99–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ! 2d Session 107–628

SAN GABRIEL RIVER WATERSHEDS STUDY ACT OF 2002

SEPTEMBER 4, 2002.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HANSEN, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2534] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 2534) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

special resource study of the Lower Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River watersheds in the State of California, 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 ‘‘San Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act of 2002’’. 

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this Act referred 

to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a special resource study of the following areas: 

(1) The San Gabriel River and its tributaries north of and including the city 

of Santa Fe Springs. 

(2) The San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of the San Gabriel and 

Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (as defined in section 

32603(c)(1)(C) of the State of California Public Resource Code). 

(b) STUDY CONDUCT AND COMPLETION.—Section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 

U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of the study required by 

this section. 

(c) CONSULTATION WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—In conducting the study authorized by this section, the Secretary shall consult with the 

San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and other 

appropriate Federal, State, and local governmental entities. 

(d) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the study authorized by this section, the Secretary shall consider regional flood control and drainage needs and publicly owned 

infrastructure, including, but not limited to, wastewater treatment facilities. 

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SEC. 3. REPORT. 

Not later than 3 years after funds are made available for this Act, the Secretary 

shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and 

the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2534 is to authorize the Secretary of Interior 

to conduct a special resource study of the Lower Los Angeles River 

and the San Gabriel River watersheds in the State of California, 

and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The legislation would direct the Secretary of Interior to conduct 

a special resource study of a substantial portion of the area of the 

San Gabriel Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. The Conservancy 

was established in 1999 as an independent agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California to preserve open space in 

this urban area. The study is intended to address local values of 

open space preservation and recreational opportunities for this 

heavily urbanized area of southern California. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 2534 was introduced on July 17, 2001 by Congresswoman 

Hilda Solis (D–CA) and was referred to the Committee on Resources. On July 25, 2001, the bill was referred within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and 

Public Lands. On June 13, 2002, the Subcommittee held a hearing 

on the bill. On July 24, 2002, the Full Resources Committee met 

to consider the bill. By unanimous consent, the Subcommittee on 

National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands was discharged from 

further consideration of the bill. Ms. Solis offered an amendment 

in the nature of a substitute to require the Secretary of Interior to 

conduct a special resource study of the area, remove the Lower Los 

Angeles River and the portion of the San Gabriel River south of the 

city of Santa Fe Springs from the study area, insert language requiring the Secretary to consider regional flood control, public infrastructure, and wastewater treatment needs, and require the consultation of local governments. The amendment was adopted by 

unanimous consent. There were no further amendments and the 

bill was ordered favorably reported, as amended, to the House of 

Representatives by unanimous consent. 

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 Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in 

the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 and Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution 

of the United States grant Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

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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. This bill does not 

authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the 

Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply. 

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:

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, July 31, 2002. 

Hon. JAMES V. HANSEN, 

Chairman, Committee on Resources, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2534, the San Gabriel 

River Watersheds Study Act of 2002. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 2534—San Gabriel River Watersheds Study Act of 2002

H.R. 2534 would direct the Department of the Interior to conduct 

a study of two areas to determine the suitability and feasibility of 

establishing them collectively as a unit of the National Park System. The study areas are composed of certain segments of the San 

Gabriel Mountains and the San Gabriel River and tributaries. The 

bill would require the department to report findings and recommendations within three years of receiving funding for the 

study. 

Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates 

that implementing H.R. 2534 would cost the federal government 

less than $500,000 over the next three years to complete the required study and report. The bill would not affect direct spending 

or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. 

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H.R. 2534 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

have no significant impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal 

governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The 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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