[House Report 116-243]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress    }                                      {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session      }                                      {    116-243

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



 
           GOLD STAR FAMILIES NATIONAL MONUMENT EXTENSION ACT

                                _______
                                

October 18, 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. 2819]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 2819) to extend the authority for the 
establishment of a commemorative work in honor of Gold Star 
Families, 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. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Gold Star Families National Monument 
Extension Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMEMORATIVE WORK.

  Notwithstanding section 8903(e) of title 40, United Sates Code, the 
authority provided by section 2859 of the Military Construction 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (division B of Public Law 112-
239; 126 Stat. 2164; 40 U.S.C. 8903 note) shall continue to apply 
through January 2, 2024.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 2819 is to extend the authority for the 
establishment of a commemorative work in honor of Gold Star 
Families, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 2819 extends the authorization for the establishment 
of the Commemorative Work to Gold Star Mothers, originally 
authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2013,\1\ for an additional four years to January 2, 2024. 
In November 2015, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved a 
location for the memorial on National Park Service property 
immediately west of the Arlington National Cemetery visitor 
center,\2\ and since then the National Capital Memorial 
Advisory Commission has consulted with the Gold Star Mothers 
National Monument Foundation on design concepts.\3\
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    \1\Pub. L. No. 112-239, Sec. 2859, 126 Stat. 1632, 2164 (2013).
    \2\Letter from Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA, Sec'y, U.S. Comm'n of Fine 
Arts, to Robert Vogel, Reg'l Dir., Nat'l Capital Region, Nat'l Park 
Serv. (Nov. 30, 2015), https://www.cfa.gov/records-research/project-
search/cfa-19nov15-2.
    \3\See, e.g., Nat'l Capital Mem'l Advisory Comm'n, Notice of Public 
Meeting, NCMAC Agenda for Oct. 4, 2016, https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
document.cfm?parkID=463&projectID=44217& documentID=70207.
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    The authorization extended by this bill stipulates that the 
Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation, a nonprofit 
organization, is responsible for raising funds to establish the 
memorial and prohibits the use of federal funds.\4\
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    \4\Pub. L. No. 112-239, Sec. 2859(d).
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                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 2819 was introduced on May 17, 2019, by Representative 
Andy Kim (D-NJ). 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 
July 18, 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. Chair Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment #1; it was 
adopted by unanimous consent. No additional amendments were 
offered, and the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

                                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. 2819: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on July 18, 
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 8, 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. 2819, the Gold 
Star Families National Monument Extension Act.
    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. 2819 would extend the authorization of the Gold Star 
Mothers National Monument Foundation to establish a 
commemorative work on eligible federal land through January 2, 
2024. The foundation's authorization to establish a 
commemorative work expires on January 2, 2020. Federal funds 
are prohibited from being used to establish the monument.
    The provisions of the Commemorative Works Act apply to the 
establishment and maintenance of the monument. That act 
requires the foundation to donate 10 percent of the monument's 
estimated construction cost to the National Park Foundation (a 
nonprofit organization). That amount and any project funds 
remaining after construction would be available to the National 
Park Service (NPS) for the monument's future maintenance 
without further appropriation.
    CBO expects that although the timing of federal spending on 
monument maintenance by the NPS would change, the net amount of 
federal spending would not change. On that basis, CBO estimates 
that enacting H.R. 2819 would have no significant effect on the 
federal budget.
    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 extend the authority for the 
establishment of a commemorative work in honor of Gold Star 
Families.

                           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]