[House Report 107-628]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
107th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 107-628
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SAN GABRIEL RIVER WATERSHEDS STUDY ACT OF 2002
_______
September 4, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2534]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 2534) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a special resource study of the Lower Los Angeles River
and San Gabriel River watersheds in the State of California,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill
as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``San Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act
of 2002''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this
Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall conduct a special resource
study of the following areas:
(1) The San Gabriel River and its tributaries north of and
including the city of Santa Fe Springs.
(2) The San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of the San
Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy
(as defined in section 32603(c)(1)(C) of the State of
California Public Resource Code).
(b) Study Conduct and Completion.--Section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of the
study required by this section.
(c) Consultation With Federal, State, and Local Governments.--In
conducting the study authorized by this section, the Secretary shall
consult with the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy and other appropriate Federal, State, and local
governmental entities.
(d) Considerations.--In conducting the study authorized by this
section, the Secretary shall consider regional flood control and
drainage needs and publicly owned infrastructure, including, but not
limited to, wastewater treatment facilities.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
Not later than 3 years after funds are made available for this Act,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives a report on the findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of the study.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 2534 is to authorize the Secretary of
Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Lower Los
Angeles River and the San Gabriel River watersheds in the State
of California, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The legislation would direct the Secretary of Interior to
conduct a special resource study of a substantial portion of
the area of the San Gabriel Rivers and Mountains Conservancy.
The Conservancy was established in 1999 as an independent
agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California
to preserve open space in this urban area. The study is
intended to address local values of open space preservation and
recreational opportunities for this heavily urbanized area of
southern California.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 2534 was introduced on July 17, 2001 by Congresswoman
Hilda Solis (D-CA) and was referred to the Committee on
Resources. On July 25, 2001, the bill was referred within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation,
and Public Lands. On June 13, 2002, the Subcommittee held a
hearing on the bill. On July 24, 2002, the Full Resources
Committee met to consider the bill. By unanimous consent, the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands
was discharged from further consideration of the bill. Ms.
Solis offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to
require the Secretary of Interior to conduct a special resource
study of the area, remove the Lower Los Angeles River and the
portion of the San Gabriel River south of the city of Santa Fe
Springs from the study area, insert language requiring the
Secretary to consider regional flood control, public
infrastructure, and wastewater treatment needs, and require the
consultation of local governments. The amendment was adopted by
unanimous consent. There were no further amendments and the
bill was ordered favorably reported, as amended, 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 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. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not
apply.
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, July 31, 2002.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
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. 2534, the San
Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act of 2002.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this
estimate is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 2534--San Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act of 2002
H.R. 2534 would direct the Department of the Interior to
conduct a study of two areas to determine the suitability and
feasibility of establishing them collectively as a unit of the
National Park System. The study areas are composed of certain
segments of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Gabriel River
and tributaries. The bill would require the department to
report findings and recommendations within three years of
receiving funding for the study.
Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO
estimates that implementing H.R. 2534 would cost the federal
government less than $500,000 over the next three years to
complete the required study and report. The bill would not
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply.
H.R. 2534 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would have no significant impact on the budgets of state,
local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
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.