[House Report 113-72]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 113-72
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ROTA CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES STUDY ACT
_______
May 17, 2013.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 674]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 674) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to study the suitability and feasibility of designating
prehistoric, historic and limestone forest sites on Rota,
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the
National Park System, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill
do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 674 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites
on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a
unit of the National Park System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands contains cultural and natural resources
including caves with pictographs, other prehistoric relics and
sites from the 20th century Japanese occupation. Additionally,
Rota has a natural limestone forest that serves as a habitat
for endangered species endemic to the island. H.R. 674
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating prehistoric,
historic, and limestone forest sites on Rota, Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, as a unit of the National Park
System.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 674 was introduced on February 13, 2013, by
Congressman Gregorio Kilili Sablan (D-MP). The bill was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental
Regulation. On April 24, 2013, the Full Natural Resources
Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Public
Lands and Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous
consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was then
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:
H.R. 674--Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act
H.R. 674 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to
conduct a study of the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, to determine the suitability and
feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park
System. The NPS would have three years to complete the study
and report to the Congress on its results.
Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming the
availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that carrying
out the study required by H.R. 674 would cost about $300,000
over the next three years. Enacting the legislation would not
affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures do not apply.
H.R. 674 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 Martin von
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy
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, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures. Based on information provided by
the NPS and assuming the availability of appropriated funds,
CBO estimates that carrying out the study required by H.R. 674
would cost about $300,000 over the next three years.
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 authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest sites
on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a
unit of the National Park System.
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.