[House Report 115-123]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 115-123
======================================================================
MEDGAR EVERS HOUSE STUDY ACT
_______
May 16, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1715]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1715) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar Evers House,
located in Jackson, Mississippi, 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. 1715 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar
Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 1715 authorizes a special resource study by the
Secretary of the Interior of the home of the late civil rights
activist, Medgar Evers, located in Jackson, Mississippi. The
Evers family home was the site of the assassination of
prominent civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963 by Byron
De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens' Council. The
home, now a museum operated by Tougaloo College, contains
period furnishings, exhibits, and family photographs. The study
will seek to determine the national significance of the Medgar
Evers site. Based on the degree of significance, the Secretary
will determine the feasibility of designating the site as a
unit of the National Park System. During the study, the
National Park Service will also consult and collaborate with
various public and private entities to determine costs and
other factors associated with the acquisition, preservation,
and maintenance of the site.
In the 114th Congress, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-
MS) introduced nearly identical legislation as H.R. 959. On
June 16, 2015, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing
on the bill. At the hearing the National Park Service testified
in support of the legislation. On September 8, 2015, the
Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported the bill.
Subsequently, the bill passed the House by voice vote on
September 16, 2015.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 1715 was introduced on March 23, 2017, by Congressman
Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On April 26, 2017, the Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were
offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent on April 27,
2017.
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.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, May 5, 2017.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1715, the Medgar
Evers House Study Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jon Sperl.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1715--Medgar Evers House Study Act
H.R. 1715 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Medgar
Evers House in Jackson, Mississippi, as a unit of the National
Park System. Assuming the availability of appropriated funds,
CBO estimates that carrying out the proposed study would cost
about $200,000.
Enacting H.R. 1715 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 1715 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 1715 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 April 7, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
644, the Medgar Evers House Study Act, as ordered reported by
the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on March
30, 2017. The two pieces of legislation are similar and CBO's
estimate of their budgetary effects is the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The
estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy, Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
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 authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar
Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi.
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. 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.
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.
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