69–010 

Calendar No. 88 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 115–70 

TO FACILITATE THE ADDITION OF PARK ADMINISTRATION AT THE COLTSVILLE HISTORICAL PARK, AND FOR 

OTHER PURPOSES 

MAY 16, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 863] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (H.R. 863) to facilitate the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park, and for other 

purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 

without amendment and recommends that bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of H.R. 863 is to facilitate the relocation of a park 

administration and visitor facility at the Coltsville National Historical Park in Connecticut. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Section 3032 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon 

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public 

Law 113–291) established the Coltsville National Historical Park in 

Hartford, Connecticut. The park commemorates the site of the 

Samuel Colt homestead and manufacturing headquarters and its 

role in American manufacturing history. The authorization included language making the establishment of the park contingent 

on the donation of approximately 10,000 square feet in the East Armory building for park administrative and visitor services. The 

East Armory is the main and most recognizable building on the 

former Colt complex and was initially thought to be the best site 


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for a park visitor center. However, the National Park Service and 

stakeholders have determined that there are other buildings on the 

complex better suited for the visitor center. Because the location of 

the administration and visitor facility was specified in the park’s 

enabling Act, legislation is needed to allow for the facility to be located elsewhere on the complex. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Representative Larson introduced H.R. 863 on February 3, 2017. 

On February 27, 2017, H.R. 863 passed on a vote of 369–42 in the 

House of Representatives. 

In the 114th Congress similar legislation, S. 2620, was introduced by Senators Blumenthal and Murphy on March 2, 2016. The 

Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on, the measure 

on March 17, 2016. The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered 

S. 2620 favorably reported (S. Rept. 114–329). 

Representative Larson introduced similar legislation, H.R. 2857, 

on June 23, 2015. H.R. 2857 was reported from the Committee on 

Natural Resources with an amendment on March 10, 2016, and 

passed the House of Representatives on a voice vote on March 22, 

2016. 

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in 

open business session on March 30, 2017, and ordered H.R. 863 favorably reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on March 30, 2017, by a majority voice vote 

of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 863. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Amendment to Coltsville National Historical Park donation site 

Section 1 amends section 3032(b)(2)(B) of Public Law 113–291, 

which currently requires the property owners to donate 10,000 

square feet of space in the East Armory building to the National 

Park Service for park administration and visitor services before the 

national historical park can be officially established. By striking 

‘‘East Armory’’ and inserting ‘‘Colt Armory Complex’’ in section 

3032(b)(2)(B), the amendment allows space to be donated for park 

administration and visitor services elsewhere within the Colt Armory Complex. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 863 would revise the boundaries of the Coltsville National 

Historic Park in Connecticut. The Coltsville site is about 260 acres 

of land and structures that hold artifacts associated with Colt Firearms and the Samuel Colt family. H.R. 863 would allow the National Park Service (NPS) to use space outside of the area stipulated under current law as the National Historic Park. 


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Under H.R. 863, NPS would relocate some existing facilities to 

the new area. CBO estimates that any costs to implement H.R. 863 

would be insignificant and subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

Enacting H.R. 863 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates 

that enacting H.R. 863 would not increase net direct spending or 

on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 863 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. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

H.R. 863. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic 

responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of H.R. 863, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

H.R. 863, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 

benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Because H.R. 863 is similar to legislation considered by the Committee in the 114th Congress, the Committee did not request Executive Agency views. The testimony provided by the National Park 

Service at the hearing before the Subcommittee on National Parks 

on March 17, 2016, follows: 

STATEMENT OF PEGGY O’DELL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank 

you for the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 2620, a bill to facilitate the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park. 

The Department supports S. 2620. 

S. 2620 would amend the law that authorizes the establishment of the Coltsville National Historical Park in 

Hartford, Connecticut, by making a technical change in 


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one of the requirements for establishing the park. Section 

3032(b)(2)(B) of Public Law 113–291 requires the donation 

of 10,000 square feet of space for park administration and 

visitor services in the East Armory building of the Colt Armory complex in order for the Secretary of the Interior to 

designate Coltsville as a unit of the National Park System. 

S. 2620 would allow this requirement to be met by a donation of 10,000 square feet anywhere in the armory complex, not just specifically in the East Armory building. 

The East Armory is the most visible and best-known 

building within the Colt Armory complex. It houses the 

site’s iconic blue onion dome, and it has been the primary 

focus of redevelopment of the complex. Immediately adjacent to the East Armory are two brownstone buildings, the 

Forge Shop and the Foundry, that date to 1855. They are 

key historic resources within the Colt Armory complex and 

closely associated with the East Armory. 

As the National Park Service (NPS) began working with 

the property owners (Colt Gateway LLC) and the city of 

Hartford to implement the legislation, it became clear that 

a much better location for park administration and visitor 

services than the East Armory itself would be the adjacent 

brownstone buildings. This is for two reasons: first, the redevelopment of the East Armory building is far enough 

along that locating park administration and visitor service 

facilities within the building would disrupt existing occupancy, including a school and residences. Second, the two 

brownstone buildings are better suited to welcome visitors 

because they are at grade and directly adjacent to parking 

and, therefore, provide universal accessibility. The 

brownstones together contain approximately 18,000 square 

feet of space, well in excess of the 10,000 square feet of 

space required by the law. 

A joint letter sent to the NPS by Senator Richard 

Blumenthal and Representative John Larson, on February 

16, 2016, stated that it was their view that an agreement 

for the donation of the 18,000 square feet of space for park 

administration and visitor services in the two brownstones 

immediately adjacent to the East Armory would meet the 

law’s intention, so long as the agreement also provides for 

visitor access to the East Armory dome. They noted that 

the brownstone buildings are so close that it would be logical to infer that the term ‘‘East Armory’’ includes these 

smaller buildings in the immediate vicinity of the actual 

East Armory building. The letter from the House and Senate sponsors of the original Colt legislation has given the 

NPS confidence to move forward with plans to accept the 

donation of the brownstone buildings. Even so, the Department would like to have the legal certainty about meeting 

the donation requirement that S. 2620 would provide. 

The NPS continues to make steady progress in meeting 

the other requirements for establishing the Coltsville National Historical Park. Agreements with the property owners (Colt Gateway LLC) and the city of Hartford are nearing completion. The donation of the required space for 


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park administration and visitor services is the next critical 

step necessary to officially establish Coltsville National 

Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System, 

which we would like to complete in the NPS’s Centennial 

year. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be 

happy to answer any questions that you or other members 

of the subcommittee may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the original 

bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be 

omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in 

italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

CARL LEVIN AND HOWARD P. ‘‘BUCK’’ McKEON 

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT 

FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015 

Public Law 113–291 

* * * * * * * 

DIVISION B—MILITARY CONSTRUCTION 

AUTHORIZATIONS 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE XXX—NATURAL RESOURCES RELATED GENERAL 

PROVISIONS 

* * * * * * * 

Subtitle C—National Park System Units 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 3032. COLTSVILLE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. 

* * * * * * * 

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

(2) CONDITIONS FOR ESTABLISHMENT.—The park shall not be 

established until the date on which the Secretary determines 

that— 

(A) the Secretary has acquired by donation sufficient 

land or an interest in land within the boundary of the park 

to constitute a manageable unit; 

(B) the State, city, or private property owner, as appropriate, has entered into a written agreement with the Secretary to donate at least 10,000 square feet of space in the 

øEast Armory¿ Colt Armory Complex which would include 

facilities for park administration and visitor services; and 

(C) the Secretary has entered into a written agreement 

with the State, city, or other public entity, as appropriate, 

providing that land owned by the State, city, or other pubVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:33 May 17, 2017 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR070.XXX SR070

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lic entity within the Coltsville Historic District shall be 

managed consistent with this section. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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