[House Report 107-124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    107-124

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    EL CAMINO REAL DE LOS TEJAS NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL ACT OF 2001

                                _______
                                

 July 10, 2001.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1628]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1628) to amend the National Trails System Act to 
designate El Camino Real de los Tejas as a National Historic 
Trail, 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. 1628 is to amend the National Trails 
System Act to designate El Camino Real de los Tejas as a 
National Historic Trail.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The El Camino Real de los Tejas trail is a combination of 
historic routes and trails totaling 2,600 miles. The trails 
extend from the border of Mexico and Texas along the Rio Grande 
River to Natchitoches, Louisiana. The trails were first 
established as American Indian trails and trade routes between 
communities and trading areas. The Camino Real (``royal road'') 
was used by the Spanish to connect them to Spanish Capitols. 
The Spanish used the trails beginning sometime in the late 
1600s and were used until the mid to late 1800s. These roads 
were the primary transportation routes, and the trail had 
significant influences on the cultural and political identity 
of south-central Texas and western Louisiana.
    Aside from designating the El Camino Real de los Tejas as a 
National Historic Trail, H.R. 1628 authorizes the Secretary of 
the Interior to coordinate an international effort to recognize 
the significance of this trail, and foster education and 
research of its history with the country of Mexico. The 
Secretary of the Interior will administer the trail and may 
coordinate with public and non-governmental institutions from 
the United States and Mexico to exchange information and 
promote trail preservation.
    H.R. 1628 assures that segments of the trail on non-federal 
lands will be established only when landowners voluntarily 
request certification of the segment. H.R. 1628 also exempts 
this addition from the land condemnation provision of the 
National Trails System Act (Section 7(g)) and specifies that 
the acquisition of privately-owned land or interests in land 
will occur only with the willing consent of the owner.
    During the 106th Congress, H.R. 2409, a bill identical to 
H.R. 1628, was approved by the Subcommittee on National Parks 
and Public Lands without opposition, but was not considered by 
the full Resources Committee prior to adjournment.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 1628 was introduced on April 26, 2001, by 
Representative Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX). The bill was referred to 
the Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. 
On June 26, 2001, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No 
amendments were offered and the bill was forwarded to the Full 
Committee by voice vote. On June 27, 2001, the Full Resources 
Committee met to consider the bill. No amendments were offered 
and the bill was then ordered favorably reported to the House 
of Representatives by voice vote.

            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. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does 
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not 
apply.
    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:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, July 2, 2001.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1628, the El 
Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Act of 2001.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan 
Carroll.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 1628--El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Act of 
        2001

    CBO estimates that implementing this legislation would cost 
less than $500,000 annually, assuming appropriation of the 
necessary amounts. The bill would not affect direct spending or 
receipts; therefore pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. 
H.R. 1628 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    H.R. 1628 would amend the national Trails System Act to 
designate El Camino Real de los Tejas (the Royal Road to the 
Tejas) as a National Historic Trail. The segment of the El 
Camino Real considered for designation extends from the Rio 
Grande near Laredo, Texas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana, a 
distance of 2,580 miles. The Secretary of the Interior would 
administer the trail and coordinate the efforts of U.S. and 
Mexican public and private entities on various preservation and 
enhancement projects.
    Based on information provided by the National Park Service 
(NPS), CBO estimates that the agency would spend $300,000, 
mostly in fiscal years 2002 and 2003, to prepare a 
comprehensive management plan. Also, the NPS would incur 
ongoing costs to administer and preserve the trail--about 
$100,000 in fiscal year 2001 and increasing to $400,000 
annually by fiscal year 2003. In total, assuming appropriation 
of the necessary sums, CBO estimates that implementing this 
legislation would cost $250,000 in fiscal year 2002 and between 
$350,000 and $450,000 annually thereafter.
    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Deborah Reis 
and Melissa Zimmerman. The 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 Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

              SECTION 5 OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT


             national scenic and national historical trails

  Sec. 5. (a) National scenic and national historic trails 
shall be authorized and designated only by Act of Congress. 
There are hereby established the following National Scenic and 
National Historic Trails:
  (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (23) El camino real de los tejas.--
                  (A) In general.--El Camino Real de los Tejas 
                (The Royal Road to the Tejas) National Historic 
                Trail, a combination of routes totaling 2,580 
                miles in length from the Rio Grande near Eagle 
                Pass and Laredo, Texas to Natchitoches, 
                Louisiana, and including the Old San Antonio 
                Road, as generally depicted on the maps 
                entitled ``El Camino Real de los Tejas'', 
                contained in the report prepared pursuant to 
                subsection (b) entitled ``National Historic 
                Trail Feasibility Study and Environmental 
                Assessment: El Camino Real de los Tejas, Texas-
                Louisiana'', dated July 1998. A map generally 
                depicting the trail shall be on file and 
                available for public inspection in the Office 
                of the National Park Service, Department of the 
                Interior. The trail shall be administered by 
                the Secretary of the Interior.
                  (B) Coordination of activities.--The 
                Secretary of the Interior may coordinate with 
                United States and Mexican public and non-
                governmental organizations, academic 
                institutions, and, in consultation with the 
                Secretary of State, the government of Mexico 
                and its political subdivisions, for the purpose 
                of exchanging trail information and research, 
                fostering trail preservation and educational 
                programs, providing technical assistance, and 
                working to establish an international historic 
                trail with complementary preservation and 
                education programs in each nation.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                                  
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