[DOCID: f:sr106.110]
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Calendar No. 236
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-106
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING THE SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL MILITARY
MUSEUM
_______
June 26, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1047]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 1047) to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and
feasibility of designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military
Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the
National Park System, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the Act
do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE
The purpose of H.R. 1047 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and
feasibility of designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military
Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park
System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED
The Soldiers' Memorial is a tribute to and a cultural
resource center for all veterans located in the greater St.
Louis area, including southern Illinois. In 1923, the residents
of St. Louis voted to purchase a memorial plaza and construct a
memorial to commemorate the citizens of St. Louis who lost
their lives in World War I. A seven-block site was purchased
and the construction of the Soldiers' Memorial began on October
21, 1935. President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated
the site on October 14, 1936, and the building was opened to
the public on Memorial Day in 1938.
H.R. 1047 authorizes a study of the Soldiers' Memorial
Military Museum at 1315 Chestnut Street in the greater St.
Louis area to determine its eligibility to become a unit of the
National Park System. The study will be conducted in accordance
with the criteria contained in section 8(c) of Public Law 91-
383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H.R. 1047, sponsored by Rep. Clay, passed the House of
Representatives by a voice vote on March 5, 2007. The House
passed similar legislation, H.R. 452, during the 109th
Congress, also sponsored by Rep. Clay. That bill passed the
House by a voice vote on December 13, 2005.
The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on H.R.
1047 on April 26, 2007. At its business meeting on May 23,
2007, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered
H.R. 1047 favorably reported, without amendment.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in an
open business session on May 23, 2007, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R.
1047.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1(a) contains congressional findings.
Subsection (b) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
carry out a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Solders' Memorial Military Museum in St. Louis,
Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System.
Subsection (c) requires the study to be undertaken in
accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C.
1a-5(c)).
Subsection (d) directs the Secretary to submit a report
describing the results of the study to the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural
Resources.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, June 1, 2007.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1047, an act to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the
Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis,
Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag, Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1047--An act to authorize the Secretry of the Interior to conduct
a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum located in
St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System
H.R. 1047 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum in St.
Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System.
Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates
that carrying out the proposed study would cost about $200,000
over the next three years. Enacting H.R. 1047 would not affect
direct spending or revenues.
The legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out H.R. 1047. The Act is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of H.R. 1047, as ordered reported.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The testimony provided by the National Park Service on H.R.
1047 at the Subcommittee hearing on April 26, 2007 follows:
Statement of Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you today to present the
Department of the Interior's views on H.R. 1047, a bill to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the
Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis,
Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System.
The Department opposes H.R. 1047, which is identical to
legislation the Department opposed in the 109th Congress. While
it is an architecturally beautiful structure, the St. Louis
Soldiers' Memorial (Memorial) is not distinguished beyond that
of many other war memorials in cities all over the United
States. The Memorial is currently listed as eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places, but at this time has not
been nominated. Therefore, it is not known whether it meets the
criteria for national significance, which is the minimum
standard a memorial must meet for inclusion in the National
Park System. Finally, in a time of tight budgets and a
refocusing on the core mission of the National Park Service, we
believe that funding should be directed toward completing
previously authorized studies.
The Soldiers' Memorial is a tribute to and a cultural
resource center for all veterans located in the greater St.
Louis area, including southern Illinois. In 1923, the residents
of St. Louis voted to purchase a memorial plaza and construct a
memorial to commemorate the citizens of St. Louis who lost
their lives in World War I. A seven-block site was purchased
and the construction of the Soldiers' Memorial began on October
21, 1935. President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated
the site on October 14, 1936 and the building was opened to the
public on Memorial Day in 1938. H.R. 1047 would authorize a
study of the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum at 1315
Chestnut Street in the greater St. Louis area to determine its
eligibility to become a unit of the National Park System. The
study would be conducted in accordance with the criteria
contained in Section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-
5(c)).
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared testimony. I would
be pleased to answer any questions you or the subcommittee may
have.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the Act H.R. 1047, as
ordered reported.
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