[House Report 113-81]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     113-81

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            BUFFALO SOLDIERS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS 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. 520]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 520) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating and 
interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early 
years of the National Parks, and for other purposes, 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. 520 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to conduct a study of alternatives for 
commemorating and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers 
in the early years of the National Parks.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 520, the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study 
Act, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to initiate 
a study to determine effective ways to commemorate America's 
Buffalo Soldiers and their role in helping to protect, build, 
and preserve America's national parks, as well as to ascertain 
the suitability and feasibility of potential historic sites, 
national landmarks, and a national historic trail related to 
their work.
    In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Buffalo 
Soldiers, the all African-American cavalrymen of the U.S. Army, 
rode from the San Francisco Presidio to the foothills of the 
Sierra Nevada Mountains, serving as the protectors of several 
of the country's first national parks. Led by Lieutenant 
Colonel Charles Young, the first African-American 
superintendent of Yosemite National Park, these de facto 
rangers built trails, preserved the giant sequoias, and 
protected the wildlife of Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.
    H.R. 520 directs the Secretary of the Interior to research 
the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in protecting these nascent 
parks and examine, among other things, the possible creation of 
a national historic trail along the route used by these 
soldiers.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 520 was introduced on February 5, 2013, by 
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA). 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. 520--Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act

    H.R. 520 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to 
conduct a study of alternatives for honoring the Buffalo 
Soldiers (members of several African-American regiments within 
the U.S. Army established after the Civil War) in their role in 
the development of the National Park System. The U.S. Army, 
including regiments of Buffalo Soldiers, was responsible for 
protecting national parks before the National Park Service was 
established.
    Based on information from the NPS and assuming the 
availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that 
conducting the study would cost about $400,000 over the next 
three years. Enacting H.R. 520 would not affect direct spending 
or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 520 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 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, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase 
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on 
information from the NPS and assuming the availability of 
appropriated funds, CBO estimates that conducting the study 
would cost about $400,000 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 conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating 
and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early 
years of the National Parks.

                           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.

                                  
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