[House Report 117-604]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress   }                                       {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                       {     117-604

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



 
                UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE PARK ACT OF 2022

                                _______
                                

December 7, 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. 7075]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 7075) to designate Ukrainian Independence Park 
in Washington, District of Columbia, 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 ``Ukrainian Independence Park Act of 
2022''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE PARK.

  (a) Designation.--
          (1) In general.--The area described in paragraph (2) shall be 
        designated as ``Ukrainian Independence Park''.
          (2) Description of area.--The area designated under paragraph 
        (1) is the approximately 0.35 acres generally depicted as 
        ``Ukrainian Independence Park'' on the map entitled ``Ukrainian 
        Independence Park Proposed Boundary'', numbered 802/180,561, 
        and dated June 2022.
  (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, document, 
record, map, paper, or other record of the United States to the area or 
properties described in subsection (a) is deemed to be a reference to 
``Ukrainian Independence Park''.
  (c) Signage.--The Secretary of the Interior may post signs on or near 
Ukrainian Independence Park that include information on the importance 
of Ukraine's independence, freedom, and sovereignty and the solidarity 
between the people of Ukraine and the United States.

    Amend the title so as to read:
    A bill to designate the area surrounding the Taras 
Shevchenko Memorial in Washington, District of Columbia, as 
Ukrainian Independence Park, and for other purposes.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 7075 is to designate Ukrainian 
Independence Park in Washington, District of Columbia.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 7075 would designate the triangular area formed by 
22nd Street Northwest to the east, P Street Northwest to the 
south, and Florida Avenue Northwest to the west, in Washington, 
District of Columbia as ``Ukrainian Independence Park.'' H.R. 
7075 would give the Secretary of the Interior the authority to 
post signs in the proposed park that include information on the 
importance of Ukraine's independence, freedom, and sovereignty 
and the solidarity between the people of Ukraine and the United 
States.
    This land is under National Park Service (NPS) jurisdiction 
and contains a memorial statue of Taras Shevchenko, a 19th-
century Ukrainian poet who is considered the founder of the 
modern written Ukrainian language. As the U.S. Department of 
the Interior noted in a statement about the bill, he ``spent 
many years imprisoned for his pro-Ukrainian independence 
activities in Tsarist Russia.''

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 7075 was introduced on March 15, 2022, by 
Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN). 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 April 28, 2022, the Subcommittee held a 
hearing on the bill. On June 15, 2022, the Natural Resources 
Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was 
discharged by unanimous consent. Ranking Member Bruce Westerman 
(R-AR) offered an amendment designated Westerman #078. The 
amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill, as 
amended, was 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 April 28, 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, as well as clause 3(d) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, 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, November 14, 2022.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 7075, the 
Ukrainian Independence Park Act of 2022.
    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.

    
    

    H.R. 7075 would designate 0.35 acres surrounding the Taras 
Shevchenko Memorial in Washington, D.C., as Ukrainian 
Independence Park. The land is under the jurisdiction of the 
National Park Service (NPS) and the bill would allow the agency 
to post signs in or near the park displaying information about 
Ukrainian independence.
    Using information from the NPS, CBO estimates that the 
costs of new signage and of updating references to the park in 
laws, maps, or official documents would be insignificant; any 
spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds.
    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 designate Ukrainian Independence 
Park in Washington, District of Columbia.

                           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.

               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]