[House Report 116-229]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress    }                                     {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session      }                                     {      116-229

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

 
     TO AUTHORIZE THE EVERY WORD WE UTTER MONUMENT TO ESTABLISH A 
 COMMEMORATIVE WORK IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND ITS ENVIRONS, AND 
                           FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

October 11, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 473]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 473) to authorize the Every Word We Utter 
Monument 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:

SEC. 1. AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH COMMEMORATIVE WORK.

  (a) In General.--The Every Word We Utter Monument may establish a 
commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its 
environs to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the 
Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
  (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 the every word we utter monument.--The 
        Every Word We Utter Monument 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 Every Word 
        We Utter Monument 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 
        Every Word We Utter Monument 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. 473 is to authorize the Every Word We 
Utter Monument to establish a commemorative work in the 
District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Since the beginning of our nation, women fought for their 
right to vote. In July 1848, the Declaration of Sentiments, 
modeled after the Declaration of Independence, was delivered at 
the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. 
The Declaration of Sentiments identified the rights that 
American women should be entitled to under full citizenship. 
Over 70 years later, as the fight for women's suffrage waged, 
suffragist Alice Paul stated, ``I never doubted that equal 
rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are 
complicated. But to me, there is nothing complicated about 
ordinary equality.''\1\ Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton and her daughter Harriot Stanton Blatch, Sojourner 
Truth, Alice Paul, and Ida B. Wells are just a few of the 
suffragists involved in the diverse, multigenerational movement 
that strove for ``ordinary equality'' in our Constitution. On 
May 21, 1919, the U.S. House passed a proposed amendment to the 
Constitution extending the right to vote to women. As the 
proposed amendment progressed through state legislatures across 
the nation, the suffrage movement tracked the advancement of 
the amendment by adding a star to the Ratification Flag for 
each state that ratified.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Quoted in 123 Cong. Rec. 24,116 (1977).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In honor of the centennial anniversary of the passage of 
the Nineteenth Amendment, this bill authorizes the Every Word 
We Utter Monument to establish a memorial in Washington, D.C., 
to commemorate the women's suffrage movement. This would be the 
first-ever outdoor memorial to honor the nationwide movement.
    The legislation stipulates that the memorial will be 
established in accordance with the Commemorative Works Act and 
without the use of federal funds.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 473 was introduced on January 10, 2019, by 
Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO). The bill was referred solely 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee 
to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public 
Lands. On May 22, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 
bill. On September 18, 2019, the Natural Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by 
unanimous consent. An amendment offered by Chair Grijalva #1 
was agreed to by voice vote. No additional amendments were 
offered, and the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H.Res. 6 of the 116th 
Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or consider 
H.R. 473: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on National 
Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on May 22, 2019.

            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, October 7, 2019.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
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. 473, a bill to 
authorize the Every Word We Utter Monument 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 David Hughes.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

              [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 473 would authorize the group Every Word We Utter to 
establish a monument in or near the District of Columbia to 
commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the 
Constitution. H.R. 473 would prohibit the use of federal funds 
to establish the monument.
    The project would be subject to the requirements of the 
Commemorative Works Act. Under that act, any entity that 
receives a permit to construct a commemorative work must also 
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 
further appropriation.
    Based on the experiences of similar commemorative projects, 
CBO expects that any amounts collected by the federal 
government for maintenance of the monument would not be 
received for several years and would be offset by an 
expenditure soon thereafter. Thus, CBO estimates that the 
legislation's net effect on direct spending would be 
negligible.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Hughes. 
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 goals and 
objectives of this bill is to authorize the Every Word We Utter 
Monument 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.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

                  APPLICABILITY TO 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.

               PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing 
law.

        SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS

    None.

                                  [all]