[House Report 109-548]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 109-548
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TO AMEND PUBLIC LAW 106-348 TO EXTEND THE AUTHORIZATION FOR
ESTABLISHING A MEMORIAL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OR ITS ENVIRONS TO
HONOR VETERANS WHO BECAME DISABLED WHILE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES OF
THE UNITED STATES
_______
July 10, 2006.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4275]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 4275) to amend Public Law 106-348 to extend the
authorization for establishing a memorial in the District of
Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled
while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, 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. 4275 is to amend Public Law 106-348 to
extend the authorization for establishing a memorial in the
District of Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who
became disabled while serving in the Armed Forces of the United
States.
Background and Need for Legislation
In 2000 under Public Law 106-348, Congress authorized the
Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation (DVLMF) to
establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its
environs to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in
the Armed Forces of the United States. While the DVLMF has
already secured a site from the National Park Service and a
final design has been chosen, the Foundation needs more time to
secure the funds necessary for the memorial's construction.
Although the Foundation is making progress in obtaining private
funds for the memorial, its charter under Public Law 106-348
will expire at the end of 2007. Extending its charter until
2015 would give the Foundation ample time to secure funding and
complete construction.
Committee Action
H.R. 4275 was introduced on November 9, 2005, by
Congresswoman Sue W. Kelly (R-NY). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on National Parks. On May 25, 2006, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On June 21, 2006, the
Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill at which time
the Subcommittee on National Parks was discharged from further
consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments
were offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
Constitutional Authority Statement
Article IV, section 3, clause 2 of the Constitution of the
United States grants 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,
thisbill 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:
H.R. 4275--A bill to amend Public Law 106-348 to extend the
authorization for establishing a memorial in the District of
Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled
while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States
H.R. 4275 would extend until October 24, 2015, the
authority to establish a memorial to honor veterans who became
disabled while serving in the Armed Forces. The extension would
give the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation (the
site's sponsor) an additional eight years to obtain the
necessary funds and complete the project. Under current law,
authority to construct the site will expire on October 24,
2007.
Because the prospective memorial would be established with
nonfederal funds, extending the authority to build it would not
affect the federal budget. H.R. 4275 contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on
state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
This 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 Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
SECTION 1 OF PUBLIC LAW 106-348
SECTION 1. MEMORIAL TO HONOR DISABLED VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES
ARMED FORCES.
(a) * * *
(b) Compliance With Standards for Commemorative Works.--The
establishment of the memorial shall be in accordance with the
Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), except that
section 8903(e) of title 40, United States Code, shall not
apply and the authorization for this Act shall expire on
October 24, 2015.
* * * * * * *
(d) Deposit of Excess Funds.--If, upon payment of all
expenses of the establishment of the memorial (including the
maintenance and preservation amount required under section 8(b)
of the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1008(b))), or upon
expiration of the authority for the memorial [under section
10(b) of such Act (40 U.S.C. 1010(b))] under subsection (b),
there remains a balance of funds received for the establishment
of the memorial, the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial
Foundation shall transmit the amount of the balance to the
Secretary of the Treasury for deposit in the account provided
for in section 8(b)(1) of such Act (40 U.S.C. 1008(b)(1)).