[House Report 116-490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress     }                                    {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session        }                                    {     116-490

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



 
                      FREE VETERANS FROM FEES ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 8, 2020.--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. 1702]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 1702) to waive the application fee for any 
special use permit for veterans demonstrations and special 
events at war memorials on Federal land, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
with amendments and recommends that the bill as amended do 
pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Free Veterans from Fees Act''.

SEC. 2. WAIVER OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION FEE FOR VETERANS 
                    DEMONSTRATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.

  (a) Waiver.--The application fee for any special use permit solely 
for a veterans' demonstration or special event at war memorials on land 
administered by the National Park Service in the District of Columbia 
and its environs shall be waived.
  (b) Definitions.--In this section:
          (1) Demonstration; special event.--The terms 
        ``demonstration'' and ``special events'' have the meanings 
        given those terms in section 7.96 of title 36, Code of Federal 
        Regulations.
          (2) District of columbia and its environs.--The term ``the 
        District of Columbia and its environs'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 8902(a) of title 40, United States Code.
          (3) Gold star family.--The term ``Gold Star Family'' includes 
        any individual described in section 3.2 of Department of 
        Defense Instruction 1348.36.
          (4) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code.
          (5) Veterans demonstration or special event.--The term 
        ``veterans' demonstration or special event'' means a 
        demonstration or special event whose primary purpose is to 
        commemorate or honor individuals present at the demonstration 
        or special event, either because of their service as veterans 
        or their status as a Gold Star Family.
          (6) War memorial.--The term ``war memorial'' means any 
        memorial or monument which has been erected or dedicated to 
        commemorate a military unit, military group, war, conflict, 
        victory, or peace.
  (c) Applicability.--This section shall apply to any special use 
permit application submitted after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
  (d) Applicability of Existing Laws.--Permit applicants remain subject 
to all other laws, regulations, and policies regarding the application, 
issuance and execution of special use permits for a veterans' 
demonstration or special event at war memorials on land administered by 
the National Park Service in the District of Columbia and its environs.
    Amend the title so as to read:
    A bill to waive the application fee for any special use 
permit for veterans' demonstrations and special events at war 
memorials on land administered by the National Park Service in 
the District of Columbia and its environs, and for other 
purposes.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 1702 is to waive the application fee 
for any special use permit for veterans' demonstrations and 
special events at war memorials on land administered by the 
National Park Service in the District of Columbia and its 
environs.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Typically, applications for special park use permits from 
the National Park Service require applicants to pay a fee to 
offset the initial costs of processing the application. 
However, the National Park Service has a longstanding practice 
of waiving application fees for special use permits for 
veterans' demonstrations or special events at war memorials.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Nat'l Parks, Forests, and Pub. 
Lands of the H. Comm. on Nat. Res., 116th Cong. (2019) (not printed), 
https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=110280, 
(statement of David Vela, Deputy Dir., Nat'l Park Serv.), https://
docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II10/20191204/110280/HHRG-116-II10-Wstate-
VelaR-20191204.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As reported, H.R. 1702 would codify a version of this 
routine practice and policy, in particular by waiving special 
use permit application fees for demonstrations or special 
events at national war memorials located in the District of 
Columbia and its environs when the primary purpose is to 
commemorate or honor a group of people because of their service 
as veterans or their status as a Gold Star Family.
    It is likely that if H.R. 1702 is considered by the full 
House of Representatives, the bill will be revised such that 
the waiver applies only to special events at national war 
memorials located in the District of Columbia and its environs 
when a majority of attendees will be veterans or Gold Star 
Families.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1702 was introduced on March 12, 2019, by 
Representative Greg Steube (R-FL). 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 December 4, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing on 
the bill. On January 15, 2020, the Natural Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by 
unanimous consent. Chair Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. Chair Grijalva offered 
an amendment designated Grijalva #110 to the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute. The amendment was agreed to by 
unanimous consent. The amendment in the nature of a substitute 
offered by Chair Grijalva, as amended, was agreed to by 
unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was adopted and 
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. 1702: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on December 4, 
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, February 14, 2020.
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. 1702, the Free 
Veterans From Fees 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. 1702 would waive the application fee for special-use 
permits that are obtained for veterans' demonstrations or 
special events at war memorials on National Park Service (NPS) 
land in Washington, D.C. Under current law, the NPS is 
authorized to recover costs associated with providing special-
use permits; such recoveries are credited to the current fiscal 
year appropriation as discretionary offsetting receipts.
    The NPS does not currently charge application fees for 
veterans' demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and usually 
waives such fees for special events at war memorials that 
commemorate veterans. Although implementing H.R. 1702 could 
result in an insignificant reduction in discretionary 
offsetting receipts, because those receipts would probably be 
spent soon after their receipt, the net effect on spending 
subject to appropriation would be negligible.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Hughes. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Director of 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 are to waive the application fee for 
any special use permit for veterans' demonstrations and special 
events at war memorials on land administered by the National 
Park Service 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]