The Congressional Budget Office estimates a proposed Senate bill that would make some changes to the State Department‘s operations could trigger a $6.5 billion increase in direct spending from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal 2021.

CBO said Wednesday the Department of State Authorization Act (S. 2937) would allow the department to retain its passport and visa applications processing service fees as well as use the surcharges it collects to facilitate consular activities up to two years without further appropriation action.

The department spent more than $3.4 billion in consular fees collected during fiscal 2015 on consular, border security and information technology programs and remitted about $0.8 billion to the Treasury, according to CBO.

The bill also contains provisions that seek to expand the purposes for which the state can spend registration fees for defense-related items from manufacturers and exporters as well as extend the Fishermen’s Protection Fund through 2018.

CBO added the implementation of the bill would reduce the State Department’s net discretionary costs by nearly $50 million during the next five fiscal years.

The agency also estimates the bill would increase net direct spending and on-budget deficits by more than $5 billion over four consecutive 10-year periods from fiscal 2027.

A bill introduced in the Senate would require the Federal Communications Commission to explore new methods to expand telecommunications services access in the event of a natural disaster.

The Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 would also mandate that the Government Accountability Office examine potential strategies for the government to increase security of emergency communications services, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday.

“The bill also would redefine the term “essential service provider” to explicitly include certain telecommunication mediums, such as internet and cable services, in a list of entities that provide essential services,” CBO noted.

CBO estimates the bill’s requirement would increase FCC’s administrative costs by less than $500,000.

The enactment of the legislation would not affect direct federal spending or revenues nor the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments, according to CBO.

The agency said a similar bill that was passed by House members in May would generate the same budgetary effects as the Senate version.

Carla Hayden, formerly CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, has received Senate confirmation to become the new head of the Library of Congress, the Baltimore Sun reported Friday.

John Fritze writes the Senate voted 74-18 in favor of Hayden after the Senate Rules Committee approved her nomination in June.

She will succeed James Billington, who retired after 28 years of service, Fritze reports.

Hayden, a former president of the American Library Association, helped to increase the number of computers at the Enoch Pratt system and to grow the library’s electronic book collection, according to the Sun.