[House Report 113-126]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 113-126
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FORMERLY OWNED RESOURCES FOR VETERANS TO EXPRESS THANKS FOR SERVICE ACT
OF 2013
_______
June 25, 2013.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Issa, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1171]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 1171) to amend title 40, United
States Code, to improve veterans' service organizations access
to Federal surplus personal property, having considered the
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend
that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Committee Statement and Views.................................... 2
Section-by-Section............................................... 2
Explanation of Amendments........................................ 2
Committee Consideration.......................................... 2
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch..................... 2
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the
Committee...................................................... 3
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 3
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 3
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 3
Federal Advisory Committee Act................................... 3
Unfunded Mandate Statement....................................... 3
Earmark Identification........................................... 3
Committee Estimate............................................... 3
Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate... 4
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill as Reported............. 5
Committee Statement and Views
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
H.R. 1171, the Formerly Owned Resources for Veterans to
Express Thanks for Service Act of 2013 (FOR VETS), permits
veterans' service organizations to obtain surplus federal
personal property to provide services to our Nation's veterans.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
When federal agencies no longer need personal property such
as office supplies, furniture and motor vehicles, the items are
eligible to be donated to private agencies that serve the
public.
Current law stipulates that veterans' service organizations
can only receive personal property for a narrow set of
services; veterans' service organizations, however, provide a
broad range of services. H.R. 1171 would make our nation's
veterans' service organizations eligible to receive property to
utilize for the full breadth of services that they provide.
Our nation's veterans deserve high-quality services from
our public and private institutions, and H.R. 1171 is a small
step in providing this essential support.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In 2010, S. 3794 became public law, allowing veterans'
service organizations to receive personal property for public
health and educational purposes. Also made eligible were
medical institutions, homeless service providers, and child
care centers, among others.
Section-by-Section
Section 1. Short title
This is the short title of the bill ``Formerly Owned
Resources for Veterans to Express Thanks for Service Act of
2013'' or the ``FOR VETS Act of 2013.''
Section 2. Veterans access to Federal excess and surplus personal
property
This section permits veterans' service organizations to
obtain surplus personal property to provide services to
veterans.
Explanation of Amendments
No amendments to H.R. 1171 were offered.
Committee Consideration
On May 22, 2013, the Committee met in open session and
ordered reported favorably the bill, H.R. 1171, by voice vote,
a quorum being present.
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch
Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a
description of the application of this bill to the legislative
branch where the bill relates to the terms and conditions of
employment or access to public services and accommodations.
This bill permits veterans' service organizations to obtain
surplus federal personal property to provide services to our
Nation's veterans. Legislative branch employees and their
families, to the extent that they are otherwise eligible for
the benefits provided by this legislation, have equal access to
its benefits.
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the descriptive portions of
this report.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee's performance
goals and objectives are reflected in the descriptive portions
of this report.
Duplication of Federal Programs
No provision of H.R. 1171 establishes or reauthorizes a
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of
another Federal program, a program that was included in any
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance.
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings
The Committee estimates that enacting H.R. 1171 does not
direct the completion of any specific rule makings within the
meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551.
Federal Advisory Committee Act
The Committee finds that the legislation does not establish
or authorize the establishment of an advisory committee within
the definition of 5 U.S.C. App., Section 5(b).
Unfunded Mandate Statement
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded
Mandate Reform Act, P.L. 104-4) requires a statement as to
whether the provisions of the reported bill include unfunded
mandates. In compliance with this requirement the Committee has
received a letter from the Congressional Budget Office included
herein.
Earmark Identification
H.R. 1171 does not include any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of rule XXI.
Committee Estimate
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 that would be incurred in carrying out
H.R. 1171. 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.
Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
With respect to the requirements of 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 and with respect
to requirements 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 following cost estimate for H.R. 1171 from the Director of
Congressional Budget Office:
June 5, 2013.
Hon. Darrell Issa,
Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1171, the FOR VETS
Act of 2013.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1171--FOR VETS Act of 2013
H.R. 1171 would amend federal law regarding the disposal of
federal personal property (including items such as furniture,
office supplies, and construction equipment). Under current
law, veterans organizations involved in education or health
programs can obtain personal property through the Federal
Surplus Personal Property Donation Program at no cost; other
organizations must pay for such property. The legislation would
expand eligibility to allow any organization that primarily
supports veterans to receive donations free of charge.
Based on information from the General Services
Administration (GSA) about the current donation program, CBO
estimates that implementing the legislation would have no
significant impact on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 1171
would reduce offsetting receipts (a credit against direct
spending); therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However,
CBO estimates that any such losses of offsetting receipts that
might result from donating personal property to additional
veterans organizations would not be significant in any year
because GSA already offers many organizations the opportunity
to receive surplus personal property. Enacting the bill would
not affect revenues.
H.R. 1171 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
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 italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
TITLE 40, UNITED STATES CODE
* * * * * * *
SUBTITLE I--FEDERAL PROPERTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 5--PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER III--DISPOSING OF PROPERTY
* * * * * * *
Sec. 549. Donation of personal property through state agencies
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(c) Allocation and Transfer of Property.--
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(3) Recipients and purposes.--The Administrator shall
transfer to a state agency property the state agency
selects for distribution through donation within the
State--
(A) to a public agency for use in carrying
out or promoting, for residents of a given
political area, a public purpose, including
conservation, economic development, education,
parks and recreation, public health, and public
safety; [or]
(B) for purposes of education or public
health (including research), to a nonprofit
educational or public health institution or
organization that is exempt from taxation under
section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (26 U.S.C. 501), including--
(i) * * *
* * * * * * *
(viii) a library serving free all
residents of a community, district,
State, or region; or
* * * * * * *
[(x) an organization whose--
[(I) membership comprises
substantially veterans (as
defined under section 101 of
title 38); and
[(II) representatives are
recognized by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs under section
5902 of title 38.]
(C) for purposes of providing services to
veterans (as defined in section 101 of title
38), to an organization whose--
(i) membership comprises
substantially veterans; and
(ii) representatives are recognized
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
under section 5902 of title 38.
* * * * * * *