[House Report 113-589] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 113th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 113-589 ====================================================================== TO AMEND THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL DEVELOPMENT ACT TO EXTEND TO [SIC] THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK COMMISSION _______ September 15, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany S. 476] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the bill (S. 476) to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend to [sic] the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The purpose of S. 476 is to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION S. 476 would extend the authorization of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park Commission for 10 years. The current authorization expired in January 2011 and was originally authorized in 1971. The responsibility of the Commission is to advise the Secretary of the Interior on matters related to the park. The C&O Canal Park stretches 185 miles along the shoreline of the Potomac River. The Commission was intended to provide the diverse jurisdictions a seat at the table on topics involving the canal. The Commission is comprised of 19 members, with 8 chosen at the recommendation of the counties, 8 from the governors of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The final three, including the Chairman, are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. COMMITTEE ACTION S. 476 was introduced on March 6, 2013, by Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD). On July 9, 2014, the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent with an amendment. The bill was then referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. On July 29, 2014, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On July 30, 2014, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider S. 476. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and the bill was 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: S. 476--An act to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission S. 476 would extend the authorization of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission for an additional 10 years. The Commission's original authority expired in 2011. Based on information provided by the National Park Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no significant effect on the federal budget. Commission members would serve without compensation; however, certain expenses could be reimbursed. CBO estimates that those payments would be small. Enacting S. 476 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. S. 476 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. On May 29, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 476 as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on May 16, 2013. The two versions of the legislation are identical, and the CBO cost estimates are the same. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 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, credit authority, spending authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on information provided by the National Park Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no significant effect on the federal budget. 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 amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission. 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.