Division D — Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Transportation may be obligated for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation to approve assessments or reimbursable agreements pertaining to funds appropriated to the modal administrations in this Act, except for activities underway on the date of enactment of this Act, unless such assessments or agreements have completed the normal reprogramming process for Congressional notification.

The Secretary shall post on the Web site of the Department of Transportation a schedule of all meetings of the Council on Credit and Finance, including the agenda for each meeting, and require the Council on Credit and Finance to record the decisions and actions of each meeting.

In addition to authority provided by section 327 of title 49, United States Code, the Department’s Working Capital Fund is hereby authorized to provide partial or full payments in advance and accept subsequent reimbursements from all Federal agencies from available funds for transit benefit distribution services that are necessary to carry out the Federal transit pass transportation fringe benefit program under Executive Order No. 13150 and section 3049 of Public Law 109–59: Provided, That the Department shall maintain a reasonable operating reserve in the Working Capital Fund, to be expended in advance to provide uninterrupted transit benefits to Government employees: Provided further, That such reserve will not exceed one month of benefits payable and may be used only for the purpose of providing for the continuation of transit benefits: Provided further, That the Working Capital Fund will be fully reimbursed by each customer agency from available funds for the actual cost of the transit benefit.

None of the funds in this Act may be used to compensate in excess of 600 technical staff-years under the federally funded research and development center contract between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development during fiscal year 2019.

None of the funds in this Act shall be used to pursue or adopt guidelines or regulations requiring airport sponsors to provide to the Federal Aviation Administration without cost building construction, maintenance, utilities and expenses, or space in airport sponsor-owned buildings for services relating to air traffic control, air navigation, or weather reporting: Provided, That the prohibition of funds in this section does not apply to negotiations between the agency and airport sponsors to achieve agreement on “below-market” rates for these items or to grant assurances that require airport sponsors to provide land without cost to the Federal Aviation Administration for air traffic control facilities.

The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may reimburse amounts made available to satisfy 49 U.S.C. 41742(a)(1) from fees credited under 49 U.S.C. 45303 and any amount remaining in such account at the close of that fiscal year may be made available to satisfy section 41742(a)(1) for the subsequent fiscal year.

Amounts collected under section 40113(e) of title 49, United States Code, shall be credited to the appropriation current at the time of collection, to be merged with and available for the same purposes of such appropriation.

None of the funds in this Act shall be available for paying premium pay under subsection 5546(a) of title 5, United States Code, to any Federal Aviation Administration employee unless such employee actually performed work during the time corresponding to such premium pay.

None of the funds in this Act may be obligated or expended for an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration to purchase a store gift card or gift certificate through use of a Government-issued credit card.

None of the funds in this Act may be obligated or expended for retention bonuses for an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration without the prior written approval of the Assistant Secretary for Administration of the Department of Transportation.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds made available under this Act or any prior Act may be used to implement or to continue to implement any limitation on the ability of any owner or operator of a private aircraft to obtain, upon a request to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, a blocking of that owner's or operator's aircraft registration number from any display of the Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Situational Display to Industry data that is made available to the public, except data made available to a Government agency, for the noncommercial flights of that owner or operator.

None of the funds in this Act shall be available for salaries and expenses of more than eight political and Presidential appointees in the Federal Aviation Administration.

None of the funds made available under this Act may be used to increase fees pursuant to section 44721 of title 49, United States Code, until the Federal Aviation Administration provides to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a report that justifies all fees related to aeronautical navigation products and explains how such fees are consistent with Executive Order 13642.

None of the funds in this Act may be used to close a regional operations center of the Federal Aviation Administration or reduce its services unless the Administrator notifies the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations not less than 90 full business days in advance.

None of the funds appropriated or limited by this Act may be used to change weight restrictions or prior permission rules at Teterboro airport in Teterboro, New Jersey.

None of the funds provided under this Act may be used by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to withhold from consideration and approval any new application for participation in the Contract Tower Program, or for reevaluation of Cost-share Program participants, as long as the Federal Aviation Administration has received an application from the airport, and as long as the Administrator determines such tower is eligible using the factors set forth in the Federal Aviation Administration report, Establishment and Discontinuance Criteria for Airport Traffic Control Towers (FAA–APO–90–7 as of August, 1990).

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds made available in this Act may be obligated or expended to limit the use of an Organization Designation Authorization’s (ODA) delegated functions documented in its procedures manual on a type certification project unless the Administrator documents a systemic airworthiness noncompliance performance issue as a result of inspection or oversight that the safety of air commerce requires a limitation with regard to a specific authorization or where an ODA's capability has not been previously established in terms of a new compliance method or design feature: Provided, That in such cases the Federal Aviation Administration shall work with the ODA holder if requested to develop the capability to execute that function safely, efficiently and effectively.

Of the funds provided under the heading “Grants-in-aid for Airports”, up to $3,500,000 shall be for necessary expenses, including an independent verification regime, to provide reimbursement to airport sponsors that do not provide gateway operations and providers of general aviation ground support services located at those airports closed during a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for any residence of the President that is designated or identified to be secured by the United States Secret Service, and for direct and incremental financial losses incurred while such airports are closed solely due to the actions of the Federal Government: Provided, That no funds shall be obligated or distributed to airport sponsors that do not provide gateway operations and providers of general aviation ground support services until an independent audit is completed: Provided further, That losses incurred as a result of violations of law, or through fault or negligence, of such operators and service providers or of third parties (including airports) are not eligible for reimbursements: Provided further, That obligation and expenditure of funds are conditional upon full release of the United States Government for all claims for financial losses resulting from such actions.

Notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, funds received by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics from the sale of data products, for necessary expenses incurred pursuant to chapter 63 of title 49, United States Code, may be credited to the Federal-aid highways account for the purpose of reimbursing the Bureau for such expenses: Provided, That such funds shall be subject to the obligation limitation for Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs.

Not less than 15 days prior to waiving, under his or her statutory authority, any Buy America requirement for Federal-aid highways projects, the Secretary of Transportation shall make an informal public notice and comment opportunity on the intent to issue such waiver and the reasons therefor: Provided, That the Secretary shall provide an annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on any waivers granted under the Buy America requirements.

None of the funds provided in this Act to the Department of Transportation may be used to provide credit assistance unless not less than 3 days before any application approval to provide credit assistance under sections 603 and 604 of title 23, United States Code, the Secretary of Transportation provides notification in writing to the following committees: the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations; the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives: Provided, That such notification shall include, but not be limited to, the name of the project sponsor; a description of the project; whether credit assistance will be provided as a direct loan, loan guarantee, or line of credit; and the amount of credit assistance.

None of the funds in this Act may be used to make a grant for a project under section 117 of title 23, United States Code, unless the Secretary, at least 60 days before making a grant under that section, provides written notification to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations of the proposed grant, including an evaluation and justification for the project and the amount of the proposed grant award: Provided, That the written notification required in the previous proviso shall be made no later than 180 days after enactment of this Act.

Funds appropriated or limited in this Act shall be subject to the terms and conditions stipulated in section 350 of Public Law 107–87 and section 6901 of Public Law 110–28.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall send notice of 49 CFR section 385.308 violations by certified mail, registered mail, or another manner of delivery, which records the receipt of the notice by the persons responsible for the violations.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall ensure the safe and timely completion of the flexible sleeper berth pilot program of the Administration.

An additional $130,000 shall be made available to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, out of the amount limited for section 402 of title 23, United States Code, to pay for travel and related expenses for State management reviews and to pay for core competency development training and related expenses for highway safety staff.

The limitations on obligations for the programs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set in this Act shall not apply to obligations for which obligation authority was made available in previous public laws but only to the extent that the obligation authority has not lapsed or been used.

In addition to the amounts made available under the heading, “Operations and Research (Liquidation of Contract Authorization) (Limitation on Obligations) (Highway Trust Fund)” for carrying out the provisions of section 403 of title 23, United States Code, $4,000,000 shall be available to continue a high visibility enforcement paid-media campaign regarding highway-rail grade crossing safety in collaboration with the Federal Railroad Administration.

None of the funds provided to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation may be used to fund any overtime costs in excess of $35,000 for any individual employee: Provided, That the President of Amtrak may waive the cap set in the previous proviso for specific employees when the President of Amtrak determines such a cap poses a risk to the safety and operational efficiency of the system: Provided further, That the President of Amtrak shall report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 60 days of enactment of this Act, a summary of all overtime payments incurred by the Corporation for 2018 and the three prior calendar years: Provided further, That such summary shall include the total number of employees that received waivers and the total overtime payments the Corporation paid to those employees receiving waivers for each month for 2018 and for the three prior calendar years.

It is the sense of Congress that—

The limitations on obligations for the programs of the Federal Transit Administration shall not apply to any authority under 49 U.S.C. 5338, previously made available for obligation, or to any other authority previously made available for obligation.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any funds appropriated before October 1, 2018, under any section of chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, that remain available for expenditure, may be transferred to and administered under the most recent appropriation heading for any such section.

Of the unobligated amounts made available for fiscal years 2005 or prior fiscal years to “Transit Formula Grants”, a total of $46,560,000 is hereby permanently rescinded.

None of the funds made available under this Act may be used for the implementation or furtherance of new policies detailed in the “Dear Colleague” letter distributed by the Federal Transit Administration to capital investment grant program project sponsors on June 29, 2018.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in addition to any existing authority, the Maritime Administration is authorized to furnish utilities and services and make necessary repairs in connection with any lease, contract, or occupancy involving Government property under control of the Maritime Administration: Provided, That payments received therefor shall be credited to the appropriation charged with the cost thereof and shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That rental payments under any such lease, contract, or occupancy for items other than such utilities, services, or repairs shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

Appropriations contained in this Act for the Department of Transportation shall be available for services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the per diem rate equivalent to the rate for an Executive Level IV.

None of the funds in this Act shall be available for salaries and expenses of more than 110 political and Presidential appointees in the Department of Transportation: Provided, That none of the personnel covered by this provision may be assigned on temporary detail outside the Department of Transportation.

Funds received by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration from States, counties, municipalities, other public authorities, and private sources for expenses incurred for training may be credited respectively to the Federal Highway Administration's “Federal-Aid Highways” account and to the Federal Railroad Administration's “Safety and Operations” account, except for State rail safety inspectors participating in training pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 20105.

Rebates, refunds, incentive payments, minor fees and other funds received by the Department of Transportation from travel management centers, charge card programs, the subleasing of building space, and miscellaneous sources are to be credited to appropriations of the Department of Transportation and allocated to elements of the Department of Transportation using fair and equitable criteria and such funds shall be available until expended.

Amounts made available in this or any prior Act that the Secretary determines represent improper payments by the Department of Transportation to a third-party contractor under a financial assistance award, which are recovered pursuant to law, shall be available—

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if any funds provided in or limited by this Act are subject to a reprogramming action that requires notice to be provided to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, transmission of said reprogramming notice shall be provided solely to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, and said reprogramming action shall be approved or denied solely by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations: Provided, That the Secretary of Transportation may provide notice to other congressional committees of the action of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on such reprogramming but not sooner than 30 days following the date on which the reprogramming action has been approved or denied by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.

Funds appropriated in this Act to the modal administrations may be obligated for the Office of the Secretary for the costs related to assessments or reimbursable agreements only when such amounts are for the costs of goods and services that are purchased to provide a direct benefit to the applicable modal administration or administrations.

The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to carry out a program that establishes uniform standards for developing and supporting agency transit pass and transit benefits authorized under section 7905 of title 5, United States Code, including distribution of transit benefits by various paper and electronic media.

The Department of Transportation may use funds provided by this Act, or any other Act, to assist a contract under title 49 U.S.C. or title 23 U.S.C. utilizing geographic, economic, or any other hiring preference not otherwise authorized by law, or to amend a rule, regulation, policy or other measure that forbids a recipient of a Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration grant from imposing such hiring preference on a contract or construction project with which the Department of Transportation is assisting, only if the grant recipient certifies the following:

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committees on Appropriations and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on efforts by the Department of Transportation to engage with local communities, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional transportation commissions on advancing data and intelligent transportation systems technologies and other smart cities solutions.

The Secretary of Transportation shall consult with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to identify any existing authorities and any additional authorities that may be needed to leverage funds from Department of Transportation programs for purposes of inland waterway project costs.

(a) Subject to subsections (c) and (d), none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Transportation by this or any other Act may be obligated or expended to enforce or require the enforcement of section 127(a) of title 23, United States Code, with respect to a segment described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) if the segment is designated as a route of the Interstate System.

None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Transportation may be obligated or expended to implement, administer, or enforce the requirements of section 31137 of title 49, United States Code, or any regulation issued by the Secretary pursuant to such section, with respect to the use of electronic logging devices by operators of commercial motor vehicles, as defined in section 31132(1) of such title, transporting livestock, as defined in section 602 of the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471) or insects.

Fifty percent of the amounts of budget authority, or in lieu thereof 50 percent of the cash amounts associated with such budget authority, that are recaptured from projects described in section 1012(a) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1437f note) shall be rescinded or in the case of cash, shall be remitted to the Treasury, and such amounts of budget authority or cash recaptured and not rescinded or remitted to the Treasury shall be used by State housing finance agencies or local governments or local housing agencies with projects approved by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for which settlement occurred after January 1, 1992, in accordance with such section. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the Secretary may award up to 15 percent of the budget authority or cash recaptured and not rescinded or remitted to the Treasury to provide project owners with incentives to refinance their project at a lower interest rate.

None of the amounts made available under this Act may be used during fiscal year 2019 to investigate or prosecute under the Fair Housing Act any otherwise lawful activity engaged in by one or more persons, including the filing or maintaining of a nonfrivolous legal action, that is engaged in solely for the purpose of achieving or preventing action by a Government official or entity, or a court of competent jurisdiction.

Except as explicitly provided in law, any grant, cooperative agreement or other assistance made pursuant to title II of this Act shall be made on a competitive basis and in accordance with section 102 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3545).

Funds of the Department of Housing and Urban Development subject to the Government Corporation Control Act or section 402 of the Housing Act of 1950 shall be available, without regard to the limitations on administrative expenses, for legal services on a contract or fee basis, and for utilizing and making payment for services and facilities of the Federal National Mortgage Association, Government National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal Financing Bank, Federal Reserve banks or any member thereof, Federal Home Loan banks, and any insured bank within the meaning of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1811–1).

Unless otherwise provided for in this Act or through a reprogramming of funds, no part of any appropriation for the Department of Housing and Urban Development shall be available for any program, project or activity in excess of amounts set forth in the budget estimates submitted to Congress.

Corporations and agencies of the Department of Housing and Urban Development which are subject to the Government Corporation Control Act are hereby authorized to make such expenditures, within the limits of funds and borrowing authority available to each such corporation or agency and in accordance with law, and to make such contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year limitations as provided by section 104 of such Act as may be necessary in carrying out the programs set forth in the budget for 2019 for such corporation or agency except as hereinafter provided: Provided, That collections of these corporations and agencies may be used for new loan or mortgage purchase commitments only to the extent expressly provided for in this Act (unless such loans are in support of other forms of assistance provided for in this or prior appropriations Acts), except that this proviso shall not apply to the mortgage insurance or guaranty operations of these corporations, or where loans or mortgage purchases are necessary to protect the financial interest of the United States Government.

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall provide quarterly reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations regarding all uncommitted, unobligated, recaptured and excess funds in each program and activity within the jurisdiction of the Department and shall submit additional, updated budget information to these Committees upon request.

The President's formal budget request for fiscal year 2020, as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Development's congressional budget justifications to be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall use the identical account and sub-account structure provided under this Act.

No funds provided under this title may be used for an audit of the Government National Mortgage Association that makes applicable requirements under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.).

The funds made available for Native Alaskans under the heading “Native American Housing Block Grants” in title II of this Act shall be allocated to the same Native Alaskan housing block grant recipients that received funds in fiscal year 2005.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in fiscal year 2019, in managing and disposing of any multifamily property that is owned or has a mortgage held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and during the process of foreclosure on any property with a contract for rental assistance payments under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 or other Federal programs, the Secretary shall maintain any rental assistance payments under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 and other programs that are attached to any dwelling units in the property. To the extent the Secretary determines, in consultation with the tenants and the local government, that such a multifamily property owned or held by the Secretary is not feasible for continued rental assistance payments under such section 8 or other programs, based on consideration of (1) the costs of rehabilitating and operating the property and all available Federal, State, and local resources, including rent adjustments under section 524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (“MAHRAA”) and (2) environmental conditions that cannot be remedied in a cost-effective fashion, the Secretary may, in consultation with the tenants of that property, contract for project-based rental assistance payments with an owner or owners of other existing housing properties, or provide other rental assistance. The Secretary shall also take appropriate steps to ensure that project-based contracts remain in effect prior to foreclosure, subject to the exercise of contractual abatement remedies to assist relocation of tenants for imminent major threats to health and safety after written notice to and informed consent of the affected tenants and use of other available remedies, such as partial abatements or receivership. After disposition of any multifamily property described under this section, the contract and allowable rent levels on such properties shall be subject to the requirements under section 524 of MAHRAA.

The commitment authority funded by fees as provided under the heading “Community Development Loan Guarantees Program Account” may be used to guarantee, or make commitments to guarantee, notes, or other obligations issued by any State on behalf of non-entitlement communities in the State in accordance with the requirements of section 108 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974: Provided, That any State receiving such a guarantee or commitment shall distribute all funds subject to such guarantee to the units of general local government in non-entitlement areas that received the commitment.

Public housing agencies that own and operate 400 or fewer public housing units may elect to be exempt from any asset management requirement imposed by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in connection with the operating fund rule: Provided, That an agency seeking a discontinuance of a reduction of subsidy under the operating fund formula shall not be exempt from asset management requirements.

With respect to the use of amounts provided in this Act and in future Acts for the operation, capital improvement and management of public housing as authorized by sections 9(d) and 9(e) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d) and (e)), the Secretary shall not impose any requirement or guideline relating to asset management that restricts or limits in any way the use of capital funds for central office costs pursuant to section 9(g)(1) or 9(g)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(g)(1), (2)): Provided, That a public housing agency may not use capital funds authorized under section 9(d) for activities that are eligible under section 9(e) for assistance with amounts from the operating fund in excess of the amounts permitted under section 9(g)(1) or 9(g)(2).

No official or employee of the Department of Housing and Urban Development shall be designated as an allotment holder unless the Office of the Chief Financial Officer has determined that such allotment holder has implemented an adequate system of funds control and has received training in funds control procedures and directives. The Chief Financial Officer shall ensure that there is a trained allotment holder for each HUD appropriation under the accounts “Executive Offices” and “Administrative Support Offices,” as well as each account receiving appropriations under the general heading “Program Office Salaries and Expenses”, “Government National Mortgage Association—Guarantees of Mortgage-Backed Securities Loan Guarantee Program Account”, and “Office of Inspector General” within the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development shall, for fiscal year 2019, notify the public through the Federal Register and other means, as determined appropriate, of the issuance of a notice of the availability of assistance or notice of funding availability (NOFA) for any program or discretionary fund administered by the Secretary that is to be competitively awarded. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for fiscal year 2019, the Secretary may make the NOFA available only on the Internet at the appropriate Government web site or through other electronic media, as determined by the Secretary.

Payment of attorney fees in program-related litigation shall be paid from the individual program office and Office of General Counsel salaries and expenses appropriations. The annual budget submission for the program offices and the Office of General Counsel shall include any such projected litigation costs for attorney fees as a separate line item request. No funds provided in this title may be used to pay any such litigation costs for attorney fees until the Department submits for review a spending plan for such costs to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.

The Secretary is authorized to transfer up to 10 percent or $5,000,000, whichever is less, of funds appropriated for any office under the heading “Administrative Support Offices” or for any account under the general heading “Program Office Salaries and Expenses” to any other such office or account: Provided, That no appropriation for any such office or account shall be increased or decreased by more than 10 percent or $5,000,000, whichever is less, without prior written approval of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations: Provided further, That the Secretary shall provide notification to such Committees three business days in advance of any such transfers under this section up to 10 percent or $5,000,000, whichever is less.

None of the funds made available by this Act, or any other Act, for purposes authorized under section 8 (only with respect to the tenant-based rental assistance program) and section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.), may be used by any public housing agency for any amount of salary, including bonuses, for the chief executive officer of which, or any other official or employee of which, that exceeds the annual rate of basic pay payable for a position at level IV of the Executive Schedule at any time during any public housing agency fiscal year 2019.

None of the funds in this Act provided to the Department of Housing and Urban Development may be used to make a grant award unless the Secretary notifies the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations not less than 3 full business days before any project, State, locality, housing authority, tribe, nonprofit organization, or other entity selected to receive a grant award is announced by the Department or its offices.

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to require or enforce the Physical Needs Assessment (PNA).

None of the funds made available in this Act shall be used by the Federal Housing Administration, the Government National Mortgage Administration, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development to insure, securitize, or establish a Federal guarantee of any mortgage or mortgage backed security that refinances or otherwise replaces a mortgage that has been subject to eminent domain condemnation or seizure, by a State, municipality, or any other political subdivision of a State.

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to terminate the status of a unit of general local government as a metropolitan city (as defined in section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302)) with respect to grants under section 106 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5306).

Amounts made available under this Act which are either appropriated, allocated, advanced on a reimbursable basis, or transferred to the Office of Policy Development and Research in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and functions thereof, for research, evaluation, or statistical purposes, and which are unexpended at the time of completion of a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, may be deobligated and shall immediately become available and may be reobligated in that fiscal year or the subsequent fiscal year for the research, evaluation, or statistical purposes for which the amounts are made available to that Office subject to reprogramming requirements in section 405 of this Act.

None of the funds provided in this Act or any other act may be used for awards, including performance, special act, or spot, for any employee of the Department of Housing and Urban Development who has been subject to administrative discipline in fiscal years 2018 or 2019, including suspension from work.

Funds made available in this title under the heading “Homeless Assistance Grants” may be used by the Secretary to participate in Performance Partnership Pilots authorized under section 526 of division H of Public Law 113–76, section 524 of division G of Public Law 113–235, section 525 of division H of Public Law 114–113, and such authorities as are enacted for Performance Partnership Pilots in an appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019: Provided, That such participation shall be limited to no more than 10 continuums of care and housing activities to improve outcomes for disconnected youth.

With respect to grant amounts awarded under the heading “Homeless Assistance Grants” for fiscal years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 for the continuum of care (CoC) program as authorized under subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, costs paid by program income of grant recipients may count toward meeting the recipient’s matching requirements, provided the costs are eligible CoC costs that supplement the recipient's CoC program.

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to direct a grantee to undertake specific changes to existing zoning laws as part of carrying out the final rule entitled “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” (80 Fed. Reg. 42272 (July 16, 2015)) or the notice entitled “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Assessment Tool” (79 Fed. Reg. 57949 (September 26, 2014)).

Section 218(g) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12748(g)) shall not apply with respect to the right of a jurisdiction to draw funds from its HOME Investment Trust Fund that otherwise expired or would expire in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2021 under that section.

The Promise Zone designations and Promise Zone Designation Agreements entered into pursuant to such designations, made by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in prior fiscal years, shall remain in effect in accordance with the terms and conditions of such agreements.

The Secretary shall initiate a comprehensive review of existing public housing and tenant-based rental assistance regulations and related notices and other guidance documents to identify opportunities to streamline the administration of such programs while also ensuring compliance with Federal financial and internal control requirements. The Secretary shall establish a regulatory advisory committee, composed of program and research experts from the Department, a fair representation of public housing agencies, and independent subject matter experts in housing policy, property management, and Federal grant management, which shall advise the Secretary with respect to specific policy proposals to reduce administrative burden. The Secretary, in consultation with the advisory committee, shall submit a report on the results of such regulatory review to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act.

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to establish and apply a ranking factor in the selection and award of any funds made available and requiring competitive selection under this Act, including preference or bonus points or other incentives for participation in or coordination with EnVision Centers.

None of the funds made available under this Act may be used to provide housing assistance benefits for an individual who is convicted of—

None of the funds in this Act shall be used for the planning or execution of any program to pay the expenses of, or otherwise compensate, non-Federal parties intervening in regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings funded in this Act.

None of the funds appropriated in this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year, nor may any be transferred to other appropriations, unless expressly so provided herein.

The expenditure of any appropriation under this Act for any consulting service through a procurement contract pursuant to section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under existing law, or under existing Executive order issued pursuant to existing law.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act, none of the funds provided in this Act, provided by previous appropriations Acts to the agencies or entities funded in this Act that remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2019, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of fees and available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that—

Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, not to exceed 50 percent of unobligated balances remaining available at the end of fiscal year 2019 from appropriations made available for salaries and expenses for fiscal year 2019 in this Act, shall remain available through September 30, 2020, for each such account for the purposes authorized: Provided, That a request shall be submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations for approval prior to the expenditure of such funds: Provided further, That these requests shall be made in compliance with reprogramming guidelines under section 405 of this Act.

No funds in this Act may be used to support any Federal, State, or local projects that seek to use the power of eminent domain, unless eminent domain is employed only for a public use: Provided, That for purposes of this section, public use shall not be construed to include economic development that primarily benefits private entities: Provided further, That any use of funds for mass transit, railroad, airport, seaport or highway projects, as well as utility projects which benefit or serve the general public (including energy-related, communication-related, water-related and wastewater-related infrastructure), other structures designated for use by the general public or which have other common-carrier or public-utility functions that serve the general public and are subject to regulation and oversight by the government, and projects for the removal of an immediate threat to public health and safety or brownfields as defined in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (Public Law 107–118) shall be considered a public use for purposes of eminent domain.

None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriations Act.

No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall be available to pay the salary for any person filling a position, other than a temporary position, formerly held by an employee who has left to enter the Armed Forces of the United States and has satisfactorily completed his or her period of active military or naval service, and has within 90 days after his or her release from such service or from hospitalization continuing after discharge for a period of not more than 1 year, made application for restoration to his or her former position and has been certified by the Office of Personnel Management as still qualified to perform the duties of his or her former position and has not been restored thereto.

No funds appropriated pursuant to this Act may be expended by an entity unless the entity agrees that in expending the assistance the entity will comply with sections 2 through 4 of the Act of March 3, 1933 (41 U.S.C. 8301–8305, popularly known as the “Buy American Act”).

No funds appropriated or otherwise made available under this Act shall be made available to any person or entity that has been convicted of violating the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 8301–8305).

None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for first-class airline accommodations in contravention of sections 301–10.122 and 301–10.123 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.

None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to send or otherwise pay for the attendance of more than 50 employees of a single agency or department of the United States Government, who are stationed in the United States, at any single international conference unless the relevant Secretary reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations at least 5 days in advance that such attendance is important to the national interest: Provided, That for purposes of this section the term “international conference” shall mean a conference occurring outside of the United States attended by representatives of the United States Government and of foreign governments, international organizations, or nongovernmental organizations.

None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available under this Act may be used by the Surface Transportation Board to charge or collect any filing fee for rate or practice complaints filed with the Board in an amount in excess of the amount authorized for district court civil suit filing fees under section 1914 of title 28, United States Code.

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or any other Federal agency to lease or purchase new light duty vehicles for any executive fleet, or for an agency's fleet inventory, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum—Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.

None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to pay award or incentive fees for contractors whose performance has been judged to be below satisfactory, behind schedule, over budget, or has failed to meet the basic requirements of a contract, unless the Agency determines that any such deviations are due to unforeseeable events, government-driven scope changes, or are not significant within the overall scope of the project and/or program unless such awards or incentive fees are consistent with 16.401(e)(2) of the FAR.