Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1981

(Measure passed House, amended)

Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1981 - =Title I: Congressional Operations= - Congressional Operations Appropriation Act, 1981 - Appropriates funds for fiscal year 1981 for the operations of the House of Representatives for the following: (1) compensation for the Members; (2) House leadership offices; (3) salaries for officers and employees; (4) committee employees of standing committees, including the Committee on Appropriations (Studies and Investigations) and the Committee on the Budget; (Studies); (5) the Office of the Law Revision Counsel; (6) the Office of the Legislative Counsel; (7) Members' Clerk Hire; (8) allowances and contingent expenses of the House; and (9) salaries and expenses for special and select Committees. Makes permanent certain positions in the House of Representatives.

Makes appropriations for the following joint items: (1) contingent expenses of the Senate for the Joint Economic Committee and the Joint Committee on Printing; (2) contingent expenses of the House for the Joint Committee on Taxation; (3) the Office of the Attending Physician; (4) the Capitol Police for general expenses and the Capitol Police Board; (5) the education of Pages; (6) official mail costs; (7) the Capitol Guide Service; and (8) the preparation of required statements of appropriations.

Appropriates funds for the following Congressional offices: (1) the Office of Technology Assessment for salaries and expenses; (2) the Congressional Budget Office for salaries and expenses; (3) the Architect of the Capitol for salaries and contingent expenses, Capitol buildings and grounds, House office buildings, and the Capitol power plant; (4) the Library of Congress for the Congressional Research Service for salaries and expenses (including the Digest of Public General Bills); and (5) the Government Printing Office for Congressional printing and binding.

Prohibits the use of funds appropriated to the Government Printing Office for the printing and binding of the permanent edition of the Congressional Record for individual Representatives, Resident Commissioners, or Delegates.

=Title II: Other Agencies= - Makes appropriations for the following agencies: (1) the Botanic Garden, for salaries and expenses; (2) the Library of Congress, for salaries and expenses, for the Copyright Office, for books for the blind and physically handicapped, for the collection and distribution of Library materials (Special Foreign Currency Program), and furniture and furnishings; (3) the Architect of the Capitol, for structural and mechanical care of Library buildings and grounds; (4) the Copyright Royalty Tribunal, for salaries and expenses; (5) the Government Printing Office for printing and binding, the Office of Superintendent of Documents for salaries and expenses, and the Government Printing Office Revolving Fund; and (6) the General Accounting Office for salaries and expenses.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds for the distribution of government publications to the Soviet Union, Cuba, or Iran.

Sets forth administrative provisions regarding the Library of Congress funds, including restrictions on the employment of aliens, expenses for the attendance at meetings, and provisions for additional parking facilities.

=Title III: General Provisions= - Sets forth restrictions on expenditures made pursuant to this Act. Prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act for the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning. Stipulates that no part of any appropriation contained in this Act may be available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year, unless expressly so provided. Makes rates of compensation or designated positions provided by this Act permanent law, including official expenses of the House and Senate. Directs the Public Printer to provide printing and distribution services to publications of the United States Capitol Historical Society, the Supreme Court Historical Society, and the White House Historical Association at their request. Requires that the Society or Association reimburse the Public Printer for actual expenses of such services. Provides for the continuation of the pay of Senate and House pages during the period between the recess or adjournment of the second session of the 96th Congress and the convening of the 97th Congress. Limits the use of appropriated funds to pay performance awards for senior executives to not more than 25 percent of such personnel in any agency.

Restricts the expenditure of appropriated funds under this Act for consulting services through procurement contracts to those contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and open to public inspection, unless otherwise provided by law.

Prohibits the use of such funds to provide legal representation for any government employee without specific authorization from the Congress.

Requires that two percent of the total budget authority of this Act, for payments not required by law, be withheld from expenditure, and stipulates that for each appropriation account, activity, and project such withheld amount shall not exceed five percent.