[House Report 107-631]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
107th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 107-631
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REVISING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE NATIONAL
MONUMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
September 4, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3449]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 3449) to revise the boundaries of the George Washington
Birthplace National Monument, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment
and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 3449 is to revise the boundaries of the
George Washington Birthplace National Historic Monument, and
for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The George Washington Birthplace National Monument located
in Westmoreland County, Virginia, was designated on January 23,
1930. The 550-acre Monument memorializes George Washington and
place of his birth. The historic monument was visited by
150,672 people in 2001, and contains a replica of the
Washington home and the unearthed brick foundation of the house
where he was born, as well as the Washington family cemetery
where George's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather are
buried.
The proposed boundary expansion, which includes the land
currently dividing the park into two separate parcels, would
prevent anticipated residential development. Up to 115 acres
would be acquired from a single willing seller (the Muse
Family) by donation, purchase with donated funds, exchange or
with appropriated funds.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 3449 was introduced on December 11, 2001, by
Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis (R-VA). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Resources and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands.
On July 16, 2002, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill.
On July 24, 2002, the Full Resources Committee met to consider
the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and
Public Lands was discharged from further consideration of H.R.
3449 by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and the
bill was then ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations
are reflected in the body of this report.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not
apply.
4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, August 14, 2002.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3449, a bill to
revise the boundaries of the George Washington Birthplace
National Monument.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Sunshine
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 3449--A bill to revise the boundaries of the George Washington
Birthplace National Monument
H.R. 3449 would expand the boundary of the George
Washington Birthplace National Monument in Virginia to include
an adjacent 115-acre parcel of land. The National Park Service
(NPS) would be authorized to acquire the parcel by donation,
purchase, or exchange.
Based on information provided by the NPS and the property's
owners, and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts,
CBO estimates that it would cost between $1 million and $2
million over the next year or two to purchase the added parcel.
We estimate that additional costs to develop the new acreage
and operate the expanded national monument would not be
significant.
H.R. 3449 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would have no significant impact on the budgets of state,
local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.