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[House Report 109-637]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     109-637

======================================================================

 
              RIVER RAISIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD STUDY ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 6, 2006.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5132]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 5132) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a special resource study to determine the suitability and 
feasibility of including in the National Park System certain 
sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to the Battles of 
the River Raisin during the War of 1812, 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 ``River Raisin National Battlefield 
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY, MONROE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, SITES RELATING 
                    TO BATTLES OF THE RIVER RAISIN.

  (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a 
special resource study of sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to 
the Battles of the River Raisin on January 18 and 22, 1813, and their 
aftermath to determine--
          (1) the national significance of the sites; and
          (2) the suitability and feasibility of including the sites in 
        the National Park System.
  (b) Requirements.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall 
include the analysis and recommendations of the Secretary on--
          (1) the effect on Monroe County, Michigan, of including the 
        sites in the National Park System; and
          (2) whether the sites could be included in an existing unit 
        of the National Park System.
  (c) Consultation.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall consult with--
          (1) appropriate Federal agencies and State and local 
        government entities; and
          (2) interested groups and organizations.
  (d) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall be 
conducted in accordance with Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et 
seq.).
  (e) Report.--Not later than three years after the date on which funds 
are first made available for the study, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report 
containing--
          (1) the findings of the study; and
          (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 5132 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the 
suitability and feasibility of including in the National Park 
System certain sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to 
the Battles of the River Raisin during the War of 1812.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The American victory in the War of 1812 guaranteed our 
continued independence. During the war, in January of 1813, 
half of General William Henry Harrison's army camped along the 
River Raisin outside Frenchtown, Michigan. British and Native 
American forces launched an attack there which decimated the 
American Army. Native Americans then killed the 60 to 80 
American captives in their custody. The rallying cry ``Remember 
the Raisin'' ran through the entire American army after the 
incident.
    Currently, the location of the main battlefield is occupied 
by an abandoned paper mill. The City of Monroe has received a 
$1 million grant to clean up the location in preparation for 
possible listing as a National Historic Landmark. The National 
Park Service testified that there is intact archaeological 
evidence of the site and that the site has impressive integrity 
as a battlefield if it is preserved.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 5132 was introduced on April 6, 2006, by Congressman 
John Dingell (D-MI). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks. On July 13, 2006, the Subcommittee on National 
Parks held a hearing on H.R. 5132. On July 19, 2006, the 
Committee on Resources met to consider the bill. The 
Subcommittee was discharged from further consideration of the 
bill by unanimous consent. Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) 
offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to strike 
the authorization of appropriations. The Pombo amendment was 
adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was ordered 
favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous 
consent.

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Article I, section 8, clause 3 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 direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the 
suitability and feasibility of including in the National Park 
System certain sites in Monroe County, Michigan, relating to 
the Battles of the River Raisin during the War of 1812.
    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:

H.R. 5132--River Raisin National Battlefield Study Act

    H.R. 5132 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
conduct a study of the River Raisin battlefield sites in Monroe 
County, Michigan to determine whether these areas are suitable 
for inclusion in the national park system. Under the bill, the 
department would report its findings and recommendations to the 
Congress within three years of the bill's enactment. Assuming 
appropriation of necessary amounts, CBO estimates that 
implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 
2007-2009 period. Enacting the bill would have no effect on 
revenues or direct spending.
    H.R. 5132 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 contacts for this estimate are Leigh Angres 
and 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.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

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

                                  
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