[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CBO COST ESTIMATE--H.R. 150

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, at the time Senate Report No. 150 was 
filed, the Congressional Budget Office report was not available. I ask 
unanimous consent that the report which is now available be printed in 
the Congressional Record for the information of the Senate.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                    U.S. Congress,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                                   Washington, DC, March 15, 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. 150, the 
     National Forest Education and Community Purpose Lands Act.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is John R. 
     Righter, who can be reached at 226-2860.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Barry B. Anderson
                                   (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
       Enclosure.

       Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate, March 15, 2000


  H.R. 150.--National Forest Education and Community Purpose Lands Act

(As reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on 
                             March 9, 2000)

       CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 150 would have no 
     significant impact on the federal budget. Because the 
     legislation would affect offsetting receipts (a form of 
     direct spending), pay-as-you-go procedures would apply; 
     however, CBO estimates that any such effects would total less 
     than $500,000 each year. H.R. 150 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. H.R. 150 would benefit 
     some local governments by giving them the opportunity to 
     acquire National Forest land for public schools at a nominal 
     cost.
       H.R. 150 would authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
     (USDA) to lease or convey land in the National Forest System 
     (NFS) to state and local governments for educational, 
     recreational, and other public purpose uses. State and local 
     governments would pay USDA a nominal amount for use of the 
     land, with the federal government retaining any mineral 
     rights. Under the legislation, USDA could transfer only 
     parcels of land where the value to the state or local 
     government of the proposed use exceeds that of continued 
     federal ownership. If used for any unauthorized purpose, the 
     land would revert to the federal government. The legislation 
     generally would require USDA to notify an applicant within 
     120 days of receiving an application as to whether the land 
     will be leased or conveyed, or provide a written explanation 
     as to why such a determination has not been made.
       CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 150 could result in 
     forgone offsetting receipts if USDA would have sold one or 
     more of the leased or transferred parcels at fair market 
     value under current law. CBO estimates that any such loss of 
     receipts from land sales would total less than $500,000 each 
     year. Even through we expect state and local governments 
     would desire the opportunity to lease or acquire valuable NFS 
     land at substantially discounted rates, such land is rarely 
     sold under current law. As a result, we estimate that 
     enacting the bill would not result in any significant loss of 
     federal receipts. Additionally, CBO estimates that any 
     increase in receipts from leasing or transferring NFS land 
     under H.R. 150 would also total less than $500,000 a year.
       On May 5, 1999, CBO prepared a cost estimate for H.R. 150, 
     a bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey 
     Natural Forest System lands for educational purposes, and for 
     other purposes, as ordered reported by the House Committee on 
     Resources on April 28, 1999. These two versions of the 
     legislation are similar and the estimated costs are the same.
       The CBO staff contact is John R. Righter, who can be 
     reached at 226-2860. This estimate was approved by Peter H. 
     Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

     

                          ____________________