[House Report 112-282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


112th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    112-282

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



 
             ALTO LEE ADAMS, SR., UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

                                _______
                                

 November 14, 2011.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Mica, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1791]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 1791) to designate the United 
States courthouse under construction at 101 South United States 
Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., 
United States Courthouse'', having considered the same, report 
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill 
do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose of Legislation...........................................     1
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Summary of Legislation...........................................     2
Legislative History and Consideration............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     3
Committee Votes..................................................     3
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................     3
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................     3
Advisory of Earmarks.............................................     4
Federal Mandate Statement........................................     4
Preemption Clarification.........................................     4
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     5
Applicability of Legislative Branch..............................     5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     5

                         PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION

    H.R. 1791 would designate the United States courthouse 
under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort 
Pierce, Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 
Courthouse.''

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 1791 would designate the United States courthouse 
under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort 
Pierce, Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 
Courthouse.''
    Judge Alto Lee Adams, Sr. was born in 1899 and raised on a 
farm in Walton County, Florida. He graduated from the 
University of Florida Law School in 1921. After practicing law 
in Fort Pierce County for 14 years, Judge Adams was appointed 
as Circuit Court Judge for St. Lucie County, Florida, in 1938.
    In 1940, Florida citizens voted for the creation of a 
seventh seat on the State Supreme Court. Then-Governor Cone 
appointed Judge Adams to the State's highest court. He served 
on the Florida Supreme Court until 1951, the last two years as 
the Chief Justice. During this time, Justice Adams authored one 
of his most highly-regarded decisions in Taylor v. State, which 
illustrated Justice Adams' dedication to civil rights.
    He wrote that ``[a]s to the relative rights and duties, the 
law makes no [racial] distinction.'' Justice Adams also 
continually advocated for individual property rights over the 
federal government's power of eminent domain. In 1967, then-
Governor Kirk re-appointed Justice Adams to the State Supreme 
Court, where he remained on the court until his mandatory 
retirement in 1968.
    During his legal career, Justice Adams co-authored a book 
and wrote several articles regarding legal history and 
philosophy. His 13 years of service on the Florida State 
Supreme Court are marked by his fairness on the bench.
    He was also an active member of his community serving as 
President of the Florida State Elks Association and as Vice 
Chair of the State Welfare Board. Judge Adams also began a 
cattle ranch in 1937, which he continued to expand into the 
1950s. His ranch encompassed 65,000 acres in three counties. He 
also devoted time to local business interests in St. Lucie 
County, including citrus groves and Bass Motors.
    Because of Judge Adam's exemplary career in public service, 
it is fitting to designate the United States Courthouse under 
construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 
Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 
Courthouse.''

                         SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION

Section 1. Designation

    Section 1 designates the United States courthouse under 
construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 
Florida as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 
Courthouse.''

Sec. 2. References

    Section 2 indicates that any reference in a law, map, 
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 
States to the United States courthouse referred to in section 1 
shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., 
United States Courthouse.''

                 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION

    On May 5, 2011, Representative Thomas J. Rooney introduced 
H.R. 1791, a bill to designate the United States courthouse 
under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort 
Pierce, Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 
Courthouse.'' The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure.
    On June 22, 2011, the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure met in open session, and ordered the bill 
reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum 
present.

                                HEARINGS

    No hearings were held on H.R. 1791.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives 
requires each committee report to include the total number of 
votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to 
report and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter, 
and the names of those members voting for and against. There 
were no record votes taken in connection with consideration of 
H.R. 1791, or ordering the bill reported. A motion to order 
H.R. 1791 reported favorably to the House was agreed to by 
voice vote with a quorum present.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are 
reflected in this report.

               NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and 
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the 
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is 
included in this report.

                    PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
performance goal and objective of this legislation is to 
designate the United States courthouse under construction at 
101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the 
``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.''

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1791 from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, June 28, 2011.
Hon. John L. Mica,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed the following legislation ordered reported by the 
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 
22, 2011:
           H.R. 1073, a bill to designate the United 
        States courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, 
        Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States 
        Courthouse'';
           H.R. 1264, a bill to designate the property 
        between the United States Federal Courthouse and the Ed 
        Jones Building located at 109 South Highland Avenue in 
        Jackson, Tennessee, as the ``M.D. Anderson Plaza'' and 
        to authorize the placement of a historical/
        identification marker on the grounds recognizing the 
        achievements and philanthropy of M.D. Anderson; and
           H.R. 1791, a bill to designate the United 
        States courthouse under construction at 101 South 
        United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the 
        ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.''
    CBO estimates that enacting those pieces of legislation 
would have no significant impact on the federal budget and 
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    The bills contain 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.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 
Pickford.
            Sincerely,
                                         Robert A. Sunshine
                              (For Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director).

                          ADVISORY OF EARMARKS

    Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list 
of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited 
tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of 
rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. No 
provision in the bill includes an earmark, limited tax benefit, 
or limited tariff benefit under clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of 
rule XXI.

                       FEDERAL MANDATE STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the ``Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act'' (P.L. 104-4).

                        PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

    Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the 
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, 
or tribal law. The Committee finds that H.R. 1791 does not 
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this 
legislation.

                  APPLICABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (P.L. 104-1).

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    H.R. 1791 makes no changes in existing law.

                                  
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