49–006 

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. 


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(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 


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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. 

Æ 


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