April 12, 1976
Page 10518
Mr. MANSFIELD. Mr. President, I would like to ask the chairman of the Budget Committee a question with respect to proposed legislation compensating victims of crime. The Senate, during the 93d Congress, passed on four different occasions legislation compensating victims of crime; each time it was by an overwhelming margin. Unfortunately, the proposals did not reach the House floor during the 93d Congress in time for enactment. I believe the House will report this week its version of this legislation, H.R. 13157, and, hopefully, it will be considered by the House within a month.
It is my understanding that the House measure is consistent with the bills which have passed the Senate heretofore and which are part of the Senate proposals presently in the Judiciary Committee.
Under the new Budget Act I want to be assured by the chairman of the Budget Committee that the consideration of the victims of crime compensation legislation is contemplated in the concurrent resolution being considered and that if the House measure passes prior to May 15, the Senate will be able to stop the bill at the desk, put it on the Senate calendar and pass that measure subsequent to May 15 without being disqualified under the new provisions of the Budget Act.
Mr. MUSKIE. As we have described the situation today, function 750, the law enforcement and justice function into which the distinguished majority leader's bill would find its funding, is tight. But we believe it is possible to accommodate the Senator's bill within the target the Budget Committee has reported.
With regard to the May 15 deadline for reporting authorizing legislation, I must note that the Budget Act requires a bill to be reported in the Senate or enacted by the Senate prior to May 15 to be in order. This provision is in aid of a timely appropriations process. However the
Budget Act also provides a method by which the Budget Committee may grant a waiver against the point of order which would otherwise lie against a bill passed by the House but not reported in the Senate or passed by it before May 15.
So it is possible for the House bill to be held at the desk even if it has not been reported here prior to May 15. If the bill is then passed before May 15, no point of order would be against it. After May 15, a waiver would be in order.