[Senate Report 106-24]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




                                                        Calendar No. 51

106th Congress                                                   Report
  1st Session                    SENATE                          106-24

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



 
               COASTAL HERITAGE TRAIL ROUTE IN NEW JERSEY

                                _______
                                

                 March 17, 1999.--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 H.R. 171]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the Act (H.R. 171) to authorize appropriations for the 
Coastal Heritage Trail Route in New Jersey, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends that the Act do pass.

                         Purpose of the Measure

    The purpose of H.R. 171 is to increase the appropriations 
ceiling authorized for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail 
Route from $1 million to $4 million, and to extend the 
authority for National Park Service participation for five 
additional years.

                          Background and Need

    The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route (Trail) is a 
vehicular theme trail that links nationally and regionally 
significant natural and cultural resources along the Atlantic 
Coasts of New Jersey and Delaware.
    The Trail is managed jointly by three State agencies in 
partnership with the National Park Service and encompasses a 
275 mile route from Perth Amboy on Raritan Bay, around Cape May 
to Deepwater, north of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The Trail 
is divided into five regions, each region will eventually have 
a welcome center to provide information and exhibits. Travelers 
can access the Trail at any point along the route and follow 
signs bearing the Trail's coastal logo or visit one of the 
three new welcome centers developed under this program.
    The Trail was originally established in 1988 under Public 
Law 100-515. The Act was amended in 1994 to authorize $1 
million in additional funds and a five-year sunset provision 
for activities carried out by the Secretary.
    Staff support is provided by the National Park Service; 
however, a lack of appropriations with which to leverage grants 
and state matching funds put the project behind schedule. H.R. 
171 increases the Trail's funding ceiling to $4 million to 
cover development and technical assistance as outlined in the 
Trail's Implementation Plan. H.R. 171 also authorizes a five-
year extension of the sunset provision for activities carried 
out by the Secretary.

                          Legislative History

    The House of Representatives passed H.R. 171 on February 
23, 1999. On February 24, 1999 the Subcommittee on National 
Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation held a hearing on 
an identical companion measure introduced by Senators 
Lautenberg and Torricelli, S. 362.
    During the 105th Congress a similar bill, S. 1916, was 
introduced by Senators Lautenberg and Torricelli on July 14, 
1997. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation 
and Recreation held a hearing on S. 1016 on June 18, 1998.
    At its business meeting on July 29, 1998, the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 1016 favorably reported 
without amendment. S. 1016 was passed by the Senate without 
amendment on October 2, 1998. No further action was taken by 
the House of Representatives.
    At its business meeting on March 4, 1999, the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 171 favorably 
reported, without amendment.

                        Committee Recommendation

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in an open 
business session on March 4, 1999, by a unanimous voice vote of 
a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 171, as 
described herein.

                          Summary of H.R. 171

    H.R. 171 amends Section 6 of Public Law 100-515 to increase 
the trail's authorized funding ceiling from $1 million to $4 
million for development and technical assistance approved in 
the trail's Implementation Plan. H.R. 171 also provides for a 
five-year extension of the 1998 sunset provision, ending in 
fiscal year 2003.

                   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, March 10, 1999.
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 H.R. 171, an act to 
authorize appropriations for the Coastal Heritage Trail Route 
in New Jersey, and for other purposes.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Deborah 
Reis (for federal costs), and Marjorie Miller (for the state 
and local impact).
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

H.R. 171--A bill to authorize appropriations for the Coastal Heritage 
        Trail Route in New Jersey, and for other purposes

    H.R. 171 would increase the existing authorization for 
developing the Coastal Heritage Trail Route from $1 million to 
$4 million. Other provisions of the act would have no effect on 
the federal budget. Assuming appropriation of the authorized 
amounts, CBO estimates that the federal government would spend 
$3 million over the next five years to implement H.R. 171. The 
act would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, 
pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    H.R. 171 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. Any 
projects funded with appropriations authorized by this bill 
would require equal matching funds from nonfederal sources, 
which may include the state of New Jersey and local governments 
in the state. Such spending would be voluntary on the part of 
these governments. The bill would have no other significant 
impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contacts are Deborah Reis (for federal 
costs), and Marjorie Miller (for the state and local impact). 
This estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                      Regulatory Impact Evaluation

    I 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 H.R. 171. 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 
enactment of H.R. 171, as ordered reported.

                        Executive Communications

    A representative from the National Park Service testified 
in support of S. 362, the identical companion measure to H.R. 
171. The National Park Service also testified in support of 
H.R. 171 before the House Committee on Resources.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by 
the bill H.R. 171, as ordered reported, are shown as follows 
(existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black 
brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in 
which no change is proposed is shown in roman);

(Public Law 100-515, as amended--October 20, 1988)

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


    Section 6. Authorization of Appropriations.
          (1) by striking ``There'' and inserting ``(a) 
        There''; and
          (2) by adding at the end of the following:
    (b)(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), 
there are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
to carry out the purposes of the Act [$1,000,000] $4,000,000, 
which is in addition to any sums appropriated for such purposes 
for use during fiscal years ending on or before September 30, 
1993.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (c) The authorities provided to the Secretary under this 
Act shall terminate [five] ten years after the date of 
enactment of this subsection.

                                
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