[House Report 107-267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    107-267

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



 
          UTAH PUBLIC LANDS ARTIFACT PRESERVATION ACT OF 2001

                                _______
                                

November 5, 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. 1491]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1491) to assist in the preservation of archaeological, 
paleontological, zoological, geological, and botanical 
artifacts through construction of a new facility for the 
University of Utah Museum of Natural History, Salt Lake City, 
Utah, 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. 1491 is to assist in the preservation 
of archaeological, paleontological, zoological, geological, and 
botanical artifacts through construction of a new facility for 
the University of Utah Museum of Natural History, Salt Lake 
City, Utah.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Utah Museum of Natural History is located at the 
University of Utah and has been designated by the Utah State 
Legislature as the State museum of natural history. The 
archeology, paleontology, biology and geology of the 
Intermountain West are documented in the more than one million 
objects and specimens stored in the Museum. While the Museum 
holds large collections of objects and specimens recovered from 
State and private lands, the vast majority of the collection 
has come from federal lands in Utah and surrounding States. 
More than 75 percent of the Museum's collection contain 
artifacts from lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, 
the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the U.S. 
Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    The Museum is currently housed in the George Thomas 
Building at the University of Utah, which poses serious 
environmental threats to the collections, lacks good public 
access and contains very small and outdated exhibits. In 1994, 
the University and the Museum developed a master plan that 
recommended that the Museum build a new building and move to a 
new site located adjacent to the University, but with vast 
improved public access. The University's Board of Trustees in 
1996 reserved 14 acres for the new museum in Research Park, 
immediately south of and adjacent to the Red Butte Garden and 
Arboretum and north of the Place State Park and Hogle Zoo. The 
State of Utah has committed $800,000 for annual operating funds 
for the new museum and has collected $11 million in cash and 
pledges from eight foundations and individuals. However, the 
key to the public-private partnership is obtaining the 
commitment from the federal government, which would represent 
25 percent of the overall cost of the new facility.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1491 was introduced on April 4, 2001, by Congressman 
Jim Matheson (D-UT). 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 7, 2001, 
the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On June 26, 2001, 
the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No amendments were 
offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the Full 
Committee by voice vote. On October 17, 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. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to assist in the preservation of 
archaeological, paleontological, zoological, geological, and 
botanical artifacts through construction of a new facility for 
the university of Utah Museum of Natural History, Salt Lake 
City, Utah.
    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:

                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                                  October 29, 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. 1491, the Utah 
Public Lands Artifact Preservation Act of 2001.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 1491--Utah Public Lands Artifact Preservation Act of 2001

    H.R. 1491 would direct the Department of the Interior to 
make a grant to the University of Utah to fund a portion of the 
costs of building a new museum facility. For this purpose, the 
bill would authorize the appropriation of $15 million.
    Assuming appropriation of the authorized amount, CBO 
estimates that implementing H.R. 1491 would cost the federal 
government $15 million in fiscal year 2002. The bill would not 
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures would not apply.
    H.R. 1491 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandated Reform Act. 
Enactment of this legislation would benefit the University of 
Utah, a public institution. Any costs incurred by the 
university or the state of Utah to provide the required 
matching funds or meet other grant conditions would be 
voluntary. The bill would not affect the budgets of other 
state, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
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

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

                                  
