[House Report 106-66]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 106-66
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GATEWAY VISITOR CENTER AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1999
_______
March 17, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 449]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 449) to authorize the Gateway Visitor Center at
Independence National Historical Park, 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. 449 is to authorize the Gateway Visitor
Center at Independence National Historical Park.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The National Park Service's general management plan for
Independence National Historical Park calls for the
revitalization of Independence Mall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. A key component to this revitalization is the
construction of a new ``Gateway Visitor Center.'' The new
visitor center would replace the current one and would serve as
an orientation center not only for Independence Mall, but also
for the City of Philadelphia and other regional attractions.
This new visitor center would be operated by the Gateway
Visitor Center Corporation, a nonprofit organization,
representing the various public and civic interests of the
greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. The Gateway Visitor
Center Corporation will raise funds for and cooperate in a
program to design, develop, construct, and operate the proposed
Gateway Visitor Center. In addition, all activities engaged in
by the Corporation, as authorized by the cooperative agreement,
shall be used for the operation and administration of the
Center.
Private and public funds will be used to develop the
visitor center on national park property. As planned, the
Center would be an approximately 50,000 square foot visitor
facility estimated to cost approximately $25 million. After
construction, the Center would be owned by the National Park
Service. The park as a whole attracts more than 3.1 million
visitors annually from around the nation and the world to see
some of our country's greatest icons like Independence Hall and
the Liberty Bell. The park's current visitor center is poorly
located and inconvenient to the majority of visitors.
Furthermore, the current housing for the Liberty Bell is
obsolete and needs to be moved to a better location.
H.R. 449 would establish the Gateway Visitor Center at
Independence National Historical Park by authorizing the
Secretary of the Interior to enter into a cooperative agreement
with Gateway Visitor Center Corporation to construct and
operate a regional visitor center on Independence Mall to
provide information, interpretation, facilities, and services
to visitors to Independence National Historical Park, its
surrounding historic sites, and the City of Philadelphia.
Revenues generated by the Corporation by authorized activities
shall be used to operate and administer the Center.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 449 was introduced on February 2, 1999, by Congressman
Robert Borski (D-PA). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands. On February 25, 1999, the
Subcommittee met to consider the bill. No amendments were
offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the Full
Resource Committee by voice vote. On March 3, 1999, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider H.R. 449. No amendments
were offered and the bill was then ordered favorably reported
to the House of Representatives by voice vote.
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 Resources' oversight findings and recommendations
are reflected in the body of this report.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8 and Article IV, section 3 of the
Constitution of the United States grant Congress the authority
to enact this bill.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) 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)(3)(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.
2. 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.
3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause
3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee has received no report of
oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on
Government Reform on this bill.
4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. 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:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 10, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 449, the Gateway
Visitor Center Authorization Act of 1999.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry A. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 449--Gateway Visitor Center Authorization Act of 1999
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 449 would cost less
than $1 million a year, subject to the availability of
appropriated funds. H.R. 449 would authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to execute an agreement with the Gateway Visitor
Center Corporation under which this nonprofit organization
would construct and operate a regional visitor center on
Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bill would
authorize the corporation to charge fees, sell food,
merchandise, and tickets, and provide information, facilities,
and services to visitors to the Independence National
Historical Park and other regional sites. Amounts earned from
fees and sales would be used by the corporation to help pay for
its operating expenses. The National Park Service (NPS) would
provide visitor information and facilities and offer
interpretive programs.
Based on information provided by the NPS, and assuming
appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO expects that the
agency would provide an annual contribution toward the
operation of the center. The appropriate federal contribution
has not yet been determined by the NPS, but CBO estimates that
it could be several hundred thousand dollars a year. Some of
the annual contribution may be offset by savings in operating
expenses that may be realized when the NPS closes its existing
visitor center at the park once the new Gateway Visitor Center
becomes operational in fiscal year 2000.
H.R. 449 would not affect direct spending or receipts;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. This estimate was
approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis.
compliance with public law 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
changes in existing law
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.