79–006 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 111–29 

R. JESS BROWN UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE 

MARCH 10, 2009.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OBERSTAR, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 842] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the bill (H.R. 842) to designate the United States 

Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ‘‘R. 

Jess Brown United States Courthouse’’, having considered the 

same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

H.R. 842 designates the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ‘‘R. Jess Brown United 

States Courthouse’’. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

R. Jess Brown was born in Coffeeville, Kansas, on September 2, 

1912. He was educated in the Muskogee, Oklahoma, public school 

system. He received a Bachelor of Education degree from Illinois 

State University, known then as Illinois State Normal University, 

in 1935, and a Master of Education degree from the University of 

Indiana in 1943. He attended Texas Southern Law School. 

In 1948, he was a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit for equal salaries for 

Jackson, Mississippi school teachers. 

In 1953, he was admitted to the bar for the State of Mississippi 

and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for 

the Southern District of Mississippi. In 1955, he co-founded the 

Magnolia Bar Association, and he later served on the Board of the 

National Bar Association for nearly 15 years. In 1958, he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. 


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As Associate Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Brown filed the first civil rights suit in Mississippi 

in the 1950s in Jefferson Davis County seeking the enforcement of 

the right of black citizens to become registered voters. In 1961, 

Brown represented James H. Meredith in his suit to be allowed to 

enter the University of Mississippi; his victory in this case opened 

the doors of that university to all of Mississippi’s citizens. While 

with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he played a major role in 

fighting discrimination in the areas of transportation and other 

public accommodations working along side Thurgood Marshall, who 

would later become Associate Justice of the United States Supreme 

Court. 

Brown also served as counsel for the American Civil Liberties 

Union, where he was successful in obtaining reversals of convictions of black defendants due to discrimination in jury selection. He 

also represented numerous black defendants in cases where the 

State sought the death penalty. As a result of these appeals, none 

of these defendants were ever executed. 

R. Jess Brown died in Jackson, Mississippi, on January 2, 1990. 

R. Jess Brown will be remembered as more than a brilliant attorney and civil rights leader. 

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Designation 

Section 1 designates the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ‘‘R. Jess Brown United 

States Courthouse’’. 

Section 2. References 

Section 2 states any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper or other record of the United States to the courthouse 

referred to in Section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the 

‘‘R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse’’. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

In the 109th Congress, Representative Bennie G. Thompson introduced this bill (H.R. 4426) and it was referred to the House 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. No further action 

was taken on the bill. 

In the 110th Congress, on January 10, 2007, Representative 

Thompson introduced H.R. 399 and it was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. On February 6, 2007, 

the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and 

Emergency Management met in open session and favorably recommended H.R. 399 to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure by voice vote. On February 7, 2007, the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session and ordered 

H.R. 399 reported favorably to the House by voice vote. On March 

6, 2007, the Committee reported the bill to the House. H. Rept. 

110–20. On March 6, 2007, the House passed H.R. 399 by voice 

vote. No further action was taken on the bill. 

In the 111th Congress, Representative Thompson introduced 

H.R. 842 on February 3, 2009. On February 12, 2009, the ComVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:17 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR029.XXX HR029

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mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session, 

and ordered the bill reported favorably to the House by voice vote 

with a quorum present. 

RECORD VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives requires 

each committee report to include the total number of votes cast for 

and against on each record vote on a motion to report and on any 

amendment offered to the measure or matter, and the names of 

those members voting for and against. There were no recorded 

votes taken in connection with ordering H.R. 842 reported. A motion to order H.R. 842 reported favorably to the House was agreed 

to by voice vote with a quorum present. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in this report. 

COST OF LEGISLATION

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely 

submitted prior to the filing of the report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is included in this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 

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

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee references the 

report of the Congressional Budget Office included in the report. 

2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goals 

and objective of this legislation are to designate the United States 

Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ‘‘R. 

Jess Brown United States Courthouse’’. 

3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the 

enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 842 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, February 17, 2009. 

Hon. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, 

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed the following legislation as ordered reported by the House 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on February 12, 

2009: 


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• H.R. 887, a bill to designate the United States courthouse 

located at 131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the 

‘‘James A. Leach United States Courthouse’’; 

• H.R. 869, a bill to designate the federal building and 

United States courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ‘‘Scott Reed Federal Building and 

United States Courthouse’’; 

• H.R. 842, a bill to designate the United States courthouse 

to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ‘‘R. Jess 

Brown United States Courthouse’’; 

• H.R. 837, a bill to designate the federal building located at 

799 United Nations Plaza in New York, New York, as the 

‘‘Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations 

Building’’; and 

• H.R. 813, a bill to designate the federal building and 

United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in 

Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ‘‘J. Herbert W. Small 

Federal Building and United States Courthouse.’’ 

CBO estimates that enacting those pieces of legislation would 

have no significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues. The bills contain 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. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF, 

Director. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, H.R. 842 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause (3)(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or joint resolution 

of a public character shall include a statement citing the specific 

powers granted to the Congress in the Constitution to enact the 

measure. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

finds that Congress has the authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted under article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(Public Law 104–4). 


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PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the 

report of any Committee on a bill or joint resolution to include a 

statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee states 

that H.R. 842 does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104–1). 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 842 makes no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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