[House Report 115-535]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress    }                                          {     Report
                          HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                          {    115-535

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



 
               JAMES K. POLK PRESIDENTIAL HOME STUDY ACT

                                _______
                                

January 29, 2018.--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. 443]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 443) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the James 
K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a unit of the National 
Park System, 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. 443 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a 
unit of the National Park System.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, 
lived in Columbia, Tennessee, from 1819 until 1824. Nominated 
as the first ``dark-horse'' presidential candidate, Polk 
unified a split Democratic Party to defeat Henry Clay of the 
Whig Party, assuming office in 1844. Despite only serving one 
term, Polk is considered by some to be the most efficient 
President, accomplishing all the domestic and foreign policy 
goals established during his campaign. Although frequently 
overshadowed by his predecessor, Andrew Jackson, Polk is 
credited with a wide range of policy accomplishments, most 
notably expanding the western territorial holdings of the 
United States through the Mexican-American War and the 
establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy. Polk left office in 
1849, returning to Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived for 
three months before his death.
    The James K. Polk home in Columbia, Tennessee, was 
designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1961. In April 
2015, the National Park Service (NPS) completed a 
reconnaissance survey of the home and determined that the site 
warrants a special resource study to analyze the suitability, 
feasibility, and need for NPS to manage the James K. Polk home. 
NPS recommended that Congress consider authorizing a special 
resource study for the site. The James K. Polk home is the only 
surviving residence of President Polk, and contains original 
artifacts from his estate.
    H.R. 443 authorizes a special resource study of the James 
K. Polk home to evaluate its national significance, the 
suitability and feasibility for potential designation of the 
area as a unit of the National Park System, and the need for 
NPS management of the resource versus management by other 
public or private entities. The study is informational since 
Congress would still have to act on separate legislation to 
establish the site as a unit of the National Park System.
    A similar bill, S. 99, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander 
(R-TN), was favorably reported by the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources on May 3, 2017.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 443 was introduced on January 11, 2017, by Congressman 
Scott DesJarlais (R-TN). The bill was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On January 17, 2018, 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.

            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, January 26, 2018.
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. 443, the James K. 
Polk Presidential Home Study Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani 
Shankaran.
    Sincerely,
                                                Keith Hall,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 443--James K. Polk Presidential Home Study Act

    H.R. 443 would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to 
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the home 
of James K. Polk in Columbia, Tennessee, as a unit of the 
National Park System. Using information from the NPS on the 
costs of similar studies, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 
443 would cost about $200,000; such spending would be subject 
to the availability of appropriated funds.
    Enacting H.R. 443 would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 443 would not increase net 
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
    H.R. 443 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
    On April 7, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
99, the James K. Polk Presidential Home Study Act, as ordered 
reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources on March 30, 2017. The two bills are similar and 
CBO's estimates of their budgetary effects are the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani 
Shankaran. 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 direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, 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. 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 to existing 
law.