July 25, 1975
Page 24898
AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED FOR PRINTING
PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYMENT ACT OF 1975 — S. 1587
AMENDMENT NO. 816
(Ordered to be printed and to lie on the table.)
ANTIRECESSION ASSISTANCE
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, when the Senate considers S. 1587, the Public Works Employment Act of 1975, Senators BROCK, PHILIP A. HART, HUMPHREY, TUNNEY, RIBICOFF, CLARK and I intend to offer an amendment. Our amendment is identical to legislation we have sponsored — S.1359, the countercyclical assistance measure — to provide emergency aid to State and local governments hard hit by recession. That bill was reported out favorably by the Government Operations Committee on July 16. We believe that our proposal meets virtually every criterion of a sound anti-recession policy. First, the money it authorizes would get out into the economy immediately, providing a quick stimulative impact. Second, the program would shut itself off entirely when the recession has subsided, so it would not contribute to a revival of inflationary pressures. Third, the assistance that would be provided is very selectively targeted, to reach only those places which have been severely affected by the recession. Fourth, the proposal would strengthen the hand of the Federal Government in dealing with recession, by helping to prevent State and local governments from taking budgetary actions which undercut Federal efforts to stimulate the economy.
We believe that our proposal is a logical complement to a public works approach. Complete recovery from the current recession promises to be slow, with high unemployment lingering well into the second half of the decade. A solid anti-recession program, therefore, should be one with both immediate and long-range impact, aimed at both the private and the public sectors of the economy. Furthermore, a combination of these two proposals would be within the spending ceiling set by the first concurrent budget resolution for programs of this type.
Mr. President, I should like to emphasize that last point since many Members of the Senate are rightfully concerned, as am I, about how every piece of legislation that comes before us relates to the budget resolution.
The first concurrent resolution, passed by the House and Senate, established a target of $2.1 billion in outlays for programs of public works and other aid to State and local governments. This target was set under budget function 450, community development.
S. 1587 authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1976 of $2.1 billion. Of this amount, the Public Works Committee estimates actual outlays for fiscal year 1976 of $900 million, assuming the program were in effect for the entire fiscal year. The committee further estimates outlays of $500 million if the program were in effect for only half a year.
The proposed amendment has a quarterly authorization, which will vary from quarter to quarter depending upon changes in national unemployment levels. Unlike the public works bill, outlays under the countercyclical proposal will track very closely with quarterly authorization levels.
Since the earliest possible date that the program could go into effect would be October 1, 1975, the Government Operations Committee estimates total outlays for fiscal year 1976 to be $1.25 billion.
Thus, the combined outlays for these two measures will be within the budget resolution target.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my amendment be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the amendment was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
AMENDMENT No. 816
Immediately after the first section insert the following caption:
TITLE I — GENERAL PROVISIONS Redesignate sections 2 through 12 as sections 101 through 111, respectively.
After section 111, as redesignated by this amendment, insert the following new title:
TITLE II—ANTIRECESSION PROVISIONS FINDINGS OF FACT AND DECLARATION OF POLICY
Sec. 201. (a) FINDINGS—The Congress finds—
(1) that State and local governments represent a significant segment of the national economy whose economic health is essential to national economic prosperity;
(2) that present national economic problems have imposed considerable hardships on State and local government budgets;
(3) that those governments, because of their own fiscal difficulties, are being forced to take budget-related actions which tend to undermine Federal Government efforts to stimulate the economy;
(4) that efforts to stimulate the economy through reductions in Federal Government tax obligations are weakened when State and local governments are forced to increase taxes;
(5) that the net effect of Federal Government efforts to reduce unemployment through public service jobs is substantially limited if State and local governments use federally financed public service employees to replace regular employees that they have been forced to lay off;
(6) that efforts to stimulate the construction industry and reduce unemployment are substantially undermined when State and local governments are forced to cancel or delay the construction of essential capital projects, and
(7) that efforts by the Federal Government to stimulate the economic recovery will be substantially enhanced by a program of emergency Federal Government assistance to State and local governments to help prevent those governments from taking budget-related actions which undermine the Federal Government efforts to stimulate economic recovery.
(b) POLICY. – Therefore, the Congress declares it to be the policy of the United States and the purpose of this title to make State and local government budget-related actions more consistent with Federal Government efforts to stimulate national economic recovery; to enhance the stimulative effect of a Federal Government income tax reduction; and to enhance the job creation impact of Federal Government public service employment programs. It is the intention of Congress that amounts paid to a State or local government under this title shall not be substituted for amounts which the State would have paid or made available to the local government out of revenues from State sources.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED
SEC. 202. (a) EMERGENCY SUPPORT GRANTS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this title referred to as the "Secretary") shall, in accordance with the provisions of this title, make emergency support grants to States and to local governments to coordinate budget-related actions by such governments with Federal Government efforts to stimulate economic recovery.. (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS— Subject to the provisions of subsection (c), there are authorized to be appropriated for each of the twelve succeeding calendar quarters (beginning with the first calendar quarter beginning after the date of enactment of this title) for the purpose of making emergency support grants under this title—
(1) $125,000,000 plus
(2) $62,500,000, multiplied by the number of one-half percentage points by which the rate of seasonally adjusted national unemployment for the most recent calendar quarter which ended before the beginning of such calendar quarter exceeded 6 percent.
(c) TERMINATION.— No amount is authorized to be appropriated under the provisions of subsection (b) for any calendar quarter if—
(1) the average rate of national unemployment during the most recent calendar quarter which ended 3 months before the beginning of such calendar quarter did not exceed 6 percent, and
(2) the rate of national unemployment for the last month of the most recent calendar quarter which ended 3 months before the beginning of such calendar quarter did not exceed 6 percent.
ALLOCATION
Sec. 203. (a) RESERVATIONS.
(1) ALL STATES.—The Secretary shall reserve one-third of the amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under section 202 for each calendar quarter for the purpose of making emergency support grants to States under the provisions of subsection (b).
(2) ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—The Secretary shall reserve two-thirds of such amounts for the purpose of making emergency support grants to local governments under the provisions of subsection (c).
(b) STATE ALLOCATIONS.
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall allocate from amounts reserved under subsection (a) (1) an amount for the purpose of making emergency support grants to each State equal to the total amount reserved under subsection (a) (1) for the calendar quarter multiplied by the applicable State percentage.
(2) APPLICABLE STATE PERCENTAGE.— For purposes of this subsection, the applicable State percentage is equal to the quotient resulting from the division of the product of—
(A) the State excess unemployment percentage, multiplied by
(B) the State tax amount
(B) the State tax amount by the sum of such products for all the States.
(3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section—
(A) the term "State" means each State of the United States;
(B) the State excess unemployment percentage is equal to the difference resulting from the subtraction of the State base period unemployment rate for that State from the State unemployment rate for that State;
(C) the State base period unemployment rate is equal to the average annual rate of unemployment in the State determined over the period which begins on January 1, 1967, and ends on December 31, 1969, as determined by the Secretary of Labor and reported to the Secretary;
(D) the State unemployment rate is equal to the rate of unemployment in the State during the appropriate calendar quarter, as determined by the Secretary of Labor and reported to the Secretary; and
(E) the State tax amount is the amount of compulsory contributions exacted by the State for public purposes (other than employee and employer assessments and contributions to finance retirement and social insurance systems, and other than special assessments for capital outlay), as such contributions are determined for the most recent period for which such data are available from the Social and Economic Statistics Administration for general statistical purposes.
(C) LOCAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATION.
(1 ) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall allocate from amounts reserved under subsection (a) (2) an amount for the purpose of making emergency support grants to each local government, subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), equal to the total amount reserved under such subsection for the calendar quarter multiplied by the local government percentage.
(2) LOCAL GOVERNMENT.— For purposes of this subsection, the local government percentage is equal to the quotient resulting from the division of the product of—
(A) the local excess unemployment percentage, multiplied by
(B) the local adjusted tax amount, by the sum of such products for all local governments.
(3) SPECIAL RULE C
(A) For purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), all local governments within the jurisdiction of a State other than identifiable local governments shall be treated as though they were one local government.
(B) The Secretary shall set aside from the amount allocated under paragraph (1) of this subsection for all local governments within the jurisdiction of a State which are treated as though they are one local government under subparagraph (A) an amount determined under subparagraph (C) for the purpose of making emergency support grants to each local government, other than identifiable local governments, within the jurisdiction of such State.
(C) The amount set aside for the purpose of making emergency support grants to each local government other than an identifiable local government, within the jurisdiction of a State under subparagraph (B) shall be—
(i) determined under an allocation plan submitted by such State to the Secretary which meets the requirements set forth in section 206(b) or
(ii) if a State does not submit an allocation plan under section 206(b) for purposes of this paragraph within 30 days after the date of enactment of this title or if a State's allocation plan is not approved by the Secretary under section 206(c), equal to the total amount allocated under paragraph (1) of this subsection for all local governments within the jurisdiction of such State which are treated as though they are one local government under subparagraph (A) multiplied by the local government percentage, as defined in paragraph (2) (determined without regard to the parenthetical phrases at the end of paragraphs (4) (B) and (C) of this subsection).
(D) If local unemployment rate data (as defined in paragraph (4) (B) of this subsection without regard to the parenthetical phrase at the end of such definition) for a local government jurisdiction is unavailable to the Secretary or the State for purposes of determining the amount to be set aside for such government under subparagraph (C) then the Secretary or State shall determine such amount under subparagraph (C) by using–
(i) the best available unemployment rate data for such government if such data is determined in a manner which is substantially consistent with the manner in which local unemployment rate data is determined, or
(ii) if no consistent unemployment rate data is available, the local unemployment rate data for the smallest unit of identifiable local government in the jurisdiction of which such government is located.
(E) If the amount determined under sub-paragraph (C) which would be set aside for the purpose of making emergency support grants to a local government under subparagraph (B) is less than $1,000 then no amount shall be set aside for such local government under subparagraph (B) .
(4) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this subsection–
(A) the local excess unemployment percentage is equal to the difference resulting from the subtraction of 4.5 percentage points from the local unemployment rate;
(B) the local unemployment rate is equal to the rate of unemployment in the jurisdiction of the local government during the appropriate calendar quarter, as determined by the Secretary of Labor and reported to the Secretary (in the case of local governments treated as one local government under paragraph (3) (A), the local unemployment rate shall be the unemployment rate of the State adjusted by excluding consideration of unemployment and of the labor force within identifiable local governments, other than county governments, within the jurisdiction of that State);
(C) the local adjusted tax amount means–
(i) the amount of compulsory contributions exacted by the local government for public purposes (other than employee and employer assessments and contributions to finance retirement and social insurance systems, and other than special assessments for capital outlay) as such contributions are determined for the most recent period for which such data are available from the Social and Economic Statistics Administration for general statistical purposes,
(ii) adjusted (under rules prescribed by the Secretary) by excluding an amount equal to that portion of such compulsory contributions which is properly allocable to expenses for education,
(and in the case of local governments treated as one local government under paragraph (3) (A), the local tax amount shall be the sum of the local adjusted tax amounts of all local governments within the State, adjusted by excluding an amount equal to the sum of the local adjusted tax amounts of identifiable local governments within the jurisdiction of that State);
(D) the term "identifiable local government" means a unit of general local government for which the Secretary of Labor has made a determination concerning the rate of unemployment for purposes of title II of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 during the current or preceding fiscal year; and
(E) the term "local government" means the government of a county, municipality, township, or other unit of government below the State which–
(i) is a unit of general government (determined on the basis of the same principles as are used by the Social Economics Statistics Administration for general statistical purposes) , and
(ii) performs substantial governmental functions.
Such term includes the District of Columbia and also includes the recognized governing body of an Indian tribe or Alaskan native village which performs substantial governmental functions. Such term does not include the government of a township area unless such government performs substantial governmental functions.
CONTINGENCY FUND
SEC. 204. (a) RESERVATION.—The Secretary shall reserve from the amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under section 202 for each calendar quarter an amount equal to the amount, if any, not paid to State or local governments by reason of section 210 (c), but not in excess of an amount which is equal to 10 percent multiplied by the total amount appropriated under the authorization in section 202 for such quarter, for the purpose of making additional emergency support grants to State or local governments which are in severe fiscal difficulty, as determined under subsection (e).
(b) ALLOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall allocate from the amounts reserved under subsection (a) such amount as he determines is necessary for an additional emergency support grant to assist each State or local government, upon application by such government, which is in severe fiscal difficulty. The sum of the amounts allocated under this subsection may not be less than 75 percent of the amount reserved under subsection (a) for the calendar quarter. No amount may be allocated for an additional emergency support grant to a State or local government under this section in excess of an amount equal to the lesser of–
(1) 10 percent of the amount allocated to such State or local government under section 203 for the calendar quarter, or
(2) 15 percent of the amount reserved under this subsection for the calendar quarter.
(C) SPECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—The Secretary may allocate an amount for additional emergency support grants from amounts reserved under subsection (a) to each local government, upon application by such government, which–
(1) is not an identifiable local government, as defined in section 203(c) (4) (D), and
(2) is not eligible to receive emergency support grants under section 203(c) (3) because the local unemployment rate for local governments other than identifiable local governments within the jurisdiction of the State in which it is located, which are treated as though they were one local government under section 203(c) (3) (A), does not exceed 6 percent, if such local government is in severe fiscal difficulty, as determined under section (e) .
(d) SPECIAL RULE FOR PUERTO RICO, VIRGIN ISLANDS, GUAM, AND THE TRUST TERRITORIES OF THE PACIFIC.—The Secretary may allocate from the amount reserved under subsection (a) amounts for the purpose of making emergency support grants to the governments of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Trust Territories of the Pacific, upon application by such governments, if such governments are in severe fiscal difficulty, as determined under subsection (e). The total amount of payments made under this paragraph during any calendar quarter may not exceed 10 percent of the amount reserved under subsection (a) for that quarter. For purposes of sections 205 through 215, the governments of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Trust Territories of the Pacific shall be considered to be State governments.
(e) CRITERIA FOR SEVERE FISCAL DIFFICULTY.— For purposes of this section, a State or local government shall be considered to be in severe fiscal difficulty if–
(1) the rate of unemployment during the appropriate calendar quarter within its jurisdiction exceeds the national annual average rate of unemployment,
(2) it is currently unable, or will be unable before the end of the current calendar quarter, to pay accrued interest to the holders of its outstanding debt instruments, or
(3) it must increase taxes immediately to maintain its level of basic services or reduce the level of those services before the end of the current calendar quarter.
USES OF EMERGENCY SUPPORT GRANTS
SEC. 205. Each State and local government shall use emergency support grants made under this title for the maintenance of basic services customarily provided to persons in that State or in the area under the jurisdiction of that local government, as the case may be. State and local governments may not use emergency support grants made under this title for the acquisition of supplies and materials and for construction unless such supplies and materials or construction are essential to maintain basic services.
APPLICATIONS
SEC. 206. (a) IN GENERAL.—Each State and local government may receive emergency support grants under this title only upon application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information as the Secretary prescribes by rule. The Secretary may not require any State or local government to make more than one such application during each fiscal year. Each such application shall–
(1) include a State or local government program for the maintenance, to the extent practical, of levels of public employment and of basic services customarily provided to persons in that State or in the area under the jurisdiction of that local government which is consistent with the provisions of section 205;
(2) provide that fiscal control and fund accounting procedures will be established as may be necessary to assure the proper disbursal of, and accounting for, Federal funds paid to the State or local government under this title;
(3) provide that reasonable reports will be furnished in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require to carry out the purposes of this title and provide that the Secretary, on reasonable notice, shall have access to, and the right to examine any books, documents, papers, or records as he may reasonably require to verify such reports;
(4) provide that the requirements of section 207 will be complied with;
(5) provide that the requirements of section 208 will be complied with;
(6) provide that the requirements of section 209 will be complied with; and
(7) provide that any amount received as an emergency support grant under this title shall be expended by the State or local government before the end of the 6-calendar month period which begins on the date after the day on which such State or local government receives such grant.
(b) STATE ALLOCATION PLANS FOR PURPOSES OF SECTION 203(c) (3) .—A State may file an allocation plan with the Secretary for purposes of section 203(c) (3) (C) (i) at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require by rule. Such allocation plan shall meet the following requirements:
(1) the criteria for allocation of amounts among the local governments within the State shall be consistent with the allocation formula for local governments under section 203(c) (2);
(2) the allocation criteria must be specified in the plan; and
(3) the plan must be developed after consultation with appropriate officials of local governments within the State other than identifiable local governments. The allocation plan required under the subparagraph shall, to the extent feasible, include consideration of the needs of small local government jurisdictions with severe fiscal problems.
(c) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall approve any application that meets the requirements of subsection (a) or (b) within 30 days after he receives such application, and shall not finally disapprove, in whole or in part, any application for an emergency support grant under this title without first affording the State or local government reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
NONDISCRIMINATION
SEC. 207. (a) IN GENERAL.— No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity funded in whole or in part with funds made available under this title.
(b) AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY—Whenever the Secretary determines that a State government or unit of local government has failed to comply with subsection (a) or an applicable regulation, he shall, within 10 days, notify the Governor of the State (or, in the case of a unit of local government, the Governor of the State in which such unit is located, and the chief elected official of the unit) of the noncompliance. If within 30 days of the notification compliance is not achieved, the Secretary shall, within 10 days thereafter–
(1) exercise all the powers and functions provided by title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (24 U.S.C. 2000d) ;
(2) refer the matter to the Attorney General with a recommendation that an appropriate civil action be instituted; or
(3) take such other action as may be provided by law.
(c) ENFORCEMENT.—Upon his finding of discrimination under subsection (b), the Secretary shall have the full authority to withhold or temporarily suspend any grant under this title, or otherwise exercise any authority contained in title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to assure compliance with the requirement of nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs set forth in that title.
(d) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS.
(1) Any party who is injured or deprived within the meaning of section 1979 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1983) or of section 1980 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1985) by any person, or two or more persons in the case of such section 1980, in connection with the administration of an emergency support grant under this title may bring a civil action under such section 1979 or 1980 as applicable, subject to the terms and conditions of those sections.
(2) Any person who is aggrieved, by an unlawful employment practice within the meaning of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) by any employer in connection with the administration of an emergency support grant under this title may bring a civil action under section 706(f) (1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(f)(1)) subject to the terms and conditions of such title.
LABOR STANDARDS
SEC. 208. All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors on all construction projects assisted under this title shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar projects in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276a to 276a-5). The Secretary of Labor shall have, with respect to the labor standards specified in this section, the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (15 C.F.R. 3176) and section 2 of the Act of June 13, 1934, as amended (40 U.S.C 276c).
SPECIAL REPORTS
SEC. 209. Each State and local government which receives a grant under the provisions of this title shall report to the Secretary any increase or decrease in any tax which it imposes and any substantial reduction in the number of individuals it employs or in services which such State or local government provides. Each State which receives a grant under the provisions of this title shall report to the Secretary any decrease in the amount of financial assistance which the State provides to the local governments within its jurisdiction below the amount which equals the amount of such assistance which such State provided to such local governments during the 12-month period which ends on the last day of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the date of enactment of this title together with an explanation of the reasons for such decrease. Such reports shall be made as soon as it is practical and, in any case, not less than 6 months after the date on which the decision to impose such tax increase or decrease, such reductions in employment or services, or such decrease in State financial assistance is made public.
PAYMENTS
SEC. 212. (a) IN GENERAL.— From the amount allocated for State and local governments under sections 203 and 204, the Secretary shall pay to each State and to each local government, which has an application approved under section 206, an amount equal to the amount allocated to such State or local government under section 203 or section 204.
(b) ADJUSTMENTS.—Payments under this title may be made with necessary adjustments on account of overpayments.
(c) TERMINATION.—No amount shall be paid to any State or local government under the provisions of this section for any calendar quarter if–
(1) the average rate of unemployment within the jurisdiction of such State or local government during the most recent calendar quarter which ended three months before the beginning of such calendar quarter was less than 6 percent, and
(2) the rate of unemployment within the jurisdiction of such government for the last month of the most recent calendar quarter which ended three months before the beginning of such calendar quarter did not exceed 6 percent.
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ECONOMIZATION
SEC. 211. No State or local government may receive any payment under the provisions of this title unless such government in good faith certifies in writing to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner and form as the Secretary prescribes by rule, that it has made substantial economies in its operations and that without grants under this title it will not be able to maintain essential services without increasing taxes or maintaining rent increases in taxes thereby weakening Federal Government efforts to stimulate the economy through reductions in Federal tax obligations.
WITHHOLDING
SEC. 212. Whenever the Secretary, after affording reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing to any State or local government, finds that there has been a failure to comply substantially with any provision set forth in the application of that State or local government approved under section 206, the Secretary shall notify that State or local government that further payments will not be made under this title until he is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply. Until he is so satisfied, no further payments shall be made under this title.
REPORTS
SEC. 213. The Secretary shall report to the Congress as soon as is practical after the end of each calendar quarter during which grants are made under the provisions of this title. Such report shall include information on the amounts paid to each State and local government and a description of any action which the Secretary has taken under the provisions of section 212 during the previous calendar quarter. The Secretary shall report to Congress as soon as is practical after the end of each calendar year during which grants are made under the provisions of this title. Such reports shall include detailed information on the amounts paid to State and local governments under the provisions of this title, any actions with which the Secretary has taken under the provisions of section 212, and an evaluation of the purposes to which such amounts paid under this title were put by State and local governments and the economic impact of such expenditures during the previous calendar year.
ADMINISTRATION
SEC. 214. (a) RULES.—The Secretary is authorized to prescribe, after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, such rules as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out his functions under this title.
(b) COORDINATION.— In administering the provisions of this title, the Secretary is authorized to use the services and facilities of any agency of the Federal Government and of any other public agency or institution in accordance with appropriate agreements, and to pay for such services either in advance or by way of reimbursement as may be agreed upon.
PROGRAM STUDIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SEC. 315. (a) EVALUATION.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an investigation of the impact which emergency support grants have on the operations of State and local governments and on the national economy. Before and during the course of such investigation the Comptroller General shall consult with and coordinate his activities with the Congressional Budget Office and the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. The Comptroller General shall report the results of such investigation to the Congress within two years after the date of enactment of this title together with an evaluation of the macro-economic effect of the program established under this title and any recommendations for improving the effectiveness of similar programs. Such report shall include the opinions of the Congressional Budget Office and the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations with respect to the program established under this title and any recommendations which they may have for improving the effectiveness of similar programs. All officers and employees of she United States shall make available all information, reports, data, and any other material necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection to the Comptroller General upon a reasonable request.
(b) COUNTERCYCLICAL STUDY.— The Director of the Congressional Budget Office and the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations shall conduct a study to determine the most effective means by which the Federal Government can stabilize the national economy during periods of excess expansion and high inflation through programs directed toward State and local governments. Before and during the course of such study the Director and the Advisory Commission shall consult with and coordinate his activities with the Comptroller General of the United States. The Director and the Advisory Commission shall report the results of such study to Congress within two years after the date of enactment of this title. Such study shall include the opinions of the Comptroller General with respect to such study.