[House Report 107-317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    107-317

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DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO STUDY THE SUITABILITY AND 
  FEASIBILITY OF DESIGNATING THE WACO MAMMOTH SITE AREA IN WACO, TEXAS, 
  AS A UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

December 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. 1925]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 1925) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study 
the suitability and feasibility of designating the Waco Mammoth 
Site Area in Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park 
System, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that 
the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. STUDY AND REPORT REGARDING WACO MAMMOTH SITE AREA.

    (a) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
State of Texas, the city of Waco, and other appropriate organizations, 
shall carry out a special resource study regarding the national 
significance, suitability, and feasibility of designating the Waco 
Mammoth Site Area located in the city of Waco, Texas, as a unit of the 
National Park System.
    (b) Study Process and Completion.--Section 8(c) of Public Law 91-
383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of 
the study required by this section.
    (c) Submission of Study Results.--Not later than 3 years after 
funds are first made available for this section, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a 
report describing the results of the study.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 1925 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the Waco Mammoth Site Area in Waco, Texas, as a 
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Located near the confluence of the Brazos and the Bosque 
rivers, in Waco, Texas, the Waco Mammoth Site Area, is an area 
discovered by a University of Baylor staff member investigating 
a report by local residents of bones eroding from a creek bank 
nearby. By 1997, the bones of twenty-two Columbian mammoths, 
warm weather cousins to the woolly mammoth, were unearthed. 
Excavation and research continues but many of the remains are 
now in storage. The amount of mammoth remains make the Waco 
Mammoth Site Area the largest known concentration of a single 
herd of mammoths dying from the same event.
    This legislation would authorize the National Park Service 
to study the Waco Mammoth Site Area's suitability for inclusion 
as a unit of the National Park System.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1925 was introduced on May 21, 2001, by Congressman 
Chet Edwards (D-TX) and referred to the Committee on Resources. 
On May 30, 2001, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On October 4, 
2001, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On November 
15, 2001, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. Congressman 
George Radanovich (R-CA) offered an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute that made two changes to the original text. First, 
it specified that the study of the Mammoth Area Site will be a 
special resource study to determine the national significance, 
suitability, and feasibility of adding the Mammoth Site to the 
National Park System. Second, it directed the Secretary to 
submit the study to the House Committee on Resources and the 
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee no later than 
three years after funds are made available, as opposed to six 
months as stated in the original bill. The amendment was 
adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was then 
forwarded to the Full Committee by unanimous consent. On 
November 28, 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 
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 and Article IV, section 3 of the 
Constitution of the United States grant 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, December 3, 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. 1925, a bill to 
direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability 
and feasibility of designating the Waco Mammoth Site Area in 
Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park System.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this 
estimate is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 1925--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the 
        suitability and feasibility of designating the Waco Mammoth 
        Site Area in Waco, Texas, as a unit of the National Park System

    H.R. 1925 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to 
conduct a study on the suitability and feasibility of making 
the Waco Mammoth Site Area in Texas a unit of the National Park 
System. The legislation would require the agency to report to 
the Congress on its findings within three years of receiving 
funds for the study.
    Based on information provided by the NPS, CBO estimates 
that completing the required study and report would cost the 
federal government $300,000 over the next three years, assuming 
availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 1925 would not affect 
direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures would not apply. The bill contains no 
intergovernmental or prvate-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on 
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.

                                  
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