[House Report 107-631]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     107-631
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 REVISING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE NATIONAL 
                    MONUMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

 September 4, 2002.--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. 3449]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 3449) to revise the boundaries of the George Washington 
Birthplace National Monument, and for other purposes, 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. 3449 is to revise the boundaries of the 
George Washington Birthplace National Historic Monument, and 
for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The George Washington Birthplace National Monument located 
in Westmoreland County, Virginia, was designated on January 23, 
1930. The 550-acre Monument memorializes George Washington and 
place of his birth. The historic monument was visited by 
150,672 people in 2001, and contains a replica of the 
Washington home and the unearthed brick foundation of the house 
where he was born, as well as the Washington family cemetery 
where George's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather are 
buried.
    The proposed boundary expansion, which includes the land 
currently dividing the park into two separate parcels, would 
prevent anticipated residential development. Up to 115 acres 
would be acquired from a single willing seller (the Muse 
Family) by donation, purchase with donated funds, exchange or 
with appropriated funds.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 3449 was introduced on December 11, 2001, by 
Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis (R-VA). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Resources and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. 
On July 16, 2002, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. 
On July 24, 2002, the Full Resources Committee met to consider 
the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and 
Public Lands was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 
3449 by unanimous consent. 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 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, August 14, 2002.
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. 3449, a bill to 
revise the boundaries of the George Washington Birthplace 
National Monument.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                         Robert A. Sunshine
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 3449--A bill to revise the boundaries of the George Washington 
        Birthplace National Monument

    H.R. 3449 would expand the boundary of the George 
Washington Birthplace National Monument in Virginia to include 
an adjacent 115-acre parcel of land. The National Park Service 
(NPS) would be authorized to acquire the parcel by donation, 
purchase, or exchange.
    Based on information provided by the NPS and the property's 
owners, and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, 
CBO estimates that it would cost between $1 million and $2 
million over the next year or two to purchase the added parcel. 
We estimate that additional costs to develop the new acreage 
and operate the expanded national monument would not be 
significant.
    H.R. 3449 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would have no significant impact on the budgets of state, 
local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
This 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 to existing 
law.

                                
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