[House Report 111-307]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


111th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    111-307

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 TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARY OF THE JIMMY CARTER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN 
THE STATE OF GEORGIA, TO REDESIGNATE THE UNIT AS A NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
                      PARK, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

October 21, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Rahall, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1471]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 1471) to expand the boundary of the Jimmy Carter 
National Historic Site in the State of Georgia, to redesignate 
the unit as a National Historical Park, 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. BOUNDARY EXPANSION.

  Section 1 of Public Law 100-206 is amended--
          (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3) and 
        inserting:
          ``(3) preserve and interpret a southern agricultural-based 
        rural community during the early to middle years of the 20th 
        century.'';
          (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``map entitled `Jimmy 
        Carter National Historic Site and Preservation District 
        Boundary Map', numbered NHS-JC-80000, and dated April 1987'' 
        and inserting ``map titled `Jimmy Carter National Historical 
        Park and Preservation District, Proposed Boundary Map', 
        numbered 330/80,019, and dated September 2009'';
          (3) in subsection (b)(2)--
                  (A) by striking ``and described more particularly as 
                follows--'' and inserting ``or is needed to enhance the 
                visitor experience, and includes--'';
                  (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``15'' and 
                inserting ``18'';
                  (C) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                  (D) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``Carter.'' and 
                inserting ``Carter, and properties in the vicinity of 
                the residence along West Church Street that are needed 
                for administrative and visitor uses and to protect 
                scenic values, not to exceed 10 acres;''; and
                  (E) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraphs:
                  ``(G) the Billy Carter Service Station at 104 West 
                Church Street, consisting of less than one acre;
                  ``(H) the property at 147 Old Plains Highway, known 
                locally as the `Haunted House', where Jimmy and 
                Rosalynn Carter resided from 1956 to 1961, consisting 
                of approximately one acre;
                  ``(I) the Georgia Welcome Center on State Route 280/
                27, consisting of approximately 18 acres; and
                  ``(J) two corridors of land no wider than 50 feet 
                each between the Georgia Welcome Center and the 
                President Carter boyhood home for the purpose of 
                establishing walking and biking trails while using, to 
                the greatest extent practicable, the right-of-way for 
                the Shoreline Excursion Train.'';
          (4) in subsection (c)(1)--
                  (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                  (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                  (C) after subparagraph (B), insert the following:
                  ``(C) by donation only, other lands and interests in 
                lands in the environs of Plains that the Secretary 
                deems appropriate to add to the national historical 
                park which, upon acquisition, shall be included in and 
                administered as part of the national historical 
                park.''; and
          (5) in subsection (c)(2), by inserting ``, the Georgia 
        Welcome Center (referred to in subsection (b)(2)(I)),'' after 
        ``subsection (b)(2)(A))''.

SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION AS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

  (a) Redesignation.--Public Law 100-206 is amended--
          (1) by striking ``National Historic Site'' each place it 
        appears and inserting ``National Historical Park'';
          (2) by striking ``historic site'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``national historical park'';
          (3) in the section heading of section 1, by striking 
        ``NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE'' and inserting ``NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
        PARK'';
          (4) in the subsection heading of section 1(b), by striking 
        ``National Historic Site'' and inserting ``National Historical 
        Park''; and
          (5) in the section heading of section 3, by striking 
        ``HISTORIC SITE'' and inserting ``NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK''.
  (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the ``Jimmy Carter 
National Historic Site'' shall be deemed a reference to the ``Jimmy 
Carter National Historical Park''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  Public Law 100-206 is further amended by striking section 7.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 1471 is to expand the boundary of the 
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in the State of Georgia, to 
redesignate the unit as a National Historical Park, and for 
other purposes.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site was established in 
1987 (P.L. 100-206) to preserve the boyhood home and current 
residence of the 39th President in Plains, Georgia. The former 
President and his wife, Rosalynn, have a lifetime tenancy in 
their home, and are actively involved in the interpretive work 
of the park.
    The park also encompasses the Plains railroad depot that 
served as the headquarters of the 1976 Carter presidential 
campaign. Plains High School serves as the park visitor center.
    H.R. 1471 would expand the national historic site's 
authorized boundaries from 15 acres to 18 acres around the 
boyhood home. It would further allow the National Park Service 
to acquire several additional properties for the park, 
including a house that the Carter family lived in from 1956-
1961, which is one of the oldest houses in Sumter County.
    Other properties that would be added to the park include 
the nearby Georgia Welcome Center, which property would be used 
to develop camping facilities; a new site for the park's 
maintenance facility and curatorial storage; and a corridor 
along the Southwest Georgia Railroad lines that will serve as a 
multiuse trail between the Welcome Center and the President's 
boyhood home. The bill would also permit the acquisition of the 
gas station formerly owned by President Carter's brother, 
Billy; the gas station served as an informal headquarters for 
the national press during the 1976 and 1980 presidential 
campaigns.
    H.R. 1471 would redesignate the park from a national 
historic site to a national historical park and would amend the 
purposes of the original statute to include language directing 
that the park ``preserve and interpret a southern agricultural-
based rural community during the early to middle years of the 
20th century.''

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 1471 was introduced on March 12, 2009, by 
Representative Sanford Bishop (D-GA). The bill was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to 
the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. 
At a May 14, 2009, hearing before the Subcommittee, a 
representative of the Department of the Interior testified that 
the Administration supports the bill.
    On September 30, 2009, the Subcommittee was discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 1471 and the full Natural 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. Subcommittee 
Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an en bloc amendment to 
add a map reference, allow the Secretary of the Interior to 
accept donations of lands or easements outside the boundaries 
of the park if the Secretary deems appropriate, and make 
further technical corrections. The amendment was adopted by 
unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, 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 Natural 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 expand the boundary of the Jimmy 
Carter National Historic Site in the State of Georgia, to 
redesignate the unit as a National Historical Park, and for 
other purposes.
    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:

H.R. 1471--A bill to expand the boundary of the Jimmy Carter National 
        Historic Site in the state of Georgia, to redesignate the unit 
        as a National Historic Park, and for other purposes

    H.R. 1471 would expand the boundaries of the Jimmy Carter 
National Historic Site in Plains, Georgia, by about 30 acres. 
The National Park Service (NPS) could acquire that acreage (or 
lesser property interests such as easements) by purchase or 
donation. In addition, the legislation would change the name of 
the site to the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
    Based on information from the NPS, CBO estimates that 
implementing H.R. 1471 would cost about $17 million over the 
next five years, assuming the appropriation of the necessary 
amounts. We estimate that the NPS would spend about $1 million 
of this amount over the next three years to purchase less than 
10 acres of land around the current site. (We expect that about 
20 acres would be donated, including the Billy Carter Service 
Station Museum, the Georgia Welcome Center, and a former home 
of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.) We also estimate that the NPS 
would spend $10 million over the next few years for planning 
and for constructing and rehabilitating buildings, facilities, 
and trails. Finally, we estimate that the NPS would spend about 
$2 million annually to manage the new areas. Enacting H.R. 1471 
would have no effect on direct spending or revenues.
    The bill contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined 
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no 
costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    CBO expects that H.R. 1471 would impose no private-sector 
mandates as defined in UMRA. Under UMRA, if the Secretary of 
the Interior acquires private property by means of 
condemnation, such an action would constitute a private-sector 
mandate. However, the NPS indicates that it expects to acquire 
properties for the expansion area through other means (such as 
donation or purchase).
    If the Secretary uses condemnation to acquire a property, 
the cost of the mandate would be equal to its value. Since the 
value of property in the expansion area that could be obtained 
by condemnation is about $1 million, CBO estimates that the 
cost of the mandate, if imposed, would fall well below the 
annual threshold established in UMRA for private-sector 
mandates ($139 million in 2009, adjusted annually for 
inflation).
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew 
Pickford. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           Earmark Statement

    H.R. 1471 does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9 of rule XXI.

                Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, 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 italics, existing law in which no change 
is proposed is shown in roman):

                        ACT OF DECEMBER 23, 1987


                          (Public Law 100-206)

    AN ACT To establish the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and 
 Preservation District in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF JIMMY CARTER [NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE] 
                    NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

  (a) Establishment.--In order to provide for the benefit, 
inspiration, and education of the American people, there is 
hereby established the Jimmy Carter [National Historic Site] 
National Historical Park in the State of Georgia. In 
administering the [historic site] national historical park, the 
Secretary shall--
          (1) preserve the key sites and structures located 
        within the [historic site] national historical park 
        associated with Jimmy Carter during his lifespan;

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          [(3) present the history of a small rural southern 
        town.]
          (3) preserve and interpret a southern agricultural-
        based rural community during the early to middle years 
        of the 20th century.
  (b) Description of Jimmy Carter [National Historic Site] 
National Historical Park.--(1) The [historic site] national 
historical park shall consist of the lands and interests in 
lands (including the real property described in paragraph (2)) 
as generally depicted on the [map entitled ``Jimmy Carter 
National Historic Site and Preservation District Boundary 
Map'', numbered NHS-JC-80000, and dated April 1987] map titled 
``Jimmy Carter National Historical Park and Preservation 
District, Proposed Boundary Map'', numbered 330/80,019, and 
dated September 2009. The map shall be on file and available 
for public inspection at appropriate offices of the National 
Park Service.
  (2) The real property referred to in paragraph (1) is that 
real property which has significant historical association with 
the life of James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th President of the 
United States, located in the town of Plains and the County of 
Sumter, Georgia, [and described more particularly as follows--] 
or is needed to enhance the visitor experience, and includes--
          (A) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (C) the boyhood home of former President Carter, 
        consisting of the residence, together with not more 
        than [15] 18 acres, located west of Plains near the 
        community of Archery, Georgia;

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (E) the Plains High School and grounds of 
        approximately 12 acres; [and]
          (F) the Gnann House at 1 Woodland Drive, which is 
        adjacent to the residence referred to in subparagraph 
        (A) of former President [Carter.] Carter, and 
        properties in the vicinity of the residence along West 
        Church Street that are needed for administrative and 
        visitor uses and to protect scenic values, not to 
        exceed 10 acres;
          (G) the Billy Carter Service Station at 104 West 
        Church Street, consisting of less than one acre;
          (H) the property at 147 Old Plains Highway, known 
        locally as the ``Haunted House'', where Jimmy and 
        Rosalynn Carter resided from 1956 to 1961, consisting 
        of approximately one acre;
          (I) the Georgia Welcome Center on State Route 280/27, 
        consisting of approximately 18 acres; and
          (J) two corridors of land no wider than 50 feet each 
        between the Georgia Welcome Center and the President 
        Carter boyhood home for the purpose of establishing 
        walking and biking trails while using, to the greatest 
        extent practicable, the right-of-way for the Shoreline 
        Excursion Train.
  (c) Acquisition of Real and Personal Property.--(1) Except as 
otherwise provided in this subsection and subject to such 
terms, reservations, and conditions as the Secretary determines 
reasonable or necessary, the Secretary may acquire by donation, 
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange, or 
otherwise--
          (A) lands and interests in lands within the 
        boundaries of the [historic site; and] national 
        historical park;
          (B) personal property and artifacts for purposes of 
        the [historic site.] national historical park; and
          (C) by donation only, other lands and interests in 
        lands in the environs of Plains that the Secretary 
        deems appropriate to add to the national historical 
        park which, upon acquisition, shall be included in and 
        administered as part of the national historical park.
  (2) The Carter home (described in subsection (b)(2)(A)), the 
Georgia Welcome Center (referred to in subsection (b)(2)(I)), 
and the Plains High School (referred to in subsection 
(b)(2)(E)) may only be acquired by donation.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION OF [HISTORIC SITE] NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND 
                    PRESERVATION DISTRICT.

  (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the [historic 
site] national historical park and the preservation district in 
accordance with the provisions of this Act, and the provisions 
of law generally applicable to national historic sites, 
including the Act entitled ``An Act to establish a National 
Park Service, and for other purposes'', approved August 25, 
1916 (16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4), and the Act entitled ``An Act to 
provide for the preservation of historic American sites, 
buildings, objects and antiquities of national significance, 
and for other purposes'', approved August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 
461 et seq.).

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (c) History.--The Secretary shall gather oral history on the 
[historic site] national historical park, its occupants, and 
environs. The Secretary may also preserve personal property 
that has been acquired by the Secretary for purposes of the 
[historic site] national historical park.
  (d) Report.--25 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall convene a distinguished group of 
nationally recognized historians, scholars, and other experts 
to examine the life of President Carter in greater historical 
perspective. The group shall examine the research then 
available on President Carter, his life and Presidency, and 
make recommendations on interpretation, preservation, and other 
issues (as appropriate) at the Jimmy Carter [National Historic 
Site] National Historical Park and the Jimmy Carter National 
Preservation District.

SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMISSION.

  (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
commission to provide advice on achieving balanced and accurate 
interpretation of the [historic site] national historical park.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT PLAN.

  Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall develop and submit to the Congress a 
general management plan for the use and development of the 
[historic site] national historical park and the preservation 
district. Such plan shall--
          (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

  For the purposes of this Act--
          (1) * * *
          (2) the term ``[historic site] national historical 
        park'' means the Jimmy Carter [National Historic Site] 
        National Historical Park established under section 1; 
        and

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


[SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  [(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act, except that not 
more than $3,500,000 is authorized to be appropriated for 
acquisition of real and personal property (including 
preservation easements) and development of the preservation 
district and the historic site.
  [(b) Cost Sharing.--Not more than 60 percent of the aggregate 
cost of restoring the Plains High School (referred to in 
section 1(b)(2)(E)) may be provided from appropriated Federal 
funds. The remaining 40 percent, non-Federal share of such cost 
may be in the form of cash, goods, or services, fairly valued.]

                                  
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