[House Report 104-288]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    104-288
_______________________________________________________________________


 
     TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES SYSTEMS MAP

                                _______


October 20, 1995.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


  Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 2005]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 2005) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make 
technical corrections in maps relating to the Coastal Barrier 
Resources System, 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. 2005 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to make a technical correction in maps relating to the 
Coastal Barrier Resources System.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) is made up of 
coastal barrier units which are delineated on maps approved by 
Congress. The System was created by the Coastal Barrier 
Resources Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-348), and greatly expanded 
by the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-
591). CBRS contains approximately 1.272 million acres of 
undeveloped coastal barrier fastland and its associated aquatic 
habitat, 1,200 miles of coastline, and 560 units.
    Inclusion of property in CBRS does not prevent private 
development of that property, nor does it prevent actions 
necessary to process and issue Federal permits necessary for 
development. However, it does place significant restrictions on 
the availability of any new Federal financial assistance to 
develop the property.
    CBRS units are marked on maps prepared and maintained by 
the Department of the Interior, and approved by Congress. 
Except for very minor technical changes, unit boundaries cannot 
be adjusted without Congressional approval.
    Some units contain ``otherwise protected areas'' such as 
national wildlife refuges, national parks and seashores, State 
parks, and conservation lands owned by private organizations. 
No Federal flood insurance can be issued in areas mapped as 
otherwise protected areas.
    H.R. 2005 corrects a mapping error in which private 
property, not owned for conservation purposes, was inaccurately 
mapped as being an otherwise protected area within the Fire 
Island National Seashore. The bill directs the Secretary of the 
Interior to amend the map to conform the unit's boundary with 
the correct boundary of the Seashore.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 2005 was introduced on July 11, 1995, by Congressman 
Michael P. Forbes. The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. On July 27, 1995, the 
Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 2005, where testimony was 
heard from Members of Congress, the Administration and the 
Coast Alliance. The Administration and Congressman Forbes 
testified in support of H.R. 2005.
    On August 3, 1995, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife 
and Oceans met to mark up H.R. 2005. No amendments were offered 
and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the Full 
Committee in the presence of a quorum. On September 27, 1995, 
the Full Resources Committee met to consider H.R. 2005. No 
amendments were offered and the bill was then ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Correction to Map

    Section 1 directs the Secretary of the Interior to amend 
the map for the Fire Island Unit of the Coastal Barrier 
Resources System so that the Unit conforms with the boundary of 
the Fire Island National Seashore.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    With respect to the requirements of clause 2(l)(3) of Rule 
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and clause 
2(b)(1) of Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, 
the Committee on Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                     INFLATIONARY IMPACT STATEMENT

    Pursuant to clause 2(l)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee estimates that the 
enactment of H.R. 2005 will have no significant inflationary 
impact on prices and costs in the operation of the national 
economy.

                        COST OF THE LEGISLATION

    Clause 7(a) 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 
H.R. 2005. However, clause 7(d) 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 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                     COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XI

    1. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(B) of 
Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, H.R. 
2005 does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    2. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(D) of 
Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee has received no report of oversight findings and 
recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight on the subject of H.R. 2005.
    3. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(C) of 
Rule XI 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 H.R. 
2005 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, October 19, 1995.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, 
        DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 2005, a bill to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to make technical corrections in maps relating to the 
Coastal Barrier Resources System. H.R. 2005 was ordered 
reported by the House Committee on Resources on September 27, 
1995. Because the bill could affect direct spending, pay-as-
you-go procedures would apply. However, CBO estimates that 
enacting H.R. 2005 would result in no significant effect on the 
federal budget.
    H.R. 2005 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
exclude property adjacent to Fire Island National Seashore, New 
York, from the Coastal Barrier Resources System. This change 
would enable local property owners to relocate previously 
constructed houses to a portion of their property that was 
inadvertently included in the system. Because these homeowners 
already have federal flood insurance, and because it is 
unlikely that any of the property affected by the revision 
would be used for new homesites, CBO estimates that the bill 
would have no significant impact on the federal budget.
    CBO also expects that enacting this legislation would have 
no impact on the budgets of state or local governments.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                           June E. O'Neill,
                                                          Director.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, H.R. 2005 would make no changes in existing 
law.

                          DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

    The Committee has received no departmental reports on H.R. 
2005.

                                
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