59–010 

Calendar No. 602 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 114–329 

COLTSVILLE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016.—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 S. 2620] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 2620) 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 the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 2620 is to facilitate the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park. 

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, at the site of the Samuel Colt homestead 

and manufacturing headquarters to commemorate 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 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. Legislation is needed to allow for the 

visitor center to be located elsewhere on the complex. 


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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

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. 

Representative Larson introduced similar legislation to S. 2620, 

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 (H. Rept. 114–447), and passed the House of Representatives 

on a voice vote on March 22, 2016. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 

business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered S. 2620 favorably 

reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on July 13, 2016, by a majority voice vote of 

a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2620. 

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. 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 the costs of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, August 5, 2016. 

Hon. LISA MURKOWSKI, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2620, a bill to facilitate 

the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park, and for other purposes. 

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

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

Sincerely, 

MARK P. HADLEY

(For Keith Hall). 

Enclosure. 


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S. 2620—A bill to facilitate the addition of park administration at 

the Coltsville National Historic Park, and for other purposes 

S. 2620 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. S. 2620 would allow the National 

Park Service (NPS) to use space outside of the area stipulated 

under current law as the National Historic Park. 

Under S. 2620, NPS would relocate some existing facilities to the 

new area. CBO estimates that any costs to implement S. 2620 

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

Because enacting S. 2620 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that 

enacting S. 2620 would not increase net direct spending or onbudget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. 

S. 2620 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. 

On March 4, 2016, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

2857, a bill to facilitate the addition of park administration at the 

Coltsville National Historic Park, and for other purposes, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on 

February 3, 2016. The two pieces of legislation are similar and 

CBO’s estimates of their budgetary effects are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, 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 

S. 2620. 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 S. 2620, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 2620, 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

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the 

March 17, 2016, Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 

2620, follows: 


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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 

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 logVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:13 Sep 11, 2016 Jkt 059010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR329.XXX SR329

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ical 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 

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.— 


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(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 public entity within the Coltsville Historic District shall be 

managed consistent with this section. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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