[House Report 109-584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress Rept. 109-584
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session Part 1
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COMMISSION TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE
AMERICAN LATINO COMMUNITY ACT OF 2005
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July 20, 2006.--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. 2134]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 2134) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential
Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community
to develop a plan of action for the establishment and
maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino
Community in Washington, DC, 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. 2134 is to establish the Commission to
Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the
American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the
establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the
American Latino Community in Washington, DC, and for other
purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Latinos have been part of American history since before the
founding of the United States; they were present on the
continent for more than two centuries prior to the Declaration
of Independence. Despite the growth of Latino-inclusive
programs at the Smithsonian Institution over the past decade,
the sponsor of H.R. 2134 believes the ``mosaic portrayed in
Washington museums'' is incomplete without a museum
specifically dedicated to the community.
The Commission proposed in the bill would be comprised of
23 members, appointed as follows: seven by the President and
three voting and one non-voting each by the Speaker, the House
Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Senate
Minority Leader. The Commission will hold a national conference
within 9 months of its formation and develop a fundraising plan
within 18 months. The Commission will issue a report on the
cost of the museum, its impact on other Hispanic- and Latino-
related museums, its possible location, how the museum should
be operated and how to engage the American Latino community in
the museum's development and design. The bill authorizes an
appropriation of $3.2 million for the Commission's expenses.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 2134 was introduced on May 5, 2005, by Congressman
Xavier Becerra (D-CA). The bill was referred to the Committee
on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks. On March 30, 2006, the Subcommittee on National
Parks held a hearing on H.R. 2134. On June 21, 2006, the
Committee on Resources met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee was discharged from further consideration of the
bill by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the
bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8, clause 3 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. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to establish the Commission to Study
the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American
Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the
establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the
American Latino Community in Washington, DC, and for other
purposes.
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. 2134--Commission to study the Potential Creation of a National
Museum of the American Latino Community Act of 2005
H.R. 2134 would establish a commission to develop a plan
for establishing and maintaining a National Museum of the
American Latino Community in Washington, DC. Under the bill,
the 23-member commission would report its recommendations on
the museum to the Congress within 18 months of the
legislation's enactment. For the purpose of carrying out the
commission's responsibilities, the bill would authorize the
appropriation of $2.1 million for 2006 and $1.1 million for
2007.
Based on information provided by the National Park Service
and assuming appropriation of the amounts authorized for 2007,
CBO estimates that the federal government would spend about $1
million over the next two years to establish the commission and
to develop a plan for the proposed museum. (For this estimate,
CBO assumes that no additional funds would be provided for this
purpose in 2006.) Most of this amount would be spent for
feasibility studies and other research. We estimate that
enacting H.R. 2134 would have no effect on revenues or direct
spending.
H.R. 2134 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on 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.