[DOCID: f:hr637.109]
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109th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 109-637
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RIVER RAISIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD STUDY ACT
_______
September 6, 2006.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 5132]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 5132) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
a special resource study to determine the suitability and
feasibility of including in the National Park System certain
sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to the Battles of
the River Raisin during the War of 1812, 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 ``River Raisin National Battlefield
Study Act''.
SEC. 2. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY, MONROE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, SITES RELATING
TO BATTLES OF THE RIVER RAISIN.
(a) Study Required.--The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a
special resource study of sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to
the Battles of the River Raisin on January 18 and 22, 1813, and their
aftermath to determine--
(1) the national significance of the sites; and
(2) the suitability and feasibility of including the sites in
the National Park System.
(b) Requirements.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall
include the analysis and recommendations of the Secretary on--
(1) the effect on Monroe County, Michigan, of including the
sites in the National Park System; and
(2) whether the sites could be included in an existing unit
of the National Park System.
(c) Consultation.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall consult with--
(1) appropriate Federal agencies and State and local
government entities; and
(2) interested groups and organizations.
(d) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall be
conducted in accordance with Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et
seq.).
(e) Report.--Not later than three years after the date on which funds
are first made available for the study, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report
containing--
(1) the findings of the study; and
(2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 5132 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the
suitability and feasibility of including in the National Park
System certain sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to
the Battles of the River Raisin during the War of 1812.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The American victory in the War of 1812 guaranteed our
continued independence. During the war, in January of 1813,
half of General William Henry Harrison's army camped along the
River Raisin outside Frenchtown, Michigan. British and Native
American forces launched an attack there which decimated the
American Army. Native Americans then killed the 60 to 80
American captives in their custody. The rallying cry ``Remember
the Raisin'' ran through the entire American army after the
incident.
Currently, the location of the main battlefield is occupied
by an abandoned paper mill. The City of Monroe has received a
$1 million grant to clean up the location in preparation for
possible listing as a National Historic Landmark. The National
Park Service testified that there is intact archaeological
evidence of the site and that the site has impressive integrity
as a battlefield if it is preserved.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 5132 was introduced on April 6, 2006, by Congressman
John Dingell (D-MI). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on
National Parks. On July 13, 2006, the Subcommittee on National
Parks held a hearing on H.R. 5132. On July 19, 2006, the
Committee on Resources met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee was discharged from further consideration of the
bill by unanimous consent. Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA)
offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to strike
the authorization of appropriations. The Pombo amendment was
adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was ordered
favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous
consent.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8, clause 3 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. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the
suitability and feasibility of including in the National Park
System certain sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to
the Battles of the River Raisin during the War of 1812.
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. 5132--River Raisin National Battlefield Study Act
H.R. 5132 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study of the River Raisin battlefield sites in Monroe
County, Michigan to determine whether these areas are suitable
for inclusion in the national park system. Under the bill, the
department would report its findings and recommendations to the
Congress within three years of the bill's enactment. Assuming
appropriation of necessary amounts, CBO estimates that
implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the
2007-2009 period. Enacting the bill would have no effect on
revenues or direct spending.
H.R. 5132 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 contacts for this estimate are Leigh Angres
and 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.
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