69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 110–518 

TO AMEND THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE LEASE 

OR SUBLEASE OF CERTAIN PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN SUCH ACT TO AN 

ENTITY OTHER THAN A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OR INTERNATIONAL 

ORGANIZATION IF CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET 

JANUARY 28, 2008.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OBERSTAR, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 3913] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the bill (H.R. 3913) to amend the International Center 

Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described 

in such Act to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions are met, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 

recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

H.R. 3913 amends the International Center Act to authorize the 

lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization 

if certain conditions are met. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Vienna Convention of 1962 on Diplomatic and Consular Relations requires that (1) the sending State locate its Chancery in 

the receiving State Capital City; (2) the receiving State assist the 

sending State in locating suitable an affordable space for its Chancery; and (3) the receiving State provide adequate protection for 

such facilities. To fulfill this obligation and provide land for new 

embassies and consulates, the U.S. State Department acquired 

land in the District of Columbia pursuant to the International Center Act (‘‘ICA’’) (P.L. 90–553). This 47-acre parcel of land, known 

as the International Center, is located on Connecticut Avenue and 


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Van Ness Street, N.W., in Washington D.C. and offers leased space 

for foreign government and international organizations. 

Intelsat, which is a tenant of the International Center, was an 

international commercial cooperative of 142 countries created in 

the 1960s that provided global telecommunications including television, telephone, and data transmission to every continent. In 

1982, consistent with provisions of the ICA, the State Department 

entered into a long-term lease with Intelsat for the land on which 

Intelsat built its headquarters. In 2000, Congress enacted the 

‘‘Open-market Reorganization for the Betterment of International 

Telecommunications Act’’ (‘‘ORBIT Act’’) (P.L. 106–180), which 

privatized Intelsat. With enactment of the ORBIT Act, Intelsat’s 

lease no longer satisfied the technical requirements of the ICA. 

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Amendment to the International Center Act 

Section 1 amends the first section of the International Center Act 

(P.L. 90–553) by adding new language to permit the United States 

to lease or sublease designated property in the District of Columbia 

to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization, provided that the Secretary of State maintains the right 

to approve the occupant and the intended use of the property. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On October 22, 2007, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen introduced H.R. 3913, to amend the International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act 

to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions are met. 

On January 16, 2008, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session, and ordered H.R. 3913 reported 

favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum present. 

RECORD VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives requires 

each committee report to include the total number of votes cast for 

and against on each record vote on a motion to report and on any 

amendment offered to the measure or matter, and the names of 

those members voting for and against. There were no recorded 

votes taken in connection with ordering H.R. 3913 reported. A motion to order H.R. 3913 reported favorably to the House was agreed 

to by voice vote with a quorum present. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(I) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in this report. 

COST OF LEGISLATION

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely 


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submitted prior to the filing of the report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is included in this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and 308(a) of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee references the 

report of the Congressional Budget Office included in the report. 

2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goals 

and objectives of this legislation are to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in the International Center Act 

to an authority other than a foreign government or international 

organization if certain conditions are met. 

3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the 

enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3913 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, January 18, 2008. 

Hon. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, 

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3913, a bill to amend the 

International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions 

are met. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita D’Monte. 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT A. SUNSHINE

(For Peter R. Orszag, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 3913—A bill to amend the International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in such 

Act to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions are met 

H.R. 3913 would amend current law to allow private entities to 

lease certain property at the International Chancery Center 

(ICC)—a parcel of land in Washington, DC, owned by the federal 

government. Under current law, only foreign governments and 

international organizations are eligible to lease property at the 

ICC. CBO estimates that H.R. 3913 would have no effect on the 

federal budget. 

The property specified in H.R. 3913 has been leased to Intelsat 

since 1982. Intelsat was established in 1964 as an international organization, but was privatized in 2001. The bill would clarify 

Intelsat’s right to continue under its lease as a private corporation. 


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The Department of State reports that since being privatized, 

Intelsat has made all the payments required under its lease, and 

CBO expects it would continue to do so under the bill. H.R. 3913 

also would allow Intelsat to sublet or otherwise transfer its lease 

to another private entity, subject to approval of the Secretary of 

State. 

H.R. 3913 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 Sunita D’Monte. This 

estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI 

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, H.R. 3913 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause (3)(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or joint resolution 

of a public character shall include a statement citing the specific 

powers granted to the Congress in the Constitution to enact the 

measure. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

finds that Congress has the authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted under article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(Public Law 104–4). 

PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the 

report of any Committee on a bill or joint resolution to include a 

statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee states 

that H.R. 3913 does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO THE 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 (Public Law 104–1). 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italic 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to 

facilitate the conduct of foreign relations by the Department of 

State in Washington, District of Columbia, through the creation of 

a more propitious atmosphere for the establishment of foreign government and international organization offices and other facilities, 

the Secretary of State is authorized to develop in coordination with 

the Administrator of General Services for, or to sell, exchange, or 

lease to foreign governments and international organizations property owned by the United States in the Northwest section of the 

District of Columbia bounded by Connecticut Avenue, Yuma Street, 

36th Street, Reno Road, and Tilden Street, except that portion of 

lot 802 in square 1964, the jurisdiction over which was transferred 

to the District of Columbia for use as an educational facility, upon 

such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe. Every 

lease, contract of sale, deed, and other document of transfer shall 

provide (a) that the foreign government shall devote the property 

transferred to use for legation purposes, or (b) that the international organization shall devote the property transferred to its 

official uses. Notwithstanding the foregoing limitations, the property 

identified by the District of Columbia as tax lots 803, 804, 805, and 

806 within the area described in this section may be leased or subleased to an entity other than a foreign government or international 

organization, so long as the Secretary maintains the right to approve the occupant and the intended use of the property. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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