[House Report 111-605]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


111th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     111-605

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 TO DIRECT THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND THE SECRETARY 
   OF THE INTERIOR TO TRANSFER CERTAIN PROPERTIES TO THE DISTRICT OF 
                                COLUMBIA

                                _______
                                

 September 16, 2010.--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. 5494]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 5494) to direct the Director of the National Park 
Service and the Secretary of the Interior to transfer certain 
properties to the District of Columbia, having considered the 
same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend 
that the bill as amended do pass.
  The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES.

  Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of the Interior shall transfer to the District of 
Columbia by quitclaim deed all right, title, and interest of the United 
States to the following properties in the District of Columbia:
          (1) Square 336, Lot 828, as shown on Assessment and Taxation 
        Plat 3761-Y among the records of the Surveyor of the District 
        of Columbia (Shaw Junior High School recreation fields).
          (2) Square 542, Lot 85, as referenced on page 104 of 
        Subdivision Book 141 and shown on Map 8634 among the records of 
        the Surveyor of the District of Columbia (Southwest Library).
          (3) Square 2864, Lot 830, as shown on Assessment and Taxation 
        Plat 3495-G among the records of the Surveyor of the District 
        of Columbia (Meyer Elementary School).
          (4) Reservation 277-A, as shown on page 4 of Subdivision Book 
        134 among the records of the Surveyor of the District of 
        Columbia.
          (5) Square 2558, Lot 803, as shown on Assessment and Taxation 
        Plat 65 among the records of the Surveyor of the District of 
        Columbia (a portion of the Marie H. Reed Community Learning 
        Center).
          (6) Square 2558, Lot 810, as shown on Assessment and Taxation 
        Plat 65 among the records of the Surveyor of the District of 
        Columbia (a portion of the Marie H. Reed Community Learning 
        Center).

  Amend the title so as to read:

    A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 
certain properties to the District of Columbia.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 5494 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to transfer certain properties to the District of 
Columbia.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    In addition to the monuments, historic properties, and 
natural areas that are managed by the National Park Service 
(NPS) in the District of Columbia, there are also a wide 
variety of open spaces and recreation areas scattered 
throughout the District for which the NPS is responsible. As 
the city has evolved, some of the these areas have been 
incorporated into street medians and school playgrounds, as 
well as small detached properties isolated by road improvements 
with little or no recreational value.
    Since the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act 
in 1973, the District government has taken a more active role 
in management of the city's public lands. Specifically, certain 
land parcels that had been managed by the NPS have been 
transferred to the District of Columbia for management. 
Previous Congresses have enacted legislation to transfer these 
lands to allow the NPS to focus on their core mission while 
permitting the District to effectively manage these properties.
    H.R. 5494 seeks to transfer six separate properties to the 
District of Columbia for future management. All of the property 
included in this legislation is currently managed by either the 
NPS or the Department of the Interior. This includes five 
properties that are incorporated into school recreation grounds 
or community centers managed by the District, and one parcel 
that has been isolated by road construction and is adjacent to 
a major thoroughfare. The legislation provides that within 90 
days of enactment of this bill into law, the NPS Director would 
quitclaim deed all right, title, and interest of the United 
States in these properties to the government of the District of 
Columbia.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 5494 was introduced by Representative Eleanor Holmes 
Norton (D-DC) on June 9, 2010. 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 
June 24, 2010, Subcommittee hearing the bill's sponsor and the 
Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development of the 
District of Columbia testified in support of the bill. A 
National Park Service representative also testified in favor of 
the bill and offered some technical amendments.
    On July 22, 2010, the Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests and Public Lands was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 5494 and the full Natural Resources 
Committee met to consider the bill. Subcommittee Chairman Raul 
Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment to direct the Secretary of 
the Interior rather than the Director of the National Park 
Service to transfer the properties in question. 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 IV, section 3 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 direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to transfer certain properties to the District of 
Columbia.
    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. 5494--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 
        certain properties to the District of Columbia

    H.R. 5494 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
issue a quitclaim deed conveying all right, title, and interest 
(if any) of the federal government to six properties in the 
District of Columbia. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5494 
would have no significant effect on the federal budget. 
Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues or direct 
spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    The properties to be conveyed under H.R. 5494 include 
school recreation fields, a traffic island, and educational 
facilities. None of the properties is used by the federal 
government, no income is generated from them, and CBO expects 
that none of the parcels would otherwise be sold under current 
law.
    The legislation 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 Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    H.R. 5494 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

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                  
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