[House Report 113-81]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 113-81
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BUFFALO SOLDIERS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS STUDY ACT
_______
May 17, 2013.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 520]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 520) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating and
interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early
years of the National Parks, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment
and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 520 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to conduct a study of alternatives for
commemorating and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers
in the early years of the National Parks.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 520, the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study
Act, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to initiate
a study to determine effective ways to commemorate America's
Buffalo Soldiers and their role in helping to protect, build,
and preserve America's national parks, as well as to ascertain
the suitability and feasibility of potential historic sites,
national landmarks, and a national historic trail related to
their work.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Buffalo
Soldiers, the all African-American cavalrymen of the U.S. Army,
rode from the San Francisco Presidio to the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains, serving as the protectors of several
of the country's first national parks. Led by Lieutenant
Colonel Charles Young, the first African-American
superintendent of Yosemite National Park, these de facto
rangers built trails, preserved the giant sequoias, and
protected the wildlife of Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.
H.R. 520 directs the Secretary of the Interior to research
the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in protecting these nascent
parks and examine, among other things, the possible creation of
a national historic trail along the route used by these
soldiers.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 520 was introduced on February 5, 2013, by
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA). The bill was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to
the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.
On April 24, 2013, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to
consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent.
No amendments were offered, and the bill was then adopted and
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
unanimous consent.
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
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the following cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 520--Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act
H.R. 520 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to
conduct a study of alternatives for honoring the Buffalo
Soldiers (members of several African-American regiments within
the U.S. Army established after the Civil War) in their role in
the development of the National Park System. The U.S. Army,
including regiments of Buffalo Soldiers, was responsible for
protecting national parks before the National Park Service was
established.
Based on information from the NPS and assuming the
availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that
conducting the study would cost about $400,000 over the next
three years. Enacting H.R. 520 would not affect direct spending
or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 520 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required
by 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, this bill does not contain any new budget
authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on
information from the NPS and assuming the availability of
appropriated funds, CBO estimates that conducting the study
would cost about $400,000 over the next three years.
3. 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 authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating
and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early
years of the National Parks.
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.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5
Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any
specific rule-making proceedings.
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.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.