[House Report 118-848]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
118th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 118-848
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JACKIE ROBINSON BALLPARK NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE ACT
_______
December 10, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 8012]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 8012) to establish the Jackie Robinson Ballpark
National Commemorative Site in the State of Florida, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as
amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Jackie Robinson Ballpark National
Commemorative Site Act''.
SEC. 2. JACKIE ROBINSON BALLPARK NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
(2) Site.--The term ``Site'' means the Jackie Robinson
Ballpark National Commemorative Site designated by subsection
(b).
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Florida.
(b) Designation.--Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida,
is hereby designated as the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National
Commemorative Site.
(c) African American Civil Rights Network.--The Site shall be part of
the African American Civil Rights Network established under the African
American Civil Rights Network Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-104).
(d) Administration.--
(1) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements with appropriate public or private
entities for interpretative and educational purposes related to
the Site.
(2) Effect of designation.--The Site shall not be a unit of
the National Park System.
(3) Limitations.--Nothing in this Act--
(A) authorizes the Secretary to interfere with the
rights of any person with respect to private property
or any local zoning ordinance or land use plan of the
State or any political subdivision thereof;
(B) affects the administration of the Site by any
owner of the Site; or
(C) authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or
interests in land through condemnation or otherwise.
(e) Special Resource Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a special
resource study of the Site to evaluate the national
significance of the Site and determine the suitability and
feasibility of designating the Site as a unit of the National
Park System.
(2) Alternatives.--The Secretary shall consider alternatives
for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the Site by
Federal, State, or local government entities, or private and
nonprofit organizations.
(3) Conduct of study.--The study shall be conducted in
accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code.
(4) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which
funds are made available to conduct the study, the Secretary
shall submit a report to Congress that describes the results of
the study and any recommendations of the Secretary with respect
to the Site.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 8012 is to establish the Jackie
Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site in the State of
Florida, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
In 1946, Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey invited
Jackie Robinson to spring training in Daytona Beach, Florida,
following a standout college baseball career.\1\ At the time,
Jim Crow laws prevented integrated baseball throughout the
South. However, Rickey worked with city officials and convinced
the mayor to provide an exception for Robinson. On March 17,
1946, the first racially integrated spring training game was
played at what is today known as the Jackie Robinson Ballpark
in Daytona Beach.\2\ Throughout the rest of spring training,
many games outside of Daytona Beach were cancelled, despite
high demand from many tourists to support Robinson in the
stands.\3\ Robinson would go on to lead the Montreal Royals,
the Triple-A affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to a minor
league championship later that year.\4\ Following this success,
on April 10, 1947, Jackie Robinson signed his first National
League contract. Five days later, Robinson would make his Major
League Baseball (MLB) debut in front of over 26,000 spectators
at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. In doing so, Robinson broke the
MLB's color barrier, becoming the league's first African
American to play in an MLB game in the modern era.\5\ He would
go on to finish his career with a .311 batting average, amass
over 1,500 hits, and become a six-time All-Star.\6\
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\1\Bill Schumann, ``Why the First Racially Integrated Spring
Training in Modern Professional Baseball Took Place in Daytona Beach in
1946'', https://jackierobinsonballpark.com/.
\2\Id.
\3\Id.
\4\Id.
\5\Farrell Evans, ``6 Decades Before Jackie Robinson, This Man
Broke Baseball's Color Barrier'', History.com, https://www.history.com/
news/moses-fleetwood-walker-first-black-mlb-player.
\6\``Robinson Debuts Five Days After Signing with Dodgers,''
National Baseball Hall of Fame, https://baseballhall.org/discover/
inside-pitch/robinson-signs-first-big-league-contract.
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H.R. 8012 would designate the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in
Daytona Beach, Florida, as the ``Jackie Robinson Ballpark
National Commemorative Site.'' As a National Commemorative
Site, the ballpark would not be a unit of the National Park
System. The bill includes provisions to prevent any
interference with the rights of private property owners, local
zoning ordinances, or land use plans. Additionally, the new
National Commemorative Site would be included in the African
American Civil Rights Network.\7\ Furthermore, the bill
authorizes a special resource study to determine whether it
meets the feasibility and suitability of being administered by
the National Park Service. By designating the ballpark as a
National Commemorative Site, H.R. 8012 recognizes the
facility's historic role in advancing civil rights without
adding to the federal estate or using taxpayer dollars. The
legislation is sponsored by Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) and has
50 bipartisan cosponsors.
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\7\``African American Civil Rights Network,'' U.S. Department of
the Interior, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/
civilrights/african-american-civil-rights-network.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 8012 was introduced on April 15, 2024, by Rep. Michael
Waltz (R-FL). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
Federal Lands. On July 9, 2024, the Subcommittee on Federal
Lands held a hearing on the bill. On November 20, 2024, the
Committee on Natural Resources met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee on Federal Lands was discharged from further
consideration of H.R. 8012 by unanimous consent. Chairman Bruce
Westerman (R-AR) offered an Amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute designated Westerman ANS_106. The amendment in the
nature of a substitute 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 Federal Lands held on July 9,
2024.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 names the bill the ``Jackie Robinson Ballpark
National Commemorative Site Act''.
Section 2. Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site
Section 2 designates the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in
Daytona Beach, Florida, as the ``Jackie Robinson Ballpark
National Commemorative Site.'' Section 2 also adds the Jackie
Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site to the African
American Civil Rights Network established under the African
American Civil Rights Network Act of 2017. Section 2 authorizes
the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative
agreements with public or private entities for interpretative
and educational purposes involving the site. Section 2 further
clarifies that the site is not a unit of the National Park
System, in addition to clarifying that the Secretary of the
Interior is not authorized to acquire property or interfere
with private property rights, local zoning ordinances, or state
and local land use plans.
Further, Section 2 requires the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct and submit to Congress, not later than two years
after funding is made available, a special resource study of
the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site. The
study must evaluate the facility's national significance and
determine the feasibility of designating it as a unit of the
National Park System. The study will also consider alternatives
for conserving the site.
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.
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of House rule XIII and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to
clause 3(c)(3) of House rule XIII and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office a budgetary analysis and a cost estimate of this bill.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to establish the Jackie Robinson
Ballpark National Commemorative Site in the State of Florida,
and for other purposes.
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, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
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
As ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources,
H.R. 8012 would make no changes in existing law.
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