[House Report 106-808]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



106th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     106-808

======================================================================



 
                   HOOVER DAM MISCELLANEOUS SALES ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 6, 2000.--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 S. 1275]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(S. 1275) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to produce 
and sell products and to sell publications relating to the 
Hoover Dam, and to deposit revenues generated from the sales 
into the Colorado River Dam fund, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that 
the bill do pass.

                          purpose of the bill

    The purpose of S. 1275 is to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to produce and sell products and to sell publications 
relating to the Hoover Dam, and to deposit revenues generated 
from the sales into the Colorado River Dam fund.

                               background

    Hoover Dam is on the Colorado River between Arizona and 
Nevada, about seven miles northeast of Boulder City, Nevada. 
The dam is the second highest dam in the country and 18th 
highest in the world, making it a significant tourist 
attraction.
    In 1995 a new visitor center was finished at the dam that 
provides more than one million visitors annually the 
opportunity to visit and see how the facility works. The 
estimated costs of the visitor center, before construction, was 
$32 million. However, during construction, the costs escalated 
to more than $122 million (1994 dollars).
    S. 1275 will enable the Bureau of Reclamation to provide 
visitors to Hoover Dam an opportunity to buy educational 
materials. It also will allow material removed from the dam 
during recent rehabilitation work to be used to create 
memorabilia. Otherwise such material would become surplus and 
require alternate disposal. Sales authorized by this 
legislation are expected to generate revenues which would 
reduce the cost over-runs incurred in constructing the visitors 
center.
    Net revenues from the sale of publications and products 
such as maps and videos are estimated to be between $25,000 and 
$75,000 annually. These revenues will assist in repaying the 
construction costs of the visitor center and parking structure, 
thereby reducing the financial obligation of power users. The 
revenues also will assist in paying for the operation, 
maintenance, and recovery costs associated with the delivery of 
guided tours at Hoover Dam and its power plant.

                            committee action

    S. 1275 was introduced on June 24, 1999, by Senator Jon Kyl 
(R-AZ). Companion legislation, H.R. 2383, was introduced in the 
House of Representatives by Congressman Bob Stump (R-AZ). On 
November 19, 1999, the Senate passed S. 1275 by unanimous 
consent. In the House of Representatives, the bill was referred 
to the Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Water and Power. On June 15, 2000, the 
Subcommittee met to consider the bill. No amendments were 
offered and the was forwarded to the Full Resources Committee 
by voice vote. On June 21, 2000, the Full Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. No amendments were offered and the 
bill was then ordered to be favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by unanimous consent.

                      section-by-section analysis

Section 1. Short title

    The short title of the bill is the ``Hoover Dam 
Miscellaneous Sales Act''.

Section 2. Findings

    This section lists the findings of Congress that the sale 
and distribution of informative merchandise regarding public 
land and water significantly benefits the public; the 
merchandise sold on Bureau of Reclamation lands educates the 
public; in 1997, over one million people toured the Hoover Dam 
with many other people stopping to take view of the dam; these 
visitors often ask to purchase items to memorialize their 
Hoover Dam experience; the Bureau of Reclamation is the sole 
supplier for Hoover Dam products and should be responsive to 
the public and have appropriate items available for sale.

Section 3. Purposes

    This section outlines the purpose of S. 1275.

Section 4. Authority to conduct sales

    This section describes the authority of the Secretary of 
the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to 
conduct sales of Hoover Dam memorabilia, convert unneeded 
property for such use and enter into agreements with others for 
the production and sale of these items.

Section 5. Costs and revenues

    This section declares that all costs resulting from the 
production of the proposed memorabilia shall be debited from 
the Colorado River Dam fund, established under second 2 of the 
Act of December 21, 1928 (43 U.S.C. 617a), and all revenues 
from the sale of such goods will return into this fund to pay 
for the production costs. If any excess revenues exist they 
will be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury to help 
repay the costs relating to the construction of the Hoover Dam 
Visitor Center.

            committee oversight findings and recommendations

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations 
are reflected in the body of this report.

                   constitutional authority statement

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    compliance with house rule xiii

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) 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 this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
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 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause 
3(c)(4) of rule XIII 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 on this bill.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII 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 this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, June 26, 2000.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1275, the Hoover Dam 
Miscellaneous Sales Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Rachel 
Applebaum.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

S. 1275--Hoover Dam Miscellaneous Sales Act

    S. 1275 would allow the Bureau of Reclamation to sell 
memorabilia made from unneeded property and scrap materials 
from the Hoover Dam. The act also would allow the bureau to 
sell publications related to its projects. Costs incurred to 
produce these items would be derived from the Colorado River 
Dam Fund and would be repaid from the proceeds from sales. Any 
sales profits would be credited toward the repayment of the 
cost of constructing the Hoover Dam Visitor Center. Under 
current law, purchasers of power from the Hoover Dam repay 
costs related to the center. CBO estimates that enacting S. 
1275 would result in no net budget impact.
    Amounts spent from the deposited into the Colorado River 
Dam Fund are classified as discretionary spending. Based on 
information from the Bureau of Reclamation, CBO estimates that 
sales of memorabilia and publications would yield profits of 
about $1 million annually over the 2001-2005 period. Because 
these collections would reduce the repayment obligation of 
power customers, CBO expects that collections from electricity 
sales (which are also classified as discretionary spending in 
this account) would be reduced by a corresponding amount. 
Because S. 1275 would not affect direct spending or receipts, 
pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    S. 1275 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would have no significant impact on the budgets of state, 
local, or tribal governments.
    On October 14, 1999, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
1275 as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources on September 22, 1999. These versions of the 
legislation are similar and our estimates of their costs are 
the same.
    The CBO staff contact is Rachel Applebaum. This estimate 
was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director 
for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                
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