59–006 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 114–690 

TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO ESTABLISH A 

STRUCTURE FOR VISITOR SERVICES ON THE ARLINGTON RIDGE TRACT, 

IN THE AREA OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS WAR MEMORIAL, AND FOR 

OTHER PURPOSES 

JULY 14, 2016.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union 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. 4789] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 4789) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in 

the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, 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. 4789 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor services on the Arlington 

Ridge tract, in the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial located in Arlington, Virginia, honors ‘‘United States Marine Corps who have given their 

lives to their country since November 10, 1775.’’ Based on the 

iconic image by Joe Rosenthal, the Memorial depicts five U.S Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Iwo 

Jima during World War II. The Memorial attracts over one million 

visitors annually and hosts several popular events including Summer Sunset Parades and the Marine Corps Marathon. Despite this 

popularity, the Memorial lacks basic visitor services such as permanent restroom facilities. Due to the high visitation numbers at the 

Memorial, the National Park Service (NPS) identified a clear need 

to replace the existing temporary portable bathroom facilities in 

favor of a more respectful and permanent solution. 


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H.R. 4789 authorizes the construction of a visitor services center 

that includes permanent restroom facilities and a small area for interpretative signage and materials near the Memorial. When Congress authorized the United States Air Force Memorial in 2001, the 

legislation prohibited the creation of additional structures on the 

25.32 acre parcel of land surrounding the Memorial. Congress did 

not intend for the prohibition to restrict a facility for public restrooms but rather wanted to keep the area surrounding the Memorial open and potentially available for future use by Arlington National Cemetery. Given the prohibition on construction, this legislation is necessary for NPS to move forward with the creation of a 

new visitor services facility. NPS intends to construct a non-staffed 

facility, designed to ensure a minimal impact on the open space 

around the Memorial, funded by a recent $5.37 million donation 

from billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 4789 was introduced on March 17, 2016, by Congressman 

Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D–VA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 

Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On May 24, 2016, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On June 14, 2016, 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 June 15, 2016. 

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

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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: 


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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, June 30, 2016. 

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. 4789, a bill to authorize 

the Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor 

services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and for other purposes. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Marin Burnett. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 4789—A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor services on the Arlington Ridge tract, 

in the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and for 

other purposes 

H.R. 4789 would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to 

construct a small structure for visitor services on the Arlington 

Ridge tract of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, 

Virginia. Based on information from NPS about the design and construction of the structure, CBO estimates that implementing the 

bill would cost about $1 million over the 2017–2021 period. Such 

spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

Enacting H.R. 4789 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

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

that enacting H.R. 4789 would not increase net direct spending or 

on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. 

H.R. 4789 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 Marin Burnett. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of 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. According to the Congressional Budget Office 

(CBO), implementing H.R. 4789 would cost about $1 million over 

the 2017–2021 period, subject to appropriation. CBO estimates that 

the bill ‘‘would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10 year periods beginning in 

2027’’. 

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 authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 


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structure for visitor services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in the 

area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. 

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. The Chairman does not believe that this 

bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

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

This bill does not amend existing law. 

Æ 


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