[House Report 116-611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
116th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 116-611
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK OWNERSHIP CORRECTION ACT
_______
December 2, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 5459]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 5459) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to correct a land ownership error within the boundary of Rocky
Mountain National Park, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 5459 is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to correct a land ownership error within the
boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
In the 1950s, a 0.18-acre plot containing the Forsyth
family cabin was erroneously transferred to the Rocky Mountain
National Park (RMNP) when the National Park Service purchased a
larger surrounding parcel, due to an error in the bank
documents' legal description of the parcel. The Forsyth family,
seeking to regain legal ownership of its cabin and the 0.18-
acre plot on which it sits, proposed to exchange 0.18 acres of
non-federal land for the 0.18-acre property.
H.R. 5459 corrects a longstanding land ownership issue by
authorizing a land exchange between the Forsyth family and the
Secretary of the Interior. The legislation stipulates that
lands exchanged are of equal value and that the non-federal
land acquired by the Secretary of the Interior through the
exchange will be administered as part of the RMNP.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 5459 was introduced on December 17, 2019, by
Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO). The bill was referred solely
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee
to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public
Lands. On July 13, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the
bill. On September 30, 2020, the Natural Resources Committee
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered. The bill was
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the
116th Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or
consider H.R. 5459: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on July 13,
2020.
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) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee adopts
as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate of the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such cost
estimate be made available before House passage of the bill.
The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
Congressional Budget Office staff has informed the
Committee on a preliminary, informal, nonbinding basis that the
bill will likely have no direct spending or revenue effects.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to correct a land ownership error within the boundary
of Rocky Mountain National Park.
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.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
None.
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