69–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 115–114 

ROBERT EMMET PARK ACT OF 2017 

MAY 11, 2017.— Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on 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 Natural Resources, to whom 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, report favorably thereon 

without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

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 FOR LEGISLATION

Robert Emmet is a prominent historical figure known for his role 

in the Irish Rebellion of 1803 and his classic ‘‘Speech from the 

Dock’’ that inspired future efforts to gain Irish Independence. 

Emmet, greatly influenced by American democracy and the American Revolution, famously said before his execution, ‘‘To [Ireland] 

I sacrificed every selfish, every lasting sentiment . . . I wished to 

place her independence beyond the reach of any power of earth 

. . . to procure for my country the guarantee which Washington 

procured for America . . . to exalt her to that proud station in the 

world.’’ 

H.R. 1500 renames National Park Service Reservation 302, located at the corner of 24th Street and Massachusetts Avenue 

Northwest in the District of Columbia, as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park’’. 

The .08 acre triangular property prominently features a nearly 100 

year-old statue of Robert Emmet, the first statue ever made of the 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
2 

Irish hero. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 

post informational signage regarding Robert Emmet and his statue 

around the park. 

In the 114th Congress, Congressman Joseph Crowley (D–NY) introduced a nearly identical bill as H.R. 4564. On September 19, 

2016, the Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported the 

bill. Subsequently, the bill passed the House by voice vote on September 22, 2016. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1500 was introduced on March 10, 2017, by Congressman 

Joseph Crowley (D–NY). The bill was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee 

on Federal Lands. On April 26, 2017, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged 

by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill 

was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 

unanimous consent on April 27, 2017. 

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 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET

ACT

1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and sections 308(a) and 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 

received the following estimate for the bill from the Director of the 

Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, May 5, 2017. 

Hon. ROB BISHOP, 

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1500, the Robert Emmet 

Park Act of 2017. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jon Sperl. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1500—Robert Emmet Park Act of 2017 

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 bill also would authorize the 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
3 

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; 

such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated 

funds. 

Enacting the legislation 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 and would 

not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. 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 redesignate the small triangular property located 

in Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service 

as reservation 302 as ‘‘Robert Emmet Park’’. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any directed 

rule makings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

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 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with REPORTS