[House Report 113-589]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 113-589
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TO AMEND THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL DEVELOPMENT ACT TO EXTEND TO
[SIC] THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK COMMISSION
_______
September 15, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 476]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (S. 476) to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Development Act to extend to [sic] the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal National Historical Park Commission, having considered
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and
recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of S. 476 is to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
National Historical Park Commission.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
S. 476 would extend the authorization of the Chesapeake and
Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park Commission for 10
years. The current authorization expired in January 2011 and
was originally authorized in 1971. The responsibility of the
Commission is to advise the Secretary of the Interior on
matters related to the park. The C&O Canal Park stretches 185
miles along the shoreline of the Potomac River. The Commission
was intended to provide the diverse jurisdictions a seat at the
table on topics involving the canal. The Commission is
comprised of 19 members, with 8 chosen at the recommendation of
the counties, 8 from the governors of Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The final three,
including the Chairman, are appointed by the Secretary of the
Interior.
COMMITTEE ACTION
S. 476 was introduced on March 6, 2013, by Senator Benjamin
Cardin (D-MD). On July 9, 2014, the bill passed the Senate by
unanimous consent with an amendment. The bill was then referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee
to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental
Regulation. On July 29, 2014, the Subcommittee held a hearing
on the bill. On July 30, 2014, the Natural Resources Committee
met to consider S. 476. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent.
No amendments were offered and the bill was adopted and 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.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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:
S. 476--An act to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act
to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical
Park Commission
S. 476 would extend the authorization of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission for an
additional 10 years. The Commission's original authority
expired in 2011. Based on information provided by the National
Park Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation
would have no significant effect on the federal budget.
Commission members would serve without compensation; however,
certain expenses could be reimbursed. CBO estimates that those
payments would be small.
Enacting S. 476 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
S. 476 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.
On May 29, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 476
as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources on May 16, 2013. The two versions of the
legislation are identical, and the CBO cost estimates are the
same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine,
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. Section 308(a) of 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, credit authority, spending authority, or an increase
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on
information provided by the National Park Service, CBO
estimates that implementing the legislation would have no
significant effect on the federal budget.
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 amend the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
National Historical Park Commission.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5
Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any
specific rule-making proceedings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
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.