate are equated to substantially the sum of the committee’s authority and responsibility. The committee rules provide for the prompt referral to the several subcommittees of all bills, resolutions, and investigative and other matters within or related to their respective areas of authority and responsibility. The workload of the committee thus is divided among the subcommittees and the members in a manner most conducive to the proper consideration of committee affairs and the orderly, thorough, and expeditious transaction of committee business. 1 -MO) 38UOH 3HT 10 171X0/ 30 YflAMM'J2 ,3017332 JI/IO CM A 301330 1201 Y,0 33TTIM -■vIfev)VK,0 Aim — vjnTAsriu;yno ,;c /ior> /L' TIOL-: i-3 r r CO .glji 00.3 Ylii j.OOO' 7l;f' >0*1 8X1 : 'fj 0' . i i f . 0X00 QilT i 0. 1 ' v ;: '-••'it ll • III' ' C2- • . Si ' 9 f«' (> i .3601 to U ■ V 1 oj; 0 *10 i ; '•;■ ' :-9 - i " if: f| ' . zii) o/ it boXi . e ifoii!// fc' ox o > J am .•» ••• i ovi , r -nq /fi .ni nun \o ' ~Ur. 9VJ -V • . rflj i liisl ( 111 . U-V , O } h/’TO-x. t . o toi ! ' no 7 r:./j , y (8 <' f ;/ 0(, c ! )ioj V . roxlt 6 J • fli toiliyy yaoq-m I; r.< i’ixot : er? irri, : *■ 0 x 2 oaoriT .vl •idrauoqa r i to 02 ■ f <• -arv* >3 tuoxo" , vdx * t *'•'.< xq ;of i * rtxoxcuoo e/'T 00. n .. 9 vi :;o 19-WT l»,'t iOl L . T\ lb* O.y 89 " t 1 j< a.kTta 99 i)immoa lo <••■i-T/t*.si ooqoTq eilJ ox .r2' ur 0 . u -i-v.-' ; • : ii) . a .ft: 1 0*1 dJ t PART I.—MAJOR COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES The record of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service during the 89th Congress represents an impressive range of accomplish¬ ments. In numerical terms alone, the workload and the activities of the committee and its eight standing subcommittees are remarkable. In all, 870 bills and resolutions, including 6 Senate-passed bills, were referred to the committee. The standing subcommittees devoted 128 days of public hearings to consideration of the major portion of these bills. Fifteen days of hearings were held on other matters. A total of 47 bills and 1 resolution were favorably reported to the House by the full committee, which also adversely reported 1 resolution. Of the bills that were within the jurisdiction of the committee, 42 were enacted by the House—22 by unanimous consent, 13 under suspension of the rules, 2 on record votes, and 5 on voice votes. Thirty-two public laws were enacted. The time and the attention of the committee were directed largely to the two broadest and most active areas of its jurisdiction—Federal personnel policy and postal affairs. Seven of the eight standing subcommittees deal with these matters. The eighth subcommittee, Census and Statistics, is responsible for the highly complex census and statistical activities of the Federal Government. Upon recommendation of the subcommittee, hearings dealing with the planning, programing, and conducting of the 1970 census of population, unemployment, and housing, were held by the full committee. A detailed explanation of the legislation is included in part II— “Legislation Approved by the Committee,” and summaries of the major activities of the subcommittees are included in part III— “Standing Subcommittees.” A summary of the activities in the two major areas is set forth below. Federal Personnel Policy The committee’s jurisdiction and responsibility with respect to personnel policy in general encompasses the utilization, salaries, fringe benefits, and rights and remedies of all civilian officers and employees of the Federal Government. Initial responsibility for the committee’s personnel policy, legislative and investigative functions (except certain postal matters) is delegated, under the committee rules, to the standing Subcommittees on Manpower, on Compensation, on Retirement, In¬ surance, and Health Benefits, and on Civil Service. These four sub¬ committees carried out their responsibilities through carefully planned and vigorously implemented dual programs of legislative deliberation and investigative development. A total of 485 bills and 8 resolutions was assigned to the 4 subcommittees. The subject matter of all but a comparatively few of the bills was actively considered in public hearings and the drafting of legislative measures that became law. 3 71-231—66 2 4 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE As has become traditional, most of these bills dealt with employee pay or fringe benefits, or both, as did the major personnel legislative products of the four subcommittees. Two general salary increase and fringe benefits laws for 1.75 million officers and employees and a retirement annuity adjustment bill for over 700,000 retirees and surviving beneficiaries were enacted. The administration’s request for additional top-level positions to strengthen management and scientific and research activities in the departments and agencies, somewhat modified, was enacted into law, with the understanding that further consideration will be accorded the administration’s needs early in the next Congress. The two pay raise acts, taken together, added 6.6 percent, in the aggregate, to the salaries of postal and other Federal employees as in effect before the first raise. The fringe benefits in these acts include the granting of severance pay to employees who are involuntarily separated; liberalization of overtime and holiday pay; 25 percent premium pay for scheduled Sunday work; the establishment of a basic 5-day, 8-hour-per-day workweek for postal employees; reloca¬ tion allowances for postal employees upon transfer of official station; voluntary retirement at age 55 after 30 years of service without re¬ duction in annuity for years under age 60; voluntary retirement at age 60 with 20 years of service; mandatory payment of allowances for uniforms; and a substantial increase in the Government’s contribution to the cost of the health benefits program. The retirement annuity law granted increases in annuities and survivor benefits ranging from 6.1 percent to 15 percent, with the higher percentages going to those whose benefits lag most seriously behind increased living costs. It also established a new and far more beneficial formula for the acceleration of the automatic “cost-of-living adjustment” feature of the Retirement Act by assigning a more realistic and sensitive monthly price index indicator. Under the new formula, when the Consumer Price Index of the Bureau of Labor Statistics has risen to a level 3 percent or more over its level when the last previous retirement annuity increase became effective, and remains at or above such higher level for 3 consecutive months, annuities will be increased by the highest percentage of the rise for any 1 of those 3 months. The annuity increases will become effective 2 months later. It is expected that an automatic cost-of-living increase of 3.9 percent will become effective January 1, 1967, in each annuity which has a commencing date not later than January 1, 1967. With respect to top-level management, scientific, and research po¬ sitions, the administration requested 100 such positions in the 1st session of the 89th Congress, to meet requirements of agencies created or expanded after June 30, 1965. This request was fulfilled by S. 2393, passed by the Senate but not acted on in the House during the first session. When the committee took up this legislation in the second session, the administration submitted a request for 300 positions, based upon its more complete evaluation of the requirements of all departments and agencies. The Manpower Subcommittee approved this new request, and added special provisions for certain agencies customarily accorded individual committee consideration. The sub¬ committee bill was enacted by the House but the Senate disagreed and requested a conference. The committee of conference recom¬ mended, and both Houses approved, authorization of approximately COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 5 two-thirds of the positions requested by the administration for Gov¬ ernment-wide use and four-fifths of the special positions recommended by the subcommittee for certain agencies. The four subcommittees dealing with personnel policy considered and developed 26 bills, 19 of which became law. Only seven of the bills reported by these subcommittees did not become law. Postal Affairs The 89th Congress was one of the busiest and most productive in committee history in terms of legislative and investigative measures to strengthen the postal service. The committee responsibility in this field is delegated under the committee rules to the standing Subcommittees on Postal Rates, on Postal Operations, and on Postal Facilities and Modernization. The three postal subcommittees conducted extensive and pro¬ ductive legislative and investigative programs. They reported 16 bills and resolutions. All but one of the reported bills were passed by the House, and nine became law. The postal subcommittees devoted a major share of their time and attention to four major areas: mail service for members of the Armed Forces overseas; parcel post; modernization of postal facilities, includ¬ ing research and development activities; and authorization for transportation of mail by regulated motor carriers. Armed Forces postal service The Postmaster General is authorized by title 39, United States Code, section 705(d) to establish branch post offices at Armed Forces installations located both within and outside of the United States. The branch post offices are operated jointly by the Post Office De¬ partment and Department of Defense. The Department of Defense is responsible for the cost of the postal service outside the United States. Legislation and investigations relating to the operation of the Armed Forces postal service received significant attention by the full committee, the Subcommittees on Postal Rates, on Postal Operations, and on Postal Facilities and Modernization. There were over 60 bills relating to mail for servicemen referred to the committee. Those relating to rate adjustments or free mail for servicemen were within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Postal Rates, and those relating primarily to the operation of the Armed Forces postal service, such as those providing for the airlift of overseas mail, were handled by the Subcommittee on Postal Oper¬ ations. Two major groups of bills were considered, and two public laws resulted from such consideration. Public Law 89-315 handled by the Subcommittee on Postal Rates, authorized free letter mail when mailed by servicemen in combat areas, lower rates for some air parcel post to servicemen overseas, and airlift for small packages between a combat area and the United States. Public Law 89-725, handled by the Subcommittee on Postal Oper¬ ations, added sound recordings to the free mail privilege when mailed by servicemen in combat areas, and extended the overseas airlift to a worldwide basis for first-class letter mail, sound recordings, and 6 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE small parcels. It also provided for the airlift of current news value publications to servicemen in combat areas. A third major area of legislation involves the proposals authorizing parcels addressed to or mailed by servicemen to be transported by air within the United States upon payment of a special airlift fee rather than at the premium air parcel post rate. Several bills were pending before the Subcommittee on Postal Operations on this matter, such as H.R. 18344. Legislation on this subject will be scheduled for consideration early during the 90th Congress. The investigative activities relating to the Armed Forces postal service were centered around two major studies. The first was per¬ formed jointly by the three postal subcommittees in connection with their European trip. House Report 1226, “Postal Systems of U.S. Armed Forces and Certain Countries in Europe,” covers this study and is discussed herein. The two public laws referred to above carry out recommendation No. 1 of that report. Another major study of the Armed Forces postal service was con¬ ducted at the request of the chairman of the full committee and con¬ sists of a review of the Armed Forces postal service in the Pacific area. The results of this study are included in House Report 2198, entitled “Postal Systems of the U.S. Armed Forces—-Vietnam and Thailand,” which is discussed in detail under the heading, “Pacific area postal service.” Parcel post The Postmaster General’s official recommendation to increase rates and size and weight limitations on parcel post was the subject of extensive hearings before the Postal Rates Subcommittee. The sub¬ committee bill, H.R. 14904, was approved by the committee and passed the House with only minor changes. Amended in the Senate in the form of a compromise to ease the impact on private enterprise package carriers, the compromise was approved by both Houses and became Public Law 89-593. This law is designed to help ■eliminate the deficit in parcel post operations and will provide the basis for better and more uniform package transportation service to the public. Motor carrier transportation of mail The Subcommittee on Postal Operations conducted exhaustive hear¬ ings in both sessions of the 89th Congress on legislation to authorize the Postmaster General to contract for the transportation of mail by regulated motor common carriers. Working in close cooperation with postal officials and representatives of all segments of the transporta¬ tion industry, the subcommittee developed a bill satisfactory to the Postmaster General and to the motor carrier industry, with provisions designed to assure equitable treatment of all private enterprise carri¬ ers, but the bill was not reported by the committee because of cer¬ tain questions concerning its effect on transportation of mail by rail. Further consideration of the measure is planned by the subcommittee in the next Congress. Postal facilities , research and development Investigative and study activities of the Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization disclosed very serious shortcomings in the research and development activities, and in the facilities and COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 7 modernization program, of the postal establishment. Accordingly, the subcommittee developed legislation which became Public Law 89-492, establishing a sixth Assistant Postmaster General to head up a new Bureau of Research, Development, and Engineering and providing for two directorships within the Bureau, one for research and development and the other for construction engineering. The new Bureau is charged with responsibility for a vastly accelerated program of plan¬ ning, research, and development of new and effective methods and facilities for the receipt, distribution, transportation, and delivery of the 80 billion pieces of mail entrusted to the postal establishment each year. This subcommittee also gave primary attention to an investigation of the effect of the Postmaster General’s order requiring ZIP coding of second- and third-class mailings beginning in January of 1967. The subcommittee plans to closely observe the results of the ZIP coding directive, in the exercise of the legislative oversight responsibility imposed by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946. A more detailed discussion of this activity is set forth in part III of this summary. European area postal service The legislative and administrative improvements initiated by the committee during the 89th Congress were strongly influenced by the on-site inspection study by the three postal subcommittees of postal systems of the U.S. Armed Forces and of certain European countries following the close of the 1st session of the 89th Congress. The information gathered by this study convinced the committee of the urgent need for improving mail service to our military personnel serving in all parts of the world. The study also produced valuable information regarding automation and modernization, research pro¬ grams, coding of mail, employee training, and international coopera¬ tion with other nations of the world. It is noteworthy that of the five recommendations made by the subcommittees as a result of the European study, contained in House Report 1226, all have now been adopted, either by legislation or by administrative action of the Postmaster General. The five recommendations and the action taken to implement them are as follows: 1. Legislation should be enacted requiring that mail addressed to or sent by servicemen overseas be transported by the fastest means of trans¬ portation available, vjhich generally would be air transportation. As indicated earlier, the committee originated two public laws— Public Law 89-315 and Public Law 89-725—to implement this recommendation. The new legislation in general provides, among other matters, for overseas airlift on a space-available basis of mail to and from servicemen who are on duty in combat areas. In addition, the Postmaster General has ordered that all first-class mail addressed to servicemen in the Pacific area, or bearing a serviceman’s Armed Forces return address from that part of the world, be moved by air domestically whenever possible. 2. The Post Office Department should adopt more ambitious and real¬ istic programs directed at automation of mail handling and modernization of postal facilities. 8 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE On January 18, 1966, the Postmaster General announced a massive program to accelerate mechanization and modernization of the Nation’s postal system. The initial phase of the program—scheduled for immediate implementation—involved installation of the most modern mail handling equipment in 109 post offices which handle approximately 60 percent of the Nation’s mail. It is to be followed up with a systematic effort to modernize the entire postal complex within the coming few years. High-speed letter sorters, ZIP code ‘headers,” self-service post offices, facing and canceling machines, edger-stackers, automatic sack sorting machines, high-speed parcel post systems, and closed circuit television are all scheduled for installation in the first phase of the accelerated mechanization program. The Postmaster General also established in the Department an “Office of Planning” to chart postal service improvements for the immediate future and blueprint new programs to meet future service needs. 3. The Post Office Department budget for research and development should be substantially increased; programs of research should be em¬ ployed to develop new systems, to evaluate old concepts, and to provide the tools for keeping pace with a mail explosion of 2 billion pieces annually. The committee originated legislation (Public Law 89-492) the purpose of which is to “encourage, advance, and accelerate the research and development and construction engineering programs of the Post Office Department and to provide for improvements in the administration of such programs.” The act provides for a reorganization of the Post Office Department’s research and develop¬ ment activities by placing them on the Assistant Secretary level under a new Assistant Postmaster General. It also authorizes additional personnel to establish within the Department the organizational structure necessary to give proper recognition and new impetus and priority to research and development. In addition, the Postmaster General has sought to tap research capacities in management and technology by announcing plans for studies to be conducted by three of the Nation’s leading educational institutions—Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering, Michigan State University, and Southern Methodist University. According to the Postmaster General, the contracts were the beginning of a continuing program of research to bring to postal problems a fresh approach and new ideas. It is the first time in history that the Department has turned to the Nation’s educational institutions on such a scale for assistance in solving problems of burgeoning mail volumes, increasing operating costs, and rapidly changing trans¬ portation patterns. J], There should be a thorough review of the Post Office Department training and development program for postal employees. In January 1966, the Postmaster General announced a six-point long-range recruiting program highlighted by an unprecedented 5-year plan of college recruiting to infuse “new blood” into postal manage¬ ment and to provide a new talent for postal managers of the future. In June he signed a contract with the University of Oklahoma to conduct twelve 1-week training sessions for postal service officers and trainees from every section of the Nation. He inaugurated a nation- COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 9 wide job training program for postmasters, designed “to assist them in learning their jobs more quickly and in providing better postal service.” 5. The Post Office Department should consider the possibility of sponsoring a greater exchange of knowledge and postal technology among the nations of the world and give serious attention to the advisability of cooperating with foreign nations on adopting standardized mechanical and coding systems. In mid-1966 the Postmaster General reorganized the International Service Division by placing it under his immediate jurisdiction, with authority to carry out the intent of the committee’s recommendation No. 5. He informed the committee that he is “in complete accord with this view of the committee,” and that, based on the recommenda¬ tion, his post office advisory board had initiated a “questionnaire on postal research, development and mechanization,” which had been sent to seven European nations and Japan. A summary and analysis of the replies to the questionnaire are included in the hearings on H.R. 13822. Pacific area postal service At the request of the chairman of the committee, Representative Paul J. Krebs, a member of the committee, made an on-site inspection of the mail service to the members of the Armed Forces in the Far East. During the period August 25 to September 6, 1966, Representative Krebs and his party visited officials and Armed Forces postal facilities at the Postal Concentration Center, San Francisco, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, several installations under the U.S. Military Assistance Command in Vietnam, and the postal system in Tokyo, Japan and Hong Kong. The results of this study are included in House Report 2198, entitled “Postal Systems of the U.S. Armed Forces—Vietnam and Thailand.” The report includes five recommendations: 1 . Free mailing privileges for first-class letter mail and transportation by air for small parcels, now authorized by Public Law 89-315, for service¬ men in combat areas, should be provided for such servicemen while on rest and recreation outside the combat area. 2. It is recommended that both the Department of Defense and the Post Office Department intensify their efforts to inform the servicemen, the public, and particularly the post office window clerks ( a) to provide correct and complete addresses on military mail; and ( b ) to use the lowest correct parcel post rate , particularly when surface rates for air transportation delivery are applicable under Public Law 89-315. 3. It is recommended that efforts be intensified to provide an aerial port of entry for the northern sector of South Vietnam, to extend a daily flight from Saigon to Bangkok, and to obtain additional landing permits in Manila for the sole purpose of handling military mail and cargo. J+. Publicity should be given for the American public to discontinue mailing gift packages addressed to 11 Any GI in Vietnam” or to any APO addressee for the use of a local Vietnamese, and to promote, in lieu thereof, hometown pen pal letters to servicemen by name and full APO address. 5. All mail addresssed to or sent by servicemen in the Pacific area should be transported by air on a space-available basis. With regard to the first recommendation, H.R. 18318 was sponsored by Mr. Krebs and was pending before the Subcommittee on Postal Operations at the close of Congress. 10 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Recommendations Nos. 2 and 4, relating to additional publicity concerning the air parcel post rates and unauthorized APO mail, the Post Office Department has advised that both recommendations have been implemented by subsequently issued postal bulletins and press releases. In regard to recommendation No. 3 concerning additional com¬ mercial landing privileges, both the Department of Defense and the State Department have advised that they are continuing to exert all possible efforts to obtain the additional commercial landing privileges for U.S. carriers in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. Recommendation No. 5 has been implemented for overwater transportation by Public Law 89-725 and will be supplemented further by enactment of H.R. 18344 relating to airlift within the United States. PART II.—LEGISLATION APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE PUBLIC LAWS Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. Clarification of Certain Civil Service Retirement Provisions S9-17 This legislation restates and reaffirms the congressional intent of the words “entitled to receive an annuity” contained in the 1958 (Public Law 85-465) and 1962 (Public Law 87-793) annuity increase law r s. The legisla¬ tion provides that those persons entitled to receive an annuity commencing at some future date after the effective date of the legislation which contains the phrase “re¬ ceiving or entitled to receive an annuity” are not entitled to receive the annuity in¬ crease granted by such legislation. H.R. 2594 Retirement 35 Amendment to Retired Federal Em¬ ployees Health Benefits Act 89-45 This legislation eliminates the 2 percent limitation on administrative expenses pre¬ scribed in the Retired Federal Employees Health Benefits Act, and provides that the fund be available to the extent as may be specified in the annual appropriations acts. H.R. 1782 Full committee 34 Application of Evacuation and Allot¬ ment Pay to Government Printing Office 89-47 This legislation brings employees of the Government Printing Office within the provisions of Public Law 87-304, which authorizes the voluntary allotment apd as¬ signment of compensation for payment of such items as the head of the department deems appropriate and the payment of compensation and allowances when emer¬ gency evacuation has been ordered. H.R. 1732 Civil Service 361 Exemption of Postal Field Service From Sec. 1310 of Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1952 (Whitten Amendment) 89-114 This legislation removes the permanent personnel of the postal field service from the ceiling on the number of permanent Federal employees established by the 1952 act. H.R. 6622 Postal Operations 220 11 71-231—06 3 12 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Public Law No. 89-116 89-205 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Bill No. and H. Rept. subcommittee No. 5-Day Week for Postmasters This legislation provides a 5-day week for postmasters in 1st-, 2d-, and 3d-class post offices and permits the basic salaries of postmasters in 4th-class post offices to be adjusted on the basis of salary received the preceding calendar year, instead of the pre¬ ceding fiscal year. It further stipulates that this law shall not be considered as permitting the closing of any post office on any week¬ day, Monday through Saturday, inclusive. H.R. 1771 Postal Operations 294 Civil Service Retirement Annuity Increase Sec. 1(a) redefines the Consumer Price H.R. 8469 Index to mean the monthly price average Retirement instead of the average over a full calendar year. Sec. 1(a) also defines a new term, “base month” to mean the month referred to for determining an increase in annuities after the first increase granted by this act. Sec. 1(b) would allow the Commission to use money in the retirement fund to pay the administrative expenses of increasing annuities instead of paying such expenses out of the Commission’s budget. This language is considered necessary be¬ cause of the virtual impossibility of deter¬ mining when a future increase will occur. Without adequate funds to pay the salaries and other expenses of administering an in¬ crease, delay in providing the increases could occur. Sec. 1(c) increases the annuities of all persons who are entitled to receive a civil service annuity on the effective date of this act: 1. All annuities which commenced (or, if a survivor annuity, are based on annuities which commenced) on or be¬ fore Oct. 1, 1956 (the date of the major amendments to the retirement act), shall be increased by 6.5 percent of the annuity plus the increase in the cost of living as reflected in the Consumer Price Index from Dec. 31, 1962, until the latest report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This will be an additional 4.6 percent, for a total increase of 11.1 percent. 2. All annuities which commenced after Oct. 1, 1956, shall be increased by 1.5 percent plus the same increase in the cost of living noted immediately above. This will be a total increase of 6.1 percent. Sec. 1(c) guarantees that any survivor whose annuity is based on the “free survivor 529 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 13 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. Civil Service Retirement Annuity In crease —Continued annuity” language of the 1948 amendments, or the “forgotten widow annuity” language of the 1958 amendment, shall be increased by 15 percent of the annuity or $10, which¬ ever is the lesser. Sec. 1(c) also provides that the new “base month” for determining future increases shall be the month which showed the high¬ est percentage increase in the cost of living over 3 percent during a period of 3 consecu¬ tive months which showed an average in¬ crease of at least 3 percent. Existing law on the cost-of-living increase in retirement annuities provides that the Commission shall determine annually whether the cost of living has increased at least 3 percent from the base year (now 1962) until the year of the determination. If the increase is not 3 percent, the Com¬ mission waits until the following Jan. 1 for another determination. If the average increase is 3 percent, all annuities which commenced before Jan. 2 of the preceding year are increased on Apr. 1 following the determination. Under pres¬ ent law, therefore, there is a built-in, 15- month lag. Sec. 1(c) changes this by providing for a monthly determination instead of an annual determination. Whenever the cost-of-living index shows for 3 consecutive months a rise of at least 3 percent from the “base month,” annuities payable on the 1st day of the 3d month thereafter shall be increased by the highest percentage (to the nearest 10th) shown in any one of the 3 months. That month then becomes the new base month. Sec. 1(c)(1) clarifies present law on the eligibility for receiving an annuity increase, eliminates the 15-month lag in receiving increases, and guarantees that survivor an¬ nuitants shall receive the increases previ¬ ously received by the annuitant himself under this act up to the time of his death. Sec. 1(c)(2) provides that the children survivors of deceased Federal employees who in the future will receive an annuity shall have the annuity increased by the percentage of increase given to annuitants who retired after Oct. 1, 1956. If this lan¬ guage were not included, children survivors whose annuities commence after the effec¬ tive date of the act would not receive the proper percentage relationship of annuity to salary as those children survivors whose parent died before the effective date of the act. 14 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Public Law No. 89-261 89-301 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Bill No. and H. Rept. subcommittee No. Civil Service Retirement Annuity Increase —Continued Sec. 1(d) prohibits inclusion of annuity purchased by voluntary contributions from the annuity upon which the increases are calculated. Sec. 1(e) provides for calculation to the nearest dollar and guarantees everyone at least $1. Sec. 2 provides that the benefits author¬ ized by this act shall be paid out of the civil service retirement and disability fund. This provision will avoid the problem which faced all of our civil service retirees in 1963 when their annuity increases were delayed by 6 months because of the necessity of an appropriation by the Congress before the increase could be paid. Repeal of Provision of Law Relating to Appointment of Women to Clerk¬ ships in Executive Departments This legislation repeals sec. 165 of the Revised Statutes, relating to the appoint¬ ment of women to clerkships in executive departments which is obsolete and, under an Attorney General’s opinion, is no longer of any effect. H.R. 6165 Civil Service Federal Employees Salary Act of 1965 Salary increases .—This act grants, effec¬ tive in October 1965, a 3.6-percent increase in the rates of compensation of the various statutory salary systems (secs. 2, 4, 7, and 8); for agricultural stabilization and con¬ servation county committee employees (sec. 10); legislative employees (sec. 11); judicial employees (sec. 12); and for em¬ ployees whose rates are fixed by adminis¬ trative action (sec. 15). Also, sec. 11(e) grants an increase in compensation from $30,000 to $35,000 for the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and of the House of Representatives. Acceptable level of competence. —Sec. 3 amends the acceptable level of competence provision of sec. 701(c) of the Classifi¬ cation Act of 1949 so that an employee whose work is rated to be of an unaccept¬ able level of competence may ask for a redetermination of that decision within his own agency. In the event the redetermina¬ tion is adverse he may appeal to the Civil Service Commission. If either the rede¬ termination or the appeal results in a reversal, the decision will be retroactive (H.R. 58). H.R. 10281 Compensa¬ tion 772 792 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 15 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. Federal Employees Salary Act of 1965—Continued Postal service overtime and holiday com¬ pensation. —Sec. 5 revises the hours of work and overtime and holiday pay provisions of 39 U.S.C. 3571, 3573, and 3575. A basic workweek is established for all postal field service employees consisting of 5 8-hour days with the requirement that the work schedule be regulated so that the 8 hours of service does not extend over a longer period than 10 consecutive hours. Overtime work is denned as including time in excess of the regular work schedule for annual rate regu¬ lar employees; for hourly rate regular em¬ ployees, time in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week; and for substitute employees, time in excess of 40 hours in a week. Employees in or below salary level PFS-7 will be paid time and one-half and employees in or above salary level PFS-8 shall be granted compensatory time equal to the overtime worked or paid at the rate of time and one-half. Double time will be paid for holiday work in the case of em¬ ployees in or below salary level PFS-7 and in the case of employees in or above salary level PFS-8 the employees shall be granted compensatory time or paid double time. Extra compensation shall be paid for work on Christmas Day. Regular employees whose regular work schedule includes an 8-hour period any part of which falls on Sunday shall be paid extra compensation at the rate of 25 percent (H.R. 8693). Postal employees relocation expenses .—■ Sec. 6 adds a new sec. 3107 to title 39, United States Code, which authorizes per diem subsistence expenses and additional leave benefits for postal service employees who are transferred or relocated from one official station to another (H.R. 10854). Severance pay.— Sec. 9 establishes a new fringe benefit designed for employees who are involuntarily separated from the Fed¬ eral service. This benefit is applicable generally to employees of the Federal Gov¬ ernment who are involuntarily separated from the service and who are not entitled to receive an annuity or severance pay under some other provision of law. The provi¬ sions also apply to employees of the agri¬ cultural stabilization and conservation county committee employees. The sever¬ ance pay consists of 1 week’s salary for each of the 1st 10 years of service plus 2 weeks’ salary for each year of service after 10 years plus an age adjustment of 10 percent for each year the employee’s age exceeds 40 years. However, maximum amount may not exceed 1 year’s pay (H.R. 8424). 16 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Public Law No. 89-314 89-315 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Federal Employees Salary Act of 1965—Continued Uniform allowance. —Sec. 13 increases the maximum amount available for uniform allowance from $100 to $125 annually. Travel on official duty time ( H.R. 298 ).— Sec. 16 amends sec. 204 of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1945 (5 U.S.C. 912b) to require that agency shall schedule the time to be spent by an employee in a travel status away from his regular duty station within the regularly scheduled workweek whenever possible. Extension of Annuity Increases This legislation extends the 6.1-percent increase provided by Public Law 89-205 for employees retiring before Dec. 1, to em¬ ployees retiring no later than Dec. 30, 1965. Mailing Privileges for Servicemen The first section adds new sec. 4169 to title 39, United States Code. Subsec. (a) will authorize lst-class letter mail, includ¬ ing postal cards and post cards, to be carried as airmail at no cost to the sender when mailed by a member of the Armed Forces of the United States in an overseas area as designated by the President (1) where the Armed Forces of the United States are en¬ gaged in action against an enemy of the United States; (2) where the Armed Forces are engaged in military operations involving armed conflict with a hostile foreign force; or (3) where the Armed Forces are serving with a friendly foreign force in armed con¬ flict in which the United States is not a belligerent. The member will have the same privilege when he is hospitalized as a result of disease or injury incurred in such an overseas combat area. A similar privilege is extended to a mem¬ ber of an armed force of a friendly foreign nation on a reciprocal basis. Subsec. (b) of the new sec. 4169 requires the Department of Defense to transfer to the Post Office Department as postal reve¬ nue the equivalent amount of postage due for matter sent in the mails under the au¬ thority of this section. Subsec. (c) of the new section authorizes the provisions to be administered under conditions and regulations jointly pre¬ scribed by the Postmaster General and the Secretary of Defense. Sec. 2 of the bill amends sec. 4303(d) of title 39, United States Code, in 2 major respects. Bill No. and subcommittee H.R.11303 Retirement H.R. 11420 Postal Rates H. Rept. No. 1102 1117 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 17 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and H. Rept. subcommittee No. Mailing Privileges for Servicemen— Continued 1. Par. (3) of the amendment restates existing law relating to the applicability of the 8th zone for air parcel post transported between the United States, its territories and possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Pico and the Canal Zone. Par. (4) of the amendment authorizes rates of post¬ age on air parcel post transported between the United States and Army, Air Force, and fleet post offices, to be the applicable zone rate for air parcel post between the place of mailing or delivery within the United States and the city of the U.S. postmaster serving the Army, Air Force, or fleet post office concerned. Existing law requires such a mailing to be at the air parcel post rate for zone 8, regardless of the distance. 2. Par. (5) under sec. 2 authorizes parcels not exceeding 5 pounds in weight and 60 inches in length and girth combined, sent by or addressed to members of the Armed Forces at or in care of Army, Air Force, and fleet post offices, in overseas combat areas, as designated by the President, to be transported by air on a space-available basis between the point of embarkation and the overseas post offices. The trans¬ portation will be on U.S.-flag carriers under such conditions as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe, and at rates approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board for space-available parcel service not to exceed the minimum rates charged for the airlift of military cargo in scheduled airline service. Sec. 3 of the bill will repeal the provisions of sec. 1040 of title 10, United States Code, relating to free postage for the U.S. Armed Forces in combat zones which will be re¬ placed by the provisions of sec. 1. Designation of Beneficiaries Under Civil Service Retirement and Group Life Insurance Laws 4 > . >S: -373 This legislation provides that the bene- H.R. 432 ficiary or beneficiaries designated by a Retirement writing received in the employing office prior to death would receive the payments due, regardless of a will or other document. Sec. 1 applies this principle to the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Act of 1954. Sec. 2 applies the principle to the Civil Service Retirement Act. 508 18 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Public Law No. 89-377 S9-378 89-379 89-380 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Discontinuance of Postal Savings System This legislation provides the mechanics for the discontinuance of the Postal Savings System. The closing date will be the 30th day after enactment of the legislation and no deposits will be accepted after that date. The accounts are to be terminated and settlement of accounts to be accomplished. In the case of a person who is a minor, men¬ tally incompetent, or deceased, payment shall be made to a legal representative of the person. In the case of no legal representa¬ tive, the board of trustees of the Postal Sav¬ ings System shall determine the recipient of the account. The legislation further provides that the Secretary of the Treasury shall purchase the public debt obligations of the United States held for purposes of the Postal Savings System. The 1st day of the 2d fiscal year after the closing date of the Postal Savings System, all unpaid deposits are to be transferred to the U.S. Treasury. Redetermination of Annuities of Cer¬ tain Reemployed Annuitants This legislation permits the recomputa¬ tion of retirement benefits in cases of re¬ employed annuitants whose original retire¬ ment was based upon an involuntary sepa¬ ration, and whose subsequent reemploy¬ ment for at least 5 years terminated between July 12, 1960, and Oct. 4, 1961. Preservation of Retirement and Insur¬ ance Benefits for Holders of Con¬ gressional Staff Fellowships This legislation extends to congressional employees who are separated to accept fellowship awards by the American Political Science Association the benefit of a nonpay status, thereby preserving for them the pro¬ tection of the retirement, life insurance, and health benefits programs. It treats them in a manner comparable to the status en¬ joyed by employees of the executive branch who are placed in a nonpay status for the purpose of the employee fringe benefit programs. Back Pay Act of 1966 This legislation amplifies the principle that a Government employee is entitled to receive pay or benefits lost as a result of an adverse personnel action which is later found to be unjustified, and is corrected by an appropriate authority. Bill No. and subcommittee H.R. 8030 Postal Operations H.R. 969 Retirement H.R. 10553 Retirement H.R. 1647 Full committee H. Kept. No. 483 1035 880 32 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 19 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. Overseas Teachers Compensation S9-391 This legislation requires that the Depart¬ ment of Defense establish and maintain salaries of teachers in overseas dependent school systems at rates comparable to those paid in jurisdictions of 100,000 or more population in the United States. The legislation further requires the Secretary of Defense to report to the House and Senate Post Office Committees information re¬ garding the number of overseas teachers separated from the service, the number of such teachers who returned to the United States, and the number of teachers re¬ turning to the United States placed in teaching positions within the country. H.R. 6845 Compensa¬ tion 519 Yosemite National Park Employees 89-396 This legislation gives congressional vali¬ dation to an action of the Acting Super¬ intendent of Yosemite National Park in extending the 1955 leave year until March 15, 1956, in order to permit certain em¬ ployees who were recalled to duty because of an emergency an opportunity to use their annual leave before such time as they were required to forfeit such leave. S. 2573 (H.R. 10311) Civil Service 1403 Definition of Term “Child” Under the Retirement Act 89-407 This law amends the Civil Service Retire¬ ment Act (5 U.S.C. 2251 (j)) to define the term “child” as including either an adopted or a natural child, but excludes from the definition a stepchild, for purposes of the provisions governing the payment of lump¬ sum benefits. It further provides extend¬ ing the period of time during which a student-child may be absent from a course of study from 4 months to 5 months. * H.R. 1746 Full commit¬ tee 33 Irregular Tours of Duty 89-478 This legislation authorizes heads of Gov¬ ernment agencies and departments to sched¬ ule irregular tours of duty for employees who are pursuing courses of study in col¬ leges, universities, or other educational in¬ stitutions that will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the employees, to accom¬ modate employees pursuing scholastic studies at their own expense and on their own time. S. 1495 Civil Service 1623 20 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Public Law No. 89-492 89-500 89-504 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee Assistant Postmaster General for Research, Development, and En¬ gineering This legislation establishes the position of Assistant Postmaster General to head up the new Bureau of Research, Development, and Engineering. It also provides for 2 directorships within the new Bureau; 1 for research and development, and the other for construction engineering. The legisla¬ tion further increases from 3 to 6 the number of scientific and professional positions in the Department’s research and develop¬ ment and construction engineering func¬ tions. Transfers of Post Office Department Appropriations This legislation authorizes the inclusion of language in appropriation acts to permit transfer of funds up to a maximum of 5 percent. The legislation also requires that when the Postmaster General makes a request for such transfer to the Bureau of the Budget, he submit a copy of the request to the Post Office and Civil Service and the Appropriation Committees of each House of Congress. The law also provides that no appropriation may be increased by more than 5 percent as a result of any transfer. Federal Salaries and Fringe Benefits Act of 1966 Salary increase .—This act provides a 2.9- percent increase across the board, effective retroactively to July 1, 1966, for Federal employees subject to the 4 statutory schedules—Classification Act, Postal Field Service, Veterans’ Administration, and Foreign Service. Employees in county offices of the Agriculture Soil Conservation Service and the U.S. assistant attorneys also receive the retroactive increase. Authorizes 2.9 percent increases for employees in the judicial and legislative branches. Retirement. —Secs. 504 and 505 permit the voluntary retirement on a full annuity at age 55 after 30 years’ service, or at age 60 after 20 years’ service, effective on date of enactment, and modify the reduction factor for persons involuntarily retired prior to age 55. Survivor annuities. —Secs. 506 and 507 provide a 10-percent increase in the annui¬ ties of widows or future widows of Federal employees who died or retired prior to Oct. 11, 1962. Effective Sept. 1, 1966. Permit the widow of a Federal employee who dies or retires after July 17, 1966, to H.R. 13822 Postal F acilities and Moderniza¬ tion H.R. 7423 Postal Opera¬ tions H.R. 14122 Compensa¬ tion H. Kept. No. 1542 1331 1410 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 21 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. Federal Salaries and Fringe Benefits Act of 1966—Continued continue receiving her survivor annuity if she remarries after age 60, or to have her annuity reinstated in the event a remarriage prior to age 60 is terminated. Eliminate the requirement that a child be dependent upon a Federal employee parent in order to receive a survivor annuity. This will permit the children of a federally employed mother to receive a survivor annuity in the event of her death. Also raises from 21 to 22 the maximum age for student survivors to receive annuity payments. Provide for the resumption of survivor annuities of student children whose status as a student is interrupted prior to age 22. Health insurance. —Secs. 601 and 602 increase the Government’s contribution for high-option health insurance from about 28 percent to about 38 percent. Effective 1st day of the 1st pay period on or after date of enactment. Extends health insur¬ ance coverage to children up to 22 years of age. Premium pay. —Sec. 405 requires a pre¬ mium of 25 percent of base pay for classified and wage board employees whose regularly scheduled 5-day week includes Sunday. Effective 1st day of the 1st pay period beginning on or after date of enactment. Overtime. —Sec. 404 authorizes overtime payment for work in' excess of 8 hours in 1 day for classified employees with the excep¬ tion of certain engineering and scientific employees. Raises the grade level for over¬ time pay from the rate paid GS-9, step 1, to the same step of GS-10. Raises the level for mandatory overtime pay for postal em¬ ployees from PFS-7 to PFS-10. Effective date of both changes is the 1st day of the 1st pay period beginning on or after tfie date of enactment. Uniform allowance. —Sec. 407 requires the payment of the 25-percent average in¬ crease in uniform allowance authorized by the 1965 Pay Act. Effective on date of enactment. Special delivery allowance. —Sec. 403 in¬ creases from 7 cents per mile to 10 cents per mile and increases from 90 cents per hour to $1.25 per hour the allowance for special delivery messengers who use their own vehicles. Effective 1st day of the 1st pay period beginning on or after date of enact¬ ment. Transfers to postal field service. —Sec. 401 permits the Postmaster General to appoint or advance any Federal employee who, together with his function, is transferred 22 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Public Law No. 89-512 89-593 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Bill No. and H. Rept. subcommittee No. Federal Salaries and Fringe Benefits Act of 1966—Continued into the postal field service to a step in the level of the postal field service most nearly equal to his salary under any other Federal pay schedule prior to transfer. Effective on date of enactment. Postal seniority adjustment. —Sec. 402 permits the adjustment of salary for certain postal supervisors who are senior to certain other supervisors promoted after Oct. 13, 1962. This provision will require that sen¬ ior employees in the same postal occupation will be elevated to the same step of the PFS level as is held by a junior employee pro¬ moted after the Salary Reform Act of 1962. Effective the 1st day of the 1st pay period after enactment. Hazardous Duty Pay This legislation makes mandatory the establishment of pay differential schedules by the Civil Service Commission, for em¬ ployees covered under the Classification Act of 1949, who are engaged in work which re¬ quires physical hardship or hazards not nor¬ mally encountered, or required, for the per¬ formance of their duties. Provided the following limitations are observed— (1) That the duties were not taken into account in the original salary of the employee. (2) That this pay differential will not exceed 25 percent of the basic com¬ pensation of the individual. (3) That this pay shall be paid for such minimum periods as the Commis¬ sion may deem appropriate. (4) That such salary differentials are paid under regulations prescribed by the Commission. H.R. 1535 Full com¬ mittee Revisions in Size, Weight, and Postage Rates on 4th-Class Mail 31 Rates .—The rates of postage on 4th-class parcel post are increased 10 cents per piece, rounded off to increments of 5 cents, effec¬ tive Jan. 15, 1967. Additional net revenue will amount to $73,600,000. The rates of postage on 4th-class catalogs are increased approximately 12 percent of revenues, effective Jan. 15, 1967. The ad¬ ditional net revenue is expected to be $3,000,000. Size and weight. —5-year graduated in¬ creases in the maximum size and weight for 4th-class parcels mailed between Ist-class post offices are provided by increasing the H.R. 14904 1543 Postal Pts. I—II Rates COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 23 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. Revisions in Size, Weight, and Postage Rates on 4th~Class Mail —Continued maximum size from 72 inches to 78 inches on July 1, 1970, and to 84 inches on July 1, 1971; and by increasing in 3 steps on July 1, 1967, 1968, and 1969, the maximum weight of 20 pounds up to 40 pounds for 4th-class parcels mailed between lst-class post of¬ fices for zones 3 to 8. Additional net revenue is expected to be (millions), $4.1 in 1967, $9.7 in 1968, $16.1 in 1969, $24.1 in 1970, and $32.4 in 1971. The 100-inch and 70-pound maximum limits are continued for 4th-class parcels mailed at, or addressed for delivery at, 2d-, 3d-, or 4th-class post offices, rural or star routes, or overseas Armed Forces post offices, and for parcels containing certain books or farm produce. Book rate. —Sec. 2(d) amends the book rate provision (39 U.S.C. 4554) to eliminate the requirement that the books be “perma¬ nently bound for preservation,” so that the book rate will apply to “complete books” even though they may be looseleaf books. Supplements, additions, or fillers to “com¬ plete books” are specifically excluded from the special rate. Advisory commission. —Sec. 5 establishes a Presidential Advisory Commission on Parcel Distribution Services with authority to make a complete study of small parcel distribution and to submit to the Congress an interim report by Jan. 1, 1968, and a final report by Jan. 1, 1969, with its findings and recommendations for such additional legislation as may be appropriate. Reform rates. —The authority of the Post¬ master General to submit requests to the Interstate Commerce Commission to reform rates on 4th-class parcel post and other con¬ ditions of mailability (other than size and weight) is continued, with the further re¬ quirement that the requests will be con¬ sidered as having been approved by the Commission unless it takes action within 30 days to reject the request, or to order an investigation, with the further requirement that final determination of the request must be made within 180 days. Cost-revenue certification. —The 4-percent revenue-cost certification on 4th-class parcel post required by the Postmaster General before the Post Office Department can spend funds appropriated for postal pur¬ poses is continued. Zone determination. —Postal zone de¬ terminations will be based on the location of the sectional centers rather than on the location of the post offices. 24 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee Removal of Retirement Inequity With Respect to the U.S. Botanic Garden 89-604 This law extends the congressional em¬ ployees’ retirement computation formula under the Civil Service Retirement Act to employees of the U.S. Botanic Garden. H.R. 6686 Retirement Additional Positions in Grades GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18 89-632 89-637 89-725 This legislation authorizes an increase of 300 positions to be allocated as follows: Civil Service Pool in GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18_ 177 Federal Bureau of Investigation_ 35 National Security Agency_ 35 General Accounting Office_ 25 Library of Congress_ 28 This legislation also removes PFS-18 from the restriction on the number of super¬ grade positions in the postal field service, and reduces the maximum number of such positions from 70 to 55. Extension of Postmaster General’s Leasing Authority This legislation extends to Apr. 30, 1967, the authority of the Postmaster General under 39 U.S.C. 2103, to enter into lease agreements for periods up to 30 years. The legislation also extends the authority under such section for condemnation and other land acquisition and related land disposition. Mailing Privileges for Servicemen Overseas The 1st section amends sec. 4169(a) of title 39, United States Code, by extend¬ ing the free mailing privilege of servicemen in combat areas to include sound-recorded communications having the character of personal correspondence. The 2d section amends sec. 4303(d) of title 39, United States Code, to provide airlift between all Armed Forces post offices and the point of embarkation in the United States for Ist-class letter mail, sound record¬ ings having the character of personal corre¬ spondence, and parcels of any class mail not exceeding 5 pounds in weight and 60 inches in length and girth combined. It further provides for airlift to a combat area from the point of embarkation for 2d-class publications having current news value. The airlift of this mail is to be provided on a space-available basis at rates fixed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. S. 2393 Manpower S.J. Res. 197 (H.R. 14548) Postal Facilities and Mod¬ erniza¬ tion. H.R. 13448 Postal Operations H. Rept. No. 350 1604 1694 1332 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 25 Public Law No. 89-734 89-737 89-747 PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Summary of provisions Bill No. and H. Rept. subcommittee No. Mailing Privileges for Servicemen Overseas —Continued The 3d section adds a provision to par. (4) of sec. 4303(d) of title 39, United States Code, relating to the rates of postage appli¬ cable to air parcel post transported between the U.S. and Armed Forces post offices. The new provision has the effect of making zone 1 rates applicable to air parcel post transported between Hawaii, Alaska, or the territories of the United States in the Pacific area and an Armed Forces post office served by the Postmaster at San Francisco or Seattle. Additional Executive Salary Positions in Smithsonian Institution This legislation establishes 4 new execu¬ tive salary positions within the Smithsonian Institution as follows: Level IV: Assistant Secretary for Science. Assistant Secretary for History and Art. Level V: Director, U.S. National Museum. Director, Smithsonian Astrophysi- cal Observatory. H.R. 15727 Compen¬ sation. Premium Pay of Irregular Duty Em¬ ployees as Basic Compensation for Retirement and Other Fringe Bene¬ fits 1953 This legislation provides that Federal employees who are officially assigned to tours of duty materially in excess of 40 hours, shall have such premium compensa¬ tion as they may receive considered t,o be basic compensation for purposes of (1) the Civil Service Retirement Act, (2) the Fed¬ eral Employees Group Life Insurance Act of 1954, (3) the severance pay provisions of the 1965 Federal Employees Salary Act, and (4) the Federal Employees’ Compensa¬ tion Act. H.R. 16114 Civil Service Home Leave for Federal Seafaring Personnel This legislation authorizes the granting of home leave to personnel on ocean-going ves¬ sels on an extended voyage, at a rate not to exceed 2 days for each 30 days of service. Home leave will accumulate in addition to the annual leave now authorized, and will accumulate for future use. Such leave will not be the basis for any lump-sum payment upon separation from the service, and may H.R.18217 Civil Service 1697 2200 26 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE PUBLIC LAWS—Continued Public Law No. Summary of provisions Bill No. and subcommittee H. Rept. No. 89-762 Home Leave for Federal Seafaring Personnel —Continued be granted as terminal leave only under regulations to be issued by the Civil Service Commission. Repeal of Certain Obsolete Personnel Laws This legislation repeals sec. 3342 of title 5, United States Code, which prohibits de¬ tailing of Government employees from field positions to positions in the District of Co¬ lumbia. The legislation also repeals a 1930 law which granted the Department of Treas¬ ury a special exemption from the prohibition against detailing of field employees to posi¬ tions in the District of Columbia. S. 1496 Civil Service 2202 HOUSE PASSED BILLS PENDING IN SENATE Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. Passed House Government Counterclaims Against Amounts Due From Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund H.R. 158 Full committee This legislation specifically grants authority to the Government to set off payments due former employees from the civil service retirement fund, in order to liquidate debts owed by these former employees to the Gov¬ ernment. This encompasses the mu¬ nicipal government of the District of Columbia as well as the U.S. Govern¬ ment. 29 Feb. 10, 1965 Information Relating to 2d-Class Mail Publications H.R. 459 Postal Oper¬ ations This legislation would require that publications which serve the perform¬ ing arts publish the same information that is required of other publications which have 2d-class mailing privileges. This information includes the number of copies distributed, methods of dis¬ tribution, and the extent to which such circulation is paid in whole or in part. 186 Apr. 5, 1965 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 27 HOUSE PASSED BILLS PENDING IN SEN ATE—Continued Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. Passed House Return of Obscene Mail H.R. 980 Postal Oper¬ ations H.R. 980 provides that a person who receives mail that he considers obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy, or vile, may request the Post¬ master General to direct the sender of such mail to cease sending such mail to the receiver. 219 Apr. 5, 1965 H.R. Civil Service 242 H.R. 5147 Retirement H.R. 14548 Postal Facilities The legislation further provides that if the sender does not comply with the request, the Postmaster General may request the Attorney General to make application for an order directing com¬ pliance with the notice of the Post¬ master General. The legislation also grants the At¬ torney General the authority to make application in a district court and also grants the district courts jurisdiction in such matters. Failure to comply with a court order may be punished as contempt of court. Extension of Civil Service Appor¬ tionment Requirement to Tem¬ porary Summer Employment H.R. 242 would extend the appor¬ tionment requirement of the Civil Service Act of Jan. 16, 1883, to tempo¬ rary summer employment. This would apply to employment of greater than 30 days, during the period May 1 through Sept. 30 of each year. Appointments to the postal field service and appointments of an emer¬ gency nature are excluded from the retirement contained in the legislation. Qualification of Additional Plans in Federal Employee’s Health Benefits Program This legislation permits additional plans to qualify for participation in the Federal employee’s health benefits program by making application before Dec. 31, 1966. Leasing Authority of Postmaster General This legislation extends beyond the current expiration date of Dec. 31, 1966, the authority of the Postmaster General under sec. 2103, title 39, United States Code, to enter into lease agreements for periods not ex¬ ceeding 30 years for postal buildings. 516 July 12, 1965 1296 1694 Mar. 30, 1966 July 18, 1966 >— 71-231 5 28 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE HOUSE PASSED BILLS PENDING IN SENATE—Continued Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. Passed House Leasing Authority of Postmaster General —Continued The legislation also extends the Post¬ master General’s authority under such section for condemnation and other land acquisition and land disposition. (See Public Law 89-637.) Protection Against Use of Mails To Obtain Money or Property Under False Representations H.R. 16706 Postal Operations This legislation amends the postal civil fraud statute (39 U.S.C. 4005) by eliminating from the present procedure the necessity of proving that false representations through the U.S. mails were made with intent to de¬ ceive, before the issuance by the Post¬ master General of a mail stop order. 1810 Aug. 15, 1966 Use of Supplemental Annuity by Reemployed Retiree S. 699 Retirement This legislation permits a re¬ employed retiree, who becomes en¬ titled to a supplemental annuity, to use such benefit for increased survivor protection to the spouse so designated upon original retirement. House amendment would also preserve the benefit of the annuity adjustments contemplated to become effective on Jan. 1, 1967, for certain congressional employees and Members of Congress whose terms of office expire during January 1967. Senate did not act on House amendment. 2201 Oct. 11,1966 Training Opportunities for Em¬ ployees in Legislative Branch of the Government H.R. 17883 Full com¬ mittee This legislation amends the Gov¬ ernment Employees Training Act of 1958 to extend employee training au¬ thority to the legislative branch and particularly to employees who serve under the Office of the Architect of the Capitol. Commit¬ tee dis¬ charged, imme-| diatel consid¬ eration on floor. Oct. 19,1966 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 29 Bill No. and subcommittee H.R. 2452 Civil Service H.R. 6183 Census and Statistics H.R. 10263 Retirement H.J. Res. 569 Compensa¬ tion UNION CALENDAR Summary of provisions Leave, Veterans’ Preference, and Classification Act Benefits for ASC County Committee Em¬ ployees H. Rept. No. Sec. 1 permits an employee of an ag¬ ricultural stabilization and conserva¬ tion county committee, when ap¬ pointed to a Federal position under the Classification Act in the Depart¬ ment of Agriculture, to have his initial rate of compensation fixed at the minimum rate of the appropriate grade, or at a step of such grade that does not exceed the highest previous rate of compensation he received dur¬ ing his service with the county com¬ mittee. Sec. 2 permits county committee service to be included in determining years of service for purposes of leave accrual, so long as the employee is in a position under the Department of Agriculture. This section further permits transfer of annual and sick leave credits from the county to the Federal system. Sec. 3 authorizes service accrued under the county committee to be credited for veterans’ preference pur¬ poses in the event of a reduction in force applicable to Federal employees. Mid-Decade Census 375 This legislation amends 13 U.S.C. 141 to provide for a census of popula¬ tion, housing, and unemployment in 1966, 1975, and every 10 years there¬ after. Annuities for Secretaries to Judges This legislation authorizes annuity payments to a secretary of a U.S. jus¬ tice or judge on the same basis as that of a congressional employee or former congressional employee. It provides that more favorable computation of 2 y 2 percent of the average salary for no more than 15 years of service as secre¬ tary to a Federal judge. Cost-of-Living Survey, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands This legislative proposal would have postponed the effect of an administra¬ tive order reducing the cost-of-living allowances of Federal employees in 780 801 1091 Date reported May 25, 1965 Aug. 12, 1965 Aug. 17, 1965 Sept. 23, 1965 30 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE UNION CALENDAR—Continued Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. Passed House S. 390 Cost-of-Living Survey, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —Continued Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands until the Bureau of Labor Statistics had completed a survey of living costs in those areas. Extend to Volunteer Fire Compa¬ nies Certain Preferential Post¬ age Rates This legislation extends to volunteer 1696 July 14, 1966 Postal Rates fire companies and volunteer ambu¬ lance and rescue companies the rates of postage on 2d- and 3d-class bulk mailings applicable to certain other nonprofit organizations (39 U.S.C. 4359(e)(2), 4452(d)). - LEGISLATION NOT APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. Action by the President Federal Employees Group Life Insurance H.R. 6926 Retirement Sec. 1, as amended, provides for the insurance coverage of certain reem¬ ployed annuitants not eligible to be re¬ insured upon reemployment. Sec. 2, as amended, increases the maximum amount of insurance avail¬ able to any employee to $40,000, plus an equal amount of accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Cov¬ erage would be based upon V/% times the annual salary, adjusted to the next higher thousand dollars. It also pro¬ vides an additional amount of $2,000 life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance not subject to reduction after retirement. Sec. 3, as amended, prescribes the costs of the program to be borne by the employee paying 60 percent and the Government paying 40 percent, the Civil Service Commission determining the total premium necessary to finance the required level costs. It authorizes the Commission to increase the total premium, according to such ratio, at such time as adjustments are necessary to require sound financing. Sec. 4, as amended, providing for ef¬ fective dates, precludes persons sep¬ arated prior to enactment from the 255 Memorandum of disap¬ proval, Sept. 12, 1966, H. Doc. 495. COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 31 LEGISLATION NOT APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT—Continued Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. Action by the President H.R. 2035 Federal Employes Group Life Insurance —Continued benefit of the amendments. The in¬ creased basic coverage would be effec¬ tive immediately, but the additional unreducible coverage and increased premiums for all coverage would not be effected until at least 60 days there¬ after. Cost-of-Living Adjustment for Star Route Carriers H.R. 2035 provided an automatic 543 Memorandum Postal cost-of-living adjustment in star route of disap- Operations contracts whenever the Consumer Price proval, Index increased at least 1 percent in 1 year. The cost-of-living adjustments applied only to individually operated routes, or routes having not more than 2 employees. The increase applied only to the 1st $15,000 of the contract, with the 1st $5,000 to be equal to the cost-of- living index increase, the 2d $5,000 to be equal to % of the index increase, and the 3d $5,000 to be equal to of such increase. July 19, 1966, H. Doc. 460. DISAPPROVED BY HOUSE Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions H. Rept. No. House action H. Res. 574 Postal Operations Temporary Summer Employees This resolution directed the Post¬ master General to provide the names of temporary employees employed by the Post Office Department during the summer of 1965. 1010 Laid on table, Sept. 16, 1965. COMMITTEE REPORTS PENDING Bill No. and subcommittee Summary of provisions Date approved by committee Annuities of Panama Canal Ship Pilots H.R. 97 This legislation would authorize the voluntary Aug. 5, 1965 Retirement retirement of any ship pilot employed by the Pan¬ ama Canal Company upon his attaining of age 55 and after having completed 20 years of service as such a pilot. The annuity of a qualifying pilot would be computed at 2 percent of the highest 5- year average salary multiplied by the number of years of service as a pilot without reduction below age 60, ii/f uvi . < , ii o>/ u O') tt . tr. l',il t n o Jo* ■ ! «• ‘ li .irn , ,1 > 1 ii [0 ■ * I ' {,1 . . ' .hi. - 0* . • ’i ■ . ‘ . 1 1)I> ( .00 \V. , H H Jxismtn&oii PART III.—STANDING SUBCOMMITTEES The jurisdiction of the eight standing subcommittees is set forth in the committee rules which are included in the appendix of this summary. SUBCOMMITTEE ON POSTAL RATES Legislative Program The Subcommittee on Postal Rates had legislative jurisdiction over 85 bills. Thirty-three days of hearings were held on 4 subject matters involving 52 of the bills. Proposals on two of the matters on which hearings were held were enacted —Public Law 89-315, relating to mailing privileges for servicemen in combat areas, and Public Law 89-593, relating to parcel post. The other two matters on which hearings were held relating to postal rate adjustments for certain categories of mail did not receive final approval by the sub¬ committee. In addition, the subcommittee considered S. 390 and five similar bills which proposed to extend the special postal rate for nonprofit organizations to include nonprofit volunteer fire companies. This bill was pending before the House upon the adjournment of the 89th Congress. Summaries of the legislative proposals considered by the sub¬ committee are set forth below. A detailed summary of those pro¬ posals which were reported by the full committee is included in part II of this report “Legislation Approved by the Committee.” Armed Forces 'postal services As indicated in part I of this report, the Subcommittee on Postal Rates considered certain matters relating primarily to postal rates on mail handled by the Armed Forces postal system. Over 50 of the bills pending before the subcommittee related to free or reduced rates of postage on mail sent by or addressed to servicemen overseas. The subcommittee gave extensive consideration during the first session of the Congress to the proposals for free mail or reduced rates on mail to servicemen. The subcommittee was instrumental in bringing about the enactment on November 1, 1965, of Public Law 89-3 i 5. Public Law 89-315 provides that first-class letter mail shall be carried free, as airmail, when mailed by a member of the Armed Forces in a combat area. This law also provides for transportation by air between the point of embarkation and a serviceman in a combat area, for parcels not exceeding 5 pounds mailed at the regular domestic parcel post rate. While the subcommittee did not consider legislation relating to the mail for the servicemen during the second session, the Subcommittee 33 34 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE on Postal Operations did review and consider legislation (Public Law 89-725) extending the airlift for mail to servicemen overseas. This matter is discussed in connection with the activities of the Sub¬ committee on Postal Operations. Also, the subcommittee joined with two other postal subcommittees in conducting the review of three major U.S. Armed Forces postal facilities in Europe which is discussed in detail in part I. Parcel post Public Law 88-51 granted the Post Office Department a moratorium for 3 years, ending June 30, 1966, during which the Department is not required to operate the parcel post system within 4 percent of cost coverage. In view of the impending deadline of June 30, 1966, the subcommit¬ tee held 10 days of hearings during the 1st session of the 89th Congress, on H.R. 5938 and similar proposals, which were designed to restore to the Congress the exclusive authority to fix the rates of postage and decide the conditions of mailability for 4th-class parcel post. These proposals would have repealed the provisions of law relating to cost revenue relationship. The subcommittee took no final action during the first session as the Post Office Department stated that extensive studies and reviews on the parcel post system still were being conducted and that an official recommendation could not be made until sometime during 1966. The Post Office Department recommendation was received early in 1966. The subcommittee held 19 days of hearings on the Department’s recommendation, and Public Law 89-593 was enacted on September 20, 1966. Public Law 89-593 increased the rates of parcel post, provided a 5-year graduated increase in the maximum size and weight for parcels mailed between first-class post offices, revised the method of zone determinations, continued the Postmaster General’s rate-fixing au¬ thority over parcel post and the cost revenue certification require¬ ments, and established a Presidential Advisory Commission on Parcel Distribution Service. Postal rate adjustments The subcommittee held hearings or considered several types of legislative proposals for postal rate adjustments which either were not approved by the subcommittee or were not enacted by the Congress. Such proposals included legislation— To permit the mailing of educational training cards designed for use in classroom instruction, at the special postal rates which apply to books, educational films, and various other items iden¬ tified in section 4554 of title 39, United States Code (H.R. 2837 and H.R. 2838); To extend the free penalty mail privilege to mail, sent to either the Internal Revenue Service or an individual, containing tax information returns and statements relating to the payment of dividends or interest (H.R. 9058 and similar bills); and To extend to volunteer fire companies the rates of postage on second-class and third-class bulk mailings applicable to certain nonprofit organizations (S. 390). COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 35 Investigative Program The subcommittee assisted in investigations in two major fields. Acting jointly with the Subcommittee on Postal Operations and the Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization, an on-site study and review was made of the postal systems in the European area as authorized by House Resolution 595, 89th Congress, 1st ses¬ sion. The review covered visits and meetings with postal officials in 15 cities of 8 European countries and 3 U.S. Armed Forces postal facilities in Europe. The results of the study are included in House Report 1226, 89th Congress, entitled “Postal Systems of the U.S. Armed Forces and Certain Countries in Europe,” which are discussed in detail in part I. An extensive study of the cost ascertainment system of the Post Office Department was initiated in an effort to evaluate the cost and revenue of the various classes of mail and to more properly estimate rates that should be fixed by the Congress. The subcommittee has been reviewing the allocation of cost and revenues, the proposed probability samples for estimating revenue, pieces and weight of mail, the specific recommendations for improvements which have been ad¬ vanced by second- and third-class mail users, the controversial aspects of the system, and rates and mail classification. It is expected that this study will be of tremendous benefit to the subcommittee in any future review of postal rates. SUBCOMMITTEE ON POSTAL OPERATIONS Legislative Program The Subcommittee on Postal Operations had legislative jurisdiction over 196 bills. Twenty-one days of hearings were held on 9 sub¬ ject matters involving 40 of the bills. Five public laws were en¬ acted as the result of action initiated by the subcommittee. Three bills (H.R. 459, H.R. 980, H.R. 16706) passed the House and were pending before the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee; one bill (H.R. 2035) was vetoed; one bill (H.R. 16645) was reported by the subcommittee and was still pending before the full com¬ mittee; and House Resolution 574 reported unfavorably by the com¬ mittee was tabled in the House. Detailed summaries of those proposals which were reported by the full committee are included in part II of this summary. Summaries of the major proposals considered by the subcommittee are set forth below. Whitten amendment Public Law 89-114 exempts the postal field service from section 1310 of the Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1952, commonly re¬ ferred to as the Whitten amendment. This legislation, by removing the postal service from the ceiling on the number of permanent Federal employees established by the 1952 act, permits the Post Office Department to replace many nonpermanent employees with regular employees. Five-day week for postmasters Public Law 89-116 establishes a congressional policy requiring a 5-day workweek for postmasters at post offices of the first, second, and third classes, and permits a basic salary of postmasters in post offices of the fourth class to be adjusted on the basis of the basic salary re¬ ceived at the end of the preceding calendar year rather than the preceding fiscal year. Postal savings system Public Law 89-377 provides for the discontinuance of the postal savings system, since the purposes for which the system was established in 1912 are now adequately provided by private banking facilities. Post Office Department appropriation transfers Public Law 89-500 enacts into law permanent provisions which give the Post Office Department authority to transfer up to 5 percent of any appropriation available to the Department, when so specified in an appropriation act, to another appropriation of the Department. Airlift of mail overseas Public Law 89-725 extends the free mailing privilege now authorized for servicemen in combat areas to include sound recordings, and provides airlift between all Armed Forces post offices overseas and the United States for first-class letter mail, sound recordings, and parcels 36 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 37 up to 5 pounds. Also airlift is authorized to a combat area for second- class publications having current news value. Obscene mail H.R. 980 passed the House on April 5, 1965, and is pending before the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee. The legisla¬ tion provides that any material for a postal patron considered to be offensive either to himself or to any member of his family, may be returned to the Postmaster General with a request that the sender refrain from sending any further material to the postal patron. Failure to comply with the request may result in litigation against the sender. Star route carriers H.R. 2035 provides for cost-of-living adjustments for star route carriers. The bill was vetoed on July 19, 1966, House Document 460. Information on second-class mail 'publications H.R. 459 requires that publications which serve the performing arts publish the same information as to their publication as is required of other publications which have second-class mailing privileges. The bill passed the House on April 5, 1965, and was still pending before the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee. Temporary summer postal employees House Resolution 574 directing the Postmaster General to provide Congress with the names of all temporary employees of the Post Office Department during the summer of 1965 was reported unfavor¬ ably by the committee to the House, and the House voted on Sep¬ tember 16, 1965, to lay the resolution on the table. False representations by mail H.R. 16706 would improve the protection afforded a consumer by the provisions of the postal service fraud statute (39 U.S.C. 4005) against the use of the U.S. mails by an unscrupulous promoter to obtain money or property by means of false representations. This bill was still pending before the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee. Transportation of mail by motor vehicle Five days of hearings were held during the first session and 6 days of hearings were held during the second session on the various proposals to provide greater flexibility for the transportation of mail by common carrier motor vehicle. H.R. 16645 was reported to the full committee, and the bill was still pending before the full committee. Investigative Program The Subcommittee on Postal Operations, acting jointly with the Subcommittee on Postal Rates and the Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization, conducted an on-site study and review of the postal systems in the European areas as authorized by House Resolution 595, 89th Congress, 1st session. The results of the study are included in House Report 1226, 89th Congress, entitled “Postal Systems of the U.S. Armed Forces and Certain European Countries in Europe,” which are discussed in detail in part I of this summary. 38 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEE ON MANPOWER The Subcommittee on Manpower had an active role in many signi¬ ficant changes in manpower management in the Federal Government during 1965-66. Within recent months there have been initiated within the executive branch of the Federal Government several important manpower im¬ provement programs that were suggested by the Subcommittee on Manpower. These programs include— Replacement of combat-trained military personnel in civilian- type jobs by civil service employees; A reform of the Civil Service Commission’s recruiting pro¬ cedures by reducing the number of boards of examiners and by establishing one-stop Federal Government employment informa¬ tion centers in the large cities; Replacement of expensive private contractor technicians with civil service employees; A reform of pay procedures for the Government’s tradesmen, craftsmen, and laborers; Increased personnel management flexibility by the Bureau of the Budget; and, A revision of the Government’s policy relating to procure¬ ment of goods and services. Management officials in several departments and agencies in the Federal Government indicated tens of millions of dollars in savings and improved services to the public will result from these changes proposed by the subcommittee. As the result of recommendations by the subcommittee, the Secre¬ tary of Defense revised personnel policies that will save the taxpayer approximately $120 million annually. Departmental officials indi¬ cated that as a result of replacement of 10,200 contractor personnel, with Government career employees, the Department will save $20 million annually. In September 1965, the Secretary of Defense initiated a manpower program that will eventually mean, in its first phase of operation, the replacement of 78,100 military personnel with 64,800 civilians. This project will result not only in savings in excess of $80 million but will improve the combat capacity of military forces. The sub¬ committee members on several occasions have recommended this action to Department of Defense officials. Public Hearings Hearings were held on the base closure program in the Defense Department, the training program in the Agency for International Development, the use of contractors in the Office of Economic Oppor¬ tunity, the control of total labor resources in the military services, the rotation from overseas posts of career civilian employees in the Department of Defense, and the need for additional supergrades in the Federal Government. Reports Issued Based on the above hearings, supplemented by visits made by the subcommittee staff to 45 field activities, frequent contacts with both COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 39 management and employee leaders, and participation in 20 seminars conducted by management and employee leaders, the subcommittee issued the following reports: “Use of Contractor Personnel in the Department of Defense,” H. Kept. 129; “Decision of the Comptroller General of the United States Regarding Contractor Technical Services,” H. Kept. 188; “Wage Board Pay Rates,” H. Rept. 187; “Manpower Issues in the Federal Government,” H. Rept. 816; “Rotation From Overseas Posts of U.S. Civilian Citizens Em¬ ployed by the Defense Department” (committee print); “Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Govern¬ ment, July-December 1964” (committee print); “Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Govern¬ ment, January-June 1965” (committee print); “Wage Board System” (committee print); “Decision of the Comptroller General of the U.S. Regarding Administrative Leave to Employees Representing Government Employee Organizations” (committee print); “Examples of Improved Manpower Management, June- December 1965” (committee print); and, “Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Govern¬ ment, January-June, 1966” (committee print). Improved manpower utilization For a number of years the subcommittee has cooperated with departments and agencies of the executive branch in a program for emphasizing improved utilization of manpower. Semiannually the departments and agencies report specific examples of improved management to the subcommittee. These cases are reviewed and the best examples developed for public dissemination. During the 89th Congress the subcommittee issued four different reports that were sent to many activities of the executive branch, libraries, and educational institutions. These reports reflected annual savings, according to the estimates of management officials, in excess of $200 million. The savings were reflected in such things as: Use of cameras to replace the manual duplicating of labels in Agricultural Research Service, the replacement of contractor personnel with Government employees for maintenance of computer equipment in the Federal Aviation Agency, and the re¬ organization of surplus sales offices in the Defense Supply Agency. Management officials also reported 40,400 vacant positions were abolished during the 2-year period 1965-66. Subcommittee members consider these reports as being quite valu¬ able. They serve to accentuate employee suggestions for better man¬ agement, facilitate the spread of better management techniques, and develop a better public image of Federal employees. Civil service employment of recently retired military personnel The subcommittee was instrumental during the 88th Congress in obtaining approval of the dual compensation law, Public Law 88-448, which permits the civilian employment of retired military personnel under civil service laws and regulations, by the Defense Department after a 6-month waiting period. This law also provides for exceptions to the waiting period. 40 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE During the first 10 months following enactment of this law, December 1, 1964, through September 30, 1965, there were 7,458 retired personnel appointed to civil service jobs. These figures compare interestingly with 2,000 who were appointed in 1960. Of the 7,458 Avho were appointed, over 5,800 were former enlisted men. The Air Force appointed the largest number (2,033) of recently retired military personnel. This legislation has thus far provided talent in many hard-to-fill job areas. For example, during the first 10 months of the law there were 27 doctors, 14 nurses, and 91 engineers appointed from the recently retired military ranks. However, the military services also appointed 220 warehousemen, 300 laborers, 110 policemen, and 180 clerks from the ranks of recently retired military. The subcommittee’s staff made a special analysis of recently retired military at 85 selected Defense Department activities. It was determined that 157 retired officers with the rank of major and above were hired as clerks or wage-board employees. Seven lieutenant colonels and colonels were actually hired as GS-2 clerks, and 19 former lieutenant colonels and colonels were hired as wage-board mechanics. During the 90th Congress, the subcommittee members will review in depth several different aspects of this legislation, including the source of talent for the civilian work force, morale implications on both career civil service employees as well as retiring military person¬ nel, and possible favoritism in filling jobs. Military personnel replaced with civil service employees The subcommittee, for a number of years, has maintained that there were far more military personnel in support-type jobs than can be justified. The subcommittee frequently indicated to Defense officials that there were too many combat-trained military men performing such civilian jobs as carpentering, painting, chauffeuring, teaching, and operating office equipment. The Secretary of Defense in October 1965 agreed with the subcommittee and issued an order for replacing 74,300 active-duty military personnel with 60,500 civilian workers in the Defense establishment; As of October 1, 1966, the replacement program was 55 percent completed. The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower) advised that the program would be completed by December 31, 1966. He also indicated savings in excess of $85 million a year and that the replacement program would improve the combat efficiency of our military forces. The subcommittee chairman was advised by the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower) on October 14, 1966, that by the end of calendar year 1966, 3,500 military personnel working in commissary stores, post exchanges, bowling alleys, theaters, officers’ clubs, and similar activities would be replaced by civilians. Beginning July 1, 1967, another military replacement program will get underway. During fiscal year 1967-68, some 40,000 additional combat-trained military will be relieved from support jobs and re¬ placed with 34,000 civil service personnel. This action is expected to result in significant monetary savings. Comptroller General finds personnel procurement contracts illegal In response to a request from the subcommittee, the Comptroller General of the United States issued a decision (B-146S24, Mar. 4, COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 41 1965) on the legality of the use of contract technical services personnel to perform civilian-type services. The decision referred to an opinion of the General Counsel of the U.S. Civil Service Commission on this question which states that any contract such as one the Air Force had with a private contractor to furnish technicians to work beside military personnel and civil service employees for a particular agency in that Department, is, “not authorized by law and violates the pro¬ visions of the Civil Service Act, the Veterans’ Preference Act, the Classification Act, and other personnel statutes.” This opinion, which is recognized as quite important to the departments and agencies of the Federal Government, is included in House Report 188. As a result of the opinion, the Secretary of Defense, in October 1965, began a program to cancel contracts with private firms who were merely furnishing personnel. As of November 1, 1966, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (In¬ stallations and Logistics) reported to the subcommittee that 10,400 contractor personnel were to be replaced by Government employees. The replacement program was 43 percent completed and should be finalized by July 1, 1967. Defense officials estimated savings in excess of $40 million annually will result. Wage board pay procedures The subcommittee has found almost unanimous agreement through¬ out the Federal Government, from rank-and-file employees to top management, that several features of the present pay procedures for the Government’s tradesmen, craftsmen, and laborers need to be changed. These features include a lack of uniform pay for the same work in the same labor market area, adequacy of step increases, and definitions of labor market areas. Currently the Department of De¬ fense alone has two different wage board procedures—Navy and Army-Air Force. An analysis of the data resulted in a report by the subcommittee, “Wage Board Pay Rates.” The subcommittee also issued a report prepared by the combined staffs of the Bureau of the Budget and Civil Service Commission, “The Wage Board System.” The subcommittee staff has been in active touch with a technical committee at the Civil Service Commission, which has been directed to simplify and coordinate the several different wage board pay pro¬ cedures now in use throughout the departments and agencies. In the meanwhile, several Members introduced bills in 1966 to put into law a single wage board system for all the laborers, artisans, and mechanics of the executive branch. It is expected that there will be renewed interest in the 90th Congress. Manpower management flexibility The subcommittee noted numerous instances of tight civilian per¬ sonnel ceilings that resulted in use of contractor personnel. Local activity heads repeatedly advised the subcommittee staff that person¬ nel controls, as to total employment, average pay grade, and posi¬ tions in GS-14 and above levels, were hampering management and often resulting in an increased total labor cost. Upon the request of the subcommittee chairman, Hon. David N. Henderson, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, early in 1966 relaxed the employment ceiling. Beginning with the 1967 budget, temporary, part time, and intermittent employment are no longer to 42 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE be counted under a specific numerical ceiling for the departments and agencies. In October 1966, Chairman Henderson indicated to Director Schultze, of the Bureau of the Budget, the need to control total labor costs as tight controls of civilian personnel might not suffice and restrictive ceilings could raise the total labor costs. It has been indi¬ cated that the Bureau eventually may suggest a total labor cost concept. Civil Service recruiting procedures As the labor market lias grown tighter, it has become increasingly more evident to the subcommittee that personnel recruiting tech¬ niques of the departments and agencies of the Federal Government are in need of change. For example, it was determined last year that there were over 650 boards of examiners, exclusive of those in the Post Office Department, to furnish civil service nominees for departments and agencies. Many of these boards served small geographic areas and only one or two local Federal activities. The part-time employees were employed by using agencies. The subcommittee urged a reduction in the number of these boards of examiners and an increased use of full-time Civil Service Commission employees. The chairman also pointed out the need for centralized Federal Government job vacancy information. Until now there has been no one place in any large metropolitan area where the public could learn about Federal employment. The Commissioners of the U.S. Civil Service Commission have been most cooperative and responsive. By the end of 1966, the Commis¬ sion expects to have 65 one-stop employment centers, with interagency boards of examiners. During the next year, the subcommittee hopes to see definite plans formulated for connecting these employment centers by automated data control. The Defense Department has already begun operations of a more limited personnel control system. Experiences from that operation should be profitable for a Government-wide program. Administrative leave for Government employee group leaders The subcommittee members noted that under Executive Order 10988, “Employee-Management Relations”, management officials were being given training, at taxpayers expense, as to ways and means of handling the rank-and-file Government employees. Chairman Henderson requested the Comptroller General of the United States for a ruling as to legality of granting administrative leave to employee group leaders to learn more about this phase of employee-management relations. The Comptroller General advised the subcommittee by letter of July 12, 1966, that, “Administrative leave may be granted to an employee representative, incident to his receiving information, briefing, and orientation relating to matters within the scope of Executive Order 10988 and of mutual concern to the employing agency and the employee in his capacity as an organization representative.” Also, it was stated that, “Such matters could include statutory or regulatory provisions relating to pay, working conditions, work schedules, em¬ ployee grievance procedures, performance ratings, adverse action appeals, as well as agency policy, and negotiated agreement per¬ taining thereto.” COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 43 SUBCOMMITTEE ON POSTAL FACILITIES AND MODERNIZATION ZIP code In both sessions of the 89th Congress the subcommittee gave exten¬ sive and lengthy consideration to the very complex and controversial ZIP code system in the U.S. postal service. The subcommittee’s hearings and continuing study of the program were prompted by regulations issued by the Postmaster General in February of 1965, requiring business users of the mails to conform to a ZIP code system effective January 1, 1967. The hearings were specifically directed to H.R. 5180, H.R. 9551, and similar bills which would have the effect of postponing a mandatory ZIP code system for second- and third-class mailers until January 1, 1970. In connection with the subcommittee’s overall study of ZIP code, separate studies were made of the implementation and operation of sectional centers, the discontinuation of en route distribution of mail, the phasing out of some 70 major mail terminals throughout the Nation, and the effect of these radical changes in the postal service on postal employees and individual communities. The many witnesses that appeared before the subcommittee in both sessions of Congress included Members of Congress, postal officials, and representatives of postal employee groups and large and small mailers. Members and staff visited a direct mail firm in New York and a large mail computer center and publishing plant in Chicago to observe the effect of the Department’s ZIP code presorting and mailing requirements on mailers’ operations. A staff conference was held in Texarkana, Ark.-Tex. with postal employees and representatives of the Texarkana community and an on-site inspection was made of the Texarkana post office and mail terminal. Members also visited the Department’s research laboratory in Washington, D.C., for a demon¬ stration of the “optical scanner,” a machine which reads and sorts letters by the ZIP code numbers. The subcommittee also conducted a joint conference on the ZIP code system at the Post Office Department, in which members of the subcommittee, postal officials, and representatives of business users of the mails participated. While no legislative action was taken with regard to ZIP code, the subcommittee’s hearings and studies had significant results. The Postmaster General rescinded his original order requiring presorting to the five-digit ZIP code by bulk mailers effective July 1, 1965. The regulations effective January 1, 1967 were amended in many respects. Revised regulations were issued, guaranteeing that no postal employee would be put out of work by changes in the postal service resulting from ZIP code and the establishment of sectional centers. The Post¬ master General also issued regulations enabling mailers to secure an extension of time to comply with ZIP code where they were unable, in good faith, to comply by January 1, 1967. The joint conference at the Post Office Department resulted in agreement that the procedures for the so-called hardship extensions would be expedited and simplified and that new and improved tools for enabling mailers to comply with ZIP code would be made available to them. The Postmaster General also agreed to undertake a more ambitious and concentrated pro¬ motional program in order to encourage the use of ZIP code by all users of the mail. 44 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Research, development, and engineering in the postal service On April 20, 1966, the subcommittee conducted an in-depth hearing and study on the Post Office Department’s research and development programs, and favorably reported H.R. 13822, introduced by the chairman, which is designed to provide the Post Office Department with the capacity to undertake a strong, viable, positively oriented program of research and development. The legislation, enacted on July 5, 1966, Public Law 89-492, provides for an additional Assistant Postmaster General to further the research and development and construction engineering programs of the Post Office Department. A new Assistant Postmaster General, to head up a new Bureau of Research, Development and Engineering, has been appointed and the Department is now embarked on a program to develop the tools and the know-how to keep the postal service in pace with the mounting volumes of mail. Postage meters The subcommittee undertook a general study, review and evalua¬ tion of the use of postage meters in the U.S. postal service. The study was prompted by news reports revealing that a New York mail order company may have defrauded the U.S. Government of over $2 million in postage revenues through misuse of postage meters. Representatives of the Post Office Department and Pitney-Bowes, Inc. testified at an open hearing. In addition, subcommittee members and staff visited the plant of Pitney-Bowes, Inc. in Stamford, Conn., where they were able to inspect the security precautions taken to prevent individuals from using the meters to defraud the United States. The subcommittee also was able to observe the part played by Pitney-Bowes in working with the Post Office Department on major mechanization projects. Parking spaces The subcommittee held hearings on H.R. 5942, a bill to provide parking spaces for automobiles of patrons and postal employees at, postal installations. Department officials and representatives of postal employee groups were heard. Leasing authority The subcommittee considered and approved legislation (H.R. 14548) that would continue beyond the expiration date of December 31, 1966, the authority of the Postmaster General to enter into lease agreements for postal buildings for periods not exceeding 30 years, and his author¬ ity for condemnation and other land acquisition and related land dis¬ position. While the measure passed the House on July 18, 1966, it was not approved in the Senate. Instead the Senate committee, in the closing days of the Congress, approved Senate Joint Resolution 197, that would extend such authority only until April 30, 1967. The subcommittee and the House subsequently accepted the Senate bill and the 4-month extension was approved as Public Law 89-637. It is anticipated that the Post Office Department’s entire facilities acqui¬ sition program will receive careful study early in the next Congress. U.S. Envelope Co. An inspection tour was conducted at the U.S. Envelope Co., located at Williamsburg, Pa. COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 45 The company has developed a novel process for embossing and printing envelopes at very high production speeds. It was the suc¬ cessful bidder in 1964 on a new contract to produce 2.2 billion enve¬ lopes a year for the next 4 years, for sale in post offices. The new contract represented a cost reduction to the Post Office Department of more than $6 million during the 4-year contract, based on the estimated production of 8.8 billion envelopes. Postal facilities inspections A special staff inspection was made of four important postal facilities in the San Francisco, Calif., area—the Postal Concentration Center, the Oakland Mail Terminal, the Oakland Mail Bag Depository, and the San Francisco Bincon Annex. SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION The Subcommittee on Compensation devoted its chief efforts to the consideration of two major legislative measures—one in each session of the 89th Congress—to adjust salaries of postal and other Federal employees and to provide certain related benefits. The subcommittee actively considered 45 general salary bills and 60 other bills in 31 days of public hearings and a number of executive sessions as well as informal conferences with representatives of the administration and of employee groups. Salary legislation The most important responsibility of the subcommittee, and its most difficult undertaking in each case, was the development and writing of a general salary bill that would meet the needs of both management and employees, implement the policy of comparability between salaries of workers in the Government and in the private sector, and fall within reasonable budgetary limitations. The subcommittee in the first session wrote a general salary bill that would materially improve the relationship of Federal employees’ salary rates to private enterprise rates as established by enactment of Public Law 88-426, approved August 14, 1964. However, the proposed improvement was sharply curtailed by Senate amendments, and the amended bill became Public Law 89-301, providing only a 3.6 percent general increase across the board in the Federal statutory salary systems. As to the matter of comparability, during the subcommittee deliber¬ ations on employees’ salaries in both sessions a marked cleavage was disclosed between the views of administration officials and employee representatives as to their concepts of precisely what constitutes comparability. The subcommittee is mandated to consider salary legislation against the backdrop of the firm comparability policy first set forth in Public Law 87-793. That policy, in short, is that Federal employees shall be paid salaries equal to the salaries paid employees in private enterprise whose duties and responsibilities are of the same level. The issue that has developed between administration officials and employee representatives stems from the method of determining the private 46 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE enterprise salary levels with which the salaries of Federal employees are to be compared. Public Law 87-793 stipulates that these salary comparisons shall be made on the basis of information and data gathered in annual private enterprise salary surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Department of Commerce. The results of these Bureau surveys are keyed each year to the February-March period and are submitted to the Civil Service Commission for evaluation, in the latter part of each year. The Commission, representing the administration, has insisted that its determinations of properly comparable salary levels for Federal employees should not become effective until at least a full year after the key-month period for the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ surveys. Thus, the Commission took the position that any salary adjustments granted in the 1st session of the 89th Congress should take effect no earlier than January 1, 1966, and that it should reflect the state of Federal-private enterprise employee salary comparisons that existed a year earlier in the February-March period of 1964, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This theory would guarantee over a year timelag in granting Federal employees real salary comparability. The subcommittee bill granted a general salary increase effective in October of 1965, reducing the timelag, or “comparability gap,” of 6 months, and a second one to take effect a year later, but this did not become law. The same problem of timelag in comparability confronted the subcommittee again in the 2d session of the 89th Congress, and the difficulties were compounded by very stringent budget limitations. The administration’s salary proposal was for a 2.9 percent average salary increase, to be effective in January of 1967. This proposal admittedly did nothing to bridge the already serious “comparability gap.” In truth and in fact, it would have provided salary compara¬ bility as of the February-March 1965 period, not to become effective until 21 months later, in January of 1967. In other words, the partial reduction of the comparability gap achieved by Public Law 89-301 in the first session, would have been countermanded and replaced a more than threefold greater comparability gap. It is a tribute to the patriotism and dedication of Federal employees and their representatives before the subcommittee that most of them agreed to the President’s proposal as necessary in the national interest. However, they could not and did not agree to the suggested aggrava¬ tion of the comparability gap, and the subcommittee concurred in their view. Accordingly, in a spirit of honest compromise, giving full recognition to the financial demands imposed on the Government in Vietnam and in other essential foreign and domestic programs, the subcommittee and employee representatives worked out a bill granting the 2.9 percent salary increase recommended by the Presi¬ dent, but with a July 1966 effective date and certain improvements in other benefits. The subcommittee bill was reported by the com¬ mittee, was enacted by the House on a rollcall vote of 393 to 1, and was passed by the Senate with only minor change. This bill became Public Law 89-504. The consideration of Federal employees’ salary legislation in the second session was noteworthy, also, in that it marked the first COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 47 occasion of joint action by two of the committee’s standing subcom¬ mittees on major legislation. In view of requests by many Members of Congress, supported by all employee and retiree groups, and in the light of the evident needs for legislative improvements in a number of fringe benefits areas, as well as in salaries, all of the public hearings and the other meetings and conferences which led to the enactment of Public Law 89-504 were conducted jointly by the Subcommittee on Compensation and the Subcommittee on Retirement, Insurance, and Health Benefits. This fine joint and cooperative effort, making maximum use of the experience, knowledge, and expertise of members in several important fields of committee jurisdiction, contributed materially to the writing of legislation that is far superior to any that could have been prepared separately by the subcommittees. Fringe benefits The subcommittee’s first session salary bill, H.R. 10281, in addition to its general salary increase, provided several important fringe bene¬ fits. It modernized postal employee overtime and holiday pay policies, which heretofore had been woefully inadequate. It estab¬ lished a basic Monday-through-Friday workweek for regular em¬ ployees, while authorizing arrangement of work schedules as needed for Saturday service. Time and one-half premium pay was authorized for work in excess of 40 hours a week by postal substitutes. Regular employees were granted premium pay for Sunday work. Double time pay was granted for work performed on any of the eight legal holidays, except that for work on Christmas Day another half-day’s pay is added. Maximum uniform allowance authorization was increased from $100 to $125. Provision is made for payment of re¬ location expenses to postal employees transferred to a new post of duty. Severance pay is authorized for employees who are involuntarily separated before they have the right to retirement annuities. The Monday-through-Friday basic workweek and the 8-hour overtime provision for substitutes were deleted in the Senate, which substituted a provision for 25-percent differential pay for Sunday work instead of the time and one-half pay in the subcommittee bill. The Senate then held the bill until the very last hours of the first session, so that the House was faced with approving the watered-down version or risking loss of any salary bill at all in the session. The amended version became Public Law 89-301. The employee salary and fringe benefits story was far different, however, in the second session. As noted above, the subcommittee bill (H.R. 14122) passed the House and the Senate with only one minor change made in the other body—a unique tribute to the work of the subcommittee. Although Public Law 89-204 limited the general salary increase to 2.9 percent, to keep within the President’s “wage guidelines,” and admittedly aggravated the salary comparability gap, its fringe bene¬ fits—largely in areas excluded from the wage guidelines—make it an important milestone in the modernization of Federal personnel policy. In addition to pay, the legislation also liberalized several employee fringe benefits which are summarized in part II of this summary. Overseas teachers ’ salaries The time and attention devoted by the subcommittee to the per¬ plexing problems which had developed in respect to the pay of teachers 48 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE in the dependents’ school system of the Department of Defense were second only to the subcommittee’s work on general salary and fringe benefits legislation. As a result of an on-site investigation by the former Civil Service Subcommittee in 1955, the committee, working with representatives of the Department of Defense and other interested Government agen¬ cies, wrote a bill which became Public Law 86-91—a law designed to establish a modern and realistic salary and employment system for teachers in the dependents’ school system. That law removed the teachers from coverage of the Classification Act of 1949 and certain other laws which were not suitable for them, and provided the founda¬ tion for a modern personnel policy for those teachers consistent with practices in school systems in the United States. In general, the law has been useful and has worked well in the interests of both the Gov¬ ernment and the teachers, but with one material exception. The exception applies to the fixing of salaries of the teachers, one of the most important objectives of the law. Inquiries made by the Subcommittee on Compensation early in the 89th Congress disclosed that the clear intention of the Congress, and the supposedly firm salary policy it wrote in Public Law 86-91, were being aborted in the administration of the law so that the average of the teachers’ salaries was at least several hundred dollars a year lower than it should have been under the law. The fundamental salary provision of Public Law 86-91 required the salary rates to the dependents’ school teachers to be fixed “in relation to” the pay of teaching positions of comparable levels of responsibility in the United States, but not higher than the rates paid teachers in the District of Columbia. Administrative regulations to carry out this provision—prepared before the committee acted and forming the basis for the salary policy of the law—specified that the teachers’ salaries would be “equated” to salaries of teachers in urban school jurisdictions having 100,000 or more population within the United States. Notwithstanding the clear intent of Public Law 86-91 and the administrative regulations, the Department of Defense was unable to pay the proper salaries because a dollar amount “per pupil limitations” was included in each year’s appropriation act. The per pupil limita¬ tions were set at too low a level to pay the authorized salaries to the teachers and also cover other necessary school expenses. The subcommittee accordingly prepared and reported a new bill, H.R. 6845, to correct these conditions, and the bill became Public Law 89-391, approved April 14, 1966. This law makes mandatory the payment of salaries to the dependents’ schoolteachers which are “equal to” the range of salary rates paid teachers in positions of comparable levels of responsibility in urban school jurisdictions having 100,000 or more population within the United States. With the enactment of Public Law 89-391, the Department pro¬ ceeded to make proper adjustments in its teachers’ salaries, to recruit teachers for the 1966-67 school year, and to enter into contracts with teachers for this year calling for payment of salaries required by Public Law 89-391. The subcommittee in the meantime had worked out a cooperative understanding with the House Committee on Appropria¬ tions under which that committee agreed to discontinue the stipula- COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 49 tion of per pupil limitations on funds for the dependents’ school system, thus restoring, in this one area, the usual and customary pattern of appropriation control of expenditures. However, when the appropriation bill was passed by the Senate it included a rider reimposing a per pupil limitation. Moreover, the rider fixed a $455 per pupil limitation whereas at least $495 per pupil is essential to cover the new teachers’ salary rates guaranteed by Public Law 89-391 and to pay other necessary school expenses. The committee of conference on the appropriation bill recom¬ mended approval of the reimposition of a per pupil limitation, but with a revised dollar limitation of $475. The chairman and members of the Subcommittee on Compensation, strongly supported by key members of the Committee on Education and Labor (who made an on-site investigation of the dependents’ school system for that com¬ mittee), led the opposition to this proposal on the floor of the House, and the House rejected the conference agreement. Finally, near the close of the 89th Congress, the managers on the part of the House for the appropriation bill recommended a further compromise, which accepted a per pupil limitation of $492. Since the Department of Defense reported that this higher limitation would permit it to operate the dependents’ school system for the current school year without irreparable damage, and in view of the lateness in the session, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Compensation, acting for the committee and with agreement on the part of members of the Committee on Education and Labor, agreed to no longer oppose the conference provision, but only as a temporary expedient. Cost-of-living allowance The Subcommittee on Compensation also took definitive action to clear up the extremely controversial problems that had arisen with respect to the payment of cost-of-living allowances in Puerto Pico and the Virgin Islands. During World War II and for a number of years thereafter Federal employees assigned to duty in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were burdened with excessive costs of living which, in effect, reduced the purchasing power value of their statutory salaries below the value the salaries would have had were the employees stationed within the United States. In recent years, periodic cost-of-living surveys in those offshore areas had convinced the Civil Service Commission that the full measure of the extra allowances being paid the employees was excessive, since there was no longer the same disparity in cost levels between such areas in the United States. The Commission 2 years ago ordered reduction in the allowances, resulting in vehement protests from the employees and their representatives. House Joint Resolution 5d9, 89th Congress, dealing with this matter, was referred to the Subcommittee on Compensation, which conducted an intensive study of the problem, including public hearings. The purpose of this resolution was to postpone the effect of an administra¬ tive order which reduces the cost-of-living allowances in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands until a cost-of-living survey had been made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in those places. This proposal was based on objections to the fact that the cost-of- living surveys thus far made in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, upon which the Civil Service Commission predicated its order to 50 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE reduce allowances, were not made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whereas the Bureau made the cost-of-living surveys in all other areas for which extra cost-of-living allowances are authorized. While the reduction was not postponed, the Civil Service Com¬ mission took administrative action under which cost-of-living surveys in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will be made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the future, and no reduction will occur in the future until a Bureau survey is completed. The subcommittee had reported House Joint Resolution 569 (H. Rept. 1091) September 23, 1965, and the resolution remains on the House Calendar. SUBCOMMITTEE ON RETIREMENT, INSURANCE, AND HEALTH BENEFITS This subcommittee devoted its time and attention to the consider¬ able number of important legislative measures which were referred to the committee in the fields of retirement, insurance, and health benefits. The chairman and individual members of the subcommittee also visited several centers of Federal employment, and conferred with various local regional groups of representative organizations of em¬ ployees and retirees, as part of the subcommittee’s program of on-site investigations of the administration of existing laws in its jurisdiction and of the need for new legislation. The subcommittee actively considered the subject matters of 136 of the total of 244 bills referred to it under the committee rules. The subcommittee conducted 29 days of public hearings, held 13 official business meetings in executive session, and met informally on numer¬ ous occasions with representatives of the U.S. Civil Service Commis¬ sion, other Government agencies, and both active and retired employee national headquarters. The subcommittee’s record of accomplishment is exceptional, as demonstrated by the breadth and scope of its legislative program, the seven bills acted on by the subcommittee which became law, ancl the supporting data developed in its studies and investigations. Annuity adjustments—Public Law 89-205 The subcommittee considered more than 30 bills on this subject during 4 days of public hearings, at which representatives of 19 employee or retiree organizations and 55 Members of Congress testified in support of annuity increases needed to meet spiraling costs of living. The subcommittee developed its own bill, H.R. 8469, granting annuity increases ranging from 6.1 to 15 percent, with the larger increases given to those having the smallest annuities. The bill also accelerates the automatic cost-of-living adjustment feature of the retirement law to a more sensitive price index indicator. The bill passed the House on a record vote of 395 to 0, was amended in the Senate to delete an increase in future widows’ benefits from 55 to 60 percent of earned annuity, and became Public Law 89-205. A 3.9 percent increase, under the automatic cost-of-living adjustment feature, is expected to take effect January 1, 1967, in each annuity which has a commencing date not later than January 1, 1967. COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 51 Extension of annuity increase cutoff date—Public Law 89-3If This subcommittee measure extended from October 30 to Decem¬ ber 30, 1965, the time in which employees could retire and receive the 6.1-percent increase under Public Law 89-205. The extension was particularly needed by the postal service, which otherwise would have lost an unprecedented number of key and experienced employees shortly before its Christmas mailing rush. Congressional fellowship employee fringe benefits—Public Law 89-379 This law, written by the subcommittee, preserves retirement, life insurance, and health benefits rights of congressional employees who receive fellowship awards of the American Political Science Association for limited periods. Reemployed annuitants—Public Law 89-378 This law authorizes recomputation of the annuities of annuitants reemployed subsequent to involuntary retirement, in order to place a limited number of such annuitants on a factual par with annuitants who became reemployed after voluntary retirement. Botanic Garden employees—Public Law 89-604 This law corrects an inequity in the Retirement Act with respect to employees of the Botanic Garden by extending the congressional personnel retirement computation formula to such employees. Designations of beneficiary—Public Law 89-373 This law, based on an administrative proposal, is designed to clarify, beyond any possibility of misinterpretation, the intent of Congress with respect to the validity of designations of beneficiary filed under the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance and Civil Service Retirement Acts. Improved retirement and health benefits—Public Law 89-504 The subcommittee joined with the Subcommittee on Compensation in the public hearings and executive sessions on general salary and fringe benefits legislation, which resulted in the reporting and enact¬ ment of H.R. 14122, the bill that became Public Law 89-504. Among the benefits of this law are provisions to allow optional retirement of employees on full annuity at age 55 after 30 years’ service; voluntary retirement on full annuity at age 60 after 20 years’ service; payment of survivor annuities of student-children to age 22; retirement, life insurance, and health benefits coverage for certain employee-organiza¬ tion officers on leave without pay; continuance of pa}mient of spouses’ benefits upon remarriage after attaining age 60 and resumption of payment upon termination of a remarriage entered into prior to age 60; a 10-percent increase in the spouses’ annuities that were based upon the death or retirement of an employee prior to October 11, 1962; and an increase in the Government’s share of the subscription charges for health benefits from an average of 28 percent to 38 percent of the total costs. Life insurance — H.R. 6926 Public hearings were held by the subcommittee during the first session of the 89th Congress on H.R. 6434, a bill to strengthen the financial condition of the employees’ life insurance fund, at which the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and representatives of 14 52 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE major employee organizations presented testimony. The bill provided for increased premiums to maintain the financial stability of the fund. The subcommittee wrote a clean bill, H.R. 6926, authorizing the Commission to increase the Government contribution from one-third to one-half of the total premium cost and increasing the maximum coverage from $20,000 to $30,000. H.R. 6926 was unanimously approved by both the committee and the House, but was materially amended as passed by the Senate. The subcommittee held later hearings on H.R. 11879, to further liberalize the group life insurance program, and H.R. 13723, which embodied the Senate amendments to H.R. 6926. Those amendments would increase the amount of basic coverage by at least 33 percent, grant additional coverage of $2,000 not subject to reduction after retirement, raise the maximum coverage from $20,000 to $40,000, change the employee-employer premium-sharing ratio from 2 to 1 to 3 to 2, and permit the coverage of certain reemployed annuitants. The House unanimously agreed to the Senate amendments, but the measure was disapproved by the President. Subcommittee bills not enacted into law The subcommittee held hearings on four other bills and reported them favorably, but none of the four became law. H.R. 5147, to permit additional health benefits plans under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act, was reported from the full committee and unanimously passed by the House, but was not acted on in the Senate. S. 699, to authorize consideration of supplemental annuities of certain reemployed annuitants in the determination of survivor benefits, was amended by the subcommittee to extend the cutoff date for the anticipated retirement annuity cost-of-living adjust¬ ment (now December 30, 1966) through January of 1967. The amended bill was reported from committee and unanimously approved by the House, but not considered further in the Senate. H.R. 10263, based on an official recommendation from the judicial branch for extension of the congressional personnel retirement computation formula to secretaries of Federal judges, was reported from the subcommittee and the full committee, but was not considered by the House. H.R. 97, to grant special early retirement rights for Panama Canal ship pilots, was reported from subcommittee and approved by the full committee, but was not reported to the House. SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE The program of the Subcommittee on Civil Service during the 89th Congress dealt primarily with a continuation and broadening of its historic policy of reviewing the administration of civil service laws, rules, and regulations and developing improvements and correc¬ tive measures where needed. In addition to these activities, under the new committee rules, important legislative measures also were considered. COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 53 Legislative Program Subcommittee action resulted in the enactment of 7 laws during the 89th Congress from the 98 bills and 4 resolutions which came within its jurisdiction. Two additional bills favorably reported by the subcommittee were approved by the House and were pending in the Senate at the close of the Congress; and one bill was pending on the Union Calendar of the House. Firefighters' 'premium pay A number of informal meetings and conferences supplemented the public hearings on legislation dealing with Federal firefighters’ premium pay, Public Law 89-737. This law provides that Federal employees who are officially assigned to tours of duty materially in excess of 40 hours, shall have their premium compensation considered to be basic compensation for the purposes of the Civil Service Retirement Act, the Federal Employees’Group Life Insurance, severance pay, and the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. Home leave , seafaring personnel The subcommittee was responsible also for Public Law 89-747 which will materially improve the competitive position of the Federal Government in the recruitment and retention of seafaring personnel. This legislation authorizes the granting of home leave to personnel serving on any oceangoing vessel on an extended voyage, at a rate of not more than 2 days for each 30 calendar days of such service. This home leave will be in addition to the regular annual leave now author¬ ized by law. The provisions of five other measures which became public law (Public Laws 89-47, 89-261, 89-396, 89-478, and 89-762) deal with the improvement of personnel administration and are discussed in detail in part II “Legislation Approved b}' the Committee” of this summary. Investigative Program The subcommittee continued and broadened its vigorous program of critically reviewing the administration of civil service laws, rules, and regulations by the Civil Service Commission and the several departments and agencies of the Federal Government. As has been customary since formation of the subcommittees in the 83d Congress, the Subcommittee on Civil Service has worked in very close coopera¬ tion with the Subcommittee on Manpower due to the close relationship of the jurisdictions and activities of the two subcommittees and the often-overlapping areas of operation. A comprehensive and effective system of staff liaison and interchange of ideas and information has contributed materially to both economy and effective results in the conduct of both of the subcommittee programs. As in the past, major time and attention of the subcommittee was occupied in the consideration of petitions, appeals, and complaints by civil service employees—and representatives of employee organiza¬ tions—with respect to a wide variety of matters relating to their employment rights, privileges, and benefits. Corrective action was recommended to the departments and agencies concerned, where indicated by subcommittee review, in a number of individual cases. In several instances, moreover, individual complaints or appeals were 54 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE found to be representative of more widespread conditions warranting; investigation. SUBCOMMITTEE ON CENSUS AND STATISTICS In the performance of its responsibilities over the functions of the Bureau of the Census, the National Archives, and the collection, re¬ porting, and data processing activities of the Government, the Sub¬ committee on Census and Statistics programed and completed work in each of the areas assigned. The subcommittee held hearings on legislation to improve Federal statistics, especially to meet the sweep¬ ing sociological changes of the 1960’s and the highly accelerated eco¬ nomic growth of the United States. A series of hearings on the 1970 Census of Population, Unemployment, and Housing were recom¬ mended by the subcommittee and begun by the Full Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. In keeping; with its policy of reducing the paperwork burden on the public while improving statistics as a public service, the subcom¬ mittee continued its intensive study of Federal paperwork require¬ ments and issued comprehensive reports on the subject. Legislation is expected to result. The subcommittee also participated in develop¬ ments in regard to Government use of electronic data processing systems. The subcommittee served as a point of contact in the Congress for members of the statistical community and others who have prob¬ lems relating to subject matter which falls in the subcommittee’s jurisdiction. Legislation Mid-decade census There days of hearings were held on H.R. 6183, a bill to author¬ ize a mid-decade census of population, unemployment, and housing in the years 1966 and 1975 and every 10 years thereafter. A mid- decade census would reduce the interval of population statistics from 10 to 5 years. The need for the legislation lies in the fact that Congress is required to consider legislation based on statistics 6 years old. For example, 1959 income data, enumerated in the Eighteenth Decennial Census in 1960, is the most current information available. These statistics will become 7, 8, 9, and 10 years old during the next session and sub¬ sequent Congresses. Officials, public and private, throughout the country also must use 1960 information to implement new laws and to make business decisions. Four members of the subcommittee and seven other Members of the Congress introduced similar bills to authorize a mid-decade census which would provide up-to-date statistics to meet the foregoing needs. The subcommittee held hearings in May 1965, and over 50 wit¬ nesses testified in favor of the bill. The legislation was reported favorably (H. Rept. 780). Paperwork reduction—Pension plans H.R. 11778 was introduced on October 22, 1965, to amend the Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act to eliminate or modify COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 55 certain requirements thereof with respect to the making of affidavits and the filing of copies of certain information. The bill grew out of a recommendation by the subcommittee in House Report 52, the subcommittee’s paperwork report, that “Im¬ mediate action is urged to develop an appropriate legislative proposal for the removal of the sworn notarization requirement of the Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act.” The bill was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor and reported favorably on September 1, 1966. Federal statistical system H.R. 11779 was introduced on October 22, 1965, and referred to the subcommittee. The purpose of the bill is “to amend title 13, United States Code, to provide for the collection and publication of Federal statistics by the Secretary of Commerce, to redesignate the Bureau of the Census as the Bureau of the Census and Government Statistics, and for other purposes.” The bill places central operating responsibility for the Federal statistical system in the Secretary of Commerce with the objectives of clarifying the various statistical programs which are being auth¬ orized, formalizing them, pulling them together, and to establish the most direct means of maximum and high-quality statistical output at the most economical cost. Paperwork reduction—Broadcasting industry H.R. 15170 was introduced by the chairman of the subcommittee on May 19, 1966, and referred to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Three additional members of the subcommittee introduced identical bills. The bill was introduced to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to abolish the renewal requirement for licenses in the safety and special radio services, and for other purposes. The objectives of the bill were to extend the relicensing period of radio and television broad¬ casters from 3 to 6 years, and accordingly to reduce Federal Govern¬ ment paperwork internally and in the broadcasting industry. Amendment oj the Federal Reports Act of 194-2 As a result of discussions between the subcommittee and the Bureau of the Budget, in regard to recommendations in House Report 52, the Bureau of the Budget plans to submit draft legislation amending the Federal Reports Act of 1942. Reports House Report 52, u The Federal Paperwork Jungle ” Following hearings in the 88th Congress, the subcommittee early in the 1st session of the 89th Congress prepared House Report 52, dated February 18, 1965, “The Federal Paperwork Jungle.” The report sets forth the views and recommendations of the Subcommittee on Census and Statistics and the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service in regard to the paperwork requirements placed upon business, industry, and the public by Federal departments and agencies. Report oj statistical activities of the Federal Government Biennially, the subcommittee prepares a report on the statistical activities of the Federal Government: personnel, equipment, and 56 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE contract costs. The previous report was House Report 1130, dated February 6, 1964. During the 1st session of the 89th Congress, the subcommittee requested information of all Fedeial statistical agencies for preparation of the report showing data as of June 30, 1965. The current publication, House KeDort 1333, was approved March 17, 1966. House Report 2197 , “How To Cut Paperwork” Among the organizations under the jurisdiction of the subcom¬ mittee is the National Archives, an organization the subcommittee works closely with but for which a management report has not been undertaken by the subcommittee heretofore. House Report 2197 was prepared and published in October 1966 for this purpose, and for the dual purpose of pointing out how paper¬ work procedures in Government and in industry can be improved. The subcommittee made 14 recommendations. The recommendations have met with wide acceptance. Hearings Federal Government paperwork Five days of hearings were held to receive testimony from Federal departments and agencies not included previously, to update tes¬ timony from other departments and agencies previously heard, and to examine the paperwork practices associated with the Great Society programs. Legislation resulted, and improvements related to the subject matter of the hearings have been announced. Government electronic data processing systems The subcommittee held 4 days of hearings on government electronic data processing systems to renew its examination of Federal Govern¬ ment computer activities with emphasis on the people of the systems, State and local government needs, and the future. A course of action regarding State and local government computer systems was established. Legislation in the field of training may result also. Questions on 1970 census Upon the recommendation of the Subcommittee on Census and Statistics made because of the interest to all the committee members, the full Committee on Post Office and Civil Service held 3 days of hearings on 1970 census questions. The hearings were scheduled earlier than usual to give the advice and counsel of the committee on a large number of proposals for new questions, and on innovations, and improvements in the 1970 census,, some of which are controversial. The committee will report its conclusions in the 90th Congress. PART IV.—COMMITTEE PUBLICATIONS Nine major reports—three developed by the Subcommittee on Census and Statistics, four developed by the Subcommittee on Man¬ power, and two developed as a result of investigation of U.S. Armed Forces postal systems—were approved by the committee and printed as official reports to the House of Representatives. The message from the President of the United States on Federal civilian pay and a communication from the President entitled “Report on Federal Statutory Salary Systems” were printed as House Document 170 and House Document 174, respectively, upon recommendation of the committee. The message from the President transmitting the annual report of the Bureau of the Budget and the Civil Service Commission, and the report of the Cabinet Committee on Federal Staff Retirement Systems was printed as House Document 402. The veto message of the President on H.R. 6926 was printed as House Document 495. The Postmaster GeneraPs Annual Report on the Postal Savings Sys¬ tem for 1964 and 1965 were printed as House Document 41 and House Document 331, respectively. The 43d and 44th Annual Report of the Board of Actuaries on the Civil Service Retirement System were printed as House Document 48 and House Document 425, upon recommendation of the committee. The survey of postal rates, sub¬ mitted by the Postmaster General pursuant to section 2304 of title 39, United States Code, was printed as House Document 420. The committee also ordered printing of 28 committee prints, to be used by the committee and the Members of Congress. H. Doc. 41_Report of Operations of the Postal Savings System, 1964. Jan. 6, 1965. H. Doc. 48_Forty-third Annual Report of the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System. Jan. 12, 1965. Committee print_Procedures for Appointment of Acting Postmasters, Permanent Postmasters, and Rural Letter Carriers, Consolidation of Rural Routes. February 1965. H. Rept. No. 52_The Federal Paperwork Jungle. Subcommittee on Census and Statistics. Feb. 18, 1965. (For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office. Price 55 cents.) H. Rept. No. 129_Use of Contractor Personnel in Department of Defense. Subcommittee on Manpower. Mar. 2, 1965. H. Rept. No. 187_Wage Board Pay Rates. Subcommittee on Manpower. Mar. 18, 1965. H. Rept. No. 188_Decision of the Comptroller General of the United States Regarding Contractor Technical Services. Subcommittee on Manpower. Mar. 18, 1965. Committee print_Federal Employees, Group Life Insurance Program. Actuarial and Financial Condition. March 1965. Do_Survey of Income of Civil Service Annuitants. (Pre¬ pared by the Civil Service Commission.) Mar. 19, 1965. Do_Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Gov¬ ernment. Subcommittee on Manpower. April 1965. H. Doc. No. 170_Message from the President of the United States. Pay increases for certain civilian employees and members of the uniformed services. May 12, 1965. 57 58 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Committee print_Statement of Purpose and Justification and Section-by- Section Analysis of the Legislation Requested by the U.S. Civil Service Commission To Terminate Cost-of- Living Allowances for Statutory-Salaried Federal Civilian Employees in Nonforeign Areas. May 18, 1965. H. Doc. 174_Communication from the President of the United States. Report on Federal Statutory Salary Systems. May 17, 1965. Committee print_Report of the Advisory Panel on Postal Rates. May 1965. Do_Statement on Postal Employees’ Salary Legislation. May 16, 1965. Do_Postal Rate Increases. Public Law 793, 87th Cong. 1965. Do_The Classes of Mail. July 1965. H. Rept. No. 816_Current Manpower Issues in the Federal Government. Subcommittee on Manpower. August 1965. Committee print_ Postal Data by Class of Mail. August 1965. Do_Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Gov¬ ernment. Examples for the Period January-June 1965. Subcommittee on Manpower. September 1965. Do_ Rotation From Overseas Posts of U.S. Civilian Citizens Employed by Defense Department. Subcommittee on Manpower. October 1965. Do_Federal Classified, Postal, and Foreign Service Salary Rates. (H.R. 10281.) October 1965. Do_Summary of Activities (1st sess., 89th Cong.), November 1965. H. Doc. 331_ Report of Operations of the Postal Savings System, 1965. Jan. 10, 1966. Committee print_Severance Pay Benefits for Federal Employees. Janu¬ ary 1966. H. Rept. No. 1226_Postal Systems of the U.S. Armed Forces and Certain Countries in Europe. Committee print_Parcel Post Legislation Requested by the Postmaster General. Jan. 28, 1966. H. Rept. No. 1333_ 1965 Report of Statistical Activities of the Federal Government: Personnel, Equipment, and Contract Costs. Census and Statistics Subcommittee. Mar. 17, 1966. Committee print_Report on the Operations of the Executive Branch Under Title II of the Dual Compensation Act. Feb. 23, 1966. H. Doc. 402_Message From the President of the United States Trans¬ mitting Annual Report of the Bureau of the Budget and Civil Service Commission, and Report of the Cabinet Committee on Federal Staff Retirement Sys¬ tems. Mar. 7, 1966. Committee print_Federal Employees’ Staff Retirement and Survivorship Benefits, Life Insurance, and Health Benefits. Mar. 16, 1966. Do-The Wage Board System. Subcommittee on Man¬ power. March 1966. H. Doc. 420_Survey of Postal Rates, submitted by the Postmaster General pursuant to sec. 2304 of title 39, United States Code. U.S. Post Office Department, Apr. 15, 1966. H. Doc. 425_Forty-fourth Annual Report of the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System. Apr. 19, 1966. Committee print_Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Gov¬ ernment, Examples for the Period July-December 1965. Subcommittee on Manpower. March 1966. Do- Report on the Investigation and On-Site Inspection of Working Conditions of Certain Employees in the Panama Canal Zone. Subcommittee on Retirement, Insurance, and Health Benefits. Apr. 11-12, 1966. COMMITTEE Committee print_ Do__ Do_ H. Doc. 495_ Committee print_ H. Rept. No. 2197_ H. Rept. No. 2198_ Committee print_ Do_ ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 59 Decision of the Comptroller General of the United States Regarding Administrative Leave to Employees Representing Government Employee Organizations. July 1966. Federal Classified, Postal, and Foreign Service Salary Rates. (H.R. 14122.) July 1966. Leave System for Federal Seafaring Employees. Civil Service Commission. August 1966. Veto Message From the President of the United States. (H.R. 6926.) Sept. 13, 1966. Report on the Inspection Tour of the U.S. Envelope Company. Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization. September 1966. How To Cut Paperwork. Subcommittee on Census and Statistics. October 1966. Postal Systems of the U.S. Armed Forces—Vietnam and Thailand. Oct. 6, 1966. Improved Manpower Management in the Federal Gov¬ ernment. Examples for the Period January-June 1966. Subcommittee on Manpower. October 1966. Salary and Retirement Annuity Increases of Federal Classified and Postal Employees, 1945-66. December 1966. Summary of Activities, 89th Cong. Do :ot 7 H 33 .ir/o cry .a 30 : iio T 8 < q y;o :o rm/iiAOO 88 botiu'T "■•» 1 ,wi!) v, xiqaio’) odl V* ffoihfo*CE ..._.in’iq eo/jirtUTtcO ■■>yok|i'.u , J o ■ • f/al ■■ .'i■'ixlxcirnb/ i? . »5i . ' • ; AOlqi'jli ,0IjCT»7Oi > Jill! 0*v.mqoJi •W)Gt yit'l. V/iaii-c • -ji .-••*• iig-i no'f J../W: t l•?)«’> lj:i.*be'>£. - -,-o(C .(iO'fl vhil Al'SiH ,H.H) , i 1 iiv'O .t *v*• * -l>oi c [ ••rl.r fa.vi i. _ 04 .t»o(I .H .cKOI ;fil :frio& fMOif Jl.ll): tevflSI .B’.tJ sdi Io iuoT iiafaooqfc'i I orfl m» . kacttoO biu) • ■■• ’ ■ o*l n< ■ oO .00*?JT = • f q-.c . .(ft'ir Ot ■ -bo! bnn »i .....' .OftG f lodfxtoO mji.o 17— in burnt/. v . oii* 1 u -.1 ' }>-,78o l J _8* ; '£.o T/ ; JqoJl .11 . i . . t .1 ■ !!■ T »;i : -v : • L Kill ni • i < • • . M '• O'. ••• ' !' . •. 'MiutmoO i>oi .-‘I » ;auir 'A .inomm - . ' *J Tr.jo-JoO .iowocjjxh i / no ■ s iiO/fOOdlbi .<:■ }ivrr*. :,, *U V* • v. if //iti. ■ y! O ' (•<5 ;0 ... . .. _ of. nodraoooG .Od-c£GI . i J .■ .<•. ' ■ .. ... _i)U>< • ’ 0 • APPENDIX Paragraph 26 (j) of rule XI, Rules of the House of Representatives, provides that ■a copy of the committee rules and paragraph 26 of rule XI shall be made available to witnesses before the committee. RULES OF THE COMMITTEE (As amended to Aug. 4, 1966) Part I Committee Procedures Rule 1. Rules and Procedures. Rules and procedures of the House, except as otherwise provided herein consistent therewith, shall apply to the committee. Rule 2. Time of Meetings. The committee shall meet for the consideration of pending business promptly at 10 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month except when the House is in recess or adjourned sine die. The chairman shall preside at such meetings, or in his absence the ranking majority member who is hereby designated as vice chairman of the committee, or in the absence of the chairman and the vice chairman the senior majority member present. The chairman may postpone such regular meetings with concurrence of both the ranking minority member and ranking majority member, but otherwise they shall be held. Special meetings may be called at any time by the chairman, or by written request of a majority of the committee. Rule 3. Executive Sessions. The proceedings of the committee in executive session shall be recorded in a journal which shall include, among other matters, the names and titles of those present and a record of the votes on any question on which a record vote occurs. Rule 4. Quorum. A majority of the total membership of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting committee business, except that for conduct of public hearings and the receiving therein of testimony and evidence a quorum shall be not less than one committee member each of the majority and the minority. Rule 5. Quorum, Executive Session. The presence of a quorum shall be determined and announced by the chairman before the committee shall proceed to the transaction of business in executive session, and shall be duly recorded in the official journal of such executive session. Rule 6. Rollcall Vote. A rollcall vote may be demanded by any member of the committee, but no such demand shall be entertained except for the purpose of securing a record vote or in the apparent absence of a quorum. Rule 7. Proxies. A member may vote on any matter before the committee or its subcommittees by proxy, which shall (a) be in writing and dated, ( b ) be signed by the member granting the proxy, and (c) identify the member to whom it is given. A proxy may cover all matters before the committee or its subcommittee on a specified date. A proxy may not be used unless a quorum is present, and cannot be used to make a quorum, nor for a motion to adjourn. Rule 8. Addressing Committee. Recognition by the chairman shall first be obtained by any member addressing the committee, proposing a motion, or interrogating a witness. No member shall address the committee or interrogate a witness for more than 10 consecutive minutes (including time yielded and time of response of the witness), except that (a) such time may be extended by majority vote of a quorum of the committee and (6) in the markup of a bill the 5-minute rule of the House shall apply. The regular order shall be observed in all com¬ mittee proceedings, and all questions and statements in the interrogation of witnesses shall be germane to the legislation or other matters then being con¬ sidered by the committee. Rule 9. Reference of Legislation. Every bill, resolution, investigation, or other matter referred to the committee shall be referred to the standing subcom¬ mittee having jurisdiction over its principal subject within 1 week from the date 61 62 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE of its referral to the committee unless the committee shall order that it be held or the full committee’s direct consideration, or order that it be referred to a selected or special subcommittee. All bills shall be referred under this rule to the subcommittees of proper jurisdiction without regard to whether the author is or is not a member. A bill, resolution, or other matter referred by the chairman to a subcommittee may be recalled therefrom at any time by majority vote of a quorum of the committee for the committee’s direct consideration or for referral to another subcommittee. Rule 10. Statements, Depositions. Statements, depositions, letters, and such other pertinent matter in appropriate form as may be timely submitted may be accepted for inclusion in printed hearings, records, or documents, or in the per¬ manent files of the committee, by the chairman without objection or upon motion duly adopted. Rule 11. Appearances of Witnesses. The scheduling of appearances of wit¬ nesses before the committee and the time allowed for the presentation of testi¬ mony and interrogation by the committee shall be in the sole discretion of the chairman, unless otherwise ordered by majority vote of the committee. Any person appearing as a witness before the committee who shall have had appro¬ priate and timely notice of such appearance shall, before being recognized to pre¬ sent his testimony, have first submitted at least 35 copies of the text of his pro¬ posed testimony to the staff director or an assistant clerk of the committee. The requirement of this rule may be waived, in whole or in part, by the chairman, without objection, or pursuant to motion duly adopted. Rule 12. Reporting Bills to House. No bill shall be reported to the House except by motion approved by a majority of a quorum of the committee. Rule 13. Duties When Committee Takes Favorable Action. (a) Whenever the committee authorizes the favorable reporting of a bill or resolution from the committee, the chairman shall report the same or designate some member of the committee to report the same to the House and he shall use or cause to be used all parliamentary methods to secure passage thereof, without such additional authority being set forth particularly in the motion to report each individual bill or resolution. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the authority and direction contained herein extends in appropriate cases to requesting action by the Rules Committee and appearing promptly before the same, placing the bill or resolution on the Private or Consent Calendars, moving to suspend the rules, calling the bill up under clause 7 of rule XXIV, preparing and introducing an appropriate resolution which will make in order the consideration of the bill by the House under clause 23 of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and requesting recognition pursuant to such clause 23 of rule XI to call up for consideration by the House of Representatives such resolution if the Committee on Rules has adversely reported or failed to report the same, moving in accordance with rule XXIV, clause 5, of said rules that the House go into the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union to consider the bill or resolution, and moving in accordance with rule XXIV, clause 2, of said rules for the disposition of a Senate bill or resolution that is substantially the same as the House bill or resolution as reported. ( b ) In the event of the absence of the chairman, or his failure to take action as prescribed by clause (a) of this rule, the chairman of the subcommittee which considered the bill, or the ranking majority member of the committee, shall be authorized and directed to take all appropriate actions as provided in said clause. (c) Minority or individual views on any such matter ordered reported, which are intended to accompany the committee report thereon, shall be prepared and submitted as promptly as will not cause delay in the filing of the committee report in the House, and in no event except by unanimous consent of the committee shall said minority or individual views be submitted more than 3 calendar days after the committee report is ready for filing. Rule 14. Committee Staffs. The regular professional and clerical staffs of the committee shall be under the general supervision and direction of the chair¬ man, except that the committee by resolution may direct that specific staff per¬ sonnel assigned to standing subcommittees shall be under the supervision and direction of the chairman of such subcommittee. Rule 15. Committee Budget and Expenses. The chairman shall for each session of the Congress prepare a preliminary budget to include necessary amounts for staff personnel under his direction and supervision, and for necessary travel, investigation, and other expense of the full committee. The chairman of each standing subcommittee may prepare a supplemental budget to include funds for such additional staff, and for such travel, investigation, etc., as may be required COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 63 for the work of his subcommittee. Thereafter, the clerk shall combine such pro¬ posals into a consolidated committee budget, and shall present the same to the committee for its approval or other action. The chairman shall take whatever action is necessary to have the budget as finally approved by the committee duly authorized by the House. Professional staff personnel employed by the standing subcommittee chairmen within their portion of the consolidated budget, as ap¬ proved by the committee, shall be paid compensation fixed by the said subcom¬ mittee chairmen. Chairmen of the standing subcommittees may authorize neces¬ sary travel when authorized in accordance with rule 22 and investigative expenses within the limits of their portion of the consolidated budget as approved by the House, and the chairman of the committee, at the request of the subcommittee •chairman, shall execute necessary vouchers therefor. Should the chairman de¬ cline or fail to execute such vouchers within 2 weeks after presentation by a chair¬ man of a subcommittee, the matter shall be presented to the next regular meeting of the committee for appropriate determination and action. Part II Subcommittees: Establishment and Procedures Rule 16. Rules Applicable to Subcommittees. The committee rules and pro¬ cedures shall apply, so far as applicable and as supplemented in this part, to all subcommittees. Rule 17. Standing Subcommittees. There shall be eight standing subcom¬ mittees of the committee, each of which shall have legislative and investigative jurisdiction. Rule 18. Jurisdiction of Subcommittees. The titles and jurisdiction of the eight standing subcommittees established by rule 17 shall be as follows: 1. Subcommittee on Postal Rates. Classification of all mail and rates, fees and size and weight of all classes of the mail. 2. Subcommittee on Postal Operations. Operation of the Postal Establishment and transportation of mail (except facilities and modernization thereof) including personnel requirements and manpower utilization, mail- ability of matter, including, among all other matters, obscene and unsolicited matter. 3. Subcommittee on Manpower. Personnel requirements and man¬ power utilization throughout the civil service (except in the Postal Establish¬ ment), wage board pay systems and dual compensation. 4. Subcommittee on Postal Facilities and Modernization. Purchases, lease, rental, use, and modernization of land, buildings, vehicles, and equip¬ ment for the Postal Establishment including research, development, and engineering programs related thereto (such as ZIP code equipment and sorting systems). 5. Subcommittee on Compensation. Compensation and other emolu¬ ments of civil officers and employees (except wage board pay systems and dual compensation). 6. Subcommittee on Retirement, Insurance, and Health Benefits. The civil retirement, insurance, and health benefits programs. 7. Subcommittee on Civil Service. The U.S. Civil Service Commission and the civil service generally (except compensation, manpower, retirement, insurance, and health benefits). 8. Subcommittee on Census and, Statistics. The Bureau of the Census (Commerce), National Archives, and the collection, reporting, and data processing activities of the Government generally. Rule 19. Membership of Subcommittees. The eight standing subcommittees named in rule 18 shall each have not less than nine members to be divided among the majority and minority parties in a ratio of 6 to 3. In addition, the chairman of the committee and the ranking minority member shall be ex officio voting members of each subcommittee. Rule 20. Subcommittee Chairmanship. The subcommittee chairmen shall be chosen by their rank in seniority. The ranking member of the majority shall have the first choice of subcommittee, and each member thereafter may exercise his choice in respective order of seniority. Each member shall serve on not less than two of these subcommittees. Each majority member shall make his own request for assignment to the chairmen of the subcommittees of his preference, and thereafter selection shall be made on the basis of seniority. In the event of equal seniority, the members shall draw lots. 64 COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE Rule 21. Required Meetings. Each standing subcommittee, as referred to in rule 18, shall meet for the transaction of subcommittee business in executive session not less than once in each month while the Congress is in session, at a time and on a day determined by the subcommittee with due regard to the time and dates of the regular meetings of the committee and other subcommittees. Rule 22. Travel Authority. When authorized by resolution of a majority of a quorum of the full committee, any subcommittee or individual members thereof, may travel within or without the United States to such places as may be designated for the purpose of investigation, holding hearings, or taking testimony. COMMITTEE PROCEDURE AUTHORIZED BY PUBLIC LAW 601, 79TH CONGRESS Committee Procedure Sec. 133. (a) Each standing committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives (except the Committees on Appropriations) shall fix regular weekly, biweekly, or monthly meeting days for the transaction of business before the committee, and additional meetings may be called by the chairman as he may deem necessary. (b) Each such committee shall keep a complete record of all committee action. Such record shall include a record of the votes on any question on which a record vote is demanded. (c) It shall be the duty of the chairman of each such committee to report or cause to be reported promptly to the Senate or House of Representatives, as the case may be, any measure approved by his committee and to take or cause to be taken necessary steps to bring the matter to a vote. (d) No measure or recommendation shall be reported from any such committee unless a majority of the committee were actually present. (e) Each such standing committee shall, so far as practicable, require all witnesses appearing before it to file in advance written statements of their pro¬ posed testimony, and to limit their oral presentations to brief summaries of their arguments. The staff of each committee shall prepare digests of such statements for the use of committee members. (f) All hearings conducted by standing committees or their subcommittees shall be open to the public, except executive sessions for marking up bills or for voting or where the committee by a majority vote orders an executive session. CLAUSES 14, 26, AND 30 OF RULE XI OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Jurisdiction of Committee 14. Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. (a) Census and the collection of statistics generally. (6) Federal civil service generally. (c) National Archives. ( d) Postal savings banks. (e) Postal service generally, including the railway mail service, and measures relating to ocean mail and pneumatic-tube service; but excluding post roads. (/) Status of officers and employees of the United States, including their com¬ pensation, classification, and retirement. jU 4* 4* 4» «x» 4* 4* ^ ^ Powers and Duties of Committee 26. (a) The rules of the House are the rules of its committees so far as appli¬ cable, except that a motion to recess from day to day is a motion of high privilege in committees. Committees may adopt additional rules not inconsistent therewith. «'• ( b ) Each committee shall keep a complete record of all committee action. Such record shall include a record of the votes on any question on which a record vote is demanded. (c) All committee hearings, records, data, charts, and files shall be kept separate and distinct from the congressional office records of the Member serving as chair¬ man of the committee; and such records shall be the property of the House and all Members of the House shall have access to such records. Each committee is COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE 65 authorized to have printed and bound testimony and other data presented at hearings held by the committee. ( d ) It shall be the duty of the chairman of each committee to report or cause to be reported promptly to the House any measure approved by his committee and to take or cause to be taken necessary steps to bring the matter to a vote. (e) No measure or recommendation shall be reported from any committee unless a majority of the committee were actually present. (/) Each committee shall, so far as practicable, require all witnesses appearing before it to file in advance written statements of their proposed testimony, and to limit their oral presentation to brief summaries of their arguments. The staff of each committee shall prepare digests of such statements for the use of com¬ mittee members. ( g ) All hearings conducted by standing committees or their subcommittees shall be open to the public, except executive sessions for marking up bills or for voting or where the committee by a majority vote orders an executive session. ( h ) Each committee may fix the number of its members to constitute a quorum for taking testimony and receiving evidence, which shall be not less than two. (i) The chairman at an investigative hearing shall announce in an opening statement the subject of the investigation. (j) A copy of the committee rules, if any, and paragraph 26 of rule XI of the House of Representatives shall be made available to the witness. ( k ) Witnesses at investigative hearings may be accompanied by their own counsel for the purpose of advising them concerning their constitutional rights. (l) The chairman may punish breaches of order and decorum, and of profes¬ sional ethics on the part of counsel, by censure and exclusion from the hearings; and the committee may cite the offender to the House for contempt. (m) If the committee determines that evidence or testimony at an investigative hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, it shall— (1) receive such evidence or testimony in executive session; (2) afford such person an opportunity voluntarily to appear as a witness; and (3) receive and dispose of requests from such person to subpena additional witnesses. (ft) Except as provided in paragraph (m), the chairman shall receive and the committee shall dispose of requests to subpena additional witnesses. (o) No evidence or testimony taken in executive session may be released or used in public sessions without the consent of the committee. (p) In the discretion of the committee, witnesses may submit brief and perti¬ nent sworn statements in writing for inclusion in the record. The committee is the sole judge of the pertinency of testimony and evidence adduced at its hearing. ( q ) Upon payment of the cost thereof, a witness may obtain a transcript copy of his testimony given at a public session or, if given at an executive session, when authorized by the committee. >t< vL. *L» *1* «i» ^ »J> *T* *T* »T* *T» 30. No committee of the House, except the Committees on Government Oper¬ ations, Rules, and Un-American Activities, shall sit, without special leave, while the House is in session. o / (HO • 'm y . r , >! ' : j? fit * ->fc ! V’i'-’O r J -'O t i XO Ll'.iViiUl-QJ UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA \ 3 0112 061971609 3 0112 027597357 ' ’ i 'i ’ . 6;0‘v ■; : . , ■.i-.-# ' . lv *J • v \*\ ■ 1#'; • i J8 ' V !;T !>; 0 ' - I'J: .« v r\ ■, fOV 0>1 .• . . -I ;» ,■ *• re.; .i . t