[House Report 115-669]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-669
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TO AUTHORIZE THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES MEMORIAL
FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISH A COMMEMORATIVE WORK IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA AND ITS ENVIRONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
May 11, 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. 1037]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1037) to authorize the National Emergency
Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its
environs, and for other purposes, 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. AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH COMMEMORATIVE WORK.
(a) In General.--The National Emergency Medical Services Memorial
Foundation may establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the
District of Columbia and its environs to commemorate the commitment and
service represented by emergency medical services.
(b) Compliance With Standards for Commemorative Works.--The
establishment of the commemorative work under this section shall be in
accordance with chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code (commonly
known as the ``Commemorative Works Act'').
(c) Prohibition on the Use of Federal Funds.--
(1) In general.--Federal funds may not be used to pay any
expense of the establishment of the commemorative work under
this section.
(2) Responsibility of national emergency medical services
memorial foundation.--The National Emergency Medical Services
Memorial Foundation shall be solely responsible for acceptance
of contributions for, and payment of the expenses of, the
establishment of the commemorative work under this section.
(d) Deposit of Excess Funds.--
(1) In general.--If upon payment of all expenses for the
establishment of the memorial (including the maintenance and
preservation amount required by section 8906(b)(1) of title 40,
United States Code), there remains a balance of funds received
for the establishment of the commemorative work, the Foundation
shall transmit the amount of the balance to the Secretary of
the Interior for deposit in the account provided for in section
8906(b)(3) of title 40, United States Code.
(2) On expiration of authority.--If upon expiration of the
authority for the commemorative work under section 8903(e) of
title 40, United States Code, there remains a balance of funds
received for the establishment of the commemorative work, the
Foundation shall transmit the amount of the balance to a
separate account with the National Park Foundation for
memorials, to be available to the Secretary of the Interior or
Administrator (as appropriate) following the process provided
in section 8906(b)(4) of title 40, United States Code, for
accounts established under 8906(b)(2) or (3) of title 40,
United States Code.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 1037 is to authorize the National
Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its
environs.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The men and women of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
profession face daily risk and danger to help their neighbors
in crisis and to save lives. EMS practitioners serve on the
frontlines of medicine, safeguarding the health, safety, and
well-being of the nation's communities. While their first-
responder peers in law enforcement and firefighting have been
honored with national memorials, EMS providers have not.\1\
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\1\The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is located at 400
E Street NW, Washington, DC. The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
is located on South Seton Ave, Emmitsburg, MD.
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EMS providers are critical to the nation's safety. They
respond to incidents ranging from a single person's medical
emergency to natural and man-made disasters, including
terrorist attacks. The EMS, along with those in law enforcement
and firefighters, are a vital part of the country's homeland
and national security efforts.
Each year, 850,000 EMS providers answer more than 30
million calls to serve 22 million patients in need of care at a
moment's notice.\2\ According to data from the Department of
Labor and the National Highway Safety Administration, Emergency
Medical Technicians and paramedics have a rate of injury that
is about three times the national average for all
occupations.\3\
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\2\2011 National EMS Assessment. Federal Interagency Committee on
Emergency Medical Services. US DOT, National Highway Safety
Administration. https://www.ems.gov/pdf/research/Studies-and-Reports/
National_EMS_Assessment_2011.pdf
\3\Maguire BJ, Smith S. Injuries and fatalities among emergency
medical technicians and paramedics in the United States. Prehospital
Disaster Medicine. 2013, Aug; 28 (4): 376-382.
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H.R. 1037 would authorize the National Emergency Medical
Services Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, to place
a commemorative work on federal land in the District of
Columbia to commemorate the commitment and service represented
by the EMS community. The establishment of a commemorative work
must comply with the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 (40 U.S.C.
Sec. 8901 et seq.); no federal funds may be used to pay for the
commemorative work, and the Foundation will be solely
responsible for funding the project.
On August 1, 2017, Senator Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)
introduced a companion bill, S. 1692. The Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee ordered S. 1692 favorably reported
on March 8, 2018.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 1037 was introduced on February 14, 2017, by
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA). The bill was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to
the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On April 11, 2018, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the legislation. On April 18,
2018, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill.
The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent.
Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT) offered an amendment designated
#1; it was adopted by unanimous consent. No further amendments
were offered, and the bill, as amended, 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, May 4, 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. 1037, a bill to
authorize the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial
Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the District of
Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes.
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. 1037--A bill to authorize the National Emergency Medical Services
Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the
District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes
H.R. 1037 would authorize the National Emergency Medical
Services Memorial Foundation (a nonprofit organization) to
establish a memorial in or near the District of Columbia to
commemorate the commitment and service of first responders in
medical emergencies.
Because H.R. 1037 would prohibit the use of federal funds
to establish the memorial, CBO estimates that implementing the
bill would have no effect on spending subject to appropriation.
The project would be subject to the requirements of the
Commemorative Works Act. That act directs any entity that
receives a permit to construct a memorial to donate to the
National Park Foundation (a nonprofit organization whose
subsequent donations to the National Park Service are recorded
on the budget) an amount equal to 10 percent of the memorial's
estimated construction costs. That donation and any project
funds remaining after construction would be available for
maintenance of the memorial without the need for
appropriations.
Based on the experience of similar commemorative projects,
CBO expects that any amounts collected by the federal
government for maintenance of the memorial would not be
received for several years and would be offset by an
expenditure soon thereafter. Thus, on net, CBO estimates that
the effect on direct spending would be insignificant.
Because enacting H.R. 1037 would affect direct spending,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not
affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1037 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 1037 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
On March 20, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
1692, the National Emergency Medical Services Commemorative
Work Act, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources on March 8, 2018. 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 reviewed 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 National Emergency
Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its
environs.
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.