[House Report 114-249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 114-249
======================================================================
PROVIDING FUNDS TO THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO HIRE VETERANS AND
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO ASSIST THE CORPS WITH CURATION AND
HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
September 8, 2015.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Shuster, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3114]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 3114) to provide funds to the Army
Corps of Engineers to hire veterans and members of the Armed
Forces to assist the Corps with curation and historic
preservation activities, 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
Purpose of Legislation........................................... 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 3
Legislative History and Consideration............................ 4
Committee Votes.................................................. 4
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 4
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 4
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 4
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 5
Advisory of Earmarks............................................. 6
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 6
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 6
Federal Mandate Statement........................................ 6
Preemption Clarification......................................... 6
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 6
Applicability of Legislative Branch.............................. 6
Section-by-Section Analysis of Legislation....................... 7
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 7
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Corps of Engineers and other Federal agencies are
required to preserve and catalogue artifacts and other items of
national historical significance that are uncovered during the
course of their work (notably under part 79 of title 36, Code
of Federal Regulations).
(2) Uncatalogued artifacts within the care of Federal
agencies are stored in hundreds of repositories and museums
across the Nation.
(3) In October 2009, the Corps of Engineers, Center of
Expertise for the Curation and Management of Archaeological
Collections, initiated the Veterans' Curation Program to employ
and train Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in archaeological
processing.
(4) The Veterans' Curation Program employs veterans and
members of the Armed Forces in the sorting, cleaning, and
cataloguing of artifacts managed by the Corps of Engineers.
(5) Employees of the Veterans' Curation Program gain valuable
work skills, including computer database management, records
management, photographic and scanning techniques, computer
software proficiency, vocabulary and writing skills, and
interpersonal communication skills, as well as knowledge and
training in archaeology and history.
(6) Since 2009, a total of 241 veterans have participated in
the Veterans' Curation Program, including the current class of
38 participants. Of the 203 graduates of the program, 87
percent have received permanent employment in a field related
to training received under the program or chosen to continue
their education.
(7) Experience in archaeological curation gained through the
Veterans' Curation Program is valuable training and experience
for the museum, forensics, administrative, records management,
and other fields.
(8) Veterans' Curation Program participants may assist the
Corps of Engineers in developing a more efficient and
comprehensive collections management program and also may
provide the workforce to meet the records management needs at
other agencies and departments, including the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 2. TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF ARMED
FORCES IN CURATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
Using available funds, the Secretary of the Army, acting through the
Chief of Engineers, shall carry out a Veterans' Curation Program to
hire veterans and members of the Armed Forces to assist the Secretary
in carrying out curation and historic preservation activities.
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 3114 is to authorize funds to the Army
Corps of Engineers to hire veterans and members of the Armed
Forces to assist the Corps with curation and historic
preservation activities.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Federal interest in water resources development in the
United States stems from the Commerce Clause of the
Constitution. The history of federal water resources
improvements in the United States dates back to the 1820's when
Congress authorized construction of a canal connecting Lake
Michigan to the Illinois River and authorized the United States
Army Corps of Engineers to remove snags, debris, and other
obstructions from the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
Today, the United States Army Corps of Engineers operates
and maintains approximately $250 billion worth of water
resources infrastructure assets. This includes a network of
11,000 miles of the ``fuel-taxed'' Inland Waterways
Transportation System, 13,000 miles of deep draft coastal
navigation channels, 236 lock chambers, more than 700 dams,
approximately 15,000 miles of levees, and 25 percent of the
Nation's hydropower generation. The Corps is also the Nation's
largest provider of recreation opportunities. In addition, the
Corps of Engineers is responsible for the planning and
construction of the majority of the Nation's water resources
development projects related to navigation, flood damage
reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration.
As part of its construction and operation, and maintenance
portfolios, the Corps of Engineers often discovers historical
artifacts, sacred objects, dinosaur bones, and other cultural
items that require preservation. Numerous laws, including the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the
National Historic Preservation Act, govern the treatment and
preservation of these historical and cultural items. The Corps
of Engineers is responsible for carrying out the requirements
of these laws with respect to assets within the Corps'
portfolio.
The Veterans Curation Program was created in 2009 to
utilize veterans to help process archaeological collections
belonging to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Stewardship of
archaeological collections, including both artifacts and
associated records, is the responsibility of landowning
agencies such as the Corps. Processing these collections to
federal standards for long-term storage and public access is
undertaken by cultural resource management firms familiar with
the work. Archaeological collections that were excavated using
public funds during construction of the country's many
reservoirs and associated water control systems are required to
be stored in a manner that ensures their long-term preservation
and facilitates access by the public for scientific research
and education.
The Corps' Veterans Curation Program provides veterans with
both vocational training and short-term employment managing the
archaeological collections of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Overseas contingency operations have increased the number of
veterans and wounded warriors who can benefit from the
additional vocational training provided through the Corps'
Veterans Curation Program to better compete in the mainstream
job market.
Through its investment in service members, the Corps'
Veterans Curation Program builds on the skills that veterans
acquire during military service, including leadership,
teamwork, and attention to detail. Working under the direct
supervision of professionals in the field of archaeology,
veterans receive competitive pay while learning through
technical training in a peer-to-peer environment. The program
provides a bridging experience to the public and private
sector, and facilitates transitions into permanent employment
or enrollment in institutions of higher education.
HEARINGS
No legislative hearings were held on H.R. 3114; however,
the Corps' Veterans Curation Program was discussed on April 22,
2015 at a Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
hearing entitled, ``A Review of the President's Fiscal Year
2016 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
Tennessee Valley Authority.''
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION
On July 20, 2015, Representative Grace Napolitano of
California introduced H.R. 3114, a bill to authorize funds to
the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans and members of the
Armed Forces to assist the Corps with curation and historic
preservation activities, and for other purposes.
On July 23 2015, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure met in open session to consider H.R. 3114, and
ordered the bill, as amended, reported favorably to the House
by voice vote with a quorum present.
Representative Grace Napolitano and Representative Rodney
Davis offered an amendment in Committee. The amendment modified
the authorization of appropriations section for the bill to
authorize the Corps of Engineers to use available funds to
carry out the Veterans Curation Program. The amendment was
adopted by voice vote with a quorum present.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each committee report to include the
total number of votes cast for and against on each recorded
vote on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for
and against. There were no recorded votes taken in connection
with consideration of H.R. 3114, or ordering the bill, as
amended, reported. A motion to order H.R. 3114, as amended,
reported favorably to the House was agreed to by voice vote
with a quorum present.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is
included in this report.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
With respect to the requirement 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
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3114, as amended,
from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, August 6, 2015.
Hon. Bill Shuster, Chairman,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3114, a bill to
provide funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans
and members of the Armed Forces to assist the Corps with
curation and historic preservation activities, and for other
purposes.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Aurora
Swanson.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
H.R. 3114--A bill to provide funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to
hire veterans and members of the Armed Forces to assist the
Corps with curation and historic preservation activities, and
for other purposes
H.R. 3114 would clarify that the Army Corps of Engineers
(Corps) has the authority to hire veterans to catalogue
artifacts and historic items. Based on information from the
Corps, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would not affect
the federal budget. Because enacting H.R. 3114 would not affect
direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not
apply.
Under current law, agencies are required to preserve and
catalogue artifacts discovered during the course of their work.
In 2009, the Corps began hiring veterans to process
uncatalogued artifacts with funding provided by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The initial funding of
$3.5 million provided by ARRA was used to purchase equipment,
rent facilities, negotiate contracts, and hire veterans. Since
then, expenditures for the program have increased to about $4.5
million annually and under current law the Corps expects to
continue hiring veterans to perform the work. H.R. 3114 would
provide specific authority for the Corps to continue those
activities.
H.R. 3114 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson.
This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Assistant Director
for Budget Analysis.
PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
performance goal and objective of this legislation, as amended,
is to authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans to
assist in curation and historic preservation activities.
ADVISORY OF EARMARKS
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list
of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited
tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of
rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. No
provision in the bill, as amended, includes an earmark, limited
tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit under clause 9(e), 9(f),
or 9(g) of rule XXI.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to section 3(g) of H. Res. 5, 114th Cong. (2015),
the Committee finds that no provision of H.R. 3114, as amended,
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
Pursuant to section 3(i) of H. Res. 5, 114th Cong. (2015),
the Committee estimates that H.R. 3114, as amended, directs no
rule makings.
FEDERAL MANDATE STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act (P.L. 104-4).
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
requires the report of any committee on a bill or joint
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local,
or tribal law. The Committee states that H.R. 3114, as amended,
does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this
legislation, as amended.
APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation, as amended, 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 (P.L.
104-1).
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION
Section 1. Findings
Section 1 provides a history of the Veterans Curation
Program, references current requirements on the Corps of
Engineers related to historic preservation, and describes the
benefits of the Veterans Curation Program.
Section 2. Training and employment for veterans and members of Armed
Forces in curation and historic preservation
Section 2 authorizes the Corps of Engineers to carry out
the Veterans Curation Program using funds made available to the
Secretary of the Army.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
H.R. 3114 makes no changes in existing law.
[all]