[Senate Report 109-179]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 286
109th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                    109-179

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



 
         COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005

                                _______
                                

               November 15, 2005.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Inhofe, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [to accompany S. 1869]


      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (S. 1869) to reauthorize the Coastal Barrier 
Resources Act, and for other purposes, having considered the 
same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommends that the bill do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982 
established the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), 
comprised of undeveloped coastal barriers along the Atlantic, 
Gulf, and Great Lakes coasts. The law encourages the 
conservation of hurricane prone, biologically rich coastal 
barriers by restricting Federal expenditures that encourage 
development, such as Federal flood insurance through the 
National Flood Insurance Program. CBRA is a free-market 
approach to conservation. These areas can be developed, but 
Federal taxpayers do not underwrite the investments. 
Approximately 3.1 million acres of land and associated aquatic 
habitat are part of the CBRS. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (Service) maintains the repository for CBRA maps 
enacted by Congress that depict the CBRS. The Service also 
advises Federal agencies, landowners, and Congress regarding 
whether properties are in or out of the CBRS, and what kind of 
Federal expenditures are allowed in the CBRS.
    Three important goals of CBRA are to (1) minimize the loss 
of human life by discouraging development in high risk areas; 
(2) reduce wasteful expenditure of Federal resources; and (3) 
protect the natural resources associated with coastal barriers.
    In 1990, Congress enacted the Coastal Barrier Improvement 
Act (CBIA) to reauthorize CBRA and to expand the CBRS by adding 
new system units in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 
the Great Lakes, and to enlarge some previously designated 
units along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The CBIA also 
designated a new category of lands called ``otherwise protected 
areas'' (OPAs). OPAs are based on areas established under 
Federal, State, or local law, or held by a qualified 
organization, primarily for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, 
recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes. The 
only Federal spending prohibition within OPAs is Federal flood 
insurance.
    In 2000, Congress enacted the Coastal Barrier Resources 
Reauthorization Act, naming the CBRS after the late Senator 
John H. Chafee (R-RI), former Chairman of the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works and author of the 1982 Act 
establishing CBRA. This bill reauthorized CBRA through fiscal 
year 2005 and directed the Service to complete a Digital 
Mapping Pilot Project that includes digitally produced draft 
maps for up to 75 CBRS areas and a report to Congress that 
describes the feasibility and costs for completing digital maps 
for all CBRS areas. The Service is now in the process of 
completing the pilot project. The 2000 Act also directed the 
Service to conduct an economic assessment of the effects of 
CBRA. The assessment conducted in 2002 estimated how much money 
CBRA has saved taxpayers by restricting Federal spending for 
roads, wastewater systems, potable water supply, and disaster 
relief. The assessment estimated that from 1983-2010, CBRA will 
have saved American taxpayers approximately $1.3 billion.

                     Objectives of the Legislation

    The purpose of S. 1869 is to reauthorize the Coastal 
Barrier Resources Act through fiscal year 2010. The bill also 
provides for the finalization of the Digital Mapping Pilot 
Project established in the 2000 Act and directs the digitizing 
of all remaining CBRS area maps.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. Short title.
    This section provides that this Act may be cited as the 
``Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2005''.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
    This section provides definitions for terms relevant to the 
Act.
Sec. 3. Digital Mapping Pilot Project Finalization.
    This section provides for the finalization by the end of 
fiscal year 2007 of the digital mapping pilot project created 
by the Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 
(P.L. 106-514).
Sec. 4. Digital Mapping Project for the Remaining John H. Chafee 
        Coastal Barrier Resources System Units and Otherwise Protected 
        Areas.
    This section authorizes $1 million for each of fiscal years 
2006 through 2010 for the digitizing of all remaining maps of 
CBRS units and OPAs not already digitized under the pilot 
project.
Sec. 5. Authorization of Appropriations.
    This section amends Section 10 of the Coastal Barrier 
Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3510) by changing the dates from 
``2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005'' to ``2006 through 2010''.

                          Legislative History

    On October 17, 2005, Senator Inhofe introduced S. 1869, 
which was cosponsored by Senator Jeffords and Senator Chafee. 
The bill was received, read twice and referred to the Senate 
Committee on Environment and Public Works. The committee met on 
October 26, 2005 to consider the bill. S. 1869 was ordered 
favorably reported, without amendment, by voice vote.

                                Hearings

    No committee hearings were held on S. 1869.

                             Rollcall Votes

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider S. 1869 on October 26, 2005. The bill was ordered 
favorably reported by voice vote. No roll call votes were 
taken.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 1869 
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it 
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that S. 1869 would not 
impose Federal intergovernmental unfunded mandates on State, 
local, or tribal governments.

                          Cost of Legislation

    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:
                              ----------                              

S. 1869, Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2005, As 
        ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and 
        Public Works on October 26, 2005
Summary
    S. 1869 would authorize appropriations for the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to carry out the coastal barrier 
resources program. Assuming appropriation of the amounts 
authorized by the bill, CBO estimates that the USFWS would 
spend $16 million over the 2006-2010 period. Enacting S. 1869 
would not affect direct spending or revenues.
    The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 
and would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal 
governments.
Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
    S. 1869 would authorize the appropriation of $2 million for 
each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010 to the USFWS for mapping 
the coastal barrier resources system. (Authorizations for the 
program expired at the end of fiscal year 2005.) The bill also 
would authorize appropriations of $500,000 a year for 2006 and 
2007 to complete an existing pilot project on digital mapping 
and $1 million a year through 2010 to create digital versions 
of all maps of the coastal barrier system.
    The estimated budgetary impact of S. 1869 is shown in the 
following table. The costs of this legislation fall within 
budget function 300 (natural resources and environment). For 
this estimate, CBO assumes that the entire amounts authorized 
by the bill will be appropriated for each fiscal year. 
Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for 
this program.


                 By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   2006    2007    2008    2009    2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO
        APPROPRIATION\1\
Authorization Level.............       4       4       3       3       3
Estimated Outlays...............       4       4       3       3       3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Some or all of the authorized spending for 2006 could come from funds
  already provided in the Department of the Interior, Environment, and
  Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109-54).

Intergovernmental and Private-Sector Impact
    S. 1869 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on State, 
local, or tribal governments.
    Estimate Prepared By: Federal Costs: Deborah Reis; Impact 
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Marjorie Miller; 
Impact on the Private Sector: Craig Cammarata.
    Estimate Approved By: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed 
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown 
in roman:
                              ----------                              


                            [16 U.S.C. 3510]

                         TITLE 16--CONSERVATION

                 CHAPTER 55--COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES

        Sec. 3510. Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
this chapter $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years [2001, 2002, 
2003, 2004, and 2005] 2006 through 2010.

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