Viewing page 223 of 272

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-207-

the Department of Commerce's budget for FY 1980 and the Department of Commerce by a letter of December 12, 1978 to OMB has outlined a plan whereby responsibility for the Exchange would be transferred to that Department.  Under this plan, the Department would submit proposed legislation necessary to protect SSIE employee benefits, such as sick and annual leave transfer and accrual, when the employees become Federal employees.  In view of the need for this legislation, the requirement for authorized new Federal positions, and the timing of SSIE's contracts with user agencies, Commerce's letter suggests that the earliest feasible date the transfer could be completed would be the beginning of FY 1980, October 1, 1979.  The letter also provides that the Department will perform the SSIE program under its own appropriations beginning FY 1980 if the proposed legislation is enacted by that time.  If it has not been enacted, the Department will perform the program through contract with SSIE.  This contract would be terminated at a date determined after the legislation is enacted.  The Institution, SSIE, and Commerce continue to work on the other administrative, legal, and financial matters connected with the planned transfer.

2.  "Provide the Appropriations Committees with information on the planned use of private funds when appropriation requests are submitted"

Action Taken.  The Regents at the September 1978 meeting reviewed and approved consolidated budgets for FY 1979 and 1980 showing income and expenses from all sources of funds:  Federal appropriations, Federal grants and contracts, unrestricted trust funds (general and special purpose), and restricted trust funds.  This information previously shown only in an appendix to the Institution's budget to the Congress will now be shown, beginning with the FY 1980 submission, in the main body of the justifications for individual bureaus, offices, and programs with informative descriptions of the work that each source of funds supports.  This planned change to the presentation of the budget has been discussed with the Appropriations Committees staffs who feel that it is a significant improvement.

3.  "Establish, in conjunction with the appropriate congressional committees, clear policies governing the use of Federal and private funds"

Action Taken.  A statement titled "Use of Nonappropriated Funds" was reviewed by the Regents at the September 1979 meeting and approved for transmittal to the Appropriations Committees.  Following Regents approval of the minutes of this meeting, the statement was sent to the Committees on November 13, 1978.  No reaction has been received by the Institution.

Recommendations to the Secretary:

1.  "Propose and justify to the Congress the exemptions from existing legislation that the Smithsonian believes it needs to run effectively, with a minimum of red tape, the programs now funded through the Smithsonian Research Foundation and the Smithsonian Science Information Exchange"

Transcription Notes:
Reviewer note: - Don't forget to hit the "complete and mark for review" button when you are done transcribing! - Added double space after colon - Missed a line of text; final read-through of transcript recommended for future projects - minor typos corrected