[House Report 106-736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 106-736
======================================================================
TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK TO
INCLUDE THE WILLS HOUSE
_______
July 17, 2000.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2435]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 2435) to expand the boundaries of the Gettysburg National
Military Park to include the Wills House, 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 out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. WILLS HOUSE ADDED TO PARK.
The Act entitled ``An Act to revise the boundary of the Gettysburg
National Military Park in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for
other purposes'' approved August 17, 1990 (16 U.S.C. 430g-4 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) in section 1--
(A) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection
(c);
(B) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Additional Lands.--In addition to the lands identified in
subsection (a), the park shall also include the property commonly known
as the Wills House located in the Borough of Gettysburg and identified
as Tract P02-1 on the map entitled `Gettysburg National Military Park'
numbered MARO 305/80,011 Segment 2, and dated April 1981, revised May
14, 1999.''; and
(C) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by
striking ``in subsection (a)'' and inserting ``in
subsections (a) and (b)''; and
(2) in section 2, by striking ``1(b)'' each place it appears
and inserting ``1(c)''.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of H.R. 2435 is to expand the boundaries of
Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Wills House.
Background and Need for Legislation
H.R. 2435 would expand the boundaries of Gettysburg
National Military Park to include the Wills House located
within the Borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Wills House
has great historical significance in regard to the Civil War,
the Battle of Gettysburg, and particularly to Abraham Lincoln.
It was at the Wills House where President Lincoln penciled in
the last revisions and stayed before his famous Gettysburg
Address.
The National Park Service desires the property, currently
owned by the Eisenhower Society, to be part of Gettysburg
National Military Park. The Eisenhower Society has indicated
that it would be a willing seller if the Park Service were to
acquire this property. The Borough of Gettysburg also supports
the acquisition of the Wills House by the Park Service.
The Wills House sits some distance away from the current
Military Park boundary. As such, this parcel of land and
structure are not ``adjacent to'' other park lands within the
meaning of the statute (16 U.S.C.A. Sec. 460l-9) which allows
the Secretary of the Interior to make minor boundary
adjustments under certain conditions. Because this parcel does
not meet all the conditions, Congressional authorization is
required to expand the Military Park's boundaries.
Committee Action
H.R. 2435 was introduced on July 1, 1999, by Congressman
William F. Goodling (R-PA). This bill was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands. On July 15,
1999, the Subcommittee met to consider the bill. An amendment
in the nature of a substitute was offered by Congressman James
V. Hansen (R-UT) which eliminated some confusing language in
regard to acquisition authority by the Secretary of the
Interior. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and the bill,
as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the Full
Committee by voice vote. On August 4, 1999, the Full Resources
Committee met to consider H.R. 2435. No further amendments were
offered and the bill, as amended, was then ordered favorably
reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote.
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 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, this
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause
3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee has received no report of
oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on
Government Reform on this bill.
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, September 10, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
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. 2435, a bill to
expand the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park
to include the Wills House, and for other purposes.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 2435--A bill to expand the boundaries of the Gettysburg National
Military Park to include the Wills House
Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO
estimates that implementing H.R. 2435 would cost the federal
government about $4 million over the 2000-2004 period. The bill
would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures would not apply. H.R. 2435 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.
H.R. 2435 would expand the boundaries of the Gettysburg
National Military Park in Pennsylvania to include the Wills
House, a building located outside of the park in the borough of
Gettysburg.
Based on information provided by the National Park Service
(NPS) and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO
estimates that the federal government would spend about $3
million over the next three or four years to acquire and
renovate the Wills House and to develop appropriate
interpretive exhibits. In addition, the NPS would spend between
$100,000 and $400,000 annually beginning in fiscal year 2000 to
operate the site. Operating expenses after fiscal year 2004
would be about $400,000 annually.
The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. This estimate was
approved by Paul N. Van de Water, 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 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):
ACT OF AUGUST 17, 1990
AN ACT To revise the boundary of Gettysburg National Military Park in
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.
* * * * * * *
SECTION 1. GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY REVISION.
(a) * * *
(b) Additional Lands.--In addition to the lands identified in
subsection (a), the park shall also include the property
commonly known as the Wills House located in the Borough of
Gettysburg and identified as Tract P02-1 on the map entitled
``Gettysburg National Military Park'' numbered MARO 305/80,011
Segment 2, and dated April 1981, revised May 14, 1999.
[(b)] (c) Lands Excluded From the Park.--Lands and interests
in lands outside of the boundary so depicted as ``Park
Boundary'' on the map referred to [in subsection (a)] in
subsections (a) and (b) are hereby excluded from the park and
shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of
section 2(c).
SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF LANDS.
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(c) Conveyance of Lands Excluded From Park.--(1) The
Secretary is authorized, in accordance with applicable existing
law, to exchange Federal lands and interests excluded from the
park pursuant to section [1(b)] 1(c) for the purpose of
acquiring lands within the park boundary.
* * * * * * *
(d) Relinquishment of Legislative Jurisdiction to
Pennsylvania.--With respect to any lands over which the United
States exercises exclusive or concurrent legislative
jurisdiction and which are excluded from the park pursuant to
section [1(b)] 1(c), the Secretary may relinquish to the State
of Pennsylvania such exclusive or concurrent legislative
jurisdiction by filing with the Governor a notice of
relinquishment to take effect upon acceptance thereof, unless
otherwise provided by the laws of the State.
* * * * * * *