[House Report 116-611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress    }                                    {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                    {       116-611

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



 
         ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK OWNERSHIP CORRECTION ACT

                                _______
                                

December 2, 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. 5459]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5459) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to correct a land ownership error within the boundary of Rocky 
Mountain National Park, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 5459 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to correct a land ownership error within the 
boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    In the 1950s, a 0.18-acre plot containing the Forsyth 
family cabin was erroneously transferred to the Rocky Mountain 
National Park (RMNP) when the National Park Service purchased a 
larger surrounding parcel, due to an error in the bank 
documents' legal description of the parcel. The Forsyth family, 
seeking to regain legal ownership of its cabin and the 0.18-
acre plot on which it sits, proposed to exchange 0.18 acres of 
non-federal land for the 0.18-acre property.
    H.R. 5459 corrects a longstanding land ownership issue by 
authorizing a land exchange between the Forsyth family and the 
Secretary of the Interior. The legislation stipulates that 
lands exchanged are of equal value and that the non-federal 
land acquired by the Secretary of the Interior through the 
exchange will be administered as part of the RMNP.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 5459 was introduced on December 17, 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 July 13, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 
bill. On September 30, 2020, the Natural Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by 
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered. The bill 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. 5459: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on July 13, 
2020.

            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) of rule XIII 
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) 
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to 
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested 
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee adopts 
as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate of the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such cost 
estimate be made available before House passage of the bill.
    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to 
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    Congressional Budget Office staff has informed the 
Committee on a preliminary, informal, nonbinding basis that the 
bill will likely have no direct spending or revenue effects.
    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 authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to correct a land ownership error within the boundary 
of Rocky Mountain National Park.

                           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

    An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of 
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

                           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]