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116th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 116-243
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GOLD STAR FAMILIES NATIONAL MONUMENT EXTENSION ACT
_______
October 18, 2019.--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. 2819]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 2819) to extend the authority for the
establishment of a commemorative work in honor of Gold Star
Families, 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 all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Gold Star Families National Monument
Extension Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMEMORATIVE WORK.
Notwithstanding section 8903(e) of title 40, United Sates Code, the
authority provided by section 2859 of the Military Construction
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (division B of Public Law 112-
239; 126 Stat. 2164; 40 U.S.C. 8903 note) shall continue to apply
through January 2, 2024.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 2819 is to extend the authority for the
establishment of a commemorative work in honor of Gold Star
Families, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 2819 extends the authorization for the establishment
of the Commemorative Work to Gold Star Mothers, originally
authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2013,\1\ for an additional four years to January 2, 2024.
In November 2015, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved a
location for the memorial on National Park Service property
immediately west of the Arlington National Cemetery visitor
center,\2\ and since then the National Capital Memorial
Advisory Commission has consulted with the Gold Star Mothers
National Monument Foundation on design concepts.\3\
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\1\Pub. L. No. 112-239, Sec. 2859, 126 Stat. 1632, 2164 (2013).
\2\Letter from Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA, Sec'y, U.S. Comm'n of Fine
Arts, to Robert Vogel, Reg'l Dir., Nat'l Capital Region, Nat'l Park
Serv. (Nov. 30, 2015), https://www.cfa.gov/records-research/project-
search/cfa-19nov15-2.
\3\See, e.g., Nat'l Capital Mem'l Advisory Comm'n, Notice of Public
Meeting, NCMAC Agenda for Oct. 4, 2016, https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
document.cfm?parkID=463&projectID=44217& documentID=70207.
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The authorization extended by this bill stipulates that the
Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation, a nonprofit
organization, is responsible for raising funds to establish the
memorial and prohibits the use of federal funds.\4\
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\4\Pub. L. No. 112-239, Sec. 2859(d).
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COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 2819 was introduced on May 17, 2019, by Representative
Andy Kim (D-NJ). 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 18, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On
September 18, 2019, the Natural Resources Committee met to
consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous
consent. Chair Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment #1; it was
adopted by unanimous consent. No additional amendments were
offered, and the bill, as amended, was 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. 2819: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on July 18,
2019.
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) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, October 8, 2019.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2819, the Gold
Star Families National Monument Extension Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is David Hughes.
Sincerely,
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director.
Enclosure.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 2819 would extend the authorization of the Gold Star
Mothers National Monument Foundation to establish a
commemorative work on eligible federal land through January 2,
2024. The foundation's authorization to establish a
commemorative work expires on January 2, 2020. Federal funds
are prohibited from being used to establish the monument.
The provisions of the Commemorative Works Act apply to the
establishment and maintenance of the monument. That act
requires the foundation to donate 10 percent of the monument's
estimated construction cost to the National Park Foundation (a
nonprofit organization). That amount and any project funds
remaining after construction would be available to the National
Park Service (NPS) for the monument's future maintenance
without further appropriation.
CBO expects that although the timing of federal spending on
monument maintenance by the NPS would change, the net amount of
federal spending would not change. On that basis, CBO estimates
that enacting H.R. 2819 would have no significant effect on the
federal budget.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Hughes.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
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 is to extend the authority for the
establishment of a commemorative work in honor of Gold Star
Families.
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
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
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.
[all]
