[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1678-E1679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATES FOR H.R. 5099

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2002

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I request that the attached cost estimates 
for H.R. 5099 be submitted for the record under General Leave.
  As you know, H.R. 5099 passed the House under suspension of the rules 
on Tuesday, September 24, 2002. At the time of passage, the Committee 
on Resources had not yet received a cost estimate for the Congressional 
Budget Office.

                                                    U.S. Congress,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                               Washington, DC, September 24, 2002.
     Hon. James V. Hansen,
     Chairman, Committee on Resources,
     U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
     prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5099, a bill to 
     extend the periods of authorization for the Secretary of the 
     Interior to implement capital construction projects 
     associated with the endangered fish recovery implementation 
     programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Julie 
     Middleton.
           Sincerely,

                                            Barry B. Anderson,

                                   (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).


               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

       H.R. 5099: A bill to extend the periods of authorization 
     for the Secretary of the Interior to implement capital 
     construction projects associated with the endangered fish 
     recovery implementation programs for the

[[Page E1679]]

     Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins--As ordered reported 
     by the House Committee on Resources on September 12, 2002
       Summary.--H.R. 5099 would amend the current authorization 
     of appropriations for implementing endangered fish recovery 
     programs in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins. 
     That authority will expire in fiscal year 2005 for the Upper 
     Colorado program and in fiscal year 2007 for the San Juan 
     program. H.R. 5099 would extend the authorization for both 
     programs until 2008.
       CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5509 would have no 
     significant net impact on the federal budget. We estimate 
     that the bill would reduce direct spending by about $5 
     million over the 2003-2005 period and increase it by the same 
     amount over the 2006-2008 period. because enacting H.R. 5099 
     would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures would 
     apply. H.R. 5099 contains no intergovernmental or private-
     sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
     Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or 
     tribal governments.
       Estimated cost to the federal government.--The estimated 
     budgetary impact of H.R. 5099 is shown in the following 
     table. The costs of this legislation fall within budget 
     function 300 (natural resources and environment).

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                                    --------------------------------------------
                                                                       2003     2004     2005     2006     2007
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Changes in direct spending
Estimated Budget Authority.........................................       -2    (\1\)       -3    (\1\)        2
Estimated Outlays..................................................       -2    (\1\)       -3    (\1\)        2
                                        Spending subject to appropriation
Spending Under Current Law:
    Estimated Authorization Level \2\..............................        6        6        6        0        0
    Estimated Outlays..............................................        4        5        5        2        2
Proposed Changes:
    Estimated Authorization Level..................................        0        0        0        0        0
    Estimated Outlays..............................................       -1       -2       -2        1        1
Spending Under H.R. 5099:
    Estimated Authorization Level \2\..............................        6        6        6        0        0
    Estimated Outlays..............................................        3        3        3        3       3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Less than $500,000.
\2\ The estimated authorization levels reflect the current balance of authorized funding for the Bureau of
  Reclamation to carry out fish recovery programs in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins. For this
  estimate, CBO assumes that the remaining $18 million to be appropriated for these programs will be provided in
  equal increments over the next three years.

       Basis of estimate.--H.R. 5099 would extend current 
     authority to implement fish recovery programs in the Upper 
     Colorado and San Juan River Basins until 2008. For this 
     estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 5099 will be enacted near the 
     start of fiscal year 2003 and that funds already authorized 
     for the two fish recovery programs will be appropriated over 
     the next three years.
       Direct Spending.--The net effect of H.R. 5099 on direct 
     spending would be insignificant. Under current law, the 
     Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is authorized to pay 
     for its share of the fish recovery programs by borrowing up 
     to $17 million from the Colorado Water Conservation Board 
     Construction Fund (a fund of the state government). To date, 
     WAPA has borrowed $5.5 million from that fund. WAPA expects 
     to pay for its remaining costs of $11.5 million either 
     through borrowing from the state or by spending receipts 
     generated from the sale of electricity. This bill would 
     modify the expected timing of that future spending.
       Under this bill, CBO estimates that WAPA's would delay 
     spending about $5 million over fiscal years 2003 through 
     2005, but this near-term cash savings would be offset by an 
     increase in spending of an equal amount over fiscal years 
     2006 through 2008.
       Spending Subject to Appropriation.--The net effect of H.R. 
     5099 on spending also would be insignificant. Under current 
     law, $46 million is authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Bureau of Reclamation for its share of the fish recovery 
     programs. To date, the bureau has spent $28 million on these 
     programs. Assuming appropriation of the remaining $18 
     million, CBO estimates that there would be a delay in 
     spending of about $5 million over fiscal years 2003 through 
     2005, but this near-term cash savings would be offset by an 
     increase in spending of an equal amount over fiscal years 
     2006 through 2008.
       Pay-as-you-go considerations.--The Balanced Budget and 
     Emergency Deficit Control Act sets up pay-as-you-go 
     procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or 
     receipts. The net changes in outlays that are subject to pay-
     as-you-go procedures are shown in the following table. For 
     the purposes of enforcing pay-as-you-go procedures, only the 
     effects through fiscal year 2006 are counted.

 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         2002     2003     2004     2005     2006     2007     2008     2009     2010     2011     2012
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes in outlays...................................        0       -2        0       -3        0        2        3        0        0        0        0
Changes in receipts..................................    Not applicable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Intergovernmental and private-sector impact.--H.R. 5099 
     contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
     defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or 
     tribal governments.
       Estimate prepared by.--Federal Costs: Julie Middleton; 
     Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Marjorie 
     Miller; Impact on the Private Sector: Cecil McPherson.
       Estimate approved by.--Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
     Director for Budget Analysis.

     

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