H. Rept. 116-250 - RESTORE OUR PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS ACT116th Congress (2019-2020)
Committee Report
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Accompanies: | H.R.1225 |
Committees: | House Natural Resources Committee |
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116th Congress } { Rept. 116-250 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session } { Part 1 ====================================================================== RESTORE OUR PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS ACT _______ October 22, 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. 1225] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 1225) to establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education, 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 ``Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act''. SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND PUBLIC LANDS LEGACY RESTORATION FUND. (a) In General.--There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund, to be known as the ``National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund'' (referred to in this section as the ``Fund''). (b) Deposits.-- (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, there shall be deposited in the Fund an amount equal to 50 percent of all energy development revenues due and payable to the United States from oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy development on Federal land and water that would otherwise be credited, covered, or deposited as miscellaneous receipts under Federal law. (2) Maximum amount.--The amount deposited in the Fund under paragraph (1) shall not exceed $1,300,000,000 for any fiscal year. (3) Effect on other revenues.--Nothing in this section affects the disposition under Federal law, including the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109-432), the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), and chapter 2003 of title 54, United States Code, of energy development revenues-- (A) to special funds, trust funds, or States; or (B) that have been otherwise appropriated under Federal law. (c) Availability of Funds.--Amounts deposited in the Fund shall be available to the Secretary of the Interior without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation. (d) Investment of Amounts.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior may request the Secretary of the Treasury to invest any portion of the Fund that is not, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, required to meet the current needs of the Fund. (2) Requirement.--An investment requested under paragraph (1) shall be made by the Secretary of the Treasury in a public debt security-- (A) with a maturity suitable to the needs of the Fund, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; and (B) bearing interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration current market yields on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturity. (3) Credits to fund.--The income on investments of the Fund under this subsection shall be credited to, and form a part of, the Fund. (e) Use of Funds.-- (1) In general.--Amounts in the Fund shall be used as follows: (A) Eighty percent of amounts in the Fund shall be allocated for priority deferred maintenance projects, including other infrastructure deficiencies directly related to such deferred maintenance projects, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service, with the goal of ensuring overall parity between amounts allocated to transportation and non-transportation projects. (B) Ten percent of amounts in the Fund shall be allocated for purposes of addressing the national wildlife refuge system maintenance backlog, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. (C) Five percent of amounts in the Fund shall be allocated for the purposes of addressing the public access and recreation backlog on public lands, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. (D) Five percent of amounts in the Fund shall be allocated for the purposes of addressing the Bureau of Indian Education school construction and deferred maintenance backlogs, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the Bureau of Indian Education. (2) Consideration of project lifespan.--The Secretary of the Interior shall take into consideration the projected lifespan of any project under this Act when prioritizing which such projects to fund under paragraph (1). (f) Limit on Use of Funds.--No more than 10 percent of the amounts in the Fund may be used for administrative costs incurred in implementing this Act. (g) Prohibited Use of Funds.--No amounts in the Fund shall be used-- (1) for land acquisition; (2) to supplant discretionary funding made available for the annually recurring facility operations, maintenance, and construction needs of the entities for which amounts from the Fund are allocated under subsection (e); or (3) for performance awards for Federal employees who are employed in implementing this Act. (h) Submission to Congress.--The Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and to the Committees on Appropriations and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, with the annual budget submission of the President, a list of projects for which the amounts in the Fund are allocated under this section, including a description of each such project. (i) Public Donations.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the National Park Service, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Assistant Secretary -- Indian Affairs may accept public cash or in-kind donations that advance efforts-- (A) to reduce the deferred maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, the national wildlife refuge system maintenance backlog of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the public access and recreation backlog of the Bureau of Land Management, and the school construction backlog of the Bureau of Indian Education, respectively; and (B) to encourage relevant public-private partnerships. (2) Credits to fund.--Any cash donations accepted under paragraph (1) shall be credited to, and form a part of, the Fund. (3) Reporting.--Each donation received under paragraph (1) that is used for, or directly related to, the reduction of the deferred maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, the national wildlife refuge system maintenance backlog of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the public access and recreation backlog of the Bureau of Land Management, and the school construction backlog of the Bureau of Indian Education, shall be included with the annual budget submission of the President to Congress. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The purpose of H.R. 1225 is to establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education, and for other purposes. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION Across our nation's public lands, federal land management agencies are facing a deferred maintenance backlog that negatively impacts agency budgets and threatens visitor safety, access, and enjoyment. Currently, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has a deferred maintenance backlog of more than $16 billion.\1\ The National Park Service (NPS) alone has a backlog of nearly $12 billion\2\--the majority of DOI's total-- but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also have substantial maintenance backlogs. FWS has a deferred maintenance backlog of $1.3 billion, and BLM has a backlog of $960 million.\3\ In addition, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which serves 47,000 students in 23 states, has a deferred maintenance backlog of $673.9 million--more than half of the agency's total budget authority in FY18.\4\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\U.S. Dep't of the Interior, Fiscal Year 2020: The Interior Budget in Brief, at DH-7 (2019), https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/ files/uploads/2020_highlights_book.pdf. \2\Id. at DH-11. \3\Carol Hardy Vincent, Cong. Research Serv., R43997, Deferred Maintenance of Federal Land Management Agencies: FY2009-FY2018 Estimates and Issues 3 (2019). \4\See U.S. Dep't of the Interior, Budget Justifications and Performance Information Fiscal Year 2020: Bureau of Indian Education BIE-CON-ED-19 to -20 (2019), https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/ uploads/fy2020_bie_budget_justification.pdf. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maintaining and preserving America's public lands has long been an issue of interest to lawmakers, federal agencies, and the public. Unfortunately, years of inadequate funding, expansion of the parks system, and increased visitation have strained federal land management agencies, inhibiting their ability to fund necessary repairs. The cost to repair facilities often increases with time, exacerbating the problem. Furthermore, repair costs are not limited only to facilities, but also to roads, bridges, and other public lands infrastructure, which are often expensive to maintain. In an effort to address this issue, many agencies are actively working to reduce their backlogs through alternative strategies. NPS, for example, employs a holistic funding model that includes accepting philanthropic donations, utilizing volunteers, and partnering with friends' groups. Despite these efforts to address deferred maintenance through alternative funding sources, the backlog has increased over the past decade. From FY2009 through FY2018, NPS spent roughly $10.5 billion on maintenance projects, and the backlog still increased by $1.7 billion as of FY16. Accordingly, there is a significant need for a dedicated, substantial, and effective solution to the deferred maintenance backlog. The Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act would reduce the maintenance backlog on our public lands through the establishment of the National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (Fund). The Fund will receive 50 percent of receipts generated from energy development on federal land and water not allocated for other purposes. The Fund would also receive mandatory funding for the deferred maintenance needs on NPS, FWS, and BLM lands, and BIE schools. The Fund would draw monies from all sources of federal energy revenue--including onshore and offshore development and renewable energy sources. This funding will enable land management agencies to launch a targeted effort to aggressively reduce the deferred maintenance backlog with a dedicated funding stream, while ensuring that existing revenue streams remain intact and fulfilled. COMMITTEE ACTION H.R. 1225 was introduced on February 14, 2019, by Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor. Within the former committee, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands; the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States; and the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. On June 26, 2019, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittees were discharged by unanimous consent. Chair Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) offered and withdrew an amendment designated Westerman #1 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) offered and withdrew an amendment designated Graves #1 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #2 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 7 yeas and 31 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #3 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 4 yeas and 34 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #4 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 6 yeas and 32 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #5 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #6 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 6 yeas and 32 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #7 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #8 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #9 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 6 yeas and 32 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #10 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #11 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 5 yeas and 33 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #12 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #13 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 9 yeas and 29 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #14 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #15 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 8 yeas and 30 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #16 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 14 yeas and 24 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #17 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #18 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 4 yeas and 34 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #19 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 7 yeas and 31 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #20 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by voice vote. Representative Graves offered an amendment designated Graves #21 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 9 yeas and 29 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] The amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Chair Grijalva was adopted by voice vote. The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by a roll call vote of 36 yeas and 2 nays, as follows: [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] HEARINGS For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 116th Congress--(1) the following hearing was used to develop or consider H.R. 1225: full Committee markup held on June 26, 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, September 26, 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. 1225, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands 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] Bill summary: H.R. 1225 would establish the National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund within the Department of the Treasury. For each fiscal year over the 2020- 2024 period, up to 50 percent of all receipts collected from onshore and offshore energy development on public lands and waters would be deposited into the fund, not to exceed $1.3 billion in any year. Deposited funds, including cash donations to the fund, would be available to the Department of the Interior without further appropriation. Under H.R. 1225, the fund's unspent amounts could be invested in Treasury securities; the income would be available for expenditure without further appropriation. DOI also would be required to include in its annual budget request a list and description of the projects it plans to pursue. Estimated Federal cost: The estimated budgetary effect of H.R. 1225 is shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and the environment). TABLE 1.--ESTIMATED DIRECT SPENDING UNDER H.R. 1225 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By fiscal year, millions of dollars-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2019-2024 2019-2029 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Estimated Budget Authority................. 0 1,300 1,324 1,347 1,365 1,377 90 66 46 27 13 6,713 6,955 Estimated Outlays.......................... 0 0 78 218 447 747 1,034 1,179 1,108 924 634 1,490 6,369 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted near the end of 2019. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1225 would cost $6.4 billion over the 2019- 2029 period. Revenues from Energy Leases In its May 2019 baseline, CBO projects that gross offsetting receipts from onshore and offshore leases will total about $9 billion annually and $46 billion over the 2020-2024 period. CBO estimates that approximately 51 percent of the gross receipts collected in 2020 will be distributed to states or allocated for other purposes under current law. Although that percentage could change, CBO anticipates that there will be more than the bill's limit of $1.3 billion available, so that the maximum amount would be deposited each year. Interest on Treasury Investments H.R. 1225 would authorize DOI to invest unspent balances in Treasury securities; any interest earned would be available for expenditure from the fund. Based on the interest rate projections underlying CBO's May 2019 baseline, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would result in an additional $455 million being credited to the fund over the 2019-2029 period. Pace of Spending CBO expects that under H.R. 1225, amounts deposited into the fund at the end of each fiscal year effectively would not be available for spending until the following year. Thus, CBO does not estimate any spending under the bill in 2020. H.R. 1225 would require funds to be allocated as follows: Eighty percent to the National Park Service (NPS) for deferred maintenance, split equally between transportation and nontransportation projects, Ten percent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to address the maintenance backlog in the national wildlife refuge system, Five percent to the Bureau of Land Management to address a backlog in public access and recreation projects, and Five percent to the Bureau of Indian Education for school construction and deferred maintenance. Administrative costs would be capped at 10 percent of total annual spending; other spending limitations are included in the bill. Using information from the NPS and USFWS about how the funds might be used, CBO anticipates that those agencies would primarily focus in the first year on hiring staff for project management, planning, and design. Subsequent funding, CBO anticipates, would go to small- to large-scale projects for transportation, water and utilities, and restoration and reconstruction. The cost of individual projects would depend on their type and scale.\1\ Based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that spending from the fund would be slow in the early years and would peak over the 2024-2028 period as larger projects are completed. (According to the NPS, most projects last between 3\1/2\ and 5 years.) Although most currently identified projects would be completed by 2029, CBO anticipates that DOI would continue to spend amounts in the fund after that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\One larger deferred-maintenance project is construction and repairs along the George Washington Memorial Parkway near Washington, D.C., estimated in 2015 at about $475 million. See Government Accountability Office, National Park Service: Process Exists for Prioritizing Asset Maintenance Decisions, but Evaluation Could Improve Efforts, GAO-17-136 (December 2016), www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-136. Smaller projects include rehabilitating a flood protection levee at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge ($6 million) and replacing a deficient visitor center and water treatment center at Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve ($3 million). More information about such projects can be found at the Department of the Interior, Budget Justifications and Performance Information: Fiscal Year 2020, Department of the Interior, www.doi.gov/budget/ appropriations/2020. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donations H.R. 1225 would authorize DOI to accept cash donations to the fund; such collections are treated as reductions in direct spending and also would be available for spending without further appropriation. CBO expects that any donations would be offset by expenditures, and the net effect on direct spending would be negligible over the 2019-2029 period. Pay-As-You-Go considerations: The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 1. Increase in long-term deficits: CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1225 would not increase on-budget deficits by more than $5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2030. Mandates: None. Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: David Hughes (Department of the Interior); Kathleen Gramp and Janani Shankaran (energy receipts); Mandates: Lilia Ledezma. Estimate reviewed by: Kim P. Cawley, Chief, Natural and Physical Resources Cost Estimates Unit; 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 establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education. 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. Such program was not included in any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to 31 U.S.C. Sec. 6104 as relating to other programs. 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. [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS None. [all]