[Senate Report 108-9]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                        Calendar No. 17
108th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                      108-9
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                      COLTSVILLE STUDY ACT OF 2003

                                _______
                                

               February 11, 2003.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Domenici, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 233]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 233) to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a study of Coltsville in the State of 
Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National Park 
System, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                         PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

    The purpose of S. 233 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a suitability and feasibility study of 
Coltsville, a community in the State of Connecticut, for 
potential inclusion in the National Park System.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    Located in central Connecticut near Hartford, the community 
of Coltsville has a rich industrial history and played a major 
role in the Industrial Revolution. The community was inspired 
by Samuel Colt, founder of the Colt Manufacturing Company, and 
his wife, Elizabeth Colt. In addition to manufacturing the 
famous Colt sixshooter, the Colt Manufacturing Company was a 
center of industrial innovation and development of technology 
that changed the way of life in the United States and 
flourished during the Industrial Revolution. Some of the 
company's major innovations included the development of 
telegraph technology and advancements in jet engine technology.
    In 1998, the National Park Service conducted a special 
resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley 
to evaluate the significance of historic manufacturing sites. 
The conclusions of the study were that the Coltsville region 
contains an unequaled concentration of historic resources 
relating to precision manufacturing, and further study of the 
area is warranted for potential designation as a unit of the 
National Park System.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 233 was introduced by Senators Dodd and Lieberman on 
January 23, 2003. Similar legislation, S. 2519, was introduced 
by Senators Dodd and Lieberman in the 107th Congress. The 
Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 2519 on 
June 20, 2002. The Committee ordered S. 2519 favorably reported 
with an amendment on July 31, 2002, and the Senate adopted the 
text of the bill as part of amendment 4972 of S. 1894, which 
passed the Senate by unanimous consent on November 19, 2002.
    At its business meeting on February 5, 2003, the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 233 favorably 
reported.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on February 5, 2003, by a unanimous voice vote 
of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 233.

                      SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1 entitles the bill the ``Coltsville Study Act of 
2003.''
    Section 2 contains findings including results of a 1998 
National Park Service special resource reconnaissance study of 
the Connecticut River Valley.
    Section 3 directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
complete, not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available, a study of the site in the State of 
Connecticut commonly known as Coltsville.
    Section 4 directs the Secretary of the Interior to submit, 
not later than 30 days after completing the study under section 
3, a report to the Committee on Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate.
    Section 5 authorizes to be appropriated such sums as are 
necessary to carry out this Act.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of costs of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, February 7, 2003.
Hon. Pete V. Domenici,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 233, the Coltsville 
Study Act of 2003.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                               Douglas Holtz-Eakin.
    Enclosure.

S. 233--Coltsville Study Act of 2003

    S. 233 would direct the Department of the Interior to 
conduct a study of an area in Connecticut known as Coltsville 
to evaluate the area's national significance. The study also 
would assess the feasibility and suitability of designating 
Coltsville as a unit of the National Park System. The bill 
would authorize the appropriation of whatever amounts are 
necessary for the study and would require the department to 
report on its finding and recommendations within three years of 
receiving funds.
    Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO 
estimates that it would cost about $250,000 over the next three 
years to complete the required study and report. Enacting the 
bill would not affect direct spending or revenues.
    S. 233 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 Paul R. Cullinan, Chief for Human 
Resources Cost Estimates Unit of the Budget Analysis Division.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 233. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards of 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from 
enactment of S. 233, as ordered reported.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    On February 6, 2003, the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of 
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting 
forth Executive agency recommendations on S. 233. These reports 
had not been received at the time the report on S. 233 was 
filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman will 
request that they be printed in the Congressional Record for 
the advice of the Senate.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of the rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 233, as ordered 
reported.

                                
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