[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9722-9723]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CBO COST ESTIMATE ON H.R. 1817, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 
                 AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006

  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, on May 3, 2005, the Committee on Homeland 
Security filed its report on H.R. 1817, the Department of Homeland 
Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. At that time the 
committee had not yet received a Congressional Budget Office cost 
estimate, and it filed the report without the cost estimate required in 
clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives. Subsequently, the committee received the CBO cost 
estimate on H.R. 1817, and I am submitting it herewith for the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the enclosed estimate be 
inserted into the Congressional Record at the appropriate place.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

     H.R. 1817--Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act 
         for Fiscal Year 2006
       Summary: H.R. 1817 would authorize the appropriation of 
     $34.2 billion for fiscal year

[[Page 9723]]

     2006 to fund the major operations of the Department of 
     Homeland Security (DHS). CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 
     1817 would cost about $33 billion over the 2006-2010 period, 
     assuming appropriations of the authorized amounts. Enacting 
     the bill would not affect direct spending or receipts.
       H.R. 1817 contains an intergovernmental mandate as defined 
     in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by exempting 
     certain information related to critical infrastructure from 
     state and local laws that provide public access to 
     information. CBO estimates that the costs, if any, to state 
     and local governments would be minimal and well below the 
     annual threshold established in that act ($62 million in 
     2005, adjusted annually for inflation). H.R. 1817 contains no 
     new private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA.
       Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
     budgetary impact of H.R. 1817 is shown in the following 
     table. For this estimate, CBO assumes that the authorized 
     amounts will be appropriated near the beginning of fiscal 
     year 2006 and that outlays will follow the historical 
     spending rates for these activities. The costs of this 
     legislation fall within budget functions 050 (national 
     defense), 300 (natural resources and environment), 400 
     (transportation), 450 (community and regional development), 
     550 (health), 600 (income security), 750 (administration of 
     justice), and 800 (general government).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   2005       2006       2007       2008       2009       2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
 
Department of Homeland Security Spending Under
 Current Law:
    Estimated Budget Authority\1\.............     38,469          0          0          0          0          0
    Estimated Outlays.........................     31,928     14,443      7,939      3,475      1,308        594
Proposed Changes:
    Authorization Level.......................          0     34,152          0          0          0          0
    Estimated Outlays.........................          0     17,418      7,513      5,123      2,391        683
Department of Homeland Security Spending Under
 H.R. 1817:
    Authorization Level\1\....................     38,469     34,152          0          0          0          0
    Estimated Outlays.........................     31,928     31,861     15,452      8,598      3,699      1,277
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\The estimated 2005 level is the amount of appropriations less offsetting collections for that year for
  operations of DHS.

       Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 1817 
     contains an intergovernmental mandate as defined in UMRA by 
     exempting certain information related to critical 
     infrastructure from state and local laws that provide public 
     access to information. CBO estimates that the costs, if any, 
     to state and local governments would be minimal and well 
     below the annual threshold established in that act ($62 
     million in 2005, adjusted annually for inflation). H.R. 1817 
     contains no new private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA.
       Section 306 would require the Secretary of the Department 
     of Homeland Security to issue regulations for the security of 
     maritime cargo moving within the intermodal transportation 
     system. Those regulations would relate to the securing, 
     recording, and verifying of seals on maritime cargo 
     containers in the hauling of cargo from one mode of 
     transportation to another. According to DHS, a notice of 
     proposed rulemaking that incorporates the recommendations 
     referred to in the bill has been drafted and is pending 
     review. Based on information from DHS, CBO anticipates that 
     the Secretary will issue those regulations. Thus, CBO expects 
     that the provisions in this section would impose no 
     additional mandates on public or private-sector entities.
       State and local governments would benefit from programs to 
     improve interoperable communications and to reimburse costs 
     for having law enforcement officers trained to enforce 
     immigration laws. Any costs incurred by those governments 
     would be incurred voluntarily.
       Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Mark Grabowicz; Impact 
     on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Melissa Merrell; 
     Impact on the Private Sector: Paige Piper/Bach.
       Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
     Director for Budget Analysis.

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