[House Report 115-125]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress   }                                      {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                      {      115-125

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



 
             EDWARD T. SCHAFER AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER

                                _______
                                

May 16, 2017.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Conaway, from the Committee on Agriculture, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 2154]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Agriculture, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 2154) to rename the Red River Valley Agricultural 
Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the Edward T. 
Schafer Agricultural Research Center, having considered the 
same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend 
that the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. RENAMING OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 
                    CENTER IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA AS THE EDWARD T. 
                    SCHAFER AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER.

  (a) Renaming.--The Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in 
Fargo, North Dakota, shall hereafter be known and designated as the 
``Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center''.
  (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the facility referred to 
in subsection (a) shall be considered to be a reference to the Edward 
T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center.

                           BRIEF EXPLANATION

    H.R. 2154 renames the Red River Valley Agricultural 
Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the Edward T. 
Schafer Agricultural Research Center.

                    PURPOSE AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Edward T. Schafer served as North Dakota's Governor from 
1992 to 2000, and as our nation's Secretary of Agriculture from 
2008 to 2009. Renaming the Red River Valley Agricultural 
Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, to honor Secretary 
Schafer is a fitting tribute to this distinguished public 
servant. Located in Secretary Schafer's home state and at one 
of the nation's premier land grant universities, this research 
center continues to advance its vital work on improving crops 
to strengthen our nation's food security.

               SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION

Section 1. Renaming of the Red River Valley Agricultural Research 
        Center in Fargo, North Dakota as the Edward T. Schafer 
        Agricultural Research Center.

    Subparagraph (a) changes the name of the Red River Valley 
Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota to the 
``Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center''.
    Subparagraph (b) ensures that any reference in law, 
regulation, map, document, paper, or other record of the U.S. 
to the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center is 
considered a reference to the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural 
Research Center.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

I. Hearings

    No hearings were held by the Committee on H.R. 2154, a bill 
to rename the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in 
Fargo, North Dakota, as the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural 
Research Center.

II. Full Committee

    The Committee on Agriculture met, pursuant to notice, with 
a quorum present, on May 3, 2017, to consider H.R. 2154, a bill 
to rename the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in 
Fargo, North Dakota, as the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural 
Research Center.
    H.R. 2154 was placed before the Committee for 
consideration. Without objection, a first reading of the bill 
was waived and it was open to amendment at any point.
    Chairman Conaway and Mr. Peterson were recognized for 
statements. Chairman Conaway then offered and explained his 
technical amendment to strike a repeated word. The Conaway 
amendment was adopted by a voice vote.
    Mr. Peterson was then recognized to offer a motion that the 
bill H.R. 2154 be reported, as amended, favorably to the House 
with recommendation that it do pass. The motion was 
subsequently approved by voice vote.
    At the conclusion of the meeting, Chairman Conaway advised 
Members that pursuant to the rules of the House of 
Representatives Members had until May 5, 2017, to file any 
supplemental, minority, additional, or dissenting views with 
the Committee.
    Without objection, staff was given permission to make any 
necessary clerical, technical or conforming changes to reflect 
the intent of the Committee. Chairman Conaway thanked all the 
Members and adjourned the meeting.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of 
Representatives, H.R. 2154 was reported by voice vote with a 
majority quorum present. There was no request for a recorded 
vote.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture's 
oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the 
body of this report.

           BUDGET ACT COMPLIANCE (SECTIONS 308, 402, AND 423)

    The provisions of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (relating to estimates of new 
budget authority, new spending authority, new credit authority, 
or increased or decreased revenues or tax expenditures) are not 
considered applicable. The estimate and comparison required to 
be prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
under clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and sections 402 and 423 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 submitted to the Committee prior to the 
filing of this report are as follows:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                       Washington, DC, May 5, 2017.
Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 2154, a bill to rename the Red River Valley 
Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the 
``Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center,'' as ordered 
reported by the House Committee on Agriculture on May 3, 2017.
    CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would have no 
significant effect on the federal budget and would not affect 
direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting the 
legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget 
deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods 
beginning in 2028.
    The bill 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.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 
Pickford.
            Sincerely,
                                                        Keith Hall.

                    PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    H.R. 2154 does not authorize funding, therefore, clause 
3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives is inapplicable.

                        COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee report incorporates the 
cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional 
Budget Office pursuant to sections 402 and 423 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this 
legislation.

                APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 
104-1).

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopted as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act (Public Law 104-4).

  EARMARK STATEMENT REQUIRED BY CLAUSE 9 OF RULE XXI OF THE RULES OF 
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

    H.R. 2154 does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the 
House Representatives.

                    DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize 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 does not believe that the legislation directs 
an executive branch official to conduct any specific rule 
making proceedings within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551.

                                  [all]