79–010 

Calendar No. 371 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 115–223 

ROBERT EMMET PARK ACT OF 2017 

APRIL 10, 2018.—Ordered to be printed 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1500] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (H.R. 1500) to redesignate the small triangular 

property located in Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302 as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park’’, 

and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do 

pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of H.R. 1500 is to redesignate the small triangular 

property located in Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302, as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park.’’ 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

U.S. reservation 302 is a triangle park in the Northwestern portion of the District of Columbia along Massachusetts Avenue N.W., 

between 24th and S Streets, which is part of Rock Creek Park. The 

triangle park contains an historic sculpture of Robert Emmet that 

was created by the artist Jerome Connor in 1916. 

Robert Emmet (1778–1803) is considered an Irish nationalist 

leader, and often remembered as a ‘‘romantic hero of Irish lost 

causes.’’ Mr. Emmet played a prominent role in the Irish Rebellion, 

and attempted to escape to the United States before being captured, tried for treason, and hanged. Although Mr. Emmet’s atVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:20 Apr 11, 2018 Jkt 079010 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR223.XXX SR223

SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
2 

tempts at independence for Ireland ultimately failed, they inspired 

generations of Irish men and women to continue the fight. 

H.R. 1500 would rename U.S. reservation 302 as ‘‘Robert Emmet 

Park’’ in his memory. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 1500 was introduced in the House of Representatives by 

Rep. Crowley on March 10, 2017, and referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources. H.R. 1500 was reported by the Natural Resources Committee (H. Rept. 115–114) on May 11, 2017, and 

passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 423–0 on June 

28, 2017. 

The Senate Subcommittee on National Parks conducted a hearing on H.R. 1500 on February 14, 2018. 

In the 114th Congress, similar legislation, H.R. 4564, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Crowley on February 12, 2016. The Committee on Natural Resources reported H.R. 

4564 on September 19, 2016 (H. Rept. 114–750), and the measure 

passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on September 

22, 2016. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 

business session on March 8, 2018, and ordered H.R. 1500 favorably reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on March 8, 2018, by a majority voice vote 

of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 1500. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides the short title. 

Section 2. Findings 

Section 2 contains Congressional findings. 

Section 3. Redesignation of Robert Emmet Park 

Section 3 redesignates U.S. reservation 302, administered by the 

National Park Service, as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park’’ and updates any 

applicable references. This section also authorizes the Secretary of 

the Interior to post signs on or near the park to include information on Robert Emmet, his contribution to Irish Independence, and 

his respect for the United States and the American Revolution, as 

well as history regarding the park’s statue of Robert Emmet. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the costs of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: H.R. 1500 would rename 

a small property owned by the National Park Service (NPS) in 

Washington, D.C. as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park,’’ in honor of that historical figure. The act also would authorize the NPS to post signage 

on or near the park that includes information about Robert Emmet. 

Based on the costs for similar tasks, CBO estimates that the cost 

for the NPS to update signage for the park would be insignificant; 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
3 

such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated 

funds. 

Enacting H.R. 1500 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1500 would not increase net 

direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 1500 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

On May 5, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 1500, 

as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources 

on April 27, 2017. The two versions of H.R. 1500 are similar and 

CBO’s estimates of their budgetary effects are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani Shankaran. 

The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 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. 1500. The bill 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. 1500, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

H.R. 1500, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 

benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the 

Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at the 

February 14, 2018, hearing on H.R. 1500 follows: 

STATEMENT OF P. DANIEL SMITH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, EXERCISING THE AUTHORITY OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

BEFORE THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, CONCERNING H.R. 

1500, A BILL TO REDESIGNATE THE SMALL TRIANGULAR

PROPERTY LOCATED IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND DESIGNED

BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AS RESERVATION 302 AS

‘‘ROBERT EMMET PARK,’’ AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

The Department does not object to H.R. 1500. The bill 

would rename a site in the District of Columbia under the 

jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS), and 

known as Reservation 302, as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park.’’ The 

site contains the statue of Irish patriot Robert Emmet. The 

bill would also authorize the NPS to produce signage reVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:20 Apr 11, 2018 Jkt 079010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR223.XXX SR223

SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
4 

lated to the history of Robert Emmet and the statue. The 

cost of the redesignation and signage would be a minimal 

amount that would be absorbed within existing budgets. 

At the October 4, 2016, meeting of the National Capital 

Memorial Advisory Commission, the Commission reviewed 

H.R. 4564, a bill introduced in the 114th Congress which 

is identical to H.R. 1500, to consider whether the bill adhered to the Commemorative Works Act (CWA). The Commission did not reach consensus on a position on the renaming. They were also not clear if the CWA applied to 

the naming of parks within the area covered by the CWA. 

Although the Department does not object to naming Reservation 302 for Robert Emmet, we note that the statue is 

still owned by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 

which could move it to another location at any time. If that 

happened, the park would lose the symbol for which it was 

named, yet it would continue to retain the designation 

‘‘Robert Emmet Park.’’ 

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 bill as ordered reported. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS