[Senate Report 115-304]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 115-304
======================================================================
NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM ACT
_______
July 17, 2018.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1900]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (H.R. 1900) to designate the Veterans
Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, as the National Veterans
Memorial and Museum, and for other purposes, having considered
the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and
recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE
The purpose of H.R. 1900 is to designate the Veterans
Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio as the ``National
Veterans Memorial and Museum.''
BACKGROUND AND NEED
The National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) is
currently under construction in Columbus, Ohio. According to
the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, the NVMM will
seek to honor, connect, inspire, and educate people of the
United States about the service and sacrifice of veterans of
the United States Armed Forces.
When completed, the NVMM will be the only public museum of
its kind that exists for the exclusive purpose of interpreting
the collective experiences of veterans of the United States of
America across all eras, conflicts, and branches of the
military. The NVMM aims to attract and educate a diverse group
of audiences from across the country through visitor-centered,
interactive, and participatory exhibits. The NVMM also seeks to
preserve the stories and legacy of service so that visitors can
conduct a critical evaluation of the history and evolution of
the United States through the lens of the military experience.
The NVMM plans to open in late 2018.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H.R. 1900 was introduced in the House of Representatives by
Rep. Stivers on April 4, 2017, and referred to the Committees
on Natural Resources and Veterans' Affairs. The Veterans'
Affairs Committee favorably reported H.R. 1900, as amended (H.
Rept. 115-399, Part I), on November 7, 2017, and the Natural
Resources Committee discharged H.R. 1900 on the same day. On
November 7, 2017, H.R. 1900 passed the House of Representatives
by voice vote.
Similar legislation, S. 841, was introduced by Senators
Portman and Brown on April 5, 2017. The Senate Subcommittee on
National Parks held a hearing on S. 841 on July 19, 2017.
In the 114th Congress, Senators Portman and Brown
introduced similar legislation, S. 3342, on September 15, 2016.
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Stivers introduced
companion legislation, H.R. 6038, on September 15, 2016.
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open
business session on May 17, 2018, and ordered H.R. 1900
favorably reported.
The Senate passed H.R. 1900 on June 6, 2018, without
amendment, by voice vote.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on May 17, 2018, by a majority voice vote
of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 1900.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 contains the short title.
Section 2. Designation of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum
Section 2(a) designates the memorial and museum currently
under construction on an approximately seven-acre area on West
Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio, bounded by the Scioto River and
the Scioto Greenway, as the ``National Veterans Memorial and
Museum,'' subject to the condition contained in subsection (b).
Subsection (b) stipulates that the designation may be
withdrawn no earlier than five years after the date on which
the museum opens to the public, pursuant to an Act of Congress,
if the progress and operation of the museum are found to be
unsatisfactory based on the report submitted, as required in
subsection (c).
Subsection (c) requires a report to Congress on the
memorial and the museum by the earlier of either 90 days after
the date of enactment or 30 days before the date on which the
memorial and museum is first open to the public. The report
shall include the projected budget for the memorial and museum
for the five-year period beginning on its expected opening
date; a description of the outreach conducted by the memorial
and museum to veterans across the United States to receive
input about the design and contents; a description of the
process by which decisions are made about the contents of the
displayed exhibits; a description of the organizational
structure; a copy of the bylaws and rules; and a list of any
organizations or entities that have accredited the memorial and
museum.
Subsection (d) clarifies that the national memorial and
museum is not a unit of the National Park System, and the
designation shall not be construed to require Federal funds to
be expended for any purpose related to the national memorial
and museum.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of the costs of this measure has
been provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 1900 would designate a memorial and museum, currently
being constructed by a non-profit organization in Columbus,
Ohio, as the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. The act
would require the director of the new museum to submit a report
to the Congress on the memorial and museum's progress and
operation. H.R. 1900 would clarify that neither part of the
facility would be a unit of the National Park System and that
the designation under the act would not require federal funds
to be expended. Thus, CBO estimates that H.R. 1900 would have
no effect on the federal budget.
Enacting H.R. 1900 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1900 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 1900 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Logan Smith. The
estimate was reviewed by Leo Lex, Deputy Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out H.R. 1900. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of H.R. 1900, as ordered reported.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING
H.R. 1900, as ordered reported, does not contain any
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits,
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at
the July 19, 2017, hearing on S. 841, similar legislation to
H.R. 1900, follows:
Statement of Robert Vogel, Acting Deputy Director, National Park
Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Chairman Daines, Ranking Member Hirono, and members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department of the Interior's views on S. 841, a bill to
designate the Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio as
the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
The Department of the Interior (Department) defers to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for a position on S. 841 since
the purpose of the legislation is to confer a title on a
memorial and museum designed to honor veterans. The memorial is
located at a site that is not under the jurisdiction of the
Department, and this bill does not provide for any management
or funding by the National Park Service.
The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation broke ground
on the Veterans Memorial and Museum in December 2015. It is
being built with support from the State of Ohio, Franklin
County, and private individuals, foundations, and corporations.
The museum will become the only one of its kind that exists for
the exclusive purpose of interpreting the collective experience
of veterans of the United States across all eras, conflicts,
and branches of the military. It is expected to open in the
summer of 2018.
We are concerned that this legislation proposes the use of
the title ``national'' which could create an expectation among
the general public that the memorial and museum has an
affiliation with the National Park Service, or at least some
connection to the Federal government. This is not the first
time the issue of a ``national'' designation for a non-federal
entity has arisen, nor is it likely to be the last. The
Department respectfully encourages the committee to be
thoughtful and judicious in any decision as to whether an
entity that has no association with the Federal government
should have a ``national'' title conferred by Congress.
Chairman Daines, this concludes my statement. I would be
pleased to answer questions you or other members of the
subcommittee may have.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill as ordered
reported.
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