[Senate Report 106-322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 640
106th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 106-322
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CARTER G. WOODSON HOME NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE STUDY ACT OF 2000
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June 27, 2000.--Ordered to be printed
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Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3201]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 3201) to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Carter G. Woodson Home in the District of
Columbia as a National Historic Site, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the Act do pass.
purpose of the measure
The purpose of H.R. 3201 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior, after consultation with the mayor of the District of
Columbia, to prepare a resource study of the home of Dr. Carter
G. Woodson to determine the suitability and feasibility of
designating it as a unit of the National Park System.
background and need
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a distinguished historian and the
son of former slaves, was the founder and director of the
Association for the Study of African-American Life and History.
Dr. Woodson's research into African-American history helped to
educate the American public about the contributions of African-
Americans to the nation's history and culture. Among the
enduring accomplishments of the Association founded by Dr.
Woodson was the establishment of Negro History Week in 1926,
which later became Black History Month.
In 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study
of Negro Life and History, since renamed the Association for
the Study of African-American Life and History. Dr. Woodson
directed the Association's operations out of his home at 1538
Ninth Street, NW, in Washington, D.C. Today, the home stands
boarded up in the historic Shaw district of the city.
H.R. 3201 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
study the Carter G. Woodson Home to determine its suitability
and feasibility for inclusion as a unit of the National Park
System.
legislative history
H.R. 3201 was passed by the House of Representatives on
February 15, 2000. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic
Preservation, and Recreation held a hearing on H.R. 3201 on
April 27, 2000. At its business meeting on June 7, 2000, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 3201
favorably reported.
committee recommendation and tabulation of votes
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on June 7, 2000, by a unanimous vote of a
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 3201 as
described herein.
section-by-section analysis
Section 1 designates the Act's short title.
Section 2 contains congressional findings about Dr. Carter
G. Woodson, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and
History, since renamed the Association for the Study of
African-American Life and History, and his home located at 1538
Ninth Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Section 3 defines the term ``Secretary'' to mean the
Secretary of the Interior.
Section 4 directs the Secretary to conduct a study to
identify the suitability and feasibility of designating the
Carter G. Woodson Home as a unit of the National Park System.
After consultation with the mayor of the District of Columbia,
the study is to be submitted to the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources ofthe United States Senate, no later than 18
months after funds are made available for the study.
Section 5 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are
necessary to carry out the Act.
cost and budgetary considerations
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, June 13, 2000.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3201, the Carter
G. Woodson Home National Site Study Act of 2000.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this
estimate is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 3201--Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site Study Act of 2000
H.R. 3201 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Carter G. Woodson home in the District of
Columbia as a national historic site. The legislation would
require the Secretary to report on the national, historical,
and cultural resources within the study area that merit
recognition and designation as a national historic site.
Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO
estimates that the federal government would spend up to $75,000
over the next 18 months to implement H.R. 3201. The act would
not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-
go procedures would not apply. H.R. 3201 contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no significant
costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Deborah Reis
and Ali Aslam. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
regulatory impact evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out H.R. 3201. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of H.R. 3201, as ordered reported.
executive communications
On April 27, 2000, the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting
forth Executive agency recommendations on H.R. 3201. These
reports had not been received at the time the report on H.R.
3201 was filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman
will request that they be printed in the Congressional Record
for the advice of the Senate. The testimony provided by the
National Park Service at the Subcommittee hearing follows:
Statement of John G. Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources, and Planning, National Park Service, National Capital Region
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before you today to present the Department of the Interior's
views on H.R. 3201, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Carter G. Woodson home in the District of
Columbia as a National Historic Site, and as a unit of the
National Park System.
The Department supports H.R. 3201 with amendments discussed
in our testimony.
H.R. 3201 authorizes the Secretary to conduct a special
resource study of the Carter G. Woodson home and the
Association for the Study of African-American Life and History.
This study will examine the national significance and the
suitability and feasibility of designating the Carter G.
Woodson home as a unit of the National Park System as well as
the alternatives for management and protection of the home.
After 18 months, the study is to be submitted to the House of
Representatives Committee on Resources and the Senate Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson is the father of Negro history. He
was a preeminent historian of African-American life and
history. Dr. Woodson's life was devoted to educating African-
Americans and the American public about the contributions black
Americans made in the formation of our nation's history and
culture. His efforts led to the establishment of the
Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915
because of what he saw as the great need to educate the
American public concerning those contributions. It is because
of Dr. Woodson's efforts that Black History Month is celebrated
across the country today.
The association's headquarters and center of operations
were located in his home at 1538 Ninth Street, NW, Washington,
DC. Dr. Woodson directed the association's operations, trained
researchers and staff, managed the association's budget and
fund-raising efforts, and pursued his own study of African
American history.
Through the association, Dr. Woodson dedicated his life to
educating the American public about the contributions of black
Americans to our nation's history and culture. His work in
bringing history to bear where prejudice and racism had held
sway has played an indispensable role in reducing prejudice and
making the need for civil rights remedies clear. Among its
enduring accomplishments, the association instituted Negro
History Week in 1926 to be observed during the same week in
February as the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick
Douglas. To assure publication of research on African American
history under Dr. Woodson's leadership, the association founded
the Associated Publishers in 1920. The Association for the
Study of Negro Life and History, renamed the Association for
the Study of African-American Life and History, continues to
serve and educate people of the importance of African-American
history. Dr. Woodson's home, a Victorian-style house built in
1890, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Today
the Carter G. Woodson home stands boarded up in the historic
Shaw District of Washington, DC.
We recommend three amendments to this legislation. These
amendments would insure the study is completed in conformance
with the requirements of the National Park Omnibus Management
Act passed by Congress in 1998. The text of the amendments is
attached to this testimony.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared testimony. I would
be happy to answer any questions you or your committee may
have.
changes in existing law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill H.R. 3201, as
ordered reported.
Proposed amendments to H.R. 3201
(1) On page 3, line 19, after ``Senate a'' add ``special''.
(2) On page 4, line 1, strike ``identify suitability and
feasibility'' and insert ``include a determination of the
national significance, feasibility, and suitability''.
(3) On page 4, after line 8, insert the following new
subsection:
``(c) Criteria.--In conducting the study authorized by
this Act, the Secretary shall use the criteria for the
study of areas for potential inclusion in the National
Park System contained in Section 8 of P.L. 91-383, as
amended by Section 303 of the National Parks Omnibus
Management Act (P.L. 105-391, 112 Stat. 3501).''