[House Report 117-266]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                     {    Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                     {    117-266

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



 
                  SAVE THE LIBERTY THEATRE ACT OF 2021

                                _______
                                

 March 9, 2022.--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. 3197]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 3197) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey to the City of Eunice, Louisiana, certain Federal land 
in Louisiana, 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. 3197 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to convey to the City of Eunice, Louisiana, certain 
federal land in Louisiana.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    As a former vaudeville house and cinema dating to 1924, the 
Liberty Theatre has been a community mainstay in Eunice, 
Louisiana, for nearly 100 years.\1\ The theater, which is 
directly adjacent to the Jean LaFitte National Historical 
Park's Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, is owned by the City of 
Eunice. However, in 1989, the National Park Service (NPS) 
financed an annex to the theater to install an Americans with 
Disabilities Act-compliant access ramp and restroom and an HVAC 
system for the cultural center and theater.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Also see generally S. Rep. No. 117-86, at 1-2 (2022), https://
www.congress.gov/117/crpt/srpt86/CRPT-117srpt86.pdf--of which the above 
text is largely excerpts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    H.R. 3197 would require the Department of the Interior to 
convey to the city of Eunice, Louisiana, this small NPS-owned 
parcel. NPS plans to install its own HVAC system for the 
cultural center, and the City of Eunice plans to install a new 
system for the historic Liberty Theatre. The City seeks the 
conveyance of the property to consolidate ownership and 
facilitate financing for ongoing restoration work.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 3197 was introduced on May 13, 2021, by Representative 
Mike Johnson (R-LA). 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 
October 14, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. 
On November 17, 2021, the Natural Resources Committee met to 
consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous 
consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was adopted 
and ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives 
by unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the 
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure: 
hearing by the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and 
Public Lands held on October 14, 2021.

            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 25, 2022.
Hon. Raul 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. 3197, the Save the 
Liberty Theatre Act of 2021.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Madeleine 
Fox.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 3197 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey all right, title, and interest of the federal government 
in specified areas of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park 
and Preserve to the city of Eunice, Louisiana. That area 
includes an annex owned by the National Park Service (NPS) that 
is attached to the Liberty Theatre, which is owned by the city. 
The NPS would not receive payment from the city for the 
conveyed land.
    Using information from the NPS, CBO estimates that the 
administrative costs associated with conveying the land to the 
city and updating maps would not be significant. In addition, 
CBO expects that implementing the bill would reduce NPS 
maintenance costs for those areas by an insignificant amount. 
On net, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 3197 would have an 
insignificant effect on spending subject to appropriation.
    The property that would be conveyed does not generate 
income for the federal government; therefore, enacting the bill 
would not affect direct spending or revenues.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Madeleine Fox. 
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 direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to convey to the City of Eunice, Louisiana, certain 
federal land in Louisiana.

                           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

    According to CBO, this bill contains no unfunded mandates 
as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

                           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]