[House Report 115-822]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-822
======================================================================
AMENDING THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES CENTENNIAL COMMISSION
ACT TO EXTEND THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE COMMISSION, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
_______
July 16, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Gowdy, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4446]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 4446) to amend the Virgin Islands
of the United States Centennial Commission Act to extend the
expiration date of the Commission, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Summary and Purpose of Legislation............................... 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the
Committee...................................................... 2
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 2
Legislative History.............................................. 2
Committee Consideration.......................................... 3
Roll Call Votes.................................................. 3
Explanation of Amendments........................................ 3
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch..................... 3
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 3
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 3
Federal Advisory Committee Act................................... 3
Unfunded Mandates Statement...................................... 4
Earmark Identification........................................... 4
Committee Estimate............................................... 4
New Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost
Estimate....................................................... 4
Section-by-Section Analysis...................................... 5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SEC. 1. AMENDMENT.
The Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commission Act
(Public Law 114-224) is amended--
(1) in section 7(b), by striking ``January 31, 2018'' and
inserting ``January 31, 2019''; and
(2) in section 10, by striking ``September 30, 2018'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2019''.
Summary and Purpose of Legislation
H.R. 4446 extends the Virgin Islands of the United States
Centennial Commission to September 30, 2019, and delays the
deadline for the final report of the Commission to January 31,
2019.
Background and Need for Legislation
The Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial
Commission Act was signed into law on September 29, 2016.\1\
The Commission's charge is to plan and carry out events
commemorating the 100th anniversary of the transfer of the
Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States. The
Centennial occurred on March 31, 2017. However, the appointment
of two members of the Commission was delayed by more than one
year, and hurricane recovery efforts made Centennial
celebrations impossible in the latter part of 2017. As a
result, the Commission has not convened, and no events have
been planned or carried out to date. Because the Commission has
not held any meetings or events, there is no final report
available detailing the Commission's activities. H.R. 4446
delays the expiration of the Commission and the deadline for
submitting the final report by one year to give the Commission
more time to plan events celebrating this important event in
American history.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Pub. L. No. 114-224 (2016).
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Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the previous section.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee's performance
goal or objective for this bill is to extend the duration of
the Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commission
by one year.
Legislative History
On November 16, 2017, Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-VI)
introduced H.R. 4446, a bill to amend the Virgin Islands of the
United States Centennial Commission Act to extend the
expiration date of the Commission, and for other purposes. H.R.
4446 was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform. The Committee considered H.R. 4446 at a business
meeting on March 15, 2018 and ordered the bill favorably
reported, as amended, by voice vote.
Committee Consideration
On March 15, 2018, the Committee met in open session and,
with a quorum being present, ordered the bill favorably
reported, as amended, by voice vote.
Roll Call Votes
There were no roll call votes requested or conducted during
Committee consideration of H.R. 4446.
Explanation of Amendments
During Committee consideration of the bill, Representative
Glenn Grothman (R-WI), offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute to remove a provision allowing the Delegate from the
Virgin Islands to appoint a member of the Commission, if the
Governor of the Virgin Islands fails to do so by the required
deadline. The amendment also removes a provision repealing the
prohibition on authorization or obligation of federal funds to
carry out the Act. The Grothman amendment was adopted by a
voice vote.
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch
Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a
description of the application of this bill to the legislative
branch where the bill relates to the terms and conditions of
employment or access to public services and accommodations.
This bill extends the duration of the Virgin Islands of the
United States Centennial Commission by one year. As such, this
bill does not relate to employment or access to public services
and accommodations.
Duplication of Federal Programs
In accordance with clause 2(c)(5) of rule XIII no provision
of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of the
Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal
program, a program that was included in any report from the
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance.
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings
This bill does not direct the completion of any specific
rule makings within the meaning of section 551 of title 5,
United States Code.
Federal Advisory Committee Act
The Committee finds that the legislation does not establish
or authorize the establishment of an advisory committee within
the definition of Section 5(b) of the appendix to title 5,
United States Code.
Unfunded Mandates Statement
Pursuant to section 423 of the Congressional Budget and
Impoundment Control Act (Pub. L. 113-67) the Committee has
included a letter received from the Congressional Budget Office
below.
Earmark Identification
This bill does not include any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of rule XXI of the House of Representatives.
Committee Estimate
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(2)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee includes below a
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
New Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the House of
Representatives, the cost estimate prepared by the
Congressional Budget Office and submitted pursuant to section
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is as follows:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 20, 2018.
Hon. Trey Gowdy,
Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4446, a bill to
amend the Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial
Commission Act to extend the expiration date of the Commission,
and for other purposes.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 4446--A bill to amend the Virgin Islands of the United States
Centennial Commission Act to extend the expiration date of the
Commission, and for other purposes
H.R. 4446 would extend the authority for the Virgin Islands
of the United States Centennial Commission to act for one
additional year. The Commission whose members have been
selected but have not met, is prohibited from using
appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 4446 would affect direct spending because it
would allow the commission to continue to accept and spend
monetary gifts for an additional year. Therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that the net effect on
direct spending would be negligible. Enacting H.R. 4446 would
not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 4446 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 4446 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
On February 20, 2018, CBO transmitted a revised cost
estimate for H.R. 4446, an amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute posted on the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform's website on February 6, 2018. The two pieces
of legislation are similar and CBO's estimates of their costs
are the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Amendment
Section 1 amends the Virgin Islands of the United States
Centennial Commission Act (Public Law 114-224) to extend the
submission deadline for the final report of the Commission to
January 31, 2019 and delay the termination date of the
Commission to September 30, 2019.
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, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES CENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT
* * * * * * *
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) Annual Reports.--Not later than January 31 of each year,
and annually thereafter until the final report is submitted
pursuant to subsection (b), the Commission shall submit to the
President and the Congress a report on--
(1) the activities of the Commission; and
(2) the revenue and expenditures of the Commission,
including a list of each gift, bequest, or devise to
the Commission with a value of more than $250,
including the identity of the donor of each gift,
bequest, or devise.
(b) Final Report.--Not later than [January 31, 2018] January
31, 2019, the Commission shall submit a final report to the
President and the Congress containing--
(1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
and
(2) a final accounting of funds received and expended
by the Commission.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 10. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate on [September 30, 2018]
September 30, 2019, or may terminate at an earlier date
determined by the Commission after the final report is
submitted pursuant to section 7(b).
* * * * * * *
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