19–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ! 2d Session 107–743

KATE MULLANY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT

OCTOBER 11, 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. 464] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 464) to establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site in 

the State of New York, and for other purposes, having considered 

the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 464 is to establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Kate Mullany House, recently designated a National Historic 

Landmark, is found in Troy, New York. Kate Mullany organized 

and led the first all female labor union. Troy was the site of the 

nation’s first commercial laundry and produced the majority of 

white starched shirts, collars and cuffs in America. When employers installed new machinery that stepped up production, but made 

the working conditions worse, Kate Mullany decided to fight for 

better wages and improved working conditions. Work days were 

12–14 hours per day earning 3–4 dollars per week. She led 300 

workers in a week long labor strike in February of 1864 that resulted in the owners conceding to all of their demands. Unlike 

many other unions of the day, the ‘‘Collar Laundry Union’’ stayed 

organized long after their initial battle, helping other unions along 

the way. In 1868 Kate Mullany gained national recognition when 

2

William Sylvis appointed her to the National Labor Union office, 

making her the first woman to be appointed to that office. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 464 was introduced on February 6, 2001 by Congressman 

Michael McNulty (D–NY). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 

National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On September 12, 

2002, the Full Committee met to consider the bill and the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands was 

discharged from further consideration of the bill. No amendments 

were offered and the bill was then ordered favorably reported 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 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 establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site 

in the State of New York, and for other purposes. 

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:

3

U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, October 8, 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. 464, the Kate Mullany 

National Historic Site Act. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 464—Kate Mullany National Historic Site Act 

H.R. 464 would establish the Kate Mullany National Historic 

Site in New York as a unit of the National Park System. The bill 

would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange the Kate Mullany house and any additional real and personal property needed for park purposes. The 

NPS would be authorized to execute cooperative agreements with 

public and private entities interested in the preservation, interpretation, and use of the site. The agency would have two years to 

complete a general management plan for the new historic site, 

which would include recommendations for related regional exhibits. 

The costs of implementing H.R. 464 are uncertain because the 

bill does not designate an official boundary for the new historic 

site. Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that the cost 

of acquiring and developing real and personal property for the site 

would be about $5 million. We expect that most of this amount 

would be used to renovate the Kate Mullany house (which is currently used as an apartment building) and develop it for visitor 

use. We estimate that once the site has been restored (which could 

take several years) the cost of operating it would be between 

$500,000 and $750,000 a year (also assuming appropriation of the 

necessary amounts). Enacting H.R. 464 would not affect revenues 

or direct spending. 

H.R. 464 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no significant costs of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is 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. 

4

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law.

Æ