[House Report 117-299]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                    {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                    {     117-299

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



 
               NATIONAL LIBERTY MEMORIAL PRESERVATION ACT

                                _______
                                

 April 25, 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. 6201]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 6201) to extend the authority for the 
establishment of a commemorative work to honor enslaved and 
free Black persons who served in the American Revolution, 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. 6201 is to extend the authority for the 
establishment of a commemorative work to honor enslaved and 
free Black persons who served in the American Revolution, and 
for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 6201 would extend the authorization of the National 
Liberty Memorial--a monument to commemorate enslaved and free 
African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War--until 
September 2027. The authorization would allow the National Mall 
Liberty Fund DC, a private nonprofit established and 
congressionally authorized to raise donations and construct the 
memorial, to continue construction of this memorial near the 
National Mall in Washington, D.C. Construction costs are 
covered by donations and come at no cost to taxpayers.
    Efforts to establish the National Liberty Memorial began 
when Lena Santos Ferguson, an African American woman from 
Plainville, CT, sought to join the Daughters of the American 
Revolution (DAR). The settlement of her discrimination claim in 
1984 obligated DAR to identify and publish the names of every 
Black soldier and patriot of the Revolutionary War. More than 
5,000 enslaved and free African Americans were identified in a 
900-page volume.
    The period preceding the 250th anniversary of the founding 
of the United States on July 4, 1776, offers the best 
conditions in ten generations to honor and preserve the 
contributions of enslaved and free Black soldiers and civilians 
to independence by the triumph of a permanent National Liberty 
Memorial representing deeds Congress on two previous occasions 
declared of ``preeminent historical and lasting significance to 
the nation.''

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 6201 was introduced on December 8, 2021, by 
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (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 February 3, 2022, the 
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On February 16, 2022, 
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 February 3, 2022.

            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, April 19, 2022.
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. 6201, the National 
Liberty Memorial Preservation Act.
    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. 6201 would extend, through September 30, 2027, the 
authority of the National Mall Liberty Fund to construct a 
commemorative work on federal land within the District of 
Columbia honoring enslaved and free Black soldiers and 
civilians who contributed to the nation's independence during 
the American Revolutionary War.
    The project would be subject to the provisions of the 
Commemorative Works Act. Under that act, any entity that 
receives a construction permit for a commemorative work must 
donate an amount equal to 10 percent of the memorial's 
estimated construction costs to the National Park Foundation, a 
nonprofit organization whose subsequent donations to the 
National Park Service are recorded on the budget. That donation 
and any project funds remaining after construction would be 
available for maintenance of the memorial without further 
appropriation.
    Based on the experience from similar 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 expenditures soon thereafter. 
Thus, CBO estimates that the bill's net effect on direct 
spending would be negligible.
    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 extend the authority for the 
establishment of a commemorative work to honor enslaved and 
free Black persons who served in the American Revolution.

                           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]