[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 153 (Monday, December 16, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COST ESTIMATE FOR H.R. 4912

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 16, 2002

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I request that the attached cost estimate 
for H.R. 4912 be submitted for the Record under General Leave.

                                                    U.S. Congress,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                                 Washington, DC, October 25, 2002.
     Hon. James V. Hansen,
     Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
     prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4912, a bill to 
     increase the penalties to be imposed for a violation of fire 
     regulations applicable to public lands, National Park System 
     lands, or National Forest System lands when the violation 
     results in damage to public or private property, to specify 
     the purpose for which collected fines may be used, and for 
     other purposes.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Megan 
     Carroll (for federal costs), and Annie Bartsch (for 
     revenues).
           Sincerely,
                                                Barry B. Anderson,
                                   (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
       Enclosure.
     H.R. 4912--A bill to increase the penalties to be imposed for 
         a violation of fire regulations applicable to the public 
         lands, National Park System lands, or National Forest 
         System lands when the violation results in damage to 
         public or private property, to specify the purposes for 
         which collected fines may be used, and for other 
         purposes.
       CBO estimates that H.R. 4912 would not significantly affect 
     the federal budget. The bill would increase both revenues and 
     direct spending, but by less than $500,000 a year. H.R. 4912 
     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 government.
       H.R. 4912 would increase fines and imprisonment terms for 
     violating fire regulations on certain federal lands. The bill 
     would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
     Secretary of the Interior to spend, without further 
     appropriation, amounts received from such fines to reimburse 
     the appropriate department for certain costs incurred to 
     respond to fires, rehabilitate damaged lands, and increase 
     public awareness of legal requirements regarding the use of 
     fire on public lands.
       Under current law, collections of such fines are recorded 
     in the budget as governmental receipts (revenues) and are 
     deposited in the Crime Victims Fund and later spent. Based on 
     information from the Department of the Interior and the 
     Forest Service, CBO estimates that increasing those fines and 
     authorizing the agencies to spend them would increase 
     revenues and direct spending by less than $500,000 annually. 
     We also estimate that any increased costs for prison 
     operations, which would be subject to appropriation, would 
     not be significant.
       The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Megan Carroll 
     (for federal costs), and Annie Bartsch (for revenues). This 
     estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
     Director for Budget Analysis.

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