[House Report 115-123]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress   }                                       {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                       {     115-123

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



 
                      MEDGAR EVERS HOUSE STUDY ACT

                                _______
                                

  May 16, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted 
                             the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1715]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 1715) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar Evers House, 
located in Jackson, Mississippi, 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. 1715 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar 
Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 1715 authorizes a special resource study by the 
Secretary of the Interior of the home of the late civil rights 
activist, Medgar Evers, located in Jackson, Mississippi. The 
Evers family home was the site of the assassination of 
prominent civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963 by Byron 
De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens' Council. The 
home, now a museum operated by Tougaloo College, contains 
period furnishings, exhibits, and family photographs. The study 
will seek to determine the national significance of the Medgar 
Evers site. Based on the degree of significance, the Secretary 
will determine the feasibility of designating the site as a 
unit of the National Park System. During the study, the 
National Park Service will also consult and collaborate with 
various public and private entities to determine costs and 
other factors associated with the acquisition, preservation, 
and maintenance of the site.
    In the 114th Congress, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-
MS) introduced nearly identical legislation as H.R. 959. On 
June 16, 2015, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing 
on the bill. At the hearing the National Park Service testified 
in support of the legislation. On September 8, 2015, the 
Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported the bill. 
Subsequently, the bill passed the House by voice vote on 
September 16, 2015.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1715 was introduced on March 23, 2017, by Congressman 
Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On April 26, 2017, the Natural 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 
was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were 
offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the 
House of Representatives by unanimous consent on April 27, 
2017.

            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 AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the 
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                       Washington, DC, May 5, 2017.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1715, the Medgar 
Evers House Study Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jon Sperl.
            Sincerely,
                                                        Keith Hall.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 1715--Medgar Evers House Study Act

    H.R. 1715 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Medgar 
Evers House in Jackson, Mississippi, as a unit of the National 
Park System. Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, 
CBO estimates that carrying out the proposed study would cost 
about $200,000.
    Enacting H.R. 1715 would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO 
estimates that enacting H.R. 1715 would not increase net direct 
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 
10-year periods beginning in 2028.
    H.R. 1715 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 April 7, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
644, the Medgar Evers House Study Act, as ordered reported by 
the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on March 
30, 2017. The two pieces of legislation are similar and CBO's 
estimate of their budgetary effects is the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The 
estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy, Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.
    2. 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 special resource study of the Medgar 
Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi.

                           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. This bill does not contain any 
directed rule makings.
    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.

                                  [all]