[House Report 107-47]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     107-47

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



 
            GREAT FALLS HISTORIC DISTRICT STUDY ACT OF 2001

                                _______
                                

 April 24, 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. 146]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 146) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study 
the suitability and feasibility of designating the Great Falls 
Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey, as a unit of the 
National Park System, and for other urposes, 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. 146 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New 
Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
purposes.

                  background and need for legislation

    The Great Falls Historic District of the Passaic River in 
Paterson, New Jersey, is one of the earliest industrial centers 
of America and was once considered the manufacturing center of 
the United States. At 77 feet, the Great Falls is the second 
highest waterfall on the East Coast, second only to Niagara 
Falls. It was the waterfall at Paterson that led Alexander 
Hamilton, then-Secretary of the Treasury, to invite Pierre 
L'Enfant in 1791 to design the first planned industrial city in 
America. The plan called for harnessing power for manufacturing 
mills from the Great Falls through a series of canals, or 
``raceways,'' and led to the first use of hydro-power in an 
industrial area in this country.
    Paterson became the most important American industrial site 
between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Production 
of various products, including cotton, paper, railroad 
locomotives, iron, steel, and silk remained in Paterson until 
the early 20th Century. It now contains one of the only 
substantial collections of historic industrial structures 
remaining in the United States. Among the structures still 
standing is the Samuel Colt gun factory where the first 
revolver was manufactured in 1836.
    The Historic District currently exhibits many signs of 
decline and renewal. While many buildings are deteriorating and 
some are vacant, some industrial use has continued. Some of the 
mill buildings have been reused primarily for housing and 
office use, although other commercial, recreational and 
cultural uses are also being considered.
    The Great Falls Historic District has been a National 
Historic Landmark since 1976. The proposed National Park area 
would encompass 10 blocks and be approximately 87 acres. The 
suitability study proposed by H.R. 146 has widespread community 
support.
    This study would evaluate the suitability and feasibility 
of further recognizing the historic and cultural significance 
of the lands and structures of the Great Falls Historic 
District by designating it as a unit of the National Park 
System. In addition to authorizing the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct the study, the bill would also require the 
Secretary to submit a report describing the results of the 
study to the House Committee on Resources and the Senate 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                            committee action

    H.R. 146 was introduced on January 3, 2001, by Congressman 
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands. On 
March 13, 2001, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On 
March 22, 2001, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No 
amendments were offered and the bill was forwarded to the Full 
Committee. On March 28, 2001, the Full Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. No amendments were offered and the bill 
was 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 authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New 
Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System.
    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, March 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. 146, the Great 
Falls Historic District Study Act of 2001.
    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. 146--The Great Falls Historic District Study Act of 2001

    H.R. 146 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
conduct a study on the suitability and feasibility of making 
the Great Falls Historic District in New Jersey a unit of the 
National Park System. The bill would require the Secretary to 
report to the Congress on its findings within three years of 
receiving funds. Finally, the bill would authorize the 
appropriation of whatever sums are necessary to conduct the 
study.
    Based on information from the National Park Service, CBO 
estimates that completing the required study and report would 
cost the federal government $250,000 over the next three years, 
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. 146 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.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
The estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Assistant 
Director of 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.

                                
