[Senate Report 104-183]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 263
104th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 104-183
_______________________________________________________________________
SKI AREA PERMITS ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS
_______
December 8, 1995.--Ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 907]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 907) to amend the National Forest Ski
Area Permit Act of 1986 to clarify the authorities and duties
of the Secretary of Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on
National Forest System lands and to withdraw lands within ski
area permit boundaries from the operation of the mining and
mineral leasing laws, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon with an amendment and an amendment to the
title and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SKI AREA PERMIT RENTAL CHARGE.
(a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall charge a rental charge for
all ski area permits issued pursuant to section 3 of the National
Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 497b), the Act of March
4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1101, chapter 144; 16 U.S.C. 497), or the 9th through
20th paragraphs under the heading ``SURVEYING THE PUBLIC LANDS'' under
the heading ``UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'' in the Act of June
4, 1897 (30 Stat. 34, chapter 2), on National Forest System lands.
Permit rental charges for permits issued pursuant to the National
Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 shall be calculated as set forth in
subsection (b). Permit rental charges for existing ski area permits
issued pursuant to the Act of March 4, 1915, and the Act of June 4,
1897, shall be calculated in accordance with those existing permits:
Provided, That a permittee may, at the permittee's option, use the
calculation method set forth in subsection (b).
(b)(1) The ski area permit rental charge (SAPRC) shall be
calculated by adding the permittee's gross revenues from lift ticket/
year-round ski area use pass plus revenue from ski school operations
(LT+SS) and multiplying such total by the slope feet percentage (STFP)
on National Forest System land. That amount shall be increased by the
gross year-round revenue from ancillary facilities (GRAF) physically
located on national forest land, including all permittee or
subpermittee lodging, food service, rental shops, parking and other
ancillary operations, to determine the adjusted gross revenue (AGR)
subject to the permit rental charge. The final rental charge shall be
calculated by multiplying the AGR by the following percentages for each
revenue bracket and adding the total for each revenue bracket:
(A) 1.5 percent of all adjusted gross revenue below
$3,000,000;
(B) 2.5 percent for adjusted gross revenue between $3,000,000
and $15,000,000;
(C) 2.75 percent for adjusted gross revenue between
$15,000,000 and $50,000,000; and
(D) 4.0 percent for the amount of adjusted gross revenue that
exceeds $50,000,000.
Utilizing the abbreviations indicated in this subsection the ski
area permit fee (SAPF) formula can be simply illustrated as:
SAPF=((LT+SS)xSTFP)+GRAF=AGR; AGRx% BRACKETS
(2) In cases where ski areas are only partially located on national
forest lands, the slope transport feet percentage on national forest
land referred to in subsection (b) shall be calculated as generally
described in the Forest Service Manual in effect as of January 1, 1992.
Revenues from Nordic ski operations shall be included or excluded from
the rental charge calculation according to the percentage of trails
physically located on national forest land.
(3) In order to ensure that the rental charge remains fair and
equitable to both the United States and ski area permittees, the
adjusted gross revenue figures for each revenue bracket in paragraph
(1) shall be adjusted annually by the percent increase or decrease in
the national Consumer Price Index for the preceding calendar year. No
later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 10
years thereafter the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on
Resources of the United States House of Representatives a report
analyzing whether the ski area permit rental charge legislated by this
Act is returning a fair market value rental to the United States
together with any recommendations the Secretary may have for
modifications of the system.
(c) The rental charge set forth in subsection (b) shall be due on
June 1 of each year and shall be paid or pre-paid by the permittee on a
monthly, quarterly, annual or other schedule as determined appropriate
by the Secretary in consultation with the permittee. Unless mutually
agreed otherwise by the Secretary and the permittee, the payment or
prepayment schedule shall conform to the permittee's schedule in effect
prior to enactment of this Act. To reduce costs to the permittee and
the Forest Service, the Secretary shall each year provide the permittee
with a standardized form and worksheets (including annual rental charge
calculation brackets and rates) to be used for rental charge
calculation and submitted with the rental charge payment. Information
provided on such forms shall be compiled by the Secretary annually and
kept in the Office of the Chief, U.S. Forest Service.
(d) The ski area permit rental charge set forth in this section
shall become effective on June 1, 1996 and cover receipts retroactive
to June 1, 1995: Provided, however, That if a permittee has paid rental
charges for the period June 1, 1995, to June 1, 1996, under the
graduated rate rental charge system formula in effect prior to the date
of enactment of this Act, such rental charges shall be credited toward
the new rental charge due on June 1, 1996. In order to ensure
increasing rental charge receipt levels to the United States during
transition from the graduated rate rental charge system formula to the
formula of this Act, the rental charge paid by any individual permittee
shall be--
(1) for the 1995-1996 permit year, either the rental charge
paid for the preceding 1994-1995 base year or the rental charge
calculated pursuant to this Act, whichever is higher;
(2) for the 1996-1997 permit year, either the rental charge
paid for the 1994-1995 base year or the rental charge
calculated pursuant to this Act, whichever is higher;
(3) for the 1997-1998 permit year, either the rental charge
for the 1994-1995 base year or the rental charge calculated
pursuant to this Act, whichever is higher.
If an individual permittee's adjusted gross revenue for the 1995-1996,
1996-1997, or 1997-1998 permit years falls more than 10 percent below
the 1994-1995 base year, the rental charge paid shall be the rental
charge calculated pursuant to this Act.
(e) Under no circumstances shall revenue, or subpermittee revenue
(other than lift ticket, area use pass, or ski school sales) obtained
from operations physically located on non-national forest land be
included in the ski area permit rental charge calculation.
(f) To reduce administrative costs of ski permittees and the Forest
Service the terms ``revenue'' and ``sales'', as used in this section,
shall mean actual income from sales and shall not include sales of
operating equipment, refunds, rent paid to the permittee by sublessees,
sponsor contributions to special events or any amounts attributable to
employee gratuities or employee lift tickets, discounts, or other goods
or services (except for bartered goods and complimentary lift tickets)
for which the permittee does not receive money.
(g) In cases where an area of national forest land is under a ski
area permit but the permittee does not have revenue or sales qualifying
for rental charge payment pursuant to subsection (a), the permittee
shall pay an annual minimum rental charge of $2 for each national
forest acre under permit or a percentage of appraised land value, as
determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(h) Where the new rental charge provided for in subsection (b)(1)
results in an increase in permit rental charge greater than one half of
one percent of the permittee's adjusted gross revenue as determined
under subsection (b)(1), the new rental charge shall be phased in over
a five year period in a manner providing for increases of approximately
equal increments.
(i) To reduce federal costs in administering the provisions of this
Act, the reissuance of a ski area permit to provide activities similar
in nature and amount to the activities provided under the previous
permit shall not constitute a major Federal action for the purposes of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.).
SEC. 2. WITHDRAWALS.
Subject to valid existing rights, all lands located within the
boundaries of ski area permits issued prior to, on or after the date of
enactment of this Act pursuant to authority of the Act of March 4, 1915
(38 Stat. 1101, chapter 144; 16 U.S.C. 497), and the Act of June 4,
1897, or the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C.
497b) are hereby and henceforth automatically withdrawn from all forms
of appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition under all
laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing and all amendments
thereto. Such withdrawal shall continue for the full term of the permit
and any modification, reissuance, or renewal thereof. Unless the
Secretary requests otherwise of the Secretary of the Interior, such
withdrawal shall be canceled automatically upon expiration or other
termination of the permit and the land automatically restored to all
appropriation not otherwise restricted under the public land laws.
Amend the title so as to read:
A bill to further clarify the authorities and duties of the
Secretary of Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on National Forest
System lands and to withdraw lands within ski areas permit boundaries
from the operation of the mining and mineral leasing laws.
purpose of the measure
The purposes of S. 907 are to establish a Forest Service
ski area permit rental charge that returns fair value to the
United States; to provide ski area permittees and the Forest
Service with a simplified, consistent, and equitable rental
charge formula; and to withdraw lands within ski area permit
boundaries from the operation of mining and mineral leasing
laws.
background and need
Several laws, including the National Forest Ski Area Permit
Act of 1986, require the Secretary of Agriculture to charge a
fair market value rental charge for ski area use of National
Forest lands. Nationwide there are 143 ski areas on or
partially on National Forest land. In 1995, these areas occupy
approximately 183,000 acres of National Forest land, for which
the operators paid approximately $18.7 million on approximately
2 percent of gross revenues (which were $943 million) in rental
charges using the Graduated Rate Fee System discussed below.
The current formula used to determine ski area rental
charges is contained in the Forest Service Manual and Forest
Service Handbook as supplemented by interim directives. Its
Graduated Rate Fee System (GRFS) is encompassed in 40 pages and
contains hundreds of definitions, rulings, and policies. Under
GRFS, each ski area: (1) works with the Forest Service to
define a ``development area boundary'' (a process that has
become increasingly contentious); (2) calculates actual
revenues or imputed revenues (gratuities, discounts,
complimentary tickets, etc.) from revenue sources within that
boundary; (3) ascertains ``break even categories'' for a
variety of revenue components; (4) determines gross fixed
assets for deduction purposes; (5) applies Slope Transport Feet
Percentage (STFP) deductions (the percentage of an area's
uphill lift capacity which is located on or off the forest) to
various revenue components; and then calculates the final
rental charge.
Over the 20 years since GRFS' initial application to ski
areas, both the GRFS system itself and the nature of ski area
operations have become more complex. In particular, many of the
larger ski areas have evolved into multi-season resorts, with
income and activities divided among Forest Service and private
lands. As a consequence, certain components of the GRFS, which
originally involved relatively simple accounting of activities
on National Forest lands, have become burdensome to both ski
area operators and the Forest Service, Increasingly, auditing
of the rental charge paid by ski area operators under GRFS has
become expensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, there is
considerable regional variation in implementation of rental
charge policies.
In recent years, the Forest Service had justified assessing
rental charges against businesses on private lands on the
theory that the related businesses would not exist if it were
not for the ski area permits on the National Forest. The Forest
Service has also proposed rental charges on ``integrated
business units'' under a ``principle of contribution.'' Under
that theory, ski areas would pay rental charges on activities
on private lands to the extent that the Forest Service ski
permit contributes to the private land revenue.
legislative history
S. 907 was introduced by Senator Murkowski on June 9, 1995.
Cosponsors include Senators Leahy, Campbell, Kyl, Brown, Gregg,
Craig, Domenici, Burns, Jeffords, Thomas, Baucus, Pressler,
Simpson, Murray, Kempthorne, and Bennett. A hearing was held by
the Committee on September 15, 1995.
At the business meeting on November 30, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 907, as amended,
favorably reported.
Similar rental charge system legislation was ordered
reported by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and
passed the Senate late in the 102nd Congress but did not
receive consideration in the House.
committee recommendations and tabulation of votes
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on November 30, 1995, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
907, if amended as described herein.
committee amendments
During the consideration of S. 907, the Committee adopted
an amendment in the nature of a substitute to conform the bill
language more closely to that as reported by the Committee
during the consideration of S. 2606 in the 102nd Congress with
several additional provisions.
As amended, S. 907 simplifies the rental charge formula by
bashing it on gross revenue from activities conducted on
National Forest lands and multiplying the revenue by certain
percentage brackets. The bill defines and limits gross revenue
to (1) year-round sales of lift tickets or use passes; (2)
revenues from ski school operations; and (3) revenue from
ancillary facilities physically located on National Forest
lands. (Examples of ancillary facilities are restaurants,
sundry shops, rental shops, and parking lots. Where such
activities are sub-leased, the gross revenue of the sublessee
will be included in the ski area permittee's revenue.) It is
estimated that these three categories of revenue comprise
approximately 95% of revenues which are assessed under the
current GRFS system. The remaining 5% of ``revenues'' included
under GRFS is deleted from the definition under the new
formula, but its loss is mitigated by the elimination of
credits for new investment, administrative cost savings, and
other provisions.
As many ski areas are located partially on National Forest
land and partially on private land, both GRFS and the proposed
new formula adjust gross revenues by the Slope Transport Feet
Percentage. Using STFP provides an equitable method to exclude
private land to determine adjusted gross revenue for applying
the final rental charge percentage brackets.
Upon determination of an area's adjusted gross revenue, the
bill identifies four brackets of revenue and multiples those
brackets by percentages for each bracket to determine the final
rental charge. Adjusted gross income below $3 million is
assessed at 1.5 percent; between $3 million and $15 million at
2.5 percent; between $15 million and $50 million at 2.75
percent; and above $50 million at 4 percent. These brackets
give the new formula its ``progressive'' or ``graduated''
nature, under which small areas will, after the system is fully
implemented, pay relatively less than larger areas.
To ensure that the government receives higher rental
payments during the transition from the current fee system, the
bill includes a payment ``floor'' in the formula. Under the
floor approach, the rental charge for each individual ski area
for the first 3 years of the transition will be their the
rental charge under the new formula, or the actual rental
charge paid by the area for the year prior to the new formula's
implementation, whichever amount is higher.
In reviewing the likely financial impact on individual ski
areas of converting from GRFS to the new rental charge system,
it became apparent that approximately 10 permittees would
experience sharp rental charge increases. To mitigate these
increases, the amendment adopted by the Committee provides for
a five-year transition into the new rental charge system for
those area which would experience an increase greater than one
half of one percent of their adjusted gross revenue. These
areas would be able to phase in the new rental charge.
The bill's formula attempts to ensure that rental charges
to the United States will increase as gross revenues of ski
areas increase but that rental charges will not be assessed for
other revenue-producing activities associated with the ski
area. Other advantages include: (1) reducing the administrative
burden for both landlord and permittee; (2) wide use by other
Federal and State agencies and some commercial landlords; and
(3) a progressive rental change schedule.
In addition to the rental charge system provisions, the
bill includes a provision for withdrawal of lands within
boundaries of ski area permits from all forms of appropriation
under mining laws and from disposition under all laws
pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing for as long as the
permit is valid. The bill also allows the Forest Service to
reissue ski area permits to provide activities similar in
nature and amount to those activities actually provided on the
ground under the previous permit under a categorical exclusion
as provided for under the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969.
section-by-section analysis
Subsection (1)(a) provides that the Secretary of
Agriculture shall charge ski area permittees for rental of
Forest Service lands under permit. Permittees with permits
issued pursuant to the 1986 permit act shall be required to pay
a rental charge calculated according to the method outlined in
subsection (b). Permittees with permits issued pursuant to the
1897 and 1915 Acts are given the option to use the new
calculation system but otherwise may continue to calculate
their rental charges in accordance with their existing permits.
Subsection (b) sets forth the formula under which the ski
area permit rental charge (SAPRC) for ski areas on or partially
on National Forests, including Nordic ski areas, shall be
calculated. It directs annual adjustment of each revenue
bracket's adjusted gross revenue figures by the percent
increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index.
Subsection (c) provides that the scheduling of rental
charge payments be on an annual basis, with monthly, quarterly
or other payments or prepayments to be determined by the Forest
Service and individual ski areas.
Subsection (d) provides that the new legislated rental
charge shall become effective on June 1, 1996 and cover
receipts retroactive to June 1, 1995. However, if a permittee
has paid rental charges for the period June 1, 1995, to June 1,
1996, under the existing graduated rate fee system formula,
such payments constitutes a credit toward the new rental
charge. In order to ensure that the United States will receive
increased rental charge receipts during a 3-year transition
from the existing graduated rate fee system to the new system,
the subsection places a floor on each individual ski area's
payment under which every area will pay either the 1994-1995
rental charge or the rental charge calculated in accordance
with subsection (b), whichever is higher.
Subsection (e) prohibits revenue or subpermittee revenue
(other than lift ticket, areas use pass, or ski school sales)
obtained from operations located on non-National Forest land
from being included in the SAPRC calculation.
Subsection (f) defines ``revenue'' and ``sales.''
Subsection (g) provides for, in cases where an area of
National Forest land is under a ski area permit but the
permittee does not have revenue or sales qualifying for rental
charge payment under subsection (a), payment of an annual
minimum rental fee of $2 per National Forest acre under permit
or a percentage of appraised land value, as determined by the
Secretary.
Subsection (h) directs that new rental charges be phased in
over a five year period for areas where the new rental charge
results in an increase greater than one-half of 1 percent of
the permittee's adjusted gross revenue.
Subsection (i) states that the reissuance of a ski area
permit to provide activities similar in nature and amount to
those activities currently being provided at the ski area does
not constitute a major Federal action under NEPA.
Section 2 withdraws lands under a ski area permit from
appropriation under mining, mineral leasing, and geothermal
leasing laws for the full term of the permit and its
modification, reissuance, or renewal. It further provides that,
unless requested by the Secretary, the withdrawal shall
terminate automatically upon expiration or termination of the
permit and the land be available for all uses not otherwise
restricted under the public land laws.
cost and budgetary considerations
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, December 6, 1995.
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 S. 907, a bill to amend
the National Forest Ski Permit Act of 1986 to clarify the
authorities and duties of the Secretary of Agriculture in
issuing ski area permits on National Forest System lands and to
withdraw lands within ski area permit boundaries from the
operation of the mining and mineral leasing laws.
Enacting S. 907 would affect direct spending; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures would apply to the bill.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them.
Sincerely,
James L. Blum
(For June E. O'Neill, Director).
Enclosure.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
1. Bill number: S. 907.
2. Bill title: A bill to amend the National Forest Ski
Permit Act of 1986 to clarify the authorities and duties of the
Secretary of Agriculture in issuing ski area permits on
National Forest System lands and to withdraw lands within ski
area permit boundaries from the operation of the mining and
mineral leasing laws.
3. Bill status: As ordered reported by the Senate Committee
on Energy and National Resources on November 30, 1995.
4. Bill purpose: S. 907 would revise the method of
assessing rental charges for permits issued to ski areas for
use of National Forest System lands. The bill also would remove
all lands located within the boundaries of ski area permits
from all forms of mining use during the full term of the
permits.
5. Estimated cost to the Federal Government: CBO estimates
that enacting S. 907 would affect direct spending by raising
additional offsetting receipts from rental charges in fiscal
years 1996, 1997, and 1998, and by lowering offsetting receipts
in fiscal year 1999 and thereafter, as shown in the following
table.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGE IN DIRECT SPENDING
Estimated budget authority............................... (\1\) -1 -1 (\1\) (\1\)
Estimated outlays........................................ (\1\) -1 -1 (\1\) (\1\)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Less than $500,000.
In addition, the bill would have a small impact on
discretionary spending for administering ski permits, but we
estimate that such change would be less than $500,000 a year.
The budgetary impact of this bill false within budget
function 300.
6. Basis of Estimate: Direct Spending. Enacting S. 907
would revise the method of assessing rental charges for permits
issued to ski areas for use of National Forest System lands.
Rental charges under the proposed system would be assessed
using a system of four revenue brackets, whereby ski areas with
large revenues would pay a higher percentage of their revenues
in rental charges than areas with smaller revenues. The bill
would establish assessment rates rising from 1.5 percent for
the first $3 million of an area's revenues to 4 percent for any
revenues above $50 million. The bill's revenue brackets would
be adjusted annually for inflation.
Under current law, permits fees for ski areas on Forest
Service lands are calculated under the Graduated Rate Fee
System (GRFS). GRFS calculates fees based on each area's
revenues and the value of its fixed assets. The proposed rental
charge system would be based on gross revenues without any
deductions for asset value, and would apply to all ski areas
with permits issued pursuant to the National Forest Ski Permit
Act of 1986. Ski areas with pre-1986 permits could choose
whether to have their fee calculated using the proposed new
method or to remain under the current system.
Depending on their revenues, some ski areas would pay less
under the proposed new method of calculating rental charges
then they pay now under GRFS, and some would pay more. To
ensure that the government receives higher rental payments
during the transition from the current fee system, the bill
provides that the rental charge paid by any individual
permittee for the current and next two permit years shall be
either the amount charged last year or the rental charge
calculated under the new fee system, whichever is higher. If a
permittee's gross revenues fall by more than 10 percent during
the three transition years, then the rental charge would be
calculated based on the new calculation method. If the new
method of calculation would result in a fee increasing by more
than 0.5 percent of the permittee's adjusted gross revenue,
then the rental charge increase would be phased in over five
years.
CBO assumes that all ski areas with per-1986 permits would
select the new method of calculating rental charges if their
rental charge would be lower than under the current system once
the transition period ends. We also assume that many ski areas
would choose the new system even if the new charges were
slightly higher than under the current system because such
increases would be offset by reduced administrative costs for
the areas.
Based on information from the Forest Service and the
General Accounting Office, we estimate that enacting S. 907
would result in higher offsetting receipts from rental charges
during the three-year transition period since the bill
establishes a floor below which rental charges could not fall.
Because offsetting receipts appear in the budget as negative
outlays, the bill would have the effect of decreasing outlays
in the first three years. Net of the required payments to
states, we estimate that federal outlays would decrease by less
than $500,000 in fiscal year 1996 and by about $1 million in
each of fiscal years 1997 and 1998. Beginning in fiscal year
1999, the floor for receipt levels would be removed. We
estimate that receipts from rental charges would decrease
relating to current law from that point forward, but that the
resulting increase in outlays would be less than $500,000 per
year.
Discretionary Spending. The new system of rental charges
would be easier for the Forest Service to administer than the
current GRFS. Hence, it would eventually reduce the need for
appropriations to the Forest Service for the cost of audits,
accounting, and fee assessment appeals by ski areas. Based on
information from the Forest Service, CBO estimates that
enacting S. 907 would increase administrative costs during the
first two years--during the transition to the new system--but
would reduce administrative costs thereafter. CBO estimates
that any change in administrative costs would be less than
$500,000 per year.
The bill's provision for withdrawing ski permit lands from
mining use would not have any significant effect on federal
expenditures or receipts.
7. Pay-as-you-go considerations: Section 252 of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 sets
up pay-as-you-go procedures for legislation affecting direct
spending or receipts through 1998. CBO estimates that enacting
S. 907 would affect direct spending over the 1996-1998 period
by increasing offsetting receipts from ski permit fees.
Therefore, pay-a-you-go procedures would apply to the bill.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 1997 1998
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change in outlays...................... 0 -1 -1
Change in receipts..................... (\1\) (\1\) (\1\)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not applicable.
8. Estimated cost to State and local governments: Changes
made by S. 907 would affect payments to states with Forest
Service ski areas within their borders because states receive
25 percent of receipts from ski permit fees. CBO estimates
that, in total, states would receive from $100,000 less in each
fiscal year after 1998. This change would affect 15 states,
mostly in the West.
9. Estimate comparison: None.
10. Previous CBO estimate: None.
11. Estimate prepared by: Federal Cost Estimate: Victoria
V. Heid State and Local Government Cost Estimate: Majorie
Miller.
12. Estimate approved by: Robert A. Sunshine for Paul N.
Van de Water, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
regulatory inpact evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 907. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 907, as ordered reported.
executive communications
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has requested
legislative reports from the Department of Agriculture and the
Office of Management and Budget setting forth Executive agency
recommendations on S. 907. These reports had not been received
at the time the report on S. 907 was filed. When these reports
become available, the Chairman will request that they be
printed in the Congressional Record for the advice of the
Senate.
changes in existing law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the Act S. 907, as ordered
reported.