Department of Energy Civilian Programs 1979 Authorization Act

(Reported to House from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce with amendment, H. Rept. 96-188)

Department of Energy Civilian Programs 1979 Authorization Act - =Title I: Energy Use, Application, Conservation, and Regulation= - Authorizes supplemental appropriations to the Department of Energy for fiscal year 1979 to carry out the functions assigned to: (1) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; (2) the Economic Regulatory Administration; (3) the Energy Information Administration; (4) the Office of Consumer Affairs and Competition; and (5) the Task Force on Regulatory Reform.

Authorizes the Department of Energy to use up to $90,000,000 of the funds appropriated in fiscal year 1979 for the development of a coal-based liquefaction process for use in multiple coal-based alternative fuel commercialization projects. Specifies that no more than 60 percent of the funds appropriated for such projects shall be available for the Federal share of the costs of any one project. Prohibits the use of appropriated funds for equipment procurement, construction, operation, or maintenance of such projects, or for the acquisition of land unless the Department of Energy prepares a report detailing specified costs of such projects, and Congress specifically authorizes by statute funds to cover such costs. Prohibits the use of appropriated funds for any project the primary product of which is synthetic gas which has a British thermal unit content equal to, or greater than, the British thermal unit content of pipeline quality natural gas. Requires recipients of financial assistance under this Act to keep records of receipts and expenditures as the Secretary of Energy may, by regulation, require. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct periodic audits of the accounts of recipients of financial assistance under this Act.

Permits the reprogramming of funds for purposes other than those for which such funds were originally appropriated if the Secretary of Energy or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission submits to Congress notice of a reprogramming and Congress does not object to such reprogramming within 30 days of the receipt of notice.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Plan, except for purposes of petroleum acquisition and transportation. Places limits on the amount of funds which may be used for facility or equipment site design, construction, or acquisition under such plan.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds for the purchase or lease of vehicles for the vanpooling of Federal employees unless specifically authorized by Congress.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds to maintain a monitoring system which establishes, or has the effect of establishing, margin controls or trigger prices of the independent wholesaler and retail levels regarding middle distillates or motor gasoline.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds to administer any regulation of the Department of Energy regarding the supplier-purchaser relationship between crude oil producers and purchasers of crude oil unless, within 60 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary reviews such regulation and modifies it to remove aspects of the regulation which eliminate competition and which are not necessary to protect the supply of crude oil to small refiners or essential to the implementation of crude oil pricing regulations. Prohibits the use of appropriated funds to apply standards for the granting of adjustments to prevent hardship, inequity, or unfair distribution of burdens under the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973 which discriminate between the treatment of the business expenses and profits of small businesses and large corporations. Prohibits the use of appropriated funds to enforce certain regulations issued by the Secretary under the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds for the renovation, furnishing, or repair of facilities to provide temporary or permanent space for personnel relocated as a result of the establishment of the Department of Energy.

Limits the authority of the Department of Energy to enter into contracts to the amounts provided in advance by appropriation acts.

Provides that funds authorized to be appropriated by this title shall remain available until expended.

States that the limitations on appropriations imposed by this title shall not apply to defense operations of the Department of Energy.

Provides that appropriations for salary, pay, or retirement benefits for Department of Energy employees may be increased by amounts necessary to cover increase in benefits which are authorized by law.

=Title II: Administrative Amendments to Department of Energy Organization Act= - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to create an Office of Competition and Consumer Affairs within the Department of Energy. Transfers to such Office the functions of advising and making recommendations to the Secretary of Energy relating to promotion of competition in the energy industry and the protection of energy consumers.

Makes administrative amendments to the Department of Energy Organization Act relating to: (1) the acquisition and disclosure of information by the Administrator; (2) procedures for forms and questionnaires; (3) interagency coordination guidelines; and (4) procedures enabling producers to obtain advisory opinions as to specified classifications of crude oil which they produce.

Subjects any final regulation implementing in whole or in part the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to a veto by either House of Congress. Exempts regulations otherwise subject to congressional approval and regulations which are technical or clerical in nature.

Limits the regulations which are required to be referred to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by the Secretary to those regulations which affect the functions of the Commission. Requires the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct a study of the cost-effectiveness of producers for review of remedial orders and denial of exceptions under the Department of Energy Organizations Act. Requires that such report be submitted to Congress.

Directs the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to enter into an interagency agreement to establish guidelines for promoting communication, coordination, and consultation concerning actions of the Department of Energy which have an environmental impact and actions of the Environmental Protection Agency which have an energy impact. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Transportation to enter into a similar agreement.

Directs the Secretary to establish a program for the coordinated management of the various conservation and solar activities of the Department of Energy relating to Federal buildings. Requires the submission of an annual report to Congress on such activities.

Provides that the Secretary shall have authority to issue regulations to implement contingency plans for energy conservation under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act without further Congressional approval of such regulations. Imposes criminal penalties for the counterfeiting of gasoline rationing coupons equal to those penalties imposed for the counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States.

Requires the Secretary to establish procedures for providing advisory opinions on whether crude oil is to be considered stripper well crude oil or some other classification of crude oil.

Limits the amount of appropriated funds which may be used for the official entertainment, reception, and representation expenses of the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the appropriation or use of funds for research and development purposes.