[House Report 106-917]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



106th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     106-917

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



 
                 PALACE OF THE GOVERNORS EXPANSION ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 29, 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 H.R. 4126]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 4126) to authorize funding for the expansion annex of the 
historic Palace of the Governors, a public history museum 
located, and relating to the history of Hispanic and Native 
American culture, in the Southwest, and for other purposes, 
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 4126 is to authorize funding for the 
expansion annex of the historic Palace of the Governors, a 
public history museum located, and relating to the history of 
Hispanic and Native American culture, in the Southwest.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Palace of the Governors was built in 1610 and is 
considered to be the oldest public building in continuous use 
in the United States. The adobe brick Palace was the first 
major structure in what became the city of Santa Fe, New 
Mexico. It served as the seat of government for nearly three 
centuries during the Spanish, Mexican and American periods.
    Today, the building and its grounds are an historical 
showcase for the Museum of New Mexico. The museum contains an 
extensive collection of historic artifacts, including pre-
Columbian art; helmets and armor worn by Spanish conquistadors; 
the Columbus, New Mexico Railway Station clock that was shot, 
stopping the pendulum, marking Pancho Villa's raid and the 
beginning of the last invasion of the continental United 
States; and more than 800,000 other historic photographs, guns, 
costumes, maps, books, and handicrafts. The existing facilities 
for exhibiting and storing the artifacts are inadequate and 
unsuitable for the proper storage and preservation of the 
collection.
    H.R. 4126 would authorize a $15 million appropriation for 
the design, construction, management, furnishing, and equipping 
of the Annex through a grant to the New Mexico State Office of 
Cultural Affairs. This amount would cover approximately 50 
percent of the completion of the Annex. As a matching 
requirement, the remaining 50 percent must be raised by the 
State of New Mexico and other non-federal entities. The State 
of New Mexico must appropriate at least $8 million by 2010 and 
the other non-federal entities are responsible for the 
remainder.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 4126 was introduced on March 29, 2000, by Congressman 
Tom Udall (D-NM). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks and Public Lands. On September 20, 2000, the 
Full Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on 
National Parks and Public Lands was discharged from further 
consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments 
were offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the 
House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

            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 
Office:

H.R. 4126--Palace of the Governors Expansion Act

    Subject to appropriation, H.R. 4126 would direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to pay for one-half of the costs of 
designing, constructing, and furnishing the Palace of the 
Governors Expansion Annex, a New Mexico state museum. For this 
purpose, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $15 
million, provided that the state of New Mexico and local 
entities raise a similar amount by the year 2010.
    Assuming appropriation of the authorized amount, CB0 
estimates that implementing this legislation would cost the 
federal government $15 million over the next 10 fiscal years. 
The bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. H.R. 4126 
contains no private-sector or intergovernmental mandates as 
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no 
costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    On April 10, 2000, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
1727, the Palace of the Governors Expansion Act, as ordered 
reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources on April 5, 2000. The two bills are very similar, and 
the cost estimates are identical.
    The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 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.

                                  
