[House Report 106-917]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 106-917
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PALACE OF THE GOVERNORS EXPANSION ACT
_______
September 29, 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. 4126]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 4126) to authorize funding for the expansion annex of the
historic Palace of the Governors, a public history museum
located, and relating to the history of Hispanic and Native
American culture, in the Southwest, 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. 4126 is to authorize funding for the
expansion annex of the historic Palace of the Governors, a
public history museum located, and relating to the history of
Hispanic and Native American culture, in the Southwest.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Palace of the Governors was built in 1610 and is
considered to be the oldest public building in continuous use
in the United States. The adobe brick Palace was the first
major structure in what became the city of Santa Fe, New
Mexico. It served as the seat of government for nearly three
centuries during the Spanish, Mexican and American periods.
Today, the building and its grounds are an historical
showcase for the Museum of New Mexico. The museum contains an
extensive collection of historic artifacts, including pre-
Columbian art; helmets and armor worn by Spanish conquistadors;
the Columbus, New Mexico Railway Station clock that was shot,
stopping the pendulum, marking Pancho Villa's raid and the
beginning of the last invasion of the continental United
States; and more than 800,000 other historic photographs, guns,
costumes, maps, books, and handicrafts. The existing facilities
for exhibiting and storing the artifacts are inadequate and
unsuitable for the proper storage and preservation of the
collection.
H.R. 4126 would authorize a $15 million appropriation for
the design, construction, management, furnishing, and equipping
of the Annex through a grant to the New Mexico State Office of
Cultural Affairs. This amount would cover approximately 50
percent of the completion of the Annex. As a matching
requirement, the remaining 50 percent must be raised by the
State of New Mexico and other non-federal entities. The State
of New Mexico must appropriate at least $8 million by 2010 and
the other non-federal entities are responsible for the
remainder.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 4126 was introduced on March 29, 2000, by Congressman
Tom Udall (D-NM). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands. On September 20, 2000, the
Full Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands was discharged from further
consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments
were offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
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:
H.R. 4126--Palace of the Governors Expansion Act
Subject to appropriation, H.R. 4126 would direct the
Secretary of the Interior to pay for one-half of the costs of
designing, constructing, and furnishing the Palace of the
Governors Expansion Annex, a New Mexico state museum. For this
purpose, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $15
million, provided that the state of New Mexico and local
entities raise a similar amount by the year 2010.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amount, CB0
estimates that implementing this legislation would cost the
federal government $15 million over the next 10 fiscal years.
The bill would not affect direct spending or receipts;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. H.R. 4126
contains no private-sector or intergovernmental mandates as
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no
costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
On April 10, 2000, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
1727, the Palace of the Governors Expansion Act, as ordered
reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources on April 5, 2000. The two bills are very similar, and
the cost estimates are identical.
The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 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.