[House Report 109-322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 109-322
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TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO DESIGNATE THE PRESIDENT
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON BIRTHPLACE HOME IN HOPE, ARKANSAS, AS A
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
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December 6, 2005.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4192]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 4192) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
designate the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace
Home in Hope, Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of
the National Park System, 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. 4192 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to designate the President William Jefferson
Clinton Birthplace Home in Hope, Arkansas, as a National
Historic Site and a unit of the National Park System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Hope, Arkansas, is the birthplace of William Jefferson
Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. The residence
on Hervey Street is currently owned and operated by the Clinton
Birthplace Foundation in conjunction with the Clinton Center.
The Clinton Birthplace Foundation was formed in 1993 as a non-
profit corporation to serve the historic preservation
opportunities in President Clinton's home state. The residence
has been visited by thousands of individuals from across the
Nation and around the world and was nominated and placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The National Park Service of the Department of the Interior
currently manages 32 presidential sites. H.R. 4192 would
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to designate the
historic site only after receiving the property via donation
from the Foundation.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 4192 was introduced on November 1, 2005, by
Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on National Parks. On November 16, 2005, the
Committee on Resources met to consider the bill, at which time
the Subcommittee on National Parks was discharged from further
consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments
were offered and H.R. 4192 was 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 tax
expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget Office,
enactment of this bill would increase offsetting receipts and
direct spending, but ``any net change in direct spending would
be negligible.''
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:
H.R. 4192--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
designate the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace
Home in Hope, Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of
the National Park System
H.R. 4192 would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to
designate the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home in
Arkansas as a national historic site if the Clinton Birthplace
Foundation donates the house and related property to the
federal government.
Based on information provided by the NPS, CBO expects that
the federal government would accept donation of the Clinton
home and other property in fiscal year 2006. We estimate that
the costs of preparing and operating the site as a unit of the
National Park System would be about $1 million a year, assuming
the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 4192
would not affect direct spending or revenues.
The bill 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 in existing
law.