[House Report 106-748]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 106-748
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JACKSON MULTI-AGENCY CAMPUS ACT OF 1999
_______
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 S. 1374]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill (S.
1374) to authorize the development and maintenance of a
multiagency campus project in the town of Jackson, Wyoming,
having considered the same, report favorably thereon without
amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of S. 1374 is to authorize the development and
maintenance of a multi-agency campus project in the town of
Jackson, Wyoming.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Local, State and federal officials have identified an
opportunity to develop a multi-agency campus in Jackson,
Wyoming, that will offer visitors a ``one stop shopping''
service for wildlife, tourism and resource issues. The proposed
multi-agency campus includes a wildlife interpretive center,
facilities for public programs, walkways, bike paths, museum
space, and office locations for the Wyoming Department of Game
and Fish, the U.S. Forest Service, and the local Chamber of
Commerce. There are several entities involved in this effort,
including the U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Department of Game
and Fish, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Teton County, the Town of Jackson, the Jackson Chamber
of Commerce, and the Jackson Hole Historical Society.
Legislation is required to allow the land exchanges which will
provide for the building site and construction.
S. 1374 will improve communications among the federal
agencies and related entities, and reduce costs to federal,
State and local governments as they address public needs. To
accomplish this, the Forest Service has reached an agreement
with the State of Wyoming and Town of Jackson to trade two
small parcels of land for a building site and building. This
will be an equal value exchange between willing partners, and
requires Congressional action to permit the conveyance of
public lands.
The House companion measure to S. 1374 is H.R. 2577,
introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R-WY).
COMMITTEE ACTION
S. 1374 was introduced by Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) on
July 15, 1999. On November 19, 1999, the Senate passed the bill
with amendments by unanimous consent. The bill was referred to
the Committee on Resources and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. On May 3, 2000, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On May 16, 2000, the
Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. No amendments were
offered and the bill was then ordered favorably reported to the
Full Committee by voice vote. On June 7, 2000, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. No amendments
were offered and the bill was then ordered favorably reported
to the House of Representatives by voice vote.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
The short title of the bill is the Jackson Multi-Agency
Campus Act of 1999.
Section 2. Findings and purposes
This section contains the congressional findings and
purposes.
Section 3. Definitions
This section defines key terms used in the bill.
Section 4. Multi-agency campus project, Jackson, Wyoming
Section 4(a) requires that the Secretary of Agriculture
convey a parcel of land to Jackson, Wyoming if the town offers
to construct an administrative facility for the Bridger-Teton
National Forest, as part of a multi-agency campus, within five
years after the date of enactment of this bill.
Subsection (b) requires that the Secretary of Agriculture
convey a parcel of land to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
if it offers to convey a parcel of land for the construction of
an administrative facility for the Bridger-Teton National
Forest within five years after the date of enactment of this
bill.
Section 5. Conveyance of Federal land
Section 5(a) describes the parcels of federal land to be
conveyed under the bill.
Subsection (b) provides that the United States will
relinquish all reversionary interests in the parcel conveyed to
the Wyoming Fish and Game Commission.
Section 6. Equal value of interests exchanged
Section 6(a) states that the lands to be exchanged shall be
of equal value, as provided in section 206 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).
Subsection (b) authorizes the Secretary to reduce the
federal acreage conveyed if the value of the federal land to be
conveyed is greater than the construction costs of the project.
Subsection (c) states that the value of any federal land
conveyed to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission shall be equal
to the value of land conveyed by the Commission to the United
States.
Subsection (d) provides for cash equalization payments, if
necessary, as authorized under section 206 of FLPMA.
Section 7. Additional provisions
Section 7(a) pertains to the construction of facilities on
federal land for the multi-agency campus.
Subsection (b) ensures that the town shall have access to
the federal land until the construction of the project is
completed.
Subsection (c) states that land acquired by the United
States shall be governed by all laws applicable to the
administration of national forest sites.
Subsection (d) states that no part of the construction can
occur on land designated as a wetland.
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, and Article IV, section 3 of the
Constitution of the United States grant 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
inrevenues 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, June 14, 2000.
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 S. 1374, the Jackson
Multi-Agency Campus Act of 1999.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Megan
Carroll (for federal costs) and Marjorie Miller (for the state
and local impact).
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 1374--Jackson Multi-Agency Campus Act of 1999
CBO estimates that implementing S. 1374 would have no
impact on the federal budget. Because S. 1374 would not affect
direct spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go procedures would not
apply. S. 1374 would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey up to 90 acres of federal land to the town of Jackson,
Wyoming, and to relinquish to the state of Wyoming the federal
government's reversionary interest in about 3 acres of state
land. The conveyance and relinquishment of interest in land
would be made in exchange for the construction of an
administrative facility by the town for the Forest Service. If
the value of federal land conveyed to the town is greater than
the facility construction costs to be paid by the town, the act
would direct the Secretary to reduce the acreage of federal
land conveyed so that the exchange is of equal value. The act
would authorize the Secretary to convey to Wyoming about 3
acres of federal land in exchange for 1.35 acres of state land
that would be the site of the new administrative facility.
Although the act provides that the barter of federal land
for the construction of a new facility be of equal value, it
would allow for cash payments (subject to the availability of
appropriated funds) to ensure an equal exchange between the
federal government and the town of Jackson. Based on
information from the Forest Service, we expect that enacting S.
1374 would not affect federal spending or receipts because the
exchanges would be of equal value without need for cash
equalization payments by either party.
S. 1374 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The
exchanges authorized by S. 1374 would be voluntary on the part
of the town of Jackson and the state of Wyoming and any costs
incurred by these parties would be voluntary as well. further,
the legislation would impose no costs on any other state,
local, or tribal government.
On October 27, 1999, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
1374 as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources. The two versions of the legislation are
nearly identical, and the cost estimates are the same.
The CBO staff contacts are Megan Carroll and Ali Aslam (for
federal costs) and Marjorie Miller (for the state and local
impact). 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
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.