[House Report 115-535]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-535
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JAMES K. POLK PRESIDENTIAL HOME STUDY ACT
_______
January 29, 2018.--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. 443]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 443) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the James
K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a unit of the National
Park System, 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. 443 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a
unit of the National Park System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States,
lived in Columbia, Tennessee, from 1819 until 1824. Nominated
as the first ``dark-horse'' presidential candidate, Polk
unified a split Democratic Party to defeat Henry Clay of the
Whig Party, assuming office in 1844. Despite only serving one
term, Polk is considered by some to be the most efficient
President, accomplishing all the domestic and foreign policy
goals established during his campaign. Although frequently
overshadowed by his predecessor, Andrew Jackson, Polk is
credited with a wide range of policy accomplishments, most
notably expanding the western territorial holdings of the
United States through the Mexican-American War and the
establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy. Polk left office in
1849, returning to Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived for
three months before his death.
The James K. Polk home in Columbia, Tennessee, was
designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1961. In April
2015, the National Park Service (NPS) completed a
reconnaissance survey of the home and determined that the site
warrants a special resource study to analyze the suitability,
feasibility, and need for NPS to manage the James K. Polk home.
NPS recommended that Congress consider authorizing a special
resource study for the site. The James K. Polk home is the only
surviving residence of President Polk, and contains original
artifacts from his estate.
H.R. 443 authorizes a special resource study of the James
K. Polk home to evaluate its national significance, the
suitability and feasibility for potential designation of the
area as a unit of the National Park System, and the need for
NPS management of the resource versus management by other
public or private entities. The study is informational since
Congress would still have to act on separate legislation to
establish the site as a unit of the National Park System.
A similar bill, S. 99, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander
(R-TN), was favorably reported by the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources on May 3, 2017.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 443 was introduced on January 11, 2017, by Congressman
Scott DesJarlais (R-TN). The bill was referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On January 17, 2018, 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.
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, January 26, 2018.
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. 443, the James K.
Polk Presidential Home Study Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 443--James K. Polk Presidential Home Study Act
H.R. 443 would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to
study the suitability and feasibility of designating the home
of James K. Polk in Columbia, Tennessee, as a unit of the
National Park System. Using information from the NPS on the
costs of similar studies, CBO estimates that implementing H.R.
443 would cost about $200,000; such spending would be subject
to the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 443 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 443 would not increase net
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 443 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
On April 7, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
99, the James K. Polk Presidential Home Study Act, as ordered
reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources on March 30, 2017. The two bills are similar and
CBO's estimates of their budgetary effects are the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. 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 direct the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a
unit of the National Park System.
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 to existing
law.